There is a huge variance,
then, between normal USB ports rated at 500mA and dedicated charging
ports which range all the way up to 3,000mA. This leads to a rather
important question: If you take a smartphone which came with a 900mA
wall charger, and plug it into a 2,100mA iPad charger, as an example,
will it blow up? In short, no: You can plug any USB device into
any USB cable and into any USB port, and nothing will blow up — and in
fact, using a more powerful charger should speed up battery charging. The longer answer is that the age
of your device plays an important role, dictating both how fast it can
be charged, and whether it can be charged using a wall charger at all.
Way back in 2007, the USB Implementers Forum released the Battery
Charging Specification, which standardized faster ways of charging USB
devices, either by pumping more amps through your PC’s USB ports, or by
using a wall charger. Shortly thereafter, USB devices that implemented
this spec started to arrive. If you have a modern USB device —
really, almost any smartphone, tablet, or camera — you should be able to
plug into a high-amperage USB port and enjoy faster charging. If you
have an older device, however, it probably won’t work with USB ports
that employ the Battery Charging Specification. It might only work with
old school, original (500mA) USB 1.0 and 2.0 PC ports. In some (much
older) cases, USB devices can only be charged by computers with specific
drivers installed. There are a few other things to be aware of.
While PCs can have two kinds of USB port — standard downstream or
charging downstream — OEMs haven’t always labeled them as such. As a
result, you might have a device that charges from one port on your
laptop, but not from the other. This is a trait of older computers, as
there doesn’t seem to be a reason why standard downstream ports would be
used, when high-amperage charging ports are available. Numerous vendors
now put a small lightning icon above the proper charging port on
laptops, and in some cases, those ports can even stay on when the lid is
closed. In a similar vein, some external devices — hard drives
and optical drives, most notably — require more power than a USB port
can provide, which is why they include a two-USB-port Y-cable, or an
external AC power adapter. Otherwise, USB has certainly made charging
our gadgets and peripherals much easier than it ever has been. And if
the new USB-C connector catches on — and it looks like it will — things
will get even simpler, because you’ll never again have to curse after
plugging it in the wrong way.
If the adaptor is at fault, you're probably better off buying a replacement: unless you really know what you're doing, we do not advise
you to open up and repair the Apple Power Adapter. It is largely impossible to repair the Apple USB Power Adapter
without breaking the insides, because of the amount of glue in the
(extremely compact) interior. But if you want more information on how to
fix Apple Adapters you can take a look at iFixIt.com's selection of Apple Adapter guides.
Broken iPhone charger fixes and tips: How to repair a broken cable
Unfortunately Apple's Lightning cables, and before them the older
30-pin connectors, do tend to fray and weaken at the point where the
port meets the cable. It seems that the cable just gets twisted here,
and over time the plastic coating wears out. In our case we twisted
gaffer tape around the top to reinforce it. If it's starting to weaken and wear away then a similar pre-emptive
measure may help to ensure that it lasts a bit longer before giving way.
But if you've got to the point where the cable stops working, more
drastic measures may be required.
It is possible to repair the wiring of a Lightning to USB cable if
you're a dab hand with a soldering iron. It's not a
particularly easy process, however, and we'd be tempted to just pay the
£15 to replace the Lightning to USB cable (you can spend an extra £10 and get the 2-metre version instead of 1-metre).
Broken iPhone charger fixes and tips: How to check if your Apple charger is working
There are two parts to an iPhone, iPad and iPod charger. There is the
Apple Power Adapter (the plug bit) and the Lightning to USB cable (or
30-pin cable if you've got one of the older iOS devices with the larger,
Dock-style cable). The adapter plugs into the wall, and the Lightning
cable plugs into the adaptor at one end and the iPad, iPhone or iPod at
the other. If everything is plugged in and nothing happens - ie, if the device
doesn't start charging - here are a few things to test first.
Essentially you're going to try swapping out each part of the system,
one at a time, to see which one is at fault.
Is the wall socket faulty? Keep everything else the same but try using a different wall plug.
