Pegatron receives orders for 15 million iPhone 5s from Apple

Taiwan-based notebook maker Pegatron Technology is estimated to have landed orders for 15 million iPhone 5s (iPhone 4S) from Apple and is set to start shipping in September of 2011, according to sources from upstream component makers. In response, Pegatron declined to comment about its cooperation with clients.

Due to its cooperation with Apple for iPhone 4, Pegatron, in 2010, significantly expanded its plants, human power and equipment aiming satisfy the orders for 10 million CDMA iPhone 4s; however, since the Apple's CDMA iPhone 4 sales were lower than expected in the first quarter of 2011, Pegatron shipped less than four million CDMA iPhone 4s, causing the company's utilization rate to drop to only 50% with its gross margin also drop to 1.8% in the quarter.

The sources pointed out that as the iPhone 5, which does not seem to have any major update from iPhone 4, is already set for shipment in September, they are already started supplying components to Pegatron with Pegatron's plants in Shanghai, China also recently started hiring for manpower.

In addition to the iPhone, Pegatron has also been aggressive striving for iPad or Macbook orders from Apple, but due to the products' existing makers are defending their orders, Pegatron currently still has not yet achieved any progress. However, under the consideration of separating risks, some market watchers believe Pegatron will have chance to land a small volume of iPad orders in 2012.

Losing notebook orders from its major client Asustek Computer, Pegatron is currently working aggressively to land notebook orders from Acer with market watchers estimated that Pegatron will be able to land orders for more than six million notebooks in the second half of 2012, up from the two million units, currently.

As for dropping PS3 shipments, Although Sony already released information about PS4, the sources is still conservative about the new gaming console's shipments as the gaming market has recently been impacted strongly by online devices such as tablet PCs.

Anger and the Anthony verdict

As I said in my last post, none of us can or will ever truly know the "truth" about what happened with Casey Anthony and her baby Caylee. But what became clear when the not guilty verdict was announced this week was that a great many people believe that justice was not served. And they are very, very angry about it.

Like everyone else, I was surprised by the verdict for two reasons: 1) all of the experts, based on the evidence they heard, believed she would be found guilty; 2) when a jury comes back immediately, the defendant is usually found guilty. It was certainly a surprise when the speedy turnaround resulted in a not guilty verdict. Obviously, there was not much argument among the jury about her guilt or lack of. Many people followed this trial closely and watched every twist and turn as attentively as any juror. I believe that people are particularly angry because based on what they saw and heard, justice most certainly was not served.

People are venting their anger in an outpouring of rage I haven't seen since OJ was acquitted of murdering Nicole. Everyone has their own view of how this trial should have gone and what the law defines as "reasonable doubt" and "justice." The feeling of helplessness, that we trial watchers had no input or control over the outcome only adds to our anger. Most of the millions of people watching the trial immediately formed very strong opinions about Casey, a young mother who compulsively lied and seemingly preferred partying to taking care of her child. These trial watchers had decided that she was guilty of murdering Caylee, and emotions have run very high. They wanted and fully expected to see her punished and paying the consequences for her actions.

Attorneys, legal analysts and experts everywhere, have attempted to quell frustration over the not guilty verdict by rattling off the specifics of what "reasonable doubt" is and why the jurors may have been "forced" to come to the verdict of "not guilty." Well, emotions defy logic, and many people feel that rules of the law in this case were wrong. Other trial watchers are outraged by this verdict because they struggle to do the right thing and abide by the law. I have been hearing people spout off about the supposed benefits of excessive lying as if they too can get away with whatever they want, being that Casey appears to literally be getting away with murder. Here Casey will walk out of the door of the prison scot-free, while the people who believe she is guilty continue to sit in the rage and frustration they are feeling.

Anger is not only an intellectual reaction; it is a physical one as well. Anger causes people to lash out, become overly emotional and react in ways they wouldn't normally behave. Anger is a typical reaction when people feel powerless, and people got so attached to this case, that they feel personally wronged by this verdict and got as angry as if it had happened to them.

