Europe may require all manufacturers to use USB-C charging for all phones and electronic devices, according to a new EU Commission ruling proposal. It aims to reduce e-waste and "consumer inconvenience" caused by different and incompatible chargers still in use. The Commission also wants manufacturers to unbundle the sale of chargers with electronic devices.
"With today's proposal... USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogame consoles," according to the report.
The EU said its work with industry has managed to reduce the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to 3 over the last decade. One of those three is Apple's Lightning port used by around 20 percent of devices sold in Europe. The EU hopes to change that situation, according to a statement by executive VP Margrethe Vestager:
European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions.
When a common charger was first voted on by the EU last year, Apple issued a statement saying that the proposal would "stifle innovation," and its position has not changed. "We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world," an Apple spokesperson told the BBC.
Since the launch of the iPhone 12, however, Apple has stopped including chargers in the box, something it said would save 861,000 tons of copper, zinc and tin. Apple itself now uses USB-C charging on its latest Mac laptops and certain iPad models, since that standard supports higher voltage charging required for larger devices.
Nearly all Android smartphones now use USB-C charging, and many models from Samsung and others are sold with charging/data cables but not chargers. It total, around 420 million mobile phones and other portable electronic devices sold in Europe just in the last year.
The EU throws away 12,000 tons of chargers each year, some unused, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, consumers spend around 2.4 billion euros ($2.8 billion) on standalone chargers not included with devices. The law is still in the proposal stages and needs to be passed by EU lawmakers and governments, so it could come into force around two years after that.
Despite being more than a year old, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds remain our favorites if you're looking for the best sound quality you can get. But they're pretty pricey at $300, and we rarely see them drop lower than $250. But both Amazon and Sennheiser direct have them right now for $200, or $100 off their normal price, making it a great time to upgrade to a better pair of wireless earbuds without completely emptying your wallet.
Sennheiser brought its audio expertise into its wireless earbuds and it resulted in stellar audio quality that remains unmatched. Out of the box, the True Wireless 2 have a warm, inviting tone, with an audio profile that highlights the subtle details in songs. You're able to customize the EQ in its companion mobile app if you want more bass or something similar, but these buds don't require the manual adjustments that some other earbuds do to sound their best. The active noise-cancellation is good as well, blocking out most surrounding noises, but unlike other buds, there are no ANC levels to choose from — just on and off.
We also appreciate the True Wireless 2's small, comfortable size, customizable controls and handy mobile app. As far as battery life goes, these buds should last for seven hours before they need more juice and unfortunately they don't support wireless charging. But our biggest complaint about Sennheiser's buds have always been their high price tag — and this sale fixes that.
But if the True Wireless 2 still fall outside your budget, Amazon has the white model of the Sennheiser CX 400BT wireless earbuds on sale as well for $90. That's $100 off their normal price and a record low. These are the company's midrange wireless buds and they were just replaced by the CX Plus series. The CX 400BT have a 7mm dynamic driver, customizable controls, voice assistant support and up to 20 hours of battery life with its case.
If you've been thinking of getting a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 — the model formerly given the Active moniker, not the Classic one — you may want to check out Amazon's Deal of the Day. Over the next 20 hours or so, the website is selling the wearable bundled with a fast charging wireless charger for up to 26 percent less than its original price. The bundles are even cheaper than the watches alone, and yes, the deal includes both 40mm and 44mm smartwatches in various colors, as well as both Bluetooth-only and LTE models.
The 40mm Bluetooth-only version bundled with a wireless charger will set you back $230, or $80 less its usual price. Meanwhile, its 44mm counterpart is now on sale for $260 instead of its usual retail price of $340. If you want the the capability to call, text and stream on the smartwatch without your phone, you'll need to get the LTE version. The 40mm LTE bundle is currently priced at $280, down $80 its typical retail price, while the 44mm LTE bundle is also listed at $80 less for $310 instead of $390.
In our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review, we said the devices are still the best smartwatches around. They're the first models to run the new "Wear OS powered by Samsung," which allows you to download apps from the Play Store directly to your wrist. While the Classic has a spinning bezel and the non-Classic models don't, both versions feature upgraded biometric sensors, a body composition scanner and improved sleep tracking. The watches also come with gesture controls that let you answer or dismiss calls by flicking your wrist or lifting your arm.
Samsung just released a much pricier Thom Browne Edition Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. But if you'd rather not pay $799 for a smartwatch, head over to Amazon for the limited-time sale.
