Posted by admin

Why do laptop and cell phone batteries seem to just die suddenly, while other forms of rechargeable batteries wear out gradually? What’s the best type of rechargeable battery to replace Alkaline batteries in remotes and toys? Understanding a little about how batteries work will help you make good decisions about how to use them, which type of rechargeable battery to buy when you have a choice, how to dispose of them, and how to compare them to each other.

Battery is measured in “milliamp hours” or mAh, which is a measure of how many milliamps the battery can deliver in one hour. For example, if your device requires ¼ of the rated mAh on the battery, it should last about four hours.

There are three basic types of rechargeable batteries in use in consumer electronics today:Ni-Cd, NiMH, and Li-Ion

Nickel Cadmim (Ni-Cd, also called “Nicads”)

The first “consumer grade” rechargeable batteries that could replace disposables, Ni-Cd batteries hold a moderate charge (about 1200mAh for AA size—about 1/3 of an alkaline battery’s life in typical use) and are easy to recharge with a simple trickle charger. They have memory effect, however, so you should discharge them completely before you recharge them for the longest life and best performance. They also contain cadmium and must be disposed of responsibly—don’t throw them in the trash. You’ll find them in cordless phone handsets and on the shelf as replacements for alkaline batteries. Nicad cells have a natural 1.2v per cell voltage that is close enough to replace 1.5v alkaline batteries.

Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)

An improvement to Nicads that more than doubles the energy density (about 2500mAh for AA size) and removes the toxic Cadmium, NiMH can be used wherever you use disposable Alkaline batteries or Nicad batteries. NiMH batteries suffer from memory effect, and should be used until they die before being recharged. While they can be trickle charged, they charge much faster when pulse charged by a “smart charger”—typical smart chargers can put a full charge on them in about an hour and can automatically perform deep-cycle charges to refresh batteries that have a memory effect. They’re safe to dispose of in the trash, and have about half the energy density as a disposable alkaline battery so they’re very good disposable replacements. You’ll find these batteries in older laptops and cell phones, and as rechargeable batteries in all the common sizes. Overall, they’re the most reliable and best price point per energy density of all common disposable batteries and should be your first choice when choosing a replacement for disposable alkalines.

Lithium Ion (Li-Ion)

A completely different and new battery chemistry, Li-Ion has the highest energy density of any battery chemistry (about 3600mAh at 3 times the voltage per cell). They’re common in high-end electronics such as cell phones, laptops, cameras, and camcorders. They have no memory effect, but they don’t like to be discharged completely—keep them on a charger as much as you can. They also don’t last for many charge cycles (discharge to recharge) as other chemistries so they’re relatively short lived. A typical Li-Ion cell will last 300 charge cycles, which is one to two years of common use. Li-Ion batteries are not as toxic as the mercury in alkaline batteries or the cadmium in Nicads, but they should be recycled. Li-Ion batteries have to be charged by smart chargers that can prevent overcharging, which can cause a Li-Ion battery to explode violently and catch on fire. Lithium Ion batteries have a natural 3.3 volt charge per cell. If a Li-Ion battery is charged above 4.2 volts, it will explode, and if they are discharged below 2.2 volts, it will never take a charge again. For this reason, you’ll only find them used in electronic devices or smart battery packs that can act as chargers that monitor the battery constantly and power off before they drain too much power. A variation of this type of battery uses a polymer matrix to improve energy density and is sometimes called “Li-Poly” batteries. They are otherwise equivalent.

The bottom line

You don’t need to worry about Lead Acid batteries—you can’t hurt them. Nicad and NiMH batteries like to be completely discharged before you recharge them. Get a smart charger for them—in addition to being faster, it can refresh them to eliminate memory effect and make them last longer. Li-Ion batteries don’t like to be discharged so keep them plugged in whenever possible for longest life. Be careful how you dispose of batteries: NiCd and Li-Ion should not be thrown in the trash.

Posted by admin

Logitech Squeezebox Duet

Logitech’s little black box liberates your music collection from the confines of your PC, streaming it via Wi-Fi to your Hi-Fi (or powered speakers). It also streams from Rhapsody, Pandora, Slacker, internet radio stations, local radio stations, and can even pull down podcasts and RSS feeds. A sweet iPod-style remote controls all the action. Sound like any other magic music box you know? Yep, the Squeezebox Duet challenges the much pricier Sonos Digital Music System for in-home streaming supremacy, and almost comes away the winner.

