What can happen when your USB cable is bad
What’s the worst that can happen if you get a bad cable? You might be thinking about crummy data transfer speeds or your battery charging at a crawl. That’s about what we thought before today, but product reviewer Benson Leung had a far worse experience than this. He lost three devices to a bad cable, prompting him to give the product a one-star review on Amazon. In his words: “DANGER. PELIGRO. BAD CABLE. PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS.”
The product is Surtech’s 3M USB A-to-C cable, and Leung’s initially run-of-the-mill review of the cable wound up slaughtering his 2015 Chromebook Pixel and two USB PD analyzers. His very first interaction with this cable saw him connecting his Pixel to a 12W wall charger with power delivery sniffers buffering each connection for reviewing purposes.
See also: 10 reasons why your Android battery is charging slowly and how to fix them
As soon as he plugged in the cable, the sniffers failed immediately in what he describes as permanent damage. Even attempts to reflash the firmware were worthless. The sadder story here is the Pixel. Leung’s damage report and analysis reads thus:
On my Pixel, both USB Type-C ports stopped responding immediately. Neither would charge or act as a host when I plugged in a USB device such as an ethernet adapter. Upon rebooting my Pixel, the system came up in recovery mode because it could not verify the Embedded Controller on the system. No amount of software recovery could revive the EC. Upon closer analysis, serious damage has been done to components related to charging and managing the USB Type-C port’s capabilities.
I directly analyzed the Surjtech cable using a Type-C breakout board and a multimeter, and it appears that they completely miswired the cable. The GND pin on the Type-A plug is tied to the Vbus pins on the Type-C plug. The Vbus pin on the Type-A plug is tied to GND on the Type-C plug.
Just goes to show the importance of making sure that your electronic appliances and products are up to code before using them on your devices. Special thanks to reviewers like Leung who put their hardware on the line to get us the best information possible.
What are your thoughts on this news? As of the time of posting, the product is still up for sale, and Leung’s review has received almost 1,000 positive responses. Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments below!
Alcatel OneTouch’s Idol 4 and Idol 4S leak ahead of unveiling
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 is still one of the best budget-friendly smartphones on the market. It comes with a big 5.5-inch Full HD display, a perfectly capable Snapdragon 615 processor, a decent camera and a good software experience. It’s also cheap, making it an even better deal when you can find one online for somewhere around $200-$250. If you’ve been wondering when the company plans on launching a successor to the Idol 3, you don’t have much longer to wait.
We now have a pretty lengthy list of specifications and details, thanks to some leaked support pages on Alcatel OneTouch’s website. It looks like there will be two successors to the Idol 3 – the 5.2-inch Idol 4 and the 5.5-inch Idol 4S. The company launched two different-sized handsets under the Idol 3 name last year which caused a little confusion, so it’s definitely nice to see there’s now an easier naming scheme behind the devices.
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4S will be the higher-end model this year, with a 5.5-inch Quad HD AMOLED display, an octa-core 1.8GHz and 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chipset, 3GB of RAM, a 3000mAh battery, 32GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 512GB. It will also come with a 16MP rear camera with video stabilization (EIS) and a slow motion 8MP “sub-camera” with an 84-degree wide-viewing angle.
The Idol 4 will come with a 5.2-inch LTPS Full HD display, an octa-core 1.7 GHz and 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 2/3GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, a 2610mAh battery and microSD expansion up to 512GB. The Idol 4 will also sport a 13MP rear camera with video stabilization, and the same 8MP “sub-camera” that’s on the 4S. Both devices will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and come with some notable software features like double tap to wake.
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- Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4S specs
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- Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4 specs
We’ve taken screenshots of both devices’ spec sheets in case the support pages are taken down. If not, though, feel free to head to Alcatel OneTouch’s site at the source link below to poke around a bit. I couldn’t find any other references to the handsets. Hopefully we don’t have to wait much longer for these to become official. But seeing as how MWC 2016 is right around the corner, we might be able to see the devices in person during the February trade show.
So, are you liking what you see so far?
Your fitness tracker probably has security issues
Ever wondered how secure you are with a fitness tracker on your wrist? The researchers at Open Effect have… and their answer is “not as much as you’d probably like.” In their analysis, several common trackers have flaws that theoretically let attackers follow you or intercept data. Seven out of eight used static hardware identifiers that could allow location tracking over Bluetooth, for a start. Also, the companion apps from Garmin, Jawbone, Withings and Xiaomi have holes that not only expose data, but let evildoers fake fitness info — a problem in lawsuits where that data could be crucial evidence.
