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NBN users complain about batteries pack backup

Are batteries even necessary?

NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley has revealed mandatory back-up laptop batteries as the biggest source of complaints from trial users of the National Broadband Network.

The batteries, installed at more than 800 premises on the mainland during the NBN trial phase, were designed to power the voice ports on the network termination unit attached to a house in the event of a blackout.

However, they were largely unused by residents in the first release sites who used VoIP telephony, wireless handsets and mobile phones instead of low-power analogue phones.

The first opportunity for users to test out the voice ports and battery back-up came this month.

Even those who planned to use the voice ports on the NBN doubted the battery’s purpose.

Quigley told attendees of the Commsday Summit in Melbourne that users had complained about the size of the boxes and the requirement to replace the battery after five years.

“That is a thing that most people object to which is something we obviously need to be talking to the Government about how we address that because it is probably the biggest complaint we get,” he said.

“There’s potentially a lot of battery backup units being deployed for little return.”

The Federal Government planned to consult on the issue but required NBN Co to install the back-up MAKITA 1220 Power Tools Battery at each fibre-connected premises as an interim measure.

Representatives of the Department of Broadband told a Senate committee in February that a discussion paper was being prepared.

A spokesman for communications minister Stephen Conroy could not clarify this week when it would be released.

The interim measure remained despite concerns from the Greens in February that it would leave landfills full of millions of disposed batteries in several years.

Should it continue across the full rollout of the network, a backup battery device would be installed at each of the more than 12 million premises NBN Co expects to pass with fibre by 2021.

Quigley argued that the Dell vostro 1500 laptop batteries would still be required in cases where NBN users wished to use a voice-only service through an older telephone.

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Telstra had provided a similar backup unit as an option to residents in the South Brisbane fibre rollout area, while maintaining laptop batteries to premises where they were deemed a medical necessity.

NBN Co continued to discuss the issue with Government but Quigley told iTnews that the network builder could not alter current arrangements without a policy change.

“We can say, ‘Here are the pros and cons of what we see’, but it’s a Government decision,” he said.

“As long as this issue is resolved even within the next year, it’s not a big deal.”

The network wholesaler has not yet signed mass supply contracts for Dell d620 batteries.

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The Choice Between a Tablet and a Laptop Made Easier Now

When the tablet was first launched in 2010, people were still confused whether it was a smaller version of a laptop or a bigger version of a smartphone. It was seen as a schizophrenic cross between the two- it didnt come with the extensive features of a laptop but it offered something a laptop never could- portability, convenience and the sleek minimalistic design (thanks to the iPad). These are just some of the features which made tablets a major success in the gadget world.

However, the choice between a laptop and a tablet still continues be a confusing one. There is no denying the fact that they belong to different niches- a tablet is ideal for you if you need to use basic functions while you are travelling or at best, it is an additional accessory to a laptop. But if you are looking to do hard core work which involves a lot of typing input among other things, a laptop is obviously the better choice. So, you can’t really buy a tablet and expect it to serve as a replacement for a laptop or vice versa.

In the past one year or so, several manufacturers have tried to bridge this divide by producing what are known as laptop-cum-tablets. Lenovo recently released the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid which comes with a removable touchscreen. This touchscreen can double up as a tablet which uses Lenovo’s own version of Android or can function as the screen when you wish to use the gadget as a laptop.

This set-up can potentially solve many problems- One major drawback of the tablet is the lack of a keyboard. People usually find it very hard to type with a virtual keyboard. With the laptop cum tablet, that problem can be solved easily. Whenever you need to type, you can use the device as a laptop. At the same time, it gives you the processing speed and performance of laptop, not a tablet. As the IdeaPad is in its nascent stages, Lenovo is still trying to iron out all problem sectors before the final product is rolled out in the global market.

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In another attempt to make the choice between a tablet and a laptop easier, Lenovo also announced the production of the Lenovo Yoga PC. As the name suggests, flexibility is the stand out feature of this laptop-cum-tablet. It is only 17mm thick and weighs 3.1 lbs., so it delivers pretty decently on the portability aspect.

The unique hinge mechanism allows the keyboard to flip over completely so that the Yoga can be used as a tablet as well. The device will be powered by the yet to be released Windows 8 operating system. Another feature to look out for is the Intel Chief River Processor, an 8GB RAM and a promised Lenovo thinkpad t60 notebook battery life of eight hours.

