Priority Electronics Blog

When you buy a new car, there’s the expectation that after some time the vehicle will become less reliable and need replacement tires, spark plugs, or perhaps a new rotary girder. For many owners, this is an expectation around the 100,000 mile mark.

Just like any automobile, you should expect to hit the 100,000 milestone with your laptop as well. At this time you might need additional memory installed, a PC health check, or a laptop battery replacement.

For laptop batteries, you can expect to lose significant performance after 1 – 2 years. Laptop model, frequency of use, and the environment a battery is stored will also contribute to longevity.

How much battery power can you expect to to lose? That depends on the model of your laptop and who you ask.

Hewlett-Packard estimates an 80% loss in original capacity “after 300 cycles or about one year of use.” Apple’s response is similar. They project an 80% loss in battery capacity after 300 cycles. Dell, on the other hand, estimates their customers will experience notable declines in battery life after 18 – 24 months.

One battery cycle is used every time a battery is charged or discharged. Technically speaking, it is defined as the number of cycles a battery can perform before its nominal capacity falls below 80% of its initial rated capacity.

If you own an Apple notebook, you can determine your exact battery cycle count here.

If you’ve had the same old laptop and battery for four or more years, it’s definitely time for an upgrade. If it’s been as long as six or more years without replacement, your battery has probably been useless for years now.

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When a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the country of Haiti on January 12^th, 2010 it left an estimated 300,000 injured and another 230,000 people dead according to Haitian Government reports. By January 24^th an estimated 54 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater were recorded affecting an estimated 3 million Haitians.

In the midst of this deadly quake and its ensuing aftershocks organizations like the United Nations, the American Red Cross, UNICEF, and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund rushed to support the devastated nation and care for those in need. These organizations helped provide and distribute supplies like water, food, blankets, hand-held radios, and built tent cities as temporary shelters.

But after the makeshift tent cities were built, food was dispersed, medical care provided to the injured and sick, the difficult work of repairing a country with an infrastructure in shambles had just begun. One organization helping to rebuild this fragile infrastructure is little-known non-profit One Laptop per Child (OLPC).

Unlike other non-profits providing essentials like food and water, the OLPC fills a slightly different niche of need.

The OLPC develops low-cost laptops and then distributes them to children. Their mission is to provide educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by giving each child a sturdy laptop with pre-installed software allowing them to connect to the internet. The goal is to encourage learning and a better understanding of technology among children who would not otherwise have access to a computer.

These laptops are a life line to Haitian residents trying to correspond with distant family members now living in other countries like the United States. OLPC also served by using their laptops to help to translate instructions on where to find aid from English to Creole, which is spoken by 9 out of 10 of the Haitian population.

Currently, the OLPC is still looking for contributions to donate to the Haiti relief program. The OLPC plans to continue distributing laptops and spare parts for the foreseeable future. If you’d like to learn more about contributing to this cause, visit OLPC’s official website at Laptop.org.

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Ever misplace the owner’s manual or warranty information for your laptop? After a couple years of use it can be hard to track down the hard copies of these essential documents no matter how organized you try to be.

We can’t help you out with discarded warranty cards, but there’s a great resource online that allows you to download laptop service and owner’s manuals for less than you might expect.

Laptop service manuals provide instruction for repair and disassembling notebooks. If you want to upgrade your notebook’s memory or install a new LCD screen these guides are required reading.

The laptop manual replacement service we’re talking about is called 9Manuals.com. It’s a one-stop shop for accessing a cornucopia of laptop manual bliss anywhere there’s a WIFI connection.

For example, need information about an ailing Sony Vaio PCGA-DB8? No problem, there’s a service manual available for the exact model.

But it’s not just popular brands like Sony, Acer, Compaq, and Dell that are available. There are numerous digital downloads for obscure laptop brands you’ve probably never heard of. Forgotten brands like Motion Computing, Benq, and Averatec are always “in stock.”

9Manuals.com is the brain-child of Ashton Crosby, a computer consultant with over 10 years of industry experience.

Crosby created the website to fill a gap in the availability of service manuals for laptops, which are often lost if provided at all with the original laptop packaging. Currently, Crosby operates his website independently and is happy to respond to any inquiries or customer service requests by mailing: ashton.crosby3@gmail.com.

The cost to download a laptop service or owner’s manual is just under $6 per digital download with over 40 laptop manufacturer’s to choose from you’re sure to find the right manual. So the next time you misplace, discard, or the classic “dog eats your instruction manual” be sure to check out 9Manuals.com for a quick replacement.

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If the US Department of Transportation gets their way, tougher restrictions on battery-powered devices may ensue. A full copy of the proposal can be found here.

The Department of Transportation’s recent proposals have already drawn the ire of frequent business travelers and officials alike.

George Kerchner, the executive director of Portable Rechargeable Battery Association, is one official critical of the recommendations. In a recent interview, Kercher said “It (Department of Transportation proposal) would be a nightmare for passengers.”

The Department of Transportation says lithium batteries and mobile devices were involved 40 air transport incidents since 1991. A need for improved security due to recent terrorist attempts were also acknowledged.

No one’s arguing with the Department of Transportation’s numbers or need for improved security, but many wonder why stricter regulations are being placed on batteries. It’s estimated that 3.3 million batteries were safely transported by air in 2008.

Changes in the proposal that prevent passengers from shipping spare lithium-ion batteries in checked-in luggage would be extended to alkaline and nickel-metal hybrid batteries.

The proposed amendments would affect common consumer products like digital cameras and iPods. Even grandpa’s battery-powered hearing aids could be impacted by the change.

There are considerations of cost which are also being taken into account. Tougher regulations on battery transport shipped in the air would requiring manufacturer’s to change the packaging and provide additional paper work with shipments. This increased cost would likely be passed on to consumers.

This debate is far from over as the proposed bill is not expected to be decided on for months. Until then  add your voice to the discussion and democratic process by visiting Regulations.gov.

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Don’t throw old laptop batteries in the trash. Batteries that end up in landfills can cause serious health risks among humans and animals. Fortunately, its becoming easier to dispose of old batteries and computers. You just need to know where to take them.

Computer Recycling

Did you know 75% of people leave their old computer in storage at least 4 years before throwing it out?  Before your old desktop or laptop becomes completely obsolete, consider donating it to a good cause like TechSoup.org. TechSoup takes unwanted technology and distributes them to public libraries and non-profit organizations. Your charitable donation might even be tax deductible. It beats having the old tower and monitor parked in the garage.

If you’d like to donate to a specific cause or organization, Recycles.org is a worthy option. Recycles.org lets you select which organization will receive the benefits of a specific donation. You can also choose to remain anonymous if requested.

Laptop Battery Recycling

Laptop batteries are incredible devices. They allow us to communicate in the airport, coffee shop, and everywhere else we go. The flip side is laptop batteries contain metals, acids and other compounds that aren’t good for the environment.

Some local retailers have begun accepting old batteries found in devices from laptops to power tools. To discover if there are any in your area, visit the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation’s website at RBRC.com. So far there are over 30,000 of these locations across the United States and Canada. Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead (Pb) batteries can all be recycled at most locations.

So whether you’re donating technology to charity or recycling outdated batteries, you’ll be doing an important part to protect our planet. Thanks!

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Longer battery life, less bugs, and an improved user experience were core concepts behind the new Windows 7 operating system—“Hey, that was my idea!” While Windows 7 made significant progress toward this goal, Microsoft is now investigating reports around the blogosphere and within its own tech forum that suggest the operating system may reduce battery life for laptop models.

Less battery life for laptops? It’s safe to say that wasn’t anyone’s idea.

Even more alarming is that many of the grumbles about Windows 7 are coming from within Microsoft’s TechNet forum. The Microsoft TechNet forum is a community intended to support users of Microsoft products. Some users on this forum report batteries that fail to fully charge after Windows 7 installation. Another forum member cited a drop in battery life from two hours to a mere 30 minutes after the upgrade.

But with the anonymity of online message boards and some blogs, it can be difficult to judge the validity of reports made by users with handles like “SlyGuy69.” Therefore, we looked into Microsoft’s official response to the claims.

Currently, Microsoft is “investigating” reports of this issue with a number of partners and laptop manufactures. Although battery problems during Windows 7 beta testing were mentioned by those using less powerful Netbooks, there’s been no official statement to determine whether or not the operating system hampers performance of these laptops.

To date, Microsoft has sold over 60 million copies of Windows 7. It’s unclear what percentage of users have been negatively affected by the new operating system. Microsoft has pledged to alert members of the TechNet forum after the causes of this problem have been identified.

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Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Are laptop fires resulting from overheating lithium batteries a thing of the past? If STOBA gets their way, they might be.

One of the largest research and development in institutes in Taiwan recently unveiled STOBA, the first product of its kind to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries.

Here’s how STOBA works: A tiny electronic component sits between the positive and negative poles of the lithium-ion battery. When the temperature reaches 130 degrees Celsius, STOBA transforms from a porous material to a solid film to shut down the battery and prevent fire.

Researchers who led the development of STOBA say lithium-ion batteries develop internal shorts that can quickly raise the temperature over 500 degrees. The result is usually a laptop that explodes or ignites into flames unexpectedly.

STOBA-equipped cells are not yet available for order United States. Battery manufacturers in Taiwan are still testing the full-scale production capacity of these units and expect them to start shipping STOBA to stores in the first quarter of 2010.

Experts are hopeful STOBA technology will be taken advantage of with more than just laptop batteries in the future. Lithium-ion batteries are used to power many consumer electronic devices like MP3 players, cameras, cell phones, and hybrid cars. The lithium-ion battery has long been considered the most unstable component within these popular devices.