Don’t be too quick to toss out that wearable, though. Open Effect notes that the Apple Watch is truly secure based on its testing methods, and devices like the Fitbit Charge HR and Mio Fuse are safer than most. Also, these brands aren’t necessarily turning a deaf ear. Fitbit, Intel (creator of the Basis Peak) and Mio have all talked to the researchers, and it won’t be surprising if the companies tighten up their security through updates and future products.
As it stands, it’s important to put these vulnerabilities in context. While there are real risks here, the likelihood of someone targeting your fitness tracker is fairly slim — a hacker is more likely to want your banking info or phone location than your step count or heart rate. Still, these findings could help if you’re concerned that any significant security flaw is one too many.
Source: Open Effect
Uber updates its look
Uber has new app icons, a fresh logotype, and region-specific background colors and patterns, company co-founder Travis Kalanick shows off in a blog post today. The new icons for both the rider and partner apps include a “bit” at their centers, a hollowed-out square that represents the company’s technology. Plus, they feature colors and patterns specific to whichever country you’re in. The Uber team crafted these colorful backgrounds by studying the architecture, art, fashion and environments of the relevant regions, but eventually the company plans to go even further and create custom patterns for individual cities.
The new logotype is “less fussy,” deleting the trailing lines at the beginning and end of the company’s name. Uber says these changes are an attempt to humanize the company (and probably to distract a wary public from its recent struggles with lawsuits and protests).
“Uber started out as everyone’s private driver,” Kalanick writes. “Today we aspire to make transportation as reliable as running water, everywhere and for everyone. Our new brand reflects that reality by working to celebrate the cities that Uber serves.”
Here’s Uber’s new rider app icon:
And the driver app icon:
Source: Uber
HBO’s Bill Simmons outs Google podcast plans
Google tipped podcasts for Play Music back in the fall, but it looks like the company is finally prepping for their debut. Thanks to HBO’s Bill Simmons, the Twitterverse now knows that Google Play’s “podcast platform” is due to launch this month. Of course, there’s a chance Simmons is just blowing hot air (he’s been known to do that from time to time), but if a group outside of Google’s ranks knows about an arrival date, it’s likely big-name content producers. The tweet has since been deleted, so you can draw your own conclusions there.
Simmons, who started Grantland (RIP) at ESPN, has loads of listeners for his current self-titled podcast which launched ahead of his HBO show that’s set to debut this year. If his facts are correct, we should be hearing from Mountain View soon enough. Despite laying the groundwork to bring podcasts into Play Music last year, only a handful of the more popular podcasts were said to become available there. Here’s to hoping that changes, so we’ll be able to stream all of our favorites
Via: Talk Android
Source: Bill Simmons (Twitter)
Microsoft shows how NFL fans could use HoloLens in the future
It’s going to be a while before HoloLens, Microsoft’s newly developed augmented reality headset, will become a mainstream product. But since its debut last year, the tech giant has been teasing the potential for HoloLens across different categories, including video games and as a tool for businesses. Now, Microsoft is expanding on that, revealing a fresh concept based around the NFL — just in time for Super Bowl 50.
The video (below) shows how football fans could one day use the device to enhance the game-day viewing experience, right from their living room. One scene, for example, gives us a glimpse at someone wearing HoloLens and using gestures to bring up a 3D hologram of a stadium, which shows detailed information such as attendance and weather.
Then, you can see another user who, as a game is happening on TV in the background, sees live fantasy football stats complete with motion graphics. You also get a hologram of Marshawn Lynch running through the wall, similar to Microsoft’s Project XRay mixed reality title — but here it’s about showing you the player’s height, weight and more.
Keep in mind this is only a concept at the moment, and Microsoft says there are no specific plans to turn it into a reality. But one can still hope.
Source: Microsoft
Twitch offers a close look at first-person film ‘Hardcore Henry’
Hardcore Henry is basically a mix of Jason Bourne, Captain America and Call of Duty. It’s an action epic about a man who wakes from near-death in a futuristic laboratory and with no memory of his past. Minutes after regaining consciousness, he embarks on a dangerous mission to save his kidnapped wife from a warlord who plans to create genetically engineered super soldiers. The entire movie is shot in a first-person perspective, directly from Henry’s point of view. This perspective twist certainly sounds interesting — and you can get a closer look at it on Wednesday, February 10th, live on Twitch.
