Hasta La Gadget!

ZTE‘s bad day keeps getting worse; hot on the heels of a US intelligence report accusing the Chinese firm of presenting a significant security risk comes word that Cisco has ditched the manufacturer over Iranian sales allegations. Cisco Systems Inc. had been investigating ZTE since earlier this year, after claims that the Chinese company had contravened international embargoes and sold Cisco-branded networking equipment to Iran, Reuters reports. As a result, Cisco has ditched its sales partnership with ZTE.

According to earlier leaks, the Cisco-branded hardware – initially produced under license by ZTE, as a way of reducing costs and becoming more competitive against Huawei in China and other markets in Asia, though from 2010 simply resold by ZTE – had been discovered on a July 2011 parts supply list in a deal between ZTE and an Iranian telecommunications company. ZTE had apparently agreed to supply five Cisco switches to a part of the consortium controlling the company.

An FBI investigation was triggered after ZTE’s own general counsel for its US subsidiary accused the parent company of attempting to cover up the Iranian deal, including destroying evidence. He was subsequently put on administrative leave.

“ZTE is highly concerned with the matter and is communicating with Cisco” spokesperson David Dai Shu said of the US company’s decision. “At the same time, ZTE is actively cooperating with the US government about the probe to Iran. We believe it will be properly addressed.”

Cisco, meanwhile, declined to comment specifically on the ZTE deal. However, CEO John Chambers did say that Cisco would not “tolerate any direct or indirect sales” of its hardware to Iran, “and when that occurs, we step up and deal with it very firmly. So I think you can assume that you will not see that happen again.”

ZTE and Huewei have found themselves at the center of a security scare in the US, with the House Intelligence Committee releasing a report today that recommends US businesses do not use hardware from either firm, out of concerns that the Chinese government could subsequently petition for access. Meanwhile, the Committee, a bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats, has advised that regulators block any attempts by ZTE or Huawei at mergers and acquisitions in the US. Both companies deny the allegations.

Cisco ditches ZTE over Iranian switch sales cover-up is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple has ordered more than 10m iPad mini units in anticipation of significant demand for the smaller, cheaper tablet, sources among suppliers claim, with a Q4 2012 launch expected. Several leaks have indicated production of the 7.85-inch slate is indeed underway, with Digits‘ tipsters suggesting manufacturers in Asia are supplying double the number components that Amazon has required for its Kindle Fire tablet production.

The ambitious numbers – which would suggest Apple’s expectations for iPad mini demand are considerably higher than Amazon predicts for its own Android tablets – come after rumors of component shortages and talk of supply constraints following launch.

Exact specifications of the iPad mini haven’t been confirmed, though the tablet is believed to sit in the middle ground between the new iPad and the iPod touch with its 7.85-inch display. Unlike the so-called Retina display of the latest iPad, the iPad mini is said to use the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the first two generations of Apple’s 9.7-inch tablet.

That would still look reasonably crisp at 163ppi, and present no issues for iOS developers in changing screen sizes. Instead, the version of the app for the original iPad or iPad 2 could be used, rather than the doubled-resolution Retina version.

According to other chatter, Apple is readying a mid-October event where the iPad mini will make its debut, with invitations to that event tipped to go out on Wednesday this week. A refreshed new iPad is also rumored to be included at that event.

10m iPad mini on order tip sources is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple’s iPad mini hasn’t even been officially confirmed yet, but predictions of stock shortages amid “frustrating” yields at component suppliers have already begun to spread. In fact, the first month is likely to see demand far outstripping supply, Topeka Capital Markets’ Brian White suggests, with his checks among the Apple supply chain discovering that – even though some aspects of the rumored 7.85-inch iPad are said to be more like the iPad 2 than the most recent new iPad – delivering what Apple demands has been “no walk in the park for suppliers.”

Exactly which components have been causing particular issues is unspecified. Apple is tipped to be using a 1024 x 768 display measuring 7.85-inches and sticking to the 4:3 aspect ratio of the larger, 9.7-inch iPads, maintaining a relatively high pixel density while preserving compatibility with existing iPad apps.

