Over half of iPhone maker Foxconn’s employees have been replaced by robots

Photo courtesy of MIT Technology Review

Showing the capabilities of a robotic workforce, the iPhone maker Foxconn has reportedly cut its workforce significantly since the launch of the iPhone 6. According to local figures from Kunshan where the company is based, the Foxconn factory cut down on its employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 due to the use of robots. This has significantly reduced labor costs and help cushion and minimize future layoffs caused by falling sales of products they produce (like the iPhone). It also helps in a way repair the dented reputation of Kunshan, which suffered from an industrial explosion that killed 146 people back in 2014.

Greater automation for producing the iPhone can be both a good and bad thing for Apple. It has long since been haunted by allegations of poor working conditions. But it might hamper the company from getting into better deals with countries since less workers needed would mean fewer jobs, which is bad since economic development is part of Apple’s push to enter certain territories.

Source: South China Morning Post | Via: 9to5Mac

Microsoft creates its own news bot called Rowe

Bots are the new it thing and Microsoft’s internal R&D incubator, Microsoft Garage, outs its own version news-finding bot called Rowe. The bot can be accessed via the Bing-powered personalized news reading app, News Pro. Rowe is designed to help you search for news based on topics, look at today’s headlines, or ask for personalized suggestions. One unusual feature is being able to upload your photo and the bot surfacing articles of people it thinks you look like. News Pro connects to your Facebook and LinkedIn profile to help better understand your interests. The app has been updated to allow things like groups for discussing news with others, among other new features.

Source: TechCrunch | Download: Apple App Store (Free) 

Fellowes' MobilePro Series of accessories aim to make the iPad a better work device

Fellowes Brands announced today a new family of folios that addresses the organizational needs of professionals who conduct business on their iPads, work remotely, or are frequent travelers. The new Fellowes MobilePro Series products provide businesspersons with an innovative and upscale mobile office platform that travels well for working on-the-go.

MobilePro Series folios feature two new, patent-pending innovations designed with business use in mind: The SmartConnect Case and the SmartConnect System.

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Microsoft moving away from consumer phones, might linger in enterprise moving forward

The fate of Windows Phone or Windows 10 on Mobile has been up in the air for some time now since Microsoft has repeatedly proven that it is pulling back (but not out) of the mobile market altogether. With the recent sale of Nokia's feature phone business plus the general ambiguity regarding the direction of Microsoft as a mobile device maker, we now get confirmation that the company is looking to move past its desire to compete in the consumer smartphone market. With market share falling less than 1 per cent globally, there's really little else the company can do to make their platform more exciting for consumers at this point.

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