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Category: mobile phones – Page 50

First visionOS-ready apps now rolling out on the App Store

A few months ago, developers with access to an Apple Vision Pro Developer Kit were given access to the App Store to download compatible iPhone and iPad apps. As Vision Pro arrives in stores in February, Apple has made it possible for developers to submit their apps to the App Store. Starting today, these visionOS apps are now rolling out to users.

Developers who submitted their visionOS apps for App Store Review earlier this month are now receiving emails from Apple telling them that the apps have been approved and are now available for download on the visionOS App Store.

As noted by developer Dylan McDonald, the iOS App Store is now showing which apps are compatible with Apple Vision Pro, although screenshots have yet to be made available.

China’s nuclear battery powers your smartphone for 50 years straight

Betavolt wants to create batteries that will last a lifetime by 2025.

A Chinese startup called Betavolt has cooked up this itty-bitty nuclear battery — about the size of a little coin — which they claim can crank out electricity for 50 years straight, with no charging pit stops needed.

As the company leaps from development to the pilot stage, they’re gearing up for full-scale production and a grand entrance into the market pretty soon.

How did they create it?

The Beijing-based company also claims that its nuclear battery is the world’s first to successfully miniaturize atomic energy, fitting 63 nuclear isotopes into a module smaller than a coin.

China is Working on Bringing Nuclear Batteries to Smartphones, Making Charging Absolutely Obsolete

I want this.

A Chinese company called Betavolt Technology has started working on nuclear batteries, and if this turns into something that actually works, you can say goodbye to smartphone charging. Based on the information we have received, the company is working on batteries across several devices.

The nuclear batteries are able to hold a charge for 50 years. Yes, you have heard this right. If this technology ever sees the light of day and hits the mainstream, it is safe to say that our smartphone batteries will outlive many of us.

The company has talked about how they have pioneered the “miniaturization of atomic energy batteries.” Betavolt Technology managed to stuff 63 nuclear isotopes in a modular that is smaller than a coin. The model is called BV100, and it is capable of producing 100 microwatts of electricity, which should be more than enough when it comes to a smartphone.

See Samsung’s fantastic vision of foldable displays

Samsung Display showcased the future of display technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas. Under the theme ‘All-in Innovative Tech: Paving the New Journey,’ the company demonstrated innovative technologies that promise to revolutionize various industries.

Following the success of the Galaxy Flip and Fold lineups, Samsung Display unveiled the In&Out Flip, a foldable device with a flip-phone design that folds 360 degrees in and out.

Unlike conventional foldable phones, the In&Out Flip boasts a single display that can be used even when folded. The company said the sleek and thin device underwent rigorous durability testing to prove its resilience in extreme conditions.

Alexa just got three new generative AI skills — here’s how to try them

Next on the list is a skill called Splash, which uses AI to create a song based on your description. With this one, you can tell Alexa to create any type of song or specify the genre of music you want. After playing a short excerpt, Alexa asks if you want to make any changes, such as adding lyrics. If you like the tune, you can then tell Alexa to send it to your phone for playback.

To use the skill to generate any type of song, say: “Alexa, create a song with Splash Music.” To include a genre, say: “Alexa, open Splash Music,” and you’ll be asked what style you prefer. For this one, I asked Splash to compose a song in the style of jazz. The result certainly wouldn’t win any awards at the next Grammys, but it showed promise.

Finally, the third skill is named Volley Games, an AI-driven spin on the usual 20 questions game. In this one, a friendly AI host challenges you to guess an object by asking the right ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. After giving you the category, you’re prompted to ask each question until you hopefully guess the mystery item. Along the way, you can ask for hints if you’re stumped.

First functional semiconductor made from graphene

The first functional semiconductor made from graphene has been created at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This could enable smaller and faster electronic devices and may have applications for quantum computing.

Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology.

Semiconductors, which are materials that conduct electricity under specific conditions, are foundational components of electronic devices like the chips in your computer, laptop, and smartphone. For many decades, their architecture has been getting smaller and more compact – a trend known as Moore’s Law. This has enabled gigantic leaps in a vast range of technologies, from general computing speeds and video game graphics, to the resolution of medical scans and the sensitivity of astronomical observatories.

Apple’s China headache worsens as iPhone faces double-digit sales slump

The slow start from Apple’s latest offering recently expanded to a 30% year-on-year decline, Bloomberg reported, citing Jefferies analysts led by Edison Lee.

Apple isn’t likely to see its iPhone sales recover from this sluggish start, per Jefferies analysts, which forecast a double-digit drop in volumes for 2024. The company saw a similar decline in December, per Bloomberg.

Apple’s relationship with China has been under strain recently.

Revolutionizing Electronics: Physicists Achieve Major Advance Using Graphene Spintronics

Physicists at the National University of Singapore have innovated a concept to induce and directly quantify spin splitting in two-dimensional materials. By using this concept, they have experimentally achieved large tunability and a high degree of spin-polarisation in graphene. This research achievement can potentially advance the field of two-dimensional (2D) spintronics, with applications for low-power electronics.

Joule heating poses a significant challenge in modern electronics, especially in devices such as personal computers and smartphones. This is an effect that occurs when the flow of electrical current passing through a material produces thermal energy, subsequently raising the material’s temperature.

One potential solution involves the use of spin, instead of charge, in logic circuits. These circuits can, in principle, offer low-power consumption and ultrafast speed, owing to the reduction or elimination of Joule heating. This has given rise to the emerging field of spintronics.

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