Samsung, Apple to boost cellphone manufacturing in India

NEW DELHI (AP) — Three contract manufacturers for Apple iPhones and South Korea’s Samsung have applied for large-scale electronics manufacturing rights in India under a $6.5 billion incentive scheme announced by the government, a minister said Saturday.

The scheme will extend cash incentives of 4-6% for five years on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India with 2019-2020 as the base year, Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters

The international cellphone manufacturing companies that have applied under the scheme are Samsung, Rising Star and three Apple contract manufacturers — Foxconn Hon Hai, Wistron and Pegatron.

Prasad said the scheme is expected to increase Apple’s and Samsung’s manufacturing base manifold in India.

Nearly two dozen Indian and international companies in the cellphone segment have applied for the scheme, which is expected to generate 300,000 direct jobs in the country, Prasad said.

Associated Press

Cell phone catches fire onboard Canada flight

Ottawa, Canada - A passenger was burned when her cell phone caught fire onboard a Canadian domestic flight Thursday morning, officials said.

The incident occurred at 7 am (1200 GMT) as Air Canada flight 101 was preparing to depart the Toronto airport for Vancouver.

"The fire was immediately extinguished by crews and there was no damage to the aircraft, however, the owner of the phone suffered injuries and was treated by emergency services who attended the aircraft," Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said.


He said the woman was able to walk off the plane in order to be treated for minor burns, but her condition was not immediately known.

The Boeing 787 jetliner with 266 passengers, meanwhile, took off after a two-hour delay.

Joe Cressy, a Toronto city councilor who was one of the passengers on the flight, praised the Air Canada crew and Pearson fire crew for the quick response to the cellphone fire. 

The make and model of the phone was not made public.

amc/ch

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Paris Hilton loses cellphones on plane to Manila

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Paris Hilton is suffering a new bout of cellphone drama. The heiress-turned-TV star reportedly lost two mobile devices on a flight to the Philippines for a visit to promote a hotel resort.

Television footage showed Hilton combing through a bag looking upset while she was surrounded by airline staff at the Manila airport late Sunday after arriving from Dubai.

Manila radio station DZBB reported that airport and airline authorities are investigating.

In 2005, hackers gained access to Hilton's Sidekick cellphone and famously splashed the private mobile numbers of her celebrity friends on line.

The latest loss apparently didn't leave Hilton completely cut off - she greeted fans with a tweet "I love you" in the local Tagalog language.


Source: philstar.com