Battle of the Backup Batteries: Hands-on with Portable Power Chargers

With every generation of smartphone — soon with quad-core superphones — comes bigger screens, faster GPUs and speedier network connections.  This quite often results in shorter TOSHIBA PA3399U-2BRS battery life. Not to mention all the googling, random fact checking, and tweets we’re punching out, battery life is a huge issue.
With a bag full of mobile camera battery packs and solar chargers we set out to find the most reliable solution to keep your smartphones and other gadgets topped up for when you run out of juice on the go.
Scosche solBAT II

I’ve always loved the idea of solar chargers. Whether you’re on the road or at home, they can reduce your inner techie’s footprint by using nothing but the sun to keep your electronics humming along. Just leave ‘em in the sun and plug in whenever you need the juice.

It sounds flawless in theory.
In practice, though, unfortunately the solBAT II has a long way to go before it will ever be a part of this utopian ideal. The $30 solBAT’s specs sound alright: A 1500mA li-ion SONY VGP-BPS13/S battery, full USB port with 5v/500mA output; a solar panel on the reverse with a suction cup cradle for easy window mounting. Indicator lights. Nothing wrong there.
So why is this not the best charger to toss into your bag to keep your mp3 player or smartphone alive for those extended mountain-trail treks? The problem is that the charger needs to be in direct sunlight for four to five days! Yes, four to five days, before you’ll have a full charge. If the solBAT II is your choice for backpacking emergencies, you might be roughing it in the woods for a business week before you can charge your cell and call for help. Considering most smartphones need to be charged daily, this doesn’t exactly match up with the schedule.
Scosche recommends charging the HP Pavilion DV1327AP battery using the included USB cable for the first use. After doing so, the solBAT II only charged my iPhone 4 to 32% before dying completely. If I had waited five days for that charge, I would have been less enthusiastic about giving this backup battery a second chance.
For the second attempt, it’s been sitting in my kitchen window for two days and shows no charge on the indicator. I can’t justify giving the Scosche solBAT II more than a 3/10 for most uses. Unless you’re only taking it along to refuel non-essential, low-drain devices on the road or forgo the solar panel entirely, or you live in Africa or Arizona, it’s simply not going to cut it.

IOGEAR GearPower GMP1001B

Despite the lack of solar charger, this little beast was far more impressive by comparison. At only $20 on Amazon, the GearPower’s price is right. With 2000mAh, it has more capacity than the solBAT II. Only slightly larger than a business card and 78mm (0.37 inches) thick, its tiny form factor has probably one of the best size-to-function ratios out there — perfect for keeping in your pack or purse for emergencies. The large, single button and four blue LED lights quickly let you know how much charge you’ve still got on the HP EliteBook 6930p battery.

Depending on your phone or device’s own battery capacity, IOGEAR says the GearPower will deliver up to two full charges. In practice, it did fully charge the iPhone 4 slightly more than 1.6 times over.
The only downside of IOGEAR’s answer to the backup battery is that, of all the portable chargers we’ve tested, this is the only one without a full-size USB — likely because it’s too thin for a port that size. This means you won’t be able to use your iPod’s USB cable to charge, but rather will have to sift through the handful of adapters to find one that fits.
But, considering this is the only point really standing against the GearPower, I’d give it a solid 9/10 for price, portability and reliability.

Duracell PowerSouce Mini

An impressive little thing. With a 3Ah li-ion HP 436281-422 battery, two USB outputs and colour-coded charge indicator, it stands out above the other two as a more heavy-duty backup. It’s original selling price was $60, but it’s selling on Amazon for $25 at the moment, putting it in line with the other two.