Is the iPhone or iPad faulty? Try charging up another iOS device (or
other compatible USB device) with the same cable, adaptor and plug
socket.
Is the cable faulty? You could try using a different cable if you've
got one (but keeping the same iDevice, adaptor and plug socket). If
not, you could instead use the same cable to plug your iPhone or iPad
into your Mac (ie, remove the plug and adaptor from the equation
entirely). See if the Mac is able to see the device and sync with it -
if it can, the cable is working.
If you've not been able to confirm that the fault lies with the wall
socket, the iPhone or iPad, or the cable, then it's pretty much
guaranteed to be the power adaptor - but if you're lucky enough to have a
spare (or are able to borrow one from a friend) you can confirm this by
keeping the same wall socket, cable and iOS device but using a
different power adaptor.
Following these steps should enable you to establist which element is
at fault, and therefore which one needs to be fixed or replaced. In the next article we will discuss steps to take if the cable or the
power adaptor are broken.
In many ways, this year’s CES
technology show in Las Vegas is business as usual. Devices are getting
thinner, a new acronym is spawned every minute, and every company is
revolutionising something in their press releases. What are the products whose implications will last longer than the
in-show hype, though? Below, we’ve rounded up 25 of the new products and
technologies from CES 2015
that are worth talking about. Which, note, isn’t the same thing as
calling them the “best” products or the ones most likely to be
commercially successful. Take a read, then have your say in the comments section on some of the issues raised by these products.
Gogoro Smartscooter
Gogoro’s Smartscooter
is an electric scooter with a range of nearly 100 miles, but you don’t
recharge its battery: you swap it. The company will operate a series of
hubs where batteries can be reserved ahead of time, then swapped for the
one that’s running out. There’s no news on its launch date or likely
price, including the cost of the ongoing subscription for the batteries. Talking point: better or worse than the Tesla model of charging points?
Voxel8 3D printer
There are plenty of 3D printer companies showing off their new devices at CES, but the Voxel8
is the most intriguing of the lot. Its focus is on printing electronic
circuits rather than just plastic objects, using conductive ink that
dries quickly, and can be embedded in other objects. In the future, it
could be used from devices including hearing aids, wearable gadgets and
even quadcopter drones. Talking point: What does it mean for tech if we can print our own circuits?
Nvidia Tegra X1
Nvidia’s latest chip
isn’t a chip – at least not according to the company, which is pitching
it as a “superchip” thanks to its 256 processor cores and eight CPU
cores. Introduced at CES amid some grand claims – “more power than a
supercomputer the size of a suburban family home from 15 years ago” –
it’ll be making its way into products in due course – including cars,
via Nvidia’s Drive CX cockpit computer, which sports two of ‘em. Talking point: is “mobile computing” a separate category any more, processor-wise?
Sharp Aquos Beyond 4K Ultra HDTV
If you’ve been playing oneupmanship with friends on the quality of
your television, Sharp just unlocked a new level: 8K. Well, not strictly
8K – hence the “beyond 4K” in the title of its new TV,
which uses pixel-splitting technology to deliver an effective
resolution of 7,680 x 4,320. Or, as the company is pitching it: “virtual
8K”. It’ll also be one of the flagship models for Google’s new Android
TV platform. Talking point: that’s a nice 8K telly, but who’s making 8K shows and films?
SkySpecs Guardian drone
Remember that hovering drone in TGI Friday that spoilt Christmas for one diner by flying into her nose? It turns out some drone companies are thinking hard about getting drones to avoid humans. SkySpecs showed its Guardian drone
at the TechCrunch Hardware Battlefield contest during CES, with its
ability to sense humans walking towards its whirring blades, and take
evasive action. Talking point: how would this work in a crowded area: for example a restaurant?
The Razer OSVR Hacker Dev Kit.
Razer OSVR Hacker Dev Kit
Known for its PC and gaming accessories, Razer is also hoping to give
Facebook’s Oculus Rift virtual reality headset some competition. Its OSVR headset
isn’t a commercial product, as such: the $199 device is more a
development platform to help people experiment with VR apps and games,
with partners including Unity, Sixense and Leap Motion. Talking point: can this stop Oculus dominating developers’ thoughts for VR?
