Tag Archives: smartphone

The EU Common Charger, Laptops…and the Future

I have an old iPhone with a Lightning charger port. I can’t buy this today in the European Union. (Or anywhere, but we’ll get to that.) Why? Because of the EU’s Common Charger Directive.

“Because the EU has standardised charging ports for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices, all new devices sold in the EU must now support USB-C charging.”

Which devices?

“From 28 December 2024, the rules apply to mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systemsand earbuds sold in the EU.”

So all of this went into effect in 2024?

Um, no.

Laptops

Because there is one additional requirement.

“From 28 April 2026, they will also apply to laptops.”

(Sorry, desktop computer users. You may still have old style power connections.)

Google Gemini.

For the record, Bredemarket’s U.S. purchased laptop already has a USB-C charging port. Because when the manufacturers were forced to implement this for Europe, it was easier to do it for the rest of the world.

So everyone is happy and enjoying the EU’s listed benefits of consumer convenience, e-waste reduction, and cost savings.

Yes, everyone is happy…for now.

The future

But what happens when wireless charging supports up to 240W? Then you get some REAL cost savings, because manufacturers—especially of small devices—can reduce cost by eliminating charging ports altogether.

Well, except in the EU, where charging mechanisms other than USB-C are illegal. Not just illegal to market: illegal to even sell in the first place.

It’s not that big a deal to throw a USB-C port on to a laptop, which has several ports already.

But a phone?

Even my older iPhone has reduced the number of ports down to one. (Separate headphone jacks disappeared years ago.)

Imagine if Apple, Samsung, and everyone else could sell smartphones with ZERO ports. Not only does this reduce cost, but it helps to preserve the integrity of the device.

And the phone manufacturers will take advantage of this in Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

Google Gemini.

While still maintaining the government-mandated (and more expensive) USB-C versions in Europe.

Because once a government mandates something, it’s nearly impossible to change.

Is Mobile Internet Down in YOUR City? It Is If Your City is Moscow

In an earlier post I presented the unbelievable idea of all the bots disappearing.

Then I learned that mobile Internet is down in Moscow.

Intentionally. For security reasons.

And that is causing problems.

So a problem that people never thought would occur actually occurred.

And this shows how something we take for granted CAN disappear.

From Flip Phone to Smartphone to No Phone?

I remember the first time I saw someone talking to himself.

I was working in Motorola’s Anaheim office at the time. For those of you who remember the “triangle” office, I was walking down the hall from the factory floor to the lunchroom. And there was someone I didn’t recognize walking the other way down the hall, talking to himself.

Or at least it looked like it.

In reality, he had an earpiece in his ear which could also pick up his voice, and he was talking on his phone. The phone was presumably tucked away in a pocket and couldn’t be seen, so if you didn’t see the earpiece, you’d assume that he was talking to himself.

This was probably in the middle of my time at Motorola (2000-2009), and smartphones hadn’t really taken off yet. Perhaps the guy was using a smartphone, but my guess is that he had a good old flip phone.

If he had a smartphone, he’d be looking at it.

While I happen to be typing this post on a laptop, I just as easily could have typed it on my smartphone. Those devices are so prominent today.

But ZDNET asserts that smartphones will go away.

“Right now, mobile phones are the main hub of our personal device ecosystem. But as AI integrates into glasses, rings, headphones, and portable form factors, we could see our very own handsets step off center stage, and these wearable devices take their place.”

ZDNET’s assertion appears in article about Qualcomm, a leading manufacturer of the chips that drive these newer wearable devices. These new chips offer greater computing (seven times faster), less power demand, and therefore longer battery life (coupled with the ability to charge up to 50% in 10 minutes).

With these more powerful wearables, ZDNET anticipates that the wearables will become less of a smartphone accessory and more of a smartphone replacement.

But if the smartphones go away, then my future blog posts will be written as I walk down the hall.

Talking to myself.

Google Gemini.

New 1954 Technology: The Finger Stop

If I were alive in 1954, I would understand why I would need a movie to figure this “dialing” thing out.

The movie from “the telephone company” emphasizes that you MUST bring your finger all the way to the finger stop when dialing the two letters and five numbers to talk to another person on the phone.

A model showing the finger stop.

Here’s the movie.

How to dial your phone, 1954.

Was this truly an improvement over the old system, in which you simply spoke the number to your friendly operator?

Probably not…but as phones became more useful, the old system wouldn’t have enough operators in 1954. Already there were 51 million phones in the United States; what if that number doubled?

And yes, that number did double…in 1967.

With some of those 100 million users dialing phone numbers WITHOUT worrying about the finger stop, as touch tone phones were introduced in 1963, supported by a new underlying technology dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF).

And…well, a lot of other stuff happened.

In 2026 some of us don’t dial at all. We just say “Call Mom” to our non-human “operator” on our smartphones.

And many of the operators are out of a job.

If You Can’t Develop a Product, Who Can?

Many people get ideas for products or services.

But if you have an idea for a software application, mobile app, or web solution and you don’t have the technical skills to create it yourself, how can you make your idea a reality?

One avenue is to engage with a product development firm that can perform all aspects of product development from concept to launch:

  • design
  • development
  • testing
  • launch
Google Gemini.

And if you engage with the right firm, you will receive expert handling of your development effort, an intuitive user-centered design for your solution, an agile and scalable product, and (most importantly) rapid time to market.

If you have product development needs, talk to Silicon Tech Solutions. Offering a complete suite of services (custom software development, digital transformation, product development, and IT outsourcing), Silicon Tech Solutions addresses multiple needs for small and mid-size businesses. With a team that has gained experience from employment at Amazon and Facebook and from multiple consulting projects, Silicon Tech Solutions is ready to help your firm.

