Tag Archives: batteries

Reviews

Boot Camp 1.1 Beta just released by Apple

Apple Boot Camp 1.1 BetaI complained in a previous post about how I wanted to buy a Mac laptop that I’d use for both work on pleasure, but couldn’t, because I was shackled to Windows OS for most of my development work, and there were certain things that just didn’t work on the Mac, with either Boot Camp or with virtualization software.

Well, I can’t have been the only one with gripes, because Apple just released Boot Camp 1.1, addressing some of the very concerns I voiced, both here and at BlogCritics. Here’s what the new version includes:

  • Support for “the latest Intel-based Macs”: this means the Core 2 Duo chips, code-named Merom, coming out at the end of this month. It could also be referring to the new Quad Xeon chips installed in the Power Macs, but I have a feeling 1.1 covers the Merom line as well.
  • Easier partitioning: version 1.0 was somewhat limited (let’s say minimalistic and be nice about it) in the choice of partition sizes.
  • Ability to install Windows XP on any internal disk. It still stinks that we can’t install it on a USB/Firewire drive, but I assume that’s coming down the line.
  • Support for built-in iSight cameras: this was one of my biggest gripes. Trying to use the iSight camera would give the dreaded BSOD.
  • Suppor for built-in microphones: about time! This was a pretty basic requirement.
  • Right-click when pressing the right hand Apple key on Apple keyboards. Interesting, although I’ll probably still use Ctrl + Click.
  • Improved Apple keyboard support: again, about time! Keys like Delete, PrintScreen and NumLock are used by most users on a regular basis.

So what still doesn’t work? The Apple Remote doesn’t. And neither do the Bluetooth Wireless Apple Keyboard and Mouse. Now, while it’d be nice for me to control iTunes while in Windows with the Apple Remote, I can live without that, but why wouldn’t the keyboard and mouse work? So okay, they don’t – fine. But what bothers me is that the sudden motion sensor and the ambient light sensor don’t work either. Those are not only cool, they’re very practical technologies. The sudden motion sensor in particular should be a must have feature.

I can just imagine Apple Tech Support when an unfortunate fellow calls them (hopefully not me):

  • User: “My laptop was resting on its laptop stand, and when I picked it up, it slipped out of my hand and dropped on the table. Now it won’t boot up!”
  • Support: “How high was the drop?”
  • User: “Only 4-6 inches! What’s going on?”
  • Support: “Were you using Windows at the time?”
  • User: “Uh, yes?!”
  • Support: “Well, you’re out of luck. If you were using Mac OS, the sudden motion sensor would have protected the hard drive, but since you used Windows, that hard drive is kaput. Plus, we don’t support Windows. You’ll need to get a new hard drive.”

In a related note, most of the new Lithium Ion batteries are subject to meltdowns and explosions when shaken, overheated or dropped. Something to think about as you hold that laptop in your lap…

Standard
Thoughts

From gas guzzler to green extreme

Professor Andrew Frank from the University of California at Davis developed a hybrid SUV that can get about 100 miles per gallon – or so the article says. It does this because it’s a plug-in hybrid. It recharges its batteries from an outlet at night. This is indeed really cool, but what I’d like to know is how much electricity it consumes. I’m not sure that the fuel savings offset the cost in electricity, so if we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul, is it worth it? Here’s the link to the article.

Addition: just stumbled onto this related article, also at CNET News, which talks about the upcoming “100 miles per gallon” cars. Problem is, there’s a cost of $10-12K to convert a hybrid car to a plug-in hybrid, and again, the cost of electricity used to charge it up seems to be sidestepped.

Yet another addition: just came across this video from the Maker Faire, also at CNET News, where the fellow who gets interviewed mentioned you can take an ’04-’06 Prius and convert it for under $3K. One caveat: you’ll need the help of an engineer or electrician who’s comfortable working with high voltages. Cool!

Standard
Thoughts

Minuscule headset powered by novel battery

I was in my car, driving back from lunch, when I got a call on my cellphone. I’m holding out on buying a Bluetooth headset, because they look ridiculous. So I still have to answer the phone the “old fashioned” way, by flipping it open and pressing Speakerphone. I know, what tough luck… But I realized that these wireless/Bluetooth headsets could be made really tiny, and could fit in the ear, if the battery could be made really small. Sure, it’d be a hassle to change the battery, but what if you didn’t have to? What if the battery charged itself? How could that happen? Well, let’s look at three existing technologies on the market today:

  1. “Perpetual motion” watches: you know, the kind that charge themselves from the movement/agitation of your hand. They’ve been around for a while.
  2. Microphones: both dynamic and condenser types… They use a vibrating wand or membrane to generate an electrical signal. They’ve also been around for a while.
  3. The balance pebbles inside your inner ear: okay, this is more like biological technology, but I do find it interesting that they can move and touch nerve sensors, generating electrical impulses that tell your body how to balance itself.

Given these three very interesting methods of generating energy or electrical impulses, why can’t we make a really tiny battery that can charge itself from the movement of our body, our body heat, or the vibrations caused by our voice? We could be charging the battery as we speak, as we move, etc.

This sort of battery could be used in a tiny headset that could be placed in the ear, or in some other fashion, but the point is, it would be really small, almost unnoticeable. I wouldn’t look like a geek, with a big Bluetooth headset strapped to my ear, a menacing blue light flashing on it, as if I were an android. I’m sure many of you share my feelings here. Instead, I would use a small device, no bigger than the tip of my small finger, or even smaller, that could go inside the ear, or hook right outside the ear canal with a thin wire that goes behind my ear. It would let ambient noise pass through unchanged, but would block it when I’d be using my cellphone.

Wouldn’t this be cool?

Are you interested in using this idea? Then please see my rules about using it.

Standard