New Video Gives Inside Look at Corning's Gorilla Glass Research Facility

Corning, producer of Gorilla Glass, has been a long time partner of Apple. Its ultra tough Gorilla Glass has been used in several generations of iPhones and iPads, including the recent iPad Air 2 and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.



While Corning has published several videos that show how its Gorilla Glass is produced and tested, uBreakiFix recently visited the company's Gorilla Glass facility in Corning, New York, and has created a set of videos explaining how Gorilla Glass works and showing off some of the equipment that Corning uses to test Gorilla Glass.



The first video explains the details behind Corning's ion exchange glass strengthening procedure and its focus on "damage resistance," which sets Gorilla Glass apart from its competitors. It also shows tests between Gorilla Glass and regular glass, where Gorilla Glass significantly outperforms standard glass.






In the second video, uBreakiFixCo goes behind the scenes at Corning's Gorilla Glass research and testing facility to show off Corning's testing procedures and the toughness of Gorilla Glass. Gorilla Glass is able to withstand far more pressure and scratching than standard glass, which is one of the reasons why it's so popular with manufacturers, including Apple.






In November, Corning introduced the latest iteration of Gorilla Glass, Gorilla Glass 4. This next-generation Gorilla Glass is even more resistant than previous versions to glass shattering drops and it is able to survive 80 percent of face-down falls onto rough surfaces.



Corning's Gorilla Glass 4 is already shipping to manufacturers and should Apple choose to go with Gorilla Glass for its next-generation iPhones rather than sapphire as once again rumored, Gorilla Glass 4 could very well make an appearance in iPhones in 2015.

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Posted in 2014 at 11:33PM, December 11

Microsoft continues 12 Days of Deals promo with affordable 10.1-inch Asus 2-in-1 tablet

Microsoft on Thursday unveiled a new special sale part of its 12 Days of Deals online promotion, after recently offering buyers significant discounts on a 7-inch Toshiba Windows tablet, a Blu Win HD smartphone and a great Xbox One bundle. On December 11th, buyers will be able to save $80 on a brand new 10.1-inch Asus Transformer Book T100 Signature Edition 2-in-1 tablet/laptop combo.

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Posted in 2014 at 11:30PM, December 11

Get ready to wait longer for Windows 10

A Microsoft exec has revealed that Windows 10 will be launched slightly later than anticipated next year, Reuters reports, with the company eying an autumn launch rather than summer 2015.

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Posted in 2014 at 11:05PM, December 11

Steve Jobs Biopic Filming to Take Place in 'Two Auditoriums, a Restaurant and a Garage'

Earlier this week, leaked emails and data from the recent Sony hack revealed some interesting details on the Aaron Sorkin-scripted Steve Jobs biopic that's currently in the works, including Sorkin's desire to cast Tom Cruise as Steve Jobs.



Additional emails shared today by The Verge from Aaron Sorkin, prospective director David Fincher and Walter Isaacson shed more light on the project, including where filming will take place and what Fincher and Isaacson thought of the script.



Though Danny Boyle, director of Slumdog Millionare will direct the Steve Jobs movie, executives involved in the film originally hoped to have David Fincher, responsible for directing films like The Social Network, Fight Club, and Gone Girl, direct the biopic. In a February email, Fincher expressed quite a bit of excitement about the picture, calling it "a one man show."

Is great. It's a play, but a really quicksilver, cinematic one.

I would think you would want to cast and rehearse very carefully (couple months)

Shoot very quickly (4 or 5 weeks -- 8 days per ACT??)

The venues would be easy (we could probably find them all in town)

Editing is where we would spend time.

Can SONY market a ONE MAN SHOW(?)

Can you guys make the LENNY of it all, the MUST SEE?

Walter Isaacson, who penned the biography the movie is based on, was similarly excited about the film and told screenwriter Aaron Sorkin in an email that the script was "totally awesome."

"I was deeply moved by the narrative arc and by the beautiful end. I loved the line, 'No way she's not my kid."

Sorkin has clearly stated in the past that the film will consist of three continuous scenes covering the time ahead of three different product launches, but his emails reveal a bit more detail. According to Sorkin, the entire film will be able to be shot in just four locations that include "two auditoriums, a restaurant and a garage." Product launches covered are expected to be the unveiling of the NeXT computer, the debut of the original iMac, and the introduction of the iPod.



