There were supposed to be two, but it seems there can only be one, at least for now. HTC has backed out of making Google’s daydream of a standalone Daydream VR headset but Lenovo has not. In fact, that device has just made its way to the FCC, making it more than just a plan. Being an FCC entry, there … Continue reading
Right now one could argue that wireless charging isn’t really wireless, because while you might not need to plug your phone in, the fact that it needs to be placed physically on top of a wireless charging mat kind of negates the whole wireless point. However the good news is that we are getting closer to “true” wireless charging.
The FCC has recently approved the first power-at-a-distance wireless charging system by Energous. For those unfamiliar, basically this is a wireless charging system that uses radio frequencies to charge your devices at a distance of up to 3 feet. However this would require devices to be outfitted with a corresponding receiver to receive the converted radio frequencies, which means that those existing wireless chargers can’t just hop on board the bandwagon.
The best part is that Energous’ technology is manufacturer-agnostic. This means that a phone made by one manufacturer should have no issues using the tech if it was made by a different company, kind of like how Qualcomm’s chipsets can be used by different Android handset makers.
Unfortunately Energous does not appear to have any retail-ready devices at the moment, but the company does plan on showing off new technology at CES 2018 which takes place in the next couple of weeks, so perhaps we’ll learn more then.
FCC Approves First Power-At-A-Distance Wireless Charging System , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Ever since Hideo Kojima officially announced Death Stranding, which is his next and first game under his new company Kojima Productions, many have been wondering about it, and more importantly when it will be released and playable, although last we heard it would be before 2019.
The good news is that it looks like things are well on track because according to the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation (via Gematsu), Kojima confirmed that development on the game was progressing rather quickly and he also teased that they would have a Death Stranding-related announcement in 2018 that will apparently surprise everyone.
Speaking to the magazine as part of its “Creator Interviews” feature, Kojima was quoted as saying, “Development on Death Stranding is going well enough that SIE told us, ‘We have never before seen a game being created at such a fast pace.’ We are planning an announcement that will further surprise everyone in 2018.”
Exactly when this announcement will be taking place remains to be seen, but given that E3 2018 will be the next major event aimed at gaming, there’s a good chance that the announcement could be made then, or maybe even earlier, but either way it will be something to look forward to especially if the trailers have simply left you with more questions than answers.
Hideo Kojima Teases Surprise Death Stranding Announcement For 2018 , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
According to studies, it has been suggested that playing video games isn’t as bad as what some who lead you to believe. Some studies are claiming that there actually certain health benefits to playing video games, but as with all things in life, moderation is key because according to the World Health Organization (WHO), excessive video game playing could be considered a mental health problem.
The WHO is poised to classify what they are calling “gaming disorder” as a mental health problem, where according to the organization’s draft, it can be diagnosed if it “is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning,”
Basically if you do enjoy video games every now and then, this classification probably does not concern you. However if you find yourself losing control when you play games where there is an “increasing priority give to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities,” then perhaps you might have a problem.
We have heard some pretty tragic stories in the past where some gamers get so addicted to video games where they end up neglecting their health to the point where they collapse and die, or where they end up neglecting the health and welfare of others, leading to their death.
WHO To Classify ‘Gaming Disorder’ As A Mental Health Problem , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Ever since Apple pretty much admitted that they purposely slowed down older iPhones with aging batteries, we expected that the company would be hit with lawsuits, and sure enough Apple’s customers did not disappoint as within a couple of days, one, two, and three class-action lawsuits have since been filed against the company.
However it turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg because according to Reuters, eight lawsuits have since been filed against Apple over the issue. Most of the lawsuits are taking place in the US, but there are also lawsuits that have been filed in other countries such as Israel. Apple has yet to respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuits, but we imagine that the company has its hands full.
For those who are learning about this for the first time, basically Apple admitted that they do slow down older iPhones with aging batteries, which more or less confirms a conspiracy theory that has been floating about for a while now. However Apple’s reasoning is that this was done to prevent iPhones from randomly shutting down due to the difference in power drawn by the processor against the battery of the phone, which like all batteries do degrade over time and with use.
However many customers weren’t too thrilled by how Apple went about it. While Apple did run a limited battery replacement program, one lawsuit alleges that Apple kept mum about the slowing down feature in an iOS update because they didn’t want to replace the batteries on all iPhones, which would no doubt be a costly exercise, although we can’t imagine that these lawsuits, if successful, would have been any cheaper.
Eight Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against Apple Over Slowed Down iPhones , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
We know that many were surprised when Amazon first launched the Echo speaker with its digital assistant Alexa built into it. However it turned out to be a huge hit, leading to other tech companies such as Google, Apple, and Samsung to follow suit with similar devices, some that have yet to be launched.
Now Amazon has since expanded its Echo lineup to cover a bunch of different speaker types and sizes, but it seems that the Echo Dot is its most popular device. According to Amazon’s press release, they are boasting that the Echo Dot is the best-selling product on Amazon this holiday season, not just amongst Amazon-branded devices, but across all products available on Amazon’s platform.
According to the company, “This holiday season was better than ever for the family of Echo products. The Echo Dot was the #1 selling Amazon Device this holiday season, and the best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon, with millions sold.” Amazon had also previously boasted that more than 4 million people had signed up for Prime in a combination of both trial and paid memberships.
That being said, the success of the Echo Dot isn’t that surprising given that it is one of the cheaper models across the Echo lineup, and is an affordable way for customers who don’t necessarily need a speaker but want a hands-free digital assistant that can help them control their smart home appliances.
Echo Dot Was The Best-Selling Product On Amazon This Holiday Season , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Right now the rumors are claiming that Samsung has a foldable phone that could debut in 2018. However it seems that Samsung might not be the only one as there are rumors that Microsoft could also be working on something similar, and thanks to a recently discovered patent by Windows Latest, it seems to lend credence to the rumors.
As you can see in the diagram above, the patent describes a phone with a foldable display that opens and closes like a book. While such foldable devices aren’t exactly new, what makes Microsoft’s attempt different is that in their iteration, it describes how the hinge will lie flat as opposed to protruding like a bump.
According to Microsoft’s description, “With a dual-display device, the mobile phone or tablet can include an open, expanded position where both displays are flush so that the user feels like there is a single integrated display. In a closed, condensed position, both displays are face-to-face so as to protect the displays. In a fully-open position, the dual displays can sit back-to-back so the user needs to flip the device to view the opposing display,”
Note that this is not the first time we’ve seen such a patent. Earlier this year another patent by Microsoft was discovered, plus towards the end of 2016, a report claimed that Microsoft had teamed up with LG, Apple, and Google for foldable displays. Whether or not this results in a phone that resembles the diagram above remains to be seen, but if anything it does show that Microsoft is interested in the idea.
Microsoft Patent Hints At Plans For Possible Foldable Smartphone , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Can you remember what you were doing when you were 6 years old? Chances are you were probably still playing with your toys, going to school, and hanging out with your friends, and that’s what 6-year old Ben Hampton does as well, with one massive exception which is that for a 6-year old, Hampton commands a whopping 670,000 Instagram followers.
So how does a 6-year old manage to rack up that many followers on Instagram, more followers than you and I probably have combined, and then some. Turns out it is thanks to his dad, Branden Hampton who so happens to be pretty savvy when it comes to social media. According to the older Hampton, it started when his wife and Ben’s mother decided to dress their kid up more fashionably.
“When Ben was born, my wife decided to go all out on clothes. She loves playing dress up and she just decided, ‘I’m not just going to throw OshKosh B’gosh overalls and SpongeBob T-shirts on this kid. I’m going to dress him all out.’” Together with his spiffy outfit and Branden’s social media savvy with captions designed to go viral, it seemed to have worked.
The 6-year old has also managed to get together with YouTuber Jake Paul in a collaboration, thanks to his dad’s connections, which also resulted in a spike in followers. It is pretty crazy when you think about it, but given today’s social media-centric world, not entirely impossible. In fact just recently it was revealed that a 6-year old YouTuber was pulling in as much as $11 million from just reviewing toys.
6-Year Old Instagram ‘Influencer’ Has 670,000 Followers , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rise in value, a number of websites have been caught hijacking visitors’ browsers and using their devices to mine digital currency without permission. This is a problem for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that this causes the user’s computer to slow down and grow very hot. Opera is offering a … Continue reading
Google’s latest foray into the world of smart home speakers hasn’t been exactly smooth sailing compared to the first gen Google Home. The Google Home Mini had a manufacturing defect that ruined the touch controls for everyone. And now the Google Home Max, which only just started shipping in time for the holidays, has its own issue as well. Fortunately, … Continue reading
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