Wireless Charging 201: What Modern Dad (and family) is using!

How wireless charging brought my family — or at least our phones — just a little bit closer.

This is the second of a series of three videos sponsored by the Wireless Power Consortium (which really does have one of the coolest names in the business). Previously, we took a high-level look at wireless charging. Coming up next: wireless charging on the go.

Wireless charging is (yet another) one of those things that I’ve been able to do for a long time, but something that my family had never gotten to use. Just another one of Dad’s crazy nerd things. We’ve come a long way in the past seven or so years — when I can first recall plopping a phone down on a charger, without having to plug anything into my device first. For one, we’ve settled on a standard — Qi. That’s a big deal, and it’s something we’d all been waiting to be sussed out. And we now have more phones with wireless charging than ever before. Samsung’s all over it. LG’s latest do it. And finally the iPhone 8 and iPhone X have adopted Qi charging.

Read more on Qi charging at the Wireless Power Consortium!

And there are more (and better) charging pads than ever before. We can charge faster. We can hide them away inside furniture, or at least make them look far less industrial than in years past. And because my entire family can now take advantage of wireless charging, I’ve strategically stashed a few chargers throughout the home.

The biggest change for us is that phones no longer live in our bedrooms overnight. No more soft glow right next to my head. No more notifications. No more buzzing.

Instead, we’ve got a dedicated wireless charging area for our phones out in the living room. It works great. It looks pretty darn good, too, and it gets rid of that kind of stressful tension you get when your phone is right next to your pillow. (If you haven’t tried moving your phone away from where you sleep, I highly recommend it.)

And we’ve also got convenience charging in the kitchen, making it easy to stay topped off while making our way through a recipe.

Here’s what we’re using in our house. If you’ve got something we should take a look at, let us know in the comments!

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Wireless Charging #QiPower

• The benefits of wireless charging
• Wireless Charging 101: The basics
• Phones that charge wirelessly
• The best wireless chargers

What I’m using

Target Wallet is yet another mobile payment service to keep track of

Joking aside, this is a pretty nice setup for Target shoppers.

Services like Android and Samsung Pay are likely what you use the most for paying with your phone at stores, gas stations, and more, but then you have things like Walmart Pay that are proprietary ways of using your phone to pay for things at specific stores.

Target just released its own proprietary payment service in the form of Wallet, and although having to keep track of yet another mobile payment solution might sound like a hassle, Wallet actually looks like a pretty good gig for avid Target shoppers.

Wallet is available within the main Target app, but unlike something such as Walmart Pay, you can only add a Target REDcard as a payment method. Target’s REDcard is available as either a credit card or debit card that’s linked up to your bank account, and the big draw to it is that you get a 5% discount whenever you use it at Target.

Wallet also ties into Cartwheel (Target’s digital coupon clipping service), so when you scan your barcode at checkout, you can pay and have your coupons apply in one single action. You can’t currently add gift cards to Wallet, but Target says this functionality is coming soon.

Target Wallet is available to use starting today on Android and iOS.

If you shop at Target, does this sound like something you’d be interested in?

Google Express partners with Target, Assistant shopping coming to phones

Giveaway: Win a PlayStation VR DOOM VFR Bundle from VRHeads!

Doom VFR is here, and we can’t stop playing! We want you to experience it as well, so enter now to win a PlayStation VR DOOM VFR Bundle and see for yourself!

The frenetic and horrifying first-person shooter Doom has come to VR, bringing all of the heart pounding, flesh shredding, gun blasting glory you remember right into your living room. Bethesda managed to simultaneously pull off a love letter to Doom fans and VR fans at the same time with this game. It’s everything you love about Doom, and at the same time a separate VR experience that feels like a complete thought. And best of all, it’s ridiculously fun.

Read more at VRHeads!

Microsoft extends NFL deal for Surface on the sidelines

About five years ago, Microsoft scored a $400 million deal to supply the NFL with Surface tablets. With the deal about to expire, the football league just renewed its partnership for the sideline tech with Microsoft for another year, according to a report at SportsPro.

Referees use the tablets for video reviews, while players and coaches can see footage of earlier plays during games, according to SportsPro. Not every NFL coach loves the tablets, of course, but the Surface devices will be continue to be available to NFL teams until the end of the 2018-2019 season.

Via: The Verge

Source: SportsPro

An electric cargo ship is delivering coal in China

An all-electric cargo ship is now in use in China and it boasts an impressive 2.4 MWh energy storage capacity, Electrek reports. The ship is over 230 feet long, 45 feet wide and 14 feet deep and can carry a maximum of 2,000 tons. Supercapacitors and lithium batteries make up the energy storage system and the ship can go about 50 miles on one charge. It will run between two shipyards, each of which has a charging station that can recharge the ship in around two hours.

Moving towards electric power will be important for the shipping industry and this vessel is a step in that direction. Its payload however, is, wait for it, coal. And that may seem like an odd pairing but at least the ship isn’t burning fossil fuels while it’s carrying them. Tesla, Daimler, Cummins and Toyota are all working on shipping trucks that use alternative fuels and pushing our cargo ships in that direction will do a lot for the environment.

The ship, which took its maiden voyage last month, will transport coal along the Pearl River in China’s Guangdong Province.

