Amazon Bans Sale of Potentially Dangerous USB-C Cables

Amazon has tightened restrictions on the sale of USB-C cables and adapters on its online store in an effort to protect customers from risky substandard products (via The Verge).

The online retailer added non-compliant USB-C cables to its list of prohibited items, following a flood of potentially damaging third-party cables onto the market. The new note on Amazon’s page of undesirables prohibits “any USB-C™ (or USB Type-C™) cable or adapter product that is not compliant with standard specifications issued by ‘USB Implementers Forum Inc.’”

The update was spotted by Google engineer Benson Leung, who has been testing USB-C cables sold by Amazon in an effort to highlight the risks of non-compliant products. Leung was spurred into action after a USB-C charging cable he bought destroyed a Chromebook Pixel he was working on in compatibility tests.

Apple introduced the USB-C standard to its Mac range with the release of the 12-inch Retina MacBook. The new standard allows charging, data transfer, and video over a single connector. As a result, USB-C cables are capable of carrying a lot more power than traditional USB connectors, making faulty units a risk to computers and power supplies, and potentially a fire hazard.

Apple states in a support document that the 12-inch MacBook will charge from USB-C power adapters not manufactured by Apple if they adhere to the USB Power Delivery specification. Based on Leung’s extensive testing, 30 percent of third-party USB-C cables currently available do not meet USB-IF standards. Apple’s USB-C ports are designed to shut down if a larger-than-expected amount of power is detected flowing through cables, however Amazon’s ban should mean cables that can damage or shut down a device will no longer be offered through the site.

Apple suffered its own USB-C problems when a “design issue” in charging cables shipped with certain Retina MacBooks failed to supply sufficient charge when connected to a power adapter. Apple is providing new, redesigned USB-C charge cables to MacBook owners with faulty cables at no cost.

Related Roundup: Retina MacBook
Tags: amazon.com, USB-C
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook (Don’t Buy)
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Get paid £10,000 to build Minecraft worlds as ‘virtual estate builder’

If you fancy yourself a pro-level Minecraft constructor, you could get paid for your handiwork – £10,000 to be exact.

The folk over at Elysian Estates’, a luxury accommodation website, are looking to hire a Minecraft world builder to recreate ten of their real-world properties in the virtual universe.

The job is listed as “virtual estate builder” and will pay £10,000, meaning a grand per property built. So how do you sign-up to make money for something that you probably do for fun anyway?

To get the job you’ll need to show you’ve got what it takes. The company is asking any potential Minecraft builders to construct its Aldourie Castle in the virtual world. Anyone can apply as long as they’re over the age of sixteen.

First up, download the Aldourie Castle photo pack here. Then build the virtual model and send photos or screenshots, along with a CV, to jobs@elysian-estates.co.uk by the 18 April. Then you wait for that big fat check and start Minecraft building full-time.

The listing also states: “Property specialists at Elysian Estates are looking specifically for intricate detail, imagination and creativity. All entries will be judged by the property specialists, who will select and inform the successful ‘virtual estate builder’ a week later on 25 April via email.”

Good luck.

READ: Sony PlayStation 4K: What is PS4.5, when is it coming and how will it affect me?

Inrix Traffic app uses AI to learn your driving habits

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Inrix, the company that uses OpenStreetMap and its own traffic analysis to guide you via GPS. It also supplies connected car tech to Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and other automakers. The company just completely redesigned its iOS and Android Traffic apps, adding machine learning features, calendar integration and more. While there are tons of such apps to choose from, Inrix’s app is geared toward frequent drivers who do routine trips where they often battle traffic.

The most interesting new feature for version 6.0 is a cloud-based AI system called Autotelligent that learns your driving habits to figure out preferred routes and anticipate trips. The app analyzes your driving patterns and checks calendar information to add events to your itinerary. Once it figures out when and where you need to go, it can analyze the traffic based on data from 275 million users. From that, it can suggest the ideal departure hour, adjust arrival times and give you options if you need to make a detour or pick up food, gas or electricity.

