UL Corporation today announces that two new benchmark tests that will soon be coming to PCMark 10. The first is our eagerly awaited PCMark 10 battery life benchmark. The second is a new benchmark test based on Microsoft Office applications.

PCMark 10 Battery Life benchmark
Battery life is one of the most important criteria for choosing a laptop, but consumers and businesses alike find it hard to compare systems fairly. The challenge, of course, is that battery life depends on how the device is used. Unfortunately, manufacturers' claims are often based on unrealistic scenarios that don't reflect typical use. Figures for practical, day-to-day battery life, which are usually much lower, are rarely available.

Fujitsu is recalling the Panasonic lithium-ion battery packs used in their CELSIUS H720, LIFEBOOK E752, E733, E743, E753, P702, P772, S710, S752, S762, T732, T734, and T902 notebooks. The battery packs with the CP556150-03, CP579060-01 and CP629458-03 product numbers can overheat and cause serious injuries to consumers. Both the product and serial numbers are visible on the white sticker that's located on the battery. Out of the 5,800 units sold in the United States and 606 units in Canada, Fujitsu has only received one report of the battery catching fire so far. Owners with the affected models should remove their battery packs as soon as possible and contact Fujitsu for a free replacement. They can continue to use their notebooks normally by plugging in the AC power while they wait for the replacement battery.

LUXA2, a premier designer and manufacturer of unique and functional mobile accessories including holders, portable power, headsets and cases, is proud to announce a new product to its portable power family- The P2 5000mAh portable battery pack. LUXA2's P2 is a slim, lightweight, aluminum 5000mAh portable battery pack designed for users who desire that extra bit of power whilst on the move. With its premium look and feel, it provides the perfect companion for your smartphone or tablet in those power hungry situations. Let the P2 free your mind from those inconvenient power worries and allow you to get on with the important things in life.

Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, is taking the opportunity provided by Computex 2012 to unveil a new PSU as well as a series of elegantly-designed lifestyle products intended to keep up with our increasingly social and mobile lives.

First up, Antec is showcasing its new high-performance enthusiast PSU guaranteed to take power supplies to the max. Designed with high-power users in mind, the HCP-1300 Platinum is meant to complement its 'little' brother the HCP-1000 Platinum. The HCP-1300 Platinum is sleeved, Stealth Wire cables integrate seamlessly in your setup while a plethora of available connectors enable users to set up a 4-way SLI or CrossFire in no time. With Platinum-rated efficiency, ErP Lot 6:2013 and all the strict energy standards already implemented in Antec's other HCP Platinum units, the HCP-1300 Platinum offers the perfect foundation for those who want to build an environmentally-conscious setup that still goes easy on your wallet when it comes time to pay your electric bill.

LUXA2 announces the launch of their power bank P1 7000 mAh High Capacity Battery & Charger, marking the company's first portable power solution for the iPhone and iPad accessories market. LUXA2's P1 external battery is designed to deliver a portable power solution for Apple device users who are always on-the-go. With a 7000 mAh power capacity, it is a powerful external power source available for iPhone and iPad on the market.

LUXA2's P1 power bank was expertly engineered to provide high output charging in a very compact design. It is also compatible with most USB devices on the market, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. With this power source, you can charge an iPhone 3.5 times from empty to full. You can also charge an iPad from empty to 78% fullness, which will give you 7 extra hours of usage time. Its lightweight and portable design also makes for easy carrying so users never have to go without power.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), of Palo Alto, Calif., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $425,000. The settlement agreement (PDF) has been provisionally accepted by the Commission (3-1).

The settlement resolves staff allegations that HP knowingly failed to report immediately to CPSC, as required by federal law, that certain lithium-ion battery packs contained a defect or created an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. The lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. The packs were shipped with new HP Notebook computers, sold as accessories or provided as spare parts for various HP models.

Targus Inc., maker of the world's top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories today announced it is first to market with USB 3.0 docking technology. The Targus USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Dual Video Docking Station (ACP70US) allows you to connect all of your peripherals while offering the benefit of enhanced speed and power associated with USB 3.0. It is the ideal solution for various work environments that support multiple laptop standards or where there is the need for a shared workspace, "Hot Desking" or "Hoteling". In addition, with the emergence of Ultrabooks, users will need additional USB ports for all of their necessary peripherals.

Utilizing USB 3.0 graphics technology by DisplayLink, the new docking station also includes dual video ports, which provides beyond HD video and graphics with up to 2048 x 1152 resolution. This is ideal for peripherals that require enriched image and text clarity such as external HD monitors. It also features the first-of-its-kind Gigabit Ethernet via USB for high-speed networking. The wedge design offers an ergonomic tilt and improved ambient airflow while its horizontal form factor allows users to place the docking station under a laptop, thus saving desk space.

Taiwan-based Genius, an international company in computer peripherals, announced the Eco friendly Genius DX Eco Mouse. Experience the most Eco friendly wireless mouse from Genius Blue Eye Family. The Genius DX Eco is battery-free, and helps contribute one own effort in environment protection.

Featuring a battery-free design, it has a built-in gold capacitor to expand rechargeable life up to 100,000 times, just a quick charge for 3 minutes and ready to use. The Genius BlueEye technology let one work virtually anywhere. Its bi-directional 2.4 GHz link works up to 15 meters away from the receiver, and is backed by anti-interference technology to ensure perfect working smoothness. Also available of four hot keys to access to previous/next page, flying scroll and dpi adjust between 800 and 1600 dpi. Plus its super mini receiver is easy for storage and prevents breakage.

