MacRumors

Following last week's management shuffle at Microsoft, the company's Surface team has taken over testing its prototype smart watch, including variations with the same connector that Microsoft uses on its Surface tablets. According to The Verge, Microsoft's smart watch prototypes were previously tested by the Xbox accessories team.

The move to the Surface group underlines a recent organizational change at Microsoft that aligns Xbox hardware and Surface hardware into a single division, with former Windows chief Julie Larson-Green now responsible for all of Microsoft's hardware efforts.

In addition to a potential Surface connector that could allow a smart watch to interface with existing Surface tablets, Microsoft is also said to be testing smart watches that have 1 1.5-inch display, a heart rate monitor, and are running a modified version of Windows 8.

As Microsoft experiments with its smart watch, it appears Apple is in the prototype stages as well. According to a report yesterday, Apple has begun "aggressively" hiring new employees to help with the smart watch, which is now expected to be released in late 2014. Apple's own smart watch is expected to run the full version of iOS and could include a heavy focus on biometrics and health related applications.

Along with Microsoft and Apple, both Google and Samsung are said to be working on smart watches of their own. At this point in time, it seems all companies are in the testing phases with no indication of which smart watch might hit the market first.

The Next Web summarizes a series of reports from out of China relating an incident in which a 23-year-old Chinese woman was allegedly electrocuted while answering a call on her iPhone 5 as it was plugged in and charging. Details on the incident are somewhat sketchy, but the woman's family insists that the iPhone was purchased from Apple in December and that the woman was using Apple's official charger at the time of the incident.

The South China Morning Post reports that Apple has issued a brief statement expressing its condolences and committing to investigate the situation.

A spokeswoman for the technology company said: "We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the ... family. We will fully investigate and co-operate with authorities in this matter."

According to mainland media reports, Ma Ailun, a 23-year-old flight attendant with China Southern Airlines, was picking up her iPhone 5 to answer a call while the battery was being charged when she was electrocuted and killed.

Experts note that any device presents a more risky situation when being used while charging, but that either multiple significant issues between the device and electrical system or environmental factors such as the presence of water would generally be required for a dangerous incident to occur.

But while the woman's family claims that she was using a genuine Apple charger, the dangers of knockoff chargers are well-known, with many of those devices failing to meet standards for adequately separating electrical input and output.

In the wake of continuing reports suggesting that Apple's Retina iPad mini may not be ready to launch until early next year, Digitimes has now added its thoughts on the matter, claiming that Apple will be releasing a slightly redesigned non-Retina iPad mini later this year before launching the Retina iPad mini early next year.

According to the report, the Retina iPad mini will see an "almost bezel-free" design, presumably referring to the sides of the device, which are already fairly narrow. The report is somewhat confusing about just what aspects of the redesign will appear when, also mentioning a lighter and thinner design for the new non-Retina model later this year.

Apple is reportedly aiming to use Retina panel technology equipped with 2,048 by 1,536 resolution in the next generation 7.9-inch iPad mini. Apple is also said to be revising the design of the chassis to give the next-generation iPad mini an almost bezel-free look.

While the new iPad mini may not be availabe during the year-end shopping season, Apple reportedly may first release a slightly updated version of the current iPad mini in the second half of 2013, which is expected to be lighter, thinner and equipped with improved specifications, the sources said.

Digitimes' report is very similar to claims from NPD DisplaySearch analysts, who have flip-flopped several times but now point to a thinner non-Retina iPad mini arriving later this year and a Retina iPad mini following in early 2014.

Today's report also reiterates claims that Apple's fifth-generation iPad is on its way with a thinner and lighter design inspired by the iPad mini. Apple's supply chain is reportedly beginning small-scale production on the new iPad this month, ramping up through October.

The Korea Economic Daily reports that Apple and Samsung today officially signed an agreement that will see the two companies working together on future A-series chips for Apple's iOS devices, with the deal specifically covering A9 chips based on a 14-nanometer process node starting in 2015. The claim comes just weeks after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) confirmed a deal with Apple to begin producing A-series chips in 2014.

Samsung Electronics had supplied the AP [application processor] to Apple since 2007 but lost the contract to supply 20 nano AP A8 chips to Apple to Taiwan's TSMC last year when it was engaged in patent disputes with Apple. Samsung Electronics developed state-of-the-art 14 nano models ahead of its rival TSMC, regaining the order from Apple.

A previous report about Apple's agreement with TSMC had indicated that it was a three-year deal covering not only Apple's future A8 chip but also A9/A9X chips. The Wall Street Journal's report had indicated that Samsung would remain Apple's primary supplier through next year as TSMC began ramping up its production.

As a result, it is unclear whether today's deal will see both TSMC and Samsung producing A9 chips for Apple or if Apple has already shifted gears to return to Samsung as its primary supplier as part of its long-term roadmap.

Apple has reportedly been seeking to reduce its reliance on Samsung as a component supplier as the two companies have become fierce rivals in both the mobile marketplace and in the courtroom. The two companies have, however, continued working together in several areas, particularly where Samsung's competitors in the component market are unable to match its technology, production capacity, or pricing.

The shift to TSMC for production of the high-profile main chips for Apple's iOS devices had been viewed as breaking one of the most significant remaining ties between Apple and Samsung, but it appears that Samsung has been able to bring Apple back into the fold by leading the charge to 14-nm chips. With partnerships with both Samsung and TSMC, it appears that Apple should be well-positioned to take advantage of whichever company takes the lead in developing the latest technologies.

Late last week, it was reported that Apple had bought into a fab, perhaps with an eventual goal of producing its own chips for its mobile devices, although any such move is almost certainly years away given the need to ramp up expertise and facilities for such production.

Financial Times reports that Apple is "aggressively" hiring new employees to help with its smart watch effort, suggesting that the company needs additional expertise to tackle the project's challenges. Sources also indicate that the "iWatch" may not appear until late next year, as has been previously rumored.

The company has begun hiring “aggressively” for the project in recent weeks, say people familiar with Apple’s plans for the wearable device, a move that shows it has stepped up development but which raises questions over the ability of its own engineers to develop wearable technology.

As Apple moves from iPods, iPhones and iPads into an entirely new category of product, it is looking beyond its existing staff in Cupertino for the talent required to build it – an indication that the endeavour involves “hard engineering problems that they’ve not been able to solve”, according to one source.

The report indicates that Apple has been looking at acquiring smaller firms with expertise that would be valuable to its smart watch effort, and has also been working hard to retain key employees related to the project.

Rumors of an Apple smart watch have been circulating for some time now, with the company reportedly putting over 100 designers to work on the project. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Apple has hired Paul Deneve, formerly the CEO of fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, to work on "special projects", with speculation suggesting he may involved with the iWatch and other wearable computing projects at Apple.

Apple has been filing trademark applications on the iWatch name in a number of countries, something the company typically does relatively close to its product launches, but it appears in this case that Apple may still have significant work left to do before it can bring its smart watch to market.

(Photo: HEX Vision Metal Watchband for 6th-generation iPod nano)

Yesterday it was reported that users who purchased the new game Deus Ex: The Fall were unable to properly play the game on jailbroken devices because of an anti-piracy measure. Users were prevented from firing any guns, a key part of the game.

Today, Square Enix has apologized for not properly communicating that the game would not work on jailbroken devices and has announced that it will rectify the issue in a future software update, Eurogamer reports.

Publisher Square Enix issued this statement:

We have not been clear in our communication earlier this week when we launched Deus Ex: The Fall. We did not state clearly that the game would not support jailbroken devices and so we will be switching this off via an update, so that all the supported iOS devices will be able to play the game in the near future.

We feel it's the right thing to do in this situation and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. No customer should be out of pocket when we were not clear from the start, so we'll get the game updated as soon as possible so that everyone who wants to play Deus Ex: The Fall can do regardless of whether their device is jailbroken or not. As soon as this update is live we will communicate this via the Eidos Montreal Community channels.

SemiAccurate reports that Apple is ramping up its efforts to control its own supply chain, seeking to produce its own chips and buying into a chip fabrication facility to accomplish that goal.

Apple has just done something that SemiAccurate has been expecting for months and entered the fab industry. No we are not joking, Apple just bought into a fab, and not in a trivial way either.

