Posts Tagged: power
Upgraded Raspberry Pi 3 delivers more power and faster networking
Despite selling over 14 million of its low-cost DIY computing boards, the Raspberry Pi Foundation adheres to a slow release cycle. The company typically waits over a year to refresh its range, and even then improvements can be very subtle. That's exa…
Engadget RSS Feed
AmazonBasics power banks recalled over fire hazard concerns
Engadget RSS Feed
Tesla will create ‘virtual power plant’ with 50,000 Australian homes
Tesla isn't done bolstering Australia's power grid just because its giant battery farm is up and running. South Australia premier Jay Weatherill has unveiled a partnership that will provide 5kW solar panels and Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries to "at lea…
Engadget RSS Feed
Bringing the power of YouTube to more countries with YouTube Go
Last year, we launched YouTube Go in India, a brand new app built from the ground up to unlock the power of YouTube for the next generation of users. Since then, we’ve also launched YouTube Go in 14 additional countries, including Indonesia, Nigeria and Thailand, and we’ve seen firsthand the impact that bringing more people into the world of video can have.
For instance, Mapan — a startup in Indonesia that uses technology to train and empower low-income communities and families in rural Indonesia — is using YouTube Go as part of their regular arisans or community meet-ups to equip entrepreneurial women with financial skills and resources. Each arisans’ chairwoman downloads a playlist of videos related to starting and running a small business; they then share these videos with each other using YouTube Go’s nearby sharing function. A teacher who runs a primary school for low-income children in Lagos, Nigeria, says that using YouTube Go has “allowed me to download and watch more videos that help with everything from mathematics lesson plans to how to decorate the classroom.”
We’re excited to expand YouTube Go to over 130 countries around the globe starting today. YouTube Go gives access to YouTube regardless of connectivity status and more control over data usage, while being locally and socially relevant. Key features of YouTube Go include:
- Videos that matter to you: The YouTube Go home screen features trending and popular videos in your area, so that you can find and discover videos that you and your community care about. The entire experience is available in your language, with videos that are relevant to you.
- Control over your experience: On YouTube Go, we’ll show you a video preview when you tap on a thumbnail, giving you a better sense of what the video is about before you decide if you want to watch it. You can then choose to download the video for viewing later or stream it now. And we also allow you to choose the amount of data you’d like to spend on that video.
- Share videos with friends nearby: With YouTube Go, you can share videos with friends and family nearby without using any data.
From our previous launches, we’ve learned that you love those new features, so we made a few design changes to make them even more prominent in the app:
- Watch in high quality: In response to user feedback, we’ve given you even more control of your experience and added the ability to download, stream, and share videos in High Quality in addition to basic and standard quality resolutions.
- Discover fresh content you love: We heard that you wanted an even easier way to get the freshest videos recommended to you. Now, you can get new personalized content with a simple pull of the home screen. We also notify you when new videos are uploaded from the channels you love.
- Share more easily: We know you love sharing videos, so we made design changes to make it even easier to access the share nearby feature right from the home page. We also added a highly requested feature: allowing multiple videos to be shared at once.
We’ve been working hard to build a YouTube app that works for you, with brand new features designed with your preferences, aspirations and needs in mind. We can’t wait to see what you can do with the power of YouTube in the palm of your hand.
Jay Akkad, Product Manager, YouTube, recently downloaded and watched “Diving into 1000 Mousetraps in 4K Slow Motion – The Slow Mo Guys.”
Faster, lower power, and auto friendly improvements for memory in latest UFS spec
The group responsible for setting standards for a variety of tech, JEDEC, released a new standard for mobile storage that uses UFS, moving the specifications from v2.1 to V3.0. The new specs raise the bar for speed and power consumption for memory cards and lay the groundwork for better adoption by the automotive industry. Standards […]
Come comment on this article: Faster, lower power, and auto friendly improvements for memory in latest UFS spec
BESTEK 3-outlet vertical cube power strip with USB-C review
BESTEK makes several different kinds of surge protectors and power strip accessories, which is great if you’re looking for something a little less traditional than can either fit somewhere strange, or just look cooler than a boring old plastic strip. This time we’re reviewing the vertical cubed power strip, which aims to be a compact […]
Come comment on this article: BESTEK 3-outlet vertical cube power strip with USB-C review
First-ever ‘negative emissions’ power plant goes online
Unfortunately, it's no longer enough to cut CO2 emissions to avoid further global temperature increases. We need to remove some of the CO2 that's already there. Thankfully, that reversal is one step closer to becoming reality. Climeworks and Reykj…
Engadget RSS Feed
[TA Deals] Pick up the Premium PC Power Bundle for $29! (95% off)
You paid good money for your computer. So get good use out of it. With this bundle on Talk Android Deals, you can unlock access to services that improve your computer’s performance in all aspects. The Premium PC Power bundle includes individual services that can optimize your wireless connection, protect your personal information, keep things […]
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Pick up the Premium PC Power Bundle for $ 29! (95% off)
Weekly Rewind: Emoji freeze iPhones, Tesla taps solar power, Samsung scandals soar
In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week.
