HOBI Weekly Blog Recap 1/14-1/18
Provided is a weekly snapshot of the recent consumer technology and battery related news that HOBI’s blog reported during the week 1/07-1/11.
Mobile tech features coming in 2019
In today’s digital age, there isn’t a day where technology isn’t rapidly evolving. Last year the market was overwhelmed with a flood of new smartphones and in 2019 will be no different. Over the next 12 months, we’ll see a variety of new advancement hit the mobile technology industry. The most anticipated features to hit mobile tech are: the death of the “notch,” which will be replaced by a “hole-punch” display, the continuation of the bezel-free display race, and the latest trend of multiple rear cameras as hardware innovation slows down.
Apple gears up for smart fabric
Are you ready for wearable smart fabric? We’ve heard talks about it for years from some of the biggest names in tech, however, we’ve yet to see anything take over the consumer electronics market. But 2019 may be the year where we really see the possibility of smart fabric come into play. At the start of the year, Apple submitted new patents for connected fabric that could contain various components that you’d find in smart devices, including fiber optics, nanoelectronics, and thermochromic dyes, which would be embedded in conductive or semiconductive threads and yarns.
USB-C could provide protection against nefarious devices
Your USB smartphone cable could go beyond simply charging your phone. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has launched a program called the USB Type-C Authentication Program, which will be able to confirm the authenticity of a devices or charger, including descriptors and capabilities, right at the moment a connection is made. In other words, it could help prevent against malware and malicious acts. However, at this stage the program is simply a recommendation – there is no mandatory implementation required, but its create certainly points to future security requirements for USB-C.
How dissolvable batteries could shake up the e-recycling industryLithium-ion batteries have been a continuous issue for electronic recyclers. Not only is the material hazardous but they can be difficult and expensive to deal with. But that may soon change thanks to a researcher from Iowa State University. Statements submitted from the research team to waste and recycling publications, Waste360, say that the process uses a solvent that can completely dissolve a lithium-ion battery in mere minutes rather than the typical range of hours or days it takes to break them down using traditional heat and chemical practices. Additionally, Craig Boswell, HOBI’s president, also provides commentary on how technology like this could change electronic recycler’s battery handling.
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