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Google has released the first developer preview of its latest mobile operating system, Android 12, on February 18. Check it out to get a glimpse of the upcoming software upgrade, which is scheduled for full release later this year.

Features added in this preview version

This build is not yet in its final form, and more features will be added in the spring and summer. The developer preview includes improved media transcoding, faster notifications, enhanced app testing, and improved security and privacy features.

Google has added media transcoding capabilities to Android 12 to support rich content. Apps that do not support HEVC, the next generation video compression standard, can now easily convert HEVC videos.

In addition, to improve the overall quality of image quality, the AV1 image file format (AVIF) has been introduced, which has a higher compression ratio and dramatically improves image quality compared to JPEG at the same file size. In addition, a new API has been added to allow apps to receive rich content from the clipboard and keyboard, making content easier to share.

Major improvements in notification-related features

One of the highlights of this year’s release is a major improvement in the user interface and functionality of notifications. Google wants to speed up the launch of apps from the notification shade and recommends developers to launch apps directly in Android 12 instead of relying on the “notification trampoline” when launching apps. Android 12 encourages developers to launch apps directly instead of relying on “notification trampolines” when launching apps.

In terms of app compatibility and stability, Google plans to expand support for Project Mainline to provide more tools to help developers optimize their apps for tablets, foldable devices, and Android TV. They are also working on a settings menu that can be switched for all types of debugging.

Finally, to better protect user privacy, Google is adding the ability to control the identifiers used for tracking, improved cookie behavior in WebView, and enhanced security for apps that export activity.

For more information, please visit Google’s Android 12 developer site here. The Android 12 preview is available for anyone with a Pixel smartphone (Pixel 3 or 5) to download and test, and can also be used with the Android Emulator in Android Studio. But please note that it’s not intended for the general public, but for developers and other power users!

As reported by MacRumors, Ming-Chi Kuo, a prominent Apple analyst, has predicted that the 2021 MacBook Pro will have an SD card slot and HDMI port. As reported by MacRumors, Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst who is familiar with Apple, has predicted that the MacBook Pro to be released in 2021 will also have an SD card slot and HDMI port.

　According to the article, Kuo expects the new MacBook Pro to be released in the second half of 2021. It has been rumored that the new MacBook Pro will come in two screen sizes, 14″ and 16″, that the “MagSafe” power cable for charging will make a comeback, and that the “Touch Bar” that has been on some MacBook Pro’s for several years will be removed. It was rumored that the “MagSafe” power cable for charging would return and that the Touch Bar, which has been on some MacBook Pro for several years, would be discontinued.

　There have been reports that some of the obsolete features are expected to return to the MacBook Pro. For example, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is planning to bring back SD card slot and MagSafe charging to the laptop. There were also rumors that the new laptops would be powered by Apple’s own “M” series processors.

　These rumors suggest that Apple is trying to make its computers port-friendly again; the last time a MacBook with an HDMI port, MagSafe charging, and an SD card slot was announced was in 2015.

The last time a MacBook with an HDMI port, MagSafe charging, and an SD card slot was announced was in 2015. This article was originally published by Red Ventures and edited by Asahi Interactive for the Japanese market.

Samsung has launched its latest Galaxy S21 series of smartphones in the US and Europe. Under the slogan of “5G smartphones within reach,” the company has been working on reforming its flagship model, and as a result, it has decided to downgrade some of the specifications, which is a wise choice but also “uncharacteristic. What is the reason behind this?

Focus on sales expansion
Samsung wants to defend its position as the world’s top smartphone maker in terms of shipments, and in order to do so, the company seems to have made an unusually safe choice in terms of specifications. When I asked the person in charge about the January launch in the US and Europe, he replied that it was because the new coronavirus pandemic was expected to “expand the diversity of what consumers want in mobile products.

Impact of the lockdown
First of all, the price in the UK is £769 for the Galaxy S21 with a 6.2-inch display, £949 for the 6.7-inch Galaxy S21+, and £1,149 for the 6.8-inch Galaxy S21 Ultra. Compared to last year’s models and the iPhone 12 series, all of them are about 30-50 pounds cheaper. Note that there is no 4G option this time, all models are 5G smartphones.

