Apple is working on a new technology that could simplify the replacement of iPhone batteries, according to a new report from The Information, citing people involved in the iPhone’s manufacturing.

Apple is developing a removable battery for iPhone 16

This proactive move by the Cupertino giant is a significant step towards a more sustainable future. It comes in response to the upcoming European Union (EU) regulations that require smartphone manufacturers to develop phone batteries that their owners can replace with easily accessible tools by 2025.

For those unaware, the European Council last year adopted a waste-reducing regulation that mandates manufacturers of portable appliances feature batteries that can be easily removable and replaceable by end-users. Electric vehicles (EV), light means of transport (LMT), and industrial batteries should also be easily removable and replaceable by independent professionals. This requirement will be imposed from February 18, 2027.

Currently, ‌the iPhone‌ battery requires removing the adhesive strips that secure it using tweezers, making it challenging. If these strips break during the removal process, heat or a solvent is used to displace the adhesive. After removing the old battery, a specialized machine and tray are required to install a new battery securely into place.

Under the new EU regulations, changing a battery must not require heat or a solvent to disassemble it,  nor shall the user have to resort to special tools.

To comply with the new regulations, Apple must use “electrically induced adhesive debonding,” a method that administers a small jolt of electricity to the battery to dislodge it from the chassis. This new method involves encasing the battery in metal rather than foil as it is currently.

According to The Information, Apple could test out the new battery technology in at least one iPhone 16 model later this year and is likely to bring all iPhone 17 models in 2025. If this move is successful, users would still need to open the iPhone themselves, which would be challenging due to the device’s sealed design. As a result, they would also need to continue relying on Apple stores or other repair shops.

Not just Apple, many other manufacturers use similar adhesive pull tabs, which requires them too to alter their designs to comply with the new EU regulations. This could significantly change the repair industry as we know it.

 Earlier this month, there were reports of HMD Global, the company behind Nokia smartphones, working on a new mobile device that could have a design reminiscent of the classic Nokia Lumia line.

Not just this, a leak even suggested that the company’s upcoming Android smartphone inspired by the Nokia Lumia line-up, would called the HMD Skyline.

HMD is working on a second Nokia Lumia-inspired phone

It now appears that HMD might have already started working on a second Skyline device, the HMD Skyline G2, revealed reliable leaker @smashx_60, who is known for HMD-related information.

Currently, it is unclear if HMD Skyline G2 is a direct successor to the first Skyline or a completely different device. With HMD yet to officially share any information on the first Skyline device, the launch of G2  may still be a long way off.

With the G2, HMD aims to appeal to photographers. Like the first Skyline, the G2 is rumored to feature a triple camera setup on the back with four possible configurations for the camera system, the leaker says. One of the possible configurations even includes a 200MP primary camera.

All the setups could also include telephoto, ultrawide, and Time of Flight (ToF) sensors to improve the photography experience. However, the exact configurations of the cameras for G2 are yet to be known.

NOT YET CONCLUDED FOR SKYLINE G2, AND WE STILL HAVE A LONG TIME TO CREATE THIS MODEL BUT THE ONE THING THAT WE CAN CONFIRM IS HMD WANT TO PRESENT SKYLINE-SERIES TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS. PIC.TWITTER.COM/VGGRPVM3TE

— HMD_MEME'S (@SMASHX_60) JUNE 22, 2024

As one can see from the above, the most prominent difference between the original Skyline handset and the G2 is the bezels of the display. While the first Skyline showed a prominent chin and relatively thin bezels on the sides and top, the G2 model features large bezels on both the top and bottom, giving it a more dated look.

Currently, there is scarce information on the hardware, software, and release date of the HMD Skyline G2. Keep watching this space for more updates, as we expect more leaks or official announcements about the device coming our way in the near future.

 A faulty update from the U.S.-based cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused a massive outage for Microsoft Windows-based desktops and laptops around the world on Friday.

Massive Microsoft outage hits flights, banks, stock exchanges, broadcasters

The issue is related to CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor, a software designed to prevent computer systems from cyber-attacks, which broke PCs running Windows, causing them to crash and display the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error message. Users around the world have been unable to reboot and are stuck in a recovery loop.

This widespread outage has affected banks, airlines, hospitals, media companies, IT institutes, TV broadcasters, supermarkets, and many other businesses worldwide.

CrowdStrike has acknowledged the problem and identified the update affecting its Falcon Sensor product. It has since rolled back the changes and released fixes to address the crashes. However, some Windows hosts continue to encounter the BSOD error message related to the Falcon sensor, leading to unexpected computer shutdowns or restarts.

“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” George Kurtz, President and CEO of CrowdStrike, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers,” he added.

CROWDSTRIKE IS ACTIVELY WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS IMPACTED BY A DEFECT FOUND IN A SINGLE CONTENT UPDATE FOR WINDOWS HOSTS. MAC AND LINUX HOSTS ARE NOT IMPACTED. THIS IS NOT A SECURITY INCIDENT OR CYBERATTACK. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, ISOLATED AND A FIX HAS BEEN DEPLOYED. WE…

— GEORGE KURTZ (@GEORGE_KURTZ) JULY 19, 2024

Further, CrowdStrike has provided a workaround for affected Windows users to resolve the issue:

* Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment

* Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory

* Locate the file matching “C-00000291*.sys”, and delete it.

* Boot the host normally.

