HP expands laptop battery recall, again

HP's expands latptop battery recall, againWe haven’t heard any tales of exploding batteries in quite some time, and we’re sure that’s in large part thanks to proactive battery recalls like the one HP has been running since about this time last year. However, it’s a little disconcerting that this recall keeps getting expanded. For the second time a new group of laptops are being added to the pile, entries from the Pavilion, Compaq Presario, and other lines manufactured between August of 2007 and May of 2008. We have the complete chart included below. If you’re included the bad news is that your aging laptop could explode and wipe out your entire neighborhood at any moment. But, the good news is… free replacement battery!

Continue reading HP expands laptop battery recall, again

HP expands laptop battery recall, again originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10-hour MacBook delicately disassembled, battery transplanted into earlier model

Not a single day passes since Apple refreshed the MacBook and already the fine folks at iFixit are on the job. For the most part, its full disassembly is business as usual, as only a few components — CPU, GPU and battery — have changed since the last go-round. That last is of special interest, however, because iFixit says the battery is exactly the same shape as its former — all you have to do to get an extra 350 mAh for your existing plastic MacBook is to drop in a refreshed battery. Mind you, the new cells weigh more and it’s likely the new silicon that’s actually responsible for 10 hours of battery life, but should your Li-ion pack fail under warranty, your older MacBook might be returned with more juice than you’d bargained for. See the full teardown at our source link.

10-hour MacBook delicately disassembled, battery transplanted into earlier model originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 23:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s Larry Page says there’s ‘something wrong’ if your Android phone’s battery doesn’t last all day

Cellphones and batteries. It’s an eternal struggle, but one that Google’s Larry Page says should at least be manageable. That topic arose at the recent Google Zeitgeist forum, where Page responded to a question about battery life on Android phones by saying that he actually found it to be “pretty good,” and that “if you are not getting a day, there is something wrong.” That prompted Google CEO Eric Schmidt to chime in and explain that the main culprit for excessive battery use on the phones is the transmit / receive circuit, which he says some apps are “not particularly smart about” using.

Google’s Larry Page says there’s ‘something wrong’ if your Android phone’s battery doesn’t last all day originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MacBook refresh gets official with 10-hour battery

Weird, but there it is, the leaked MacBook refresh is now official, on Tuesday, just as we thought. The 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo refresh with NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics and longer 10-hour battery life (up from 7 hours) is sitting up, nice and pretty on Apple’s very own store in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany, and a few other sites. It’s still $999 making it a better deal for the moment than the similarly spec’d 13-inch MacBook Pro listing for $1,199. Expect it to go global shortly. A few more screengrabs after the break as Apple gets its house in order.

Update: It’s live for purchase in the US, as well as the US education store (starts at $950). Ships within 24 hours, too.

[Thanks, Jose and Peter]

Continue reading MacBook refresh gets official with 10-hour battery

MacBook refresh gets official with 10-hour battery originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 May 2010 04:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop

If there’s one thing that has become abundantly clear to us these past few months, it’s that there’s really no excuse to not invest in at least one set of rechargeable batteries if you find yourself chewing through more than a few on a regular basis. If you’re an avid user of Apple’s power-hungry Magic Mouse, Nintendo’s oh-so-demanding Wii remote or one of the many professional camera flashes on the market, chances are you’ve considered buying stock in Duracell or Energizer based on how often you find yourself in the battery aisle. Quite a few devices have moved to proprietary rechargeables — many of which can be rejuvenated over USB — but for everything else, it’s typically AA or bust. We tested out PowerGenix’s NiZn cells late last year, and it wasn’t long before we found ourselves in possession of two alternatives from Energizer and Sanyo. Care to see how all three of these stacked up against one another and those traditional non-rechargeables? Read on for more.

Continue reading AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop

AA rechargeable battery shootout: Energizer, PowerGenix and Sanyo Eneloop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HyperMac external battery packs refreshed with iPad charging support

We’re pretty big fans of the HyperMac external batteries here at Engadget, as they’ve saved us on numerous occasions from becoming mindlessly bored on coast-to-coast flights by keeping our laptops humming for a few more hours. Unfortunately, the integrated USB port — while handy — isn’t up for handling Apple’s new iPad, which requires a 10 watt USB adapter to even charge. We tested our lab iPad on our existing 222Wh HyperMac, and sure enough, the screen you’re peering at above is what we saw (read: “Not Charging”) — though it does seem to power the device as to not drain what’s left of the battery while connected. In order to remedy said quandary, the folks at Sanho have announced a new line of HyperMac batteries that support iPad charging, but unfortunately for you existing users, every available upgrade path involves shelling out more cash for a new pack. The revamped devices will be available in four different capacities: 60Wh ($169), 100Wh ($269), 150Wh ($369) and 222Wh ($469), able to extend the iPad 25Wh rated internal battery by 2 to 9 times, giving a total run-time of between 34 to 99 hours. Sanho claims these will be rechargeable up to 1,000 times and will include a one-year warranty, so if you’re interested, you can place your pre-order now and await a shipment notification in around a fortnight.

