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If you've driven a car made in the last decade, there's a good chance you've already used Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which mirrors the contents of your phone on your car's infotainment display. Both features are a major step up from Bluetooth audio, but there's one potential downside: Most of the time, you'll have to plug your phone into your car with a USB cable. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto options exist on premium vehicles and pricier trim levels, but they're far from commonplace. So what to do if you're stuck with wired CarPlay or Android Auto? Behold, the wireless dongle. Plug one of these boxes into your car's USB port, pair your phone, and voila, you've got phone mirroring without any messy cables. While there are a slew of dongles on the market, I recently picked up the CarlinKit 5 and, for the most part, it's delivering a solid wireless CarPlay experience. It was easy to set up on my 2019 Volvo XC90: I just had to plug it in and pair my phone over Bluetooth (all of the mirroring work happens over a local Wi-Fi connection between the devices). Now whenever I hop in my car, I never have to think about connecting a USB-C cable CarPlay just boots up automatically and starts playing whatever I'm currently listening to. Sound quality is great, and I haven't noticed any major lag while swiping around the CarPlay interface. Siri voice commands, something I rely on a lot while driving, also work about as well as wired CarPlay (most of the time it's accurate, but sometimes background noise leads to wildly off-base replies). The CarLinkIt also works seamlessly with the volume and track change controls on my steering wheel. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget While I'm well aware that plugging in a USB-C cable doesn't sound like a huge annoyance, and in fact it may be the epitome of First World problems, it's an issue that's plagued me across several cars. USB-C cables (and Apple's Thunderbolt before it) bend and break easily, especially when you're trying to cram them into a car's cramped accessory compartments. Phone charging ports also accumulate debris that can make connections flaky. After having several cables fail during long drives, I simply had enough. I'm honestly surprised that my wireless CarPlay experience has led to far fewer headaches than using a simple cable. That goes directly against my typical mantra for any sort of gadget: A wired connection is usually best. In this case, though, I just haven't had to fight with the CarLinkIt 5 much. It works 90 percent of the time, and it only occasionally has connection issues if I'm tethering my phone to my kid's tablets (I'd bet there's some sort of Wi-Fi conflict happening there). In those instances, unplugging and re-plugging the CarlinKit fixes the issue. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget My wife was also able to pair with the CarlinKit and it's been just as helpful to her. If we're both in the Volvo, we just have to choose the phone we want to mirror as CarPlay kicks in. I was worried about mirroring conflicts, but in general it hasn't given us much trouble. The one downside to using wireless CarPlay is that your phone isn't automatically charging when it's connected to your car. So you'll either have to use a wireless charging pad built into your car, or get some sort of accessory to handle that. I'm using iOtties MagSafe vent charger, and it works like a dream. I don't use it for short drives, but when I do need to juice up, I just throw my phone up and rely on the magic of magnets and wireless charging. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The CarlinKit is one of those devices you just never really have to think about, save for the occasional unplug/replug reset. To address compatibility issues, the company releases frmware updates that you can install wirelessly over your phone. (There's also a more complex USB firmware update method, but I haven't had to deal with that.) Beyond that, though, it doesn't require much babysitting. And really, isnt that exactly what we want with every single-purpose gadget?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/carlinkit-5-delivers-solid-wireless-carplay-most-of-the-time-130056316.html?src=rss
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LG has announced the 2025 refresh for its QNED evo lineup of premium LCD TVs, along with new features coming with the 40 to 100-inch models that include the capability to wirelessly receive and play 4K content. The company introduced its 4K wireless solution last year on its more expensive OLED M-series TVs, but this rollout will give more people access to its technology. Its True Wireless 4K solution requires the use of the company's Zero Connect Box, so the reality is that it's not fully wireless. But once you plug your devices into that external box, you'll be able to transmit 4K content with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz to the TV from as far as 30 feet away without having to run cables directly into the set. The only thing that needs to be plugged into the TV itself is its power cord. In addition to the True Wireless feature, the updated QNED evo TVs also use LG's new Dynamic QNED Color Solution that enables them to produce colors closer to how they appear to the naked eye in real life. They come with AI capabilities, as well, such as the ability to upscale images more naturally and to make voices stand out more against background sounds. The new QNED evo models will ship with the new AI Magic Remote that comes with a dedicated AI button. LG says that a long press on the AI button will allow users to make personalized searches for viewing preferences and recommendations. A user can ask the remote to recommend movies for their trip to Paris, for instance, and the AI will be able to suggest films based on the European capital in genres they enjoy based on their viewing habits. LG has yet to announced the new QNED evo TVs' availability and pricing, but it will most likely showcase them and reveal more information at CES next year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/lgs-qned-evo-lcd-tv-lineup-for-2025-can-wirelessly-receive-4k-videos-130050376.html?src=rss
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OnePlus will launch its new flagship series, the OnePlus 13, on January 7, 2025. Its getting increasingly difficult for smartphone makers to differentiate or push the envelope, but OnePlus is at least trying. Its new phone series will have IP68 and IP69 ratings. IP68 certification means the device has protection against submerging and dust, the usual stuff, but the IP69 rating takes water resistance a step further, promising the device can withstand high-pressure jets of water for all those high-pressure jet moments. The OnePlus 13 might be the first mainstream smartphone to get the certification. Engadget The company likes wet phone tech. A few years ago, it introduced a Rain Water Touch feature in the OnePlus 12 and Ace 2 Pro. It used a special chip to algorithmically determine how you touched the screen while operating it in the rain or other wet conditions. The OnePlus 13 will have three colorways: Arctic Dawn, Black Eclipse and Midnight Ocean, with the latter also being the first phone to use micro-fiber vegan leather. And the Arctic Dawn edition has a new glass coating that resists finger smudges apparently another first in the industry, according to OnePlus. Mat Smith The biggest tech stories you missed The best tech gifts under $100 to give for Christmas from Apple, Samsung and more Elon Musk is opening a preschool Unofficial mod transforms the Playdate into a charming robot pet Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! Honda and Nissan reportedly open merger talks Theyre Japans second- and third-largest automakers. Honda and Nissan are reportedly discussing a merger. The Japanese publication Nikkei said the two automakers are planning to sign a memorandum of understanding to sort out shared equity stakes in a new holding company. The potential merger would combine the assets of Japans second- and third-biggest automakers, giving them a better shot of competing with the nations market leader, Toyota. Bloomberg adds it would also put them in a better position against Tesla and Chinese EV makers. Continue reading. Seagate teases its first HAMR-based hard drive Finally, the Exos M will go on sale after years of anticipation. The Seagate website announced a new Exos M 30TM and 32TB hard disk drive (HDD), featuring 3TB per platter with three times the power efficiency per terabyte compared to other hard drives. The new hard drive is Seagates first HDD to use heat-assisted magnetic recording. HAMR refers to a magnetic storage process in which localized heat is applied to the disk material during writing, which allows for smaller regions and more space per platter. These and other breakthroughs could someday pave the way to a 50TB HDD. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121242613.html?src=rss
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