Universal external battery to resuscitate our laptops when we’re on the move

We’ve all been there; we’re out of the office or travelling somewhere but whilst we can stock up on ridiculously-priced coffee to keep us going, our laptop fuel isn’t always so accessible. That’s why we’re delighted to hear of this new concept from LaptopBatteryExpress.

They’ve unveiled a new external battery that promises enough tips to work with almost 10,000 different laptops. The battery ships with seven different tips and will provide an additional three to four hours of life for your laptop.

The battery also has an external USB port for charging devices like your iPod or mobile phone. The battery has a charging voltage of 15V to 25V and can output DC 5.2V, 16V, and 19V with a total output power of 60W. Capacity for the battery is 6600mAh and it measures 9 x 4.9 x 0.59 inches and weighs 1.7 pounds. The battery will soon be available in the UK, priced at £99.

Laptop and Blackberry replace latte and blueberry pancakes for breakfast

Technology has made us adapt lots of life’s habitual routines but for many people it has completely altered the once traditional rituals at the start of each day.

According to the New York Times, an increasing number of people are checking emails,  tweeting, logging in to Facebook and texting before they even grab breakfast. This is morning in the internet age.

After six to eight hours of online deprivation — also known as sleep — people are increasingly waking up and  pouncing on their mobiles and laptops, sometimes even before their legs have hit the floor.

“It used to be you woke up, went to the bathroom, maybe brushed your teeth and picked up the newspaper,” said Naomi S. Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University. “But what we do first now has changed dramatically. I’ll be the first to admit: the first thing I do is check my email.”

Engineering Students to benefit from laptop scheme

A new student laptop scheme is to be implemented at The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway to enhance the learning experiences of students.

The modern teaching methods will see increased usage of laptops through the next academic year across all programmes within the college.

Dr David O’Sullivan at the College of Engineering and Informatics, NUI Galway, said, “We are very excited about this new initiative. Our students will have round-the-clock access to all of our information tools and resources.

“The new laptop scheme will significantly enhance the educational experience of students on programmes in Engineering and Informatics.”

The scheme is in partnership with PC manufacturer Lenovo and will offer on-campus repair services, next working day consulting facilities, warranty and four year accidental damage insurance to protect their investment.

When students purchase the Lenovo ThinkPad W500 laptop they can either buy it outright or opt for a more affordable option were they lease the laptop directly from the manufacturers.

Laptop Cradle for Car

The Cradle Vue

A company has invented an in-car cradle for laptops so backseat passengers can watch DVD’s from any angle.

Called the CradleVue, the product can hold a person’s laptop in any position within the car and can be adjusted to hold any size laptop.

The CradleVue works for cars, vans, SUVs and trucks and has a specific type of cord that is used to absorb all of the usual shock from riding around in the car.

The biggest risk factor the laptop cradle brings is whether or not it would somehow wear out the hinges between the keyboard and laptop.

The contraption is perfect for parents who need to keep the children pre-occupied on long journeys.

Customers can try it out for $19.99, with the normal cost of $24.99.

£300,000 bill given to buy laptops for traveller children

More than a thousand gypsy and traveller children have been given a free laptop so they can keep on top of their school work.

The brand new equipment features wireless Internet connection and is estimated to be worth up to £750 per pupil, costing the tax payer £300,000 each year.

Some children are even being handed printers and digital cameras under a controversial Government-backed scheme aimed at encouraging them to stay in education.

Since 2004, 1,317 pupils from gypsy and traveller families have been given the free equipment, however ministers have admitted that some of the laptops have been used by parents to buy and sell goods, and book foreign holidays online.

The results were obtained by Conservatives later last week who warned that the scheme risked fuelling resentment among taxpayers. Just days before the figures were released it was announced that gypsy and traveller children were being given priority admission to popular state schools.

Gypsy and traveller families are also being given priority to see GP’s and dentists.

