As electronics get more powerful, the demands that they place on their power source increases, often entirely out of proportion to the ability of things like batteries to keep up. This is especially problematic with rechargeable batteries, which generally start off at a disadvantage anyway when it comes to voltage. I’ve had pretty good luck with high end NiMH batteries in the past, but the future is being brought to you by PowerGenix and their new NiZn (that’s nickel zinc) rechargeable cells.

This new nickel zinc technology appears to offer the high output voltage of premium alkalines (1.6 volts), the lightness of lithium batteries, plus faster charging, no memory, and relative cheapness and eco-friendliness (thanks to the zinc). The only downside is potentially the capacity, which is 1500 mAh, as opposed to some high end NiMH batteries, which offer in excess of 2500 mAh. By way of comparison, Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries have a capacity of about 3000 mAh, while standard alkalines store about 2700 mAh. You have to remember, though, that capacity and voltage are interrelated, meaning that the NiZn rechargeables that output 1.6 volts will perform far better in high drain devices than NiMH rechargeables, which only output 1.2 volts.

The other downside is the unsurprising fact that NiZn batteries require their own special charger, but a charger plus a set of 4 AA batteries is only $25 (pre-order) with free shipping on Amazon. I wouldn’t go swapping out all of your NiMH batteries for these new ones, but for high drain devices, nickel zinc looks like it should work significantly better, and they’re a damn sight cheaper, and much less wasteful, than buying disposable batteries of any sort.

[ PowerGenix ] VIA [ Engadget ]

By Chris Scott Barr

When you hear of a mouse with more than 5 or 6 buttons, you tend to assume that it will be used for gaming. Of course gamers aren’t the only ones that like to assign macros and functions to their extra mouse buttons. Boring office tasks can also be made quicker with these same tools. That’s why the OpenOffice Mouse was born.

This thing honestly looks like some ugly mouse straight out of the mid-90’s. Function over form, as they say. The mouse features 18 programmable keys and one joystick. Apparently 18 buttons was the maximum number to have and still be able to find the right one by touch. Sure, it’s ugly, but if you like cramming as many functions as possible onto your mouse keys, then this $75 gadget is going to be right up your alley. It even has 512k of on-board memory so you can take your key bindings with you wherever you go.

[ WarMouse ] VIA [ EverythingUSB ]

So it turns out that all it takes to make it easier to share the time on your watch with someone is a simple 90 degree turn of its face. And that’s basically what’s been done with design studio Maezm’s Sharing Watch, which makes it extremely easy to show someone standing beside you what time it is, without inconveniencing the wearer too much. Unfortunately though, while the watch was designed to promote sharing, it seems Maezm doesn’t practice what they preach since the Sharing Watch is only a concept and isn’t available for sale.

[ Sharing Watch ] VIA [ designboom ]

Anyone who’s ever connected a couple of paper cups with a piece of string will probably find Duncan Wilson’s Cup Communicator reminiscent of a time when cups weren’t known for their part in a terrible internet meme. It’s basically a set of walkie talkies designed to look like a paper cup telephone, but thanks to modern electronics it manages to cut the physical cord. Or as Duncan describes it:

The design of the Cup Communicator is focused on the gesture of use and the relationship between the users and object. I aim to explore the potential of the product as a medium for interaction and reassess the way we use technology.

The form and function of the Cup Communicator refer to the ‘two-cans and string’ children’s toy and the physical factors involved with that device. This typology and its associations remind us of the magic and playfulness of our first communication devices.

Yeah, that too.

[ Cup Communicator ] VIA [ Architectradure ]

The biggest risk my laptop has ever faced while out blogging in the field was greasy fingerprints from a tradeshow box lunch. Thankfully it just barely survived that daunting ordeal, but I guess there are bloggers out there who take things to more extremes than I do. Why else would you need a padded, double-sealed laptop sleeve that not only protects it from bumps and scrapes, but is also waterproof? I do really like the ‘Mandarin’ orange color scheme, and the sleeve is available in 15 & 17-inch sizes, but the only time my laptop is ever in any risk of falling in the drink is when I’m standing too close to a fountain in Vegas.

