Items tagged with fast charging
Security researchers from China have outlined a new attack dubbed BadPower that can alter the firmware of fast chargers to cause damage to power systems of connected devices. Using the technique, the researchers say they can melt components or potentially set devices on fire. BadPower was detailed last week in a report published by Xuanwu Lab, which is a research unit of Chinese tech giant Tencent. BadPower works by corrupting the firmware of fast chargers, which are a newer type charger developed in the last few years that enables battery of smartphones and laptops to be topped off in rapid fashion. One key difference between regular chargers and a fast charger is the firmware inside the...
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One thing you do not expect when updating the software on your smartphone is to lose critical abilities, but it appears that is exactly what is happening for some first generation Pixel XL owners. Over at Google's Issue Tracker site, Pixel XL owners report a bug in the final version of Android 9 Pie that is preventing them from fast charging their device. "I have 4 chargers. 1 is unofficial. 2 is official. 1 was the packaged 6p charger and the other bought from Google Store. None of these work. I either get 'Charging' or 'Charging Slowly'. This never happened before [Android 9] Pie. I also have a battery backup that no longer fast charges my phone. The only charger that works is the charger that...
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Information is starting to spill out about Samsung's next generation of flagship handsets, which will presumably be called the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Those supposedly in the know say the new phones won't be a drastic departure from the Galaxy S6 line, though there will be some notable feature upgrades, such as a pressure sensitive display.Adding a pressure sensitive display would take away one of the advantages Apple's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have over the Galaxy line. It's not clear how Samsung intends to take advantage of the feature, though on the latest iPhone handsets, the different levels of touch -- called 3D Touch -- allow for new levels of interaction depending on the amount...
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Today's mobile electronic gadgets run on batteries of one kind or another, and when they run out, you either have to swap the battery for a fresh one (if that's an option) or find an outlet to start the tedious process of recharging. Luckily, quick charging is a thing, and Chinese phone maker Huawei just took things to a whole new level. Huawei recently demonstrated a prototype smartphone battery that's capable of going from a fully drained state to nearly half-capacity with a mere five minutes of charging. In the demo, Huawei plugs the drained battery into a charger, which itself is connected to a power strip. After five minutes of charging, Huawei removes the battery and installs it back into...
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The obvious advantage of wireless charging is that it's super convenient not having to plug a cable into your phone or mobile device. Cables have a way of sneaking under the couch and other hard to reach places, plus they can go bad. On the flip side, wireless charging is pretty slow, or at least it used to be. The Wireless Power Consortium just announced the latest version of the Qi specification that now supports 15 watts of power for fast charging. This is a great benefit to owners of devices that are able to charge up quickly. Several mobile device makers already offer wired fast charging, which can juice up a device by as much as 60 percent in just 30 minutes. By advancing the Qi specification...
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