Now, you can officially charge your AA batteries with USB!

The high quality batteries (1450mAh) will power any device you need them for, then when the time comes take them out, pop off the caps and insert them into a USB port for quick easy charging. There is even a handy blue LED to show when the batteries are charging which turns off when they are fully charged. No more bulky chargers and unsafe cables all over the place. These are also environmentally friendly as they contain none of the harmful cadmium in Ni Cads and none of the resource waste from traditional alkaline batteries

via 7gadgets

This little USB Power capsule can power any of your USB gadgets using one standard AA battery.

Great stuff!

The unit is just larger than a double A battery and will provide your device with an extra 15 minutes of performance.  Just enough time to call the bails-bondsman after getting the late night lock down because of too much party’in.

via getusb.info

Check out these universal notebook batteries that can power any laptop plus any USB peripherals including the iPod.

APC Universal Notebook Batteries provide your notebook computer with extra runtime from a single external battery pack. These batteries are lightweight and slim for maximum portability, perfect for situations when you won’t be near power outlets for extended periods of time, like on a plane, in a meeting or on the road. These Universal Notebook Batteries have selectable output voltages and come with a variety of notebook tips, making them compatible with most notebook computers. (See Compatibility Guide.) In addition to stand-alone use, these batteries are the perfect complement to the APC family of Notebook Cases and Universal Power Adapters. Together, these products give the mobile professional maximum availability to power no matter where you go.

via laptoppimp

Evolta Robot, powered by 2 double A Panasonic batteries, climbs 530 meters up a rope at Grand Canyon.

Why is this cool?

Well it’s cool that a 17 centimeter tall can do so much with just 2 double A batteries plus it’s a great viral marketing for Panasonic batteries.  Looks like Duracell battery and Energizer bunny have their paws full…

On May 24, a 17-centimeter tall, 130-gram Panasonic Evolta battery mascot robot scaled a 500-meter cliff at the Grand Canyon in a publicity stunt to showcase the endurance of the Evolta AA alkaline battery, which the Guinness Book of World Records recently recognized as the longest-lasting of its kind.

[via engadget - pinktentacle]

The idea here is simple.  Stick an LED and 3V 2032 battery into a paper cube orgami thingee.

Great idea, well executed.

This little LED-lit cube is much more than just a paper lantern: It’s a translucent and flexible thin-film electronic circuit that hooks up a battery to an LED, limber enough to be folded into an origami box. And the coolest thing about circuits like these? You can make them at home.

via make

Here’s a hand crank shaver that you can charge by cranking it with your hand!

Awesome stuff. Now you can go green and make sure to keep your beard off.

As it is a wind up device, the battery s always going to be ready for that nice clean cut shave, with no hassle of charging through a power socket? With all the inconvenience that is involved with that, but at just $46 this shaver would appear to be very good value, and remember there is no need for batteries or charging.

[via keetsa dvice]

Related:

Crank MP3 Player from Japan

I always thought of what’d be like to be camping and blogging at the same time.
Well, here’s a video by Joel Johnson from BoingBoingTV showing you how it could be done…

Boing Boing Gadgets editor Joel Johnson recently spent a week in the woods with a backpack full of electronics, to see if he could work on the internet in the wild using only solar power and his bare hands. This video reveals to the world, for the very first time, what happened to all those bears.

via boingboing

Here’s a cool lookin’ MP3 you can crank to re-charge the battery.  Crank for about 10 minutes and you get 50 minutes of playing power.  Of course, the MP3 can also be re-charged via USB.   Now, THIS is what iPod  needs, ability to crank it up.

Sure, you can sit on the train and twiddle your crank but to save you from such embarrassing moments, this does allow for recharge via USB. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to get a full-charge but if you insist on cranking, it will take about 10 minutes at 2.5 rotations / second to give you the equivalent recharge of 50 minutes via USB.

via akiba-gadgets

Here’s an interesting hybrid fuel cell that might just change the way mobile devices will be powered.  This one uses methanol as fuel, basically a form of alcolhol.

What’d be way cooler is if you could power it with some beer…

Sony Corp prototyped a fuel-cell system small enough to fit in one hand. The size of the system is about 50 × 30mm, which was realized by combining a fuel cell, Li-polymer secondary battery, control circuit and so forth.

The new fuel-cell system is direct methanol type and uses methanol as fuel. Also, it is an active fuel-cell system, which controls fuel supply with a pump. The system is hybrid type with the output supplemented by a Li-polymer secondary battery. And it can deal with steeply rising peak powers of mobile devices.

Also, its use efficiency of energy is high enough that 14 hours of 1seg movie can be continuously played by general mobile phones with 10mL of methanol.

vi nikkeibp

My love for motorcycles are always there so I couldn’t help post this Kawasaki motorcycle converted into an eletric bike that does 40mph and goes about 15 miles on a full charge. Of course, I wouldn’t dare or probably can do any wheelies or what not, but props for the DIY.

“I bought an 8hp Briggs & Stratton ETEK motor used through Craigslist. Then I mounted the motor to the frame using the existing engine mounting holes and a piece of scrap aluminum plate. I found a sprocket and chain in the tractor repair isle of the farm store.” Ben Nelson’s approach couldn’t be described as high-tech, but it is effective. This electric Kawasaki is now his primary transportation.

