The news comes after multiple reports of iPhone

Now it's been confirmed the trade-in plan will be valid in the UK, Australia and Canada in addition to the US and China.

In the UK, a on-genuine charger can be exchanged for a genuine charger, although it will cost ￡8 to make the swap. A genuine Apple iPhone charger usually costs ￡15.

You can get a replacement charger per device you own (your device's srial number will be entered into the system) at the discounted rate and the offer lasts until October 18.

The news comes after multiple reports of iPhone owners being electrocuted by their charging iPhones.

This started with a 23-year-old flight attendant in China being killed by the shock from her charging iPhone after she answered it following a shower. Subsequently a 30-year-old man went into a coma after being zapped by his iPhone and most recently a woman in Australia also suffered an iPhone electrical shock which put her in hospital,wholesale fashion shoes though her injuries were the least severe of the three so far.

Investigations by Apple and local authorities have suggested that each incident was the result of the use of an unofficial third party charger, so Apple is taking action to try to prevent further injury to its customers.

As well as putting up guide pages on its websites showing what to look for to determine whether a charger is official or not, Apple has now announced its exchange program, starting from August 16 and running until October 18.

Under the scheme, users with unofficial chargers can go to an Apple Store or certified Apple service provider and trade their potentially dodgy unit for a shiny new Apple branded version at a cut price of $10 (￡6.51). After having your iPhone’s serial number validated you can get the reduced price for one charging cable for each of your iPhones, iPads or iPods.

Is Apple overreacting? Perhaps, but it’s also understandable given modern litigation culture that the company should want to minimise such incidents. It’s also bad for its PR and product image if people keep getting shocked by the devices even if it’s not actually Apple’s fault.

The increase in iPhone injury incidents is also being paralleled in rival products from Samsung, with multiple reports of Samsung Galaxy devices overheating and ‘exploding’.

A woman in Switzerland sustained extensive burns to her leg when a Samsung Galaxy S3 battery went supernova in her jeans pocket. Most recently a Samsung Galaxy S4 owner in China claimed his whole house burnt down when his device burst into flame.

Several of these incidents are believed to have been caused by third party battery packs.

It’s difficult to think of a way Apple, Samsung and other key mobile players could deal with the production of dodgy third party chargers and batteries, particularly as the majority will be being made in China, somewhere where the production of cheap, copycat clone products is very much the norm.

While in some cases there must remain an element of personal responsibility on the part of the buyer,it’s also likely true that in plenty of cases the cheap clone chargers are being pedalled as the real deal and the customers are understandably oblivious.
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Pressing the Home button upon unlock would

Apple is hedging its bets with the A8 chip set to power next year’s iPhone 6. Longtime partner and recent enemy Samsung is still handling production duties for Apple’s A7 chip set to go into the iPhone 5S this fall, but Apple has found itself increasingly eager to get out from any reliance on Samsung or any arrangement which places revenue in Samsung’s pocket, as relations between the two tech giants continue to deteriorate and the two dissolve into what could charitably be described as frenemies. Apple has already shifted iPhone 6 screen production to Sharp but has been reluctant to pull the plug on the final remaining Samsung component in the iPhone. Which direction Apple goes with the A8 depends on how it’ll impact the iPhone 6 itself.

Apple designs iPhone and iPad microprocessors in house. But lacking factories of its own, Apple must rely on an outside manufacturer to build the chips on its behalf. Samsung was an obvious choice to build those chips as it’s already accustomed to doing such work. But Apple is looking to put a stop to that partnership as of the A8 chip and the iPhone 6 because it considers Samsung to be a counterfeit artist who has been stealing its iPhone and iPad designs and technologies for use in its own Galaxy branded products. Apple has taken Samsung to court worldwide to bring a halt to the copycat products, and succeeded in the majority of nations where it’s taken legal action. But Apple is looking to drop the hammer further by taking all of its manufacturing business away from Samsung. Apple’s quandary is whether it can find another manufacturer who can produce its iPhone 6 chip in a timely and satisfactory manner.