But not quite. Setup is about as fun as getting glass shards stuck in your eye — especially if you configure Logitech’s SqueezeCenter software to tap your iTunes library. We also had trouble connecting to our SqueezeNetwork account, which configures all the non-PC music sources. And sometimes the remote couldn’t detect the Squeezebox base station. (Note to Logitech: Enough with all the SqueezeNames. Damn, yo!) But eventually we got the kinks worked out and rocked out with The Kinks.

Alas, SqueezeCenter doesn’t do DRM, so forget about streaming any protected tracks you bought from, say, iTunes or Zune Marketplace. However, it does support every audio format known to geekdom, from AAC to WMA Lossless. And if you upload your collection to MP3tunes ($39.95 annually), the Duet can stream it even when your PC is off. Want music in multiple rooms? Additional base stations run $150 a pop.

The Squeezebox remote resembles an elongated iPod, complete with color screen, album art, scroll wheel, and fuss-free menus. Unfortunately, sometimes the menus seem endless: To play one a Slacker station, for instance, you have to drill through seven screens. The remote frequently lags behind button-presses, too, causing sporadic false lock-ups. (Note to Logitech #2: firmware fix, please.)

Those gripes aside, the Duet rocks hard. Between your personal collection and the collective libraries of Rhapsody, Shoutcast, and RadioTime (which tunes in actual radio stations from around the world), it feels like you’ve got an unlimited music repository in the palm of your hand. Tired of tunes? A nature-sounds plug-in turns your stereo into a babbling brook, crackling fire or, if you’re into it, a whinnying horse.

A few software fixes could turn this good music-streaming system into a great one. But even now, the Squeezebox Duet temporarily alleviates Sonos envy on the cheap.  —Rick Broida

WIRED Works with Windows, Mac, and even Linux systems. Slim, compact base station can connect to analog or digital gear. iPod-like remote delivers ipod-like simplicity. Streams from numerous internet sources. Supports custom radio stations, news feeds, and podcasts.

TIRED Setup may cause hair-pulling. SqueezeCenter won’t stream DRM-protected tracks. Remote often lags behind button presses. No option to browse your music library by song. Doesn’t support streaming from network drives. Apple TV costs less and does video, too.

$400, logitech.com

Posted by admin

Introduction

Speakerphones built into mobile phones are great. If you don’t have a wired or Bluetooth headset, they are indeed a viable handsfree solution to use. Of course, they have their limitations. The speaker is not that big, so sound can be muffled. Also, if you have a speakerphone that is only half duplex (one person talking at a time), you tend to have your conversation cut off, which leads to having to say the same thing over and over again.

These limitations open up the need for an external speakerphone. One that is Bluetooth compatible would be a bonus, and that’s what Spracht offers with its Aura Mobile BT.

Setting It Up

If you have ever set up a Bluetooth connection with a handsfree device, then you’ll find the procedure to be the exact same with the Aura Mobile BT. The only difference is what buttons you have to press in order for your phone to find the device. A quick start sheet is included with the product, but I strongly recommend users utilize the manual for setting up their initial connection. It’s explained a lot better in the manual. Yes, I know. If you’re a guy, then you’ll have to go against thousands of years of nature, which limits a guy’s ability to read the manual for a new electronic gadget; but it’ll save you valuable time.

It’s Pretty Big, Isn’t It?

I’ll be the first to admit the Aura Mobile BT is one of the larger handsfree solutions out there, but it’s size is honestly its advantage. That’s because it’s got nice big speakers, so you can actually hear the person talking with you. It will easily fill up a conference room, so I would have no hesitation in using it for a conference call. That it is also full duplex means that you can speak and still hear the person talking at the same time. That makes for a more productive conversation and less time spent on someone repeating himself or herself.

When I saw the device, my first thought was, “How am I going to put it into the car”? The folks at Spracht have you covered. The device has a built-in flap, which allows it to be connected to a visor. There’s a great advantage to this.

I’m On A Speakerphone?

Since the Aura Mobile BT can be connected to the visor, it means the speaker and microphone are basically at eye level. That means the person on the call can actually hear you, and you can hear the person. A lot of handsfree speakerphones for the car connect via a power outlet. Well, if you have a power outlet that’s near your feet, then needless to say your ability to have a phone conversation is going to suffer.

