Huawei works on new lithium-ion batteries capable of charging 10 times faster than normal batteries

Imagine being able to charge a 3,000mAh battery to 48 percent in just five minutes. Existing quick charging technologies have nothing on what Huawei is planning. Huawei presented at the 56^th Battery Symposium in Japan new lithium-ion batteries that are said to achieve ten times the charging speeds of existing batteries. Shown in two separate videos, one 600mAh battery can reach 68 percent capacity in two minutes, while the other is the 3,000mAh one that hit close to 50 percent at around five minutes.

The science behind this according to Huawei is it “bonded heteroatoms to the molecule of graphite in anode, which could be a catalyst for the capture and transmission of lithium through carbon bonds.” This helps improve charging speed without decreasing energy density or battery life. For now it’s still a concept but we can’t wait for future smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and the like to take advantage of this technology.

Source: Android Police

Podcast manager Castro gets iOS 9 features and goes free

iOS podcast manager Castro gets an update and brings with it some of the new iOS 9 features. The app gets things like Spotlights search, an in-app browser, and 3D Touch features. It still has the gesture-based interface to make it easy to use and a lot of storage management options for users with only 16GB iPhones. The app is also now free with an optional patronage in case you want to tip the developer.

Source: Lifehacker | Download: Apple App Store (Free) 

The Apple Beat: Current products and services range ushers in age of expansion

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

 “We’ve got the best product pipeline that I’ve seen in my 25 years at Apple,”

             - Eddie Cue, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services.

Apple's list of products and also its services have balloned in 2015 which can very well be considered the age of expansion for the company. We now have two iPhone model sizes, three iPad model sizes, an expansive notebook line as well as the most choice in iMacs we've ever had before. Then there's Apple TV, Apple Watch and the iPods are very much still there.

More than just these product lines, we need to consider Apple's expanding ecosystems and their attached developer communities. OS X for desktops and notebooks, iOS for iPhones and iPads, tvOS for Apple TV, watchOS for Apple Watch plus why not throw in iTunes and Apple Music and iCloud as well.

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Fossil buys wearable maker Misfit for $260 million

Looks like more watchmakers are now ready to enter the wearable space. This time, Fossil Group just announced that they have agreed to purchase wearable maker Misfit for US$260 million. The company plans to incorporate Misfit’s technologies into its products as early as next year. Misfit CEO and co-founder Sonny Vu will become president and CTO of Fossil Group. The company produces watches for brands such as adidas, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, DKNY, and Burberry.

“With the acquisition of Misfit, Fossil Group will be uniquely positioned to lead the convergence of style and technology and to become the fashion gateway to the high-growth wearable technology and connected device markets." Kosta Kartsotis, CEO of Fossil Group said in a statement.

Source: The Verge