What makes this one different, though, is its ability to charge two devices at once using the swing-out mini-USB arm for one and the full USB port for the other.
Despite being released in 2008, the PowerSource Mini is defending its place as a very portable, very reliable backup.
In testing, it charged an LG Shine Plus in no time, followed by, again, the iPhone 4 — and has a bit of extra power left over. It’s a bit bulkier than the solBAT II and the GearPower, but not by much at 6.7 x 2.4 x 8.2 cm (2.6 x 0.95 x 3.25 inches), meaning it still won’t take up too much space or add too much weight in your jacket pocket or bag.
Overall, the Duracell PowerSource Mini has earned a 8/10 in our books. It does its job, and it does it well.

Zagg Sparq 2.0

This one’s a heavyweight. The price is far more — $100 on the Zagg website or $56.63 with free shipping on Amazon — but you definitely get what you pay for. It’s also a lot bigger, at 3.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches, putting it at roughly the same size as a MacBook charger — something I’ve never had to make room for before tossing into my bag.

From what I can tell, though, they haven’t wasted any of that extra space or price.
The Sparq holds an astounding 6,000 mAh in its lithium polymer FUJITSU FMV-B8200 battery, which can be accessed via the “optimized” or “regular” USB ports. The optimized port, says Zagg, is “optimized for smartphones and devices capable of taking an optimized charge,” meaning it works at the same rate as the iPad charger as opposed to a standard computer USB. What’s more, it holds enough energy on one charge to refill most smartphones four times over. That’s enough to keep two phones running for a weekend-long road trip. Plus, with the extra capacity, it’s not only good for mp3 players and cell phones, but larger devices such as your PSP or PlayBook.
As with the solBAT II and the GearPower, it has four indicator lights and a single button to let you know how much power you have saved.
On one charge, it managed to fill the iPhone 4 twice, topped up a BlackBerry Torch from half and got up to 23 per cent on an iPad 2 before dying, earning the Sparq 2.0 a 10/10 for reliability, relative portability, efficiency and value for the price.

Just Mobile Gum Plus

One of the more “stylish” portable Dell Latitude D620 battery packs for your mobile needs.  The Gum Plus from Just Mobile is for those looking for something more aesthetically pleasing and in line with the way Apple devices look.  It will match your MacBook Air, and charge your iPod, iPhone, iPad and other USB-powered devices too.  This beast has 5200 mAh of power charge and charged our iPhone to about 80% in a little over one hour.

Silver is always better.
Sure, this one is good looking, it even has LED lights that match the older generation MacBook built-in COMPAQ Presario M2242AP battery indicators.  It has both a regular USB port and a mini-usb for charging it up on your wall. At $80 though it’s a bit pricey.  But we still like it because its solid aluminum design means durability, which earns it a 9/10 not only for being stylish, but for packing a powerful punch.

Hybrids, Mirrorless and Bridge...Cameras?

The Fuji X100 has arrived and the international media pretend that it isn’t the biggest event of the year. What’s all this fuss about Greece anyway? Haven’t these journalist hacks seen this camera? 

Actually, neither have we – well, almost.  Sightings of the Fuji X100 for a while were pretty rare. It took an earthquake and a tsunami to remind us that there is another country in Asia other than China where they still make things, like the X100, called Japan. The Fuji marketing boys could manufacture the story but the company could barely manufacture the camera.  The was no doubting the hype was genuine. Demand was through the roof but the supply was a trickle. 


The pressure has eased for now, but the effects of the Fuji X100 will linger longer than Eddie McGuire’s heartbreak at another Collingwood Grand Final loss. It is not hard to imagine somewhere in Tokyo various Canon and Nikon executives are having hot miso soup dripped onto their nipples while they dangle from a high rise building for ceding Fuji a circuit breaker in the camera market like this. Sales are hot. The Fuji X100 does make some of their offerings look a bit drab, they way Danny De Vito makes everyone else look tall. 
Why the buzz anyway?
If modern cameras have a problem, surely it is one of differentiation.  The Fuji X100 sticks out like Lady Gaga amongst a bunch of nuns.  Curiously, if you think about it, a (digital) SLR camera of today doesn’t look all that much different from a (film) SLR camera in 1980. Considering in that time computers went from the size of a fridge to the size of a lunchbox and, well, we won’t talk about what happened to Michael Jackson, we are tempted to wonder what Nikon, Canon and the rest of the club have been doing for thirty years. That is not to deny the vast improvements in performance but the basic design has been constantly reiterated. 
The buzz from the average consumer is for the models that offer something new – sales of the Fuji X100 prove this. Consider the recent arrival of Sony NEX, Micro Four Third, Fuji X100, Pentax Q and trailing along at last, the Nikon 1. The theme is small cameras with interchangeable lenses and adjustable settings. The variance is in the size of the sensor. They are all different. The Pentax Q has basically the same sized sensor as a compact. The Sony NEX has the same as a DX SLR. Tiger Woods doesn’t swing that big. It’s also getting more complicated than his love life.


