phone

Analysts estimate Apple has made more than $6 billion by no longer including chargers or earphones with new iPhones. It's a healthy bonus for what was sold as an environmentally-driven move. Apple said its change in policy from 2020 was because many ... phone owners, particularly those who regularly get a new model, already had compatible chargers. Meanwhile many either already had plug-in earphones, preferred a wireless model, or didn't need earphones at all. According to the Daily Mail, the environmental impact of reduced production was estimated by Apple as two million tons of carbon dioxide a ... (view more)

A new charging technology could completely fill a phone battery in under 10 minutes. Or at least that's what its developers say. Chinese company Oppo claims that not only can it achieve the super-speed charge, but it does so without damaging the ... battery or shortening its lifespan. The company demonstrated the technology at Mobile World Congress, an annual showcase for the cellphone industry in Barcelona. While not a household name, Oppo is actually the world's fourth biggest company when it comes to sales, behind only Samsung, Apple and Huawei. The basics of what it calls SuperVooc charging ... (view more)

New technology could significantly reduce power that phone and other gadget screens consumer. It could also reduce the risk of screens being damaged by images "burning in." The technology is for OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens which are ... now common in smartphones and other displays. In simple terms, the pixels in an OLED screen light themselves, whereas regular LED screens need a backlight behind the display. The main advantages are less power use and a thinner screen. The biggest drawback is a likely shorter lifespan, though that doesn't necessarily play a factor in devices such ... (view more)

WhatsApp is adding a series of privacy and security features. However, several will be switched off by default so users should consider activating them. The messaging app, now owned by Facebook, has become popular thanks to two key features. It's ... designed to handle groups well so that users can send a message to a specific group of friends or colleagues in a more intuitive manner than Facebook's own messaging tools. It also uses end-to-end encryption, meaning not only that intercepting a message is of little use, but that Facebook cannot access messages even if it wanted to or was ordered to ... (view more)

Samsung has got approval for a patent on a phone with a double-folding mechanism. It would effectively be a tablet computer that fits in the pocket. The company already has a range of foldable phones with a single hinge, meaning a double-width ... screen. The new patent is for a double-hinge with one folding forward and one folding backward, a little like a "zed bed" mechanism. (Source: techradar.com ) The patent shows that the screens would be arranged so that an "ordinary" size screen was usable when the phone was fully folded. When the phone was unfolded, the entire display would be accessible ... (view more)

Phone and tablet makers could be forced to update devices for at least seven years. The proposed law would only affect Europe but, if passed, could change policies around the world. At the moment, how long phones get security and feature updates is ... largely up to manufacturers. In many cases it can be as little as three years. Critics say that brings several problems, including unfairly pressuring owners to buy new devices even when their existing one works well. That also creates environmental problems with users struggling to find responsible ways to recycle old devices. Spare Parts Must Be ... (view more)

Nearly 30 Android and Roku apps hijacked phones to defraud advertisers. Although users never saw the ads, they may have noticed increased data use and slowed performance. The scammers used the apps distributed in the official Google Play store to ... build up a network of almost a million compromised Android devices. The "PARETO" botnet then used the phones to issue bogus requests to advertisers while making the devices appear to be Smart TV sets. That was particularly appealing to advertisers because of the belief viewers are more likely to pay attention to an ad on a TV screen than on a phone. ... (view more)

Samsung has claimed its Galaxy S7 handset is not a cellphone. The attempt to take advantage of tax rules failed as a court ruled it most definitely is a phone. The case in South Africa involves the way the country applies import duties to different ... products. The Galaxy S7 was originally in a category simply called "other" in a subcategory of computers. The South African Revenue Service reclassified it last year in the "multi-functional device" category which is where smartphones normally fall. Phone Calls a Secondary Function The reclassification meant Samsung would have to pay more in import ... (view more)

Apple is to let iPhone owners unlock their phone using Face ID even while wearing a face mask. But the setting is only available to people who also use an Apple watch. Facial recognition is now the primary way to unlock an iPhone rather than use a ... fingerprint or typing in a code. That's proven problematic in a time when people are increasingly wearing face masks in public places as a measure to reduce the risk of transmitting diseases. Unlocked Watch Allows Masked Match It was technically possible for Apple's system, Face ID, to "recognize a face" using a combination of the exposed top half ... (view more)

Samsung wants to turn old phones into home gadgets. Its evolving its Galaxy Upcycling program to make it easier to convert handsets. The program launched in 2017 as a largely internal project where Samsung staff tried to find ways to use old phones ... for new purposes. This often involved taking advantage of the various sensors in a phone even if its specifications were now too low to run the latest operating systems and apps. Baby Monitor Among New Use Ideas At that point the project appeared to be more about creativity than solving significant problems. For example, one design used a motion ... (view more)