Via: Electrek

Facebook may spend a ‘few billion dollars’ on sports streaming deals

Facebook has certainly dabbled in live sports streams before, but it appears ready to jump in with both feet. Sources for Sports Business Journal claim that Facebook is hiring an executive to negotiate sports deals, and that the eventual recruit will have a budget worth a “few billion dollars.” That money wouldn’t stretch far in the conventional TV world, as Recode observes. However, that represents a gigantic pile of cash for internet-only deals. Amazon paid $50 million for Thursday night NFL games, so Facebook might score access to major games even if sports leagues hold out for large payments (such as an attempted $600 million bid on Indian cricket).

We’ve asked Facebook if it can comment.

There’s no guarantee Facebook will become a big spender in the near future, but it wouldn’t be at all shocking if the company opens its wallet. Sports streaming is a battleground for social networks competing for your attention, and Facebook likely doesn’t want to risk losing an important livestreaming deal to Twitter. Whatever money Facebook spends now might be easily justified if it keeps your eyes glued to Facebook and viewing those all-important ads.

Via: Recode

Source: Sports Business Journal (sub. required)

MyFitnessPal’s founders leave Under Armour

Under Armour’s $475 million buyout of MyFitnessPal in 2015 may have put a major health app under its wing, but it didn’t secure the undying loyalty of the smaller company’s founders. Albert Lee and Mike Lee are leaving Under Armour in January to “pursue their next entrepreneurial ventures.” Just what they’re doing next isn’t clear (unsurprisingly, both Albert and Mike still show on LinkedIn as working for UA). With that said, it’s safe to say that their next project will draw attention.

This doesn’t mean that MyFitnessPal is in trouble — go to the iOS App Store and you’ll still find that it’s one of the top health apps. However, it does complicate Under Armour’s efforts to become a one-stop fitness shop. The company is counting on activity tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Endomondo as the glue that keeps its strategy together, and it now has to hunt for replacements that will not only preserve what the Lees accomplished, but keep their app relevant for years.

Source: PR Newswire

Apple Introduces New Apple Watch Recycling Program Offering Gift Cards Up To $175

Apple today updated its Renew and Recycling program for the Apple Watch, offering Apple Store gift cards for older Apple Watch devices that are in good working condition through a partnership with Brightstar.

Apple previously allowed customers to recycle the Apple Watch through its recycling program, but there were no gift cards offered. Gift cards received from recycling products can be put towards new devices purchased from the Apple Store, either at retail locations or online.

Gift cards are available for original Apple Watch models, Apple Watch Series 1 models, and Apple Watch Series 2 models, with Apple offering between $50 and $175 depending on device. For a 42mm stainless steel Apple Watch Series 2 in full working condition, for example, Apple is offering $175, which is the highest payout available.

For an original 42mm Apple Watch Sport model in good working condition, Apple is offering $50, the lowest payout. These prices are lower than what you might get attempting to sell a device on your own, but higher in some cases than the prices available through other trade-in programs.

Working condition means the device powers on, the enclosure is in good condition, there are no obvious signs of liquid damage, the display is in good condition, and the buttons are operational. Apple does allow for normal wear and tear when it comes to the display and the enclosure, however.

Apple is only offering money for Apple Watch devices that meet all of the above restrictions. For devices that are damaged in some way, Apple offers free recycling through Brightstar, but no gift card.

When recycling an Apple Watch through Brightstar, the company will allow you to use your own shipping or it will send a free shipping box. Customers must make sure the Apple Watch is free of all faults, all data has been wiped, and that the battery is fully charged. It does not appear that charging cables nor Apple Watch bands need to be sent with the Apple Watch.

Apple, in partnership with Brightstar, also offers gift cards when recycling a range of older iPhones, iPads, Macs, PCs, and smartphones from third-party manufacturers.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 4Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Apple Maps Transit Directions Available in Tampa, Florida

Apple recently updated its Maps app to add transit directions and data for Tampa, Florida, according to Apple’s iOS 11 Feature Availability website. Transit directions have been available in Miami, Florida since mid-2016, but have not expanded to other areas of the state.

Transit options available in Tampa include the TECO Line Streetcar System, several bus lines, and Amtrak, which connects to other areas in Florida.

Transit directions were first added to Apple Maps in 2015 as part of iOS 9. At launch, transit information was only available in a handful of cities, but Apple has been working hard to expand the feature to additional locations. Transit information is now live in dozens of cities and countries around the world, with a full list available on Apple’s iOS 11 Feature Availability website.

Tags: Apple Maps, transit
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Gmail App for iOS Updated With Support for iPhone X

Google today released a new version of its Gmail app for iOS devices, and while not listed as a new feature, the update introduces support for the iPhone X, Apple’s newest flagship device.

The new version of the Gmail app allows it to take full advantage of the larger bezel-free display of the iPhone X, doing away with the large black bars that were previously present at the top and bottom of the app.

Google’s Gmail app on an iPhone X before and after today’s update.
With the new view, you can see an additional email when viewing your main inbox, and there is more room for reading and composing email messages. It also looks much nicer in general without the ugly black bars.

Today’s update also introduces support for adding non-Google email accounts to the Gmail app via IMAP.

Google has been slowly updating its iOS apps with iPhone X support and has thus far updated Gmail, Google Maps, and its productivity apps like Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides.

Gmail for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Google, Gmail
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