Suffice to say, the designs are still fairly conservative. Respected photographer Thom Hogan says that the camera should be becoming more of a portal, communicative and interconnected with the web and social media. We agree.


It seems that the camera company that is brave enough to cross traditional boundaries that, if it doesn’t change the game, at least rearranges the rules, like the impact of the iPhone, will strike gold. The alternative is to end up lost amongst everybody else – maybe with plenty of promise but with nobody  listening, it’s hard to sell anything, even a message. 
related tags: camera battery, fujifilm camera battery, digital camera batteries
about author: a wholesale battery saler. our store http://www.buy-battery.com/ or http://www.great-batteries.com/

Will the iPad HD battery be able to handle 4G LTE?

One of the biggest questions not officially answered about the new iPad is whether it will include access to 4G LTE networks. According to one source, the answer is a resounding yes.

(Credit: Apple)

A report from Reuters this morning claims it has the inside track on the iPad HD (or is it iPad 3?) specs, namely that 4G is going to be included in Apple's tablet update tomorrow.
Also in on the rumor act is tech blog iMore, which claims to have a source within Apple who actually knows what's going on. The source, who correctly predicted the March 7 iPad HD event, is now telling iMore that the iPad HD is "good to go" for 4G LTE.
This rumor falls in line with an earlier report by Stearn Agee's Shaw Wu who claimed the iPad HD would also include a much faster processor, a Retina Display, and Siri, Apple's voice-controlled assistant.
The Wall Street Journal also claimed it had inside information on the inclusion of 4G LTE for Verizon and AT&T, though carriers outside the U.S. could prove to be a manufacturing hurdle for Apple as many 4G networks require different antenna hardware.
While talk of 4G sounds exciting to many, the cons of including it in Apple iDevices haven't really been talked about much.
The main drawback to including 4G LTE capabilities on any smartphone or tablet in the past has been the decrease in Apple  Battery life associated with the more powerful network, a problem Wu says Apple has solved through a variety of supply chain enhancements. With a quad-core processor also rumored to be included in the iPad HD, anything Apple can do to preserve battery life would be helpful.

Apple's competitors have been touting 4G LTE for sometime now, though most reviews of the devices capable of accessing the increased speeds also include damning reports of terrible Sony Battery performance. Apple's hesitance to include 4G with the iPhone 4S update in October was viewed by many as a deal breaker, though sales of the iPhone 4S showed otherwise.
The iPad 2 has extraordinary battery life by any standard, so adding 4G to the iPad HD may not depreciate the battery's value by as much as it would an iPhone. By including 4G in the iPad HD first, Apple can gain a real-world test on laptop Battery life and usage that it can apply toward the inevitable decision of whether to include 4G on the next iteration of the iPhone, expected this fall.
Is 4G LTE on the iPad HD a must-have? Would a decrease in usa battery performance be a deal breaker? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Joe Aimonetti

Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. He even has worked in Apple retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done. Joe is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive.

San Leandro theater owner found guilty of battery on officer

HAYWARD -- A San Leandro theater owner found guilty of battery on a peace officer and obstructing police faces a maximum sentence of two years in county jail.

