15 Aug
SOURCE: Reuters
More bad news for Apple Inc. as news that one of its managers was recently indicted by a federal grand jury in an alleged kickback scheme involving suppliers of iPhone and iPod accessories.
Authorities say Paul Shin Devine of Sunnyvale was arrested on Friday on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and kickbacks. The indictment had been filed under seal Wednesday.
Devine, 37, is accused of accepting more than $1 million in exchange for providing confidential information to Apple suppliers in Asia. The suppliers allegedly used the information to negotiate favorable contracts with Apple, which is based in Cupertino.
“Apple is committed to the highest ethical standards in the way we do business,” company spokesman Steve Dowling said in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for dishonest behavior inside or outside the company.”
Authorities say Singapore resident Andrew Ang was one of the suppliers involved in Devine’s alleged scam. Ang is also named in the federal indictment.
Authorities have declined to comment on Ang’s whereabouts.
Devine is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service though authorities did not make clear where. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Jose Monday afternoon.
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MY TAKE: No surprises here. It’s only a matter of time before more Apple problems surface. No company can stay on top for so long and remain squeaky clean along the way. These allegations are not that uncommon. Big companies give out a merchant cash advance for every kind of kickback you can think of, from providers of online car insurance quotes to developers and big-time Denver Colorado basements refinishing firms.
If you need small business finance and don’t have the credit you might have something some big company out there wants, whether that’s a car insurance quote , or a good Denver Colorado basement remodeling guy. Money talks. It always has.
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Other Resources
06 Nov
Cited: InformationWeek
So far, it seems that most people that are stored in use Windows 7 are very pleased with Microsoft’s new OS. However, there are those that are griping about installation bugs. It seems that many users are having difficulty upgrading or installing the new operating system. One of the many problems that have been reported on various blogs is that those users that are upgrading from Windows Vista are complaining that the upgrade has caused their systems go into an endless cycle of reboots.
“My laptop is now in what seems to be a loop of restarting and trying to restore the files,” wrote a user named JSchneider21, in a post Friday on Microsoft’s Windows 7 support forum. “My laptop meets the minimum requirements for the upgrade,” the frustrated customer pointed out.
“This is precisely what is happening to me,” wrote another user, Chimaera717. “The [Windows Upgrade] advisor says I am fully compatible, as well,” said Chimaera717.
Both users were attempting to install a version of Windows 7 that’s offered to students as a download by Microsoft distributor Digital River. A Microsoft spokesperson said the problem typically occurs when such users attempt to download and install a 64-bit version of Windows 7 directly over a 32-bit version of Windows Vista. Microsoft has said that upgrading from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Windows 7 requires a so-called clean install. “Microsoft and Digital River are working hard to resolve these challenges for impacted customers,” said the spokesperson. Still other forum members said they encountered similar problems attempting to install Windows 7 off new discs purchased at retail.
User Bryan9, for instance, expressed angst over such a problem. “I have the exact same problem and I bought my new copy from a retail store today. I have spent six hours trying to install this upgrade,” reported Bryan9.
It’s not uncommon for new versions of software to cause some headaches. Apple users griped about a range of installations bugs earlier this year when they attempted to upgrade their machines to Mac OS 10.6, also known as Snow Leopard. Many complained that Snow Leopard sent their machines into what’s been dubbed “the spinning wheel of death.
Most new software glitches work themselves out over time, either with a fix from the vendor or solutions posted by the user community. Judging from customer reports on Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) and other online retail sites, most Windows 7 users have installed the software without a hitch and are pleased with its performance. For instance, the majority of customer reviewers on Amazon had awarded Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade at least four out of five stars, as of Monday.
Amazon shopper Herbert Freeman said Windows 7 is “everything it promised to be.” User Nix Cadavre said the OS is “good enough to switch from Mac to PC.”
Microsoft formally released Windows 7 to the public last week. The company’s promise to frustrated Vista users was that Windows 7 offers a more streamlined interface, improved compatibility with third-party hardware and software, and lacks Vista’s intrusive security measures.
The full version of Windows 7 Professional is $299, with upgrades going for $199. Windows 7 Ultimate is priced at $319, with the upgrade version at $219. The full version of Windows 7 Home Premium is priced at $199, with an upgrade from Vista or XP costing $119.
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My Take: Well, it is about damn time! I have used Windows XP Pro since it came out and when I finally got myself a laptop, it had Vista. I do not like Vista! Let us just leave it at that. If I tried to explain why I don’t like it, this article will be longer than the Nile River. I planned on getting the upgrade to Windows 7 after I heard what it was like. I will be getting my upgrade today!
Vista was great in the security department, but went a little overboard in my opinion. I work from home but I do not need an intrusion prevention management system, which is what Vista acts like. The Internet protection suite that I have gives me all the network security solutions I need. Now powers using my system as a call center from home, Vista would do the right job. However, I do not need contact center solutions on my system. That means, bye-bye a Vista!
I hope that I will not have installation problems of others have had all my laptop. I do not think I will since I have a 64-bit system. Maybe I will just take it to the geek squad and have them do it. 
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