New USB-C 240W Power Delivery can support powerful laptops

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has announced a new USB-C 240W Power Delivery standard that more than doubles the existing power capacity of standard USB ports. The existing USB PD maxes out at 100W, which is enough for most laptops and phones, but the new standard will be able to cater to more power-hungry machines like gaming laptops, printers, and large monitors. 

USB-IF is calling the new standard (v2.1) as Extended Power Range (EPR) and you will understandably need new EPR labeled USB-C cables for your machine to be able to make use of the full 240W power. 

“USB-IF will require the cables to bear specific icons so that end-users will be able to confirm visually that the cable supports up to 240W,” USB-IF said in the specification document as noted by CNET. The cables will need to support 5A and 50V to be compliant. 

While the universal USB PD standard getting more capable is good news, the requirement of specific cables further complicates things for common consumers. Non-compliant cables will not offer desired charging speeds and may also end up damaging the USB port. 

USB-C isn’t the only specification that governs communication and compatibility with devices. Standards like USB 3.2 or the latest USB 4.0 govern how data is transferred over cables and USB Power Delivery takes responsibility for appropriate charging speed based on device, adaptor, and cable in use. 

On laptops, USB still competes with Intel’s Thunderbolt. USB 4 matches the 40Gbps Thunderbolt data transfer speed, but it does so by embedding Thunderbolt technology. 

Either way, USB-C PD is swiftly gaining prominence as a charging standard that works with both phones and laptops. On the smartphone side of things, many proprietary charging solutions like Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 directly leverage USB PD charging. Others proprietary solutions like Oppo's Super VOOC and Vivo's Super Flashcharge also have support for USB PD, even if the respective phones don’t ship with a compatible USB PD charger. 

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Unreal Engine 5 Early Access Build Now Available for Game Developers

Unreal Engine 5 early access build is now available for game developers. New features include World Partition, Control Rig, Pose Browser, Full-Body IK solver, Motion Warping, and MetaSounds. Full Unreal Engine 5 build expected in early 2022, Epic Games said.

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Xiaomi is formally off the US Department of Defense Blacklist

At the start of this year, nine Chinese companies including Xiaomi were put on the US Department of Defense blacklist for allegedly being controlled by the Chinese military. Well, one of those companies, Xiaomi, is now off the hook. This implies US citizens no longer have any restrictions on buying or holding stocks in the company. 

The sanction was one of the decisions taken under the Donald Trump administration against China. The Joe Biden administration has admitted to lack of sufficient reasons to put Xiaomi on the list and has agreed to not challenge the ruling. 

Xiaomi had filed a legal complaint challenging its designation as Communist Chinese Military Company (CCMC)  as “unlawful and unconstitutional”. It argued that its CCMC designation would do ‘irreparable harm’ to its business. 

Shares of the company fell by over 20 percent since January when it was blacklisted. Its formal removal from the list is likely to turn the tides. 

A court filing earlier in May revealed that the US Defense Department would vacate Xiaomi’s designation as CCMC. The filling stated that Washington and Xiaomi would resolve the litigation without any further contest. 

"The company reiterates that it is an open, transparent, publicly traded, independently operated and managed corporation," Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun said in the statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. 

Xiaomi isn’t the only company to get off the list. China’s Luokung Technology, a big data provider that had also challenged its CCMC designation, was also removed from the list. It’s likely that this victory will inspire other Chinese companies on the DoD blacklist to pursue the legal route. 

Trump administration also put China's Huawei Technologies on an export blacklist in 2019, which barred it from accessing critical U.S. technology including access to Qualcomm and AMD Chipset technology and Google Mobile Services. The decision destroyed Huawei’s pretty much global presence and was a massive blow to its smartphone division. Huawei’s former sub-brand Honor will soon attempt a comeback on the global stage with Honor 50 series smartphones.

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Microsoft teases Next generation of Windows during Build 2021 Keynote

Microsoft’s annual developer conference, Build, kickstarted with a keynote from CEO, Satya Nadela. He teased the “next generation of Windows” and claimed it to be the biggest update to Windows “in over a decade”. Microsoft didn’t specify these upcoming changes and plans to detail them in a separate event very soon. 

“Soon we will share one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade to unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators. I’ve been self-hosting it over the past several months, and I’m incredibly excited about the next generation of Windows. Our promise to you is this: we will create more opportunity for every Windows developer today and welcome every creator who is looking for the most innovative, new, open platform to build and distribute and monetize applications. We look forward to sharing more very soon,” said Satya Nadela in his keynote address. 

Microsoft is clearly laying more focus on enticing developers and is reportedly bringing in some significant changes to its Microsoft Store. Rumours suggest that it could even allow companies to use their own payment systems or third-party options. This would mean that developers will be able to avoid sharing 15 percent revenue on in-app purchases and 12 percent revenue on games with Microsoft. Developers will allegedly also be able to channel apps and updates through their own content delivery network. 

The new announcement comes just a week after Microsoft shut down development for Windows 10X, a lightweight version of its PC OS built for dual-screen devices. It plans on integrating key 10x learnings and technology into other parts of Windows and products and these changes will hopefully reflect in Windows 10 with the 'Sun Valley' update later this year. 

The next major update for Windows 10 is scheduled for October 2021. It will include new, modernized system icons, improve Bluetooth audio support, add Xbox Auto HDR feature, and more.

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Valve Could Be Working on Nintendo Switch-Like Portable Console, Teased to Launch by Year-End

Valve is reportedly developing a Nintendo Switch-like portable PC that will be based on Linux. Mentions of a new device have been spotted in the code for the latest version of Steam beta. Valve co-founder and Managing Director Gabe Newell had also reportedly hinted at an upcoming console.

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Nintendo Switch to Get Spy Alarm App That Can Turn Your Joy-Con Into Laser Tripwire

Nintendo Switch as a security device? Game developer Sabec plans to make it possible. Its Spy Alarm app — lined up for a release on May 27 — can turn your handheld console into a laser tripwire. As Nintendo says on its website, "Spy Alarm guards your stuff!"

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OnePlus Nord2 mentioned on the official website, likely to launch before September end

It’s almost been a year since OnePlus’ Nord series debuted in India. There have been a few rumours about upcoming Nord successors and now the 'Nord2' name has seemingly been confirmed on the official website. 

Nord2 name was spotted in the FAQ section of a promo that OnePlus is running for select EU nations. The company is offering a free Stadia Premium Edition Bundle that includes a Stadia Premiere Edition controller and Chromecast Ultra in UK, France, and Germany. Buyers are eligible to avail of this offer on several OnePlus phones including the Nord2 before September 30. 

This implies that the Nord2 is indeed on its way and should be available for purchase before September end, or at least in regions where the Stadia Premium Edition Promo is running. 

A couple of OnePlus Nord phones were also recently spotted on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website, hinting at imminent India arrival. 

OnePlus Nord2 specifications and features 

Leaks regarding the Nord2 are quite sparse, but a few rumours claim that it will be the first OnePlus phone to employ a MediaTek SoC, the Dimensity 1200 to be precise. 

This is a chipset is based on the 6nm process and features one Cortex-A78 prime core, three Cortex-A78 performance cores, and four Cortex-A55 power cores. The chip supports up to LPDDR4x RAM, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6. The Realme X7 Max 5G is set to be the first phone with that processor in India. 

We had heard similar rumours about OnePlus siding with the Dimensity 1000 for the original Nord, but the phone was ultimately launched with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G after all. We will need to wait and watch to find out how things pan out this year. Other than that, the OnePlus Nord2 is expected to take design cues from the OnePlus 9 series.  

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