Tokyo Edge: Battery Rechargers, UMPCs, and a Tiny Sony Laptop
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This month, our man in Asia also looks at new Sony Walkmans, Samsung's SGH-X830 cell phone, and instant juice for your iPod.
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Exploring PDA 'transmission technologies', apparently
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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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Technology first discussed years ago might power your next laptop, replacing the fire-hazardous, but commonly used, lithium ion.
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Concerns over exploding computer   batteries may be heating up, but alternative power sources for   portable devices like laptops, music players and cellphones   could still be up to 10 years away.
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TechWeb - Multipurpose cell phones, data-storing pocket knives: Can you fear me now?
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With the advent of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, the humble car battery is now taking center stage in new research.
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A new device offers a pixel layout that saves battery life and presents a sharper picture.
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Photovoltaics made of nanowires could power small devices and lead to cheaper solar panels.
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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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A new kind of gadget can save your data -- and your hide -- when your laptop is damaged or lost.
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Nikon leads SLR market in Japan...gaming the Creative Commons...new geotagging tech...30-minute Olympus E-3 video...Ubuntu Hardy Heron Alpha 3...Microsoft Popfly video humor
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Voltaic Systems shows off a laptop bag with integrated 14-watt panel and battery for charging laptops.
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Tiny AVCHD device uses Secure Digital memory card for storage.
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Smaller than laptops but bigger than PDAs, the devices use stylus and GPS.
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Today, notebook computers are being used in an increasing number of applications in both consumer and commercial environments.  This paper  discusses the technologies necessary to meet the demands of these applications and what Fujitsu is doing to meet the varied display requirements of its customers.
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Ubiquitous. Flexible. Rechargable. No wonder the java giant's cards are a hit.