Brazil

Apple has begun mass production of a new tablet pitched as a smaller alternative to the iPad, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The paper cited Asian component suppliers within Apple's supply chain, referencing two people familiar with the device who declined to be named.

According to the sources, Apple's rumored product, dubbed the "iPad Mini," will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display -- noticeably smaller than the 9.7-inch screen of the existing iPad, now in its third generation. It will also be lower-resolution than the iPad 3's Retina display.

The iPad Mini is … Read more

A smaller version of Apple's iPad is already in production according to a new report.

Citing an anonymous source, Japanese Apple blog Macotakara today says that production of the product is under way in a "Brazilian factory."

No other details on parts of physical form factor or offered, short of that the same source says the unit is missing a microphone on its backside, a rumored design cue currently found in Apple's iPhone 5.

Apple has been rumored to be splitting up production of a smaller iPad between two manufacturers, Foxconn and Pegatron. Foxconn began assembling … Read more

Google today bowed to demands from Brazil to restrict access to a YouTube video that had attacked a mayoral candidate.

"Late last night, we learned that our final legal appeal has been denied and so now we have no choice but to block the video in Brazil," Fabio Coelho, head of Google's Brazil operations, said in a post today. "We are deeply disappointed that we have never had the full opportunity to argue in court that these were legitimate free speech videos and should remain available in Brazil."

The move came a day after Brazilian … Read more

A Google executive who was arrested in Brazil over YouTube videos critical of a local politician has been released, the Associated Press reported today.

Fabio Jose Silva Coelho, head of Google's Brazil operations, was released after agreeing to appear in court at an undetermined date. He was detained after the company declined to remove two videos that a judge said violated laws that limit public criticism of political candidates.

A search on YouTube shows several videos of Alcides Bernal, who is running for mayor of Campo Grande, including one about documents he's allegedly hiding and another accusing him … Read more

Brazil made good on its promise today and detained the country's head of operations for Google, according to the Associated Press.

The debacle began last week when Google refused to remove denigrating video clips of a politician from YouTube as ordered by a Brazilian judge. Laws in the country limit public criticism of political candidates.

Since Google failed to remove the clips, Judge Flavio Peren initiated a statewide, 24-hour suspension of Google and YouTube, while also ordering the arrest of Google executive Fabio Jose Silva Coelho.

According to the Associated Press, Brazil's federal police said that Coelho should … Read more

Google's refusal to remove YouTube videos of a politician has created trouble for its head of operations in Brazil.

A Brazilian judge has ordered the arrest of Google executive Fabio Jose Silva Coelho because the company didn't take down videos that slammed a mayoral candidate, the Associated Press reported today.

Judge Flavio Peren last week ordered Google to remove the two videos -- which included negative remarks about Alcides Bernal, who's running for mayor of the city of Campo Grande -- and initiated a statewide, 24-hour suspension of Google and its video-sharing site.

CNET has contacted Google … Read more

Now that there is an increasing likelihood of Apple releasing an iPad Mini, speculation is starting to get more specific.

Japanese-language Web site Macotakara claims the iPad Mini -- rumored to use a 7.85-inch display -- will be almost as thin as the iPod touch (4th generation), citing "reliable Chinese sources."

That would indeed be thin. The iPod touch is a mere 7.2 mm thick -- a couple of millimeters thinner than the Retina iPad.

The dimensions are similar to Google's Nexus 7: the height is about the same, while the width is a "… Read more

HTC is pulling out of Brazil after failing to capitalize on the growing market, blog AndroidPIT reported today.

According to the blog, the company is shutting down operations in Brazil, laying off dozens of workers, and stopping the wholesale of its devices. HTC has promised to continue its customer support in the market, AndroidPIT said.

The company did not immediately respond to an e-mail from CNET, but an HTC representative told AndroidPIT that the company made the decision after "analyzing the sales numbers." When we hear back from HTC, we'll update this post.

HTC hasn't been doing well … Read more

A former law student was slapped with a 17-month prison sentence in Brazil's federal court today for using Twitter to "incite prejudice and discrimination" against people from the northeast of the country, according to the Associated Press.

The infraction dates back to November 2010, days after Dilma Rousseff was voted in as Brazil's new president. Angered by the left-wing president's win that was said to have been carried by a majority of votes from residents in the northeast, Mayara Petruso sent out a tweet encouraging people to go kill Brazilians in that part of the … Read more