Facebook open sources Zstandard data compression algorithm, aims to replace technology behind Zip
Facebook is open sourcing a new compression algorithm called Zstandard that aims to replace the common technology behind the Zip file format.
The most common algorithm behind the Zip file format is called Deflate. Facebook, which is detailing its latest compression efforts at the @Scale conference, said Zstandard brings 5 percent to 10 percent more efficiency to general data compression and processing data 2x to 3x faster.
While Zstandard is notable, it may have some trouble replacing Deflate. Facebook notes in a blog post that Deflate and formats like Zip, gzip, and zlib have been around for about two decades. Those compression tools are built into nearly every computing device.
Today, the reigning data compression standard is Deflate, the core algorithm inside Zip, gzip, and zlib. For two decades, it has provided an impressive balance between speed and space and, as a result, is used in almost every modern electronic device (and, not coincidentally, used to transmit every byte of the very blog post you are reading). Over the years, other algorithms have offered either better compression or faster compression, but rarely both.
The bet here is that Zstandard 1.0 can combine the latest compression tools and then optimize from there.
Like most code Facebook uses, Zstandard is designed to scale. Facebook said:
Zstandard is designed to excel in today's landscape and to scale into the future. Most algorithms have "levels" based on time/space trade-offs: The higher the level, the greater the compression achieved at a loss of compression speed. Zlib offers nine compression levels; Zstandard currently offers 22, which enables flexible, granular trade-offs between compression speed and ratios for future data. For example, we could use level 1 if speed is most important and level 22 if size is most important.
Beyond Zstandard, Facebook said it is deploying MyRocks, which is a next-gen MySQL storage engine, and open sourcing the code. Facebook said MyRocks is allowing it to use half the servers to host its MySQL databases.
The company also said that it has created new tools for 360-video stabilization. The technology combines 2D and 3D stabilization methods with a rotation of motion modifiers. The upshot is that the video stabilization Facebook created is reducing bitrate by 10 percent to 20 percent with the same video quality.
I changed 7 settings on my Samsung phone to instantly improve the battery life
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Samsung's Galaxy smartphones are some of the best Android phones available today, thanks to their responsive and feature-rich software. But most Samsung phones -- especially the flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 -- come with over-the-top features that you might not use daily.
If your new Galaxy phone isn't lasting an entire day on a single charge, there are ways to make the most of what you have without hindering the user experience.
Also: The best Samsung phones to buy in 2025
Here are seven ways to maximize the battery life on your Galaxy phone. Fret not -- I won't be Captain Obvious over here and recommend reducing the screen resolution or using your phone at a lower refresh rate. The recommendations on this list should bring quality-of-life improvements while maximizing your handset's efficiency. Read on.
1. Use Dark Mode
Most Samsung phones feature AMOLED displays, which can control individual pixels. So, when you use a dark theme or dark wallpaper, the part of the screen that needs to stay black won't turn on those pixels. This, in turn, reduces screen power usage and makes your battery last slightly longer.
How to: Open the Settings app > Display. You'll get two cards for Light and Dark. Tap on the Dark option. Alternatively, you can change the system wallpaper and continue using the light theme, but this will not have the same effect on battery as turning on the Dark mode.
2. Toggle on Adaptive Brightness
This setting ideally comes activated out of the box, but some people turn it off because it's not always accurate. However, over the years, Samsung's ambient light sensor has improved in quality. Your Galaxy phone can reliably detect the lighting in your environment to automatically adjust the screen luminosity. This ensures your display is more efficient and isn't brighter than needed.
Also: Own a Samsung smartwatch? This 30-second fix will keep it running like new
How to: Go to the Settings app > Display and toggle on Adaptive Brightness. It should work in most environments, but if need be, you can adjust the brightness with a swipe down from the Quick Settings panel.
3. Locate and force stop or uninstall power-draining apps
Samsung phones come with a lot of preinstalled apps like Facebook, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and a bunch of Samsung and Google apps. Identify the ones you don't need, and uninstall or force disable them so they don't run in the background.
For example, not everyone needs the Samsung Smart TV app or OneDrive. When I set up a new Galaxy phone, I uninstall those two and others, including Facebook, Outlook, Microsoft 365, Tutor, and more.
How to: Tap and hold the app you want to uninstall. A pop-up menu will appear. Tap Uninstall. As a result, none of these non-required apps will use your battery.
4. Identify power-draining apps
Certain apps consume more power depending on your location, 5G connectivity, and background usage. Samsung lets you identify these power-hogging apps to help you minimize non-essential battery usage.
How to: On your Galaxy smartphone, you can identify power-draining apps by going to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits and choosing which apps you want to turn off.
5. Download offline content before travel
If you take the same route every day or listen to the same playlists and podcasts, downloading that content offline is a good idea. Most streaming apps and Google Maps consume a lot of battery over 5G and LTE. When outdoors, it could also make your handset warm to the touch. You can tackle this with a bit of pre-planning: Download your favorite music or maps over Wi-Fi before you leave home.
Also: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was nearly unusable for me - until I downloaded this one app
How to: Go to the streaming apps you want to download content from and follow the in-app steps. For instance, YouTube has a download button on videos, and Spotify lets you download complete playlists.