The app is proactive, letting users report accidents, police activity and road hazards. You can also send map feedback about closed routes and other traffic problems directly from the app. While a premium version of the app used to cost $25, it’s now available for free on iOS or Android.

J&J’s anesthesia-bot loses against its human counterparts

Just because robots can be more efficient than humans and can make certain processes cheaper doesn’t mean they’ll always come out on top. Case in point: Johnson & Johnson is pulling its anesthesia robot called Sedasys from the market over poor sales, according to Outpatient Surgery and Anesthesiology News. It was once a promising alternative to anesthesiologists, since it can bring down the cost of administering sedation from $2,000 per procedure to $150 to $200. It eliminates the need for an anesthesia professional, after all, as it allows any nurse or doctor to put a patient under in the operating room.

One of the reasons why it experienced such slow adoption rates is because the American Society of Anesthesiologists campaigned against it. The group eventually backed down after the machine was limited for use in routine procedures like colonoscopy, but by then, they’ve already done their job. Unfortunately, J&J now plans to lay off 3,000 employees from its medical devices division due to its products’ (Sedasys included) poor sales, so it’s not a total victory for humans after all.

Via: PopSci, The Washington Post

Source: Outpatient Surgery, Anesthesiology News

Amazon bans crappy USB Type-C cables

One Google engineer’s quest to test USB-C cables sold on Amazon ended in a disaster when a particularly shoddy one fried his gadgets. Thankfully, Amazon has decided to take a stance against subpar adapters to prevent more people from going through the same thing. Benson Leung, the unfortunate engineer who sacrificed his Chromebook Pixel 2015 for our sake, reported on Google+ that the e-commerce website has officially banned substandard USB Type-C cables.

To be exact, the new line under the prohibited products list reads: “Any USB-C (or USB Type-C) cable or adapter product that is not compliant with standard specifications issued by ‘USB Implementers Forum Inc.’” It’s still very much possible for listings that sell offbrand (or even legit but faulty) cables to go through, though, so you shouldn’t stop reading product reviews because of this new rule. And in case you ever find yourself the recipient of a defective adapter, don’t forget that you can report the product to Amazon and get it kicked off the marketplace.

Via: Benson Leung (Google+)

Source: Amazon

Microsoft’s Tay AI makes brief, baffling return to Twitter

Microsoft’s Twitter AI experiment — Tay — briefly came back online this morning. Tay was initially switched off, after learning the hard way that, basically, we’re all terrible people, and cannot be trusted to guide even a virtual teenage mind. This morning, however, it looks like Microsoft temporarily flipped the switch, activating the account again. It didn’t take long before the Artificial Intelligence got itself in a bit of bother, by tweeting at itself, and instantly replying. The result? An infinite loop of telling itself “You are too fast, please take a rest…” Within minutes, Tay was offline again. Or rather, the account has now been made private.

It’s unclear whether Tay’s return was planned, perhaps as part of the planned testing to see whether it was ready to face the public again.For now, at least, the account is dormant again — unless you’re on the followers list already. Those awkward teenage years appear to be far from over for Tay, and like others are finding out, carelessly running your mouth on the internet can be a costly endeavour.

Amazon bans low-quality USB Type-C cables

Buying reliable USB-C cables has just gotten easier on Amazon, as the retailer has added non-compliant cables to the list of items prohibited for sale.

The note added to Amazon’s prohibited items page now lists the following:

Any USB-C™ (or USB Type-C™) cable or adapter product that is not compliant with standard specifications issued by “USB Implementers Forum Inc.”

Non-compliant USB-C cables can have adverse affects on a device, as Google engineer Benson Leung found out when a faulty cable destroyed his Chromebook Pixel. The engineer has since tested hundreds of cables, calling out vendors like OnePlus for not complying to USB Implementers Forum standards.

Commenting on Amazon’s decision, Leung said:

Really great news, but we all have to continue to be vigilant and call out any bad products we find on Amazon and other stores (both online and brick and mortar) as we find them.

