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How To Safely Recycle Your Old USB Cables
Old USB cables should be recycled rather than thrown away, particularly if they are frayed, damaged or overheating, as they may be unsafe to use. Recycling prevents plastics and rubber from contributing to pollution and recovers metals such as copper and aluminium, reducing demand for new mining and supporting reuse. In the US, retailers including…
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What is a silicon carbon battery and is it the answer to smartphone battery life issues?
Silicon-carbon batteries are increasingly appearing in smartphones because they can store more energy than conventional lithium-ion cells without making devices larger. Their adoption by manufacturers including Honor, Oppo, Xiaomi and now Samsung could help deliver genuine two-day battery life, but the technology may involve trade-offs in long-term durability. Conventional phone batteries typically use graphite anodes,…
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You could be taking way better photos on your phone
Modern smartphones can produce photos comparable with point-and-shoot cameras, but achieving better results often requires more effort than simply using the default camera app. The article argues that phones prioritise clear, easily shareable images over artistic depth, which can leave photographs looking flat, overly processed or washed out. Although camera sensors have become larger and…
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How long is a new MacBook actually supposed to last?
A new MacBook’s useful life varies with its specification, workload and Apple’s software support, rather than following a fixed replacement timetable. The article estimates that most models receive around eight years of first-party support, making this a key consideration given their cost and limited upgradeability. It bases this estimate on roughly six years of major…
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Engadget review recap: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Meta Glasses and more
Engadget has rounded up five recent product reviews, covering foldable phones, smart glasses, cameras and a budget gaming laptop. – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: its shorter, wider design is praised for gaming and video viewing. – Meta Glasses: affordable and good value, but less refined than Optics or Oakley alternatives. – DJI Osmo Pocket…
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If you think kids will respect a robot teacher, you have never met a kid | Dave Schilling
The article criticises a New York school district’s now-paused plan to spend $60,000 on a humanoid robot teaching assistant called Sally. The writer argues that pupils are unlikely to respect or engage seriously with a robot, and questions whether the proposal represents a useful educational investment. Sally was intended for high-school technology and robotics classes…
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The great British switch-off: how floating retreats, mobile-free pubs and sauna book groups are freeing people from their smartphones
A growing number of UK groups and venues are encouraging people to spend time without smartphones, using activities such as phone lockboxes, social events and retreats to break patterns of doomscrolling. The trend matters because many participants say enforced separation helps them feel more present, connect more easily with others and reconsider how much time…
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A deep dive into Nvidia’s Vera CPU and the Olympus cores that power it
Nvidia has detailed Vera, its first fully custom CPU, marking a direct challenge to Intel and AMD in cloud and datacentre computing. The Arm-based processor is intended both to manage GPUs in forthcoming Vera Rubin AI systems and to run AI-agent workloads, with its design focused on reducing processing bottlenecks. Several major cloud providers, including…
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Lenovo’s first Googlebooks have leaked
Leaked images suggest Lenovo is developing three devices for Google’s forthcoming Googlebooks initiative: two laptops and a detachable 2-in-1 tablet. The leak matters because it offers the first indication of the hardware that may accompany Google’s Android-based successor approach to ChromeOS, and suggests the platform may extend beyond conventional laptops. The devices reportedly include two…