As a last resort Apple could opt to acquire or build its own factories so as to bring A8 processor manufacturing fully in house,women shoes manufacturer cutting Samsung out of the picture while also taking total control over the iPhone 6 manufacturing process. But such a move would be expensive and could take years to full bring up to speed, leaving Apple more pragmatically looking for a new A8 partner for the iPhone 6.

Widespread rumors have the iPhone 6 including a fingerprint sensor embedded into the Home button which will act as an unlock function and also carry website and app passwords of a user’s choice. Pressing the Home button upon unlock would prove the user’s identity and obviate the need to enter passwords for iTunes, Facebook, bank accounts, or any other account information which the user opts to embed into the fingerprint sensor database.

Housing for the iPhone 6 has been rumored to include various materials. Those include a return to the aluminum of the original iPhone 1; sapphire, which has dropped rapidly in price and would be more sturdy than the current Gorilla Glass 3 Apple uses on current iPhones; or the new Gorilla Glass 4 which is said to be both glare proof and antibacterial in nature. None of these rumors have been strongly substantiated.

Apple has already demoed large chunks of the iOS 7 system software and on-screen interface which will power the iPhone 6. It includes changes large and small. Fundamental changes include new app management and a new form of multitasking, while superficial changes include fully redesigned app icons and new cleaner fonts. Apple traditionally holds back at least one major software feature of the new iPhone until it’s ready to launch, and has given no firm indication of what that’ll be with the iPhone 6.

After three iPhone generations in a row which have each used the same styling, Apple is under pressure to deliver a full stylistic redesign for the iPhone 6. During the iOS 7 presentation Apple used the image above to show off new software features, a thin white iPhone-like device with curved sides (see above) which does not resemble any current Apple product. There has been debate as to whether Apple unintentionally outed the styling of the iPhone 6 with this image, or whether it was merely a generic placeholder for presentation purposes.
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where we organise the Beijing Design Week

who currently resides and works in Beijing at the Caochangdi Art District was a featured designer at the 2011 Beijing Design Week and was also instrumental in initiating the use of Caochangdi as one of the three major design hub locations during 2012 Beijing Design Week.
“Since Ai Weiwei moved here, the village has become an art community. The place is like a rocket launchpad where you can meet the most interesting individuals from all kinds of industries.

“My house is like a public space. There are tonnes of people coming in. I’m sociable and like to have people come visit. The house is designed by Weiwei. I can’t buy it but I rent it as one can only buy on a long-term lease. We need to live here, no matter how long,” she concluded, sharing her ideas on design, work and life.

I made a crate so I could live out of it. The Crates was my first breakthrough made out of plywood because that’s what shipping crates are supposed to be made of. The choice of material and hardware satisfy the function. I’ve dealt with a lot of crates when I was doing exhibition designs and found them to be stable, sustainable and containing a structure that simply makes sense.

I’ve sold quite a lot of The Crates to private owners and have worked with some fashion and jewellery brands to make their crates. My crates are now sold in London, Beijing, Hong Kong and Paris. The prices vary from sofas to bars and the most popular is the foosball table.

My second series, Fold, represents set furniture that can be folded and opened up to become tables, chairs and cupboards. The first generation was made out of plywood because they were made for exhibitions so they needed to be simple, as they were. 

Monument is a new series featuring the Pentagon Day Bed, with a two scale model of the Pentagon itself, which I regarded as the safest place to sleep in, as inspiration for this design. In the miniature range, I’ve designed Flammable, a series of candles representing all the iconic skyscrapers of the world.

I’m self-made and have eight employees. On a typical day, I wake up at noon and go to the factory. I really love being in the factory as there, we talk about the projects we need to do, solve problems, do some good designs and talk to people. Then, I’ll come back. We have our office as well where we organise the Beijing Design Week. I will only go out if I have to attend a meeting. When I’m home, I’ll work on my drawings. My life is all about work, but it’s fun.