Quite evidently, it is an ambitious attempt by Lenovo to combine the best of both the laptop and the tablet into one single device. The specifications promise the performance of a solid laptop while the unique hinge feature means that it can be used as a convenient tablet.

The big question now is- will Lenovo Yoga deliver on its promises or will it be just another fancy experiment gone wrong? We will just have to wait till the end of this year when the Lenovo Yoga officially hits the global markets.

The Last Battery Charger You Ever Buy

This Piece Of Plastic Might Be The Last Battery Charger You Ever Buy
A company called Fenix developed the battery charger for use in Uganda and other other third world countries where electricity might not be as readily available.

For any device that has a removable lithium-ion battery, it solves a lot of charging problems.

It’s a lot like a chip clip, in fact. Plug it into a USB power source on one end and clip it to the battery‘s contacts on the other end, and you’re charging up.535XYRWNGVUF

That is the only downside, however — you’ll only be able to charge batteries that you can remove from a device, such as laptop batteries, camcorder batteries, camera batteries, cell phone batteries and power tools batteries.

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Top 15 tips to maximize your iPhone battery life

As the iPhone is so fully featured, there are a myriad of ways to save power.

And, although this is not completely a power-saving tips, before you leave it’s always best to make sure you have the latest software installed: Apple is always working on little fixes to improve your iPhone’s power savings.

1. Keep it cool

Seriously. Don’t put your phone in the sun. Don’t leave it in a hot pocket. Battery life is lowered by heat and you should store your iPhone in temperatures less than 35 degrees centigrade – below 95F. As close to room temperature as possible is best for use.

2. Don’t use power-sucking apps you don’t need to

Minimise your app use, especially if it’s a game, stuff that sucks data (hello, Facebook) or uses GPS. Not only does some of the fun stuff suck power, it can also stop the auto-lock coming on.

3. Turn off 3G

So there we were, in our field, with little data coverage (thanks O2). So what did we do? Turn off data, that’s what. If you haven’t got it, there’s no point in wasting juice looking for it. Settings > General > Network and slide Enable 3G to Off.

4. No to EQ

Who’d have thunk, but equalising your iPod playback can drain your battery pack. Settings > iPod > EQ is where to turn it off.

5. Don’t fetch

Set the common apps to only fetch data when you want them to. Set Mail, Contacts and Calendars to only fetch data Manually. BE WARNED – if you have MobileMe, it’s dangerous to set the auto-check to Manual, since the much-vaunted Find My iPhone won’t work.

6. Don’t make long calls

Or don’t make any calls. Sounds like the stupid filler tip, but if you do make calls (and you probably do, as that’s almost certainly what you’re conserving battery for), just keep ‘em short.

7. Lock it up

iPhone not in use? Make sure you lock the screen and set the auto-lock to a minute in case you leave it unlocked.

8. Don’t use the GPS

Minimise use of it (such as in Maps or turn-by-turn sat-nav) and disable it: Settings > General > Location Services. If you’re lost, ignore this advice.

9. Turn it off when you don’t need it

Sleeping? With all your mates anyway? Then turn your phone off. Bit pointless if it’s for 10 minutes, but if it’s hours, it will add up.

10. Disable Wi-Fi

Nowhere near a wireless network? Go to Settings and slide Wi-Fi- to off. However, if you are going to be doing a fair amount of data browsing and you are near a wireless network, it will be better for your battery to use this than the thirsty cellular signal.

11. Turn off Bluetooth

Likewise, make sure Bluetooth is off. And keep it there unless you use accessories: Settings > General > Bluetooth and slide Bluetooth to Off.

12. Push off

Not many apps use push notifications, but in the future this will have more of an effect on your iPhone’s battery life as more start to. Settings > Notifications and slide Notifications to Off – only visible if you have relevant apps installed. Apple says this won’t stop the apps receiving data when the app is actually open though, so be careful, unless you’ve disabled data in other ways. Equally you need to turn off push mail (MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange). Go to Settings Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data and slide Push to Off.

Refrain from employing the speaker for music playback and turn down the volume – louder playback can make a difference, even with the headphones. Set the phone to silent on the side.

14. Dim your screen

Turn off auto-brightness and whack the brightness down as low as possible. Especially effective for many of us, as it’s the supreme brightness that’s one of the things that makes the iPhone screen look terrific, so it’s usually very bright as a default.

