Last week we told you about a new online lottery system for reservations that Apple setup for iPhone 4S sales through its Hong Kong stores to combat scalpers after it was forced to

In the wake of yesterday's report regarding treatment of workers at the facilities of Apple's suppliers, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent an email to company employees addressing the situation. As published by 9to5Mac , the email highlights Apple's efforts to oversee compliance with company standards for workers' rights and the transparency with which it has shared that information. From Cook's opening statement: As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values.

The New York Times today published a lengthy report discussing working conditions at the facilities of Apple's suppliers in China, part of a growing focus on how Apple's popular products are made. While the company is making strides in holding its suppliers accountable to company standards, the report cites former Apple executives who note that the company continues to struggle balancing its desire for better working conditions and workers' rights with its business priorities.

Brazilian newspaper Folha reports [ Google translation ] that the Brazilian government has officially approved tax incentives that will allow Foxconn to begin producing iPads in the country. Interministerial Ordinance #34, signed on Monday and published in Brazil's official register today, specifically provides for a reduction in or exemption from certain taxes associated with the production of touchscreen tablet devices lacking a keyboard and weighing less than 750 grams.

Not a day goes by without the Chinese coming up with some kind of bizarro iPad clone . According to the Wall Street Journal, an iPad clone called the "Red Pad" endorsing Mao Tse-Tung's "Little Red Book" of Communism briefly surfaced in China before getting removed.

Indian business newspaper Mint reports ( via iPhone Hacks ) that Apple may be preparing to open retail stores in India, dramatically increasing the company's presence in the country. Apple Inc. may open its own shops following the Indian government allowing full ownership of single-brand retail stores by foreign companies, according to a senior official of the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP).

Fans in China eager to get their hands on Apple’s iPhone through wireless operators other than China Unicom, the country’s exclusive iPhone partner, are in for a surprise as the device is really close to launching on the China Telecom network. According to the Wall Street Journal , it received a much-needed CDMA-2000 network access license from

Earlier this week, Apple pledged to let the Fair Labor Association access its suppliers’ facilities to monitor working conditions. Even though Apple is the first technology company admitted to the FLA, the snowballing issue of harsh conditions at Far East plants will not go away with the announcement.

Apple just posted its 2012 Supplier Responsibility Report highlighting its efforts to audit and improve working conditions within its supply chain. As part of the report, Apple also posted a list of 156 companies currently supplying components for Apple products that make up over 97 percent of all “procurement expenditures for materials, manufacturing, and assembly” of its entire product line globally. The list includes Toshiba Mobile display, which is —as far as we know—currently not supplying displays for Apple

With only hours before sales begin, customers are lining up to buy the iPhone 4S in China. There are five Apple Stores in China, and Tech In Asia reports that each location already has "hundreds" of eager shoppers waiting for doors to open. As we've seen elsewhere, Apple employees are using a ticket system to deter would-be line jumpers.