For more on the USB Type-C standard and how it affects your devices, be sure to check out our extended coverage from the link below:

Everything you need to know about USB Type-C

Microsoft HoloLens may not reach consumers for a while, it has a hot issue to deal with

Today the Microsoft Build 2016 developer conference kicks off and there is expected to be plenty of HoloLens chat. Despite growing excitement, it could still be a while before we get past the stage of developer-only access to the augmented reality headset. Currently it overheats.

According to HoloLens game developer David Dedeine, talking to PC World, the Microsoft AR headset currently suffers from heat issues. So while the HoloLens is currently available to developers, for $3,000, it’s certainly not ready to start shipping alongside the Xbox One.

The HoloLens is an augmented reality headset, which is still in the early stages of development. What’s coming closer to the mainstream is virtual reality with headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Sony PlayStation VR all hitting shelves this year.

The problem with HoloLens, right now, is that the entire unit is a single untethered system. That means carrying a lot of processing power and batteries in one place that can get very hot. Dedeine points out that games are limited to 900MB and if they push the CPU too much the unit will actually shut down. He also points out that it’s important “to not make the whole thing get too hot, as it would be uncomfortable to the user.”

Since usage is limited to three hours, by battery life, hopefully keeping heat and processing down to eek out more juice will be a priority.

Here’s hoping Microsoft makes some announcements at Build 2016 later today that show signs of progress in this area.

READ: Build 2016: What to expect from Microsoft’s developer conference and how to watch the keynote

Which Apple Watch should you choose?

Apple Watch has been on sale for almost a year, with new models added to the line up a few months back in September 2015 and new straps added in March 2016. There are numerous models to choose from, with three main ranges available, two sizes in each range and multiple straps, making choosing the right one for you quite tricky.

With the additional models and straps, there are now 22 models to choose from in the Watch Sport range alone, 20 models in the Watch range, eight models in the Watch Edition range and 10 models in the Hermès range. Yes, 60 standard models in total, and if you mix and match by adding extra straps to the first three ranges, this figure quickly goes up.

Of course, it doesn’t just come down to which model you like the best in terms of the design because the one we like the most costs over £10,000. And no, we aren’t joking. This feature aims to make it easy for you to see what models are available, how much they cost and what the differences are between them all in order to find the right one for you and your budget.

Apple Watch Sport

The most affordable of the three ranges is the Apple Watch Sport. It costs £259 for the 38mm version and £299 for the 42mm version.

There are 22 models available comprising of four aluminium body colours, 38mm or 42mm sizes and various straps that come with respective models. All the Apple Watch Sport models come with a Sports Band included in the price, but you are restricted to the band Apple chooses with each model.

For example, the rose gold 38mm model comes with a Lavender Sports Band or the Royal Blue Woven Nylon strap. If you wanted a different colour Sports Band or Woven Nylon strap instead, you’d have to pay an extra £39 per strap, rather than swap it out.

View Watch Sport models 

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch models are the mid-range Apple Watch, opting for stainless steel body over the Sport’s aluminium. The Apple Watch models start at £479 for the 38mm model and £519 for the 42mm version, both of which come with a Sports Band or the Woven Nylon strap.

As we mentioned, there are 20 models available in total and as with the Apple Watch Sport, if you want a different strap, you’ll have to pay more. For example, a Classic Buckle or Leather Loop rather than a Sports Band will set you back £608 for the 38mm and £648 for the 42mm.

Top of the Apple Watch range is the 42mm Space Black stainless steel case with a Space Black Link Bracelet, which costs £949.

View Watch models

Apple Watch Edition

The Apple Watch Edition is the most expensive of the Apple Watch models available and as we said, it comes in eight models. The cheapest in this range is the 38mm 18-carat rose gold model that comes with a Sports Band and costs £8,000 in the UK, while the 42mm model costs £9,500.

Interestingly, the priciest models of this range are both 38mm options rather than 42mm. There is an 18-carat yellow gold model and an 18-carat rose gold model in both 38mm and 42mm but there is a £1,500 price difference.