Get more information from Silicon Tech Solutions by contacting them via Bredemarket at my Silicon Tech Solutions page.

Why Do We Trust SMS?

I hate to use the overused t word (trust), but in this case it’s justified.

“Scammers are aware that people are more likely to open and read a text message rather than an email  The open rates for text messages are more than 90% while the open rates for emails is less than 30%.  In addition, many email providers have filters that are able to identify and filter out phishing emails while the filtering capabilities on text messages is much less.  Additionally, people tend to trust text messages more than emails.  Text message also may prompt a quick response before the targeted victim can critically consider the legitimacy of the text message.”

From Scamicide, https://scamicide.com/2025/09/18/scam-of-the-day-september-19-2025-treasury-refund-text-smishing-scam/

What I can’t figure out is WHY text messages have such a high level of t[REDACTED]. Does SMS feel more personal?

The Courts and Passcode vs. Biometric Access to Your Smartphone: It’s Complicated

(With a special message at the end for facial recognition and cybersecurity marketing leaders)

Years ago, when I was in Mexico City on a business trip, one of my coworkers stated that he never uses biometrics to protect the data on his smartphone.

His rationale?

Government officials can compel you to use your biometrics to unlock your smartphone. They can’t compel you to provide your passcode to government officials.

Ironically, we both worked for a biometric company at the time.

But my former coworker isn’t the only one making this statement. With the recent protests, and with the recent searches of people crossing the U.S. border by plane or otherwise, this same advice is echoed everywhere.

But is it true?

As ZDNET says, it’s complicated.

Passcodes: it’s complicated

ZDNET quotes law firm managing partner Ignacio Alvarez on passcodes:

“But the majority of the courts have found that being required by law enforcement to give your code to your devices violates your Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.”

Note what Alvarez said: the MAJORITY of the courts. So if you end up before the “wrong” court, you might have to provide your passcode anyway.

ZDNET also quotes attorney Joseph Rosenbaum:

“Passwords or passcodes, because they represent information contained in a person’s mind, seem to generally be considered the same as requiring someone to testify against themselves in court or in a deposition,” he told ZDNET. “That information is more likely to be legally protected under the Fifth Amendment as potentially self-incriminating.”

Notice his “seem to generally be” and “more likely to be” language. Again, you could still be compelled to give your passcode.

But that’s the easy part.

Biometrics: it’s complicated

But passcodes are the easy part. Biometrics are much more of a gray area.

Anything you say.
By NBC Television – eBayfrontback, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33340402.

The rationale behind not giving up your biometric is similar to the rationale behind the Miranda warning. As Dragnet fans know, “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” Regarding passcodes, the courts…well, some of the courts, hold that since a passcode can be “spoken,” it’s covered under Miranda and therefore can’t be given without violating your Fifth Amendment rights.

What about biometrics? (Excluding voice biometrics for the moment.)

“…since a biometric isn’t spoken, production of that biometric may not legally qualify as the act of testifying against yourself and therefore, you can be compelled to unlock a phone or an app without necessarily having your rights violated.”

Again, note the use of the words “may not.” It isn’t clear here either.

And even these wishy-washy definitions may change.

“This area of law is a seriously moving target. Over time, things could favor passcodes being non-testimonial or biometrics being testimonial.”

In other words, a few years from now lawyers may advise you to use biometrics rather than passcodes to protect your private data on your smartphone.

Or maybe they’ll say both methods protect you equally.

Or maybe they’ll say neither method protects you, and your private data is no longer private.

But most likely they’ll say “It depends.” In the same way that our 18,000 law enforcement agencies have 18,000 different definitions of forensic science, they could have 18,000 different definitions of Miranda rights.

And one more thing…

Bredemarket has two openings!

The formal announcement is embargoed until Monday, but Bredemarket has TWO openings to act as your on-demand marketing muscle for facial recognition or cybersecurity:

  • compelling content creation
  • winning proposal development
  • actionable analysis

Book a call: https://bredemarket.com/cpa/

Earthquake Phone Alerts Work

Back when AOL keywords roamed the earth, you didn’t learn about an earthquake until you felt it. Now, sensors and smartphones attempt to provide advanced notice.

A little while ago my phone started beeping loudly. By the time I figured out why, I felt a strong jolt.

Luckily it was 90 miles away from me, and it was NOT a 6.0 as initially reported. (Helpful hint: an earthquake’s magnitude is never as initially reported.)

But it appears that many of us received advance warning.

Now if everyone can agree on the magnitude…

Getting Around the Warring Standards (Lightning vs. USB-C)

I’ve talked about standards to death, but what do you do when there are two standards? Do you support standard 1, or standard 2?

Yes.

If you need to charge both USB-C and Lightning mobile devices, Native Union has the cable for you.

The ultimate cable you’ve been searching for is finally here. Solve all your power needs with a faster, more sustainable, more durable cable. Designed for superior convenience and versatility, this unique 2-in-1 connector houses both USB-C and Lightning connectors in a single head and is strong enough to withstand the most active all-day, all-device use.

Belt Cable Duo (USB-C to USB-C & Lightning). From Native Union website.

As you can see from the image above (upper left corner), you can choose either the Lightning adapter or the USB-C adapter.

Sounds great…

…except that Apple is slowly discontinuing use of Lightning, to comply with European Union regulations in 2022. The 2023 iPhone 15 doesn’t offer Lightning at all, and over the next several years Lightning will go away as older Apple devices become obsolete.

But for now it’s a good cable.