Siemens smart hearing aids
In terms of technology that actually has an impact on people’s daily
lives, drones and VR headsets come a long way behind hearing aids.
That’s why Siemens’ latest products
in that category deserve a wider airing: the “smart” part is their
promised ability to adapt to different conditions, as well as their
integration with iOS and Android apps for other features. Talking point: hearing aids – will people want apps for that?
Sony FDR-X100V action camera
GoPro doesn’t have the “action camera” market all to itself:
traditional tech firms like Sony are just as keen to be helping bikers,
skiiers and other explorers – drones included – record their feats. Its new $500 camera’s key selling point is its ability to record at 4K resolution, as well as the promise of wind-noise reduction. Talking point: can Sony dislodge GoPro as the helmet/drone-cam of choice?
HP Zvr 3D display
There are plenty of concept products floating around CES 2015, as in
previous years. HP’s Zvr display will be going on sale, though, with a
pair of glasses and a connected stylus that enable users to see and manipulate objects in 3D. Including, in the CES demo given to The Verge, a beating heart. For educational potential alone, this is well worth watching. Talking point: when will this tech be affordable enough to be more than a novelty?
Intel Curie
Intel wants to be big in wearables: 2014’s acquisition of fitness-tracker firm Basis Science and its $25m investment in smart eyewear maker Vuzix show that. Curie
is the latest sign of its ambitions: a button-sized device including
Intel’s system-on-a-chip for wearable devices. The idea is that
manufacturers will use Curie to give them a head start when making
wearables, including preserving battery life. Talking point: fitness-trackers, yes, but what else will Curie power?
The Volkswagen Golf R Touch Concept car.
Volkswagen Golf R Touch Concept
The fact that Minority Report gets wheeled out so often as a
comparison for whizzy gestural user interfaces suggests we need more
filmmakers to dream up future tech. Without Tom Cruise in sight, the
controls for Volkswagen’s new concept car’s
dashboard are interesting: tracking hand movements via a 3D camera to
trigger volume, lighting and other features without you actually
touching the dashboard. Talking point: is this more distracting than reaching out for a knob or button?
MakerBot’s new 3D printing materials
MakerBot didn’t launch any new 3D printers at CES, focusing instead
on announcing some new materials for its customers to print with. Its new filaments
use composites of limestone, iron and wood to provide a greater range
of looks and textures for items printed. Good for anyone making
prototypes of objects that don’t lend themselves to a plastic finish. Talking point: a bigger leap forward for 3D printing than any single new printer?
Snapdragon Cargo
Qualcomm is another big company that wants to take a pivotal role in new technologies: drones, in this case. Snapdragon Cargo
is a “flying and rolling robot with an integrated flight controller”, a
showcase for its Snapdragon processor in the same way that its
Snapdragon Rover and Micro Rover robots were. Talking point: how soon will Cargo’s tech be available in affordable consumer drones?
New Mophie Juice Packs
There’s nothing wildly new about Mophie’s new battery packs
for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones, but for many owners of
those devices, they’ll be a big deal: promising up to 120% extra juice
per charge for the 6 and 60% for the 6 Plus. While the latter handset in
particular has a beefier battery than previous iPhones, the balance
between battery life and performance means companies like Mophie have
become an important part of many people’s smartphone lives. Talking point: seriously though, when is the next big leap in battery tech?
HP Stream mini PC
HP thinks there’s legs in teeny-tiny PCs, judging by its two-inch Stream mini,
which will be accompanied by a more expensive Pavilion mini with a
similar shape and size. The company is promising quiet running thanks to
the devices using 45 watts of power, with an emphasis on cloud storage
(with just 32GB of local storage, you’ll likely be needing it). Talking point: would people rather have tiny PCs or decent-sized tablets?
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Samsung’s new SUHD TVs.
Samsung SUHD TVs
Another year, another acronym in the world of high-end televisions: Samsung’s SUHD sets
are even more super (presumably) than existing UHD (ultra
high-definition) sets that people have been buying since the last CES.