MSI is unveiling its new generation top-of-the-line GT683DX gaming computer, featuring the ultimate in performance and hardware. It packs Intel's second generation Core i7-2630QM quad core processor, nVidia's latest and greatest GeForce GTX 570M discrete graphics card, four DDR3 memory slots, accelerated dual hard disk architecture, as well as Dynaudio and THX TruStudio Pro smart wrap around sound. Taipei-MSI just introduced the GT683DX gaming laptop with powerful hardware, including Intel's 2nd generation Core i7-2630QM quad core processor and nVidia's newest GeForce GTX 570M discrete graphics card (1.5GB GDDR5 display memory), representing a 20% improvement in performance over other discrete graphics cards currently on the market to deliver hiccup-free graphics even when you play the latest high-resolution games. It received a record 12,475 points when it was tested in the performance mode on 3DMark Vantage.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) (PCH-1000 series) as the official platform name for the next generation portable entertainment system at E3 2011. With an RRP of €249 for the Wireless model and €299 for the Wireless/3G version, PS Vita will launch in the global market starting at the end of 2011.

"Vita", which means "Life" in Latin, was chosen as the most appropriate name for the next generation portable entertainment system as it enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context as SCE aims to transform every aspect of a user's daily life into an entertainment experience and an opportunity to play.

HP today revamped its corporate and enterprise (C&E) and small and medium business (SMB) notebook PC lineup with new technology aimed at boosting performance and productivity, while offering an enriched and sophisticated industrial design that improves notebook quality and reliability.

The company's new FORGE design framework ensures HP business notebooks embody a timeless construction, with precision-engineered durability features that are designed for maximum reliability and with the environment in mind. Precision aluminum-alloy hinges, cast titanium-alloy display latches and the HP DisplaySafe frame are a few of the design highlights behind the FORGE approach.

Last week Reuters reported interesting information on a new virus that can be used to create batteries that can last three times as long as current lithium batteries.

Researchers who have trained a tiny virus to do their bidding said on Thursday they made it build a more efficient and powerful lithium battery. They changed two genes in the virus, called M13, and got it to do two things: build a shell made out of a compound called iron phosphate, and then attach to a carbon nanotube to make a powerful and tiny electrode.
Such an electrode could conceivably make more powerful memory devices such as MP3 players or cellular telephones, and are far more environmentally friendly than current battery technologies, said Angela Belcher, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology materials scientist who led the research.

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MIT engineers have created a kind of beltway that allows for the rapid transit of electrical energy through a well-known battery material, an advance that could usher in smaller, lighter batteries -- for cell phones and other devices -- that could recharge in seconds rather than hours. The work could also allow for the quick recharging of batteries in electric cars, although that particular application would be limited by the amount of power available to a homeowner through the electric grid.
The work, led by Gerbrand Ceder, the Richard P. Simmons Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, is reported in the March 12 issue of Nature. Because the material involved is not new -- the researchers have simply changed the way they make it -- Ceder believes the work could make it into the marketplace within two to three years.

It appears that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Dell, HP and Toshiba, have issued another laptop battery recall for Sony branded batteries. It's very unfortunate that the Sony battery fiasco is still a problem. According to the new data, Lithium-Ion batteries used in about 35,000 Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell Notebook Computers can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. The information is based on 19 reports of laptop batteries still overheating, including 17 reports of flames/fire (10 resulting in minor property damage). Consumers should immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer, and contact their computer manufacturer to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery. The bad battery packs are used in laptops from all kinds, including models retailing from $700 to models that cost around $3000. There's a list of the models in danger below, that might help.

Apple and Sony have decided to settle at least one lawsuit stemming from the whole lithium-ion battery debacle of '06. The two companies are jointly paying a Japanese couple a total of about 1.3 million yen (that's $12,903) for damages to their home and burns the man sustained while trying to remove his flaming Apple computer from the house. The couple argued this fire was caused by a defective Sony lithium-ion battery.

To date, Sony has recalled 9.6 million of these occasionally unstable batteries with the help of some major laptop manufacturers, including Apple, Toshiba, Lenovo and Acer.

Apple, while accepting liability in the case, insisted it would not settle the dispute out of court because the couple had demanded excessive compensation (they were asking for 2 million yen). Despite agreeing to pay its share of the settlement, Sony still maintains there was no link between the fire and the battery.

Stanford University researchers have made a discovery that could signal the arrival of laptop batteries that last more than a day on a single charge.

The researchers have found a way to use silicon nanowires to give rechargeable lithium ion batteries as much as 10 times more charge.

The new batteries were developed by assistant professor Yi Cui and colleagues at Stanford University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

"It's not a small improvement," Cui said. "It's a revolutionary development."

Cui has filed a patent on this technology, which will hopefully be available to end users within "several years".

An American airport worker was minding his own business and doing his job when all the sudden, he felt what he describes as a "burning sensation" coming from his pocket. He looked down, and saw a huge jet of flames streaming out of his pants. He was promptly "freaked out" when said jet of flames started licking the rest of his pants. Fortunately he was able to put out the fire before the fire did serious harm, but the point remains. Are iPod Nanos the next exploding laptop? The actual cause of the fire remains an utter mystery, and Apple already shipped a replacement unit for the unfortunate airport worker, who had this to say about the whole experience.

So I look down and I see flames coming up to my chest. If (the US Transportation Security Administration) had come by and seen me smoking, they could have thought I was a terrorist.

If you've bought a MacBook between February 2006 and April 2007, you may have noticed a small problem with the battery indicator. Some common problems include the battery not charging when plugged in, a lack of battery recognition, low charge/run capacity, or visibly deformation of the battery. Apple has released a software patch for these flaws (aside from the deformation problem), which you can grab here. If you still experience those problems, especially the deformation issue, please contact Apple for a free replacement.