[ Haglöfs Laptop Drybags ] VIA [ Stilsucht ]

Want to seriously stress out your co-workers? Be ‘that creepy guy’ in accounting who just hung up a photo that looks and sounds just like a ticking time bomb. But, upon closer examination they’ll find that the timer mechanism is an actual clock that isn’t counting down to any time in particular. Though something tells me security will still come a-knockin’ no matter how innocuous this really is. ~$34 from RED5.

[ Sumo Canvas Clock Bomb ] VIA [ Nerd Approved ]

Sanyo is hoping to boost the popularity of their eneloop rechargeable batteries with this overly cute tester named eneloopy, which is clearly an homage or parody of the Peanuts’ character Snoopy. But instead of hanging out with Woodstock or engaging the Red Baron in air-to-air combat, eneloopy will accept a AA or AAA battery (using his food dish spacer) and will indicate its charge level with his light-up LED nose.

Green means the battery’s fully charged, orange means it’s partially charged, red means it needs to be charged, and of course off means the battery’s completely dead. eneloopy will be available in Japan bundled with a set of eneloop batteries sometime in November, though pricing info hasn’t been announced.

[ PR - SANYO Releases 8-Color AA-size “eneloop” Rechargeable Battery Pack and
Product Sets that include the Simple “eneloopy” Battery Checker ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By Chris Scott Barr

Living with a roommate can be an interesting experience. Splitting the rent and having someone to hang out with all the time can be fun, but fighting over food in the fridge isn’t. Nothing is worse than going into the kitchen, only to find that they’ve taken your last slice of leftover pizza or swiped the last beer. Sure, you’ll talk to them about it, and they’ll claim not to do it again (or that they never did in the first place) but some people never learn. That’s why someone created the Fridge Locker.

The Fridge Locker is a small cage that you use for storing your own private food. The metal combination lock keeps your food safe from “Refrig-A Raiders” (poor joke courtesy of the manufacturer). It measures 7.5” wide, 7.5” tall and 11” deep. At $20, it could easily pay for itself with all of the food it keeps safe. Granted, your roommate will not take kindly to seeing this. Purchase and install at your own risk.

[ Perpetual Kid ] VIA [ RGS ]

While I certainly applaud the concept behind festooning random gadgets with solar cells, I have to question how useful it actually is. I mean, even with dedicated solar chargers with lots of panel area you have to make a special effort to leave them out in the sun for them to be useful. Still, I guess hypothetically a little tiny solar cell that spends most of its time in your pocket is better than no solar cell at all. This particular befestooned gadget is a USB key called the Sun Drive, available in capacities of 2^1 gigs, 2^2 gigs, 2^3 gigs, and 2^4 gigs. The solar cell and associated battery make it way fatter and less convenient than it needs to be, but fully charged, it can give your cell phone an extra 100 minutes of talk time or power one of those budget MP3 players for an additional 35 hours through some kind of interface that looks suspiciously non-friendly.

The biggest redeeming factor of the Sun Drive is the fact that it starts off at only $23, so worst case, you just end up with an overpriced flash drive, and best case, you get useful little portable and eco-friendly gadget charger.

[ AVing (Translated) ] VIA [ DVICE ]

As if breaking your foot or ankle wasn’t already painful enough, having to hobble around on a pair of crutches for weeks just adds insult to injury, literally. Unless you manage to get your hands on one of these Freedom Legs from Forward Mobility. Made from lightweight composite materials it allows you to walk on your injured leg by off-loading the weight to your thigh. There’s no pressure on your injured foot or ankle like when using crutches, but the Freedom Leg lets you stay mobile without tying up your hands and arms and it keeps the injured leg in use during the recovery period, reducing the atrophe of the leg muscles.

[ Freedom Leg ] VIA [ Medgadget ]