The lithium-ion battery on the iPhone 3GS promises a good amount of talk and Internet usage time on the 3G network at about five hours on a single charge.
But if you have too many cords around your desk or you’re out on the road, you could try getting an extra power-up from the wireless Case-Mate Hug.
The Case-Mate Hug includes an aluminum-shaded, form-fitting iPhone case and a charging pad, where the case is placed to receive power via magnetic strips. Of course, it’s not entirely wireless as the user must connect the charging pad to a standard AC power source.
The eco-aspect of the Hug is that it features “smart charge” technology, meaning that it will only charge the phone’s battery until it’s 100% full, then halting the power transfer from its electric source.
It’s a nice concept, but it certainly wouldn’t work as a full-time case for the iPhone. It’s not terribly bulky (at least not based on the promo video), but I can’t imagine slipping that in my pockets that easily. Maybe just in my coat. It’s also something I wouldn’t want to drop or get damaged, as it costs $100. Not exactly a cheap accessory.
While it seems like a nice way to have an extra charging method without all the tangled wires, it doesn’t seem worth it - not at that price.
Japan may be famous for its bullet trains, but if China's plans for a high-speed railway go forward, people could be zipping over from London to Beijing in under two days.
The train would go on from Beijing to Singapore, and also connect to India and Pakistan, opening up the East to non-fliers.
One of the senior consultants on the railway project, and also a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Wang Mengshu, said that they are "aiming for the trains to run almost as fast as aeroplanes," and that with any luck, the railway should be "completed in a decade."
In addition to the London to Beijing plan, they're also hoping to build railways from Beijing to Russia and Germany, connected with the European railway system. A third project that goes south from China, to Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia has already started, with a deal struck between Burma and China that will see the Chinese paying for the Burmese line, with the Chinese able to tap into their lithium reserves—which they can then use in production of batteries. [Telegraph]
It's happened to the best of us - you're out and about and suddenly realize that your phone is about to die. We all love rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, but they're not exactly an easy power source to replace while on-the-go....
Photo: Pininfarina
A Proving Ground for Lithium-Metal-Polymer Batteries?
After some delays and problems, it looks like the Bluecar EV by Pininfarina and Bolloré is going to launch in the fall of 2010 if crash tests are successful and the car meets safety regulations. the fall target is for rental only, though. The Bluecar will go on sale at a later, yet unknown date.... Read the full story on TreeHugger
Photo: Pininfarina
A Proving Ground for Lithium-Metal-Polymer Batteries?
After some delays and problems, it looks like the Bluecar EV by Pininfarina and Bolloré is going to launch in the fall of 2010 if crash tests are successful and the car meets safety regulations. the fall target is for rental only, though. The Bluecar will go on sale at a later, yet unknown date....Read the full story on TreeHugger
Ever wished you could sail through the sky? Designer Damien Grossemy wants to make that dream a reality with his Zep’lin, a flying sailboat designed for Renault. The vertically-built Zep’lin concept features solar panels and on-board lithium ion batteries to store extra energy as it soars up above.
Read the rest of Flying Sailboat Soars Through the Sky On Solar Power
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Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Hatchback, Kia, Electric
Continue reading Geneva 2010: Kia Venga EV, sorry we missed you the first time around
Geneva 2010: Kia Venga EV, sorry we missed you the first time around originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We've seen increased efforts lately to push greater cell phone adoption into developing nations, and the latest to enter the fray is a low cost handset powered by commonly available AAA-sized batteries. Called the "FrvrOn," short for "forever on," Indian mobile phone company Oliver Telecommunications also outfitted its mobile phone with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, but has good reason for including an AAA compartment.
"We have electrification all across the country but the power supply is erratic," marketing manager Ravi Perti told AFP. "With our phone, all one needs to do is pack a few extra cells (batteries) if one is traveling in areas where one expects power supply disruptions."
Perti says, the phone can run for up to three hours on the stock lithium-ion battery, and another hour on a single AAA battery.
According to government figures, there are 10,000 impoverished Indian villages with access to grid electricity. Even still, India represents the world's fastest-expanding mobile market, adding an average of 15 million customers every month.
Image Credit: Olive Communications
Eco Factor: Generating electricity from carbon nanotubes.
A team of scientists at MIT have discovered a new way to generate electricity using carbon nanotubes. Described as “Thermopower Waves”, the new phenomenon can cause powerful waves of energy to shoot through carbon nanotubes. Like a collection of flotsam propelled along the surface by waves traveling across the ocean, it turns out that a thermal wave traveling along a microscopic wire can drive electrons along, creating an electrical current.
In the new process, carbon nanotubes were coated with a layer of a reactive fuel that can produce heat by decomposing. When ignited with either a laser beam or a high voltage spark, the fast moving heat wave pushes electrons along the tube, creating a substantial electrical current.
After further development, the system now puts out energy, in proportion to its weight, about 100 times greater than an equivalent weight of lithium-ion battery and the amount of power released is much greater than predicted by thermoelectric calculations. The thermal wave, he explains, appears to be entraining the electrical charge carriers (either electrons or electron holes) just as an ocean wave can pick up and carry a collection of debris along the surface.
