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Tag: Gadgets

Dec62020 by adminNo Comments
Improved ‘to the point of perfection’: The best gadgets of the year

Improved ‘to the point of perfection’: The best gadgets of the year

Technology
Apple's Airpods Pro have been named Which? Product of the Year, after the wireless bluetooth earbuds were praised for being improved "to the point of near-perfection".Testers at the not-for-profit consumer group whittled down 3,500 products launched and tested between September 2018 and September 2020 to 50, based on exceptional innovation, sustainability or value for money. The entire company was then given the option to vote on the top 10.Judges concluded it was "remarkable that tiny earpods can create such versatile, powerful and spatial sound" and welcomed the introduction of a rubber earpiece to create a more secure fit. Image: Apple's Airpods Pro came top of the list Harry Rose, editor of Which? magazine, said: "Apple's new Airp...
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Jun92020 by adminNo Comments
If it ain’t broke: You share your oldest working gadgets

If it ain’t broke: You share your oldest working gadgets

Technology
These days, your shiny new gadget is likely to be rendered obsolete by software updates (or a lack of them) before it physically grinds to a halt.A recent report by the consumer campaign group Which? suggests the lifespan of a smart fridge could be just a few years if the brand behind it stops providing software support and updates.Meanwhile, Sonos has released new software for its internet-connected speakers that does not work on its own-branded older devices.And this prompted me to casually mention on Twitter that I have a 12-year-old TV. To make myself feel better, I also asked people to share their oldest working gadgets. And a floodgate opened.Made in the days before software updates, operating systems and security vulnerabilities were part of of the...
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Aug212019 by adminNo Comments
Millions of old gadgets ‘stockpiled in drawers’

Millions of old gadgets ‘stockpiled in drawers’

Science
"Ten phones, two laptops, digital cameras... all just sitting here. We're not dealing with it." Louise Lewis is surveying a collection of old gadgets that have piled up in her home. Her technological stash, experts say, is typical. But it could jeopardise our ability to manufacture new devices. A study has estimated that as many as 40 million unused gadgets are languishing in UK homes. Each device contains multiple valuable and increasingly endangered elements. Media playback is unsupported on your device The growing, unseen shortage of so-called "rare earth elements" was the impetus for the Royal Society of Chemistry's survey of just how much unused technology we are all stockpiling...
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Aug112019 by adminNo Comments
Gadgets can be hacked to produce ‘dangerous’ sounds, says researcher

Gadgets can be hacked to produce ‘dangerous’ sounds, says researcher

Technology
Many modern gadgets can be hacked to produce deafening and disorienting sounds, research has revealed.Security researcher Matt Wixey found a range of devices had little protection to stop themselves being turned into "offensive" low-grade, cyber-weapons.Mr Wixey tested laptops, mobile phones, headphones, a PA system and several types of speakers. The weaknesses could cause physical harm, harass individuals or disrupt larger organisations, he said. Annoying tonesMr Wixey, who is a head of research at PWC's cyber-security practice, said he conducted the experiments as part of PhD work into the ways that malware can directly cause physical harm.He sought to find out if the volume and speaker controls of the devices could be manipula...
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