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Microsoft has announced a small flotilla of new devices during its fall event, and there’s plenty of highlights to pick through. Most interesting, of course, is likely Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio, a notebook with a screen that pulls forward just like its desktop namesake. This replacement for the Surface Book 3 also turns into a tablet-esque PC, although its stacked design may divide users.
As we surmised a few days back, the Surface Pro 8 did get a fairly magnificent redesign with a new skinny-bezel, 13-inch 120Hz display, Thunderbolt 4 and new, faster internals. It’s been built with Windows 11 in mind and goes on sale when the new operating system arrives on October 5th. Thankfully, Microsoft allowed our chum Cherlynn Low behind the velvet rope to spend a little time with the Laptop Studio and Pro 8, so read this for all the juicy details.
Much as with the band U2, we also need to discuss the “other two” members of the lineup, the Surface Pro X and the Surface Go 3. For the former, the only real news is the new, cheaper WiFi-only model, which retails for $899, and the bundling of Windows 11. Similarly, the Surface Go 3 (arguably the Larry Mullen Jr. of Surface tablets) gets faster chip options but is, in most other regards, the same affordable but deeply underpowered device we already know and, uh, love.
On the mobile front, Microsoft announced the Surface Duo 2, its second-generation dual-screen Android smartphone. The most notable upgrade for this year is a triple camera system and a notification bar on the hinge, so you can see what’s going on without opening your phone. And yes, Cherlynn has already spent some time up close with the Surface Duo 2, and you can read all her impressions right here.
Microsoft also unveiled a bunch of other accessories, but the one that’s probably worth focusing on is the Adaptive Kit. It’s a set of add-ons that can help people with accessibility needs get around their Surface devices more easily. That includes raised port indicators, cable wraps and labels to help your fingers land on regularly used keys. Given Microsoft’s increasing focus on ensuring its devices are useful for everyone, products like this are always welcome.
If you’re interested in watching our edited highlights of the event, you can check out our supercut here, and if you’re already reaching for your wallet, here’s all the pre-order information you could possibly need or want.
The new iPad Mini is, more or less, a shrunken iPad Air, with USB-C, a TouchID-capable power button and an 8.3-inch display. What it packs in performance, style and support for the Apple Pencil 2, it lacks in ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack. Valentina Palladino has reviewed the new baby slate, finding that, despite all the changes, much of its basic utility has stayed the same. Sadly, that higher price might be a sticking point for all those folks who wanted an entry-level iPad that doesn’t cause your bank account to break into tears.
Everyone deserves a second chance to make a first impression, and it looks as if the second Marvel game has atoned for the sins of its predecessor. Jess Conditt dived into the world of Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy and has come away pretty pleased. The characters may look and sound different to their cinematic counterparts, but they feel much more fleshed-out, and there’s a better emphasis on relationship building over button mashing. Conditt says the game has an emotional core that bodes well for the finished title, saying it already feels “way better” than Marvel’s Avengers.
Facebook shareholders believe the company overpaid its $5 billion FTC settlement in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, to personally protect Mark Zuckerberg. Reports say the FTC was originally going to levy a fine closer to $106 million (yes, million). The smaller fee, however, was conditional on Zuckerberg himself being named as a defendant in the case. Those shareholders are alleging in a lawsuit that Facebook offered $5 billion on the condition that Zuckerberg avoided any personal liability.
It’s always a delight to see wall-to-wall shade buried in a pile of legalese, and this missive, purportedly from Apple’s lawyers, is a doozy. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has published a letter he received saying Apple won’t restore Fortnite to the iOS and Mac App Stores just yet. The letter, put simply, says Apple cannot presently trust Epic to behave itself, especially after public comments made by Sweeney. Consequently, Fortnite will remain off the platforms until the lawsuit Epic brought against Apple reaches its conclusion. But the letter is well worth a read in its entirety, given all of the sass lurking between those lines.
You can get an Apple's latest MacBook Air powered by the tech giant's M1 chip for $850 on Amazon again if you missed previous deals the sold the laptop at that price. That's an all-time low for the device, which has an original retail price of $999 — that's also $100 less than its average price on the website since the beginning of September. Take note that the $850 deal is for all colors of the version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. If you need more space than that, you can get the variant with 512GB of SSD storage for $1,100, which is also an all-time low for the laptop that usually sells for $1,249.
We gave the MacBook Air with M1 chip a score of 94 in our review, praising it most of all for its impressive speed and iOS-like smoothness. The laptop was shockingly responsive, and launching apps built for the chip felt as fast as opening apps on an iPad Pro. If you use Safari, websites would even load up instantly, and scrolling would feel smooth and effortless. The M1 chip gives the laptop decent gaming performance capability, as well, and it blew away Intel's integrated graphics during our tests.
