Energy for the taking: Wind turbines bask in the sun near Palm Springs, California.
Courtesy Mark RyanA new dual solar and wind-powered charger for personal electronic devices was on display at last weekend’s annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The K2 by Kinesis Industries is a handheld unit that allows you to harvest energy from both the sun and the wind and store it in an internal battery that can then be used to power all your energy-hungry USB-powered electronic gadgets.
You know what? I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. There’s been a few times I’ve lost battery power in my camera or cell phone and wished I had something like this. I’ll probably buy one even if I never use it. The idea is just so cool.
Portable chargers like this have been around for a while. Solio of California produces an array of solar-powered handheld chargers. PowerFilm in Ames, Iowa manufactures foldable thin film solar modules for a number of charging and direct powering applications. They rolled out a new USB and AA charger at this year’s show.
But evidently none match K2’s capacity or versatility. One hour gathering sunlight or wind with the K2 is enough to power 30 minutes of cell phone use or over 300 minutes of mp3 music. A full charge is enough to fully power your cell phone five times over. You can also plug the K2 into an AC outlet and store up power for later use that way.
But what happens if you forget to do that and it’s a cloudy day and the weather is dead calm? What’s a poor techno-weenie to do? Well, not to worry, the K2 also has a nifty side clip so you can attach it to your bicycle and generate your own wind. As of yet there’s no release date for the K2 but when it does come out, it’s expected to retail for about a hundred bucks.
Now, just so we’re clear, I have not personally tried any of the products mentioned in this story, so I can’t endorse or pooh-pooh any of them. You should do your own research before making any purchase of this technology. I just like the idea of being able to charge my gadgets anywhere I go. That way next time I’m stranded out in the middle of Wyoming and my iPod’s battery starts to fizzle during Britney’s latest hit, I’ll be golden.
LINKS
Network World K2 review
Voltaic Systems. (Not at the show but makes cool laptop bags)
Captain Planet review of K2 (with a video)
Tags : Biography
- I wish I were an expert in:
- Political power, that way the economy stays in tact! Military power so that the enemies of the united states can be obliterated!! Driving ......just cause.
- Dream jobs:
- ........pro driver,anything that pays big money excites me and isn't too..........wanting?
- About me
- i am an undecided voter, i support only the candidate that pleases the ideals i have.democrats are too serious and republicans are too quiet. I am not a worshiper of any one god, mainstream religeon is as important to me as a hamster fart in a snow storm! i am not interested in liberals,demos,repubs,the religeous type or those who wish to "convert" me , however amusing it is.i have no time or patience for the lazy,insubordinate,or otherwise mundane arts of worshiping or following anyone! I respect the laws of the U.S. but care nothing for commandments, or any other religous pariphenalia.I am a citizen of the U.S. of A and know my rights,and reasons for most everything i do. thanx for reading - - - bye.
Science in my life
- What is science to you?
- to me science is the study of formed thought that confers into ideas that combine to change the world, weapons,medicine,food,cars etc......all science to me!
- I would invent
- ......if indeed i were to create a device ,a invention of my own design i would bring to the world a demon ,a deiti of the abyss to instill in people fear ........a healthy fear so that they don't subject themselves to the darker passions of life and we all somewhat get along.
- Technology I love
- the new foolproof tech that lives up to it's name,and has the compacity to go even further.
- Technology that drives me crazy
- ...............stupid incomplete sw.........or sw that doesn't live up to it's expectations.
- What technology do you use every day?
- clocks,watches,tv,books,PC,radio,mp3,mp4,touchscreens,etc.
- What math do you use every day?
- ..............sparingly.
ipods huddle for comfort after learning the fate of their siblings
Courtesy nic0As I was innocently searching for images of fire, I came across pictures of...an ipod!? I do not normally associate spontaneous combustion with devices that I use on a regular basis outside of perhaps my stove or car. Thus I would expect flames to appear when I turn on the stove burner, not when I charge my computer. The culprit appears to be lithium-ion batteries .
Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in today’s technology market. They are by far the most efficient and long lasting battery available. And for the most part, they are non-flame producing. The problem seems to be their sensitivity to heat. Most of us have experienced the warmth that a battery can produce. I have been known to use my old computer battery pack on sore muscles in a pinch. When the battery gets too warm it can become unstable and the normally separated positive and negative charges combine to create the exploding electronics phenomenon.
If you are concerned about unwanted domestic fireworks displays, you are not without recourse. Lithium-ion batteries have a relatively short life span (about 3 years) so check the manufactured on date on the package and do not save the batteries for a rainy day, use ‘em right away! Keep them out of hot cars and don’t set up shop on top of a radiator. But before you add a fire extinguisher as your next ipod accessory, remember the chances of your ipod jumping off its charger and igniting your carpet are relatively low. But hey, who can resist the headline Exploding Electronics? Its not only catchy but alliterative to boot.
Medical researchers are developing nanorobots to deliver drugs directly where they are needed in the body.
Meanwhile, researchers in California are using bacteria to grow electronic circuits out of nanotubes.
The first transistor was unveiled 60 years ago, in December 1947. The computer you are using to read this has hundreds of millions of them. And the blogger The Speculists considers how that has changed the world.
Clock Tshirt: photo from www.latestbuy.com.au
New materials are enabling electronic devices to be incorporated into clothing. Why carry cell phones, computers, or cameras when they could all be contained in something wearable like a vest? I saw two examples of wearable electronics on the internet this morning. By wearing the clock tshirt, no one would have to ask you for the time. The spygear4U website was selling video camera eyeglasses and baseball caps. You could videotape your whole life without anyone knowing. MIT is developing wearable computers which are continually getting smaller and better. They could be used by soldiers, police, or anyone who wants constant access to data or the internet.
What are some other uses for wearable electronics?
Video Eyeglasses: from SpyGear4U.com
The electronics in what you wear could monitor your temperatue, bloodpressure, or breathing rate. If anything was abnormal, it could signal for help. This will be very useful for people who do not want to be in a nursing home. Even a newborn could be monitored to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Chameleon fabrics are being developed that sense the light on one side and reproduce it on the other side so someone wearing blends into their surroundings. I also saw a cool looking iPod beltbuckle that is available at tunebuckle.com.
For more on wearable electronics:
media.mit.edu
MIT wearable computers
wikipedia optical camoflage
Business Week
clock Tshirt
photo from www.latestbuy.com.au
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