The 38mm options come with Modern Buckles in Bright Red and Rose Grey respectively, while the 42mm models come with Classic Buckles in Black and Midnight Blue respectively. Despite the 42mm normally costing more however, the 38mm models are £13,500, while the 42mm are £12,000.

View Watch Edition models

Apple Watch Hermès

The Apple Watch Hermès is only available in selected locations and as you may have guessed from the name, it is a specifically-designed Apple Watch that has been created in collaboration with Paris fashion brand Hermès.

There are 10 models to choose from, as we mentioned, and along with a special Hermès watch face, the Apple Watch Hermès models also feature leather straps handmade by the fashion company’s artisans in France. Each Apple Watch Hermès has the Hermès logo on the underside of the watch body, as well as on the strap. You can read our hands-on here.

There is the Double Tour model for the 38mm size only, which comes in four strap colours and wraps twice around the wrist. The Single Tour model comes in 38mm and 42mm options, with the 42mm available in two colours and the 38mm in three colours. The last model is the Cuff, which is only available in 42mm and the Fauve colour. It features a strap within a strap. Prices start at £1,000 with the most expensive Apple Watch Hermès hitting £1,350 so significantly less than the Apple Watch Edition, but a little pricier than the mid-range.

View Watch Hermès models

Straps

There are seven straps available for the Apple Watch, each of which is compatible with all three of the main ranges.

The cheapest is the elastomer Sport Band and the Woven Nylon, both of which cost £39. The Sport Band comes in 22 colours, while the Woven Nylon comes in seven. The Milanese Loop, which is a flexible magnetic stainless steel mesh, costs £129 and comes in silver and Space Black. The traditional-designed Classic Buckle also costs £129 but this one comes in nine colours.

The Leather Loop is a soft, quilted leather that conceals magnets for quick fastening and adjustment. It comes in six colours and also costs £129, but it is only available for the 42mm model. The alternative for the 38mm is the Modern Buckle with two-piece magnetic closure that comes in seven colours but it’s a little more expensive at £209.

The most expensive strap is the 316L stainless steel alloy with custom butterfly closure Link Bracelet, which comes in Space Black for £449 and silver for £379.

View Watch straps

Best Apple Watch and strap combinations

Let’s quickly do the maths: the cheapest Apple Watch Sport is £259 (38mm) and the cheapest strap that isn’t a Sports Band is £129, a total of £388. That’s £91 cheaper than the most affordable Apple Watch, which starts at £479 (38mm) and also has the Sports Band.

If you can live with the aluminium body rather than stainless steel, then the Sport is cheapest route and with the choice of aluminium colours, it’s an appealing route too. For example, you could get the 38mm rose gold Apple Watch Sport with Modern Buckle for £468, which is a lot cheaper than the £13,500 lookalike. Granted the materials aren’t as premium, but we’re talking about £13,000 extra dollar in your pocket here.

Another good combination is the Space Black Apple Watch Sport 42mm with the Space Black Link Bracelet. The body costs £299 and the strap, which is now sold separately costs £449, for a total of £748. The black stainless steel option costs a total of £949 with the Space Black Link Bracelet so you save around £200 opting for aluminium over stainless steel.

The Watch Sport and its additional colours make the Apple Watch more accessible, but be prepared for splashing some cash if you want to upgrade it with a more premium strap as they don’t come cheap and are therefore the Sport isn’t always the better option. Head to the gallery to see all the standard available options and all the straps to see how you could mix and match.

Gionee’s latest flip phone offers two 720p displays, 4GB RAM, Helio P10 SoC

Samsung and LG aren’t the only vendors making high-end flip phones, as Gionee’s latest offering in this space ups the ante with 4GB of RAM and a faux leather back.

Dubbed the W909, the phone features two 4.2 720p IPS LCD displays, an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 SoC, 64GB internal memory, microSD slot, 16MP camera at the back with PDAF, 5MP front camera, 2530mAh battery, USB Type-C connectivity, and a fingerprint sensor at the back. On the software front, you get the vendor’s Amigo UI atop Android 5.1.

The W909 is set to go on sale in China for ¥3,999 ($615). What do you guys think of the device?