Hasta La Gadget!

Because modern console controllers are all wireless, keeping them constantly charged is as vital to the gaming experience as choosing the right controller. That’s why the original Nyko Charge Base was like my personal team doctor, making sure the guys were ready and charged for game time. But now could Nyko improve on something that’s near perfect? This is how. More »

Why settle for a simple solar-powered table when you can have a table that’s solar-powered and a wireless charger? While you can’t get one just yet, Panasonic will apparently be selling this stylish bit of tech-laden furniture by the end of this year or early next year (in Japan, at least), which will let you charge your Qi-compliant devices simply by placing them on the table. It’ll also be supplying the requisite battery packs for some of its phones at the same time, though there’s few other specifics to be had at the moment. Of course, even if it does actually hit the market it’ll still no doubt be out or reach for most — there is always the DIY route for particularly industrious individuals out there, though.

Panasonic shows off solar-powered wireless charging table originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Nao robot gets a new charging station, Kinect / Wiimote controls

Nao robot gets a new charging station, Kinect / Wiimote controls originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some might think a ten-hour Macbook battery mighty fine, but we’re happy to say that Cupertino’s not quite satisfied. AppleInsider spotted a pair of Apple patent applications detailing a improved way of juicing up those lithium-polymer cells, which should greatly increase the number of recharge cycles they can endure — or, optionally, allow Apple to use denser batteries that last longer on a charge. We’ll break it down for you: the graph in the upper-left shows how Li-ion batteries currently charge, first very rapidly (constant current, increasing voltage) and then more slowly (constant voltage, decreasing current) to top the cells off.

What Apple’s proposing is the multi-step method depicted on the right, where current and voltage trade off, to charge the battery while being far less harsh on the physical chemistry of the electrodes inside. As you can see in the bottom graph, the multi-step CC-CV cells lose much less of their potential after 300 recharge cycles, but that’s not all Apple’s cooking up — the company figures that it can increase the thickness of the electrodes to improve battery life (by as much as 28Wh/L, according to one chart) without negative effect thanks to the softer charge. Sure, we’d rather have plant-eating graphene supercapcitors, but this sounds like a plan for now.

Apple patent application points to denser batteries, improved charging technique originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve just swooped our way through the Fulton Innovation stand here at MWC and found, sat next to the familiar light-up cereal box, a peculiar version of the Verizon LTE network-riding LG Revolution. Thicker than its CES-announced counterpart (by only 1.5mm, if the Fulton reps are to be believed), this Revolution features a Qi wireless charging-compatible back, which happens to go very nicely with a Verizon-branded inductive charging station. You can scope those out in the gallery below. We’re told the back cover that makes this possible will be available as an accessory in the next 30 to 60 days, but the excitement for us was in hearing that Samsung also has an unannounced handset that will feature a similar add-on, which will be landing in the same timespan. While at the stand, we were also shown the back cover of an HTC Thunderbolt — we weren’t told the Thunderbolt will be making like the Revolution and getting its own chunky wireless charging adapter, but don’t be surprised if it does.

Continue reading LG Revolution gets Fulton inductive charging back, HTC and Samsung handsets joining the party soon

LG Revolution gets Fulton inductive charging back, HTC and Samsung handsets joining the party soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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