15. Go airplane

If you’ve got very little coverage, you can’t make calls anyway. If you’re going to be in a coverage lowspot for a little while, turn on Airplane Mode. It makes a serious difference, since your handset won’t be continuously searching for a network signal. This is one of the biggest drains of battery life on any handset.

Tags: iPhone Battery, improve iPhone battery life tips, laptop battery life,  9-Cell Dell Latitude D620 Battery, 6-cell HP 484170-001 Battery, discount laptop batteries

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Tech Review Maingear Ivy bridge powered gaming laptop

Maingear is out with the latest Ivy bridge powered laptop Maingear Pulse 11. It is an 11.6 inch notebook which is best ideal for advanced gaming. Gaming lovers are happy with the news of this Maingear laptop.

This Maingear laptop has a Core i5 but the clock speed is not specified yet. Its wide screen with comparable resolution gives good support to video intensive games. Maingear officials mentioned that this latest laptop is designed particularly to meet the demands of the gaming lovers. But with its user friendly features, it is sure to attract other consumers as well.

Key features of Maingear Pulse 11 include the following: 

• NVIDIA GT650M GPU

• 16GB of RAM

• Resolution of 1366×768

• HDMI 1.4

• USB 3.0

• Hard drive of 320GB

• Bundled OS of Windows (7)

• LCD screen

• Video RAM of 2 GB

• 7 hours laptop battery life

This gaming laptop also comes with an option for a dedicated 2GB RAM. GMA HD GPU can be used in the case of less complicated tasks. This laptop supports LED backlighting which is best suitable for intensive gaming actions. Its some features remind users of the Alienware M11x. THX TruStudio Pro-certified audio is the notable feature of this laptop which will power the sound effects of the gaming actions.

Data transfer efficiency is also another important spec to be highlighted about this Maingear laptop. Ivy Bridge power is the key spec of the Maingear laptop which helps gaming with its fast processing and speedy responses. It gives the power which is required for most of the advanced games. Discrete and integrated graphic adapter supports the graphics needed for the gaming power. The high definition graphics processor is the key element of this laptop in gaming actions.

Maingear Pulse 11 will be out in standard black colour. Its compact appearance helps users to keep it safe within a small case which is useful in travel sessions. Its good Acer aspire 6935g battery life adds to the overall efficiency of the gadget. 16GB RAM supports the overall speed that is necessary at critical gaming points.

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Maingear Pulse 11 will be out in the laptop market by this June. Consumers can purchase this Maingear gaming laptop at a price of around Rs. 55,000/-. Maingear is expecting a huge success in the gaming laptop market with their latest Ivy Bridge powered gaming laptop. More stunning devices with advanced and user friendly features like Maingear Pulse 11 can be expected in near feature.

Prolong Lithium-based Laptop Batteries Instructions

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries

What Causes Lithium-ion to Age?

The lithium-ion battery works on ion movement between the positive and negative electrodes. In theory, such a mechanism should work forever, but shelf life, cycling and temperature affect the performance. Because batteries are used under many demanding environmental conditions, manufacturers take a conservative approach and specify a battery life between 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles. Life cycle testing is easy to measure and is well understood by the user. Some organizations also add a date stamp of three to five years; however, this method is less reliable because it does not include the type of use.

Figure 1 illustrates the capacity drop of 11 Li-polymer laptop batteries that have been cycled at a Cadex laboratory. The 1500mAh pouch cells were first charged to 4.20V/cell at 1C rate (1500mA) and allowed to saturate to 0.05C (75mA) as part of full charge procedure. The batteries were then discharged at 1500mA to 3.0V/cell, and the cycle was repeated.

Figure 1: Capacity drop as part of cycling. A pool of new 1500mA Li-ionbatteries for smart phone istested on a Cadex C7400 battery analyzer. All 11 pouch packs show a starting capacity of 88–94 percent and decrease in capacity to 73–84 percent after 250 full discharge cycles (2010).

Courtesy of Cadex

Designed for a smart phone, the packs were already a few months old at time of testing and none of the batteries made it to 100 percent. It is common to see lower than specified capacities and shelf life may have contributed to this. Manufacturers tend to overrate their batteries; they know that very few customers would complain. In our test, the expected capacity loss was uniform over the 250 cycles. All sample batteries performed as expected.

Similar to a mechanical device that wears out faster with heavy use, so also does the depth of discharge (DoD) determine the cycle count. The smaller the depth of discharge, the longer the battery will last. If at all possible, avoid frequent full discharges and charge more often between uses. If full discharges cannot be avoided, try utilizing a larger battery. Partial discharge on Li-ion is fine; there is no memory and the battery does not need periodic full discharge cycles other than to calibrate the fuel gauge on a smart battery.

Table 2 compares the number of discharge/charge cycles a battery can deliver at various DoD levels before lithium-ion is worn out. We assume end of life when the battery capacity drops to 70 percent. This is an arbitrary threshold that is application based.

Specifying battery life by the number of discharge cycles is not complete by itself; equally if not more important are temperature conditions and charging voltages. Lithium-ion suffers stress when exposed to heat and kept at a high charge voltage.

Elevated temperature is anything that dwells above 30°C (86°F), and a high voltage is higher than 4.10V/cell. When estimating longevity, these conditions are difficult to assess because the battery state is in constant flux, and so is the temperature in which it operates. Exposing the battery to high temperature and being at full state-of-charge for an extended time can be more damaging than cycling. Manufacturers do not like to talk about these environmental conditions and release information only in confidence when so requested.

In this essay we do not depend on the manufacturer’s specifications alone but also listen to the comments of users. BatteryUniversity.com is an excellent sounding board to connect with the public and learn about reality. This approach might be unscientific, but it is genuine. When the critical mass speaks, the manufacturers listen. The voice of the multitude is in some ways stronger than laboratory tests performed in sheltered environments.

Let’s look at real-life situations and examine what stress a lithium-ion battery encounters. Most packs last three to five years, less if exposed to high heat and if kept at a full charge. Table 3 illustrates capacity loss as a function of temperature and state-of-charge. One can clearly see a performance drop of recoverable capacity caused by environmental conditions and not cycling. The worst condition is keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures, which is the case when running a laptop on the power grid. Under these circumstances the battery will typically last for about two years, whether cycled or not. The pack does not die suddenly but will produce decreasing runtimes as part of aging.

Table 3: Permanent capacity loss of lithium‑ion as a function of temperature and charge level. High charge levels and elevated temperatures hasten permanent capacity loss. Newer designs may show improved results.

Batteries are also exposed to elevated temperature when charging with wireless chargers. The energy transfer from a charging mat to the portable device is 70 to 80 percent and the remaining 20 to 30 percent is lost mostly in heat. Placing a cellular phone on the heat generating charging mat stresses the battery more than if charged on a designated charger. We keep in mind that the mat will cool down once the HP 484170-001 battery is fully charged.

Equally stressful is leaving a laptop computer battery in a hot car, especially if exposed to the sun. When not in use, store the battery in a cool place. For long-term storage, manufacturers recommend a 40 percent charge. This allows for some self-discharge while still retaining sufficient charge to keep the protection circuit active. Finding the ideal state-of-charge is not easy; this would require a discharge unit with an appropriate cut-off. Users should not worry too much about the state-of-charge; a cool and dry place is more important.

The voltage level to which the cells are charged also plays a role in extending longevity. For safety reasons, most lithium-ion cannot exceed 4.20V/cell. While a higher voltage would boost capacity, over-voltage shortens service life. Figure 4 demonstrates the increased capacity but shorter cycle life if Li-ion were allowed to exceed the 4.20V/cell limit. At 4.35V, the capacity would increase by 10 to 15 percent, but the cycle count would be cut in half. More critical than the extra capacity is reduced safety, which would be the results of a higher charge voltage.

Figure 4: Effects on cycle life at elevated charge voltages Higher charge voltages boost capacity but lower cycle life and compromise safety. Source: Choi et al. (2002)

Chargers for cellular phones, laptops and digital cameras bring the Li-ion battery to 4.20V/cell. This allows maximum runtime, and the consumer wants nothing less than optimal use of the battery capacity. The industry, on the other hand, is more concerned with longevity and prefers lower voltage thresholds. Satellites and electric vehicles are examples where longevity is important.

We have limited battery information by how much lower charge voltages prolong battery life; this depends on many conditions, as we have learned. What we do know, however, is the capacities. At a charge to 4.10V/cell, the battery holds a capacity that is about 10 percent less than going all the way to 4.20V/cell. In terms of optimal longevity, a charge voltage limit of 3.92V/cell works best but the capacity would be low. Besides selecting the best-suited voltage thresholds, it is also important that the battery does not stay in the high-voltage stage for a long time and is allowed to drop after full charge has been reached.

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The voltage threshold of commercial chargers cannot be changed, and making it adjustable would have advantages, especially for laptops as a means of prolonging battery life. When running on extended AC mode, the user would select the “long life” mode and the battery would charge to only, say, 4.05V/cell. This would get a capacity of about 80 percent. Before traveling the user would apply the “full charge mode” to bring the charge to 4.20V/cell. This saturation charge would take about an hour and would fill the battery to 100 percent capacity.

Realizing the stress on the battery, some laptop and cellular phone manufacturers choose an end-of-charge voltage that is less than 4.20V/cell. A slightly larger laptop battery pack compensates for the reduced runtime. Another option to extend battery life is removing the pack from the laptop when running on the power grid. The Consumer Product Safety Commissionadvises the public to do this out of concern for overheating and causing a fire. Removing the battery has the disadvantage of losing unsaved work on power failure.

Heat buildup is always a concern and running a laptop in bed or on a pillow may contribute to this by restricting airflow. Not only will heat stress electronic components, elevated temperature causes the electrodes in the battery to react with the electrolyte and this will permanently lower the capacity. Placing a ruler or other object under the laptop to increase floor clearance improves air circulation around the enclosure and keeps the unit cooler.

The question is often asked: Should I disconnect my laptop from the power grid when not in use? Under normal circumstances this should not be necessary because once the lithium-ion battery is full, a correctly functioning charger will discontinue the charge and will only engage when the battery voltage drops to a low level. Most users do not remove the AC power, and I like to believe that this practice is safe.

Everyone wants to keep the battery as long as possible and use it in a way that is least stressful. This is not always feasible. Sometimes we need to run the battery in environments that are not conducive to optimal service life. As a doctor cannot predict how long a person will live based on diet and activity alone, so also does the life of a battery vary, and it can always be cut short by an unexpected failure. Batteries and humans share the same volatility.

To get a better understanding of what causes irreversible capacity loss in Li-ion batteries, several research laboratories* are performing forensic tests. Scientist dissected failed batteries to find suspected problem areas on the electrodes. Examining an unrolled 1.5-meter-long strip (5 feet) of metal tape coated with oxide reveals that the finely structured nanomaterials have coarsened. Further studies revealed that the lithium ions responsible to shuttle electric charge between the electrodes had diminished on the cathode and had permanently settled on the anode. This results in the cathode having a lower lithium concentration than a new example, a phenomenon that is irreversible. Knowing the reason for such capacity loss might enable battery manufacturers to produce future batteries with longer life spans.

Power loss through Protection Circuit

Besides common aging, a Li-ion Acer Aspire 5520 Battery can also fail because of undercharge. This occurs if a Li-ion pack is stored in a discharged condition. Self-discharge gradually lowers the voltage of the already discharged battery and the protection circuit cuts off between 2.20 and 2.90V/cell. Some chargers and battery analyzers (including those from Cadex) provide a wake-up feature, or “boost,” to re-energize and recharge these seemingly dead Li-ion batteries.

* Research is performed by the Center for Automotive Research at the Ohio State University in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards Technology.

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How to fix dramatic decrease in battery life issue In Ubuntu 11.10

One of the many things that Linux users boast of is the better performance of the hardware in Linux as compared to Windows. Unfortunately, it has not been true in many cases. One of the major issues with the latest Ubuntu releases (11.04 and 11.10) were a dramatic decrease in the battery life along with overheating of laptops. The issue is faced by a large number of people that claimed to reduce the Acer As07b42 Battery life by around 2 hours on average. Interestingly, Windows still performs better and gives greater battery life than the latest version of Ubuntu.

A lot has been discussed about the issue. Lots of bug reports has been filed but nothing conclusive came out. Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) versions for e.g., Ubuntu 10.10 and the upcoming 12.04 are known to perform better than Windows but it does not mean that one has to suffer from poor Toshiba pa3594u-1bas battery life until the LTS version 12.04 comes out. In this post we will discuss two workarounds that could help you in improving the battery performance. You can use either or both of them.

Improve battery life by using Jupiter

Jupiter is a Linux applet for display, power, and device control. It can be used to change screen resolution, screen orientation, disabling WiFi, bluetooth and touchpad, and above all, battery performance. Jupiter has 3 Performance Modes: Maximum Performance, Performance on demand and Power Saver. In Power Saver mode it underclocks the processor and hence improves the battery life.

Unfortunately, Jupiter doesn’t work by default with Ubuntu 11.10, but thanks to WebUpd8 team, we have a work around for it. Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/jupiter
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install jupiter

After installing it, you need to log out and login again. You can see Jupiter in your system tray on the top. You can select Power Saver mode from there. This picture could be helpful:

After you put it on power saver mode, the icon turns green. It help you in remembering what mode you are using. You can see a considerable improvement in both battery performance and over heating.

Changing the Grub configuration to improve the battery performance:

If you are not satisfied with Jupiter, you may want to use the other work around which is a Kernel tweak. It was found that Asus a32-f3 extended life battery and over heating issue is related the Linux kernel. Let’s see how to use this trick:

Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and open the Grub config file by using the following command:

sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

Now here search for this line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Replace the above line with this one and save the file:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash pcie_aspm=force"

Update the Grub by using this command:

sudo update-grub

This fix was mainly meant for Linux Kernel 2.6.38 and the issue was “supposed” to be solved in later versions of Linux Kernel but that, unfortunately, never happened.

PowerTop can also be used instead of Jupiter but personally, I preferred Jupiter over PowerTop. I hope these tips increase the Dell latitude d820 battery life and solve the overheating problem of your laptop. I sincerely hope that things will be better with Ubuntu 12.04 which is bound to release in April’12.

Professor Develops Battery Life Extension Technology

We often write about different smartphones, apps, or accessories that are really cool, but none of them are the most important part of mobile technology. The most important part of mobile technology is the batteries that enable the device to run so that we can do all of the things we like to do with them. Do you think the iPad would be nearly as popular if its smartphone battery only lasted four hours?

Unfortunately, not much has changed with batteries over the last decade or so, therefore in order to increase the time which mobile devices can run hardware and software companies spend a lot of time managing the parts of the device like the screens that consume power. A University of Michigan professor has developed a technology called E-MiLi that increases battery life by putting devices in what is dubbed a “subconcious mode.”

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When you press the power button on smartphones you see the screen turn off, but device usually continues to use the radios at full power. E-MiLi causes the radio in smartphones to operate at one-sixteenth its normal operating speed and only goes back to full capacity when receiving data, thus reducing power consumption. According to Professor Kang Shin E-MiLi is capable of improving battery life by as much as 54 percent.

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Lenovo Yoga Gives Laptop, Tablet Concepts a New Twist

The Lenovo Yoga seems to take a page from the past to plot out a new direction for tablets. It’s a thin notebook computer that can double as a touchscreen tablet. However, unlike the swivel design found on tablet PCs in the days of yore, the Yoga’s hinges simply swing the screen around 360 degrees. The design could prove popular with users who want a tablet with the power of a full-bodied personal computer.

Lenovo unveiled its IdeaPad Yoga recently at CES, showing off a notebook with a 360 degree hinge designed to be used in a variety of ways in addition to the conventional laptop style.

The Ultrabook, which will run on Windows 8, can be opened and folded back on itself to be used as a tablet or e-reader with touchscreen capabilities. It can also be propped up like a tent for a better video watching experience, for example, or used as a traditional laptop.

Convertible tablets aren’t a new idea, but on the Yoga, the hinges are designed to be sturdier than the swivels used in the past. When it’s flipped and used as a tablet, the keyboard deactivates, so it can be placed on a flat surface or used on the go without worrying about hitting a key. The palm rest has a leathery surface so it can rest firmly and easily while being used as a tablet, and the whole device has a rubbery coating for durability.

The device is .67 inches thick, weighs 3.1 pounds and has a 13.3 inch screen, with an extended laptop battery life of up to 8 hours. It will come with as much as 256 GB of SSD and 8GB of RAM. It’s expected to start around US$1,199 sometime in the second half of 2012.

Lenovo didn’t return our request for more comment about the product.

Best of Both Worlds?