Dan Dillman, owner of the Bal Theatre, said he plans to file a motion for a new trial and appeal the verdict, which a jury delivered Tuesday evening at the Hayward Hall of Justice.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23.
Dillman was arrested on Oct. 12, after two Alameda County Sheriff's detectives -- Sgt. Michael Carroll and Investigator Terrance Montigue -- ordered him to stop taking photos of them while they conducted a police lineup, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Dillman said the detectives failed to properly identify themselves and he was merely following instructions San Leandro police had given him to combat criminals who had impersonated police officers in the area.
Dillman is pursuing the matter in federal court, where he filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit alleging a false arrest by the Sheriff's Office.
"When the judge and the prosecutor are paid by Alameda County and the Sheriff's Office is paid by the county, then how am I supposed to get a fair trial in Alameda County?" Dillman said Thursday.
related  about battery: laptop battery, camera battery, camcorder battery, battery charger, tool battery

Acer Aspire 4736Z (re-priced)

Acer Aspire 4736Z (re-priced)

Description

* Slightly used

* In good working condition. no hidden defects
* Almost brand new minimal scartch not visible.
*Windows 7 ULTIMATE EDITION
*all keys functioning,wifi,bluetooth you can test the item if you want.


With:
1 original Acer Adapter
1Cd Driver
Original box and manuals.
Specification:
* Intel® Pentium® mobile processor T4300 (1 MB L2 cache, 2.10 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 35 W), supporting Intel® 64 architecture                     
* Operating System Genuine (Windows 7 Premium)
* Mobile Intel® GL40 Express Chipsett
* 2GB of Ram 1066 MHz memory, upgradeable to 4 GB 
* 250-GB SATA HDD 5400rpm
* 8x DVD Super Multi Double Layer Optical Drive
* 14-inch LCD display ,HD 1366×768 pixel resolution, high-brightness (200-nit) Acer CineCrystal™ LED-backlit TFT LCD, supporting simultaneous multi-window viewing via Acer GridVista™
* 16:9 aspect ratio
* 8 ms high-def response time
* Mobile Intel® GL40 Express Chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M (Intel®
* GMA 4500M) with up to 1695 MB of Intel® Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0 (64 MB of dedicated video memory, up to
* 795 MB of shared system memory), supporting Microsoft® DirectX® 10
* Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
* LAN: Gigabit Ethernet, Wake-on-LAN ready
* Modem: 56K ITU V.92 with PTT
* Dolby-optimized surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers
* Integrated Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR
* 1.3 Megapixels Crystal Eye WebCam
* HDMI Digital Out Port
* Built-in Microphone
* 5-in-1 card reader, supporting Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
* Type II PC Card slot
* AC/MC 97 soundcard and modem
* 48.8 W 4400 mAh 6-cell Li-ion battery, 3 hrs backup
* Dimension: WxDxH – 340 x 247 x 42.3 mm
* Weight: 2.45 Kg
- Built in Bluetooth 
- Built in Webcam
- Built in HDMI port
- Built in 3x Usb port
- Built in Dolby speaker
Battery life - (3 hours defend of use)

Estimate my ACER Aspire 4736 Battery working last, How can I do

ACER Aspire 4736 Battery have two main ratings on them: Volts and Amperes. Because size and weight of Laptop Battery is limited when compared to larger batteries such as car batteries, most companies show their ratings with Volts and Mill amperes. One thousand Mill amperes equals 1 Ampere. When buying a battery, select batteries with the most Mill amperes (or Ah). Batteries are also rated by Watt-Hours, perhaps the simplest rating of all. This is found by multiplying the Volts and the Amperes together. For example:
14.4 Volts, 4000mAh (Note: 4000mAh is equal to 4.0 Amperes).
14.4 x 4.0 = 57.60 Watt-Hours
Watt-Hours signifies the energy needed to power one watt for one hour. This ACER Aspire 4736 Laptop Battery can power 57.60 watts for one hour. If your laptop runs at 20.50 watts, as an example, this Laptop Battery could power your laptop for 2.8 hours