Though the device comes with a car charger it also has a built-in rechargeable battery, which means it’s not limited to where the power outlet is in the car. The good news is that the included car charger also has a long enough power cord, so  it is no problem to leave it plugged into the power outlet if you decide to do so.

The advantage of the great microphone, speaker, and that Aura Mobilt BT can be put on your visor is that many people won’t know they are on a speakerphone. Also, you won’t keep getting asked the question, “Are you in a tunnel?” It also helps that the device features echo and noise cancellation technology, improving the quality of the call even more.

Not Just For Your Car Anymore

So, I said that the Aura Mobile BT is a great speakerphone for your car and also if you are in a situation where you have to use your mobile phone for a conference call. What really gives the Aura Mobile BT the most bang for the buck is that it is not just limited to being a speakerphone for your mobile phone.

The Aura Mobile BT can also be connected to a cordless phone and your computer. So, if you want to add a speakerphone to your home or office phone simply connect the device to the phone using the included cordless phone cable. Most cordless phones these days include a jack for a headset. This is the jack you would plug the cable into.

Also, if you use Skype or a similar VoIP service that is computer based, then you can also plug the speakerphone into your computer. A VoIP cable that includes a microphone and speaker plug is also included. Now, you can put your VoIP calls on speakerphone. You will no longer have to be right next to your computer to have a conversation.

You also won’t have to worry about power. As I previously said, the Aura Mobile BT has a built in rechargeable battery, but besides having a car charger, it also comes with a power adapter as well. If you do use the battery, then you can expect about 4 hrs of talk time and 24 hrs of stand-by time.

A Button For Your Needs

The Aura Mobile BT features 5 primary buttons. You have the power button, of course, in addition to two buttons for volume control. A mute button is featured, when you want to talk about something in private, in addition to a control button. The control button can be pressed to flash between calls, end a call, or even start a call if you have a phone that features voice dialing. If you don’t have voice dialing, then you’ll have to dial numbers the traditional way.

When You Need The Microphone Close

If you are doing a formal presentation using the Aura Mobile BT, then you may want that extra insurance that those on the call can hear you. This is especially true if you may be some distance from the speakerphone while you use a white board for those in the room. For this reason, the Aura Mobile BT also includes an external microphone you can clip to yourself. Now, the microphone isn’t wireless, but it’s got plenty of cable to allow you some distance away from the device.

Summary

If you ever have the need for a speakerphone or if you are just looking for an excellent handsfree device for your car, then you should consider the Aura Mobile BT. The sound quality is probably the best I have experienced for any handsfree device. That the device can also be used with regular cordless phones and your computer makes it even more handy.

The Spracht Aura Mobile BT retails for US$129.95 and can be purchased online.

You can read more about the product from the Spracht website and the spec sheet (PDF).

Posted by admin

Sling Media, now a division of Echo Star, announced today the forthcoming availability of a SlingPlayer Mobile for UIQ on Symbian OS. Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media, said, “In order to meet this growing desire for mobile TV, we will continue to expand the availability of SlingPlayer Mobile to as many platforms and devices as possible. Adding SlingPlayer Mobile to such a cutting edge platform as UIQ on Symbian OS is a great step forward in expanding user accessibility to their home TV set-up.”

Symbian is the most popular mobile platform in the world, and with a UIQ version of SlingPlayer Mobile in the works, Sling is poised to to increase is dominance of the mobile place-shifting video market. The first handsets to support the new UIQ player will be:

The announcement also reiterated that a blackberry version of the mobile player is also still “coming soon.”

Posted by admin

The FCC has just approved Nokia’s newest cameraphone, the N6220 classic which doesn’t look like any of the latest N-series mobile phones. But what the 6220 lacks in the trendy physical design, it made up through its high-end features. Topping the list of these features are a whooping 5-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, GPS and the latest version of the S60 operating system.

The Nokia 6220 either make the other Nokia high end phones pale in comparison or match them up with its own powerful features. The 6220 is better than the Nokia N82 with its built-in geotagging which will embed location of the 6220 users whenever there is a GPS signal in that location. The 6220’s video capability matches up with the N95, N82 and other Nseries phone with its 30fps shooting speed at VGA (640×480) resolution. And the 6220’s TV-out capability is not common among Nokia N-Series models.