One of a growing number of Ecomodders — people who customize for economy, rather than speed — Ben knows why it makes sense to go for plug-in over petrol. “If gas is three bucks a gallon, I can go 300 miles on that same amount of electricity. 300mpg isn’t too bad for a motorcycle, is it?”

[via] hellforleathermagazine

The Philips Xenium NRG phone is already in production and will be able to use these normal or rechargeable batteries which can be picked up for a small amount of cash and no hassle.

The phone is due to be launched sometime in April 2008.

Source [Oh Gizmo]

Other features include:

0.9″ LED alarm clock display
Alarm clock with wake-up-to buzzer/radio
Power on/off/auto switch able
CD/AM/FM band switch
Tuning control, Volume control, Snooze button
Alarm set/Time set/Hour set/Minute set/Sleep set button (back)
16 CD programmable memory
Play-Pause/Stop/Skip up/Skipdown/Repeat/Program button
6.5′ line cord with Polarized plug
4 inches, 8 ohm speaker x 2 (slot type speaker holes)
Speaker cords, 6.5′ each, one end attached & the other clip type
Back-up battery for clock: DC 9V (battery not included)
Max. output power: 1.2W x 2
Power source: AC 120V, 60 Hz

Dimensions: 6.69″ X 5.12″ X 8.27″

Speaker Dimensions: 5.12″ X 7.09″ X 7.48″

Product ID# 974

Price: $179.95

Source [Nerd Approved]

Obviously by using this there is no chance of burning off any calories, so maybe there should be a warning on the packaging somewhere. But really they should be thinking of a way that actually lifts the pot too!

Priced at $10.50

Source [Oh Gizmo]

The 8-Bit Dynamic Life features:

Glowing Animated T-Shirt Displays Your Remaining Life Energy.
Buy as a Pair. When two shirts are within hugging distance all 6 hearts light up.
Black 100% Cotton T-Shirt.
Animated Decal is Removable (with hook and loop fasteners) for Easy Washing.
Battery Pack is concealed in a Small Pocket Sewn Inside the Shirt.
Runs for hours off three AAA Batteries (not included).
You need to buy at least two shirts or one shirt and a transmitter pack for the 8-Bit Dynamic Life. Shirt to function correctly.

Priced at $11.99 for one or $24.99 for two.

Source [New Launches]

It can shine a beam of light up to four mile away, which would be good for sending signals around town, but there a slight draw back, it uses fifty four batteries, which is going to make this fairly heavy! And pretty expensive to replace when they run out.

Source [Dvice]

The LED’s come pre fitted, but can be customized if required; the power for light comes from a battery storage pack which is rechargeable.

Prices from $95 to $200.

Source [New Launches]

This is a good idea if you are going to be out all long and have no way of charging up an essential device. To charge it up it needs to be placed into the USB port for around ninety minutes, this can then be taken with you and by using one of the nine connectors supplied is can then be used on cell phones, mp 3 players and other devices.

Priced at $70.

Source [Gadgettastic]

This is battery powered and so is totally portable, and uses a strong green LED which shines through a wooden screen. So now you can be the cause of as many alien scares as you dare to, but be careful you may just attract the real thing!

Priced at $35

Source [Techna Bob]

http://technabob.com/blog/2008/01/11/green-alien-head-projector-lands-on-earth/

This power pack will is compact too, it will fit easily into a pocket and of course can be used anywhere that you would want to, as the CellPac could be used in emergencies where power has been interrupted.

There are no prices yet, but when this one hits the store it will be a great hit.

Source [New Launches]

The chair has been designed to for wheel chair users to around the places where other can go, in fact in this chair, the users would probably be calling the shots and everyone else following.

Source [New Launches]

So this is the I Sobot mini robot, its just like its big brother but just more compact about six and half inches high, it has a bow and arrow to hurt people with, which is just dangerous. The robot pre-programmed with around 200 moves and can talk over 200 words.

He costs around $200

Source [Techna Bob]

The bag is on wheels and has a remote which will enable the person with it, to control where it is and who get the nice cool beer. The bag is collapsible for easy storage and will hold up to six bottles of beer or cans etc.

Source [Gadgettastic]

This will cost around $699 to build up for yourself, which is made up of the motor at $312, the solar panels at $120 and the battery at $90. It is quite expensive but it is a prototype which if it were to go into full production the prices would tumble.

Source [Eco Friend]

This is a great little device which will provide a great way of sharing music, but without all of the hassle. It could become one the latest crazes around because it has all what is needed, music, mixes, and sharing.

Priced $20

Source [iLounge]

It may seem highly complicated but if you are an experienced diver, this could be the device that takes your diving to the next level. It is available in different versions, adult and teen sizes and will allow the diver to take photos and video which are then transferred to the computer via the USB link.

Prices start at around $100.

Source [Coolest Gadgets]

If the batteries are new as if they are in the original packaging then they can be taken, but other than that, no lithium batteries will be allowed on a plane.

Source [New Launches]