1)
Vodafone and EE delay EU roaming charges return
Vodafone is delaying the reintroduction of roaming charges in Europe by three weeks.
The phone network had planned to bring in post-Brexit roaming fees on 6 January, matching other networks who plan to do so in 2022.
But it said more time was needed for testing, and the change will now come in at the end of January.
EE has also delayed resuming its roaming charges, which were planned for January, until March.
Before the UK left the EU, users were able to use their calls, texts, and data allowance in their mobile plans in any EU country. But the EU trade deal of December 2020 gave mobile operators the option of reintroducing charges.
The Three network has also said it will bring in roaming charges between the UK and Europe, though their change is planned for May 2022.
That means that of the largest mobile networks, only O2 has not announced any plans for the reintroduction of roaming fees.
2)
Asus recalls product after users 'smell smoke'
Asus has been forced to issue a product recall after reports from some users that its motherboards were melting.
Reports emerged on social media that a number of affected Z690 Hero motherboards made by the computer company were burning and producing smoke after normal use.
Asus acknowledged the fault and said it could "potentially affect" specific units manufactured in 2021.
The Z690 Hero is a high-end motherboard for use on gaming desktop computers.
The majority of those affected have reported seeing a Bios warning code of 53 on screen, which indicates a memory initialisation failure.
Others smelled smoke and found burn marks on the products, while one user on social media platform Reddit reported an actual fire being sparked.
User TheMaxXHD said they were browsing the internet when their PC shut down and: "When I look over there I see a component on the motherboard literally on fire."
Asus acknowledged the issue in a statement on its website and warned the fault could "affect units manufactured in 2021" with a specific part and serial number.
Owners of the motherboard can examine the product packaging to see if their hardware is affected.
Customers can also type in their serial number on Asus's website to see if their model could be faulty.
"We have recently received incident reports regarding the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard," said the company.
"The issue potentially affects units manufactured in 2021 with the part number 90MB18E0-MVAAY0 and serial numbers starting with MA, MB, or MC."
3)
CES 2022: Google pushes Android towards more multi-device experiences, even with Windows
Google announced a series of features to help Android devices seamlessly talk to each other and for the first time ever integrate with select Windows OS devices
Google announced a series of features to help Android devices seamlessly talk to each other and for the first time ever integrate with select Windows OS devices. These features, which were showcased at CES 2022, will roll out over the course of the year, some in partnership with other companies.
Here’s a look at Google’s key announcements from CES 2022
Android and Windows PCs
Later this year, Google plans to bring Fast Pair on Android phones to the Windows PC. This will help set up Bluetooth accessories, sync text messages, and share files with the Nearby Share feature. Google says it is working with Acer, HP, and Intel for these features. It is not working with Microsoft for these capabilities, so these are unlikely to be Windows-based features when they roll out, but rather will be specific to devices from these brands.
Currently, the Fast Pair feature uses Bluetooth technology to quickly connect one’s Android phone to headphones such as those by Sony, Beats, and also cars such as select BMW models.
When we talk about other platforms and where customers are present, Windows PCs is a prime example. A majority of Windows users have Android,” Ronald Ho, Google’s Group Product manager said in a select media briefing ahead of the announcement on the reasoning behind this integration
This was very use
This was very use
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