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Japan to reduce rare earth consumption in response to China’s export controls

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:41:00 +0000

Japan took another step toward lessening its rare earths dependence today, announcing plans to drastically reduce consumption levels in response to China's continued market dominance. Of particular concern to the Japanese government is dysprosium -- a rare earth used in the production of high-powered magnets. China, which accounts for about 95 percent of the world's rare earth supply, has been tightening export controls on the metal in recent months, sending global prices skyward. With its domestic supplies dwindling, Japan has now committed to reducing its dysprosium consumption by 30 percent over the next few years, as part of a $65 million initiative. Much of that money will presumably go toward helping manufacturers develop alternative production and recycling methods, as some already have. Toyota, for instance, has found a way to produce hybrid and electric vehicles without using dysprosium, while Mitsubishi, Panasonic and TDK are currently looking at ways to extract the metal from old air conditioners. If effective, the government's program would reduce domestic consumption by between 200 and 400 tonnes per year.

Japan to reduce rare earth consumption in response to China's export controls originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baidu-powered Dell Streak Pro D43 gets hands-on treatment

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:22:00 +0000

Dell's dual-cored Streak Pro D43 has arrived in the hands of our colleagues over at Engadget Chinese. In a detailed tour of the first Baidu Yi smartphone, they've unearthed a built-in battery and perused the Super AMOLED Plus qHD display, tempered with Gorilla Glass. The casing is little thick (10.3mm) but by no means a deal-breaker, with a rubberized texture apparently helping to protect the phone if you're a little rough and ready with your devices. The Baidu platform is another Chinese interpretation of Google's feature-set, so you get the likes of email, maps, cloud services and voice input search -- in Mandarin, naturally. If you're intrigued by that Baidu base, scope out the full hands-on (and video walkthrough) over on our Sino sister site.

Baidu-powered Dell Streak Pro D43 gets hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video)

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:28:00 +0000

We were so beguiled by AD's bamboo-bound smartphone that we had to track down the designer to get some hands-on time with these work-in-progress prototypes. We met up with Kieron-Scott Woodhouse (pun unintended) and he offered to bring along several of the latest prototypes for us to get to grips with. While the finished product will arrive in the bamboo material but smoked to the darker finish. The darker model's button layout is also closer to what we can expect on the final device. The ADZero is still set to launch between the end of 2012 and the start of 2013. Sustainable smartphone fans can browse through our gallery below, or read up on the phone's journey -- and our impressions -- right after the break.

Gallery: ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on

Continue reading ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video)

ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ADzero Bamboo cellphone’s aiming for the giant Panda market (video)

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0000

This is the ADzero, a smartphone with a four-year old, organically grown bamboo unibody shell. It was designed by British student Kieron-Scott Woodhouse, a final-year product design student at Middlesex University. After his concept designs were spotted online, the 23 year old was approached to help design a real device. The Android-powered phone is built with an eye on sustainability, but isn't scrimping on the technical: its packing a camera with a reportedly unique ring-flash that encircles the lens. It'll be released in China and the UK shortly, with a focus on getting it into the hands of design-focused consumers. After the break we've got a clip of Mr. Woodhouse as he looks to carry on the tradition of world-class British designers.

Continue reading ADzero Bamboo cellphone's aiming for the giant Panda market (video)

ADzero Bamboo cellphone's aiming for the giant Panda market (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Hong Kong revives reserve and pick up page, wants to stop iPhones going abroad

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:39:00 +0000

In a bid to keep iPhones sold in Hong Kong on the island nation, Apple has reintroduced reserve and pick up pages for the smartphones. The difference this time around is the inclusion of the customer's Hong Kong identity card number within the registration form, which goes live between 9am and 12pm each day. The aim is put breaks on the speculative smartphone buyers picking up several devices to mule across to mainland China. You'll still need a bit of luck; Apple performs a random draw each day for those that registered, and 'winners' are informed via email. Each card can apparently buy a limited quantity of the in-demand phone -- one that's getting some smartphone obsessives a little too hot under the collar.

Apple Hong Kong revives reserve and pick up page, wants to stop iPhones going abroad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WTO ruling revives debate over China’s rare earths trade

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:37:00 +0000

China suffered another setback at the WTO yesterday, thanks to a ruling that could spell trouble for its controversial rare earths industry. In a decision issued Monday, a WTO panel determined that the Chinese government has been acting in violation of international trade rules, due to export restrictions on a number of raw materials. These restrictions, the panel said, allowed Beijing to inflate global market prices, while giving an advantage to domestic producers. As a result, China will likely have to adjust its trade policies to comply with WTO regulations. In a statement, the country's Ministry of Commerce said it "deeply regrets" the decision, but confirmed that the People's Republic will adhere to it. This week's ruling applies to materials like bauxite, coke, magnesium, manganese and zinc, but, most notably, does not apply to rare earths -- a group of 17 elements critical to the production of tablets, smartphones and myriad other gadgets.

China has maintained a rather tight grip over the world's rare earths market, thanks to a slew of export controls, quotas and government-erected barriers to entry. The country has come under intense international pressure in recent years, with the US, EU and Mexico filing complaints with the WTO, arguing that China's price-inflating restrictions violate international trade agreements. Beijing, for its part, has long maintained that its export controls are designed to minimize the environmental impact of rare earth mining, while meeting the country's surging domestic demand. It's an argument that's come up a lot during this debate but one that the WTO, on Monday, deemed illegitimate, stating that China has thus far been "unable to demonstrate" the environmental benefits of its policies. The decision won't have any immediate bearing on these policies, but some observers are hopeful that it may be a sign of things to come. Michael Silver, CEO of rare earth processor American Elements, told Reuters that the ruling "confirms the existence of the two-tiered price structure that has caused so much concern," with EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht adding that the decision should force China to remove restrictions on both the aforementioned raw materials and rare earths, alike. Others, however, aren't so optimistic, pointing out that, with a full 95 percent of the rare earths market under its aegis, China could realistically afford to ignore any decisions handed down from the WTO in the future.