Since the 2020 MacBook Air relies on heatsink and passive cooling, you won't have to deal with fan noise at all. Another thing we praised is its battery life, seeing as it lasted 16 hours and 20 minutes during our benchmark tests — and that's with us playing HD videos on the laptop. It also comes with a responsive trackpad and Apple's scissor-switch keyboard.
Most of the MacBook Air M1 laptops are marked "in stock soon" on Amazon. The silver 512GB model is in stock and could arrive at your place as soon as tomorrow, but you may have to wait until October and November for the other versions.
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There's no shortage of ways to capture YouTube videos on the web. Take your pick of dangerous websites, or just go old-school and record a video of your desktop. Now, YouTube is finally offering a simpler solution for computer users: A download button. As Android Police reports, it's currently available as an experimental feature for Premium subscribers. That's not a huge surprise, as YouTube already offers mobile video downloads for subscribers too.
Once you've flipped it on, you'll see a download button right next to the share option below videos, or alongside the three dot menu when browsing. After downloading a video, it gets placed in your offline YouTube library. You can choose to grab videos in resolutions from 144p to 1080p — sorry, 4K fanatics. At this point, there doesn't appear to be any size limit, aside from your available storage.
From my quick tests, the feature works as advertised on Safari and Chrome. Personally, it's not something I'd use as often as mobile downloads, but it's a nice option to have for future trips.
Robinhood plans to start a cryptocurrency wallet next month, the company announced on Wednesday. The tool will allow you to send and receive digital currencies, as well as trade them and move them off the app. If you want to take part in the test, you’ll need to join a waitlist. Robinhood plans to trial the feature with a small number of users first before expanding availability to more people gradually.
The company told The Verge it expects everyone will have access to their own wallet sometime in 2022. In the meantime, you can see progress on the wallet by following Robinhood’s Twitter account and blog. The company promised to share whatever feedback early users provide on the product with the community. Initially, the wallet will support Bitcoin, Ethereum and even Dogecoin.
The wallet will use a custodial system, which means Robinhood will manage the keys you need to unlock it. That said, you’ll have the option to move your cryptocurrencies to other platforms should you so choose. Other security features include support for multifactor authentication, in addition to both email and phone verification. While waiting for Robinhood to roll out the wallet feature to everyone, you can start using the recurring crypto investment tool it announced at the start of the month.
With the release of Windows 11 less than two weeks away, Microsoft held its latest Surface hardware event. The presentation saw the company introduce new versions of mainstay devices like the Surface Pro and Surface Go, in addition to a handful of surprises. Here’s everything Microsoft showed off on Wednesday.
Surface Duo 2
Microsoft
Microsoft announced a massive upgrade for its Surface Duo dual-screen Android device. Most notably, there’s an entirely new triple camera system on the back of the Surface Duo 2 that includes a telephoto lens and two wide-angle lenses. Another nifty new feature is an ambient screen on the device’s hinge to display your notifications and other information. With those upgrades, you can see Microsoft has started thinking of the $1,499.99 Surface Duo 2 as a more of a smartphone than a mere tablet. You can pre-order the Surface Duo 2 today before it becomes officially available on October 21st.
Surface Pro 8
Microsoft
After several years of what felt like incremental updates, Microsoft’s Surface Pro line got a significant upgrade on Wednesday. To name just a few of the features found in the Surface Pro 8, it includes a 13-inch PixelSense display with a 120Hz refresh rate, support for Thunderbolt 4 (finally!) and faster internals courtesy of Intel’s latest 11th-generation processors. Oh, and Microsoft has also shaved down the Surface Pro’s notoriously chunky display bezels. The Surface Pro 8 will start at $1,100 and is available to pre-order today. It goes on sale on October 5th. That’s the same day Windows 11 starts rolling out.
Alongside the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft announced the Slim Pen 2. The $130 stylus includes a haptic motor Microsoft claims makes it feel like you’re putting pen to paper rather than glass. Another new accessory, the Surface Adaptive Kit, bundles together a collection of add-ons that make it easier to find specific keys, locate ports and open your laptop or its kickstand. Lastly, the company made a mouse made from recycled ocean plastic.
Surface Pro X
Microsoft
Microsoft didn’t update its ARM-based 2-in-1, but what it did do is introduce a new WiFi-only model that will save you $100 off the Surface Pro X’s previous $999 starting price. With the move to Windows 11, support for 64-bit software emulation is coming to the device. You can pre-order the new model today before it arrives in stores on October 5th.