The dual functions of Lenovo’s Yoga could be a step toward merging laptop and tablet use. Users are becoming increasingly drawn to the mobility and ease of tablet products but in general have stuck with the laptop for business purposes.

“Tablets thus far have pretty much been complementary devices. They’re great for playing games, surfing the Web or watching video, but most users prefer laptops when it comes to writing e-mails, creating documents, etc. But the IdeaPad Yoga is intriguing because it bridges the gap between the two. It has full touchscreen functionality but also a fully integrated keyboard,” Colin Gibbs, analyst at GigaOM Pro told TechNewsWorld.

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“Our research shows that people with iPads or other tablets also must carry their laptops with them to handle the heavy duty computing they still have to do, especially with their business applications. That is why there is actually pent up demand for a device that has the full functionality of a laptop for heavy lifting and a pop off screen or screen like the Yoga’s that give you the best of both in a single product,” Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies told TechNewsWorld.

Lenovo’s Not Alone

The consumer device market is a crowded one, and hybrid products probably won’t be an exception to that rule. Lenovo’s Yoga could have a competitive advantage by running on Windows 8, though.

“I believe hybrids will be the sleeper product of late 2012. Although we have had some on the market now, they are either all Android-based or a mix of Android on the tablet and Windows on the laptop. Windows 8 could give these types of devices a real boost,” said Bajarin.

Although the iPad is a leader in its market, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and iOS is still off-putting to some users, so Microsoft’s (Nasdaq: MSFT) system on a fully functional machine could appeal to some of those users.

“Because it runs Windows 8, it will appeal to mainstream users are comfortable with Microsoft’s OS. So Lenovo can market it as a replacement for laptops rather than an additional device,” said Gibbs.

Bajarin said that could even be the main reason the device could become popular.

“Lenovo’s Yoga is one of the better early versions of this concept, and I expect to see many more by quarter four. But it will be Windows 8 that makes these types of devices take off,” he said.

At a lofty $1,200, Lenovo has its work cut out for it in marketing the product to a down economy.

“I think we’ll see more devices like the Yoga emerge in the next few years. Consumers have consistently demonstrated their eagerness to carry fewer devices — look at the declining markets for dedicated devices like digital cameras, MP3 players, etc. — and that trend will extend to hybrid gadgets like the Yoga. As the tablet space moves beyond the iPad, the key for manufacturers will be combining business functionality with consumer appeal, and doing it at the right price,” Gibbs concluded.

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Windows 8 on Kal El to sport laptop battery life in days

According to a NVIDIA spokesman, battery life can extend up to days when Windows 8 runs on Kal El hardware

If what NVIDIA is claiming is true, tablets powered by Kal El might just become the next big thing. It is tough, though, to believe that Kal El, with all its power, will eat up laptop battery power so slowly. In the past, the company has advertised the powerful quad-core Kal El with a laptop battery lifetime comparable or even slightly better than its predecessor, the Tegra 2 chipset.

The reason behind the claimed long battery life could be the manner in which the processors are made. If the ARM Cortex-A15 or the Cortex-A9 are produced with the <40nm method, they might be able to sustain an elongated battery life. This is probably the only way powerful quad-core chipsets can save such a significant amount of power.

On the other hand, Windows 8 could be a power saver too. Its Metro UI is borrowed from Windows Phone 7 and doesn’t require the same amount of power that the UI running on traditional Windows desktops does. This, is because the applications on Metro are simpler than the more complicated professional programmes of older Windows operating systems.

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Yet, it remains to be seen how much HP nc6000 laptop battery Microsoft’s new OS eats up when it runs Metro and other traditional programmes side by side on the same tablet.

According to phonearena, “Intel said that ARM-based devices running Windows 8 won’t support legacy Windows software, which is normal, since they are written for x86 machines, but now it seems that we’ll be at least capable of running the current default programs and whatever new stuff ships with Windows 8, instead of only seeing the Metro-style interface of Windows 8.”

Microsoft and NVIDIA are claiming that Windows 8 can run multiple programmes on powerful tablets using just an iota of the battery’s power. If this indeed is true, 2012 might just be the year that Microsoft makes a fortune!

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Sunday, Oct 10, 2010 by Quality Battery Supplier

Mobile computing has got better with lighter components, better chips and faster processors. But the Achilles heel of a laptop has remained its battery. So here are we are going to look at ways to increase laptop battery life.

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