The researchers suggest that one possible application of the system would be its use in new kinds of ultra-small electronic devices that could also be injected into the body. Moreover, the system could also lead to environmental sensors that could be scattered like dust in the air.
Via: MIT
Eco Factor: Concept zero-emission car powered by electricity.
After Ferrari, Lotus and Hyundai, the Geneva Motor Show saw the launch of yet another environmentally friendly concept vehicle – the Kia Venga EV. The vehicle features an electric motor with top power of 80KW and maximum torque of 280Nm. The Venga EV is the same size as the regular Venga B-segment MPV that is on sale in Europe.
The Venga EV features a twin-pack 24KWh battery using the innovative lithium-ion polymer technology that provides a driving range of up to 180km on a single charge. The car can also be recharged to 80 percent capacity in just 20 minutes, while the full charge takes about eight hours. The front-wheel drive vehicle with the electric powertrain is capable of accelerating from standstill to 100kph in 11.8 seconds with a top speed of about 140kph.
Via: AutoBlogGreen
Leave it to Brando to really talk up a product. The “Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard” is apparently pretty awesome if you take their word for it. It has 26 “dazzling” LEDs backlighting the keyboard. As if that wasn’t enough to sell you, it is designed to be easy to carry; by being small apparently. Then there’s the “notebook trackpad”. If you still have doubts, just remember this: it also has a laser pointer. How can they power all this awesome? Well the Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard has a “Built-in rechargeable more staying power lithium-ion battery”.
In all seriousness though, it doesn’t look like a terrible solution for a media center PC controller. The keyboard layout looks a bit awkward with the trackpad shifting the keys to the left. It uses a standard 2.4GHz wireless radio with a 30 meter range. The price is a little steep at $92. That’s maybe too much until you consider that you get “iPhone style craft, classic style” according to Brando. Get it here, if you wish.
Last week Business Insider launched an exclusive sneak peek at the Mercedes-Benz S400 HYBRID Sedan. One of the features we're totally psyched about is the lithium-ion battery. It's the first of its kind in a production vehicle* and here's why it's cool.
The compact lithium-ion battery is more powerful than conventional car (nickel-metal hydride) batteries, contributing to the S400 HYBRID being 26% more fuel efficient than the S550 (19 city MPG). With the S400 HYBRID, you can maintain the same smooth Mercedes ride and have the horsepower to rule the road while still driving an eco-friendly car with outstanding MPG that has been called the "CO2 champion in the luxury class."
And there are other features that make the Mercedes S400 HYBRID Sedan a luxury to lust, such as PRE-safe, which acts automatically to prepare for a possible accident and Blind Spot Assist, which alerts the driver when it senses a vehicle entering the blind-spot area.
Check out the awesome new Mercedes S400 HYBRID Sedan >>
*Other lithium-ion batteries have been used in prototype vehicles but the S400 has the first lithium-ion in a production vehicle.
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Last week Business Insider launched an exclusive sneak peek at the Mercedes-Benz S400 HYBRID Sedan. One of the features we're totally psyched about is the lithium-ion battery. It's the first of its kind in a production vehicle* and here's why it's cool.
The compact lithium-ion battery is more powerful than conventional car (nickel-metal hydride) batteries, contributing to the S400 HYBRID being 26% more fuel efficient than the S550 (19 city MPG). With the S400 HYBRID, you can maintain the same smooth Mercedes ride and have the horsepower to rule the road while still driving an eco-friendly car with outstanding MPG that has been called the "CO2 champion in the luxury class."
And there are other features that make the Mercedes S400 HYBRID Sedan a luxury to lust, such as PRE-safe, which acts automatically to prepare for a possible accident and Blind Spot Assist, which alerts the driver when it senses a vehicle entering the blind-spot area.
The promises Brando makes about the “Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard” make it sound like a hug wrapped in hot chocolate wrapped in a puppy. There’s the “dazzling bright LED” backlighting, the world’s first touchpad that can be used in both the horizontal and vertical positions complete with advanced “capacitive sensing technology, comparable to a real notebook touchpad,” and the “innovative design of the navigation keys” that’ll make you “feel the thrill” of being able to play games wirelessly.
And if you’re sitting here thinking that the combination of a keyboard, mouse, and laser pointer would make for the perfect presentational tool, Brando’s got you covered:
“Keyboard, mouse, presenter trinity, three-dimensional presentation, more vivid!”
There’s a lithium ion battery good for an entire “mouth” (yes, mouth) of use, the USB receiver stows into the backside of the remote, and the wireless range apparently reaches up to about 100 feet. It’ll cost you $92 for “iPhone style craft, classic style.”
Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard [Brando]
Eco Factor: Zero-emission compact vehicle powered by lithium batteries.
