Monthly Archives: June 2015

Four easy tips to make your batteries last longer Valentin Muenzel, University of Melbourne Here are a few things you can do to make your lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries last longer, whether they be used in an electric car, a large home installation – such as Tesla’s newly announced Powerwall – or in your portable device, such as a smartphone or laptop. These tips will focus primarily on extending the lifespan of Li-ion batteries, so they don’t need to be replaced as often. But if you are looking to maximise running time just for this very moment, possibly at the expense of having to replace the battery earlier, there are some added tips at the end. Tip 1: Use it or lose it It is important to remember that batteries degrade not only during use, but also when sitting idly on a shelf. This is one reason why most manufacturers specify not only a cycle life but also a calendar life for their batteries. So a good approach to take is to treat batteries and battery-powered devices like you do dairy products. Buy the freshest one whenever given the choice. A slightly older product is fine – particularly if you’re offered an outstanding discount – but expect it to expire sooner. Steer clear of anything with questionable origin. And avoid buying something that you only expect to use a long time from now. Tip 2: Keeping cool In terms of operating environment, the most important influence on battery life is temperature. Li-ion batteries are typically happiest at around room temperature of 20 to 25°C. In warmer temperatures, a protective layer inside the batteries breaks and needs to be reconstituted, which sucks up some of the energy capacity the battery has to offer. And in colder temperatures the chemical reactions inside the battery slow down. When coupled with significant power draw, this causes a problem similar to roadworks during rush hour traffic: too many cars trying to get through too few roads. On the whole, though, cold is usually less harmful than heat. So if you have the choice between placing your phone in the sun or the shade, the latter is probably preferable. Tip 3: No more memories The third tip relates to when and by how much batteries should be charged. One of the more widely known aspects about battery life is the “memory effect”. In older rechargeable battery chemistries, such as nickel cadmium, partial charging and discharging significantly decreases the energy capacity. What is less known is that the memory effect in lithium-ion batteries, if it exists, tends to be very small. Instead, they have quite nuanced characteristics. When not in use, batteries degrade most when fully charged. So if left for several days or weeks without use, they should ideally be kept at a relatively low charging state, e.g around 20% charged. Conversely, when being charged and discharged a lot, it is best to keep the batteries as close to the 50% mark as possible. So if you are only charging and discharging batteries a bit at a time, it is much better to do this between 45-55% than between 90-100%. Tip 4: Ins and outs The last tip relates to power draw. Forcing batteries to provide high amounts of power output or to charge very quickly is equivalent to both heating and cooling at the same time: the protective layer breaks and rebuilds, and simultaneously too many cars cause a traffic jam even without roadworks. Even charging and discharging at lower rates tends to be worse even than sitting idly fully charged. So try not to put too much stress on your battery at any one time. For short-term battery emergencies The above looks at preserving your battery life over the long-term. Conversely, if you’re looking to maximise the capacity of your battery today without worrying about tomorrow, here are a couple of tips. Firstly and most importantly, reduce the load: close apps, turn off Wi-Fi and GPS, lower screen brightness, etc. And secondly, keep your device in a warm (but not hot) place. A warmer battery allows the chemical reactions to take place more easily, thereby unlocking a little bit of extra energy. Note that if the battery gets too hot then the device will ramp up its cooling system (if it has one), using power you want to preserve. And if it gets way too hot, it will shut down entirely for safety reasons. Depending on the application, typically Li-ion cooling systems kick in between 30-50°C, and shut down around 55-65°C. However, as discussed above, keeping your device at an elevated temperature over a significant period of time will decrease its life substantially. And when your current battery not longer cuts it and you buy a replacement, you may want to consider following the four tips above. Final disclaimers Li-ion is not a single chemistry, but a range of chemistries. The above is intended as rough guide for iron-phosphate or cobalt-based cathode chemistries, which tend to be the most widely used. However, there are others including manganese-spinel which have slightly different characteristics. If in any doubt, ask the battery manufacturer for guidance. Deeper explanation of the insights above and a few more are given in recent papers published by my colleagues and me on the topics of comparatively testing commercial Li-ion cells and predicting Li-ion battery ageing. Valentin Muenzel is PhD Candidate in Energy Storage at University of Melbourne. This article was originally published on The Conversation.      Read the original article.

