Page 49 - The Indian EYE 102326

TECH EYE OCTOBER 23, 2026 | The Indian Eye 49

Apple Unveils Next-Generation OnePlus

HomePod Mini With Siri AI Support Unveils

A pple has unveiled the Pocket-Sized
Magnetic
HomePod
next-generation
mini, introducing enhanced
audio features, five colour options
and support for its upgraded Siri AI Phone Cooler
assistant, as the company expands
its smart home technology ecosys-
tem. The new HomePod mini 2 will to Tackle
be available for $149 in the US, with
pre-orders beginning October 13 and Overheating
retail availability scheduled for Octo-
ber 30. nePlus is set to launch its
The announcement, made on
Ice Card Mini, a compact
October 13, marks an upgrade to Ap- Omagnetic smartphone cool-
ple’s compact smart speaker, combin- er designed to reduce heat during
ing music playback, voice-controlled intensive activities such as gaming,
home automation and more person- across supported apps, set reminders The HomePod mini 2 supports alongside the OnePlus 16. Weighing
alised digital assistance. The device and manage everyday tasks. stereo pairing and multiroom audio. just 50 grams, the accessory features
will be available in pink, green, blue, The speaker can recognise up When connected with Apple’s new a cooling chip, an air-cooling system
white and midnight. to six household members by their Apple TV 4K, it can also form part and USB-C connectivity, offering a
A key addition is support for Siri voices, allowing it to provide person- of a four-speaker surround-sound
AI, which Apple plans to introduce alised experiences, including access setup. Additionally, it can function portable alternative to bulkier phone
cooling attachments.
through a future software update. to individual music preferences and as a default speaker for Mac com- Measuring 70 mm by 53.4 mm,
The upgraded assistant is designed other supported functions. puters, enhancing audio for films and the Ice Card Mini is approximate-
to understand personal context, Apple has also introduced FaceTime calls. ly 30% smaller in footprint than
answer a wider range of questions Sound Glow, a feature that makes Pre-orders are open in the US the company’s earlier Magnetic Ice
and provide more conversational the speaker’s top surface glow and and more than 23 other countries Cooling Clip. Its body is 9.7 mm
responses. pulse in sync with music. The light- and regions. Apple has listed In- thick, increasing to 12.3 mm around
When paired with an Apple In- ing effects can reflect a song’s album dia among the markets expected to
telligence-enabled iPhone or iPad, artwork or create visual ambience for receive Siri AI support in English the air intake. The device features a
polycarbonate and aluminium alloy
it can help users find information selected soundscapes. through a future update.
construction and will be available in
Silver Wing Grey.
The cooler uses a thermoelectric
Honda develops in-motion wireless charging cooling chip to transfer heat, while
its air-cooling mechanism helps dis-
technology for commercial EVs sipate it from the phone’s hottest
areas. It offers two operating modes,
producing noise levels of approxi-
onda R&D Co. has part- transmitter compatible with DC simulating heavy commercial traffic. mately 25 decibels and 35 decibels,
nered with Taisei Corpora- power distribution, while Taisei Cor- The companies plan to begin respectively. The accessory draws
Htion and Taisei Rotec Corpo- poration has worked on a high-re- demonstration testing on public power through USB-C, with con-
ration to develop a wireless charging sponse DC power supply system. Tai- roads in Japan from fiscal 2027. sumption reaching up to 3.5 watts.
road system that can charge electric sei Rotec is contributing technology The trials will examine high-pow- Magnetic attachment allows the
vehicles while they are moving, po- for embedding the charging equip- er charging at speeds suitable for device to sit against the back of a
tentially reducing charging stops for ment into road surfaces. large commercial vehicles, along compatible smartphone. For phones
large commercial EVs. The companies say the technol- with durability, electromagnetic field without built-in magnetic support,
The technology uses magnet- ogy could be particularly useful for leakage and the reliability of power OnePlus will include a magnetic
ic-coupling wireless power transfer, logistics and transportation fleets, transfer. plate to broaden compatibility with
with equipment embedded in the where vehicles operate on tight Honda is targeting power output Android devices and iPhones. One-
road supplying electricity to a vehi- schedules and frequent charging of up to 150 kW for the system. The Plus and Oppo smartphones will also
cle through a receiver. The system stops can affect productivity. Dynam- company said the public-road trials support integration with ColorOS
has been designed specifically for ic wireless power transfer could allow will help determine the safety and X’s high-performance mode.
large commercial vehicles, includ- commercial EVs to receive electric- performance of the ground-mounted The company claims that a
ing those weighing up to 20 tonnes, ity while travelling, reducing depen- units embedded in roads. 10,000mAh power bank can power
which require high-power and dura- dence on stationary charging points. The development marks a po- the cooler for up to eight hours in
ble charging infrastructure. The system has already un- tential shift in EV infrastructure, high-performance mode, making it
The project combines technol- dergone validation testing at Taisei moving charging from dedicated sta- suitable for extended gaming ses-
ogies developed by all three com- Group’s Future Technology Field in tions towards systems that can supply sions and travel. A status indicator
panies. Honda has developed a Japan, where its performance and du- power during travel, particularly for displays the active cooling mode and
high-power-density power receiver/ rability were assessed under conditions high-utilisation commercial fleets. flashes red to signal a fault.

www.TheIndianEYE.com