Recently in Power Category

This is a clever concept from Japanese designer Takumi Yoshida: a tower of power outlets each rotating individually so you can plug in all your gadgets without them interfering with each other.

I like it but have a couple of suggestions that would need to be implemented before I would buy one:

1) three hole sockets not two (computers, tvs, printers etc need that third hole).

2) combine it with a UPS (working from home with lots of expensive gadgets I am obsessive about good surge protected power. Also our power goes out a few times a year and it takes 6-8 seconds for our automatic backup generator to take over - during that time I need the battery backup of the UPS to save my PCs.

Rotating Power Strip via techdigest

We are all waiting for the first fuel cell gadgets to come out but instead of a fuel cell powered phone or mini-pc the first fuel cell gadget many of us own will be something like the Angstrom G2 portable fuel cell.

It has 8 fuel cell modules that put out a total of 2W and it can be used to recharge any device that can be powered through USB.

No word on price but it is a safe bet to say we will see fuel cell rechargers like this sometime in 2009.

Angstrom G2 portable fuel cell via engadget

Solar panels that stick to your roof with adhesive? yep, that Lumeta Powerply from DRI Energy.

Each 8' x 4' panel puts out a peak power of 380w an weighs just 54lbs, so they can be fixed to many roofs without additional support or reinforcement. Of course that 380w output will be reduced depending on how much sun you get and if the panels are aligned directly towards the sun (i.e. not on a flat roof).

Here's a video showing the installation of 6 panels (2.28Kw) in just over 30 minutes.

Lumeta solar panels (via digg)

GentlemensGadgets came across this travel charger bag that at first glance looks like a good solution for the traveling gadget addict but we think they are approaching the problem from the wrong direction.

We used to travel a lot, and my wife currently travels almost every week (in the last month she has been in 8 countries), and the most important thing when traveling a lot is keeping things lightweight, compact and accessible. This thing at 12" x 8" is none of those.

Choose gadgets that share a common power source, such as a mini-usb connector so you can charge from your laptop or from a shared single charger (such as an iogear juice charger with adapters for charging in planes, cars, and electrical outlets all over the world).

Keep all those gadgets easily accessible during flights in your "personal item" while keeping you main carry-on bag for clothes and toiletries thus avoiding the dreaded checked baggage wait.

What do we choose as our "personal item"? A Maxpedition bag (such as the jumbo or the colossus versipack), it is equally comfortable on a plane or an all-day hike and has enough pockets and compartments for all our gadgets, chargers, snacks, books, etc.

Travel Charger Bag via ubergizmo

Blogeee has done some testing of the battery shipped with the Eee PC 900 and the performance is not that impressive.

With the display at 100% using openoffice word processor spreadsheet etc they only got 82 minutes of life out of the battery, stop using the mouse turn off wifi and turn the screen down to 30% and you still only get 108 minutes.

Want to watch a movie? I hope it's a short one: just 50 minutes battery life watching a movie on a USB drive or 66 minutes if the movie is stored on the SSD.

As much as we love owning the latest and best gadgets we think it may make sense to wait for an ultraportable using Intel's delayed Atom processor to get a good battery life.

(more at blogeee)

Everyone is showing off their fuel cells today.

This is a prototype from Sony, a 2" x 1.2" methanol hybrid fuel cell that can put out up to 3W and can power a video phone long enough to watch 14hrs of movies while only using 10ml of methanol fuel.

Enough with the prototypes, give us a working product!

MTI MicroFuel Cells has shown a prototype GPS that is powered by their mobion methanol fuel cell.

The fuel cell powers the GPS for 60 hours of continuous use and be can be refuelled. The GPS also includes a USB port to recharge other gadgets too.

No news on pricing or availability, but I can't wait for all out gadgets to me fuel cell powered.

New from Devotec is this inexpensive ($40) solar charger with an 1800mAh battery.

It takes 12 hours of good sunshine to charge the battery or you can charge it by AC or USB in 4 hours, and it comes with charging tips for Nokia old, Nokia new/N series, Sony Ericsson, Motorola/Blackberry/mini USB and Samsung phones as well as a DC 5V tip for PSPs and many digital cameras, an Ipod tip, and one for female USB.

(devotec, via engadget)

According to the Korea Times Samsung SDI has signed a deal to provide laptop batteries to Dell and HP.

The new batteries have 7.7% more capacity, 10% more in-use time, and recharges quicker than the 2600mAh batteries currently in use.

Samsung also plan on an even more powerful 3000mAh battery in the near future.

(more at koreatimes)

Another gadget intended to make the lives of frequent travelers easier: this dual ac to usb charger allows you to charge two devices at the same time.

It comes in 4 colors (white, black, pink and blue), is 59×51×18.5mm (2.32" x 2" x 0.73") and weighs just 43 grams (1.5oz).

(via akihabaranews)