Hasta La Gadget!

Baysun released an external lithium-ion rechargeable battery “Power Station ARCA DX300″ (capacity: 300Wh) that allows you to use a laptop all day without charging.

When “ARCA DX300″ is fully charged, you can run your laptop for 8-12 hours straight. LED light on it tells you how much battery power is left. There are 2 output terminals, you can use it for 2 devices at the same time.

There are 3 models that have 3 different output voltage (12V, 16V, 19V), so it is possible to choose the one that fits your device. Connection cable must be bought separately.

“ARCA DX150″ (capacity: 150Wh) is also out, which allows a laptop to run for 4-5 hours.

Price: open price
Battery capacity: 300Wh
Type of battery: Lithium-ion battery
Size: 370 × 248 × 37mm
Weight: 3.3kg
Recharge time: 10 hours

JVC KENWOOD has introduced these new wooden speakers that just look like wooden frames at first sight. But they are finely crafted wood box speakers “with Japanese workmanship” that vibrate with the playing of music.
Smartphones, tablets, and PCs can wirelessly connect through Bluetooth and play music.
Both the large and small model will be released in mid March.
YG-FA30HV – Forest Notes

Size: 310mm x 310mm x 310mm
Weight: 4kg
Amplifier and Speaker: Max output 1W+1W (2 …

We see a lot of sleek-looking technology pass through our doors, but it’s rare that the inventions could be called beautiful by those who aren’t immersed in the gadget world. We’d venture that North Carolina State University might have crossed the divide by creating an energy storage technology that’s both practical and genuinely pretty. Its technology vaporizes germanium sulfide and cools it into 20-30 nanometer layers that, as they’re combined, turn into nanoflowers: elegant structures that might look like the carnation on a prom dress or tuxedo, but are really energy storage cells with much more capacity than traditional cells occupying the same area. The floral patterns could lead to longer-lived supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries, and the germanium sulfide is both cheap and clean enough that it could lead to very efficient solar cells that are more environmentally responsible. As always, there’s no definite timetable for when (and if) NC State’s technology might be commercialized — so call someone’s bluff if they promise you a nanoflower bouquet.

Filed under: Science

NC State nanoflowers can boost battery and solar cell capacity, make great prom accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink North Carolina State University  |  ACS Publications  | Email this | Comments

Toyota’s just-arrived RAV4 EV will soon get a much smaller cousin — albeit a very elusive one. An electric version of the iQ city car will arrive in Japan (as the eQ) and the US (as the iQ EV) this December, but the automaker is significantly scaling back its 2010 promises of several thousand cars sold per year to just 100 fleet-oriented vehicles. The charging times, costs and range of EVs “do not meet society’s needs,” vice chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada says to explain the smaller ambitions. It’s easy to understand the cautious approach after seeing the car’s final details. While they’re not out of line with the specs of other EVs, the eQ’s 3-hour fast charge, 62-mile range and ¥3.6 million ($46,130) price wouldn’t have regular customers flocking to dealerships. Most of Toyota’s energy is instead being funneled into its tried-and-true hybrids, with 21 due on the market by 2015, as well as plans to deliver the company’s first hydrogen fuel cell car by the same year. Eco-conscious drivers may be disappointed that Toyota isn’t moving as aggressively into a pure electric realm as some of its rivals, but we’d rather see smartly planned baby steps than an overly risky plunge.

Filed under: Transportation

Toyota plans dialed-back launch of eQ and iQ EV city cars in December originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Reuters  |  Toyota (PDF, translated)  | Email this | Comments

The world is no stranger to flexible batteries, but they’ve almost always had to be made in thin sheets — that doesn’t amount to a long running time if you’re powering anything more than a watch. LG Chem has developed a flexible lithium-ion battery that’s not just better-suited to our bigger gadgets but could out-do previous bendable energy packs. Researchers found that coating copper wires with nickel-tin and coiling them briefly around a rod results in a hollow anode that behaves like a very strong spring; mating that anode with a lithium-ion cell leads to a battery that works even when it’s twisted up in knots. Join multiple packs together, and devices could have lithium-ion batteries that fit many shapes without compromising on their maximum deliverable power. Some hurdles remain to creating a production-grade battery, such as a tendency for the pack to shed a small amount of capacity whenever it’s put under enough stress. LG Chem is fully set on turning these cable batteries into shippable technology, however, and could ultimately produce mobile devices and wearables that really do bend to their owners’ every whim.

Filed under: Wearables, Science

LG Chem develops very flexible cable batteries, may leave mobile devices tied up in knots originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Phys.org  | Email this | Comments