Hasta La Gadget!

In most industries there’s a long and sordid history of manufacturers giving cars, motorcycles, computers, and just about any other consumer product a little something extra to make sure they perform well for the media. Asus seemingly got caught doing just that to its Eee PC 900 last year, installing batteries with additional oomph for reviewers, and now we seemingly have a case of Acer following its competition’s tracks straight into a bad PR situation, saying that it “inadvertently” shipped the first batch of 10-inch Aspire One netbooks (the ones sent to reviewers) with six-cell batteries rated at 5800mAh. Most consumers, however, will receive packs rated at just 4400mAh, which should shave two or three hours from its overall battery life. Those who’ve pre-ordered may get lucky and get the larger batt, but, like some lithium-laced Cracker Jack box, there’s no way to tell what’s inside until you open the package and have a look-see. Best of luck.

Filed under: Laptops

10-inch Aspire One’s battery downgraded after reviewers have their fill originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s the thing about batteries: they store energy. Lots of it. Channeled correctly, that energy does really awesome things for us — but channeled chaotically, and… well, you know where this is going, don’t you? A man shopping in a Lenovo store in mainland China has been killed after the phone in his chest pocket exploded, severing arteries and leading to massive blood loss. The make and model of the phone and battery have yet to be identified, but seeing how this is the seventh high-profile case of an exploding phone in China in the last six years, it really gives you pause before installing that shady off-brand juice, doesn’t it?

Filed under: Cellphones

Exploding cellphone kills Chinese man originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already knew that Daimler was looking in Tesla’s direction for electric vehicle batteries, but we certainly didn’t know that those passing glances were only the beginning of an underground battle for supply chain supremacy. As automakers struggle to move cars from lots, it’s being reported that some — Toyota, Tesla, Daimler and Nissan, in particular — are looking to parts fulfillment for profit. Toyota already has an edge on its rivals by being one of the only companies to actually produce its own batteries, and if demand begins to outstrip supply, other car makers could come running in hopes of stocking up. Of course, you’ve also got Nissan ramping up production in order to equip some 200,000 electric / hybrid vehicles annually over the next few years, so who knows if all this scheming will eventually backfire. Though, if one firm can somehow figure out how to make their battery stronger, more potent, lighter and cheaper — well, we needn’t tell you how that would play out.

[Image courtesy of AutoBeYours]

Filed under: Transportation

Battery wars: automakers seek profits in supplying EV parts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mr. Blurrycam never lies, so when he caught sight of a six-cell battery for HP’s Mini 1000 we knew one would be coming soon. Sure enough, three weeks later it’s up for sale on HP’s site selling for a bargain (gulp) price of $153.90. That’s almost half the cost of an entire machine (which currently start at $350) and as of now you can’t pay the difference to upgrade from the stock three-cell when customizing a new netbook. That’s an awful lot of bank for twice the battery life, but don’t let us rain on your parade if you’re looking to do your part to help the economy.

Filed under: Laptops

HP’s six-cell battery for Mini 1000 offers twice the battery life, a fraction of the value originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are plenty of terrible portable chargers out there, but the “Wrist Band Portable Battery” sure isn’t one of them. The name pretty much tells the whole tale — it’s a wrist band packed with a lithium-ion battery (that supposedly gets about five hours of juicing time) for charging numberless portable devices. It comes with 7 different adapters, and the totally awesomely-styled band itself has a set of LEDs which indicate the battery life remaining. It’ll cost you about $25 to get one of your own and prove once and for all that no, punk is not dead. Check out a few more pics after the break.

Continue reading Wrist Band Portable Battery charges your phone, electrifies your look

Filed under: Wearables

Wrist Band Portable Battery charges your phone, electrifies your look originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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