The core of Chinese culture is very embracing and we just have to strive and adapt. The condition of life has always been difficult but Chinese people can always thrive so my design makes the most of what we have.
It’s no point asking why it is so unfair but (we have) to find a way through design. Ultimately, design and the task of design is to improve life, be it aesthetically or functionally.

I consider my life situation as a practical problem to solve in terms of displacement. Where you live and how long your life is going to stay that way is unpredictable. 

 There are literally hundreds of millions of people facing huge displacement. The Chinese have a long history of feeling attached to their homes but people have to understand that in order to get a better life, they have to relocate. In order to find a better life, you have to move from city to city, and from region to region. And, this has never happened so massively in China.

We have a huge population, so anything that happens is big. Beijing has 20 million people which is almost the same as in Malaysia itself.

This is a problem as everybody is moving from their homes to a new place and in-between different jobs. People are constantly changing locations.

I wasn’t born in Beijing but I’m living in Beijing. In Beijing, I have to move to a new location constantly to look for a better life. Even I feel like a migrant or refugee all the time. The home for us, is just a very thin area.
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why I judge people with piercings so harshly

I was indulging in a bit of people watching while I waited for my daughter to finish work and these two sure were fun to watch until I realised what they were about to do.

This gorgeous girl with her cover-girl smile was about to get her lip pierced and her cute boyfriend, with his carefully tousled hair, was getting a matching one.

"Does your mother know what you are doing?" I wanted to ask as they selected their preferred pieces from the display at the beauty salon right beside where I was meeting my daughter.

"Do you have a job? What will your boss say? Who is going to give you a job with that stuck on your lip?" - these were the questions I wanted to ask them as they filled out a questionnaire for the beauty therapist.

I maintained my silence but I was hoping they would change their minds and walk out. They didn't - so while they were out in the back of the salon having their faces defaced I took a closer look at the people around me.

Maybe it was because I was looking for it but I started to see piercings everywhere.

Nearly every young person who walked past me had some sort of piercing that I could see (who knows how many had piercings that I couldn't see). Lots of eyebrows, lips, noses and belly buttons were decorated - there were even a few shiny bits of metal and sparkly jewels stuck into arms, hips and backs.

I guess I'd been happily unaware of just how popular these trends were but on that day at my suburban shopping centre there was no denying it.

Obviously I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to piercings in general - but especially on the face. My own kids seem to have skipped the piercing obsession with the exception of my youngest, who fought long and hard to be allowed a belly button piercing for her 16th birthday.

Thankfully with the battle won she seemed happy to stop there.

Given the sheer number of piercings on display around me I was feeling quite grateful that my kids had never felt strongly about having holes punched in their bodies. Same goes for the ridiculous stretcher style ear piercings - there would have been an all-out war in our house if they had come home with those.

Over the years I've been careful not to be too vocal about my dislike of facial piercings - the last thing I want is for my teenagers to see a piercing or three as the ideal way to push my buttons and assert their independence.

As I watched these two young things walk out of the beauty salon rubbing their newly pierced lips I couldn't help but think about the fights I had with my mum about getting a second piercing in my ears. That was considered quite daring in the day (showing my age a little here) so I guess teenagers and their desire for self-expression really haven't changed that much.

These two teens would never know it but watching them also made me think about why I judge people with piercings so harshly.

Why can't they have a good job even if they have a piercing in their lip, nose or eyebrow?

What's so different to the piercings in my ears?

That didn't stop me from working hard or taking my job seriously.

So, instead of turning away as they came towards me I looked a bit closer and was surprised to realise they were still a cute couple and, dare I say it, their piercings actually suited them.

Not that I would ever admit such a thing to a teenager.