Meanwhile, Microsoft said it is aware of the issue affecting Windows desktops and laptops caused by a recent update to CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor software.

“We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming. We’re aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform,” a spokesperson said. 

 Google Chrome for Android has bugs, glitches, and other issues that can ruin a user’s web browsing experience. Recently, many Android users have reported Google Chrome download problems.

According to users, Google Chrome for Android takes forever to complete the ongoing downloads. If you’re dealing with the same issue, follow up with the tips we shared to speed up Chrome downloads.

1. Restart the Chrome Browser

If you are experiencing slow download speeds in Google Chrome for Android, restart the web browser.

This is one of the first things you should do if you’re experiencing slow download speed Chrome for Android for the first time.

All you need to do is close the Chrome web browser and reopen it. After the restart, download your files again.

2. Close all Unused Tabs

Chrome browser actually keeps all unused tabs in the background. Although the inactive tabs won’t use your RAM resources, they adversely affect the browser’s overall performance.

There are likely too many browser tabs running in the background, which affects the download speed. You can close those unwanted tabs to speed up Chrome downloads on Android.

1. Open the Chrome browser and tap the Square icon beside the (+) button.

2. Now, you can see all tabs running in the background.

3. Simply tap the (x) button on the tab you want to close.

4. To close all tabs, tap on the three dots at the top right corner.

5. On the menu that appears, select Close all tabs.

3. Disable Battery Optimization for Chrome

The latest version of Android has a feature that automatically optimizes battery consumption for the apps. You need to turn off the battery optimization for the Google Chrome browser to fix the slow download speed Chrome for Android issue. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.

2. When the Settings app opens, tap on the Battery.

3. On the Battery, tap on the More Settings.

4. Now tap on the Optimize battery use.

5. Find Google Chrome & tap on it.

6. On the menu that appears, select Don’t Optimize.

After making the changes, make sure to restart your Android smartphone. This should fix the slow download speed on Chrome problem on Android.

4. Enable Parallel Downloading on Chrome

Parallel downloading is a Chrome specific feature that accelerates the download speed. The feature is available for all sorts of operating systems, but it needs to be enabled manually. Here’s how you can enable parallel downloading on Chrome.

1. Open the Google Chrome web browser on your Android device.

2. On the address bar, type chrome://flags and press Enter.

3. Type in Parallel downloading in the search field.

4. Tap on the Parallel downloading drop-down and select Enabled.

5. After making the changes, tap the Relaunch button at the bottom.

5. Enable Background Data for Chrome

If the Background data is disabled for Chrome for Android, the download will fail once you minimize the web browser. Enabling background data won’t speed up downloads but will reduce the chances of download failures. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Long press the Chrome app icon on your home screen.

2. On the menu that appears, select App info.

3. On the App info screen, tap on the Data Usage.

4. On the Data Usage screen, enable the toggle next to the Background Data.

6. Turn off the VPN/Proxy Apps

VPN and Proxy apps can unblock sites for you but can hamper the download speed. VPNs or Proxy apps are never recommended for downloads, as the downloads may fail in case of a connection leak.

So, if you are using VPN or Proxy apps, you can disable them temporarily and resume your downloads. If you still experience slow download speed, you can continue using the VPN/Proxy apps.

If your work involves using a VPN, at least try to use premium VPNs that offer better download speed & minimal connection leak issues.

7. Change the DNS server to speed up downloads

By default, your phone uses the DNS server your Internet Service Provider assigned. The ones assigned by ISPs are often problematic and known for creating slow download issues. The best you can do is to set up a different public DNS server on your Android to speed up Chrome downloads on Android.

1. Open the Google Chrome browser and tap the three dots at the top right.

2. On the menu that appears, select Settings.

3. On the Settings, tap on the Privacy and security.

4. Now tap on the Use secure DNS.

5. On the Use secure DNS screen, select Choose another provider.

6. Select any public DNS server (Google DNS) is recommended.

8. Clear Chrome Cache & Cookies

Like every web browser, Google Chrome for Android also accumulates cache data to enhance the browsing experience. If this cache data becomes outdated or corrupted, Chrome may download your files slowly.

You will even face problems related to download stopping on Chrome for Android. You need to clear the Chrome Cache & Cookies to resolve such issues. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Open the Chrome browser on your Android and tap on the three dots.

2. From the list of options that appears, tap on Settings.

3. On the Settings, tap on the Privacy and Security.

4. On the Privacy and Security page, tap on Clear browsing data.

5. Check the options – Browsing History and Cookies and Site Data.

6. Now tap on the Clear Data button at the bottom right.

9. Update Google Chrome

Keeping apps up-to-date is a good idea as it brings new features, bug fixes, security patches, etc. Chrome updates often bring more stability & features to improve the user experience.

Your browser version may have a bug or glitch that conflicts with the downloads, leading to slow download speeds.

So, you need to head to the Google Play Store and install all available updates. You must tap the Update button on the Google Play Store’s Google Chrome app listing page. This will update the browser.

10. Reinstall the Chrome browser

If nothing worked in your favor and the slow download speed issue is still prominent, you must reinstall the web browser.

Reinstalling will delete the history, data, and cache files. To reinstall the Chrome browser, open the Google Play Store and search for Google Chrome.

Next, open the Google Chrome app listing and select Uninstall. Once installed, tap on the Install button again.

These are some of the best and most effective methods for increasing Google Chrome download speed on Android. In the comments below, let us know which method worked for you to speed up Chrome downloads.