Still in the casting stages, the Steve Jobs biopic will star Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Jeff Daniels is in talks to play the role of John Sculley, and Universal Studios, which took over the film in November, is currently looking to cast several female roles, including Steve Jobs' daughter, Lisa Brennan.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:48PM, December 11

Working Apple-1 Computer Sold by Steve Jobs Fetches $365,000 at Auction [Mac Blog]

A rare fully functional Apple-1 Personal Computer sold for $365,000 at an auction in New York today, reports Reuters . The computer, which Steve Jobs originally sold out of his parents' garage in 1976 for $600, was expected to sell for much more, with initial estimates placing its value at $400,000 to $600,000.



In 1999, the machine auctioned off today was purchased by Bruce Waldack, an entrepreneur who had funds after selling his company, DigitalNation. Following his death in 2007, the Apple-1 went on to be auctioned at a storage facility in Virginia, where Robert Luther purchased it, along with the original buyer's canceled check from 1976.





The Apple-1 was sold alongside that canceled check, which was made out to Apple Computer from Charles Ricketts, who labeled it "Purchased July 1976 from Steve Jobs in his parents' garage in Los Altos." A second accompanying check for $193 was labeled "Software NA Programmed by Steve Jobs August 1976."



An expert tested the Apple-1 to ensure that it was fully operational and able to run the standard original software program, Microsoft BASIC, along with an original Apple-1 Star Trek game.



Other working Apple-1 computers have sold for far more in the past. Recently, the Henry Ford Museum paid $905,000 for an original Apple-1, and in 2013, an auction that included a working Apple-1 and a letter written by Steve Jobs went for $671,400. Less than 50 Apple-1 computers are believed to be in existence today, of the few hundred that were originally constructed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:00PM, December 11

YUCK: This utterly hideous 1995 Apple watch shows why the company desperately needed Steve Jobs

Apple's first wearable computer is set to release next year but it's actually not the company's first foray into wrist watches. MacRumors points out that Apple would often create Apple-branded watches that it would give away as promotional items, including the truly hideous one pictured above that would have made Steve Jobs spontaneously combust if anyone had ever dared bring it to him as a potential product.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:25PM, December 11

Classic Apple Watches From 1995 Once Again Available for Sale [iOS Blog]

While customers are looking forward to the launch of the Apple Watch early next year, there have been several other Apple-branded watches over the years typically offered as promotional items, and one of those items from nearly 20 years ago is making a comeback.



A limited number of these Apple watches from 1995 were kept by a distributor and have now been made available for sale, priced from $99-$129 depending on condition, and all watches come with a new battery. While they lack any advanced features, the watches with their quirky design may be of interest to some collectors.





The 1995 Apple-branded watch was originally offered as a promotional item to encourage users to upgrade their Macs to System 7.5. In an offer running from May through July of 1995, users purchasing System 7.5 could receive an Apple watch or a copy of third-party extensions and control panel manager Conflict Catcher 3 as a free gift. System 7.5 had debuted in September 1994 and with bug fixes served as the Mac operating system until the release of Mac OS 7.6 in early 1997.





Two decades later, the watches are back with limited launch-week pricing through the weekend starting at $99 for units with minor blemishes and ranging up to $129 for those considered "flawless". The launch-week promo includes free shipping in the U.S. with delivery by Christmas, and discounted shipping internationally.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:43PM, December 11

Apple Releases Safari 8.0.2 for OS X Yosemite to Replace Previously Pulled Safari 8.0.1

Eight days after releasing and then quickly pulling Safari 8.0.1 for OS X Yosemite, Apple today released Safari 8.0.2 to the public.



The release notes for Safari 8.0.2 are identical to those for Safari 8.0.1 except for the addition of a line noting the problems with the 8.0.1 release.

- Fixes a rare issue in which some users were unable to access Safari after installing the 8.0.1 update.

Other bundled changes from Safari 8.0.1 include fixes for syncing history across devices, autofilling saved passwords, WebGL performance on Retina displays, and Firefox username and password import.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:32PM, December 11