With a Nokia phone that packs all those high-end features, some people are wondering why the 6220 will not be released as an Nseries phone model. Unfortunately, the 6220, despite having all those features has no Wi-Fi support. The Nokia developers might have been too busy sprinkling the 6220 with features that they forgot to include one basic feature common to high-end phones today.

Other than the lack of Wi-Fi and the TV-out feature, there is nothing more peculiar about the 6220. This could probably explain why it was not given the N marking. It would not add anything new to the Nseries model.

Via [The Boy Genius Report] Via [The Nokia Blog]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Posted by admin

Samsung’s entry level phones, the SGH-T229 and SGH-T339 will be nice additions to T-Mobile’s low-end offering. While other phone manufacturers are always offering the ugliest phones at a much cheaper price, Samsung is set to change the mood by coming up with these two clamshell beauties.

As no official announcement has been made, the information and specs are still at a minimum. Aside from the obvious clamshell style, the handsets feature a camera and external display. Based on similar phone offerings its safe to say that they will also include a music and video player along with a microSD card slot. The choice of red and maroon for these new Samsung’s will generally appeal to the female population. Overall these will offer a low-priced phone for someone who actually just wants a phone.

Via [phoneArena]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Posted by admin

A fire on March 3 at the second biggest battery manufacturer in South Korea, called LG Chem, has resulted in there being a shortage of batteries available for use in laptop computers.

Both Dell and HP, two of the largest PC makers, have acknowledged the shortage and are doing everything they can to minimize the impact on customers. Dell’s batteries sold separately of laptops have already increased in price to reflect the shortages, but they would not comment on how–or if–it will affect laptop prices.

Jess Blackburn, spokesman for Dell, said:

The industry is experiencing battery supply constraints because of these problems … Therefore, pricing is being impacted by current availability. But we are working with our partners throughout our supply chain to reduce the impact on our customers.

Mike Hockey, spokesman for HP also commented in an e-mail, saying:

The full extent of the impact to HP and other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) is still being determined … We are aggressively working within the battery cell industry to secure additional supply of battery cells.

LG Chem is expected to come back online within three months, according to the company. Until that time, manufacturers are looking to other suppliers, including Samsung SDI, Sony, and Panasonic parent company Matsushita to fill orders.

Read more at Reuters.

Matthew’s Opinion

The falling prices of DRAM may actually make this battery problem pass without significant price increases. Analysts believe DRAM is being stockpiled by manufacturers such as Dell to take advantage of the current low prices. In effect, Dell can keep the prices almost the same, taking the higher battery price hit on a lower profit margin from the RAM in a system.

It’s problems like this that show you how much manufacturers struggle to keep up with the demand for technology. This is just one battery plant shutting down, and it causes a major headache and shortages. Possibly more investment in battery manufacturing is needed to ensure closures can be dealt with easily.

Posted by admin

Tired of using your mobile phone’s default web browser or perhaps you do not like Opera Mini? Here’s a new mobile web browser which offers full web browsing right in your mobile phone’s small display screen – TeaShark.

TeaShark works with mobile phone models that support JAVA MIDP 2.0. It renders web pages on a mobile phones the same way that web pages are rendered on usual PC web browsers. Perhaps realizing that their product has to offer something different, the TeaShark developers have peppered their mobile web browsers with several nifty features not commonly found in other mobile phone browsers.

These features include; intelligent mouse cursor for easy navigation, 2-level zooming for fine reading and quick navigation between sections of the web pages, landscape orientation for a wider screen display, multi tabs and history, bookmark management with color tagging, enhanced click and search with phone number recognition.

TeaShark is currently on the beta stage. Uploading and installing it on your mobile is free except for the airtime charges that will be charge by your network providers for connecting to the web.

To install TeaShark on your JAVA enabled mobile phones, just point your browser to wap.teashark.com and follow the instructions for downloading and installing the browser. If you want to follow the long route, just visit the Tea Shark website and download the web browser to your PC, then connect your phone and upload the software, then install it in your mobile phone. You are then on your way to an enhanced mobile browsing experience.