And, of course, if it was my child who was coming home to show off their new jewellery I am pretty sure I would not have been quite so accepting.
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when models stepped out on spring runways

madman, sadist--but don't call him a quitter. As a mountain runner and endurance coach, Orton has finished countless races, from the high-altitude, 100-mile Grand Targhee Ultra Marathon to a 50-miler alongside the legendary Tarahumara runners in Mexico's remote Copper Canyon. Yet as strong as he is, the pain he experienced when running became nearly too much to bear. "I almost gave up running because I couldn't wear shoes," says Orton, who lives in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The problem--for Orton and a growing legion of runners--was the modern running shoe. After Orton coached journalist Christopher McDougall for the Copper Canyon race in 2006, an experience detailed in the bestselling book Born to Run, the minimalist running-shoe category was born. McDougall's story shed light on the concept of barefoot-style running by documenting a race against the area's native people, who had astounding endurance and ran injury-free in handmade sandals.

By evolving to fit what Orton calls "built-up" shoes, modern runners have developed poor mechanics, causing them to sustain injuries. "All the aches and pains that we feel as runners--that people were brainwashed into thinking were normal for people who run a lot--don't have to be the case," Orton says. "As I ran in more basic shoes, my body started feeling better."

Born to Run's worldwide success sent runners flocking to Orton, all looking for the secret to running pain-free. "I went from needing to help 30 people to needing to help thousands," he says. Then, Ironman triathlete Eric Swartz called with a plan: team up and build a wholly new running shoe that helps athletes transition to running properly. "I told him this needed to be much more than a shoe," Orton says. "It needed to be a training system and a way to help people put it all together."

In 2010 the pair formed B2R, an Atlanta-based shoe company that combines footwear with strength training, running programs and nutrition drinks. But rather than sprint to market, B2R developed its shoe slowly, watching as competitors rushed to cash in on the trend. "I wanted a shoe that I wanted to run in--and a majority of true runners would want to run in--without it feeling or looking weird," Orton says.

Launched last summer via Orton's Facebook page and fan site, B2R's shoes have slowly been trickling onto feet around the world. "I was surprised to see orders coming in [to the website] from everywhere the first week after we went online," Orton says. But ask him whether he now considers himself a shoe guy or an endurance coach, he'll quickly respond: "Coach. I want people to understand how great running correctly feels."

If the men’s department is ruled by revenge of the nerds (horn rims, bow ties), women’s fashion can look surprisingly like (dare we say?) the triumph of frump. Dowager classics like frame handbags, cardies and costume jewelry are the height of chic — and now comes the low block heel.  

 Yet when models stepped out on spring runways at Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton, their low heels looked unexpectedly right — and miraculously wearable. At Marc Jacobs, the pumps and sling-backs had round block heels and a pointy toe; at Louis Vuitton, they had short slim-line heels and an even pointier toe. Other houses got in on the act, including Miu Miu, with chunky crystal heels, and Dries Van Noten, who showed a gilded ball heel. But the breakout hit of the season is Nicholas Kirkwood’s triangular stepped-heel pump. (Shown here in blush patent leather, it also comes in a bright water snake and a zigzig pattern that made it into all the fashion books.)

In designing his lovely new heel, Mr. Kirkwood said that he tried to do something that would be a real fashion item, not just a lower version of a high heel. “It’s a way to get that height that women want without being so mumsy,” he said.

who prefer to workout independently on Norwegian

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that New York City’s revolutionary, high-energy indoor cycling studio, Flywheel Sports, will open studios on board the line’s newest ships, Norwegian Breakaway in May 2013, and Norwegian Getaway, in February 2014, through a partnership with Mandara Spa. The line also unveiled details about Norwegian Getaway’s state of the art fitness center and expansive spa area, featuring a tranquil thermal suite and therapeutic salt room.

