In my previous discussion on increasing the battery life of mobile computers, I touched on such areas of improvement as the choice of processor, advanced LED-backlit displays, and power-sipping solid state drives (SSDs). While all of these advances in mobile technology are key areas that are helping in improving battery life, we still need to look at one key area:Â improving the actual battery.
When it comes to next generation batteries, there are two promising advances that mobile users should look forward to in the coming years.
Silver-Zinc Batteries
A company called ZPower is promising to leapfrog existing lithium-ion battery technology used in today’s laptop with its silver-zinc batteries. According to ZPower, its silver-zinc composition holds 40 percent higher energy density than comparable lithium-ion cells.
The batteries are water-based which makes them as safe to use as alkaline batteries. There are also no risks of unexpected flare-ups which turned the notebook lithium-ion battery world upside down in 2006. Also, according to company officials, the batteries are also 95% recyclable which makes them a great pick for companies that want to maintain a “green” profile.
ZPower’s silver-zinc battery has been in development for a number of years, and ZPower CEO Ross Dueber expects that a major OEM will use its batteries during 2009. Read More »
It was not so long ago that notebook users were constrained by annoying cords. At first, it was just the power cord that kept people tethered to a wall socket most of the time. As battery technology progressed over the years, the reliance on the power cord has become less of an issue for most new notebooks.
But it’s not just the power cord that has been a hindrance; notebooks have been strangled by serial, PS2, parallel, modem, Ethernet, and finally USB cables. However, we’re in a new computing age and wireless technology is revolutionizing the way we interact with notebooks.
Here are a couple of key wireless technologies that corporations should look at when selecting new notebook machines for employees.
Bluetooth
While it’s true that RF dongles can be used to wirelessly connect a mouse to a notebook, Bluetooth is the absolute best way to go. Since the Bluetooth radio is actually housed within the machine, there are no unsightly or obstructive dongles jutting out from the notebook chassis.
Bluetooth is a relatively low-power wireless protocol and allows mice, printers, and even cell phones to be connected to notebooks. When an integrated touchpad or TrackPoint just isn’t your cup of tea when sitting down in a hotel room while away on business, a Bluetooth mouse is a welcome friend. Read More »
It’s imperative that companies have notebook computers that function properly 100% of the time with absolutely no downtime. Time is money, so anytime that a notebook is out of commission due to design defects or equipment malfunctions, a company’s employee(s) could be left reeling when away from the office or out of town on business.
In order to combat downtime and provide the most reliable notebook platform for the ultimate mobile warrior, here are a few ways to improve the durability of a notebook. Read More »
For mobile professionals and businesses alike, power consumption plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day activities of mobile warriors. Laptops now exceed desktops in sales in the PC market, so it’s inevitable that businesses are looking to outfit more and more of its employees with laptops when the time comes to upgrade computer systems.
It used to be that businesses were faced with either high performance/non-portability with a desktop system or poor performance/high-portability with laptop systems. Thanks to advances in processing technology, laptops are closing the gap when it comes to performance when compared to their desktop counterparts. Read More »
In 2002, ultrawideband (UWB) seemed like the next big thing for home and office networking: a short-range, very low-power, very high-speed technology that wouldn’t interfere with existing networks. UWB was poised to replace wired USB 2.0, become Bluetooth’s next-generation radio standard, offer mobile device and gadgets PAN (Personal Area Network) connectivity—all while not draining batteries.
In the words of Fred Willard’s agent character in “A Mighty Wind”: “Wha’ happened?” Squabbles over the right approach, delays in maturing the technology, and the rise of 802.11n seem to have combined to put the short-term kabosh on UWB appearing everywhere for everything. Some firms that make UWB chips have turned off the lights or sold their technology; Intel opted recently to stop in-house work on UWB silicon. Read More »