The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ have a full HD screen resolution instead of WQHD to keep the price down. The Galaxy S21 Ultra uses a “Dynamic AMOLED 2X” display with HDR. maximum brightness of 1500 nits.

An obvious downgrade
Another important aspect of the display is the return to a flat display, a departure from the trademark edge display used in the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S20 series. This is not a downgrade, but rather a result of incorporating feedback from the Internet (Samsung users may already be familiar with curved glass, but some of you may have been surprised when you showed your friends your smartphone).

In contrast, the obvious downgrade is that it no longer supports microSD cards; the Galaxy S20 series was able to expand storage up to 1TB, but the Galaxy S21 series will have a maximum capacity of 512GB. A Samsung spokesperson explained to tech news site The Verge that the price of the model with more storage is not that different and users can also use cloud storage.

However, consumers generally prefer to have more choices. Therefore, it is possible that microSD expandable storage will make a comeback in the future, just like when Google eliminated the earphone jack on the Pixel smartphone.

Researchers have proposed a new lithium-oxygen battery technology that could make long-distance electric cars (and smartphones that don’t need recharging every day) a reality.　

Lithium-air or lithium-oxygen batteries hold the potential for between 5-15 times the efficiency of existing lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, but have seen a number of technological challenges hindering progress – primarily that nearly a third of the energy is still being wasted as heat, and they don’t tend to last very long.

Ju Li, professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Battelle Energy Alliance and MIT, led the study, along with Zhi Zhu and five other researchers from MIT, Argonne National Laboratory and Peking University.

The new approach, outlined in the journal Nature, results in a ‘nanolithia cathode’ battery, which is more versatile and side-steps a few of the key issues with Lithium-oxygen batteries, such as needing other systems to keep away carbon dioxide and water.

Existing Lithium-oxygen batteries draw in air to cause a chemical reaction (while the battery is being used) and this is then released again to reverse the action and recharge the battery. It’s that requirement to have an internal and external air flow process that allows the ingress of carbon dioxide and water. To get around this, the researchers devised a method of discharging and recharging without ever needing to let oxygen return to its gaseous form, which means no need for pumps or membranes.

“Instead, the oxygen stays inside the solid and transforms directly between its three redox states, while bound in the form of three different solid chemical compounds, Li2O, Li2O2, and LiO2, which are mixed together in the form of a glass,” the team wrote in their research paper. “This reduces the voltage loss by a factor of five, from 1.2 volts to 0.24 volts, so only eight per cent of the electrical energy is turned to heat.”

The end result is faster charging and more efficient batteries, due to lower heat wastage. Li also claimed the batteries could prove to have a much longer life than current lithium-ion models as they’re protected from overcharging through the chemical reaction’s natural process; once charged, it shifts to a different form to prevent overcharging.

“We have overcharged the battery for 15 days, to a hundred times its capacity, but there was no damage at all,” Li said.

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The team wants to move to produce a practical prototype within a year and have them in the hands of manufacturers within 18 months. The group told WIRED that it had just renewed its provisional patent application and is now seeking investment to bring it to fruition. The researchers added the technology could “certainly fit” in a smartphone.

A number of other research groups have also proposed improvements to lithium-oxygen batteries (or, indeed, using molten metals), as well as ways to make existing lithium-ion batteries far cheaper.

A laptop adapter is redundant only as long as the battery percentage is greater than 10 percent. And with software and games requiring heavy graphics or prolonged use, saving battery power is quite a struggle. So, let us not forget the utility of a Laptop AC Adapter- that, like all other precious things, must be chosen with care. For this, certain things need to be kept in mind.

The market is loaded with top-notch laptop manufacturing companies, each of them requiring an adapter with a different configuration. They are created according to the power requirements of your laptop. So, there are only a few things one has to keep in mind.

*Voltage- This is what helps laptop derive energy from the source. Hence the voltage configuration of the adapter must be same as your laptop. A voltage too high may overload the laptop circuitry. Low voltage may not complete the battery’s energy requirement at the specified time.

*Amperage- The flow of energy in the laptop is determined by the current. In this case, higher the current, better the performance. So the ampere value may be equal or higher than the laptop’s requirement.