The post Weekly Rewind: Emoji freeze iPhones, Tesla taps solar power, Samsung scandals soar appeared first on Digital Trends.
These $89 AirPods competitors are a bet on the power of branding
How do you offer an inexpensive alternative to Apple’s AirPods when all you have is a me-too off-the-rack wireless earbud? Make it all about the brand, said Jack Kim.
The post These $ 89 AirPods competitors are a bet on the power of branding appeared first on Digital Trends.
Facebook gives select Pages the power to tag their products
Someday, you might see products tagged in Facebook images and videos the same way people are today. Facebook has begun testing an experimental feature that allows businesses running Pages to tag their products, according to Business Insider. The publ…
Engadget RSS Feed
Apple chooses Battersea Power Station for new London HQ
Engadget RSS Feed
CarbFix turns a power plant’s CO2 emissions into rock
Apparently, pumping carbon dioxide into volcanic basalts is a pretty effective carbon capture technique. Back in 2012, scientists began an experiment in Iceland called the CarbFix Project. Since then, they've been injecting tons of carbon dioxide was…
Engadget RSS Feed
This rugged speaker packs 30 watts of power to rock out in any weather
Take a look at the Turcom AcoustoShock, a ruggedized wireless speaker with great sound that also has a great price point. For just over $ 100, this speaker is a great choice for your outdoor excursions.
The post This rugged speaker packs 30 watts of power to rock out in any weather appeared first on Digital Trends.
Experience the awesome power of a rocket launch with this close-up 360 video
Ordinarily you wouldn’t want to get too close to a rocket launch, as it’d likely result in your demise. A new 360-degree video, however, offers the next best experience, allowing you to stand on a launch pad as a 22-story rocket blasts off.
The post Experience the awesome power of a rocket launch with this close-up 360 video appeared first on Digital Trends.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 will power the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4
Qualcomm just recently made a statement about renaming their 618 and 620 chips to now be called 650 and 652. They said they did this because the chips were much better than the others in the same line and needed greater number names to show that.
At the time of that announcement there were no phones with the new chips inside them. However, we have reason to believe that the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4 will be the first device to feature the new chips. GFXBench testing has revealed the device will have a 5.5-inch 1080 display, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 16MP camera, Adreno 510 GPU, and a Snapdragon 652 octa-core 1.8GHz CPU.
The benchmarks also show that the OneTouch Idol 4 will produce a 5.5 fps frame rate on the Car Chase offline test. This beats many other phones like the HTC One M9, Yu Yutopia, Sony Xperia Z3+, and others. They scored 5.1 fps or lower.
Source: GFXBench
Via: PhoneArena
Come comment on this article: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 will power the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4
PREMISS is a tiny no-charge temperature sensor that pulls its power from the air
PREMISS is a the world’s smallest temperature sensor, and it never needs to plug into a power source because it pulls energy from radio waves. This could revolutionize battery life and other use issues in a wide range of consumer gadgets.
The post PREMISS is a tiny no-charge temperature sensor that pulls its power from the air appeared first on Digital Trends.
The After Math: With great power
Well, this week as been rather terrible. With all the death and mayhem both at home and abroad, it's enough to make anyone feel rather helpless. It's times like these that we have to force ourselves to remember there is still a great deal of good lef…
Engadget RSS Feed
Russia plans to build its largest data center on top of a nuclear power plant
While most of the world still balks at the notion of using nuclear energy to power large-scale enterprises, Russia recently announced plans to build what could be its largest data center right on top of the Kalinin nuclear power plant.
The post Russia plans to build its largest data center on top of a nuclear power plant appeared first on Digital Trends.