Apart from hybrid Ferrari and Lotus there is enough at the Geneva Motor Show for all those who’re planning to buy a clean car for a cause. Lumeneo has presented a serial model of the Smera that is designed to zip through traffic without adding any carbon to the atmosphere. With a width of just 86cm, the vehicle is an inline two-seater that also leans around corners.
The cockpit of the Smera includes a LCD screen which displays all intuitive commands and has a trunk which can easily receive your daily luggage. The heat of the vehicle features an electronic system that manages all the parameters, starting from the signals provided by an integrated inertial system.
Onboard the vehicle is a pack of lithium batteries that generates a voltage of 133V with a capacity of 10KWh. The batteries fuel a pair of electric motors that offer 1000Nm of torque at the rear wheels. The company claims that the batteries offer a range of 150km and can propel the car to a top speed of 130kph. Moreover, the batteries are designed to last at least eight years even if used every day.
Via: AutoBlogGreen
Polaroid is working on their revival, yet still sticking with what they know. 
The Polaroid Pogo is an instant printer for your digital pictures.
You can connect to the Pogo via USB or Bluetooth (nice) and print 2 inch x 3 inch full color photos.
Apparently it takes less than a minute to print each picture.
The Pogo holds 10 sheets of photo paper, runs on a Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and currently sells for about $40
Solar Products has announced its first product, the Joos Orange solar recharger, which the company claims provides 20 times the capacity of solar chargers currently on the market. The Joos Orange is designed for use with personal electronics such as phones, MP3 players, and GPS devices. It runs a 5-inch mono-crystalline solar cell and a replaceable 3.7 volt, 5,400mAh lithium-ion polymer battery; with this, the pack can provide 2.5 hours of talk time on a typical cell phone for each hour of charging time....
Solar Products has announced its first product, the Joos Orange solar recharger, which the company claims provides 20 times the capacity of solar chargers currently on the market. The Joos Orange is designed for use with personal electronics such as phones, MP3 players, and GPS devices. It runs a 5-inch mono-crystalline solar cell and a replaceable 3.7 volt, 5,400mAh lithium-ion polymer battery; with this, the pack can provide 2.5 hours of talk time on a typical cell phone for each hour of charging time....
From Dell.Com: Pay $400, and you get a 17″ laptop with the following specs:
If anything, the basic Studio 17 makes for a good home web and productivity machine. You won’t have to pack it up in boxes if you have to move, and the 17″ display will make it easy to read text. 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium is pre-installed, maximizing a possible upgrade to 4GB of RAM. Mobile warriors should stay away from this laptop though; the Studio 17 is simply too big to move around regularly, even if the 9-cell battery promises longevity away from the wall socket.
Post from: The Gadget Blog
Eco Factor: Zero-emission compact car to be powered by electric batteries.
Tata Motors has unveiled the much anticipated electric version of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, at the 80th Geneva Motor Show. The car is based on the existing Tata Nano platform, which is powered by a 600cc gasoline engine. The electric version of the Nano will also seat four adults and features super polymer lithium ion batteries for power.
The company estimates that a fully charged battery pack will take you 160km with an acceleration of 0-60kph in under 10 seconds. Tata is planning to put the Nano EV into production soon and sell it alongside their Indica Vista EV, which goes on sale in Europe later this year.
Via: AutoBlogGreen
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Electric
Geneva 2010: Rinspeed UC? asks a lot of questions originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ghost hunters, rejoice. Not only does this $150 LED flashlight record 640×480 video at 30 frames per second, it’s also got an eight foot nightvision range that allows it to record in complete darkness.
There’s a five-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery, support for microSD cards up to 8GB (20 hours of video) and, oh yeah, it’s a flashlight too. You know, for seeing in the dark.
According to the product description:
With this hidden camcorder that looks and acts like a regular LED flashlight, you can use it as just that, and record at the same time. With the built-in nightvision, you can record crystal clear footage and take pictures without anyone knowing exactly what you’re doing. This is great tool for bouncers or security guards working in dark bars or clubs for when they check IDs. Also great for regular surveillance hoping to protect themselves, throw the Flashlight Camcorder in your car or pocket and be prepared for any break down or nighttime excursion.
This actually seems like it’d be very useful for certain applications, and not ridiculously expensive at $150. Aside from ghost hunting and ID checking, this product will unfortunately be a big topic of discussion at peeping clubs everywhere. Do they have peeping clubs?
Hidden Camcorder Flashlight – SPY Camera Hidden In A Flashlight [Brick House Security]
Photo: Currie Technologies
"We are confident that the Express will make an eBike believer out of anyone that takes it for an extended test ride," says Larry Pizzi, president of Currie Technologies. The iZip Express is the latest hybrid electric bicycle from Currie, and is arriving on the US market after three years of development.
The nuts and bolts are that its 36V 18Ah Lithium-ion battery can move the rider at speeds in the vicinity of 32km/h (20 mph) and it can manage a range of between 50 and 80 km (30 -5- miles) depending on the mode selected.
But what's got Currie revved up is their pate... Read the full story on TreeHugger