Surface Go 3
Microsoft
Microsoft’s smallest tablet got an appropriately minor update today. The company’s new Surface Go 3 2-in-1s feature faster processors from Intel. The base model comes with a Pentium Gold 6500Y CPU, up from the 4425Y in Go 2, while the more expensive variants feature 10th-generation Core i3 CPUs. Microsoft claims the latter chip is 60 percent faster than the Core m3 it previously offered with the Go 2. The entire Surface Go 3 family is available to pre-order today, with the base model starting at $400. Like all the other Surface computers Microsoft announced today, it goes on sale on October 5th.
Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft
Microsoftsaved its most interesting announcement for last. Enter the Surface Laptop Studio, a portable computer that borrows design cues from the company's Surface Studio all-in-one. An included hinge lets you pull the display over the keyboard to make inking and drawing more immersive. Microsoft also claims the Surface Studio is its most powerful notebook yet. The laptop features Intel’s 11th-generation H35 processors and Intel Xe graphics. You can also configure it with NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 Ti GPU. The Surface Laptop Studio is available to pre-order today. It starts at $1,600 and will ship on October 5th.
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
Apple has told Epic Games it will not allow Fortnite back onto the iOS or macOS App Stores until the outcome of the lawsuit between the two is finalized. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney shared communications between the two sides, in which Apple said it won't consider reinstating Epic's developer program account "until the district court's judgment becomes final and nonappealable."
Apple yankedFortnite from the iOS App Store in August last year after Epic added an alternative payment method to bypass the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases. Epic swiftly filed a lawsuit against Apple over App Store policies (it sued Google around the same time for similar reasons). The Apple case went to trial in May.
Earlier this month, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in Apple's favor on most counts, but there was one win for Epic. The judge issued a permanent injunction instructing Apple to let App Store developers direct users to alternative payment systems. Epic appealed the ruling, and Apple has yet to decide whether to do so. The injunction is set to take effect on December 9th.
Apple lied. Apple spent a year telling the world, the court, and the press they’d "welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else". Epic agreed, and now Apple has reneged in another abuse of its monopoly power over a billion users.
Given how long it can take to resolve appeals through the various levels of the court system, Sweeney says it could take five years until the case is truly over and Fortnite is back on the App Store. He also accused Apple of going back on its word.
Apple has said that "we would welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else." On Twitter, Sweeney shared an email he sent to App Store head Phil Schiller last Thursday, stating that Epic would abide by those rules.
"Though we can't update the Fortnite version that users still have on their iOS devices, we've disabled Epic payments server-side and have paid Apple $6 million as ordered by the court," Sweeney wrote in the email. "Epic promises that it will adhere to Apple's guidelines whenever and wherever we release products on Apple platforms." He added that Epic would restore Fortnite on Mac as soon as possible if Apple restored the developer account.
Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process. pic.twitter.com/QCD7wogJef
Things are more complicated when it comes to iOS. Sweeney told Schiller that bringing the game back to iPhone and iPad "depends on whether and where Apple updates its guidelines to provide for a level playing field between Apple in-app purchase and other methods of payment. Epic will resubmit Fortnite to the App Store if you adhere to the plain language of the court order and allow apps to include buttons and external links that direct customers to other purchasing mechanisms without onerous terms or impediments to a good user experience."
However, as Apple's lawyers wrote in a letter to Epic on Monday, the court affirmed "Apple's termination of the [Developer Program License Agreement] and the related agreements between Epic Games and Apple was valid, lawful and enforceable" following a breach of contract by Epic. Apple noted Sweeney said after the ruling that his company wouldn't give up an alternative payment system "to get Fortnite back on iOS."
Following that comment and "other statements since the court's decision, couple with Epic's duplicitous conduct in the past, Apple has exercised its discretion not to reinstate Epic's developer program account at this time," the letter states.
In short, unless you stream the game to your iPhone from your Xbox or PlayStation, don't expect to build armored walls in Fortnite on iOS any time in the near future.
Microsoft announced a deluge of new Surface gadgets today and most of them are already available for pre-order. Key among them are the Surface Duo 2, Microsoft's second-gen version of its dual-screen, tablet-smartphone hybrid that now has a formidable triple-camera array, and the Surface Pro 8, a powerful update to the Pro 7 that adds 11th-gen Intel processors, a 13-inch screen with Dolby Vision and Thunderbolt 4 ports. Plus, you can also pre-order the high-powered Surface Laptop Studio, the updated (yet still affordable) Surface Laptop Go 3 and a Wi-Fi only Surface Pro X. Here's how to pre-order all of the gadgets Microsoft announced today.