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HyperMac external battery packs refreshed with iPad charging support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thanko’s Bracelet Battery is back, better and geekier than ever

Thanko's Bracelet Battery is back, better and geekier than ever

If 2007’s Bracelet Battery from Thanko didn’t match your lifestyle, there’s a good chance 2010’s model won’t either. That’s because it looks identical to the prior model, sporting the kind of style that would go perfectly with a Caped Crusader costume and virtually nothing else. New with this year’s model is an adapter cable that enables it to work with an even greater variety of devices, a 1,500mAh lithium-ion battery, and (wonder of wonders) an on/off switch. Yours for just ¥3,980 — about $40.

Thanko’s Bracelet Battery is back, better and geekier than ever originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 12:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba building world’s lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery?

Toshiba has a long history of making highly desirable ultraportables. Now, if today’s rumor pans out, it seem set to bust out another in the form of the world’s lightest (less than 1Kg with SSD) 13 incher. Besides sporting a 16:9 aspect ratio, USB 3.0 dock, and standard voltage CPU (a Core i5 is teased), this slim lappie features a 2nd SCiB (Super Charged ion Battery) power source that we’ve seen charging to 90% in just 10 minutes in prototypes from way back in 2008. No idea what “Blaze Mountain” cooling is… but we want it, assuming this is anything more than a prototype. Ah hell, we want it anyway. Check the illustration after the break.

Update: New details just came in: available in Core i3, i5, or i7-620 configurations with 4GB of memory, 500GB hard disk or optional 512GB SSD. And after talking to vozExpress, we have every reason to believe that Toshiba will be making this official in short order. New pic with Toshiba branding added after the break.

Continue reading Toshiba building world’s lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery?

Toshiba building world’s lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N8 gets a 32GB model hint, nearly user-replaceable battery

Nokia’s N8 might not be for sale but it’s certainly out in the internet wilds. A few, presumably pre-production, units have already made their way onto some Arabic sites for dissection and lustful right-to-left analysis. SaudiMac had the good fortune to see some early retail packaging with “N8-00 / 32GB” printed (and later Photoshopped out) directly on the box. While that could indicate the N8’s support for 32GB microSD cards, we’re guessing (hoping?) it’s an unannounced model sporting 32GB of fixed internal flash memory to accompany the 16GB model already announced. We’ve also got a user from the ArabNokia forums demonstrating the removal of the N8’s battery — a simple operation requiring the removal of two screws to slide the battery out of the chassis’ bottom similar to the HTC Legend. The whole procedure is so simple that we have to wonder why Nokia didn’t take the industrial design a step further and make the standard 1,200mAh Nokia BL-4D battery (used in the N97 mini) user replaceable in the first place. Regardless, it’s good to know that you can swap the Li-Ion battery in a pinch or whenever you finally hit the lifetime recharge cap — you didn’t need that warranty anyway, right?

[Thanks, Ali F.]

Nokia N8 gets a 32GB model hint, nearly user-replaceable battery originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 06:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s 3.1Ah batteries to be used in the Tesla Model S, have highest energy density yet

Encouraging news for all you EV enthusiasts out there: Tesla’s Model S appears to still be on track for its planned 2012 launch and will be using battery technology offering the highest energy density “in the world.” Built in Panasonic’s new fab in Suminoe, Japan, these 3.1Ah cells (you can just about see one of them being held by the two corporate types above) will be manufactured at a rate of more than 300 million per year. Considering each car would require a few more than 6,000 of them for its full energy storage, that means Tesla would be able to churn out about 48,000 Model S sedans per year. Then again, the company has only sold about 1,000 units of its Roadster so far, so we doubt it’ll be pushing Panasonic’s max production capacity any time soon. Still, good to know things are progressing in the right direction.

Continue reading Panasonic’s 3.1Ah batteries to be used in the Tesla Model S, have highest energy density yet

Panasonic’s 3.1Ah batteries to be used in the Tesla Model S, have highest energy density yet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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