With the majority of the report behind a paywall, details remain scarce, but the teaser walks through how Intel, TSMC, Global Foundries, and IBM are unable to entirely meet Apple's chip needs as it looks to move away from Samsung as the manufacturer of A-series chips for its iOS devices.

Tags associated with the article include all of those companies, as well as "UMC", which undoubtedly refers to United Microelectronics Corporation, a Taiwanese semiconductor company with a focus on the foundry business, hinting that UMC may be involved in Apple's effort in some manner. UMC currently operates a number of fabs in Taiwan, and also has a facility in Singapore that the company just weeks ago designated as its Center of Excellence for advanced specialty process technologies.

Any move by Apple to produce its own chips is almost certainly years in the future given the difficulty of building up that expertise, and so Apple will need to continue relying on manufacturing partners for its A-series chips for the foreseeable future. Just last month, TSMC reportedly confirmed that it has struck a deal to produce A-series chips for Apple, offering the iOS device maker a path to minimize its reliance on Samsung. The TSMC deal comes after years of rumors as TSMC suffered from technical glitches and other issues that kept Apple from committing to the chipmaker.

SemiAccurate has a mixed track record, having correctly predicted Apple's shifts in graphics chip suppliers for its Mac lines several times, but also incorrectly claiming in May 2011 that Apple would soon be moving its Macs to ARM processors. More recently, the site has been keeping on top of Apple's work to recruit AMD engineers for its "Orlando GPU Design Center".

Update: CNET says that the report cites Globalfoundries as Apple's partner in the fab project. CNET's own sources indicate that the two companies are still "kicking the tires" and that no deal has been yet been reached.

"This isn't the first time. [Apple and Globalfoundries] have kicked the tires before. But [Apple] is doing this again to look at a fab to offset risk," said the source.

The source continued: "Globalfoundries and Samsung have the same technology foundation based on an IBM joint development agreement. So that gives [a possible deal] a little less risk if they're looking at a secondary option to offset [the current chip manufacturing] with Samsung. Samsung's fab in Austin and GF's fab in New York could both ramp a similar product and GF could offset capacity that Samsung can't fulfill."

Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports [Google translation] that shortages of Retina display panels for Apple's planned second-generation iPad mini have forced the company to push back its internal launch plans into early 2014. The company reportedly had been planning to launch the device during the fourth quarter of 2013, in time for the holiday shopping season.

The report also appears to suggest that Apple may offer both Retina and non-Retina versions of the second-generation iPad mini, although it is unclear just how price and feature differentiation between the models would work out.

Today's article is just the latest in a line of reports expressing uncertainty over Apple's iPad mini plans. Back in April, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had indicated that technical challenges with Retina displays would likely result in the updated iPad mini beginning to ship in the September-November timeframe, perhaps somewhat later than observers had been expecting at that time.

NPD DisplaySearch analysts have also been flip-flopping on their claims, beginning with a May report initially claiming that Apple would be releasing a non-Retina iPad mini update later this year with a Retina update to follow in early 2014, but within hours reporting on DisplaySearch's claim was revised to indicate that a Retina display would be included in both of those updates. But last month DisplaySearch returned to its original prediction, claiming that a thinner non-Retina iPad mini would arrive late this year with a Retina model following in early 2014.

While at the annual Allen and Co media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said the company's relationship with Apple is "improving" and that the two companies have been conducting "lots and lots" of meetings, reports Reuters.

Schmidt did not provide details about the nature of the meetings during comments to reporters at the annual Allen and Co media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho on Thursday. He noted that Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora, who joined him at the press briefing, was leading many of the discussions.

Schmidt did say that the companies are in "constant business discussions on a long list of issues." Last December, the former Google CEO said that the two companies had an "on and off" relationship and that they would work through any issues in "the adult way."

Apple and Google's relationship has been strained in recent years, with constant patent disputes between Apple and Google's Android parters as well as the removal of both Google Maps and YouTube from iOS. The two companies also have taken their rivalry to apps as Google has Safari competitor Chrome in the App Store and has most recently updated its Google Search app with Siri competitor Google Now.

