How quickly things change. A week ago, the owners of the iPod factory accused by journalists of substandard working conditions, tried to destroy the lives of the reporters who broke the story -- by suing them for a ton of money and freezing their assets. A couple days of bad press later, and the firm cut back its demands to a token amount. A few more days and... they've dropped the case completely, putting out a joint statement with the newspaper who employed the reporters. Both sides' "statements" sound like children who have been caught doing something wrong and are forced to make an apology that neither really believes in. Apparently, the company has posted a statement on its website about how much it "respects" the media and how it "recognized the right of media in overseeing corporate behavior." The newspaper, for its part, expresses "its recognition of the [Foxconn's] contribution to China's economic development and competitiveness." Of course, they don't say whether those substandard working conditions helped that contribution... but I imagine that would be considered in poor taste for a reconciliation statement.