The Electronic Learning and Mobility Programme (E-LAMP) has been created to offer ‘quality distance learning opportunities’ to gypsy and traveller children who regularly change school and are on the move through large parts of the school year.

The scheme is currently being run across 330 schools with children being given laptops, with, for example 3G wireless Internet software, which enables them to study while travelling and keep in touch with their base school.

Between 2004-2009, 1,317 laptops were issued according to a Parliamentary answer by schools minister Jim Knight. He said, “The vast majority are still out on loan to the students. There have only been seven incidents of minor accidental damage. One laptop was sold by the family, but recovered quickly as it has been tagged.”

The National Association of Teachers of Travellers has found through a survey that adult travellers have been using their children’s laptops to book holidays, shop and sell goods online.

The survey said, “Initially the restriction on data transfer allowed, due to shared group tariff packages, caused issues when the students became more confident workers and their parents discovered the joys of Amazon, eBay and booking flights online.”

Police Initiative To Reduce Laptop Theft

Laptop thieves in burglary hotspots are being targeted by a police initiative to drive down crime. Nottinghamshire Police has been providing funds for people to install tracking software on their laptops.

The licences for Absolute Software’s ComputraceOne are being supplied by police in areas most affected by crime in a drive to halt laptop theft which provides a lucrative market for the criminal element.

ComputraceOne software connects laptops to a monitoring centre every 24 hours, and every 15 minutes if it is reported stolen. The tracking software is activated when the laptop goes online enabling the police to locate and retreive it, catching the criminals in the process.

The initiative has been widely publicised by the police in an attempt to deter potential laptop thieves. In Nottingham in 2007, there were 665 burglaries in the city in which laptops were stolen. Detective inspector Sean Anderson, Nottingham Police, said: This software will provide peace of mind for many students and members of the public who are concerned about work and files stored on their laptops. 

People often forget to back up information on laptops and, if they are stolen, it is lost forever. Laptop information is only tracked in the event of a theft and the factory installed software can only be removed by specialists at Absolute Software.

DI Anderson said: “We will be targeting people who buy stolen laptops, executing warrants and making arrests where necessary. 

We will also be gathering intelligence about known offenders and the venues they are using to sell on stolen goods and who buys them,” 

“We are extremely confident that this software will make a difference both in reducing theft of laptops and making people who own one feel safer.” 

The makers of ComputraceOne Absolute Software said that thieves will be unable to wipe the tracking software from the system, as it is embedded in the Bios. If a thief attempts to remove it, the software re-installs itself and allows the tracking process to continue.

Windows Free Laptop a Thing Of The Future?

In the laptop market of the future, the netbook sector will be a key battleground for the industry, and a genuine contender to windows has appeared on the scene. Various Windows versions, have long been market leader and and the stable software supplied by PC and laptop manufacturers, but  Google’s Android OS, has now raised the possibility of  future  Windows-free laptops.

Hewlett Packard and other manufacturers have been testing Google Android OS on it’s machines, and the Release Candidate version of Windows 7 currently at the development stage, is set to released early in a direct response by Microsoft to it’s competition.

The final version of windows 7 is officially slated for release to PC manufacturers in January next year, although an official at PC maker Acer recently let slip a release date of October 23, 2009. 

The early release of the RC and the final version clearly indicates Microsoft is worried about laptops manufacturers using rival software, and officials have indicated they believe the companyís netbook fate is now out of its hands. 

The netbook market will be one of the most vital markets for the new OS and the fate of Windows 7depends on how it compares with it’s competitor’s on these ultra thin laptops.

Windows product management Mike Nash said: ìthereís a tremendous amount of interest in Windows on netbooks

One of the key things (with Windows 7) is that our mainstream OS will now run on a netbook. Currently, netbook’s are not compatible with Vista the current most modern windows available and users are forced to run on XP or other laptop software offered by competitiors. 

Testing of the beta version has found Windows 7 Ultimate runs smoothly on a netbook and Microsoft will be keen to get the full version up and running as soon as possible in order to keep pace with other software models.