Read [TeaShark] Via [Phone Scoop]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Posted by admin

Regardless of how old we get, Geeks are going to see new technology and immediately want to pick it up. This definitely is the case when it comes to a group of systems created by LeapFrog. We may end up picking these up for our kids or nieces and nephews in the end, but it’s still cool seeing what the youngsters can get their hands on. Read on to find out what the young generations can expect in the next few months.

Earlier this week, I had a lunch meeting with some of LeapFrog’s PR team, and I got an early look at several US$10,000 prototypes of this upcoming technology.

Leapster 2 is somewhat like the first one, but it’s design is slightly more comfortable. It’s backwards and forwards compatible, so old games can play inside it, and new games can play in the first Leapster. The one downside with the forwards compatibility is that you’d miss out on the new abilities of the system.

The game now plugs into a USB cable, and you can download your kids’ progress.

That’s all part of the LeapFrog’s Learning Path. Parents just create a profile for their children on a computer, then connect the Leapster 2 handheld to it. This is a way to keep track of what kids are learning, and it’s a way of building confidence and enthusiasm for learning–both from parent and child. When kids connect to the system, they can upload and unlock online rewards–like baby Achievements! Like the first Leapster, Leapster 2 auto-levels to make sure keeps are continually challenged.

The system launches with 5 new games and 10 revamped versions of old games.

The Leapster 2, which is recommended Ages 4-8, is due out this summer for an MSRP of US$69.99.

As cool as the Leapster 2 is, I think LeapFrog’s next bit of hardware is possibly more exciting. It’s called the Didj Custom Gaming System, and it’s the next logical developmental step from the Leapster 2. Parents can once again use LeapFrog’s Learning Path, but this time the entire experience is customizable. It does rely on parents to input a lot of information, such as spelling curricula or times tables, but one would expect a parent going this far for their kids would be OK with this level of involvement.

The system itself feels much more like a GameBoy than the Leapster 2, and it’s clearly aimed at a slightly older audience. In this case, though, there is actually an age overlap. The Didj is meant for students Ages 6 to 10. It’s mostly a hard rubber casing with some plastic. The colors are white and gray as opposed to bright green and navy blue.

The system will launch with 9 titles, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Didj is set to come out this summer for an MSRP of $89.99.

The next part of the evolution in learning is the Crammer, and it is a device that probably would have helped most of us get through middle school a little easier. It comes pre-loaded with curricula going up through 8th grade, including biology. It kind of looks like an alarm clock, and it features directional touchscreen controls.

There are some 30,000 math, social studies, and science questions packed into this handsized studying tool. The best way to use this device seems to be in flash cards. The devices come with an onboard Spanish to English translator. How about that!?

As with the others, this device connects to a PC through a USB port, and parents can see how their children are doing. Additionally, rewards are available; once again, kind of like achievements.

Crammer, which is for 3rd to 8th graders, will be available this Fall for an MSRP of $59.99.

Another new gadget I got to check out is the Tag Reading System. It kind of resembles LeapFrog’s Fly Fusion, but it’s not a pen. The system uses fairy similar encoding, though, with the specialized paper. The difference is that the paper takes the form of book pages. A number of books are offered, from children’s classics such as “Olivia” to licensed titles like “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

The system is meant to help kids learn to read. After you buy the special version of the books, you hop online and download basically an MP3 of the book’s audio. When you press a word on the book, the device will say that word aloud. Young children can also get the entire book read aloud as they just follow along.

It’s particularly cool to be able to switch from one book to another, and without having to press any other button just click on a word and have it read aloud. I was told that up to 5 books can be stored at a time, and the navigation system is kind of like iTunes.

Tag, which is aimed at children Ages 4-8, is also set to launch this summer for $49.99.

All told, LeapFrog seems very dedicated to being the educational system of choice for kids from the first days of pre-school all the way until high school. Although I only got to see Tag in action, it looks like Leapster 2, Didg, and Crammer will be as adept at blending education and fun.

Posted by admin

A research team from Swansea in the UK have developed a method to create solar “panel” paint, where when applied in layers to steel cladding will result in conversion of 5% of inbound solar energy to electricity. That does not sound as though it amounts to much, but with simple mathematics applied by multiplying it up over the surface area of a building, you will be able to cut down on power costs of a building by quite a bit. According to the project leader, if one manufacturer made all their steel cladding energy-producing, that will result in the same amount of electricity generated by 50 wind farms.