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Four easy tips to make your batteries last longer

Valentin Muenzel, University of Melbourne

Here are a few things you can do to make your lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries last longer, whether they be used in an electric car, a large home installation – such as Tesla’s newly announced Powerwall – or in your portable device, such as a smartphone or laptop.

These tips will focus primarily on extending the lifespan of Li-ion batteries, so they don’t need to be replaced as often. But if you are looking to maximise running time just for this very moment, possibly at the expense of having to replace the battery earlier, there are some added tips at the end.

Tip 1: Use it or lose it

It is important to remember that batteries degrade not only during use, but also when sitting idly on a shelf. This is one reason why most manufacturers specify not only a cycle life but also a calendar life for their batteries.

So a good approach to take is to treat batteries and battery-powered devices like you do dairy products. Buy the freshest one whenever given the choice. A slightly older product is fine – particularly if you’re offered an outstanding discount – but expect it to expire sooner.

Steer clear of anything with questionable origin. And avoid buying something that you only expect to use a long time from now.

Tip 2: Keeping cool

In terms of operating environment, the most important influence on battery life is temperature. Li-ion batteries are typically happiest at around room temperature of 20 to 25°C.

In warmer temperatures, a protective layer inside the batteries breaks and needs to be reconstituted, which sucks up some of the energy capacity the battery has to offer.

And in colder temperatures the chemical reactions inside the battery slow down. When coupled with significant power draw, this causes a problem similar to roadworks during rush hour traffic: too many cars trying to get through too few roads.

On the whole, though, cold is usually less harmful than heat. So if you have the choice between placing your phone in the sun or the shade, the latter is probably preferable.

               
          It’s best to keep your laptop plugged in if you’re using it, but only partially charged if it’s lying around unused.          dtack/Flickr, CC BY       
     

Tip 3: No more memories

The third tip relates to when and by how much batteries should be charged. One of the more widely known aspects about battery life is the “memory effect”.

In older rechargeable battery chemistries, such as nickel cadmium, partial charging and discharging significantly decreases the energy capacity.

What is less known is that the memory effect in lithium-ion batteries, if it exists, tends to be very small. Instead, they have quite nuanced characteristics. When not in use, batteries degrade most when fully charged. So if left for several days or weeks without use, they should ideally be kept at a relatively low charging state, e.g around 20% charged.

Conversely, when being charged and discharged a lot, it is best to keep the batteries as close to the 50% mark as possible. So if you are only charging and discharging batteries a bit at a time, it is much better to do this between 45-55% than between 90-100%.

Tip 4: Ins and outs

The last tip relates to power draw. Forcing batteries to provide high amounts of power output or to charge very quickly is equivalent to both heating and cooling at the same time: the protective layer breaks and rebuilds, and simultaneously too many cars cause a traffic jam even without roadworks.

Even charging and discharging at lower rates tends to be worse even than sitting idly fully charged. So try not to put too much stress on your battery at any one time.

For short-term battery emergencies

The above looks at preserving your battery life over the long-term. Conversely, if you’re looking to maximise the capacity of your battery today without worrying about tomorrow, here are a couple of tips.

Firstly and most importantly, reduce the load: close apps, turn off Wi-Fi and GPS, lower screen brightness, etc.

And secondly, keep your device in a warm (but not hot) place. A warmer battery allows the chemical reactions to take place more easily, thereby unlocking a little bit of extra energy.

Note that if the battery gets too hot then the device will ramp up its cooling system (if it has one), using power you want to preserve. And if it gets way too hot, it will shut down entirely for safety reasons. Depending on the application, typically Li-ion cooling systems kick in between 30-50°C, and shut down around 55-65°C.