Cue boasts of “eco-friendly nano-crystal technology and intelligent SUHD
re-mastering picture quality engine” from Samsung, and cries of “oh,
they’re curvy” from punters. Talking point: how is the picture really better, in plain English?
Sony SmartEyeglass Attach!
Google Glass is far from a mainstream success, but there are a
smattering of other companies hoping to bring smart eyewear to the
masses. Or at least to a few more people who aren’t rich white men in
Silicon Valley. Sony actually has two products on the go, but its SmartEyeglass Attach! is the most interesting, since it clips on to normal glasses with its miniature screen. Talking point: how small does it need to get before it’s ready for the mainstream?
Panasonic UHD Blu-ray player
Another prototype with an unclear on-sale date, but Panasonic is the first company to break cover with a Blu-ray player capable of pumping out 4K-quality video,
rather than just 1080p content. It’s expected to be one of several
models by the end of this year, although nobody tell Panasonic about
Sharp’s “virtual 8K” plans... Talking point: will you watch 4K films from physical discs or streamed from Netflix?
Withings Activité Pop
This new fitness-tracking watch isn’t just one of the cheapest in its
category – it’ll sell for $150 – but also one of the nicest looking
thanks to its neat, traditional design. The Activité Pop
is a third of the price of its predecessor, the Withings Activité,
counting steps and sleep quality alike. And it promises to run for eight
months at a time from a standard watch battery. Talking point: are watches ultimately going to be the best fitness-tracking devices?
Samsung SSD T1 storage device
That 16GB USB drive you carry around for work? Pfft. Samsung’s latest tiny storage device
is – TECH CLICHÉ ALERT – the size of a business card, yet can hold up
to a terabyte of content in its most expensive version. For anyone who
needs to transfer files quickly between devices, this and similar
devices are likely to be common, with the price coming down relatively
quickly too. Talking point: would this appeal over cloud storage for you?
Toshiba ChihiraAico robot
She looks very realistic. She talks... slightly less so. But
ChihiraAico is a “communication Android” – an early glimpse at the kind
of robots that might be working in “tomorrow’s service industry
and homes”. Translation: you can be as rude as you like about her now,
but when you’re old and ChihiraAico version 4.0 is making your lunch,
you may regret it. Talking point: are robots more or less creepy if they’re humanoid?
Narrative Clip 2
Narrative is one of the prime movers in the “lifelogging” area:
making small camera designed to be worn on your clothes, which snap
regular photographs as you go about your daily business. Its second-generation model
was unveiled at CES: easier to clip on, with a better eight-megapixel
camera and the ability to wirelessly sync photos with the cloud and/or
your smartphone. Talking point: what’s the social cost of having a camera pointing at everyone you meet?
3Doodler 2.0
The first 3Doodler was a pen device which did well on Kickstarter,
then became one of the most accessible ways to explore 3D printing. Now
it’s back, launching a Kickstarter for version 2.0
as it was shown off at CES – it’s already exceeded its $30,000 goal by a
great distance. The update is slimmer, lighter and quieter to use, with
a new nozzle promising “crisper Doodles”. Talking point: what would you doodle, and would the novelty wear off?
Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion
Google certainly doesn’t have the self-driving car space to itself these days: Mercedes-Benz revealed its concept car
at CES, complete with Leap Motion gestural controls and seats facing
one another, corporate meeting-style. Also interesting: the slightly
Knight Rider-ish LED displays at the front and back, to communicate with
pedestrians and other drivers. Talking point: even if we’re not driving, is it good to be more unaware of the outside world?
Sleep Number SleepIQ Kids Bed
Not just a smart bed, but a smart bed for children:
this monitors their sleeping patterns, can alert parents if they get
out of bed during the night, can have its lights turned on and off
remotely, and even includes a “monster detector” to ease young minds’
night-time fears. Talking point: should we really be quantifying our children’s selves?