Flywheel Sports will give fitness-conscious guests the ultimate adrenaline rush as they step into the ship’s authentic, high-tech indoor cycling studios. Named “Best Fitness Classes in NYC” by Daily Candy, Flywheel launched in 2010 and has quickly become a fitness phenomenon nationwide, with over 20 studios in 11 states. In each class, highly motivational instructors lead the way, suggesting target resistance levels and RPM’s for each rider to strive for. But ultimately, the riders decide how far they want to push themselves by controlling the proprietary technology on their individual bikes, arranged in stadium-style seating. Channeling the high-energy of New York City and the intoxicating vibe of Miami, each ride leaves the participants feeling energized, and motivates them to ride harder and faster than they ever thought they could.

An amazing escape that challenges the body and relaxes the mind, Flywheel classes are fully choreographed by certified Flywheel instructors and taught in a dimly lit studio, giving riders the opportunity to get lost in their workout and push themselves to the limit. Every ride is set to an incredible heart-pumping custom playlist created by the instructors from a collection of music carefully curated by Flywheel’s in-house DJ and rides are synchronized to the intoxicating beats. The 45-minute class includes “climbs” and “descents,” along with an upper body workout utilizing weighted bars that are attached to each bike.

Unlike bikes in other indoor cycling classes, the custom Flywheel bikes are tailor-made and feature proprietary performance tracking technology. Guests can set the positions that fit their body and comfort levels, from which they can best control their “tech-pack,” an exclusive Flywheel feature, that displays the rider’s resistance (“torq”), speed (RPM’s) and power output (current and cumulative for the class), allowing riders to stay aware of their performance at all times. Riders with a competitive edge can even opt in to participate in the in-studio “Torqboards,” large, flat-screen displays that occasionally flash leaderboards that show how each rider is performing in relation to others in the class.

Flywheel is just one exciting elements found in Norwegian Getaway’s 23,000 square foot Mandara Spa and fitness center complex. In addition to Flywheel, guests can choose from a range of innovative fitness options to really get their heart pumping. Norwegian Getaway will feature Nexersys interactive fight training modules, offering guests the opportunity to engage in high-intensity, interval training against an avatar, through the use of a simulator. Boxing lovers will also enjoy Norwegian’s all new “Norwegian Fight Klub,” which combines Nexersys training with a cardio boxing class, utilizing the fitness center’s 12 heavy bags.

Norwegian Getaway’s fitness center will also offer a variety of all-new low-impact classes such as “Pure-Form Pilates,” a Pilates-inspired class that utilizes weighted balls for added resistance; and “Chi Ball Yoga,” a group class inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, combining elements of yoga, tai chi and meditation that completely exercise both the mind and body. Additional fitness offerings include TRX, Fight Klub and Body Sculpt Boot Camp classes. Personal training sessions will also be available, along with nutritional consultations and metabolic testing.

Guests who prefer to workout independently on Norwegian Getaway will enjoy the latest Technogym cardio equipment and weights. All cardio equipment synchs to iPod music devices and features a large, HD screen from which guests can watch television, follow a set training program or navigate the playlist on their iPod.

Offering the ultimate in indulgent experiences, Norwegian Getaway’s tranquil Mandara Spa and thermal suite will offer guests the ultimate escape and features a rejuvenating salt room. Popular in top spas around the world, salt room therapy has been proven to alleviate respiratory and skin ailments, strengthen the immune system, promote better sleep and have a long-term positive impact on overall lung function. Spa guests visiting the Salt Room will be immersed in a dramatic grotto setting as they enjoy this unique, indulgent and beneficial spa experience. Norwegian Getaway’s tranquil thermal suite also offers guests spectacular unobstructed views of the ocean, the opportunity to melt away on one of the 13 heated loungers, vitality pool, whirlpools, sauna, solarium and steam room, along with a full-service salon and barber shop.

My first trip into the rural areas south of Palomas

It's mid-morning on Thursday,as I head south from Palomas, Mexico, with Esperanza Lozoya, the founder of the humanitarian program, La Luz de la Esperanza, her granddaughter and her assistant, Maria Dolores Campos.

