The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has highlighted a recent recall involving side stands (accent tables) that feature built-in charging receptacles, including USB ports. The reason, according to the recall notice, is a wiring problem that may cause users to be shocked when they plug a device into the stand. Owners are warned to stop using the tables and to wait for a replacement.
The LONGER LK5 Pro is the sort of 3D printer you buy when you know how to troubleshoot. This device is a middle-ground between the pre-constructed, high-end, brand-name 3D printers that cost a lot, and the DIY 3D printers that are dirt cheap because you have to know exactly what you're doing right from the get-go.
CES 2021 officially kicks off today, and Other World Computing - otherwise known as OWC - has started things off by revealing an entire slate of new accessories. The company revealed four new accessories in all today: the USB-C Travel Dock E, the U2 shuttle that can house up to four NVMe M.2 SSDs, the OWC Thunderbolt Dock, and the Envoy Pro FX external SSD. All of the products OWC announced today will either be available this month or within the first quarter of 2021.
The 5GBioShield was supposed to protect its user from supposed harmful effects of 5G radiation. In reality, this $300+ (around £283.00) USB stick actually contains around £5 worth of hardware. That's according to the folks at Pen Test Partners who, for the greater good of humanity, purchased several of these USB sticks and tore them down to see what was inside.
USB4 is shaping up to be the one connector to rule them all, with word that the new USB-C port will support up to 16K resolution video among other things. The DisplayPort Alt Mode v2.0 will be able to drive a single 16K display - were you able to find such a thing - the VESA has confirmed, courtesy of the new high-speed interconnect.
The Galaxy S20 series is on the horizon, and today the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) made a pretty big announcement regarding the phones. The USB-IF has confirmed that Galaxy S20 series phones have gained Certified USB Faster Charger status. That means these phones will support Programmable Power Supply, which is a feature baked into the USB Power Delivery 3.0 spec.
Today the folks at Satechi revealed and released their latest USB-C hub, a device with seven individual ports for connectivity expansion. In the mix are 2x USB-A 3.0 Ports, one USB-C PD (charging), and a full-sized 4K HDMI port. The ethernet port on this hub is capable of delivering gigabit-level internet, and the hub includes both microSD and full-sized SD card readers.
The Google Pixel 4 doesn't include a pair of earbuds in its box, no headphone jack, and no 3.5mm headphone adapter for USB-C. My first reaction as a tech news reporter and reviewer of products is to cry foul! We've come to expect that we'll get certain things when we buy a smartphone, and those expectations are being changed for us, right before our eyes! But there's a bright side to some of this.
Earlier this year, the USB Promoter Group announced that the new USB4 specification would be published in the near future. That time has arrived, with the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announcing the USB4 spec on Tuesday, September 3. This is the latest major update to the USB specification, building upon the previous USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. USB4 is, among other things, backward compatible with USB 3.2, 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3.
Apple has officially unveiled iPadOS, a change to the iOS experience for the iPad. The system features a redesigned home screen alongside improved multi-tasking capabilities and new support that greatly improves the device's usefulness for professionals. There's a lot of be excited about, particularly the newly announced support for USB thumb drives, SD cards, and importing directly into Lightroom.
The USB Implementers Forum has had a busy week. At the tail end of February, it seemed to go to great lengths to make USB 3.2 as confusing as humanly possible, and today, it announced the upcoming release of the USB4 specification. At the moment, we've only got a draft specification for USB4, with the final spec to be delivered in the middle of 2019.
If you've tried to plug your phone into your laptop over the past couple of years, or to charge your tablet with your phone's charger, you'll probably have run into USB confusion. Now, things are set to get even stranger, with the USB-IF announcing the USB 3.2 specification and a shake-up in consumer branding.