Apple: Fine, we admit it – MacBook Pros suffer wonky GPU crapness

Give it back and we'll fix it (for free, sigh)

Faced with a class-action lawsuit, Apple has agreed to fix MacBook Pros with knackered graphics electronics free of charge.

The iPhone giant said its expensive notebooks must be repaired to address faulty video hardware that causes frequent restarts, distorted graphics and blank screens. The crappy models are the 15in and 17in Macbook Pros manufactured in 2011, and in the 15in Macbook Pros with Retina made in 2012 and 2013.

Fans can take the laptops directly to Apple or to an authorized repair shop to have the work done. The repair service kicks off on February 20 in the US and Canada, and February 27 in other countries. Additionally, those who ponied up their own money for repairs on the covered models can obtain a refund from Apple.

The wonky video issues are at the center of an ongoing class-action lawsuit filed against Apple last year.

The complaint accuses the company of using a defective solder to connect the GPU chips in the notebooks, causing many units to fail. Apple says "a small percentage of MacBook Pro systems" are affected. The lawsuit, originally limited to California and Florida in the US, was expanded to include fanbois in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Vermont and Puerto Rico. ®

Source:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/20/hey_fanbois_stuck_with_a_busted_macbook_pro_apple_might_fix_it_for_free/

Verizon to sell $15B in assets, launches $5B buyback

Lightning struck twice at Verizon on Thursday evening as the telecom behemoth announced a $15.54 billion sale in assets in two separate transactions.

Verizon announced plans to sell its local wireline business in California, Texas and Florida to Frontier Communications for $10.54 billion, Verizon said. It will also sell the leasing and operating rights to 11,324 wireless communication towers to American Tower for about $5 billion. The Boston-based American Tower will also purchase 165 additional towers outright from Verizon in the transaction.

Verizon's stock rose about 1 percent in after-hours trading following the announcement, while Frontier's shares rose almost 4 percent. American Tower's stock also rose slightly after the bell.






Verizon's deal with Frontier marks the second time in six years the two companies have done business together. Frontier bought 4.8 million rural phone lines from Verizon for $8.6 billion, according to a Reuters report. The New York City-based company also said it would buy back $5 billion in shares starting in this year's second quarter.


Source:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102402418