Our goal is to take beans, medicine and shoes to two rural towns, Colonia Modelo and Guadalupe Victoria. The beans were purchased by Esperanza from Diaz Farms in Deming, N.M. The shoes were donated by Nina Houle, the very supportive owner of a shoe store named On Your Feet in Santa Fe.

This is my first trip into the rural areas south of Palomas and my first meeting with Esperanza. On June 21, however, I observed her summer lunch program in Palomas.

In the space of about an hour, her daughter Sofia and an assistant distributed 600 lunch boxes to needy children there, an extraordinary feat that they continued every weekday all summer.

They also run a midday meal program for the elderly in a building that used to be a rehab center.

Esperanza is originally from Chicago, but she and her family have a long history of community leadership in both Palomas and Columbus, N.M., a few miles to the north. The recreation center in Columbus is named after her father, Andrew Sanchez, for all his contributions.

Her sister, Lupita Otero, manages several food banks in Columbus and was given a “Community Health Leader” award by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2003.

They typify the many heroic people who hold these impoverished communities together in the absence of government services.

We drive about a half hour straight south, then turn off at Modelo, which is just a collection of houses by the road. For safety reasons and as a woman who travels extensively in rural Chihuahua, Esperanza doesn’t announce where she is going in advance so there is no one waiting for us.

We then continue on a few miles to El Entronque, a community built where the Palomas road intersects the highway from Juárez to Chihuahua. There at the Tortería 3 Caminos, we find El Commandante, the officer in charge of that area.

A cheerful man in dark glasses, a white shirt and suspenders, he poses for photos with Esperanza, his unsmiling assistant and his wife. Then he calls on his cell phone and tells another officer to meet us by the town plaza in Modelo.

He also mentions two recent murders. I had assumed that this area was much safer. Esperanza smiles and says that I’m seeing, “The calm before the storm.”

She knows about violence; one of her strongest supporters, the former mayor of Palomas, Tanys Garcia, was murdered in 2009.

A crowd, mostly women, gathers. We open white sacks of beans and Esperanza ladles out five big cups into each woman’s plastic bag. The men are working in the fields, although with the extremely dry weather, there is much less work than usual.

Esperanza has been doing this for nine years. Over the past two and a half, she has distributed some 160,000 pounds of food in the Palomas area. This is in addition to shoes, medicine, basic first aid kits and school supplies. Her job is, if anything, more difficult now, because the Mexican government is limiting the quantity of beans that can be brought across the border. Why, no one knows.

Our second stop is in a farm town named Guadalupe Victoria located some 12 kilometers to the west of the Palomas-El Entronque road. Esperanza and Maria Dolores are both trained as promotoras and can handle basic medical problems.

Their goal here is to provide medicine for the children of migrant farm worker families who have parasites. A longer-term goal is to train local women as promotoras, so that they can deal with basic medical issues like checking blood pressure. The two biggest health problems are high blood pressure and diabetes.

We find the migrant camp, which consists of a long, low, three-sided cinder block building partitioned into a series of living quarters. Outside each doorway is a large metal pan for cooking, a row of chilis, some farm tools, old shoes or clothing and maybe a broom.

Clothing is hung up to dry in a crisscross of wire clotheslines. In the center is a pile of firewood, and the ground is muddy with foul-looking pools of water. It’s a scene from hell, especially when compared to the semi-mansions of the farm owners only a few blocks away.

The women and children we meet are Mixteca Indians from the state of Guerrero way to the south. Many don’t appear to speak Spanish. They line up for the medicine and for what beans remain and are fitted for the shoes I brought from Santa Fe.

I ask several to pose with photos with their new shoes and they agree, but it’s a cheerless place. It’s hard to imagine why government officials haven’t made the farm owners provide cleaner water or better housing, or why these ragged kids aren’t in school. The families have been coming here to work for years; this isn’t a new problem.

We then stop at the local health clinic, are given more medicine by a curt young woman who is the local “doctor,” administers it and return to Palomas.

“I love what I do,” she says as we say goodbye. When I ask about her safety, she adds, “ I have my angel with me.”