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Two former Wintek employees who say they suffered permanent health problems while assembling iPhones in 2009 have come out in support of a petition asking Apple to demand better working conditions at overseas factories.

In a statement today, Guo Rui-Qiang and Jia Jing-Chuan, who were among those who suffered health problems as a result of exposure to n-hexane, a toxic chemical that was being used in a China factory as a cleaning agent, are asking more people to sign the petition ahead of Apple's annual shareholders meeting tomorrow.

"We have been pressuring Apple, and its new CEO Tim … Read more

Although we haven't reviewed this phone on C Spire's network, you can read CNET's Samsung Repp review for U.S. Cellular, which is the same phone.

Although we haven't reviewed this phone on C Spire's network, you can read CNET's Samsung Gem SCH-i100 review for U.S. Cellular.

The group that hand-delivered printed petitions to Apple's retail stores last week plans to come back for round two.

Last week, SumOfUs delivered boxes containing some 250,000 printed signatures from its petition asking Apple to require more "ethical" working conditions from its supply and manufacturing partners. In a statement issued this afternoon, SumOfUs said it plans to do it again.

Next Thursday the group is taking what it calls a "distributed" approach, delivering the same petition to Apple's stores anew. However this time, the group is plans to have "hundreds of its … Read more

U.S. Cellular may not be able to offer double the data cap for free, but it is hoping that crediting new customers $100 bucks for a two-year agreement will attract customers tired of their current carrier.

Starting today, new post-paid customers will receive a $100 credit on their bill, plus the option to get another $50-to-$150 in cash for trading in a used smartphone.

To round out the offer, U.S. Cellular is also lowering prices on its smartphone portfolio, offering the Motorola Electrify and HTC 7 Pro for $129.99, the BlackBerry Curve 9350 for $49.99, … Read more

A new online petition is demanding that Apple clean up its act overseas in time to make its next iPhone "the first ethical iPhone."

Watchdog group SumOfUs last week put up a petition asking Apple to "make the iPhone 5 ethically," referring to the company's use of overseas manufacturing from companies such as Foxconn, which have recently come under fire for their working conditions and practices.

The petition, which the group says garnered more than 35,000 signatures in its first 24 hours, asks Apple to "overhaul the way its suppliers treat their workers,&… Read more

In December, when I asked readers of The Audiophiliac to "Show us yours--your hi-fi that is," I didn't know what sort of response I'd get. But it turned out to be a broad and deep one. JPEGs of heavyweight hi-fis flooded my in-box--from huge home theaters to desktop audio setups. There's some sweet gear here, so click to the slideshow to check out the systems.

DETROIT--Throw the ebikes in the back and head for the hills.

That's what Smart wants drivers to do with its zero-emission For-us pickup concept, a larger and more functional ride than the gas-powered ForTwo microcar.

Smart unveiled the Tron-styled two-seater at the 2012 North American International Auto Show along with the Smart e-bike, an electric bicycle with a battery-powered motor that can recharge off the car's power supply.

It's an interesting idea if you want to hit some bike paths outside the city but wouldn't mind a little help with the pedaling.

And in this age of high gas prices and parking spots that seem to dwindle every day, the tiny, all-electric Smart seems perfect for active urban lifestyles. … Read more

For those who have been craving a more affordable Samsung ultrabook, here's your savior: the Series 5 Ultra.

Last year, the Samsung Series 9 nearly stole the show as one of the must-have laptops at CES, but the thin 13-incher--an ultrabook before the name ultrabook was coined--cost more than a MacBook Air.

This year, the Series 9 survives, in an even sleeker yet still expensive iteration. The Series 5 Ultra, which comes in both 13 and 14-inch varieties, starts at $899. That's the price we've come to expect from a Windows ultrabook, and surprisingly enough, the Series 5 Ultra looks like it hasn't made too many concessions to get there.… Read more