Vinsic 20,000mAh ultra-slim power bank review
The Vinsic 20,000mAh ultra-slim power bank is great for charging devices on the go. The high capacity will charge devices for days at a time before dying off. And its metallic profile is portable, weighing 537 grams for easy transporting. It features an ultra-slim body and is made of a hard aluminum alloy material that feels tough and sturdy in the hand. Users can charge their Android, iOS, Windows devices or just about any other USB-powered item.
Specs
- Capacity: 20000mAh
- USB Port: 2 x USB
- Input: 5V, 2A
- Output1: 5V 2.1A
- Output2: 5V 1A
- Input: 1x 10W (5V, 2A) Micro-USB input
- Dimensions: 6.81 inches, 4.8 inches, 0.51 inches
Design
The Vinsic power bank’s design really stands out. During my time with it, I found the design made me want to use it more frequently. Its super slim body and lightweight is very noticeable when put alongside competitors. The device is made out of strong aluminum alloy and features a smooth coating on the outside that wraps around the edges of the device. The rounded sides make it very attractable but also a bit slippery. From minor use the device has stood up very well to shuffling across tables and carrying in my backpack. No scratches, bumps or chips are visible.
You can count on this power bank withstanding any daily activities you might undergo; however, be aware that when kept in hot environments the device tends to heat up when in use. It may become hot to the touch in certain areas across the surface especially when dual charging in high temperature environments. But as far as durability goes, nothing seems to get in its way.
This power bank comes in four colors: Silver, Gold, Red and Grey.
Functionality
For the most part, the Vinsic power bank rises to the occasion. However, there are a few hiccups here and there. It features a large 20,000mAh battery capacity which is one of the largest available to date. With large capacity comes long charging time. Charging the device from 0% to full can be a bit time consuming. I found that it takes nearly twenty-four hours to fully charge the device, so I recommend putting it on before going to sleep.
All of the device’s ports lie on the top edge of the device. If you turn it over, you won’t find any ports on the underside of the device nor on the sides. The device charges via a 10W (5V, 2A) Micro-USB input. Inside the box, you get a rather short charging cable with USB 2.0 to charge via your PC. No wall adapter has been included.
One of the best things about the Vinsic power bank is that it contains two USB ports for charging rather than one. Output 1 charges at 5V and 2.1A and Output 2 supports 5V and 1A. This means you can charge two devices at the same time. Alongside the ports, Vinsic has included a touch screen panel than can be activated via a swipe of a finger to the left or right. A blue LED indicator will light up letting you know exactly how much battery you have remaining. When the capacity runs out, the LED will no longer light up. Unfortunately, the display goes off even when charging so you don’t have any indicator as to when your device has completed charging other than powering on the device. What I like is that the display shows an exact percentage to what battery capacity remains, rather than showing just bars. As one may guess, the percentage dips a lot faster when charging two devices simultaneously.
Following testing one could say that the Vinsic power bank closely resembles its listed capacity. It seems to hold up better than the majority of portable chargers (which don’t work as advertised). But I did notice that when the battery percentage gets closer to zero, it drains a bit faster. It also tends to draw extra power following the completion of 100%. For example, one might see the percentage drop a few extra points when leaving device(s) charging overnight. On the other hand, when leaving the power bank on standby, it rarely drops battery, which is always good. During testing, I was able to get about 5.5 full cycles for my LG G3 over the course of a few days.
Closing
After spending a few weeks with the Vinsic power bank, it exceeded the majority of my expectations. Even though one can experience a few hiccups here and there, it’s better than any other power bank I have used in the past. The large capacity is perfect for filling up your battery between classes, at work, or on the go. Its elegant design and lightweight make it great to bring just about anywhere and the durability can easily withstand life’s activities. For $ 49 on Amazon, it’s worth the extra penny and will make a great gift for power users time come the holiday season.
Come comment on this article: Vinsic 20,000mAh ultra-slim power bank review
Edward Snowden op-ed celebrates ‘power of an informed public’
Engadget RSS Feed
Font power: New panda-inspired font aims to raise awareness about endangered animal
As fonts go, this could be one of the cutest yet. Designed by creative agency Ogilvy & Mather in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, the typeface is aimed at raising awareness about the plight of the panda, of which only 1800 remain in the wild.
The post Font power: New panda-inspired font aims to raise awareness about endangered animal appeared first on Digital Trends.