In my experience, the best way to manage anger in a situation where you can't change the outcome is to channel it into something productive. That might be something as small as doing something special with your own child, or something more ambitious like helping other children in need. Sadly, children disappear and are murdered every single day. There's a great deal of talk and energy surrounding this verdict right now. I'd love to see people turn their energy into preventing another tragedy like this one.

Barclays bank leads consortium to finance STX housing project

Accra, Jul, 5, GNA- Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister Mr Alban Sumana Bagbin on Tuesday said Barclays bank was the syndicating financial institution leading a consortium of banks to finance the Ghana's STX housing project. The project which sod cutting ceremony was performed in January 27, 2011 would commence fully at the end of July 2011, according to the minister.

Mr Bagbin was responding to strings of questions during questions' time in Parliament on the famous STX Housing project. Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, NPP member for Bantama, had asked the minister to brief the House on the status of the execution of the STX agreement.

The Ghana Government and Management of Korean Construction Firm STX, signed two agreements for the construction of 30,000 housing units for the first phase of a proposed 200,000 units for the next five years. The agreements are Suppliers' Credit and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC).

The Minority members who have dismissed the housing agreement as a bad deal, crowded the minister with many supplementary questions especially on the source of funding, the amount spent so far, the amount in the dedicated account and the issue of sovereign guarantee. He said there were three companies involved in the project 96 the STX Engineering and Construction GH Limited as the parent company holding a share of 10 per cent and STX Korea 90 per cent share holder and that Ghana Airports that hold no share.

On the local content, the Minister said the 10 per cent local provision and the 90 per cent labour would be strictly adhered to. Asked why the project delayed, Mr Bagbin said many administrative bottlenecks cropped up and delayed the project especially seeking permission from the Environmental Protection Agency. When asked what were the legal difficulties that arose and how they were resolved, he said there were no legal difficulties apart from the Attorney General requesting for the agreement to make inputs as the legal officer of the government.

He said the NPP Affordable Housing project which was still on its knees also delayed so many months after sod cutting before it finally took off. He said the NPP Affordable Housing project was funded by the HIPC fund of GH C40,000.00 but was not completed adding, they also came to Parliament for another GH C30,000.00 but the project was only 60 per cent complete. The Minister announced to the House that the rivalry between the Chief Executive Officer and the Koreans was over as the legal tussle was dropped and attempts by Ghanaian counterparts to convene a board meeting to prevent the Koreans from sacking him were all resolved.

When asked who the sovereign guarantee was handed to and what was the value, the minister said, it was handed to STX. "The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has on behalf of the government of Ghana issued the Sovereign Guarantee and made the necessary arrangements for the transfers of the money," he said. He noted that: 93A dedicated account has also been opened at the Bank of Ghana for the necessary transactions." He stated that the project would start in Accra at Burma Camp, Air Force Base, Tesano and some other places adding, 4720 houses would be completed first as directed by the President John Atta Mills. "STX Engineering and Construction GH Limited per their programme of implementation will start land preparation this July and are currently mobilizing to send equipment to the sites," he said.

Mr Bagbin told the House that after the approval by Parliament of the various agreements on the National Housing project, the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning, Justice and Attorney General and Water Resources Works and Housing in collaboration with the Parliamentary Service duly executed the programme.

Manappuram Finance Limited introduces ethics helpline service

THRISSUR: Kerala-based Manappuram Finance Limited , which claims to be the country's first listed and highest credit-rated gold loan company, on Wednesday said it has introduced a business ethics helpline service for its customers. 

The helpline will serve as an avenue for the company's customers and other stakeholders like investors, vendors and employees to 'whistleblow' any kind of fraudulent practices or conduct within the company, MFL Managing Director I Unnikrishnan told reporters here. 

The service, started recently in partnership with Switzerland-based KPMG (Klynveld, Peat, Marwick and Goerdeler) -- the well-known auditors and consultants on corporate governance -- would be available in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali. 

Any stakeholder can have access to the ethics helpline service through email, telephone, mail and fax and confidentiality of the informants' identity would be maintained. 

KPMG has only seven clients in the country providing the service, said Director, Advisory Services, Sreedhar Prasad. 

MFL disbursed over Rs 18,000 crore in the last fiscal through 2,300 branches spread across 22 states. It provided direct employment to 17,000 persons besides 5,000 security staff, he said.