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17 February 2014

Flap that

In the wake of Flappy Bird's demise, an army of clones has risen up to take its place — but Apple and Google may now be preventing that from happening. Currently when you search "flappy" in Google Play or the App Store, you'll see game like Flappy Fish, Flappy Pig, or Splashy Fish pop up. However, several developers are reporting that both Apple and Google have since clamped down on obvious clones, disallowing games that are clearly built to cash in on Flappy Bird's sudden burst of popularity. But enough about that because here's what really makes our mobile devices ever more spectacular: larger screens, higher resolutions, faster modems, and speedier processors. And here's the oft substantial cost of all that: big-time battery consumption. Handset makers constantly strive to squeeze more milliamps into a phone battery. The challenge of so while keeping a slim profile is clear to anyone who has used a charging case. But even here there is a tradeoff beyond potential girth. As batteries get larger and chargers send a fixed amount of juice using the microUSB specification, wireless charging times can increase dramatically. That is why new standards promise to top our mobile devices off faster than ever. For instance, USB 3.0 provided some relief to the issue by raising the ceiling for power from its previous limit of 500 milliamps per hour to 800. But a new version of the Quick Charge standard developed by Qualcomm would enable charges up to 75 percent faster than conventional technology. But what needs to happen for device companies to implement Quick Charge 2.0? Support for the standard is already present in the high-end range of Qualcomm's ubiquitous mobile system-on-chip series; over 70 handsets supported version 1.0 of the standard. Handset companies would simply need to activate the technology, which would make sense if they opted to toss in a Quick Charge 2.0-compatible charger in the box. And in order to prevent lower-power devices from being blown out by receiving too much current, the company is working closely with mobile device makers and major battery and charger suppliers to help ensure that each device gets only as much juice as it can handle. It's looking to be a standard to get behind, and those who will most likely find the most value in the new Quick Charge are mobile users who pound on their battery. Nomadic types who get in bits of work at coffee shops can appreciate the value of being able to "top off", or get a lot closer to doing so, with only 15 or 20 minutes of outlet access. Along with improvements in battery life longevity and conservation, faster charging will be a part of the total effort required to keep one's mobile life going. Just you wait until Quick Charge 3.0 comes onto the market.

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