Twitch will debut a new trailer for Hardcore Henry during a livestreamed event on February 10th, held from 6PM to 8PM PST on the channel of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive streamer summit1g. Hardcore Henry writer and director Ilya Naishuller will be on-hand to answer questions and discuss the film’s influences, which definitely include some classic shooters.
“The film itself pays homage to many first-person video games, many of which are referenced throughout Hardcore Henry,” a press release promises.
Three popular streamers — Ms_Vixen, Force, and Rachel “Seltzer” Quirico — will join Naishuller and summit1g during the Twitch event. Hardcore Henry makes its domestic debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March, and it hits theaters nationwide on April 8th.
Hardcore Henry made waves at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was picked up by STX Entertainment for $10 million that year (check out the movie’s TIFF trailer below). STX has planned a robust marketing campaign for the film, one that clearly doesn’t stop with ad placements on television and in theaters, as Deadline reports.
Twitch has rapidly cemented itself as a valuable entertainment service, connecting audiences directly with their favorite content creators and online personalities. This won’t be the last mainstream vehicle to use Twitch for outreach and branding — it certainly isn’t the first, either.
Instagram launches its first original video series
Snapchat’s attempt at scripted shows didn’t go so well, but that isn’t stopping Instagram from giving the concept a whirl: it’s launching Series 5, its first original video series. The show (directed by Hello Carter‘s Anthony Wilcox) tells the tale of an on-the-run security driver framed for involvement in a diamond heist. As you might guess, Instagram’s 15-second video format means that you won’t be watching this all at once. Instead, the series will play out across 28 episodes spread out over the month, with the first episode arriving today (February 2nd). That’s not exactly a long show — 7 minutes, all told — so it’s clear that the appeal comes more from the “what happens next?” suspense than an intricate plot.
It’s not yet known why Instagram is dipping its toes into the waters of scripted material, but it isn’t hard to figure out why the social photo service might give this a shot. Instagram depends on ads for income, and that means giving you reasons to keep coming back. An original story provides a more reliable way to do this than depending on users, who can’t always provide a steady stream of interesting shots.
Via: Onion AV Club
Source: Deadline
USB Type-C cable blows up a Google engineer’s computer
I was looking forward to USB Type-C becoming the standard since it’s reservable, but now I am not too sure. A Google engineer has been testing USB Type-C cables from Amazon to determine which ones were safe and which weren’t, but now is forced to stop as one of them destroyed his computer.
The computer Benson Leung was using at the time was a Chromebook Pixel, which costs around $1,500 when all of the sudden one of the USB cables he was testing was bad and destroyed itself. Unfortunately, also destroying his computer.
However, he was testing potentially dangerous USB Type-C cables, which he knew could be dangerous. Most of the cheap cables he tested were not the best, but this one was by far the worst. He has said that he won’t be able to test many others as his testing computer has been destroyed.
This doesn’t mean you should fear USB Type-C cables, however. Only the cheap ones from manufactures who refuse to follow the USB Type-C standards are dangerous. The horrible part is cable manufactures don’t really have to follow the standard if they don’t want to and won’t have to pay to repair your device if something does go wrong.
It will be much slower now, but if you are interested in following Leung and his journey to find the best and worst USB Type-C cables, you can follow along on Amazon.
Source: Benson Leung (Google+)
Come comment on this article: USB Type-C cable blows up a Google engineer’s computer
Guide to Buying Refurbished Apple Products
There’s often a stigma against purchasing refurbished electronics because many companies don’t have rigorous quality control programs for refurbished items, but that’s not the case with Apple. Some companies may sell refurbished items with cosmetic defects and other issues, but Apple’s refurbished products, available from its online refurbished store, are “as good as new” products, as Apple says.
You can also get refurbished Apple products at steeper discounts from third-party retailers, but they don’t offer the same benefits as buying directly from Apple.
Every refurbished iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or Apple accessory Apple sells goes through a certification process that ensures full functionality, and with iOS devices, each one gets a new outer shell and a fresh battery. All refurbished products come with a 1-year warranty.
As long as you can wait a few months to pick up an Apple product, there’s virtually no downside to purchasing a refurbished model. The quality is superb and the price savings can be worth the wait. This guide covers all the ins and outs of refurbished products, from release timelines and prospective price savings to warranty information and stock information.
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