WTO ruling revives debate over China's rare earths trade originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twitter to begin ‘reactively’ censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:20:00 +0000

It's no secret that certain countries have different views over freedom of expression on the internet, but this hasn't stopped Twitter's attempt to keep its service running in as many places as possible. In its latest blog post, the microblogging service announced that it'll begin "to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country" when required, in order to keep said content available to all users elsewhere (as opposed to blocking it globally). The withheld tweets will be marked accordingly while their authors get notified with reasons where possible, and internet legal rights monitor Chilling Effects will also post the relevant take-down notices on a dedicated page.

This may seem like some form of censorship taking over Twitter, but the company only mentioned those of "historical or cultural reasons" like the ban of pro-Nazi content in France and Germany; so it's not clear whether Twitter will also handle similarly with tweets that potentially lead to events such as the UK riots last year. Even though Twitter didn't elaborate further for Reuters, there is one reassuring line in the post:

"Some [countries] differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there."

One such country is most likely China, and back at AsiaD in October, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told us that there's simply no way for his company to work with the Chinese government (you can watch him answering us at 38:17 in the video -- courtesy of All Things D -- after the break):

"The unfortunate fact is we're just not allowed to compete in this market, and that's not up to us to change. The person to ask is trade experts between both governments, but at the end of the day we can't compete. They (Chinese microblogging platforms) can compete in our markets, and we're certainly interested in what that means for us... We would love to have a strong Twitter in China, but we'd need to be allowed to do that."

There are obviously many factors that add up to this sour relationship, but the contradiction between China's strict internet monitoring policy and Twitter's core values is most likely the biggest obstacle. And of course, the Chinese government would favor its home-grown tech properties, anyway. That said, several months ago, one of the country's largest microblogging services Sina Weibo was criticized by the authorities for not censoring fast enough, so it's obvious that it'd be even trickier to work with a foreign company that sees things differently. Things are unlikely to change any time soon, or ever, unless China relaxes its policy.

Continue reading Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China

Twitter to begin 'reactively' censoring tweets in specific countries, still no love for China originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Potential Samsung Galaxy SII-sibling heads to China via the FCC

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:42:00 +0000

A mysteriously packaged Samsung device departed the FCC's secure zone with a few question marks over its character. We know it's got GSM/EDGE 850 - 1900 radios and can access WCDMA Bands II and V, plus the usual WiFi and Bluetooth gear, but that's about it. The folks at Wireless Goodness are staking the GT-i9070 as a China-bound variation of the Galaxy SII (assessed for roaming safety), which would seem logical, since we've clearly got enough models over here.

Potential Samsung Galaxy SII-sibling heads to China via the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: 300 passenger bus, babyloid robot and a jellyfish-esque LED chandelier

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:30:00 +0000

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

Sustainable transportation broke new boundaries by land and sea this week as Inhabitat reported that China launched the first 300 passenger bus and the world's largest solar ship closed in on completing its first trip around the globe. We also saw Drayson unveil a turbocharged 850 horsepower all-electric supercar while Mercedes announced plans to bring its B-Class E-Cell electric Vehicle to the US next year. Speaking of hot upcoming cars, this week we brought you a video showcasing 5 of the most exciting eco cars from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and we shared 7 new hybrid and electric vehicles that you'll be able to purchase this year.

The world of renewable energy also heated up this week as scientists hatched a plan to harness volcano power by pouring millions of gallons of water into a dormant crater and President Obama rejected TransCanada's plans for the Keystone Xl pipeline. Meanwhile Philips unveiled a transparent solar-powered OLED car sunroof that charges during the day and lights up at night, and we took a look inside Switzerland's Berghotel Muottas - the first hotel in the Alps that generates more energy than it consumes. Clean energy technology also dived into the deep blue sea as Ireland's massive SeaGen tidal turbine received environmental approval, researchers found a way to turn seaweed into biofuel using a human stomach microbe, and a Nobel laureate developed the world's cheapest and most effective CO2 sponge.

In other news, this week we brought you the most freshest new green gadgets - from a tree trunk turntable that plays wood rings like records to a stunning jellyfish-esque LED chandelier and a cuddly Babyloid robot designed to comfort senior citizens. We also showcased the world's smallest greeting card (300 micro-meters wide!), a massive 300 lb stormtrooper cake, and five educational and arty apps for creative kids. Finally, we rounded up the hottest news in eco fashion - including the world's largest garment made from golden spider silk and an awesome set of bow ties made from recycled LEGO bricks.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: 300 passenger bus, babyloid robot and a jellyfish-esque LED chandelier originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ericsson, ZTE shake hands, drop patent infringement lawsuits

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:09:00 +0000

Back in April, Ericsson and ZTE filed patent infringement lawsuits against each other, with each party claiming that its 4G / WCDMA / GSM technology had been illegally appropriated. Today, though, the two have apparently decided to bury the hatchet, and withdraw their lawsuits. In a statement issued yesterday, ZTE said the two firms arrived at the decision after "extensive discussion and consultation," adding that the move will bring an end to "the patent infringement lawsuits filed by Ericsson against ZTE in the U.K., Germany and Italy, as well as the patent infringement lawsuit filed by ZTE against Ericsson." The company went on to deny earlier reports that it was forced to pay €500 million (about $647 million) to Ericsson, though Ericsson has yet to offer any comment on the matter.

Ericsson, ZTE shake hands, drop patent infringement lawsuits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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