Acer Aspire 4736z Laptop Battery FAQ

1.How Long will the New Acer Aspire 4736z Laptop Batteries Power the Laptop?
Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual battery running time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive and other accessories results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a new Hi-Capacity Acer Aspire 4736z battery will run 30% to 50% longer than the old battery did when it was new.
2. How can I maximize battery performance?
There are several steps you can take to insure that you get maximum performance from your new Battery for Acer Aspire 4736z notebook:
A. Breaking In New Battery
new Acer Aspire 4736z laptop battery come in a discharged condition and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended that you fully charge and discharge your new battery two to four times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.
B.It's a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and your portable device.
C. Exercise your New buy Acer Aspire 4736z Battery
Do not leave your battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every two to three weeks. If a battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above.
D. Battery Storage
If you don't plan on using the battery for a month or more, we recommend storing it in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects. Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-Ion laptop batteries will self-discharge during storage; remember to break them in before use.

This Laptop Battery is also compatible with the following Models:
ACER
Aspire 2930 , Aspire 2930-582G25Mn , Aspire 2930-593G25Mn , Aspire 2930-733G25Mn , Aspire 2930-734G32Mn , Aspire 2930-844G32Mn , Aspire 2930G , Aspire 2930Z , Aspire 2930Z-322G25Mn , Aspire 2930Z-343G16Mn , Aspire 4230 , Aspire 4235 , Aspire 4310 Series , Aspire 4315 ,Aspire 4730Z , Aspire 4730ZG , Aspire 4736 , Aspire 4736G , Aspire 4736Z , Aspire 4736ZG , Aspire 4740G , Aspire 5738G , Aspire 5738Z , Aspire 5738ZG , Aspire 5740 ,

ACER Aspire 7735Z Laptop Battery Instruction Manual

Acer Aspire 7735Z Battery

• Capacity: 4400mAh
• Voltage: 14.80 V
• Color: Black
• Cell Type: Li-ion
• Weight: 420 g
• Dimensions: 204.80 x 68.27 x 20.00 mm
• New High Quality Acer Aspire 7735Z Battery
• Super-Long Standy Time Guaranteed!

Make your Acer laptop computer even more effective by replacing the original battery or adding a spare Acer Aspire 7735Z battery from great-batteries.com . Our high quality laptop batteries are engineered to perfectly complement the fit and finish of your Acer laptop computer as well as offer full compatibility with applicable OEM sleep and power reduction modes.

Our Acer Aspire 7735Z battery is similar to the original and meets stringent quality standards. This battery is manufactured with high quality "A" grade cells and components in a ISO9001 certified manufacturing facility. Our dependable quality laptop batteries offer longer runtimes and lifetimes with unsurpassed US- based support and an industry leading 1-year warranty to make your Acer laptop run better than new!

These safety instructions must be read carefully and must be fully understood before attempting to use your laptop battery

1.Never throw the battery pack into fire, as that could cause the battery pack to explode.Never heat the battery pack,as that could cause leakage of alkaline solution or other electrolytic substance.

2.Never disassemble the battery pack, as that could cause leakage of alkaline solution or other electrolytic substance.

3.Never short-circuit the main battery pack by either accidentally or intentionally bringing the terminals in contact with another metal object. This could cause personal injury, a fire, or damage the battery pack.

4.Never hammer a nail into the battery pack. Never hit a hammer on the battery pack. Never step or tread on the battery pack.

5.Always confirm that the temperature is 5 c-35 c before you charge the battery. Leakage or deterioration of the battery pack may occur if this warning is not heeded.

6.Never expose the ACER Aspire 7735Z Laptop Batteries pack to any liquid.

7.Never expose the battery pack to direct sunlight. Never store or use the battery pack in an unventilated vehicle where excessive internal temperatures may be encountered.

8.Always keep the battery pack out of reach of infants or small children.

