Vodafone Smart E8 now available

The device, exclusive to Vodafone, is 4G enabled and available for £49 on Pay as you go

Vodafone has made its latest device, the Vodafone Smart E8, available for purchase.

The latest Vodafone Smart device boasts a complete unibody casing, a five inch LCD display and a second microphone that reduces background noise on whilst the user is on a call.

Beneath the screen the Smart E8 runs on a Snapdragon 210 processor with 1GB of RAM and Android Nougat 7.1 and 8GB of storage of which 3.44GB is available.

The Vodafone Smart E8 costs £49 on pay as you go with the device only available in blue.

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Some Android Wear 2.0 keyboards have missing characters, fix coming

Google has officially acknowledged a bug in Android Wear 2.0 where-in keyboards for some languages have missing characters. Specifically, users of Russian and Hungarian keyboards have been noticing this problem for a few months.

Characters ‘Х’ ‘Ъ’ ‘Э,’ and ‘Ё’ are missing from the Russian keyboard, and the Hungarian keyboard is also reportedly incomplete.

Affected wearables include watches with round screens (LG Watch Urbane and Huawei Watch). Following is the statement from a Google community manager:

“Hi, Just wanted to update this thread to say that this has carefully been considered and will be coming in a future update. Thanks everyone for your feedback!”

 

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Asus Zenfone AR landing in UK

Asus has announced that is bringing it’s Zenfone AR smartphone to the UK. In fact, the company has confirmed that the device will be available to pre-order in the country starting July 21. As for pricing, the phone will carry a tag of £799 (around $1,035).

Those pre-ordering will also get a Daydream View unit free. First 30 pre-orders will be eligible for some other freebies as well, including headphones, a case, and a screen protector.

The handset, for those who aren’t aware, offers support for Tango (Google’s AR system) and Daydream (Google’s VR platform). Specs-wise, the Zenfone AR is powered by Snapdragon 821 chipset, and sports a 5.7-inch QHD AMOLED display. It has 8GB of RAM, and features a 23MP main camera.

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LI-ION BATTERY CARE GUIDE

BATTERY LIFE

Battery life can vary depending on usage of the internal modules, backlight settings, and ambient temperature. Factors that decrease battery life include the following:

Internal radio usage. The 802.11g radio is very power-demanding and can decrease the battery life by a great deal. The Bluetooth® radio will also decrease battery life. To maximize battery life, turn off the radios when they are not in use.

Frequent use of power-hungry modules such as GPS, cameras, and scanners can decrease battery life by up to 50%.

Make sure to choose power settings to match your needs. If available and not needed, reduce performance to maximize battery life. Make sure to lower the backlight according to your needs since this will increase battery life.

Cold temperature reduces battery capacity. The colder the temperature, the more the capacity is reduced. Extremely cold temperatures (-20 °C) can reduce battery life to just a few hours.

WILL IT DAMAGE MY BATTERIES TO LEAVE THEM ON THE CHARGER?

Charging continuously for a week or two is unlikely to degrade performance if this only happens occasionally. Continuous charging for many months will decrease the service life of the pack an indeterminate amount, depending on environment and manufacturing variations.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I PLAN TO STORE MY HANDHELD FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE WEEKS?

If you plan to store the unit for longer than a couple of weeks, handheld strongly recommends unplugging the battery from the charger or removing the battery from the device.

We recommend to store the batteries at a 30% state of charge.

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You’ve been charging your smartphone wrong

Yes, we know. Our smartphone batteries are bad because they barely last a day.

But it’s partially our fault because we’ve been charging them wrong this whole time.

Many of us have an ingrained notion that charging our smartphones in small bursts will cause long-term damage to their batteries, and that it’s better to charge them when they’re close to dead.

But we couldn’t be more wrong.

If fact, a site from battery company Cadex called Battery University details how the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones are sensitive to their own versions of “stress.” And, like for humans, extended stress could be damaging your smartphone battery’s long-term lifespan.

If you want to keep your smartphone battery in top condition and go about your day without worrying about battery life, you need to change a few things.

Don’t keep it plugged in when it’s fully charged

According to Battery University, leaving your phone plugged in when it’s fully charged, like you might overnight, is bad for the battery in the long run.

Once your smartphone has reached 100% charge, it gets “trickle charges” to keep it at 100% while plugged in. It keeps the battery in a high-stress, high-tension state, which wears down the chemistry within.

Battery University goes into a bunch of scientific detail explaining why, but it also sums it nicely: “When fully charged, remove the battery” from its charging device. “This is like relaxing the muscles after strenuous exercise.” You too would be pretty miserable if you worked out nonstop for hours and hours.

