Googler finds that the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter is out of spec
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USB Type-C is all the rage right now, but as it’s a new standard of hardware, there are bound to be some teething issues for manufacturers. To uncover non-compliant cables and adapters before they potentially damage your device, Googler Benson Leung a.k.a. the USB Vigilante, has been testing every accessory available under the sun and advising whether you’ll want to risk it with your device or not. As it turns out, he has found that the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter is out of spec – as Leung puts it: “it uses the wrong identifier resistor”, which can potentially damage your device while charging.
OnePlus has yet to respond to Leung’s findings, but while it’s understandable that being one of the first to adopt the new standard you might make some mistakes, it’s kind of disappointing that a manufacturer who’s own device uses USB Type-C might potentially have damaged their own devices. Regardless, if you’re looking for a cheap USB Type-C adapter for your Chromebook Pixel or new Nexus 5X/6P, the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter probably isn’t the way to go for you.
What do you think about the OnePlus USB Type-C adapter being out of spec? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Google, Verizon and Sprint offering free calls to France after attacks in Paris
The world is in solidarity with France this weekend, after 6 orchestrated attacks in Paris occurred this Friday. The unfortunate event left 129 people dead and a devastated country, so most of the world wants to show its support in every way possible. Even the tech universe is not keeping its arms crossed.
Communication is key, especially for those of us who happen to know people in France and are worried about their well-being. Calls to Europe are usually not cheap, but it’s a dire situation and some communication giants are helping out. Google, Verizon and Sprint are stepping up to the plate and offering free calls to France!
They all bring slightly different options to the table, so let’s go over them one by one and see which would be a better option for you.
Google was among the first to offer help by making calls to France free via Hangouts. It’s simple, just dial the number and make your Hangouts call. But there is a very convenient part to going with Google – you can use it with any Android/iOS device, on any network.
Because Hangouts works online, all you would use is data, which wouldn’t really be a problem if you have extra megabytes laying around… or a WiFi connection. We are not sure about a couple details, though. For starters, Google didn’t really tell us until when this offer would stand. Additionally, there were no countries specified. Does that mean this will be the case when calling France from whichever country the service is available in?
Download Hangouts Dialer for Android
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Verizon
Verizon’s new fees may not be very nice, but at least their heart is in the right place when it comes to helping out the French. Big Red is also offering free calls or texts from the USA to France this weekend (November 13 – November 15). And this does apply to both wireless and home telephone users.
Sprint
I would have to say Sprint is the one with the better deal here. The carrier is waving international long distance, SMS and even roaming charges to France. And because Sprint is not alone, they are extending the offer to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers.
Unlike Verizon, Sprint is not yet sure when this offer will end. Free communications with France is effective starting November 13, but the concluding date is “yet to be determined”. This likely means the offer stands until the situation is appeased.
Conclusion
Do there you have it, guys. If you have any loved ones in France, go ahead and take advantage of the help these big tech companies and carriers are offering. Hopefully staying in touch can ease things for you, even if just a little.
AT&T reportedly testing Samsung Galaxy S7 already
Add another clue to the list of items suggesting Samsung is quickly approaching a release date for their next flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S7. Actually, it will be two flagship devices as Samsung appears to be on track to produce a regular screen version and one with curved edges. Twitter tipster Evan Blass posted on Friday that U.S. wireless carrier AT&T is already testing both Galaxy S7 variants.
In the past Samsung used dedicated Unpacked events to announce their latest Galaxy S smartphones. This past year they moved the schedule up to coincide with MWC 2015. Typically only CES precedes MWC on the calendar and CES would certainly like the press that would come with a reveal at their event, but that may still be pushing it even with Samsung already working on the firmware for the two variants.
AT&T already testing both Galaxy S7 variants (SM-G930A and -G935A), adding weight to rumors of an early- to mid-1Q16 release.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 13, 2015
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source: Evan Blass (Twitter)
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Steam Machines are slower gaming systems than Windows PCs
The whole point of a Steam Machine is to get PC-like gaming in your living room, but do you actually get PC-like performance? Not so much, if you ask Ars Technica. It recently ran benchmarks comparing the performance of SteamOS and Windows 10 on the same hardware, and it’s pretty clear that you’re taking a speed hit in the name of couch-based convenience. The two operating systems are very close in synthetic tests, but SteamOS lags well behind Windows when it comes to real gameplay: depending on the game and your detail settings, you could be losing dozens of frames per second. All of the titles tested were still very playable on the modest test rig (a dual-core 3GHz Pentium with an old GeForce GTX 660), but this could pose a problem with more demanding titles in the future.
Source: Ars Technica
Huawei poised for big leap forward in battery charging tech
With several smartphones hitting the market recently with Quick Charge 2.0 technology for fast battery charging, a new baseline for performance will be established in the minds of consumers. This means buyers will be looking for the next major improvement and Huawei hopes to be there to meet the demand for the latest and greatest. Looking beyond Quick Charge 2.0, Huawei’s Watt Lab says they have developed technology that can charge lithium-ion batteries 10 times faster than the current standard.
Huawei says they used heteroatoms bonded to graphite in an anode to increase the charging speed of lithium-ion batteries. This was achieved with no decrease in energy density or battery life.
In a demonstration of the new technology, Huawei shows a 600 mAh battery charging to 68% capacity in only two minutes while a 3000 mAh battery was charged to 48% capacity in just 5 minutes.
Clearly we would all like to be able to charge our smartphones in mere minutes and then get through a day. However, Huawei is hoping Watt Lab’s work extends to other battery applications like electric vehicles and wearable devices.
source: Huawei
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