However, as discussed above, keeping your device at an elevated temperature over a significant period of time will decrease its life substantially. And when your current battery not longer cuts it and you buy a replacement, you may want to consider following the four tips above.

Final disclaimers

Li-ion is not a single chemistry, but a range of chemistries. The above is intended as rough guide for iron-phosphate or cobalt-based cathode chemistries, which tend to be the most widely used. However, there are others including manganese-spinel which have slightly different characteristics. If in any doubt, ask the battery manufacturer for guidance.

Deeper explanation of the insights above and a few more are given in recent papers published by my colleagues and me on the topics of comparatively testing commercial Li-ion cells and predicting Li-ion battery ageing.

The Conversation

Valentin Muenzel is PhD Candidate in Energy Storage at University of Melbourne.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.      Read the original article.

June 4, 2015 at 03:11PM
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Lenovo Vibe X2 is now getting Android 5 Lollipop

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Lenovo Vibe X2 was set to get the Android 5.0 Lollipop on May 27, but it somewhat got delayed a few days. Worry no more though, as the Lollipop update is now live and available for download.

We got reports from various users that Lenovo Vibe X2 is getting Lollipop in Asia. The OTA update is 1.1GB big and will treat your Vibe X2 with newer Android OS version, Material Design, lots of performance and battery improvements, among other stuff.

We guess the Vibe X2 owners worldwide should be getting the notification any moment now, if not already.

Thanks to everyone, who sent this…

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ZTE Blade S6 en análisis, el gama media del que todo el mundo está hablando

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ZTE Blade S6

Hoy os ofrecemos un análisis que seguramente muchos de vosotros estábais esperando, y es que se trata de un smartphone que se ha hecho un hueco importante en el mercado. Hablamos del ZTE Blade S6, terminal que ya podíamos probar en su momento en el Mobile World Congress 2015, pero que ahora podremos analizar en profundidad para descubrir todas sus bondades, que no son pocas.

Así, en esta completa review del ZTE Blade S6 podréis comprobar todo lo que es capaz de ofrecernos, cómo es su diseño, cuáles son sus especificaciones técnicas y su precio, además de nuestra valoración personal, que como siempre, esperamos que os sea de gran utilidad. Sin más, os dejamos ya con el análisis del ZTE Blade S6:

Características y especificaciones técnicas

Diseño

Review ZTE Blade S6

El ZTE Blade S6 es un terminal bastante compacto, sobre todo gracias a su grosor, de tan solo 7,9 milímetros, lo que junto a su diseño de bordes redondeados, le otorga un plus en ergonomía, convirtiéndolo en un smartphone realmente cómodo de utilizar. Llama la atención su botón central en la parte inferior frontal, que a su vez hace las veces de LED de notificaciones, algo que es de agradecer.

Hardware y software

En el apartado del hardware, ZTE ha apostado en esta ocasión por un procesador Qualcomm Snapragon 615, sin duda una gran opción que es superior a los típicos MediaTek que se suelen montar en dispositivos dentro del mismo rango de precios. Le acompañan 2 GB de memoria RAM, y 16 GB de almacenamiento interno, ampliables vía microSD.

En cuanto a conectividad, es un terminal muy completo, que a excepción del chip NFC, cuenta con todas las conexiones que se necesitan hoy en día, e incluso incorpora radio FM, algo que podemos echar en falta incluso en muchos teléfonos de gama alta.

Videoreview ZTE Blade S6

Si hablamos de software, el ZTE Blade S6 utiliza Android 5.0.2 Lollipop como versión del sistema, hecho que sin duda es una buena noticia, y está aderezado de una capa de personalización, a lo que debemos sumar alguna aplicación extra del propio fabricante chino.

Multimedia y cámaras

Estamos ante una pantalla de 5 pulgadas que hace uso de la tecnología IPS, y la resolución elegida es la HD, con 1280 por 720 píxeles, o lo que es lo mismo, 294 píxeles por pulgada. Cabe destacar que la pantalla ocupa el 68% del total de la parte frontal del terminal. Para el audio, se reserva un altavoz en la parte trasera.

