power
-
In a very complicated and long post, Patently Apple discusses a few new ground-breaking patents filed by Apple. There's a lot of interesting things in these patents, but one thing stuck out as particularly interesting: programable magnetic power cables. [quote]Apple's invention discusses connectors and methods of coupling electronic devices and cables. In one embodiment a cable is provided having a coupler with dynamic pins. The coupler may have a magnetic code used to identify the connector and the pins may be controlled to extend a distance to provide a desired coupling. ... more
-
It looks like Apple's drive to go green is forcing Volex, makers of Apple's power cables, to develop halogen-free cords. While this will mean good things for the environment and their public image, it doesn't code well for their pocket books. [quote]The start-up costs in designing and making the new cables will cost it up to $6 million in the current financial year, Volex said today, although, stripping out these one-off costs, profits will be in line with market expectation.[/quote] That said, Volex is positive about continued growth. If Apple was ... more
-
Patently Apple is reporting that Apple has been given the patent for a "magnetic securing system" like what is used in the MagSafe power connector. The patent does say that "the connector may be a power connector such as the MagSafe." The images included in the patent filing show a tablet-like device with the aforementioned magnetic connector on the curved back. As reported back in October, Apple was thought to be considering such a connector for a future iPad. It hasn't materialized yet, and the question remains the same ... more
-
If you're anything like me, I almost always charge my iPhone on my Mac or speaker dock. That said, I can never find the USB wall plug Apple ships with the iPhone. The guys and gals at ThinkGeek seem to have solved this problem for me. For $24.99, the U-Socket USB Wallplug uses regular US 110v power to supply 2.1 amps to a set of USB ports that sit beside regular grounded outlets, using built-in transformers. Genius. Here's the company's video for installation, which doesn't look too tricky at all:
-
I'm not sure if this is totally awesome or totally hideous, but if you've ever run out of power, you might find yourself considering this PowerStrap. The Orca PowerStrap is a battery pack in the form of a watchband. The wristband has a USB plug that will let you charge your devices should you need the extra power. The USB power port lets you connect it to a wide range of gadgets, and the four LED indicators let you know just how much battery capacity is left. The Orca PowerStrip costs around £40 ... more
-
A really interesting article surfaced yesterday night about Flash and how it could reduce battery life on the MacBook Air by 2 hours. Ars Technica was running some tests about battery life and discovered that there was a reduction of about 33% if Flash was running on ads in webpages. The recent announcement from Apple stating that they were no longer going to ship Adobe's Flash player as standard with their MacBook Airs seems to be a wise decision in light of these figures. Was this reduced battery life the main ... more
-
I find my eyes glued to the battery meter on my iPod Touch and my MacBook Pro. "Oh, I better not watch that video podcast. I don't want to drain my battery." I am slowly driving myself crazy with that quarter inch bar. I live in fear that I'll run out of battery life, but there are no real repercussions. So what if I run out of battery life? My computer or iPod shuts down. I won't lose anything. My device won't explode. Hell, I'm almost always near a place ... more
-
Like what I strongly suspect, most Apple fans who couldn't make it to this year's WWDC in San Francisco did this morning, I sat at my desk feverishly hitting the refresh button in my browser so as not to miss a single juicy detail. So I'm not going to bother listing them all out here since I know you already know them. A few things did give me a moment of pause and cause me to experience a silent moment of reflection however. First of all, is voice control coming to non-S ... more
-
It's coming, and we've finally got an official word on a release... month. Apple has pegged a release in September, but they were far from announcing it as a hard date. In the past, we've seen release dates slide a little, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the September 2009 date slip. We've had a few bones tossed our way about what to expect out of snow leopard over the last two years, and today we got a little more information on what to expect out of the ... more
-
One of the biggest problems people have with the iPhone is the battery usage. Many complain that they have to charge their iPhone at least once a day, and sometimes more. I have always sided with Apple on this one though. The reason the first iPhone didn't have GPS, 3G, and 3rd party apps is because they knew it would drain the battery faster than normal. Well people whined and cried enough that they gave in. Now what has happened. Those same people that cried before are crying now. But ... more
Gizmos & Gadgets
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new iPhone cradle and software piece that can turn an average iPhone into a biosensor. The sensor can test for toxins and pathogens and can perform other forms of medical testing. The cradle is made up of a wide
Read The Full Article ››
Feature Post
Two hundred and ten days, 22 hours, 33 minutes and 22 seconds No that’s not how long since the last Fast and the Furious sequel, it is the excruciating time lapsed since the last major Apple product launch. On October 23, 2012, the world was a kinder and more joyous
Read The Full Article ››