There are an increasing number of rechargeable batteries, for various devices -- and even batteries that can be charged by solar power. Here are some terms you should know.
Volts, or Voltage -- is also called "electrical potential difference" or "electrical tension" is the electrical potential difference between two points. It is the potential to cause current. A 12-volt battery has the 12-volts of potential energy. Note, however, that a 120-volt household outlet has potential -- but nothing happens until you plug something in, turn it on -- and complete the circuit, so an electrical current can flow.
Current - is the flow of electrons.
Amp or Ampere -- is an international standard unit of electrical current. It is the number of electrons passing a point in a given amount of time. More specifically, 1 amp = 6.241 x 10^18 electrons / second. 1 amp = 1 couloumb / second. At 120 volts, an average toaster may use 16 amps; lightbulbs = 500 mAmps (milli-amps); household circuit breakers are typically set to go off at around 15-20 amps.
mAh - Milli-Amp-hour -- is a init of electric charge. Today, a rechargeable AA-sized NMh battery might have 2800 mAh, while a smaller "AAA" battery may only have 1000 mAh. An alkaline 9-volt battery might have about 5000 mAh of energy stored. Some newer lithium-ion batteries store even more power than alkaline batteries! Lithium-ion batteries are only available for about 3-volts and higher (the reason why NMH batteries are used for AA or AAA batteries).
Showing posts with label battery life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label battery life. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Laptop Specs - April 2011
We keep track of laptops that we like for everyday / business use. Some people may like the most powerful laptops -- or more stylish looks -- but the specs shown in the chart below represent the "sweetspot" in terms of performance, price, and value. Here's a record of what you can get for the given price point over recent years.
It's exciting to have the new Intel "breakthrough" Core i3/i5/i7 series of chips in this price category. Other features that we have our eye on include:
- The i5 and i7 chips and 6GB (or 8GB) of RAM memory are a little pricier than the laptops in the chart below. You can step up to the the i5/i7 and increased memory for about $750 to $800 (about $200 more than our sweet spot below).
- Some of the i5's are starting to edge into $599 laptops!! (There is an HP i5 with 4GB Ram, 640HD; 6.5 hr battery life for $599).
- Most laptops have around 4 hours of battery life - but a few have up to 8 hours. Over time, the batteries degrade -- so you will see less than the listed battery life specs...
- Some laptops have increased battery life. You will have to look for this feature, however, as most do not have the extended battery life. Extended battery life will cost a bit more.
- LED screens use much less power than LCD screen -- meaning improved battery life.
- Those concerned with battery life might want to consider a slightly smaller screen (14 inches instead of 15 inches means a smaller surface area to light up). (This is a trade-off for smartphones as well: a larger screen means more battery drain.)
- HDMI output is increasingly available.
Date | Processor Speed | Memory | Harddrive | Battery | Price |
Apr 11 | 2.5 Ghz (i3) Win 7 | 4GB (exp to 8) | 500 GB | 4.5 hrs | $550 |
Jan 11 | |||||
Nov 10 | 2.4 Ghz (i3) Win 7 | 4 GB (exp to 8) | 320 GB | 4 hrs | $500 |
Dec 09 | 2.2 Ghz (x2) Win 7 | 4 GB | 300 GB | 4 hrs | $550 |
Aug 09 | 2.1 Ghz (x2) Vista | 3 GB | 320 GB | 3 hrs | $500 |
Dec 08 | 2.0 Ghz (x2) Vista | 3 GB | 300 GB | 2.5 hrs | $550 |
Aug 08 | 1.9 Ghz (x2) Vista | 3 GB | 250 GB | 2 hrs | $550 |
Dec 07 | 1.6 Ghz (x2) Vista | 1.5 GB | 120 GB | 1.5 hrs | $550 |
Monday, February 7, 2011
Train Your Battery
Train Your Battery to Improve Battery Life
Training a new battery will increase battery retention and the number of life-cycles. Below is information from Motorola that can be applied to all smartphones. The way to train the battery is to fully charge it and drain the battery completely.
From Motorola:
- Turn off your smartphone and fully charge the battery
- Charge the battery for an additional TWO hours.
- Completely drain the battery
- Repeat the process once again
Conditioning is Good as Well
You should continue to exercise and "condition" your battery regularly (as shown above), perhaps every month or two. Some people think doing this three days in a row will help "exercise" a battery back into shape if it isn't holding a charge well.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Laptop Specs - Jan 2011
We keep track of laptops that we like for everyday / business use. Some people may like the most powerful laptops -- or more stylish looks -- but the specs below represent the "sweetspot" in terms of performance, price, and value. Here's a record of what you can get for the given price point over recent years.
It's exciting to have the new Intel "breakthrough" Core i3/i5/i7 series of chips in this price category. Other features that we have our eye on include:
- LED screens use much less power than LCD screen -- meaning improved battery life.
- Those concerned with battery life might want to consider a slightly smaller screen (14 inches instead of 15 inches means a smaller surface area to light up). (This is a trade-off for smartphones as well: a larger screen means more battery drain.)
- HDMI output is increasingly available.
| Date | Processor Speed | Memory | Harddrive | Battery | Price |
| Jan 11 | | | | | |
| Nov 10 | 2.4 Ghz (i3) Win 7 | 4 GB (exp to 8) | 320 GB | 4 hrs | $500 |
| Dec 09 | 2.2 Ghz (x2) Win 7 | 4 GB | 300 GB | 4 hrs | $550 |
| Aug 09 | 2.1 Ghz (x2) Vista | 3 GB | 320 GB | 3 hrs | $500 |
| Dec 08 | 2.0 Ghz (x2) Vista | 3 GB | 300 GB | 2.5 hrs | $550 |
| Aug 08 | 1.9 Ghz (x2) Vista | 3 GB | 250 GB | 2 hrs | $550 |
| Dec 07 | 1.6 Ghz (x2) Vista | 1.5 GB | 120 GB | 1.5 hrs | $550 |
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