*Connector Type- One obviously needs to tail his laptop to a perfect fit, for charging. There are various connector types available, according to what plugs in best into the laptop

1. Cylindrical Connectors- They are also called barrel connectors and appear as hollow, insulated cylinder
2. Snap and Lock Connectors- They have 3 to 4 pins enclosed by a thin metal pin. They are mostly used for DC adapters.
3. Molex Connector- Many different insulated wires in plastic case, having 3/4/6 terminals.
4. USB Connector- This looks like a hollow metal tip with many metal pins. They are most common for smart-phones.

The above information is sufficient for knowing the difference between adapters. So, here’s are some quick steps to follow while looking for a suitable charger for a laptop.

1. Every laptop has its model number printed on a sticker placed at the bottom of the laptop. Note the model number.
2. If you have found the model number, look inside the battery case or near the charging port on the underside of the laptop for a sticker having its power information. Here shall you find the laptop’s voltage and amperage requirements.
3. Search the model number on the internet to see any available adapters showing up. Note that it is very essential that the voltage and the amperage must match the requirements specified on the adapter.
4. Look for the connector type. Compare it with your laptop adapter’s connector. They must look somewhat alike.

In many cases, only certain parts of the adapter need to be changed for it to begin functioning well again. Separate components for the adapter are available in such cases. You may make use of the replacement warranty, if it hasn’t expired yet, or order a particular attachment online. Always buy oan riginal laptop battery as replacement warranty only covers original batteries and parts.

Laptop Battery is an essential part for a laptop, that we all know. We can only do our best by handling them with care and ensuring that any mismatched configuration does not screw up the laptop. You may look for many Laptop AC Adapter available online.

Laptop computers are consuming PCs’ market shares for its portability. But if you want to benefit from the laptop’s portability, you need to make sure the battery of your laptop computer is durable enough. If not, you require get a brand-new replacement lap top battery. So how to choose a laptop computer battery?

The first thing you must consider when you pick a laptop battery is the respectability of the batteries. There’re many laptop makers on the marketplace. If your spending plan is not so tight, then the best option would be a battery made by the maker of your laptop. But those batteries would be far more expensive than the typical price in the market. Dell, for example, has been known to charge 4 times more than ones you can get somewhere else. For that reason, if you don’t want to pay the high premium price, you can get one from a different producer.

Actually many famous laptop battery makers don’t actually manufacturer, instead they are the brander of the product. For example, if you open an authentic Sony laptop computer battery, you might discover that the power cells within are in fact made by Toshiba, Panasonic, or a comparable big name business. Many 3rd party brand names utilize the exact very same power cells as initial producers, and they cost much less than the initial ones.

Another thing you ought to consider is the kind of the battery. Typically there’re 4 main types of laptop batteries: nickel cadmium (NiCad) battery, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery, Lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery and Li-Poly battery. NiCad battery is very old and primitive; it’s rare in the market now. Ni-MH is newer and advanced, but is not as good as its Li-Ion and Li-Poly counterparts. Li-Ion and Li-Poly are the most advanced and typical types of batteries on the marketplace. You need to be clear exactly what type you laptop battery is, due to the fact that most of the laptops are designed with one type of batteries and can not be used with other types. For instance, if your original HP notebook computer battery is Li-ion, then you must get a Li-ion replacement battery.

Another crucial thing you ought to actually pay attention to is the power rating of the battery. Batteries with the same physical size may vary significantly in power scores. Generally batteries are rated by Volts and Amperes, though most companies show battery ratings with Volts and Milliamperes (or mAh). One thousand Milliamperes equals 1 Ampere. However, some batteries have both different Volts and Milliamperes, then it’s tough to compare which one has stronger power. Actually there’s another way to rate the power: by Watt-Hours. Watt-Hours is just multiplying the Volts and the Amperes together. So you can easily learn which battery has more power.

There’s one more thing you must be kept in mind: take care with the utilized or refurbished batteries. Due to the fact that reconditioned batteries do not hold as much power when compared to brand-new batteries. Likewise, they can bite the dust on you arbitrarily because you truly do unknown how old the battery is.