Suface Duo 2
Microsoft
The Surface Duo 2 folding smartphone is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,499. It will be widely available October 21 in Australia, Canada, Germany, France, the UK and the United States.
The new Surface Duo 2 features the same flip design as last year's device, with two 5.8-inch AMOLED PixelSense touchscreens connected by a hinge. They support 90Hz refresh rates, HDR, P3 color and up to 800 nits of brightness. The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile platform and now supports 5G connectivity.
Microsoft upped the Surface Duo 2's camera game replacing the single shooter on the original Duo with a triple-lens system. Now it has a 12MP wide angle lens, a 12MP telephoto shooter and a 16GB ultra wide lens on the rear and a separate 12MP camera on the front. One of our biggest problems with the first Duo was how hard it was to take quick photos, so we're eager to see if Microsoft's improvements this time around have fixed that.
The Surface Duo 2 also supports NFC for contactless payments, WiFi 6, biometric authentication with a fingerprint sensor, fast-charging via USB-C and more. It'll come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models and all will have 8GB of RAM.
Surface Pro 8
Microsoft
The Surface Pro 8 2-in-1 is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,099. The new Surface Slim Pen 2 is also available for pre-order today and costs $129.
Running Windows 11, the new Surface Pro 8 improves upon most things that made the Pro 7 great. The 2-in-1 now supports 11th-gen Intel Evo processors, is two times faster than its predecessor and gained supported for external GPUs. The screen is a bit larger and brighter, too — it's a 13-inch PixelSense panel with Dolby Vision that can reach 120Hz refresh rates, and it has a new 5MP front-facing camera on top of it that should provide a clearer feed during video calls. There's also a 10MP rear camera with autofocus that's capable of shooting 4K video. As far as connectivity goes, the Surface Pro 6 supports WiFi 6 and LTE, and has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a power connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Along with an array of Intel processors, the Surface Pro 8 supports up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. However, only the 128GB and 256GB models are available with LTE connectivity — the 512GB and 1TB versions are WiFi-only. It also works with the new $129 Surface Slim Pen 2 and its Signature Keyboard has a space for the pen to magnetically connect for easier storage.
Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft
The Surface Laptop Studio is available for pre-order today and starts at $1,599. It will be available in stores in the US and Canada starting October 5.
Microsoft built the Surface Laptop Studio with power users and creatives in mind. It has a noteworthy design featuring a "Dynamic Woven Hinge" that lets you pull the screen forward into "Stage" mode, which the company claims gives you a better angle for streaming, gaming and presenting. The machine also works in standard Laptop mode and "Studio" mode, the latter of which is best for sketching.
The screen itself is a 14.4-inch, 2,400 x 1,600 PixelSense panel that can reach 120Hz refresh rates and supports the Slim Pen 2. That accessory also has its own home on the underside of the Laptop Studio, where it neatly and magnetically attaches. There are also quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, a 1080p front-facing camera and a new Precision Haptic touchpad that provides feedback while you use it. Similarly to the Surface Pro 8, the Laptop Studio has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one power connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
When it comes to performance, the Laptop Studio packs a punch. It supports 11th-gen Intel H-series processor along with Intel Xe graphics and even NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti graphics in select models. It'll have up to 32GB of RAM inside and up to 2TB of storage.
Surface Go 3
Microsoft
The WiFi-only Surface Go 3 is available for pre-order today and starts at $399. It will be widely available starting October 5. LTE models are forthcoming in December 2021.
Microsoft's most affordable Surface device is getting a power boost. The new Surface Go 3 supports up to Intel Core i3 processors now, and those models will be 60 percent faster than previous versions. It has a 10.5-inch FHD touchscreen, stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, 1080p front- and rear cameras and support for Type Covers and the Surface Pen. The edges of the device have one USB-C port, one power connector, a microSD card slot, a nano SIM slot and a headphone jack. In addition to the new Intel processors, the Go 3 runs on up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Surface Pro X
Microsoft
The WiFi-only Surface Pro X is available for pre-order today and starts at $899.
The Surface Pro X isn't getting a big refresh or an upgraded model like some of Microsoft's other gadgets. Instead, the company introduced a new WiFi-only model at a lower price point — only $899. It will run Windows 11 on ARM and will include 64-bit emulation built in. The machine runs on an SQ2 processor, along with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The new detachable keyboard will also have a slot for the new Slim Pen 2.
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