There aren't that many hardware products that I gush over. I think I've
found one. It's the Newer Technology Power AC/USB outlet. I can't
believe these are still fairly new to the market given the ubiquity of
USB on essentially every device from cell phones, iPads, desk fans, and
just about anything else that you could power from a computer. Other
World Computing was kind enough to supply a couple for me to try.
Installation The Newer Technology Power AC/USB outlet will work on any 15amp
(20 amp optional) circuit with a 16 cubic inch electrical box. This is
important to note this — because it's fairly deep and it will just fit
in many standard boxes. It's typically a DIY install for most, and
believe me I tried. However, I had to bring an electrician in to install
mine — our house wires were spliced in such a way it didn't seem as
clear cut to me, so I bailed on it. The good news is that OWC, the
distributor for them has easy to understand and follow videos - and
it's really an easy install if you follow along.
Mine was a special case, so I'm glad I had the pros come in. My
advice is to watch the videos, see if it feels like something you are
comfortable with. If not, let the pro do it — I had my guy install ours
for $50 — it took him about 30 minutes, and even he was impressed with
them.
The Good Now, the good news is that this thing works GREAT. You can
literally have two USB 3.0/2.0 devices (usually iPads overnight in our
house) along with two standard AC outlets all plugged in at once. It's a
fantastic solution to those who need more outlet space and abilities to
charge their USB devices. They support the standard four-pin type-A
jack USB cables - just like the ones you plug into your computer,
iPad/iPod power bricks, etc.
We installed one in the kitchen where we usually like to grab
some quick power, and also one in the family room for when we are
relaxing and need some extra juice to get through till the end of the
day.
I didn't do any timed tests to see if there was a difference in
charging speed, but I didn't notice anything significant when charging
the iPhones — they charge VERY quickly. The iPads typically charge in
an overnight situation, and even with their dedicated adapters, they
tend to take much longer to charge. I'd say if there is any difference
in the speed of charging, it's probably negligible. I also tested it
with my Flip Mino USB camera, and it seemed to power and charge it just
fine as well.
Safety If you have small children, the outlets will work with the child
proofing plastic nubs you put into the 3 prong outlets. The USB shutters
are spring loaded and close when not in use. Also, the shutter turns
off then USB ports when you remove the cable. These sliders are a little
bit difficult to slide open - so even a kid with great dexterity will
have a bit of difficulty with it. If it was a bit easier to open, it
would be nice for my hands. It's a trade off - but safety first in my
opinion.
Update: The newest version of these have the NEC safety
shutters on the AC receptacles - so no plastic child proofing required.
The particular 15A version we tested are now on clearance - so if you
don't need the NEC safety shutters, you can get the model I tested at a
deep discount.
Bottom Line I've really enjoyed having these installed in two rooms of our
home. They make charging much easier in a multi-device, multi-person
household. We have 3 or 4 devices charging at any given time, so the
ability to plug in directly is a boon.
These are reasonably priced, and if you are looking to make an
upgrade to your house that you will use daily — this is an excellent one
to make. Personally, If I was building a new house - these would be in
every outlet - because you always need a place to plug in USB.
Pros:
Highly convenient
Priced right
Multiple colors to fit different situations and decors
Available for 15A or 20A circuits
Built-in NEC Safety shutters (Current models only)
In today's world, for some, the hardest thing may be to go a few hours
without that device in your pocket. You know, that iPhone or Blackberry
that keeps buzzing? But what happens when the buzzing ends, and your
constantly stuck looking for the power cube to plug your USB cable into?
Especially with the launch of the new iPad Air 2, what will you do if
you can't find your 12W USB adapter? A cell phone and iPad without any
connection to the outside world ... devastation!
We jest of course, obviously not being able to charge your device is not
the next apocalypse, or at least it shouldn't be. There are scenarios
though where that charger may be imperative, maybe its an anxious family
awaiting the news that there is a new member to be welcomed to the
family, and the news is coming over a FaceTime call. How easy would it
be if you could just take your USB cable and plug it directly into the
power outlet in the wall? Thanks to NewerTech it really is as simple as
it sounds ... take a look!
