Newer Technology Offers High-Capacity iBook Batteries, Notebook Repair Toolkits
22 August 2008 08:02 EST
Chris Barylick
On Thursday, accessory manufacturer Newer Technology announced a new line of tech products designed for students returning this fall, among them a line of high-capacity iBook batteries as well as an introductory tool kit for basic repairs.
According to Macworld, the lineup features two new higher-capacity NuPower batteries designed for use in Apple's iBook notebooks. The first model is designed for the older "clam shell" iBooks and features 4,400 MaH power, a 37.5% greater capacity than the battery originally shipped with those iBooks.
The company has also released a 4,400 mAh battery for use with the 14" iBook G3 models. The new battery sports 18.2% more capacity than Apple's original stock battery.
Both battery models retail for US$99.95 each.
NewerTech's 11 Piece Portable Toolkit includes straight blade and Philips head screwdrivers, Torx driver, a scissor clamp, tweezers and two “spudger” prying tools in a padded nylon carrying case. The kit is priced at US$17.99 kit and is aimed at anyone who needs to service computer and other electronic devices like iPods.
If you've tried Newer Technology's products recently and have any feedback about them, let us know over in the comments or forums.
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PolyFuel to Demo Eco-Friendly Methanol Fuel Cell Notebook
17 July 2008 11:20 EST
Chris Barylick
You may not be getting it for your next birthday, but a notebook powered by an eco-friendly portable liquid fuel is getting closer to becoming a reality.
According to CNET, PolyFuel, a company that develops fuel cell membranes, stated on Wednesday that it has developed a prototype laptop--a Lenovo T40 ThinkPad--that uses methanol cartridges and a fuel cell as a power source.
The company has announced that it plans to demonstrate its product to consumer electronics and PC manufacturers in the coming weeks. The company, which was spun out of SRI International, currently has about 19 customers including NEC and Sanyo.
The current functioning prototype, which can be more readily categorized as a proof of concept rather than a finished product, powers the notebook via methanol cartridges about the size of a deck of cards. The unit uses a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) that converts methanol to electricity to run the laptop. A single cartridge can provide up to 10 hours of run time.
Click the jump for the full story...
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ZPower Working on Silver-Zinc Battery Design for Notebooks
02 May 2008 08:59 EST
Chris Barylick
Per yesterday's announcement from CEO Ross Dueber, battery firm ZPower will begin developing a silver-zinc battery design as opposed to lithium-ion batteries, thereby offering 40% added run time, according to Dueber.
The CEO stated that the silver-zinc design will sport features such as not degrading in capacity during the first year, whereas lithium-ion designs can lose up to 30% of their capacity over that period. Dueber went on to state that silver-zinc batteries begin to degrade at a rate similar to that of lithium-ion batteries after that time period.
According to Macworld UK, silver-zinc is not a new technology. Early batteries generally designed for one-time use in military and aerospace devices relied on similar technology with ZPower adding recharge capabilities.
Though a cool idea, it remains to be seen if silver-zinc batteries can compete on price, since lithium-ion is relatively cheap. The silver-zinc batteries contain silver, which can be expensive and perhaps nullify cost savings in the short term.
ZPower is starting off with laptops, but it plans batteries for mobile devices like cell phones in a few years, Dueber said. The company needs to get the technology validated to encourage other vendors to adopt it.
No comment has been given as to whether Apple is looking into similar technologies for its next generations of notebook or iPhone batteries.
Let us know what you make of this over in the comments or forums.
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Fraunhofer Institute's Work May Yield New, Non-Flammable Laptop Batteries
17 April 2008 09:00 EST
Chris Barylick
The great and infamous series of battery recalls (and, um, fires) that highlighted 2006 may be unlikely to happen again as researchers have begun studying the most commonly found batteries that can still catch fire under the right conditions. According to Ars Technica, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Germany are hoping to develop lithium-ion batteries without flammable materials.
"We have succeeded in replacing the inflammable organic electrolytes with a non-flammable polymer that retains its shape," ISC team leader Dr. Kai-Christian Möller said in a statement. "This considerably enhances the safety of lithium-ion batteries. What’s more, because it is a solid substance, the electrolyte cannot leak out of the battery."
Representatives with the ISC have stated that they have developed a polymer, known as Ormocer, which is derived from an inorganic compound and allows organic side chains to attach to it. The challenge, however, is to create a non-flammable polymer which retains its shape, yet doesn't suffer when it comes to actually transmitting the energy.
"Normally, the more solid a polymer is, the less conductive it becomes," said Möller. "But we had numerous parameters that we could adjust—for example, we can use coupling elements with two, three or four arms. As a result, we have more possibilities with Ormocer than with a single type of plastic."
Click the jump for the full story...