In addition to safety, researchers claim STOBA can also improve battery life by about 20% and only costs about 3% more to produce than traditional batteries. This makes the innovative product commercially viable as it improves safety and doesn’t pass the bill on to consumers.

PriorityElectronics.com will keep you posted on STOBA news and let you know when the product is available for order word wide.

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Photo Compliments of Flickr Creative Commons

As the talks in Copenhagen hush and hopes of serious environmental reform fade for another year, China’s biggest automaker has quietly formed an agreement with US battery manufacturer A123 Systems. The joint-venture is a exceptional news for the Massachusetts’s based A123 Systems, but what this means for the future of electric vehicles remains unknown.

The Future of Electric Cars

Previously, Chrysler hit the breaks on their electric-car plans and as a result left A123 Systems driving without a big automotive customer to supply their batteries. No doubt this was welcome news to employees and shareholders alike. But could expensive electric cars actually be a viable product longterm in China?

As usual, the analysts disagree. Some experts are hopeful China will create a thriving electric vehicle market. Oil continues to climb and if it gets high enough that could push some people to consider alternative modes of transportation. Still, with the high price tag of electric cars, the cost of oil might need to go a lot higher to change personal preferences.

However, most speculate the electric cars won’t take off in China. Analysts say there are three important factors holding back success in the Chinese electric-car market: 1.) The price of oil is still too low to ignite change. 2.) A sudden fall in the cost of electric vehicles. 3.) Lack of government incentives to encourage the market.

Electric Cars In America

In the United States, progress with electric cars has remained in neutral for some time. The hybrid Toyota Prius has achieved moderate success in the United States, but is still largely considered a niche vehicle that is unlikely to take-off with large segments of the population. There have also been criticisms about the quality of batteries used to power the vehicles and lower than expected fuel efficiency.

So who will become the leader in the production of battery-powered vehicles moving forward into 2010? The American car industry is in a state of crisis and probably won’t make significant strides toward renewable solutions anytime soon. Although China is making progress to this goal, they have yet to prove the existence of a profitable market long term within the country. It’s most likely the winners and losers won’t be decided for decades to come.

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Courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

The health of your laptop or cellphone battery. If you’re a typical user, its probably never crossed your mind. But using inexpensive (and often free), easy-to-use software can actually help extend the life of one of the most important components on your mobile device. Its name is BattStat.

BattStat software makes managing the overall health of your cellphone or laptop battery a breeze. After testing the software, we realized knowing the remaining battery time of your cell phone was just the beginning of BattStat’s many benefits.

BattStat is available as an app for under $5 on the iPhone and Blackberry. The software is offered free for laptops and available for download here. In addition to tracking the total percentage of remaining battery life, Battstat delivers health information like battery temperature, voltage, flash memory usage, and warning messages.

The provided battery temperature feature is particularly helpful for protecting laptops and cellphones. Depending on geographic location and season, consumer products are often subject to extreme changes in temperature. This program makes it easy to know if the battery is too hot or cold for use with the easy-to-read battery temperature graphic that measures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

An unexpected feature is the voltage display that ensures the battery is in good condition. BattStat provides 15 unique status messages that allow you to audit and track preferred battery metrics. The program also delivers continuous battery life updates every two – three seconds.

The catch-22 with this program is while BattStat delivers improved battery monitoring and protection, it drains additional power as well. This is a pro/con that each laptop, iPhone, or Blackberry owner will have to weigh for themselves.

If you’re a laptop owner, give BattStat a try. The program is absolutely free and can be easily removed if the software doesn’t meet expectations. If you own an iPhone or Blackberry, you can purchase the tool for the price of a couple iTunes.

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On the outskirts of Graz University of Technology, located in Austria, a team of scientists are quietly developing the next generation of battery technology. Stefan Koller, one of the researchers involved with the project, wears protective gloves to operate on a Lithium-ion battery behind a protective plexiglass window. He hopes the work completed today will be used to improve the performance of automotive, cellphone, and laptop batteries of the near future.

According to Koller, the research and development of batteries has been ignored for too long. “A real revolution is needed for the development of the next generation. We need new storage materials for lithium-ion batteries”, says Koller. This is also the subject of his upcoming doctoral thesis.

Koller and other researchers at University of Technology believe the answer to improved battery power could be in a new storage material that improves the energy density of existing lithium-ion batteries. What makes Koller’s solution even more realistic from a commercial standpoint is that its also affordable.

The secret is silicon gel on graphite. Koller explains how it works, “In this way the graphite works as a buffer, cushioning the big changes in volume of the silicon during the uptake and transfer of lithium ions.”

Koller’s project is still in research stage, but he is hopeful of the affects it could have on the industry. Initial testing shows that storage capacity could be improved by ten times. With results like this laptop users could no longer resent long airplane flights or extended cross-country trips.

A patent on this innovation has already been submitted, although its unlikely you’ll be able to take advantage of this research for quite some time. PriorityElectronics.com will continue to keep you updated with news about this developing technology.

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