Tag - Battery
MacNN Deals: Keep your devices charged up with these offers
Every day, we are showcasing some of the offers available from our MacNN Deals store. Today's selections are all things to help charge your devices, including a charger that works with international outlets, another that turns an Apple USB wall plug into a portable battery, a battery pack that can survive a wet weekend away, and one that can jumpstart your car.
Uber customers more likely to accept surge pricing on a low battery
Uber users are more likely to agree to pay surge pricing for the ride-hailing service, if they are low on battery, according to company research. In a discussion about the "dynamic pricing" of its services, the company's head of economic research, Keith Chen, revealed that a user with a smartphone that has an almost empty battery is prepared to pay more for the ride than someone with more battery life available to them.
Review: Scosche GoBat 12000 rugged portable powerbank
We've covered a few outdoor lifestyle devices before, including speakers, phone cases, and more. We're back with another one, but this time we think this is a product that offers a bit more utility than those we've checked out before. Join us as we examine Scosche's GoBat 12000, a 12,000mAh portable powerbank designed to charge your phones, tablets, and MP3 players wherever you go.
Toyota scientists announce breakthrough in magnesium battery tech
Scientists at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) have announced a new developments involving magnesium batteries. Improvements in the technology may open the door for smaller, longer-lasting batteries for everything from cars to cell phones. However, Toyota believes that it could take 20 years of research and development by the company alone before magnesium batteries reach the consumer market.
Pointers: the ultimate iOS 9 battery-life tips
The iPhone is less than 10 years old, and yet in that time we've gone from not knowing why we would need one to nearly everyone in the developed world (and much of the rest of the planet) having one -- well, an iPhone or a cheaper knock-off of one. That's right, we said it: just as all mankind in all its color and diversity likely stemmed from a single African ancestor, so to do all modern smartphones stem from the iPhone. Now we're in a position where we can't live without them, and rarely even look up from them. This has led to a new problem: our reliance means we constantly struggle to make them last up to 18 hours a day.
Crowdfunding Critic: Lycan Powerbox solar-capable battery
I suppose it's fitting that I was asked to write the Crowdfunding Critic today, seeing as I'm currently heading into my senior year of a conservation and sustainability degree -- and this product is designed to be, well, geared toward conservation and sustainability. This week, our crowdfunding column takes a look at a new project on IndieGoGo for a heavy-but-totable portable generator -- a solar-capable battery that promises to give you both mobility and security. Today, I dissect the ideas behind the Lycan Powerbox.
Hands On: Prong PWR Case for iPhone 6 and 6s
We gave the Prong PWR case for the iPhone 5 a review last June, but the company has revised the product to address some of the concerns raised in that review and updated it for the iPhone 6/6s, so we thought we'd take a look at it again. The Prong PWR Case ($100) is a battery case for the iPhone that provides you with a little over an entire extra charge cycle, ensuring that your iPhone will last all day, almost regardless of what you're doing with it. It has a pleasingly grippy casing and the usual feature set, but has a few distinct differences from your typical iPhone battery case.
Rumor Roundup: 'iPhone 7' battery, new MacBooks coming, Apple Car?
Rumors, while they are often at least somewhat inaccurate, very spoiler-y, and occasionally just not true at all (still no Apple Watch 2 ...), are born of a boundless optimism for the future and the thrill of mystery -- qualities that you just can't hate. This week, Rumor Roundup tries not to rain on the parade of the latest claims, reports, and speculation regarding a leaked part for next fall's iPhone 7, the possibility of refreshes in the MacBook family lineup, and at least one analyst who -- after finally giving up his dream of an Apple HDTV -- has now reshaped that dream to look like a car.
New iPhone SE boasts best battery life in smartphone test
In new tests, the forthcoming four-inch iPhone SE has emerged as the smartphone of choice among premium models -- if users prize battery life above display quality. The new, smaller iPhone handily beat (by two hours) the iPhone 6s, or for that matter the iPhone 5s it replaces, and beat Samsung's Galaxy S7 by three hours. The 10-hour battery life comes at a cost, however: the new iPhone's display is slightly lower resolution that the bigger models, with lower quality color and contrast, plus it lacks the 3D Touch feature found on the larger iPhone 6s line.
Hands On: Knomo Bond Charging Leather Power Purse
You have to wonder whether smartphones were designed by men: there's just so much about them that is handy when they're in a typical shirt pocket and not when you have to carry them in a bag. Yet if you are always going carry your phone in some kind of case, at least let that bag do more for you. Knomo's Bond Charging Leather Power Purse holds your iPhone with plenty of room to spare but also plenty of power: it comes with a battery.
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Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE