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FastMac Releases TruePower Battery Replacement for 17" MacBook Pro Laptop
30 January 2008 10:53 EST
Chris Barylick
On Wednesday, accessory and peripheral firm FastMac announced its new battery, the TruePower. Designed specifically for the 17" MacBook Pro, FastMac boasts extended life over and above the 5.75 hours promised by Apple.
According to MacNN, the battery is rated at 71Wh as opposed to 68Wh and features lithium-polymer cells as well as LED lights to indicate charge status.
FastMac has stated that the battery, which retails for US$99.95, is available for pre-order, should ship within 10 days and is US$30 less than a replacement battery from Apple.
If you've tried FastMac's products or found a replacement battery of choice for your MacBook Pro, let us know in the comments or forums.
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Another Bulging MacBook Pro Battery
05 September 2007 12:05 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Here's another picture of a bulged MacBook Pro battery from PowerPage reader "Abe."
I called Apple on Monday and got a replacement with a pre-paid airbill for the return today. Zero problem with them on the phone. Once I told them what had happened he did not even ask any questions. Said a new one is on the way. That makes me think there have been many and that they'd rather keep it quiet. Anyway, these pics on the old and the replacement should give you an idea of how much it expanded. It measures more and a quarter of an inch of expansion right in the middle.
Three more pics after the jump...
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Flexible, Biodegradable Battery Technology Revealed
14 August 2007 08:10 EST
Chris Barylick
As much as you convince yourself that you're living in the future, or at least a pretty sophisticated present, the batteries say otherwise. Open up an iPhone or MacBook and you're greeted by a fairly large battery that occupies space and adds to the device's weight.
This may be about to change, as new research is suggesting that carbon nanotube technologies may be the key to implementing flexible batteries and supercapacitors capable of shrinking down devices even further.
According to Ars Technica, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnica Institute and MIT have developed a new material that can eliminate several of the old constraints within a battery, especially where the need to create two electrode layers and two charge-holding layers with an insulating layer in the middle and the lack of flexibility this historically provides.
Click the jump for the full story...
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FreshBattery Introduces "Legacy" Battery Line
08 August 2007 08:25 EST
Chris Barylick
On Tuesday, FreshBattery announced a new Legacy line of batteries. The units are designed to provide batteries for laptop models that have been discontinued for three to five years, including older PowerBooks and iBooks.
According to Macworld News, the company claims that the batteries are designed to meet or exceed the original manufacturer's specifications. In the case of a Legacy battery for an original PowerBook G4, FreshBattery has substituted the original 3600 mAH cells with 4400 mAH cells, resulting in a battery that adds an additional 40 minutes of run time between charges.
FreshBattery currently produces a battery range that covers the original "Clamshell" iBook G3s and goes back as far as the Wall Street and Pismo-era G3 PowerBooks. The Legacy battery line is currently priced under US$100 and available immediately.
If you have any thoughts or feedback about this or your laptop's battery, let us know in the comments or forums.
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Suit Filed Against Apple and Sony Regarding Battery Burn
26 July 2007 07:46 EST
Chris Barylick
As much as you may like your Mac laptop, things will occasionally go wrong. A Japanese couple living in Tokyo are filing suit against Apple and Sony regarding a PowerBook G4 battery that burst into flames in April of 2006.
According to the International Herald Tribune, the couple is suing for "over" two million Yen (about US$16,700) in damages. The suit alleges that the man suffered burns to his finger while using the laptop an his wife endured mental distress due to the incident.
The battery comes from a batch of more than 10-million Sony-made notebook batteries that were recalled in 2006. Sony has stated that battery problems were caused by microscopic metal particles insider the battery that caused the unit to short circuit.
Since the recall, Sony has stated that it will improve battery design, production and inspection methods to prevent a recurrence of fires in their batteries.
If you have any thoughts about this or have seen something similar on your end, let us know over in the forums.
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Getting The Most Out of Your Laptop Battery
12 February 2007 09:33 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Anyone who has purchased an Apple laptop knows that the battery life is significant. I specifically remember getting four hours of life (full screen brightness) with my first G4 Powerbook. As time advances, the battery, processor, and electronic technology grows; and with it comes the ability to produce a portable that is more efficient and energy conservative, yet still has the performance that consumers require.
As time with your laptop advances however, the battery on your system may begin to lose its charging capabilities. What was once four hours of life, turns into three and a half, then to two and a half, and so on and so on. Throughout your system life, the greater portion of the time you will never use your laptop until the battery is empty. More or less you will use it for a little, then plug it back in, take it off, plug in again and so forth. The process of doing this can miss-calibrate the battery to the point where it will not allow maximum storage capability and lower your battery life.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Laptop Battery - Macinhack
technorati tags:macbookpro, macbook, battery, calibrate
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An Additional Reason to Exchange Your MBP Battery
04 December 2006 07:14 EST
Chris Barylick
MacMerc.com has a full story and updated picture (via way of flickr) of a MacBook Pro battery swelling far beyond any size it should have originally been.
