Laptop Battery Power Tips

PC World

In some respects, life as a laptop-carrying frequent flyer has gotten a little easier. Exhibit A: Though far from commonplace, it's not freakishly bizarre anymore to find a power port at your airplane seat--even in coach. Virgin America and American Airlines are among the most generous airlines in terms of supplying power ports to passengers.

But it's still way too easy to run out of juice in flight, or during the course of a long day away from a wall socket. Here are some tips for keeping your laptop running as long as possible when you're on the go.
 

Ditch the Peripherals, Tweak Settings

When you're on the road, you can significantly conserve battery power by dimming your laptop screen's brightness. Make sure there are no CDs or DVDs sitting in your optical drive, and don't connect any USB peripherals--all power hogs. Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G networking (you have to do that in flight anyhow).

Also, tweak your laptop's power settings to conserve your battery. For example, in Windows Vista, go to Control Panel, Power Options and select the "Power saver" setting You can adjust the "Power saver" settings, if you want, or create your own power plan.
 

Buy a Second Battery

Many laptops today can run off two batteries. When the juice from the primary battery runs dry, the auxiliary kicks in. In most cases, the primary battery comes with the laptop; the second is an optional purchase. For example, HP's EliteBook 6930p promises up to 24 hours of use from one charge--but only if you attach an optional, external 12-cell ultra-capacity battery pack ($189) as a secondary battery to augment the laptop's internal, primary six-cell battery (There are other requirements, too, such as the need to downgrade to Windows XP.) Keep in mind that second battery packs, sometimes also called battery slices often add bulk and weight to your laptop.

Another option: Buy a portable battery pack. I like the Duracell Powersource Mobile 100 (about $110 and up online) because it lets you power a variety of devices, such as laptops, cell phones, portable DVD players, and video cameras, using their own power cords. By comparison, some portable power rechargers require special tips or cables to recharge your gear. The Duracell Powersource can also recharge two USB devices simultaneously with your laptop.
 

Get to Know Battery Specs

When buying a new laptop or a second laptop battery, pay attention to the power specs. Generally speaking, you need to know how many cells the battery has. The more cells, the longer the battery can last on a charge. For example, a 12-cell battery is designed to last much longer than a six-cell battery. Alternatively, the specs might list Watt-Hour rating, or WHr. The higher the number, the longer your battery should last. Some computer makers, such as Apple, describe laptop batteries in terms of WHr, while others use cells.
 

Check for Power Ports Before You Fly

Before I book a flight, I find out the type of aircraft I'll be on. Then I jump over to Seatguru.com, which offers helpful seating configuration maps for most domestic and international airlines. The black dots on seat maps indicate the presence of in-seat power ports. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes (especially in coach) you may have to share one power port with your neighbor.
Play Your Music on a Portable Player

Playing music or videos on your laptop is a great way to pass the time--and drain your laptop comupter batteries. Music and audio files make frequent hits on your hard drive, which consumes battery power. If you need to work during a long flight, and yet you want to silence that crying baby in 12B, listen to music on your portable media player. That way you won't tax your laptop battery. Most airplanes today have an in-flight music system, which you can listen to even during take-off and landings (which you can't do with a portable electronic device).
 

Watch Videos on Your Hard Drive

Playing a video on a laptop's DVD drive eats laptop battery power. Video playback from a hard drive, however, is less taxing. So for your next long flight, consider downloading a few movies or TV shows to your hard drive. Or convert your own DVDs into files you can play off your hard drive. As PCWorld.com blogger Rick Broida points out, you can use the popular open-source program Handbrake to rip DVDs into files for watching on a laptop or iPod/iPhone.
 

Share an Airport Power Plug

Have you ever tried to find an available wall socket at an airport departure gate? Most of the time, other people have already taken the few existing wall sockets. That's why I travel with a multi-plug power adapter. Example: Kensington's Portable Power Outlet ($21 on Amazon.com) lets you simultaneously plug up to three devices into one wall outlet. It also lets you charge up to two USB devices at the same time, and it offers surge protection. Belkin makes a similar product, the Mini Surge Protector With USB Charger (about $14 or more online).

Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

Netbook/Tablet With Long Battery Life: A company called Always Innovating claims its forthcoming Touch Book netbook transforms into a tablet PC when you pull the screen away from the keyboard. The company also says the netbook's batteries will go for up to 15 hours on one charge. It's expected to be available in May or June for $299 (without a keyboard) and $399.

Sprint Announces Palm Pre Pricing: No word yet on when the Palm Pre smartphone will ship, or what its price tag will be. But details of Sprint's pricing plans for the phone are emerging. Individuals can choose between 450 minutes ($70), 900 minutes ($90) or unlimited plans ($100).

Apple's iPod Shuffle Gets Vocal: The third-generation iPod Shuffle ($80) is tiny. It's so tiny it has no buttons, knobs, or screen (though previous Shuffles lacked screens, too). Instead, the new MP3 player offers VoiceOver, a text-to-voice feature that reads off song titles, artists, playlist names, and so forth. In addition, the earbuds included with the Shuffle feature in-line controls such as volume up/down.

Verizon Announces VoIP Packages for SMBs

Network World

 

At the recent Comptel Spring 2010 conference, Verizon Global Wholesale Division announced plans for three new VoIP phones and Internet packages designed for retail service providers to offer to small and midsize businesses. The wholesale offers will be accompanied by marketing efforts to SMBs.

The first package combines Verizon's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Gateway Service with new a NEC Univerge SV8100 IP PBX that is offered with an associated installation and maintenance bundle. Both the SIP connection and the NEC PBX are offered at a discount, although the service and hardware discounts expire on June 30.

The second package, designed for 30 or more users, is an Internet T1 dedicated circuit service that also combines service and hardware. The equipment offered in this package is either a Samsung Ubigate iBG 1000 for data-only applications or a model 1003 for data and voice services combined. Like the first offer, the package is offered at a discount, which expires at the end of March 2011. QOS assurance is offered as an option for an additional charge.

A third package offers customers a Samsung iBG1000 bundled with an Ethernet connection at either 5Mbps or 10 Mbps. The cost of the router is credited back to the customer over the first year of service, and the Ethernet connection is discounted with the promotional offer, which expires on at the end of March 2011.

Commenting in a statement on the new bundles, Quintin Lew, senior vice president of marketing for Verizon Global Wholesale said, "By creating new home and business VoIP services and Internet packages that include both services and hardware, we're giving our wholesale customers new ways to support their small- and medium-sized business customers in a time when every nickel and every efficiency counts toward success. Our goal continues to be to arm our wholesale customers with the tools that help them to help small and medium-sized businesses succeed."

Business Software Maker CA to Cut 1,000 Jobs

Associated Press

Business software company CA Inc. said Tuesday that it's cutting 1,000 jobs - or about 8 percent of its work force - and consolidating offices as part of a restructuring plan to reduce costs and become more efficient.

The company also steered earnings expectations to the lower end of its previous guidance for the year.

"I recognize that the actions we're taking are difficult. But in the end, they will make CA stronger and more competitive," CEO Bill McCracken said in a memo to employees Tuesday.

The job cuts will occur mainly in North America and mostly be completed by the end of September, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Islandia, N.Y., company has already shed 3,100 positions over the last three years amid office closings.

The reductions are part of CA's efforts to mold the company to better fit its new business strategy of focusing on emerging technologies, high-growth markets, and task management software. A key area of interest is cloud computing, where it would handle software and data storage for corporate clients off-site.

"We are taking the necessary steps to further align our organizations and skills with CA's strategy," McCracken said. "The industry and the market are changing, and we have to change, too."

CA will be consolidating an unspecified number of offices, which could include closings, reductions in office space and merging of locations.

The company expects to incur a $50 million pre-tax charge in the fourth quarter, of which $47 million would be for severance payments and the rest related to facility consolidations.

CA also said full-year earnings will come in at the lower end of the range it had previously given. It expected to earn $1.60 per share to $1.71 per share for the year, excluding one-time items. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting $1.69 per share, on average.

Firms Jockey for Space in Tech Services

The Wall Street Journal

Big Competitors Join Increasingly Crowded Market as New-Deal Spending Slows

 Michael Dell, left, and Ross Perot Sr. Dell bought Perot Systems in 2009.

 

 

Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc. and Xerox Corp. are seeking new profits in the technology-services industry. But those companies face a major challenge: While competition is intensifying, their corporate clients are spending less on new deals.

Over the past two years, H-P, Dell and Xerox have spent billions to muscle their way into better positions in tech services. The market, traditionally led by International Business Machines Co., is regarded as attractive because it provides steady revenue from customers who pay recurring amounts to outsource their tech systems like email or payroll.

But even as the total number of new services contracts awarded each year more than doubled globally between 2000 and 2009, the amount spent on those new contracts fell to $74.5 billion from $90 billion in the same period, according to tech-consulting firm TPI. The market is expected to remain tight even amid a recovering economy.

Behind the slowing growth are companies like Dow Chemical Co. that are signing smaller, shorter-term tech-services contracts. In 2000, Dow Chemical signed a seven-year deal to outsource parts of its information-technology systems to IBM. Last year, it signed a new services deal with IBM for just five years. IBM and Dow Chemical declined to disclose the dollar values of the deals.

"From a buyer point of view, you always want smaller contracts," says Dave Kepler, Dow Chemical's head of IT. Dave Liederbach, general manager of IBM's strategic outsourcing division, acknowledges that "the deal size, on average, is going down."

Industrywide, "we're increasing the number of deals, but revenue isn't increasing at the same rate," says Tom Blodgett, head of corporate tech services for Xerox, which last year acquired services provider Affiliated Computer Services Inc. for $6.4 billion.

The declining growth started last decade, says Don Mann, who heads Dell's services unit for large businesses. "The deals kept getting smaller and smaller and smaller," he says. In the past, it was common for large companies to sign 10-year outsourcing agreements with tech-services providers like IBM.

But a growing number of players in the services market, including low-cost Indian competitors like Infosys Technologies Ltd., have made the market more competitive and given customers more leverage, says TPI vice president Mike Slavin. That's allowed customers to grab smaller, cheaper deals that can be frequently renegotiated.

Such dynamics haven't dissuaded tech giants from investing in tech services. Dell last year bought Perot Systems Corp., which specializes in public-sector tech services, for $3.9 billion—a 68% premium over Perot's share price at the time the deal was reached. H-P spent more than $13 billion to purchase Electronic Data Systems. The wave of acquisitions came as profits fell in areas like computer hardware and printers.

Since the services industry has no one dominant player—IBM had less than 8% of the total market by revenue in 2008, the last year for which data are available, according to market-research firm Gartner—the big tech companies saw an opportunity to grow, says TPI's Mr. Slavin. They also saw services as a way of developing new customers who would buy computers, he adds.

In response to the slowing growth, H-P, IBM, Dell and others are also trying to cut costs by creating new software, developing niche specialties in areas like health care, and shifting to employees in lower-cost countries like India. IBM, Mr. Liederbach says, has been sending research scientists to develop new software with companies like Dow and now bids for smaller, short-term contracts with customers in the hopes of securing larger ones in coming years.

Dell's Mr. Mann says his company has created new offerings for health-care customers, which stand to receive more than $19 billion in federal funding to computerize patients' records, enhancing health care seo. Xerox's Mr. Blodgett says his company is focusing on outsourcing specific functions, like employee benefits, which ACS started managing for Ford Motor Company last year.

Still, customers such as General Motors Co. appear to have the upper hand. GM, which at one point owned EDS, played a big role in the move toward smaller contracts when it changed its outsourcing strategy in 2006. Until that year, GM outsourced almost all its technology to EDS, but in 2006 sought bids from other providers to get away from giant, single-vendor contracts. GM awarded a $700 million contract to H-P (which had not yet purchased EDS) for certain systems and also outsourced pieces of its IT to IBM and Wipro Technologies Ltd.

EDS said in 2006 that it still expected to get about $1.2 billion a year from GM, though it only had 70% of the outsourcing work, rather than close to 100% as it had in years past. A GM spokesman declined to comment. An H-P spokeswoman said the company still does work for GM.

New ATandT Zero Charger Is Smart, Efficient and Money Saving

eWeek

The AT&T Zero Charger knows when to say when: sensing if it’s not connected to a phone, it can cut off the power supply from an electrical outlet. It will also work with phones from different manufacturers, ideally including Apple, Nokia and Samsung, eliminating the need for each new phone to ship with a charger.

This May, “top green carrier” AT&T will begin selling the Zero Charger, an energy- and resource-saving charger for a variety of mobile phones.

The charger not only charges devices with better power efficiency, but it can sense when it’s plugged into a wall but not also a phone, and consequently cut the power supply from the socket, saving wasted electricity.

AT&T estimates—based on approximately 80 percent of users leave chargers in the wall, the average battery charger wasting 170mW when idle and that most users charge their devices three to four times a week for eight hours—that this electricity-cutting move could save enough to power 24,000 homes for a year.

“AT&T worked hand-in-hand with Superior Communications to create the first practical user-friendly, zero-draw charger for mobile phones,” said Carlton Hill, AT&T vice president of devices and product development, in a statement. “With the size of AT&T’s customer base, providing solutions like these helps our customers make a big difference.”

(Nokia has previously estimated that if the 1 billion people using its phones would just unplug the darn chargers from the wall, enough energy to power 100,000 homes could be saved.)

The Zero cell phone battery charger will come in smaller packaging than traditional chargers, as well as packaging that’s 100 percent recycled paper. It has a 5-star efficiency rating and, given its “block and cable” design, as AT&T describes it, the charger can adapt to a number of different handsets, eliminating the need for new phones to ship with chargers and enabling consumers to continue using a single charger over the years.

In June 2009, Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Texas Instruments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), drafted by the European Commission, agreeing to standardize their devices’ chargers. Eliminating the need for each device to ship with a new charger not only saves resources, but keeps money in the pockets of consumers as well as device makers, which have smaller packages to pack and ship.

Gartner Analyst Carolina Milanesi called the MoU a “win-win for everyone.”

On March 5, AT&T additionally announced it would be requiring slimmer and more minimal packaging from its mobile handset partners. By reducing packing for device chargers, phone cases, batteries and data cables, AT&T hopes to keep 200 tons of plastic and paper waste out of landfills.

Solomon Chen, EO of Superior Communications said of the Zero Charger, in a statement, “Innovations like this help everyone take those small steps which will, in the end, lead to a better environment for all.”

Pricing for the Zero Charger will be approximately the same as current replacement chargers, which currently vary by model. 

Zero Motorcycles Launches 2010 Product Line

Red Orbit

2010 Line includes four industry-leading electric motorcycles

After a breakthrough year in which it became the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry, Zero Motorcycles announced today the highly anticipated launch of its 2010 product line, including the Zero S, DS, X, and MX. With added power, increased acceleration, and enhanced power pack technology, Zero Motorcycles is continuing the innovation it's known for and taking electric motorcycle technology to the next level. The street legal models are equipped with performance enhancements that allow for higher top speeds and greater acceleration. The entire lineup also features improvements in power pack technology and color graphics for the first time. The 2010 product launch makes Zero Motorcycles the first and only electric motorcycle company to launch four distinct models worldwide.

"Zero Motorcycles continues to blaze the path for electric motorcycle battery technology. Our engineering team has revamped, redesigned and tested four models that have considerable improvements for 2010. The result is more power on the street, a new look and an unparalleled riding experience," said Gene Banman, CEO, Zero Motorcycles. "Demand in 2009 pushed us to aggressively expand our presence across the United States and around the world. The enhancements to this year's models will resonate with both serious riders and casual motorcycle enthusiasts on a global level."

Among the most significant advances on the 2010 Zero S and DS is the revolutionary Z-Force(TM) Air Induction System. A platform for performance, this system allows Zero to produce more horsepower from lighter and more compact motors by increasing the airflow through the heart of the motor. Zero is also introducing a new throttle technology that modulates the increased power to provide riders with exacting control over the acceleration. All 2010 motorcycles are powered using Z-Force(TM) power battery pack technology with new and more precise cell monitoring. The cumulative result of all this technology is a longer power pack life, more power, greater acceleration off the line and superior handling.

In addition to the increased performance capabilities, consumers now can choose between color graphic packages or Zero's classic white on all four models, allowing riders to express themselves through personalized styling. New seat configurations are also an option for the 2010 Zero S and DS. Specially designed by Corbin, the new seats provide a more comfortable and performance-oriented ride. Those interested in reducing the stand over height of the motorcycle can now select a Corbin low seat option. The entire product line continues to be built from the ground up using Zero's signature exposed aircraft grade alloy frame.

Zero S

Instant torque and power from a standstill, plus smooth acceleration as you race out of turns -- all without ever needing to stop at a gas station. Developed to aggressively take on urban environments and encourage the occasional detour, the Zero S electric motorcycle integrates revolutionary technology with innovative motorcycle design. Built from the ground up using Zero Motorcycles' proprietary Z-Force power pack and aircraft grade alloy frame, the Zero S features an industry leading power-to-weight ratio that increases its range and maneuverability. At 270 lbs, the Zero S has a range of up to 50 miles and a GPS verified top speed of 67 MPH. The Zero S is designed for optimal performance off the line, in sharp turns and while navigating obstacles. Instant acceleration and lightweight design enable the Zero S to take on any city street, hill or obstacle, combining exhilaration with efficiency.

The Zero S is priced at $8,995 (after a 10% U.S. federal tax credit). Some states and provinces offer additional incentives. Consumer financing is available in the United States for those who qualify. The motorcycle can be purchased online now and will begin shipping in the United States at the end of March. The Zero S comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

Zero DS

The Zero DS combines innovation with passion to deliver the world's most versatile electric motorcycle. Created to be agile in the dirt and quick on the street, the Zero DS represents a new kind of freedom. Tough when you demand it and distinguished when required, the Zero DS has an edgy, yet sophisticated appearance highlighted by an eye catching twin spar frame that is both rigid and lightweight. Powered by the most advanced drive train in the industry, the Zero DS is a fully electric motorcycle that can handle any surface you can throw at it. Navigating obstacles and maintaining control is assured using a specially developed suspension system and a rugged wheel set. During technical maneuvers an optimized direct drive gear system delivers astonishing responsiveness with the twist of your wrist.

The Zero DS is priced at $8,995 (after a 10% U.S. federal tax credit). Some states and provinces offer additional incentives. Consumer financing is available in the United States for those who qualify. The motorcycle can be purchased online now and will begin shipping in the United States at the end of April. The Zero DS comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

Zero MX

The Zero MX takes Zero's revolutionary electric motorcycle technology to the track. Designed for bigger jumps and smooth landings, the Zero MX uses a newly-developed suspension system to absorb aggressive terrain. Incredibly tough and lightweight, the Zero MX combines the state-of-the-art Z-Force(TM) battery technology with an ultra-light frame design, making it agile and fast where it counts most. The custom suspension system makes the Zero MX highly responsive while maintaining an industry leading power-to-weight ratio, allowing for controlled landings and total control. An individual power pack provides up to two hours of track riding time. Easily swappable, riders can purchase an additional power pack to extend their riding. Incredibly powerful, while almost completely silent, the Zero MX opens up a whole new world of riding possibilities.

The Zero MX starts at $8,295. Some countries or states may offer incentives. Consumer financing is available in the United States for those who qualify. The motorcycle can be purchased online now and will begin shipping in the United States at the end of March. The Zero MX comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

Zero X

With instant acceleration and a total weight of 151 pounds, the Zero X is a high performance electric motorcycle that takes technical trail riding to the next level. Using Zero's patented Z-Force(TM) technology and boasting 50 ft-lbs of torque, this stealthy motorcycle will send you racing up hills, flying over jumps, and cutting through streams. The Zero X is built from the ground up for quick handling and maneuverability. Custom valved suspension, direct drive gearing and weight optimized components allow riders to master demanding terrain. Lightweight, silent and quick, the Zero X opens up trail riding possibilities that would otherwise be out of the question. To extend ride times customers have the option to purchase an extra  battery power pack that can be swapped with a quick pit stop.

The Zero X starts at $7,495. Some countries or states may offer incentives. Consumer financing is available in the United States for those who qualify. The motorcycle can be purchased online now and will begin shipping in the United States at the end of March. The Zero X comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

The Zero S and DS models are eligible for a 10% federal tax credit and tax rebate. Some states offer additional incentives. Consumer financing is available for those who qualify.

iPad? You Mean You Haven't Heard of the WePad?

Tech Crunch

While every man and his dog is waiting for their preordered iPad to arrive, some Germans went their own way and yesterday presented a Slate that appears to have, well, better features.

The Neofonie WePad has similar form and function as the wet dreams of our Crunchgear editors, but facts are that the German Android device has a bigger multitouch screen and a faster CPU than the iPad. Also it runs Flash, has USB ports, an inbuilt card reader and expandable memory. Additionally it allows complete multitasking and has a webcam. Beat that baby.

The WePad is set to arrive sooner to German stores than its Apple counterpart and will be significantly cheaper than the iPad, says Neofonie CEO Helmut Hoffer von Ankershoffen. Preorders and deliveries are planned for next month and that’s no April Fool’s joke, he insisted in a small chat on the WePad’s Facebook site. At first I thought it was a fake, because some specs feel too great and the choice of OS sounds just weird: a Linux derivate with Android on top. That’s Linux with Linux inside, which makes it possible to install apps from the Android Market as well as special Adobe Air software from Neofonie.

The company from Berlin, although unknown, is no newcomer. The 12 years old Neofonie GmbH is a software company that also runs a search enginge called WeFind and sells an epublishing platform by the name of WeMagazine. It makes newspapers and magazines readable on computers and smartphones, and that’s also where they see the real business for their WePad tablet PC.

The WePad provides elderly users in the core target group of newspaper and magazine publishing houses, who generally have little to no experience with PCs with intuitive and fast access to the digital world of their children and grandchildren (Internet, e-mail, social media, etc.).

For publishing houses, every reader gained with the WePad represents a direct and long-term customer relationship, the foundation for paid content, extensive customer knowledge and new forms of customer communication. While platforms like Apple iTunes and Amazon Kindle force publishing houses into the role of a simply a content supplier, the WePad allows publishing houses to retain access to and knowledge of their audience.

So the WePad doesn’t want to do away only with Apple’s iPad but also with the Amazon Kindle, reveals the latest factsheet. That’s a tall order. Publishing houses should acquire the device and brand it with their own labels to “move traditional print readers into the digital world in a targeted manner. Print brands can then become online brands, thus minimising the contact with established Internet players like Google Amazon and Apple.”

First commenters do already suspect an alliance between the WePad and Germany’s biggest publisher, Springer, which is also based in Berlin. The many screenshots with Springer’s Hamburger Abendblatt on the WePad would be a hint.

Springer is the strongest proponent of paid content in Europe. Since November, the company blocks users with iPhones and Android devices from reading most of their newspapers’ websites with the phones’ browsers. Instead they shall buy the apps for newspapers like Europe’s biggest daily, BILD, or Springer’s B.Z. Maybe we just saw the birth of a German newspaper tablet. A working prototype was on show at the world’s largest computer expo, CeBIT, two weeks ago.

Compare and Contrast: Select Image for WePad Vs iPad Chart