Schmidt had served as an Apple board member while also holding the position of Google CEO, but as the two companies became increasingly direct competitors following Google's launches of Android and Chrome OS, Schmidt stepped down from Apple's board in August 2009.

Microsoft is planning to drop the prices of its Surface RT tablets by $150, reports The Verge. The lower prices, which will go into effect on Sunday July 14, are likely the result of lackluster sales.

Bloomberg reported in March that Microsoft had sold just 1.5 million Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets since they debuted in October of 2012 and February of 2013, respectively, with 400,000 of those sales attributed to the Pro. HP experienced similarly poor sales with its TouchPad, which was heavily discounted and then discontinued.

The Surface pricing change comes just after Microsoft announced a restructuring of the company, aiming to enhance collaboration and unify its product lineup. Microsoft has heavily marketed Windows 8 tablets in recent weeks, pitting several different tablets against Apple's iPad in a series of ads that highlight the iPad’s inability to multitask and its lack of built-in productivity software.

With the discount, Microsoft's pricing will be as follows:

- Surface RT 32GB: $349.99
- Surface RT 64GB: $449.99
- Surface RT 32GB with Touch Cover: $449.99
- Surface RT 64GB with Touch Cover: $549.99

Staples has confirmed the pricing cut in a weekly promotional ad that says the new pricing will be available as of Sunday. Despite the pricing cuts, Microsoft has suggested that new versions of both the Surface Pro and the Surface RT are in the works, along with a number of new accessories.

Apple has updated the Supplier Responsibility page on its website addressing concerns over the illegal mining of tin in Indonesia.

The company is initiating a new task group with the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) to determine if its suppliers are getting tin from illegal mining operations.

Bangka Island, Indonesia, is one of the world’s principal tin-producing regions. Recent concerns about the illegal mining of tin from this region prompted Apple to lead a fact-finding visit to learn more. Using the information we’ve gathered, Apple initiated an EICC working group focused on this issue, and we are helping to fund a new study on mining in the region so we can better understand the situation.

The Verge, which first noticed the change, noted that 249 of Apple's suppliers use tin in the production of its products. In an article last year, Bloomberg Businessweek looked at the collapse of a tin-mining pit on Bangka island that killed a number of miners in a landslide --one-third of the world's tin production comes from the area.

In recent years, Apple has stepped up its examinations of suppliers, issuing yearly Supplier Responsibility Reports and in 2013 fired one of its Chinese suppliers for child labor violations.

Sprint today announced new two new mobile plans, both of which come with a new Unlimited Guarantee, ensuring unlimited talk, text, and data on the Sprint Network for the life of the cellular line.

Sprint's guarantee applies to new and existing customers who choose to sign up for the "Unlimited, My Way" plan or the "My All-in" plan. The Unlimited, My Way plan offers customers unlimited usage for $80 per month for a single line, though additional lines (up to 10) can be added with a tiered fee that decreases based on how many lines are added. For example, a single phone with unlimited everything costs $80 under the new plan, but four phones will cost $260, or $65 each.

- Customers first select the number of lines; all lines come with unlimited talk to any wireline or mobile phone and text.

- Customers then choose their data for each line: $30/month for unlimited data on smartphones or $10/month for unlimited data on basic phones. Additional options include $20 for 1GB of data on smartphones or basic phone users can choose not to add data to their account.

- Customers also have the choice to activate mobile hotspot functionality on their smartphone for $10 per month for 1GB of data on the Sprint network.

Sprint's My All-in plan offers unlimited talk, text, and data plus 5GB of mobile hotspot usage for $110. With both plans, customers are guaranteed to have access to unlimited talk, text, and data for the lifetime of the line.

Previously, Sprint's individual unlimited talk, text, and data plan was priced at $109.99, so the change marks a significant discount. The pricing shift comes just a day after T-Mobile announced its new "Jump" phone upgrade program, which allows T-Mobile customers to upgrade their phones as often as twice per year.

According to Sprint, its customers save $240 per year over Verizon customers, and $120 per year over AT&T and T-Mobile customers. Sprint's new plans will be available beginning on July 12, and its new guarantee will go into effect on the same day.