The battery is a model A1175 that should have been exchanged when Apple began its program in response to overheating and swelling found in the MacBook Pro battery series earlier this year.
Apple states that there's no physical danger from using the swollen batteries and it's still safe to use the batteries until a replacement unit arrives from the company.
If you have any further information or comments about this issue, let us know.
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MiniBatteryLoger 1.4.4
23 October 2006 08:24 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
MiniBatteryLogger monitors your laptop’s battery. It traces the graph of charge and amperage over time, compares your battery with other users, logs relevant power events and alerts you with Growl notifications.MiniBatteryLoger 1.4.4
The Battery Inspector tells you all the details about your battery: charge, capacity (actual, maximum and original), amperage, voltage, cycle count. It also reports the estimated times to empty and to full charge.
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Hitachi Recall 16,000 Sony Batteries
06 October 2006 08:37 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Hitachi said on Friday it will recall 16,000 batteries made by Sony for laptop computers, joining a growing list of PC makers recalling Sony batteries.
Hitachi is in talks with Sony about who will foot the bill to replace the lithium-ion batteries, but the number is too small to have any impact on Hitachi earnings, Hitachi spokesman Masayuki Takeuchi said.
The batteries were used mostly in laptops shipped to businesses, most of which are in Japan, he said.
Hitachi to recall 16,000 Sony-made batteries | Tech News on ZDNet
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IBM/Lenovo Recalls 500,000 Notebook Batteries
28 September 2006 02:30 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Hooray, Lenovo has joined the battery recall party! For those of you keeping score at home, that brings the number of manufacturers to five, including Apple, Panasonic, Toshiba and Dell.
The recall, anounced today, affects nearly 170,000 batteries in the US, and over 350,000 additionally worldwide, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
UPDATE:
Affected machines sold in the United States include:
IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad T43, T43p, and T60
IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad X60 and X60s
IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad R51e, R52, R60, and R60e
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External Battery for Apple MacBook Pro
28 September 2006 12:52 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
The Portable Power Station by Battery Geek supplies an additional 6+ hours of mobile computing time for the MacBook Pro, according to the company. The PPS packs a 140 watt-hour capacity and uses Li-ion cells.
Battery Geek Introduces External Battery Support for Apple MacBook
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Virgin Lifts Apple Notebook Ban
26 September 2006 11:19 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
The onboard use of Apple and Dell laptops containing batteries was banned recently by the airline, after the companies recalled of more than five million batteries because of a risk of overheating.
"Customers wishing to use an Apple or Dell laptop on board can only do so once the laptop battery serial number has been checked by a member of the Cabin Crew," the company states on its website. "If the battery is permitted for use, the laptop may be used as normal on board, with no further restrictions."
Spymac.com :: Virgin lifts Apple laptop flight ban
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Toshiba Recalls 830,000 Sony Notebook Batteries
19 September 2006 11:55 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Toshiba said Tuesday it would replace about 340,000 laptop computer batteries made by Sony, the latest in a string of Sony battery woes.
The batteries, used in Dynabook and Dynabook Satellite laptops manufactured between March and May this year, could fail on the road because of problems with storing and transmitting power, Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Ohmori said.
Ohmori declined to estimate the cost of the move, saying it would not affect earnings, and would not say whether Toshiba was asking Sony to foot the bill.
Toshiba recalls 340,000 Sony laptop batteries | Tech News on ZDNet
UPDATED 2006-1004:
The actual number of batteries recalled has increased to 830,000 according to ZDNet.
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Panasonic Recalls 6,000 Notebook Batteries
06 September 2006 08:59 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Matsushita, better-known by its Panasonic brand name, joined the party this week with its own recall of 6,000 notebook batteries sold in Japan. This most recent recall isn't nearly as large as the ones that involved 4.1 million batteries sold by Dell and 1.8 million batteries sold by Apple, but it's another example of the care and attention being paid to notebook batteries these days.
Of course, it's not just notebook batteries that are causing problems. In June, Hewlett-Packard announced a recall of about 679,000 digital cameras that could catch fire if the cameras tried to apply a charge to a nonrechargable battery. Cell phone makers have dealt with problems from batteries for years, including several reported incidents of exploding phones. With scary footage of flaming notebooks on the evening news and the Internet, many notebook users want to know if their system could be at risk. Here's a list of who has recalled batteries so far, and where to turn for information.
Panasonic joins notebook battery recall | CNET News.com
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iBook G4 Catches Fire, Japan Orders Investigation
30 August 2006 09:20 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Japanese authorities reported Tuesday the first case of an Apple laptop catching fire in Japan and ordered the U.S. company to investigate the trouble involving the faulty Sony batteries and report back within a week.