However, the requirement of every part fitting into what will be a much smaller case means that even relatively mainstream technology – not, for instance, Retina Display panels – can present a hassle. Apple is said to be resolute on its “iconic aesthetics” and White predicts sales of 5-7m units in the final quarter of the year.

“Despite continued yield challenges, the supply chain feels the much anticipated iPad Mini is on track to reach acceptable volume levels for a launch over the next month,” White’s investor note read. “That said, we believe that supply constraints will initially hold back the full sales potential during the first month or so of the launch.”

Those supply issues are a familiar experience from recent Apple launches. The iPhone 5, for instance, is currently backlogged by 3-4 weeks for online orders, with in-store demand seeing many going away empty-handed. A similar problem was encountered with supplies of the new iPad earlier in the year.

[via Apple Insider]

iPad mini part problems tip tight stock is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Chatter of Apple’s iPad mini entering mass production has resurfaced, with new sources claiming the 7.85-inch slate has indeed begun rolling off manufacturing lines ahead of an estimated October launch. According to the WSJ‘s “people with knowledge of the situation” the cheaper, smaller iPad is all-systems-go among Apple’s Asian component suppliers, believed to include LG Display and AUO.

Those two firms are tipped to be providing Apple with the 7.85-inch display the iPad mini is rumored to use. Its resolution will be less than the Retina Display panel of the new iPad, which comes in at an impressive 2048 x 1536, and is likely to be more akin to the 1024 x 768 of the original and second-gen iPads, making for an easier job for developers.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard that the iPad mini is in production. Last month, Taiwanese press reported that both Foxconn and Pegatron had begun manufacturing, doubling up so as to cater for expected high demand. That level of consumer interest will undoubtedly be based for the large part on price, and though figures haven’t been finalized, Apple has a small gap between the new iPod touch, from $299, and the iPad 2, which remains on sale at $399. The new iPad starts at $499.

Although Steve Jobs was famously dismissive of smaller tablets, describing them as “tweeners” and arguing that manufacturers would need to supply sandpaper for fingers in order for users to actually hit on-screen graphics with any accuracy, the rise of budget models like Google’s Nexus 7, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, and B&N’s NOOK HD has highlighted a potential hole in Apple’s line-up.

A smaller iPad would also be more comfortable to hold in one hand, such as for reading ebooks, and more portable for mobile use, rather than being left on the coffee table back home. An event to launch the slate is tipped to be in the pipeline for October 10.

[Image via Ciccarese Design]

iPad mini in production says WSJ with 7.85″ screen is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nokia is considering selling off its headquarters in Espoo, Finland, and then renting much of the facility back, in another attempt to cut costs as Windows Phone slowly tries to gain traction. Worth between €200-300m ($258-387m), according to Finnish paper Iltasanomat, the possibility has been confirmed by Nokia spokespeople but is, they insist, just one of a number of cash-saving possibilities the Finnish firm is looking at.

“We are evaluating different options for non-core parts, such as real estate holdings, and that includes the headquarters” Nokia spokesperson Maija Taimi said in a statement on the rumors. It’s unclear if any potential suitors for the building – and its guaranteed tenant – have been approached at this stage.

Nokia has struggled to build significant momentum with Windows Phone, and has seen several underwhelming financial quarters despite a regular tithe of around $250m from Microsoft in return for using the OS. The company’s new range of Windows Phone 8 devices, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, are expected to launch imminently, though existing owners of first-gen Lumia devices have been left behind with Windows Phone 7.8 rather than getting a full upgrade to Microsoft’s very latest version.

Smartphone sales aren’t the only string to Nokia’s bow, however. The company recently announced a deal with Oracle to provide the enterprise services company with NAVTEQ-powered mapping systems, an agreement which follows a similar contract with Amazon to power the underlying map engine of the retailer’s Kindle system.

[via Reuters]

Nokia considering HQ sell-off in cost cut scramble is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.