En el terreno fotográfico, el ZTE Blade S6 saca pecho con un solvente sensor trasero Sony IMX214 de 13 megapíxeles, mientras que en la cámara delantera tenemos 5 megapíxeles.

ZTE Blade S6
Dimensiones 144 x 70,7 x 7,9 milímetros
Peso 149 gramos
Pantalla IPS de 5 pulgadas y resolución HD (294 ppi)
Procesador Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 de 64 bits con ocho núcleos
RAM 2 GB
Sistema operativo Android 5.0 Lollipop
Almacenamiento 16 GB internos, ampliables mediante microSD
Cámaras Cámara trasera de 13 megapíxeles y cámara delantera de 5 megapíxeles
Batería 2.400 mAh
Conectividad 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, radio FM

Precio

Podemos comprar el ZTE Blade S6 en Amazon, por un precio oficial de 232 euros.

Videoreview del ZTE Blade S6

Opinión

83

El ZTE Blade S6 es un terminal que cumple a la perfección en los apartados más importantes, como el de la pantalla, el del rendimiento, o el de la fotografía, y todo ello a un precio muy ajustado. En definitiva, un smartphone muy equilibrado, al que resulta muy difícil encontrarle puntos negativos. Sin duda, uno de los gama media más interesantes del momento.

Análisis ZTE Blade S6

Punto positivo

  • Pantalla: Gran calidad la que nos ofrece este panel IPS con resolución HD, comportándose muy bien en cualquier situación.

Punto negativo

  • Software: La personalización por parte de ZTE no nos ha acabado de convencer a nivel estético y útil, aunque debemos decir que el funcionamiento general del sistema es bueno.

ZTE Blade S6 Opinión ZTE Blade S6 Características ZTE Blade S6 Videoreview ZTE Blade S6 Review ZTE Blade S6 Análisis ZTE Blade S6

¿Y tú que piensas? Pásate por ZTE Blade S6 en análisis, el gama media del que todo el mundo está hablando para dejar tu huella.

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Todoist se integra con Google Calendar, Evernote y GitHub

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Todoist

Se acabó la práctica de anotar con papel y bolígrafo todas tus notas, recordatorios y listas varias como puede ser la compra en el supermercado. Gracias a los smartphones encontramos excelentes aplicaciones que nos agrupan todo ello, además de ofrecernos funciones únicas como recordatorios, acceso rápido desde su propio widget y demás.

Una de las más relevantes en su categoría es Todoist, la cual posee una buena plataforma de desarrollo que abre nuevos horizontes a esta y todo gracias a su API y diversos componentes que permiten la integración de esta a otras aplicaciones externas.

Pues bien, si ya conocíamos su integración con diversos servicios como Sunrise Calendar, Dropbox o IFTTT, ahora se le añaden a esta otras cuanto menos importantes como Evernote, Google Calendar y GitHub.

  • Evernote permitirá a los usuarios sincronizar notas, tareas y fotografías de forma fácil, cómoda y rápida entre las dos aplicaciones
  • Google Calendar mantiene tu agenda y anotaciones como citas sincronizadas entre ambas
  • GitHub permitirá compartir una lista de tareas ya creada con otras personas y hacer comentarios en la plataforma

Todo esto se debe al nuevo conjunto de herramientas de desarrollo de Todoist API, WebHooks y PowerApp, que permitirá a los desarrolladores conectar diversas aplicaciones con métodos existentes y propios, en lugar de crearlas una a una desde cero y adaptadas a estas.

Sin duda son buenas noticias, pues esto se debería expandir no sólo a unas pocas, si no a prácticamente todas las importantes aplicaciones que conocemos en la actualidad, pues el intercambio de datos o información mediante una sincronización óptima, rápida y fácil para el usuario abriría un mundo de posibilidades para todos.

Esperemos que esto siga adelante y poco a poco veamos como diversas compañías llegan a un cierto acuerdo y nos permitan sincronizar entre estas todo lo que queramos.

Todoist | Herramientas para desarrolladores

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