In fact, try not to charge it to 100%

At least when you don’t have to.

According to Battery University, “Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because a high voltage stresses the battery” and wears it away in the long run.

That might seem counterintuitive if you’re trying to keep your smartphone charged all day, but just plug it in whenever you can during the day, and you’ll be fine.

Plug in your phone whenever you can

It turns out that the batteries in our smartphones are much happier if you charge them occasionally throughout the day instead of plugging them in for a big charging session when they’re empty.

Charging your phone when it loses 10% of its charge would be the best-case scenario, according to Battery University. Obviously, that’s not practical for most people, so just plug in your smartphone whenever you can. It’s fine to plug and unplug it multiple times a day.

Not only does this keep your smartphone’s battery performing optimally for longer, but it also keeps it topped up throughout the day.

Plus, periodic top-ups also let you use features you might not normally use because they hog your battery life, like location-based features that use your smartphone’s GPS antenna.

Keep it cool

Smartphone batteries are so sensitive to heat that Apple itself suggests you remove certain cases that insulate heat from your iPhone when you charge it. “If you notice that your device gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first.” If you’re out in the hot sun, keep your phone covered. It’ll protect your battery’s health.

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BATTERY CARE

DO read the instructions on your device before installing batteries. Only use the size and type of battery specified in the instructions.

DO insert the batteries properly. Follow the symbols showing the correct way to position the positive (+) and negative (-) ends of the batteries.

DO keep battery contact surfaces clean by gently rubbing with a clean pencil eraser or cloth.

DO immediately remove exhausted batteries from your device and dispose of properly.

DO remove all batteries from the device at the same time and replace them with new batteries of the same size and type.

DO preserve battery life by switching off a device and removing the batteries when it is not being used, and is not expected to be used for extended periods of time.

DO practice proper battery storage by keeping batteries in a cool, dry place at normal room temperature. It is not necessary to store batteries in a refrigerator.

 

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Battery Care & Maintenance

Regular Inspection and Maintenance
Regular testing and inspection will help to maximise battery life. A routine inspection at least once a month is recommended to maintain optimum performance.
Battery Testing
Battery testing should form part of a regular maintenance routine. Pre-emptive battery replacement can help eliminate many of the costs and problems associated with a flat battery.
Voltage and Specific Gravity
Voltage (V) and Specific Gravity (SG) are measurements used to determine a battery’s state of charge. Voltage is a quick and easy way of measuring charge levels and is measured by connecting either a multi-meter or voltmeter and obtaining a DC reading. Always connect the multi-meter parallel to the circuit being tested, observing polarity; otherwise the result will be negative.

Hydrometers measure the Specific Gravity of the electrolyte and indicate the density of electrolyte compared to water. As this requires access to acid reservoirs, it is only suitable for use with maintainable batteries.
Battery Charging
Always read the manufacturer’s instructions before attempting to charge a battery and ensure you have a good quality Australian-approved battery charger. The battery type and its internal components will determine which type of charger is required.

Important Note:
Avoid quick charging as this only charges the surface of the battery plates and can increase the chance of overheating, leading to permanent battery damage.

Be aware of all safety precautions that should be observed during the charging operation before attempting to charge a battery.

1. Turn the charger off before attaching, rocking or removing the terminal clamps.

2. Keep open flames and sparks away from the battery.

3. Keep vent caps in place.

4. Charge in well ventilated area.

5. Follow the battery charger manufacturer’s instructions to avoid overheating.
Factors Affecting Battery Life
As batteries age they gradually lose their capacity as their function is performed. The constant charge and discharge eventually leads to failure. Components corrode over time, electrical shorts occur and vibration causes damage; all eventually causing failure. Overcharging and undercharging of a battery will also have a bearing on battery life.
Technical Tips
• Vibration can reduce a battery’s life. Always use an approved battery clamp to limit vibration. Century batteries are built tough, using robust internal components to resist damage through abrasion and puncture from vehicle vibration.

• Many alleged ‘dead batteries’ are merely flat batteries. Drivers simply leave lights on or can have faulty voltage regulators.
• Ensure your battery is properly tested before replacing a battery.

• It’s impossible to know exactly when a battery might fail. A slow starting engine is sometimes an indication.
• Old batteries can give trouble in colder weather.
• Equally, if an engine area becomes overheated in very hot weather and the battery is under strain from air conditioners it may fail. Regular battery checks are always advised.

