cable

Thu
12
May
John Lister's picture

USB-C to Carry 240W, to Eliminate Brick Chargers

The end of brick-like chargers that only fit one laptop is a step closer. The first USB cables that can carry up to 240 watts of power are now in production. For many years, one of the biggest drawbacks of laptops was the charger. In most cases they ... were considerably thicker than the laptop itself. They were also usually specific to the device (both in the plug/socket size and in the specific amount of power delivered). That meant somebody who lost or broke their charger would often face delay and expense before they could charge their device again. Things got a little better with the ... (view more)

Tue
25
Aug
John Lister's picture

Fastest Internet Speed Record Destroyed

The new record for fastest Internet connection is quick enough to download everything on Netflix in under a second. It's safe to say the average home user won't see such speeds, but the techniques used to achieve the speeds could benefit everyone. ... The transfer was done over a fiber-optic cable between computers 25 miles apart. It reached a peak speed of 178 terabits per second. That's around 20 percent faster than the previous record and five times the speed of the fastest connections currently in regular use, namely cables running between machines in data centers. University College London, ... (view more)

Wed
26
Jun
John Lister's picture

Revealed: Why Old-School USB Cables Never Fit the First Time

The man who co-created the USB plug says its greatest annoyance was simply a matter of cost. Ajay Bhatt says that in the original design of the USB-A cable, the plugs were not reversible in order to keep costs down, which would then help get the ... format established. Bhatt discussed his work in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR). He talked about the often baffling experience in which users would try to plug a USB cable in, find that it would not fit, flip it over, find it didn't fit (again), then flip it back to its original orientation and find that inexplicably it now fit. It's a ... (view more)

Thu
09
Aug
John Lister's picture

EU Wants to Ban Apple Lightening, Quick Charge

Officials in Europe want all phone companies to use the same technology for charging mobile devices. If the rules go ahead, it could mean Apple has to ditch its custom 'Lightning' port, and Qualcomm's 'Quick Charge' (used by Android devices). The ... European Union is running an "impact assessment study" to decide whether to push the policy and if so, whether to seek a voluntary agreement or impose rules. If it opts for the latter, manufacturers might decide it is easier to use the relevant charging port format worldwide rather than make specific handsets for Europe. (Source: independent.co.uk ) ... (view more)

Wed
21
Sep
John Lister's picture

Comcast Gets Into Cellphone Service

Comcast is to offer cellphone service next year, targeting its existing customers. It will use a combination of cellphone towers leased from Verizon and its own wireless hotspots. The company is not revealing too many details at this point, but it ... appears it believes it will be able to offer a wider coverage area by using its existing network of around 14 million wireless hotspots. Customers Own Routers Part of Network That network is so large because it not only covers devices in public places such as coffee shops but also uses a "guest mode" on the wireless routers of many cable ... (view more)

Tue
09
Aug
John Lister's picture

Hulu Abandons Free Service; to become Subscription Only

Hulu is ditching its free TV service, though it will still be available in a different form. Analysts believe the move was forced on it by the television industry. Up until now, Hulu users had three options for streaming video online. The free, ... basic service let users watch many network and cable shows the day after broadcast - but only if users watched commercials. In most cases, the five most recent episodes of a show were available online. Customers can also pay $7.99 a month for a "limited commercials" option, or $11.99 a month to cut out commercials altogether. Both of these ... (view more)

Thu
04
Aug
John Lister's picture

State Sues Comcast over Dodgy 'Service Protection Plan'

Washington state officials are suing Comcast for allegedly misleading customers over a service protection plan. The cable and broadband company is accused of selling a $4.99 a month plan that many customers didn't need, and which fell short of its ... promises. The Comcast "Service Protection Plan" is promoted as covering the costs that would normally apply when a Comcast technician visits a home. The promotion claimed to have covered "all chargeable service calls for 3 ... XFINITY services without additional service fees." Many Repairs Free, Anyhow According to the state ... (view more)

Tue
20
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

Comcast, Microsoft Nearing 'Xbox TV' Deal: Report

According to a new report, Microsoft may be in negotiations with America's largest cable providers to help create a solid foundation for its upcoming Xbox TV service. Xbox TV was first unveiled back at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June ... of this year. While Microsoft didn't say much about the service at the time, it did announce plans to "partner with TV providers" in order to make the service truly appealing to Xbox 360 users. Microsoft also said that it intended to bring local channels as well as sports and various news networks to Xbox TV. (Source: slashgear.com ) On Demand, ... (view more)

Thu
09
Jun
Dennis Faas's picture

Microsoft Expected to Unveil TV Service at E3

It's rumored that Microsoft will unveil a subscription-based TV service for its Xbox 360 video game console at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at Los Angeles' Convention Center. Word of the possible unveiling comes from Winrumors, ... which suggests that Microsoft is currently in last-minute discussions to secure critical agreements giving the TV service its go-ahead. It's believed the subscription service would be called Xbox LIVE Diamond and would act like a "virtual cable operator." (Source: pcworld.com ) Diamond Offers Remain Unclear It's unclear precisely what that means, but ... (view more)

Tue
02
Sep
Dennis Faas's picture

ISPs Tracked Customers Without Consent

Last fall, several communications companies reportedly conducted trials, in some cases lasting up to 6 months, of network-based technology designed to track a customer's Internet actions, attempting to amass refined data on web-surfer habits that ... may be sold at premium rates to advertisers. Cable One's 'trial' affected about 700,000 customers. Bresnan Communications conducted a similar 'trial' that was limited to about 6,000 broadband customers in Billings, Montana from April 1 to June 26, 2008. Knology tested it on about 230,000 of their customers from January until July 2008. WideOpenWest ... (view more)

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