Knee Device Charges Portable Batteries
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Researchers at Simon Frasier University in British Columbia have developed technology that generates electricity from the natural motion of walking. In an article published in the journal Science this month, Max Donelan, an assistant professor of kinesiology, and other team members say their biomechanical energy harvester promises to revolutionize the way people charge the batteries that power all sorts of mobile gear.
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ATHENS, Sep 7 (IPS) - The small black device that Panagiotis Vovos holds  in his hands can measure the voltage produced by mobile phone  network transmission antennas. It can detect voltages up to  7(Volt/metre).
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JackBootâ¢? March-o-Maticâ¢? YompBotâ¢? A team of researchers at MIT have developed a rather clever new twist on the conventional powered exoskeleton idea*. Rather than seeking to amplify the strength of the wearer's own muscles, the relatively simple MIT rig is intended merely to transfer the load of a heavy backpack directly to the ground, which allows very low power consumption.â¦
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Tips to squeeze every last minute of power out of your notebook's battery.
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As&#160;One Laptop Per Child prepares to ship its highly anticipated XO laptops in two weeks, it is developing a &quot;supercharger,&quot; a mass battery recharger that will draw power from cows and yo-yos to help the laptops run longer.The supercharger is a box that will charge 15 batteries at a time, said Mary Lou Jepsen, chief technology officer for OLPC.The supercharger complements other environmentally friendly battery charging technologies being used or under development for the XO laptop, Jepsen said. Users can hook up handcranks, cows, yo-yos, foot pedals and solar panels to the box to recharge batteries.Last week OLPC said it was designing a cow-powered generator through a dynamo with a system of belts and pulleys using cattle to generate power.A typical charge cycle for a laptop battery should be about three hours, Jepsen said. Groups of children will be able to share batteries.Currently in design, the supercharger will be ready for manufacturing next year, Jepsen said.A laptop&#39;s mileage depends on its usage, so OLPC designed an environmentally friendly laptop that could work with a rugged, low-power battery, Jepsen said. The laptop&#39;s specially designed lithium-ferro phosphate battery consumes between 2 watts to 8 watts depending on usage, Jepsen said. It lasts five years and works in environments up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius), Jepsen said.The XO batteries do not work on normal laptops, which can sap up to 40 watts of power depending on usage, Jepsen said.The XO is also the first laptop that uses only alternative energy, Jepsen said. Low-cost solar panels are great as a power option where there is plenty of sunlight, Jepsen said. Energy is especially scare in developing nations, so the laptop will hopefully pass on energy preservation lessons, which could help preserve battery life in the XO, Jepsen said.The laptop goes into manufacturing this week after three years of design experimentation and attempts to reduce manufacturing cost. It will first be offered in two weeks to consumers in the Give 1 Get 1 program, in which two laptops can be purchased for about US$400, with a user getting one laptop and the other being donated.&quot;We&#39;re exhausted, but exhilarated,&quot; Jepsen said.REFERENCES:OLPC experiments with cow-powered laptops ... seriously, Oct. 24, 2007
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By Bill Husted, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  Feb. 11--QUESTION: At your recommendation, I purchased a battery backup  for my PC. Also at your suggestion, I was planning to buy one for my HDTV as  well.
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Portable media players and related accessories are among the hottest gift items this holiday season. People can now carry thousands of songs in their pocket, and many of the sleek gizmos can display photos and videos as well.
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A new Âgas gaugeÂ chip for laptop batteries provide much more accurate readouts of time left.
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Problems with the battery pack's latch could lead to overheating, company says.
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A new device recharger debuts, along with products that could take advantage of it.
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Scientists develop an electronic device to test for serious head injuries.
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Scientists develop a dental implant that doses patients with prescription drugs over time -- it's headed for clinical testing. In Gadget Lab.
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An electronic device that uses spinach to convert light into electrical charge has been developed by US researchers. Shuguang Zhang at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, and research collaborators
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A delayed battery technology may indeed be on the way.
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MOBILE phone users left talking to themselves when their battery runs out in the middle of a call could soon see an end to their frustration as scientists perfect a way to recharge electrical equipment while on ...
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If, like me, you travel everywhere with your Apple Computer (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) iPod, you&#39;re painfully aware of the need to carry some kind of charger, whether is a dock connected to a PC running Microsoft&#39;s (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people
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Browse this week's Wired News gadget reviews for a compact solar powerpack, ergo office chair and more of the best and worst of the latest tech.