iPhone Factory Worker Mistreatment, Tim Cook on Defensive…Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out an email to all Apple employees in response to a report by The New York Times published on Wednesday that exposes the harsh working conditions at Chinese factories where Apple builds parts or assemble devices such as the iPhone and the iPad. iPhone factory…

PIPA/SOPA BLACKOUT:…Wikipedia will go dark for a planned blackout on Wednesday, January 18 in protest of SOPA and PIPA, the proposed anti-piracy laws in the US. In a press release, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and the sixth most visited site in the world, announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide.

HP SPECTRE VIDEO TEASER – SPECTRE POSSIBLY THE NEXT ULTRABOOK OF HP…HP teases techy people with the release of a mysterious promo video for Spectre, a laptop which could be the successor of HP Folio 13 – HP’s first Ultrabook.

In Japan, vending machines can be found in every corner but free Wi-Fi is very rare. Enter Asahi’s new vending machine. This new machine not only dispenses drinks but also offers free Wi-Fi, problem solved for those in Japan who want constant internet access.

MEET VANGIE, THE PINOY VERSION OF iPHONE 4S’ SIRI…Now, Pinoy humor comes in, with a video spoof of Siri by MacapunoSystems. Pinoy version of Siri: Vangie with a tagline, Siri’s Pinoy counterpart. FIX YOUR LIFE!

A space ball fell out of the sky and landed on a remote grassland in Namibia around Mid-November, but authorities couldn’t identify what is it.

GOOGLE’S ‘LET IT SNOW’ GIVES US A WHITE CHRISTMAS, DIGITALLY…Cool right? The Google “Let it Snow” trick brings snowflakes falling on the screen then frosting it up. Drag your mouse pointer to wipe it, make your name, or draw on it, just like what you do on a window glass during winter.

iPad 3 rumors: CONCEPT VIDEO OF IPAD 3 SPARKS NEW RUMOR…A concept video of iPad 3 has been circulating around the web, sparking new rumor that the iPad 3 will come with a transparent screen. Early rumors about the iPad 3 suggests that it will have A6 processor, Retina display – the screen technology used in iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, better cameras, and Siri. Enjoy Dakota Adney’s concept video of iPad 3.

MIPS Technologies has released a tablet computer that runs the latest Android OS, and OMG it’s so cheap it only cost $99. “I’m thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android’s openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world,” said Google’s mobile SVP Andy Rubin in a statement.

Tharsis Tholus, ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, European Space Agency, Mars…What you’re seeing are the recently released photos of Tharsis Tholus, a large extinct Martian volcano standing 5 miles tall above its surrounding terrain. It is taller than Ojos del Salado (the highest volcano in the world) which is 4.2 miles tall.

Siri default setting…So, if you are purchasing the iPhone 4S make sure to disable Siri when the phone is locked. Here’s a quick fix. Just go to Settings, General, then Passcode lock and set Siri to “off.”

STEVE WOZNIAK, APPLE CO-FOUNDER, WANTS TO TALK TO HIS iPHONE 4S…Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is the first Apple customer at the Los Gatos Apple store to buy the new iPhone 4S. The Los Gatos Apple Store opened at 8 a.m. Steve Wozniak rode his two-wheeled Segway personal transporter, Thursday night and was surprised he was the first in line.

STEVE JOBS DAY: OCTOBER 16 IS ‘STEVE JOBS DAY’ IN CALIFORNIA…California Gov. Jerry Brown declares Sunday, October 16 “Steve Jobs Day” in the State of California. Apple will also hold a private memorial service for Jobs on October 16 at Stanford University’s campus and has invited some of Silicon Valley’s top executives.

$35 tablet computer – Aakash which means “sky” is dubbed as the world’s cheapest tablet. The $35 tablet computer’s capabilities include word processing, web browsing, video conferencing, and all other functions that any computer can perform.The $35 tablet computer aimed at helping poor students is manufactured by Datawind and was launched in Oct. 5, in New Delhi, India.

STEVE JOBS VISION – A SMART COMPANION WITH APPLE’S IPHONE 4S – With Steve Jobs’ death he didn’t only leave us his legacy, but he even gave us a smart companion that could get even smarter in the near future. Just ask Siri and it will answer. With iPhone 4S feature called Siri, a voice assistant, it is possible to ask, know, and organize without the need for typing.

Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest on Google’s Android operating system slated to be released in the next few months was sold on eBay. The anonymous buyer of a Samsung Nexus S got the shock of his life when he found out that it was using the Ice Cream Sandwich. He sent a video of Ice Cream Sandwich, and now we will have an early glance of the Android update, here it is.

DEAD SEA SCROLLS ONLINE…Five of the world-famous Dead Sea Scrolls are now available online. Thanks to search giant Google and Israel’s national museum’s Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Project, public or scholars in this field will have access to any scroll fragment or any manuscript for free. At this stage, five complete scrolls from the Israel Museum have been digitized for the project and are now available online.

iPhone 5 will be unveiled on October 4 and will be available within a few weeks after the announcement, Tech blog AllThingsD reported, citing anonymous sources.

iPhone 5 Prototype Lost in a Bar, Sold for $200…Some suggest that the news about the lost iPhone prototype was another marketing strategy. There are unconfirmed reports that iPhone 5 will be launched in early October.

‘FLASH MOBS’ A NEW TREND IN ROBBERY IN THE U.S….Flash mobs is an event organized by a group of people via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. More than two dozen young people suddenly arrived at a Germantown 7-Eleven store in Montgomery County on Saturday at 2 a.m and began grabbing snacks, drinks and other items without paying. The so-called “flash mob robbery” was caught on video.