90 Percent Charge in 10 minutes

That’s what Toshiba reckons its latest Super Charge Ion Battery (SCIB) is capable of, and the icing on the cake is that it should be able to withstand between 5000 and 6000 charge/discharge cycles, or up to ten times the number of charge cycles for a standard Lithium Ion battery pack. There’s even more good news, they won’t explode when crushed, which is probably not something most people need to worry about, but it could happen. However, there’s no word on what SCIB’s do when they are short-circuited, which is one of the possible reasons for the recent spate of well-publicised laptop battery fires. So what’s the catch? Well, Toshiba hasn’t announced a launch date yet, which usually means there are some manufacturing or cost difficulties, or both, still to be ironed out, but the idea of being able to get a dead laptop battery up and running in just a few minutes is going to appeal to a lot of power-users, so we probably won’t have to wait too long for it.

Power in your Pocket

How about this for green energy? A pocket-sized device developed by a US company called M2E (Motion 2 Energy) promises to generated enough electricity to charge cellphones, media players and such, just by rattling around in your pocket or handbag. The gizmo is full of coils and magnets that convert movement into electricity, which is stored in a rechargeable battery, ready to be let loose when you need it. Apparently it generates between three and seven times as much power as rival ‘kinetic’ energy systems. The company has also developed ‘D’ cell type batteries that self charge as they are moved around, a bit like those torches that light up when you shake them. Read More »

How to shop for a laptop

Are you looking for a new laptop computer to run Windows? You’re probably among the millions of people wondering where to begin. Laptops (also called notebook computers) come in many shapes, designs, and sizes, with a bewildering array of prices and technical specifications. If you aren’t sure how to choose the best laptop for your needs, here’s some information to help you make the right purchase.

Start by taking a close look at how you’ll use your laptop. Don’t focus on technical specifications before you’ve asked yourself some basic questions: Read More »

Sony Ericsson W350i

The new Sony Ericsson W350i is a mid-level ranged mobile phone that adds to the Walkman series portfolio. As it has been a long time since a famous handset manufacturer launched a flip phone, W350i brings back the Sony Ericsson’s T series feeling. Revamped and improved, W350i’s design has that special retro look that will certainly make it as an ‘eye-catcher’ device. The public targeted is definitely going to love it, while those that are looking for a camera-phone or business-oriented device will probably hate it. In the end, it’s all about personal preferences.

Announced in January 2008, Sony Ericsson W350i was launched on the market in May 2008. The flip phone is available in four different color versions: Graphic white, Ice blue, Electric black and Hypnotic black. Those interested in a good-looking mid-level handset can acquire it for around $230 USD. Read More »

Sharper Fuel Cells

Sharp, in collaboration with MIT have announced an improved fuel cell technology that’s claimed to have the highest power density to date. Fuel cells have been around for yonks and basically convert chemical energy into electrical energy. It’s a sort of reverse electrolysis process (where water can be turned into hydrogen and oxygen by passing a current through it), using exotic materials that act as catalysts. In this case methanol is the fuel source. It’s a lot safer, cheaper and easier to transport than Hydrogen, which has been a popular choice with fuel cell developers in the past.

Sharp’s Direct to Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) prototypes are small enough to be used inside most gadgets, from mobile phones and GPS receivers to personal stereos and cameras and they say they’ll last around as long as lithium ion rechargeable batteries (3 – 5 years). Read More »

Canon Prints on the Move

It might look like something you would use to keep your sandwiches and a cold drink in, but what you are looking at here is the new Canon Selphy CP770 ‘home photo lab’ dye sublimation colour printer. The integrated carry-pack makes it easy to transport and it also provides storage space for paper and consumables, and an optional battery pack. Features include a bright, angled 2.5-inch LCD, it has a memory card reader for direct printing, there’s auto image correction with face brightness compensation, auto red eye correction, infrared data link and big, easy to use controls. Prints take around 52 seconds and Canon reckons they should last upwards of 100 years, we shall see…

Top Ten Notebooks You Couldn’t Do Without

Mobile computing has conquered both the high-end and the mainstream markets and analysts claim that the number of sold notebooks will outpace desktop systems by 2010. Mobile gaming is still a niche market, dominated by bulky notebooks with significant price tags, but most of the general-purpose laptops deliver optimal performance at a reasonable price tag.

The first entry in the mainstream notebook line-up is the Acer Aspire 5920 model, that comes rigged with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 chip running at 1.6 GHz. The system also packs 2 GB of DDR2 memory and runs Windows Vista Home Premium. The 15.4-inch LCD display sports anti-glare technology that boosts the video output and offers a comfortable computer experience. The system sells for about $910 via the company’s retail outlets. Read More »

Vista Appetite Suppressor

Vista laptop owners may have noticed that one thing the new operating system doesn’t do is improve battery efficiency, in fact if anything it uses more power then XP due to all of the fancy graphics. Well, let me introduce you to a freeware program, called Vista Battery Saver that claims to reduce power consumption by up to 70 percent. It does this by disabling various power-hungry features, like the Aeroglass graphics and it switches back to normal as soon as you return to external power. Such large savings are a bit optimistic but if you’re running low on juice, with no prospect of a top-up charge anytime soon, then every little helps.