Foxconn

NEW YORK--Even with his credibility in tatters, actor and Apple critic Mike Daisey received a standing ovation today following the final New York appearance of his one-man show, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs."

"He was really, really good," said Jane Glucksman, 50, at the conclusion of today's matinee at The Public Theater. "I came here sort of skeptical after reading about what was going on, but his show made me want to re-examine everything I've heard about Apple."

Many of the people interviewed by CNET as they left the … Read more

The makers of the popular public radio program "This American Life" are now retracting a January episode that contained a damning monologue on Apple and its manufacturing practices in China.

That monologue came from actor Mike Daisey, who penned his one-man play, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," after traveling to Shenzhen, China, to visit a handful of factories. That trip included Foxconn, where most of Apple's hardware is manufactured.

"Daisey lied to me and to This American Life producer Brian Reed during the fact checking we did on the story, before … Read more

Workers injured in a December blast at a Chinese factory say that Apple inspectors toured the facility hours before the accident.

NPR spoke with 25 injured workers who criticized safety conditions at the plant and said they were instructed not to speak with the Apple contingent.

One of the injured employees, Zhang Qing, told NPR that workers were not informed about a similar blast seven months earlier at a factory in Chengdu, China, which was tied to a buildup of aluminum dust.

Another worker hurt in the explosion, Liu Hengchao, said he watched as inspectors wearing white gloves checked for … Read more

In recent months, a lot of gadget makers (but mostly Apple, if we're honest) have faced a lot of public pressure about the working conditions in Chinese factories (mainly those run by Foxconn, if we're honest) where their devices are manufactured. This led me to ask the question last month: could Foxconn workers ever afford one of the iPhones they make? The answer: not without saving up the entirety of their earnings for several months.

All the fuss over the state of manufacturing in China led to another question I've heard from more than one reader in the past week: so, are there any decent smartphones not made in China?

This led to much head-scratching, followed by much more research. The short answer is: yes, but not many and probably not for much longer.

Here's the quick rundown of smartphone makers I found that source their devices, at least in part, from places other than China, with labor standards that are closer to what we might expect in America. But before you read any further, there are some huge caveats to keep in mind. … Read more

As Apple prepares for the Wednesday debut of what's widely expected to be the iPad 3, the company's main contract supplier is tweaking its manufacturing process with an eye toward reducing product defects -- and possibly head count as well.

Foxconn Technology, which has about 1.2 million employees working at its myriad factories in China, has begun adding automated inline X-ray inspection systems to its plants, according to a source with first-hand knowledge of the change. With inline X-ray machines using software algorithms to inspect solder joints or printed circuit boards at production line speeds, a company … Read more

Apple is once again tops in the eyes of the business world, according to Fortune.

The iPhone maker took the lead as the world's most admired company for the fifth year in a row.

Selected No. 1 by business professionals polled for Fortune's annual list, Apple was cited for its banner year. CEO Tim Cook was able to steer the company after the resignation and death of Steve Jobs to end 2012 with a prosperous fourth quarter thanks to heavy demand for the iPhone 4s.

Trailing in second place was Google, which went through its own transition last … Read more

The iPad 3 could already be jetting its way to the United States.

The shipping document revealed by Chinese forum site WeiPhone (English translation) allegedly details iPad 3 units hopping on board flights from China yesterday bound for airports in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.

As translated by 9to5Mac, the report shows that initial deliveries from Apple supplier Foxconn to the U.S. will begin March 9. To no surprise, the shipments are said to be under tight security.

"In order to prevent the cargo from being dragged on the airport ramp for too long, as well … Read more

week in review With an eye on protecting consumers' privacy while online, the White House and the Federal Trade Communications unveiled the "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights," which will serve as a policy outline for future legislation and public policy.

The administration also worked with online advertising associations, such as the Digital Advertising Alliance and others, to revive "Do Not Track" technology and best practices. This technology will allow consumers to change settings in their browsers to notify advertisers that they do not wish to be tracked as they move from Web site to Web site … Read more

The workers who produce iPhones have the ability to pay for one just like anyone else, so long as they don't have even the slightest interest in buying anything else over a six-month period.

Recent reporting from ABC's Nightline revealed some of the basic numbers that define the simple and monotonous existence of the Foxconn factory line workers who assemble Apple's iPhones and iPads, Amazon's Kindles, and a slew of other devices from all sorts of recognizable brand names. Here's the number that sticks in my head, though: $1.78--that's how much one of … Read more