Google’s Screencast app for Chrome OS lets teachers record video lessons

In its ongoing push to corner the education market, Google is introducing new classroom-specific features to Chrome OS. The first of those is Screencast, a new built-in app that allows teachers to build a video library of lessons and demos students can…

Surface Laptop Go 2 hands-on: An upgrade that’s worth the extra money

The Surface Laptop Go line holds an interesting position in Microsoft’s notebook lineup. It’s not quite as cheap or portable as the Surface Go 3 and it’s not as powerful or flexible as the Surface Studio. But a recent component refresh has added new li…

Anker charging accessories are up to 40 percent off in one-day Amazon sale

You can get Anker’s power banks, cables and other charging accessories for up to 40 percent off only for today at Amazon. The brand’s pint-sized 30-watt Nano II charger that’s powered by GaN technology, for instance, is currently listed for $23.80. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen for the device, which typically sells for $30. Since it’s powered by GaN technology that replaces silicon with gallium nitride, Anker was able to design the USB-C device to be as big as a phone charger even though it can also power laptops like the MacBook Air and tablets like the iPad Pro. 

Buy Anker charging accessories at Amazon – up to 40 percent off

If you’re looking for something even cheaper, the Anker 20W Nano Pro charger is also available for $15. While that’s only $5 off its original retail price, that’s also an all-time low for the USB-C charging accessory. The “Glacier Blue” version of the Nano Pro can be used to charge phones like the iPhone and some tablets like the iPad mini. 

Anker is also selling its PowerCore bundle with a 20,000 mAh power bank and the PowerPort III Nano One charger, which is only one-inch thick but has a charging power of 18 watts, for $52.49 or $7.50 off its retail price. The package comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a carrying pouch, as well. Another deal worth checking out if you have Apple devices is for the Anker USB-C to Lightning cable package that’s currently on sale for $24. That represents a 40 percent (or $16) in savings and is the lowest price we’ve seen for the pack of two cables, each with a length of 10 feet.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

EU reaches deal to make USB-C a common charger for most electronic devices

Europe has reached a deal to make USB-C a common charger for all phones and electronic devices, with the aim to reduce e-waste and inconvenience with incompatible chargers. “Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charging device and cable every time they purchase a new device, and can use one single charger for all of their small and medium-sized portable electronic devices,” the European Parliament said in a press release. 

Buyers will also be able to choose whether they want to purchase new electronic equipment with or without a charger. “These new obligations will lead to more re-use of chargers and will help consumers save up to 250 million euro a year on unnecessary charger purchases,” the EU wrote. 

Manufacturers have until autumn 2024 to implement the new rule, which covers “mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers.” They’ll have a bit longer to adapt the rule for laptops, up to 40 months after the rule goes into effect. 

The EU has worked with the industry to reduce the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to 3 over the last decade, it said last year. The biggest odd one out is Apple’s Lightning iPhone port that’s used by around 20 percent of devices sold in Europe. Apple has yet to respond to the legislation, but in 2020, said that the push for a universal phone charger would “stifle innovation.” 

Another issue that’s not completely clear is how the EU wants manufacturers to handle different standards like DisplayPort for video. As for power delivery (PD), the EU simply said that “consumers will be provided with clear information on the charging characteristics of new devices, making it easier for them to see whether their existing chargers are compatible.” USB-C version 2.1 supports up to 240 watts of power delivery, up from 100 watts, but there’s no clear way to identify how much power a given cable can support. 

The EU throws away 12,000 tons of chargers each year, many unused, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, consumers spend around 2.4 billion euros ($2.8 billion) on standalone chargers not included with devices. The new rules require formal approval the EU’s Parliament and Council, which won’t take place until after the summer recess. It’ll enter into force 20 days after it’s published in the EU Official Journal. 

iOS 16 will support Nintendo’s Joy-Cons and other game controllers

Yesterday at WWDC 2022, Apple discussed how iOS 16 would improve the gaming experience with updated Metal 3 graphics, Game Center improvements and more. Now, it looks like iOS 16 will offer support for more third-party gaming controllers as well, most notably Nintendo’s Joy-Con and Pro controllers, 9to5Mac has reported. 

Developer Riley Testut found that he could play games with Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro controllers on iPhones and iPads with the latest iOS 16 beta release. The update also supports the 8Bitdo, BADA MOGA XP5-X Plus and Logitech F710 Gamepad controllers, according to the internal code spotted by 9to5Mac. 

iOS 16 lets you pair the Joy-Cons as one controller or separately, and you can customize the controls in the Bluetooth settings. You can even dynamically switch between using both Joy-Cons as a single controller or two separate controllers by pressing and holding the screenshot and home buttons. “Apple seriously killed it with this implementation,” said Testut. (In a reply to his tweet, another user noted that Apple apparently initiated support for Switch Pro controllers last year with macOS 12.)

It looks like Apple will be able to add support for more controllers without the need to ship a new iOS version, using something called “mobile assets.” That’s similar to another new feature that allows Apple to automatically issue security updates in between iOS releases.