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LG will provide L-shaped power cells for the 2018 iPhone

We might be expecting the iPhone 8, but reports about the iPhone 9 already started surfacing. According to sources, Apple had reached an agreement with LG Chem for the battery of the 2018 iPhone.
The power cell will be L-shaped with a bend at the bottom and is expected to increase the battery capacity without making the whole device bigger.
According to sources, LG has invested tens of millions dollars in facilities and plans to start mass production early next year.
Along with the battery, the display size might also be new to the 2018 iPhone. A 5.28” OLED and 6.46” OLED panels are expected to be seen on the iPhone 9 or whatever it’s called.

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Should I Leave My Laptop Plugged in

It has been a problem concerned by most of computer users for a long time—should I leave my laptop plugged in or on battery power? Unfortunately, this is not a question I can answer you with a single “yes” or “no” as there are many factors affecting the lifespan of a battery from which the types of battery, the ambient conditions you put your laptop and what you use your laptop to do are included.
However, I can give a definitive suggestion is that you should make compromise between the two options. According to expert, let your laptop be 40% to 80% is the optimal choice as this keeps your laptop in the healthiest condition. Read on you will know why is that!
Truth for Battery
There are two types of lithium-based batteries in our daily life—lithium-ion battery and lithium-polymer battery. It’s not an easy task to explain their difference in a short sentence but they function in broadly the same way, with power being created by the movement of electrons.
No matter your devices equipped with Li-ion or Li-polymer battery there are two pieces of truth:
They won’t be overcharged. Unlike traditional batteries, the Lithium-based batteries will cease charging and won’t start again until the voltage falls below a certain level as soon as it hits 100% so that it will not cause damage even though you leave it plugged in all the time.
They will damaged by full discharge. This can be easily explained by the limitation of battery’s discharge and recharge circles. Every battery has a finite number of times it can be charged and discharged. If you frequently fully discharge your battery, it will dead as a doornail someday. Furthermore, having a battery fully discharged for an extended period can put it into a deep discharge state, from which it might never recover.
The higher the charge level is, the shorter the battery’s life will be. Voltage level is an important index to measure the life span of a battery. In the general case, Lithium-ion batteries charge to 4.20V/cell, amounting to 100% of its capacity. The lifespan lies in 300-500 discharge circles, however, every 0.1v/cell drop below 4.2v/cell doubles the circle but hold less capacity. And raising the voltage above the 4.2v/cell would shorten the life.
High temperature cause irreparable damage. There is a rule of thumb for preventing battery from damaged that is avoid overcharging and overheating. Since overcharging won’t happen, overheating should be carefully monitored. Usually, the 30 degree Celsius is the maximum temperature that your battery could bear. Attention should be paid is that not only environmental conditions heat up your laptop, gaming or long time working do the same.
Conclusions
Since this is not a problem for those who often use laptop for travelling as they will use battery power on their way and AC at home. But if you only use your laptop at home you’d better balance the two ways. And undoubtedly, to prolong your battery life, you should carefully monitor the heat and don’t full discharge it.
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How to Charge Samsung Galaxy S8 Battery First Time

After the failure of Samsung Note 7, Samsung devotes to win their consumers back this year. To attract shoppers’ eyeballs, Samsung doesn’t keep Samsung Galaxy S8’s design under wraps, by contrast, their information disclosed in advance and many rumors released among people. What can we expect from the latest Samsung generation?Let’s see what we can assure ourselves when the Samsung debut in New York City and how to charge Samsung Galaxy S8 battery first time if you are ready to be a user of it.
Expectations from Samsung Galaxy S8 for sure
Without any doubt Samsung spares no effort to improve their battery quality. As a result, Samsung Galaxy S8 may have adopted its revised eight-point battery testing procedure and meanwhile it will leave more space inside for the battery. Another concern is that it features a bezel-less infinity display and brandy new intelligent assistant Bixby, practically everyone knows bigger display means more power consuming, moreover, the cool Bixby would probably be another power draining source.
How to charge Samsung Galaxy S8 battery first time
When facing a brand-new mobile phone, people tend to ask more questions about how to prolong the mobile phones’ battery life. In fact, various smartphones comes with the similar way to avoid being damaged. However, when comes to the first charge, there are some difference to Li-ion batteries. As a common used battery today, Li-ion batteries are much smarter than before. They needn’t to be full charged at the first three times charging, as it is the case with lead acid, nor is it desirable to do so. In most cases, the recommendation on the instruction book is the best way to charge Samsung Galaxy S8 battery first time before using. Additionally, full-charge even do harm to your new phone as high voltages may stress the battery.
Besides the first time, charge your phone properly afterwards is also very important, here are some attentions you should be paid:
 Keep a battery at a favorable temperature
 Avoid harsh discharge and ultra-fast charge
 Store Li-ion at partial charge better at about 50 percent SOC