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Ring has announced its debut smart lock, which includes a built-in supercapacitor that users can recharge manually via a small crank. A few turns of the crank provide about 20 seconds of power, enough to unlock the door if the battery has died or been removed entirely. Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff demonstrated the device, which also features a backlit touchscreen keypad.
Code found in a new Galaxy Buds app update suggests Samsung will soon tell users to place overheating earbuds back in their charging case to cool down, reversing its long-standing advice to keep them out. The update also indicates overheated buds will now automatically shut off for safety instead of continuously beeping while still active, as current guidance describes.
Android Authority's battery benchmarks show the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's new 5,000mAh silicon-carbon cell outperforms last year's 4,400mAh lithium-polymer battery in most tests, but the improvement is smaller than the raw capacity increase suggests. The report attributes this partly to the phone's new 200MP camera and faster processor offsetting battery gains, particularly in photo-shooting endurance.
Garmin has unveiled the Enduro 4, a rugged smartwatch rated for up to 320 hours of battery life on a single charge. The watch shares the health and fitness tracking features found in Garmin's Fenix 9 Pro line.
Pebble is updating its all-electric Flow trailer for the 2027 model year with a larger solar charging option. The trailer's 45 kWh LFP battery can now be paired with up to 4 kW of solar panels, combining a roof-mounted panel with four additional portable panels, up from the earlier 1.1 kWh roof-only setup.
Glimpse has introduced a new software solution that significantly increases the speed of CT scanner inspections, enabling battery manufacturers to scan tens of thousands of cells daily instead of just a few. The company is also launching Explore, a product aimed at industries like aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, to enhance quality control processes. Currently serving over 100 clients including Lucid and the U.S. Navy, Glimpse's technology leverages deep learning to optimize image processing and inspection workflows.
When the shield icon appears on a Galaxy device, it signifies that Battery Protection is enabled, limiting charging to prolong battery health. Users can select different modes, from basic to maximum, which control the charge cutoff point to reduce battery aging. This feature aims to mitigate the faster degradation caused by maintaining high charge levels over time.
Moment Energy, founded in 2019 in Vancouver, is transforming used electric vehicle batteries into energy storage solutions. The company is expanding its operations in North America, aiming to categorize its repurposed batteries as domestic products and secure safety certifications from UL. This move comes amid ongoing trade tensions and a growing demand for sustainable energy storage options.
A battery symbol next to a USB port signifies that it supports USB Power Delivery (USB PD), allowing it to supply higher power levels and charge connected devices. USB PD was introduced in 2012 and updated in 2021 to deliver up to 240W, enabling it to power high-end laptops and monitors. This marking helps users identify ports capable of faster charging and more demanding power transfer.
An Android Authority reviewer spent two weeks testing the Motorola Edge 70, an ultra-slim smartphone, after initial skepticism about the form factor's trade-offs. The reviewer reports it avoided the compromises seen in Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, which launched with a 3,900mAh battery, 25W charging, only two rear cameras lacking a telephoto lens, and a $1,099 price tag.
Battery capacity refers to the maximum energy a battery can store, measured in mAh for phones and power banks or Wh for laptops, while battery life describes how long a device runs on a charge, usually in hours. Battery health is a separate percentage figure showing how much of the original capacity remains after repeated charge cycles. Google's Pixel 8a and later models are rated to retain 80 percent capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles.
Android Authority's Stephen Radochia tested Google's new AI-generated battery summary feature on a Pixel 11 Pro XL for a week. The tool, found under Settings > Battery and charging > Battery usage, uses Gemini to translate battery drain data into plain-language explanations instead of raw percentages, flagging apps like TikTok and X as major power consumers.