BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Apple overtakes Samsung as world's biggest phonemaker
Apple now has the lion's share of the global smartphone market, knocking Samsung off the top spot for the first time in 12 years. The American phone giant accounted for more than a fifth of phones shipped last year, according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC). Samsung took 19.4% of the market share with Chinese phonemakers Xiaomi, OPPO and Transsion following behind. Smartph ... Read more
2024-01-17 18:38:07
Garmin Vivoactive 5 Review: Apple Watch SE Gets a Run for Its Money
Garmin is aiming at the Apple Watch with the $300 (£259, AU$499) Vivoactive 5. Like the $249 Apple Watch SE, it has a vivid screen and excellent fitness tracking options. Unlike the Apple Watch, it works with both Android and iOS. Plus, its battery lasts up to 11 days if you're using it in smartwatch mode, without tracking GPS workouts or using the always-on display. Garmin makes too many smartwa ... Read more
2024-01-16 18:11:46
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Unpacked Event Is 2 Days Away. Here's What to Expect
How to watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on Jan. 17. We expect to learn more about the S24 series including the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy AI. Samsung is kicking off the year with a launch for its Galaxy S24 lineup, wherein new AI features are widely expected to be the main attraction. The phones will be officially unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on Jan.17. This year, Samsung sa ... Read more
2024-01-15 18:29:01
ChatGPT for Self-Diagnosis: AI Is Changing the Way We Answer Our Own Health Questions
For better and for worse, AI gives us a new way to take symptom-checking into our own hands. For those with chronic health conditions, it's a new tool. Katie Sarvela was sitting in her bedroom in Nikiksi, Alaska, on top of a moose-and-bear-themed bedspread, when she entered some of her earliest symptoms into ChatGPT. The ones she remembers describing to the chatbot include half of her face feel ... Read more
2024-01-14 18:16:38
Why is the world investing so much in semiconductors?
I'm at the UK's newest computer chip plant in Durham. Formerly a ceramic pipe factory, from the outside it looks like a big warehouse. But inside the vast space is being transformed into a sophisticated hub for the manufacturing of computer chips. Pragmatic Semiconductor has already built one production line, which the industry likes to call fabrication lines, or fab lines. Sealed off in its ow ... Read more
2024-01-12 18:20:40
Why is the world investing so much in semiconductors?
I'm at the UK's newest computer chip plant in Durham. Formerly a ceramic pipe factory, from the outside it looks like a big warehouse. But inside the vast space is being transformed into a sophisticated hub for the manufacturing of computer chips. Pragmatic Semiconductor has already built one production line, which the industry likes to call fabrication lines, or fab lines. Sealed off in its ow ... Read more
2024-01-11 20:32:10
Bitcoin: Crypto fans can now invest in exchange-traded funds - but what are they?
The US has made the long-awaited decision to allow Bitcoin to be part of mainstream investing funds. It has approved what are known as spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which can be purchased by anyone from pension funds to ordinary investors. The announcement from the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission was accompanied by a stern warning about risks associated with the asset ... Read more
2024-01-10 22:40:55
New material found by AI could reduce lithium use in batteries
A brand new substance, which could reduce lithium use in batteries, has been discovered using artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing. The findings were made by Microsoft and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), which is part of the US Department of Energy. Scientists say the material could potentially reduce lithium use by up to 70%. Since its discovery the new material ha ... Read more
2024-01-09 19:04:14
Apple pays out over claims it deliberately slowed down iPhones
Apple has begun making payments in a long-running class action lawsuit over claims it deliberately slowed down certain iPhones in the US. Complainants will receive a cut of a $500m (£394m) settlement which works out to around $92 (£72) per claim. Apple agreed to settle the lawsuit in 2020, stating at the time it denied any wrongdoing but was concerned with the cost of continuing litigation. A s ... Read more
2024-01-08 18:14:37
Samsung Galaxy S24 Features I Want to See: More AI, Faster Charging
The Galaxy S23 was all about practical upgrades like longer battery life, more base storage in the pricier models and a sharper camera sensor for the Ultra. But the Galaxy S24 may be more than just a hardware refresh if Samsung's Galaxy AI features end up being worthwhile. That said, flashy new AI capabilities alone aren't enough to make a smartphone worth recommending. Basics like battery life, ... Read more
2024-01-07 18:33:33