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Apple is investigating claims that tin used in its products comes from mines on Bangka Island in Indonesia. This comes after environmental watchdog Friends of the Earth (FoE) pressured the tech giant to identify the source of the metal used for soldering components in iDevices. While the island region is one of the largest suppliers of tin in the world, mining conditions are far from ideal. Landslides consistently claim the lives of workers, and mining itself has had an adverse effect on the local environment. The group successfully pressured Samsung to admit its involvement with the area's tin supplies in April.
For its part, Apple commissioned a fact-finding visit to learn more and is helping to fund a new study on mining in the region so they "can better understand the situation." Or maybe they could save some time and money by reading the one conducted by The Guardian and FoE from last November. You know, the one that found that unregulated tin mining leans heavily on child labor, destroys the environment and causes on average 100 - 150 miner fatalities every year. Cupertino has already vowed to not use conflict minerals and appointed a former EPA administrator to focus on its environmental efforts, so it at least looks responsible. Now to see if it can back up its actions.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Apple
Via: The Verge
The usual refrain is that smartphones can do anything, but we doubt too many people can boast that their RAZR MAXX is helping to rescue the rainforests of Indonesia. Enter a new project called Rainforest Connection, which is building a security network of devices in the Air Tarusan reserve in western Sumatra to prevent illegal logging. Donated Android smartphones are being modified to use solar power before being dangled from trees with their microphones switched on. When the handsets pick up the sound of a chainsaw, they relay an emergency message to local rangers who can then intervene. Future plans involve using large numbers of recycled handsets and making the system easy enough for locals to hook up further networks by themselves. Just one more reason not to throw out that moribund smartphone.
Filed under: Cellphones, Alt
Via: New Scientist
Source: Rainforest Connection
Nokia's already got the Lumia 620, 820 and 920 in its hand, but could it be going for a running flush? That's the question we find ourselves asking, after a filing from Indonesia's POSTEL, a regulatory body much like the FCC in the US, declares that a Nokia "520 / RM-914" and "720 / RM-885" have successfully completed testing. The Lumia title doesn't appear in the database, but it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to believe they could be unannounced Windows Phone 8 devices -- and successors to the 510 and 710 -- given the familiar naming convention. That's really all we have to go on right now, but with MWC drawing ever closer, is this just coincidence, or does the Finnish company have a couple more Lumias tucked up its sleeve?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia
Via: Phone Arena
Source: POSTEL
RIM might be struggling for market share here in the US, but the BlackBerry name still enjoys quite a bit of popularity elsewhere in the world. Take Indonesia for example, where the company will launch BBM Money, a transactional service that'll allow money transfers between BlackBerry owners. Apparently BBM is already a popular way to set up peer-to-peer transactions in the Southeast Asian country, so the service essentially closes the loop. With Android usage on the rise over there -- around 52 percent market share according to a recent IDC report -- RIM is likely trying anything it can to retain its stronghold. We're not sure when exactly BBM Money will go live, though RIM has said it's to come "shortly," perhaps along with the launch of BlackBerry 10 in 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, RIM
Via: TechCrunch
Source: BBC
Here's a contradiction in action: a Nokia phone that goes down a model number, but up in features. That's what we'll see if regulatory screenings and leaks surrounding the unreleased Lumia 510 are any indication. China's TENAA, the FCC and Indonesia's DG PosTel have all taken a look at the device ahead of time and point to a short, squat design that won't have the budget chic of the Lumia 610. However, if Baidu tips are correct, the 510 may be an ever-so-slight upgrade to its higher-digit predecessor with a larger 4-inch screen and a likely fast track to Windows Phone 7.8. Just don't anticipate more than the existing 800MHz Snapdragon, 256MB of RAM and 5-megapixel camera -- or a US release, for that matter. The FCC has only tested the Lumia 510 against American GSM bands, which hints that its 3G support is meant for China, Indonesia and other countries where low-cost smartphones matter most.
Gallery: Nokia Lumia 510 put under the regulatory limelight, hints low-cost Windows Phone 7.8 on the way
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Nokia Lumia 510 put under the regulatory limelight, hints low-cost Windows Phone 7.8 on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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WMPowerUser, Baidu Teiba (translated) | 
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Over the years we've come across many hydrophobic coating technologies aimed at electronics, but sadly, none of those were made directly available to consumers. The closest one was Nokia's nanocoating demonstration we saw last October, though the company recently said to us that it's still "currently a research project," and it never mentioned plans to offer a service to treat existing devices. On the other hand, Californian startup Liquipel recently opened its first Hong Kong retail store, making it the second Liquipel service center globally after the one located at the Santa Ana headquarters. Folks in the area can simply call up to make an appointment, and then head over with their phones or tablets to get the nanocoating treatment. So how does this funky technology work? How does it cover both the inside and the outside of gadgets? And is Liquipel's offering any better than its rivals? Read on to find out.
Continue reading Liquipel launches retail store in Hong Kong, spreads the hydrophobia for gadgets
Liquipel launches retail store in Hong Kong, spreads the hydrophobia for gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As far as monopolies go, word on the interwebs is BlackBerry holds a pretty major one with its own BBM in Indonesian territory. According to DailySocial, though, that all could be changing soon thanks to Telkomsel's newly introduced all-you-can-message plans. The deal's fairly simple, the Indonesian carrier's bundling applications like Opera Mini, Line, WhatsApp and KakaoTalk in an unlimited package, with pricing starting at a mere 30,000 Rp (around $3) per month. Obviously, with the inclusion of a couple of the aforementioned apps, Indonesians could -- in theory -- also make calls without using their precious minutes, which is quite a good deal for under four bucks. In the end, it looks like it'll come down to how attached folks are to all those BlackBerry Messenger pins and whistles.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Software
Telkomsel's new unlimited messaging plan gives Indonesians an alternative to BBM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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