6. Use scheduled Always-On Display
I love the Always-On Display (AOD) on my Galaxy S25 Ultra. It has an LTPO display that goes down to 1Hz for efficiency, which is handy for features like AOD. If you have a midrange Galaxy phone with a minimum refresh rate of 60Hz, using AOD might not be as efficient. However, you can be smart with it by scheduling AOD for when it's needed.
Also: I bought Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025, but I'd recommend this model instead
For instance, I have it scheduled for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., so I don't miss any important notifications and have the needed info at my disposal at a glance.
How to: Go to Settings > Lock Screen and AOD > Tap on Always On Display > When to show > As scheduled. While you're at it, also turn off the Show lock screen wallpaper within AOD settings.
7. Use Performance profile
Samsung allows you to choose a performance profile according to your usage. If you don't play games and use your phone primarily for regular tasks like browsing, calling, and the like, you should choose the Light Performance profile over Standard. It will prioritize battery life and cooling over processing speed.
How to: Open the Settings app and go to Device care > Performance profile and select Light. This is ideal for average phone users.
What to do when my Galaxy phone is low on battery?
The seven settings above will not hinder your user experience and will retain the best Galaxy phone features. However, if you're out and your phone is low on battery, you should:
- Turn on Power Saving
- Toggle off data roaming
- Turn off location services
- Switch off AOD altogether
Also: Your Samsung phone has a secret Wi-Fi menu that's incredibly useful - how to access it
I recommend turning on these settings when your phone's battery level is under 15% but you're still a few hours away from the charger. The above-mentioned Samsung settings will also help you maximize the battery on your Galaxy phone.
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What does an orange USB port mean? I found out the surprising truth about all the colors
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Have a USB device near you? Look closely at the port -- do you see a color? It turns out that it actually means something. There's a standardized color scheme that communicates information about that device's capabilities.
Mind blown? If you never noticed this, you're not alone. Most USB devices work fine on any compatible port, but they may not be optimized for optimal performance. For example, if you've noticed a mouse seems to work better in one port over another, it's not in your head. One probably supports USB 3.0, and the other doesn't.
Also: Drawer full of USB cables? This tiny tester tells you which ones actually work as advertised
Despite the fact that they share a universal port shape, all USB-A and USB-C devices are not created equal, with potentially very different transfer speeds, power transfer, and generations on similar devices. Even two USB-C ports right next to each other on the same laptop could have very different capabilities when it comes to data transfer speed and power delivery.
Let's take a look at what they mean.
There are seven major color that indicate a device's generation and what kind of data transfer speeds you can expect. If you have a rare device with a color not listed here, let me know in the comments.
- Black: Denoting USB 2.0, this is the second most common you'll see on devices of all types, supporting speeds of up to 480 Mbps.
- White: These are first-generation devices -- USB 1.x -- with the slowest potential transfer speeds that don't typically exceed 12 Mbps. They're also some of the most common, found on devices that don't require data transfer or high power delivery.
- Yellow: These ports can support either USB 2.0 or 3.0, and are "always on", meaning they can supply power even when the device they're connected to is off.
- Orange: Like yellow, but with support for USB 3.0. Always on. You might see these on your pair of headphones.
- Blue: Supporting USB 3.0 SuperSpeed technology and above, blue ports identify a device capable of fast data transfer: up to 5 Gbps (that's 5,000 Mbps) -- a significant jump from previous generations. Besides laptops, you'll see blue ports on thumb drives and external storage.
- Teal: Just like blue, but denoted as USB 3.1, supporting faster transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
- Red: These are the newest and fastest devices available, categorized as USB 3.1 Generation 2 and USB 3.2. They support another significant increase in data transfer speeds -- up to 10-20 Gbps. Red USB ports are also always on.
Blue USB-A ports indicate transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps.
The colors on your laptop's USB ports can also indicate at a glance what generation of USB technology it supports. For example, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 features two identical USB-A 3.2 ports, capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 5 Gbps. If your laptop's USB ports don't have a color, it simply means the manufacturer chose not to use a color for design or budget reasons.
When buying a new laptop, consider the speeds your USB ports support, as this is one aspect that most consumers tend not to investigate closely. Lower-priced or older laptops may have ports with more limited speeds, while newer laptops may forgo USB-A connectivity altogether in favor of faster USB-C ports.
Also: What is Thunderbolt, and how is it different from USB-C?
In that vein, USB-C ports can also have their own colors, but they're a little more specialized. Most USB-C ports are differentiated between standard connectivity with USB 2.0 (common in older laptops, with speeds of up to 480 Mbps) and 3x, which supports speeds of up to 10-20 Gbps.
A step above standard USB-C are Thunderbolt ports, often marked with the Thunderbolt icon next to the port itself, which support speeds of up to 40 Gbps. These ports support some of the fastest USB transfer speeds available on the market, and you'll see them on high-end laptops.
USB 4 is one of the newest and most powerful technologies available, with select laptops currently supporting this technology. The MacBook Pro M4 is one such example, with speeds up to 120 Gbps. USB 4 and Thunderbolt ports are backward compatible, so they have no problem running slower devices when plugged in.
The bottom line
So what does all this mean for you? I recommend looking at your laptop's spec sheet to determine the differences (if any) between the USB ports on your laptop. If one of them is faster than the other, it will be specified, and you can expect better performance by connecting the right devices to the corresponding ports.