9. Never drop or throw the ACER Aspire 7735Z Laptop Batteries pack.

10.If the liquid contained within the battery pack leaks, use large amounts of water an immediately wash off any liquid which may accidentally contact any part of the body. Remove any liquid that has contacted your clothes by washing them immediately with a synthetic detergent.

11.If you ever detect the emission of an extraordinary odor or leakage of alkaline solution or other electrolytic substance, stop usage and dispose of properly.

12.Never dispose of used battery packs with other ordinary solid wastes, since they contain toxic substances. Always dispose of used battery packs in accordance with the prevailing community regulations that apply to the disposal of batteries. Cover the metal terminals with insulating tape in order to prevent accidental short-circuiting when disposing of the battery.

This Laptop Battery can replace the following Part Numbers:
ACER

AS07B32 , AS07B41 , AS07B42 , AS07B51 , AS07B52 , AS07B71 , AS07B72 , LC.BTP00.007 , LC.BTP00.013

This Laptop Battery is also compatible with the following Models:
ACER

Aspire 5230 Series , Aspire 5235 Series , Aspire 5310 Series , Aspire 5315 Series , Aspire 5330 Series , Aspire 5520 Series , Aspire 5520-5A2G16 , Aspire 5520-6A2G12Mi , Aspire 5520-7A1G16 , Aspire 5520-7A1G16F , Aspire 5520-T38P12 , Aspire 5520-T38P8 , Aspire 5520-T38P8F , Aspire 5520-TX58P12 , Aspire 5520-TX58P16 , Aspire 5520G Series , Aspire 5520G-402G25Mi , Aspire 5520G-602G16 , Aspire 5520G-602G16F , Aspire 5530 Series , Aspire 5530-U6F , Aspire 5530G Series , Aspire 5535 Series , Aspire 5535-S6 , Aspire 5710 Series , Aspire 5710G , Aspire 5710Z , Aspire 5710ZG , Aspire 5715 , Aspire 5715Z Series , Aspire 5720 Series , Aspire 5720G , Aspire 5730 , Aspire 5730Z Series , Aspire 5730ZG Series , Aspire 5735 Series , Aspire 5735Z Series , Aspire 5739

Camera battery 'ripped out by garda'

A witness in the trial of a garda accused of assaulting a protester at the 2002 ‘Reclaim the Streets’ march in Dublin has claimed that the camera battery of his video camera was ripped out by a garda.

Mr Aidan O’Brien, who filmed the event on behalf of ‘Indymedia’, was giving evidence in the trial of Garda Paul Tallon of Mountjoy Station, Dublin, who has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Fergal Leddy on May 6, 2002.

Mr O’Brien told defence counsel Mr Martin Giblin SC (with Mr Breffni Gordon BL) that he was approached by a garda who had a baton at his shoulder. He said the garda grabbed his camera and "we struggled for a moment" before he said the garda "ripped the battery from my camera".

Mr O’Brien said there was no structure to the way the event was filmed and that no one from Indymedia dictated who or what should be filmed on the day.

However, he said that he later fell into an organisational role and the group began to work in a "more cohesive way" when they realised they had their hands on "important video footage."

Earlier, Mr Cian O’Callaghan, whose video footage has been shown to the jury by the prosecution, said that he had taken more footage on Dame Street, where the assault is alleged to have taken place, than he did on Burgh Quay.

Mr Breffni Gordon BL, defending, said that he did not wish to use the word "selective" but suggested that that "seems to be the way it panned out".

Mr O’Callaghan said that most of the time there wasn’t much happening on Burgh Quay and that people were dancing and listening to the sound system.

However, he said that there was a "bit of tension" there involving a smoke bomb being placed in a car and that he saw a man on crutches being dragged away by gardaí "with no regard for his condition".

The trial was adjourned for the afternoon after one of the jury members injured himself during the lunch break and was taken to hospital for treatment.
related battery: camera batteries, laptop battery, battery charger, dell laptop battery, acer laptop battery, hp laptop battery, apple laptop battery