An iBook G4 laptop made by Apple Computer Inc. overheated and caught fire in April, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The user sustained minor burns after the computer caught fire, according to Apple spokeswoman Michiko Matsumoto, who confirmed the case.
Japan orders Apple to probe laptops - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com
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Portable Macs Facing Commercial Aircraft Usage Restrictions
28 August 2006 09:52 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Macs on a plane - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
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Apple Revises Recalled Battery List
28 August 2006 08:53 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Before you count yourself out of Apple's recent battery recall, have another look at the Battery Exchange Program iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 on Apple's site--the list of recalled batteries has changed since it was first reported. Here's the new list...
Computer model Battery model number Serial number range 12-inch iBook G4 A1061 ZZ338 - ZZ427
3K429 - 3K611
6C519 - 6C552 ending with S9WA, S9WC or S9WD12-inch PowerBook G4 A1079 ZZ411 - ZZ427
3K428 - 3K61115-inch PowerBook G4 A1078 and A1148 3K425 - 3K601
6N530 - 6N551 ending with THTA, THTB, or THTC
6N601 ending with THTC
MacMerc.com: Your 'Book battery wasn't recalled? Check again. Apple revises list.
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Apple Recalls 1.8 Million PowerBook and iBook Batteries
24 August 2006 03:01 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Apple is recalling certain lithium-ion, rechargable batteries that were used with various models of its portable lines sold between October 2003 and August 2006. There is a possibility that these batteries can overheat, which could cause a fire risk.
Affected machines sold in the United States include:
* Apple PowerBook G4 12-inch and PowerBook G4 15-inch
* Apple iBook/G4 12-inch
These batteries were also sold as replacement batteries for the listed models.
Apple is prepared to dispatch a replacement battery upon the receipt of the replacement order. Customers will be asked to return their old batteries to Apple to ensure proper disposal. A postage-paid envelope will be provided to do so.
No other PowerBook or iBook batteries are part of this recall and no MacBook and MacBook Pro batteries are part of this recall. The recall involves the specified batteries only, not the computers themselves.
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WSJ: Laptop Dangers Draw Scrutiny From Airline-Safety Regulators
15 August 2006 09:55 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Although the risk is small, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented 339 cases of lithium and lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics overheating, emitting smoke and fumes or exploding since 2003. There is no record of a serious injury or death, but the Federal Aviation Administration has logged 60 incidents since 1991. In the past two years, six incidents have occurred on aircraft, including five fires and an overheated flashlight that had to be handled with oven mitts.
In February, a United Parcel Service Inc. plane full of packages -- including lithium-ion batteries -- was engulfed in flames while landing in Philadelphia. Investigators haven't reached a final ruling on the cause but continue to closely examine the melted shipment of batteries. In October 2004, a plane carrying Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards made an emergency landing after a lithium-ion battery exploded in the hand of a television newsman.
Worries about the possible dangers are serious enough that the National Transportation Safety Board held a two-day hearing in July in Washington to discuss the safety of lithium-ion batteries on passenger and cargo planes and the investigation into the UPS fire. No formal proposal for new regulations has yet been put forward, but regulators are discussing options ranging from tightening manufacturing guidelines for the batteries to potentially restricting their use on
WSJ.com - Laptop Dangers Draw Scrutiny From Airline-Safety Regulators
technorati tags:Notebook, Battery, Safety, Airlines
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The Apple Core: Dell, Apple notebook batteries linked
15 August 2006 09:25 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
The world's largest personal computer maker, Dell Inc., announced yesterday that it would recall 4.1 million notebook computer batteries with cells made by Sony Corp., the largest recall in Dell's history. MacFixIt has inferred that the recalled Dell batteries could be the same Sony batteries used by Apple.
Read the rest of the story on my ZDNet Blog: The Apple Core.
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Anatomy of a Battery Exchange
04 August 2006 08:10 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Earlier this week I reported on Apple's recall, ahem exchange, of early MacBook Pro batteries.
After having shutdown issues with my original week 7 MacBook Pro battery (serial number 6N606) in late May I called AppleCare and it was promptly replaced with a new battery. The new battery is from an entirely new batch with a new serial number format beginning with an asterisks (*KF61918QTY4B).
After noting that my backup MBP battery was in the serial number range covered by Apple's official exchange program (serials ending in U7SA, U7SB or U7SC) I completed Apple's online form on Monday July 31 and receive my replacement battery yesterday (August 3).
The MBP battery I exchanged (serial number of 6N609ASSU7SC) was purchased about a month after I received my MacBook Pro and the new battery's serial number also begins with an asterisks (*3K62935GWCRA).
Note: You must calibrate a new MacBook Pro battery to