True Story: How Apple Maps Came To Be

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New Apple Maps navigation app for iPhone disappoints (Consumer Reports)

With the Apple iOS 6 upgrade launch, the company's first turn-by-turn navigation program, simply called "Maps," is now available for iPhone and iPad and included with the iPhone 5. Full of promise, Maps has been subject to much criticism online. To take measure...read more

Google Maps announces a 400 year advantage over Apple Maps (Telemapics)

I had a call from Marc Prioleau of Prioleau Advisors this morning and speaking with him prompted me to look into the uproar over Apple’s problems with its new mapping application. So, this column is Marc’s fault. Send any criticisms to him (just kidding). While you...read more

Gateway 6010GZ Laptop Battery (Dark Grey)

 

Limewit's Gateway® 6010GZ laptop replacement battery is guaranteed to be 100% compatible* with your Gateway® Laptop. This battery uses premium lithium-ion cells designed with quality, longevity, and safety in mind. It has been UL and CE certified to meet national safety standards and is powered by the latest Li-ion battery technology. To give you peace of mind, our batteries are backed by a 1 year warranty and a 30 day return period.

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Features

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Specifications

Warranty Terms (Parts and Labor)	1 Year Limited
Capacity (mAh)	5200
Voltage	14.8
Cell Count	8
Color	Dark Grey
Cell Form	Cylindrical
Cell Type	Li-ion

Compatibility Chart

iPhone 5 - The Worlds Most Innovative Gadget. Ever.

Are Cheap Batteries Worth The Money?

Someday, you may be able to go a year between cellphone charges. Someday, we may finally get those flying cars we were promised, too.

In the meantime, we have to live with the technology we have. When it comes to replaceable batteries, you pretty much get what you pay for. Most cheap batteries die a lot sooner than their more expensive counterparts, pretty much defining the phrase "false economy." In other words, you'll pay less in the long run if you invest in quality.

At $6 a pop, the Energizer Ultimate AA lithium battery may seem wildly indulgent. But in Consumer Reports' tests in a camera, this battery took 1,286 shots before dying, at a cost per 50 shots of 23 cents. Compare that with the 50-cent Kirkland Signature battery, which fired off just 172 shots (29 cents per 50 shots) or the $2.50 WalMart SuperCell at 133 shots (a whopping 94 cents per 50 shots).

Similarly, at $59.49, the Dell Inspiron® for models 15, 1525, 1526, and 1545 Laptop Battery (High capacity also available for $67.99) may seem like a stretch but when you compare it to a cheaper battery, the differences in performance and product quality are evident. Cheap batteries for the same model go for $7.60 from SIB on Amazon. But with customer feedback like this:

• "For the first 3 weeks of having it, the battery would only charge to 45% and stop!" 
• "Bought this product and it didn't work....Holds no charge."
• "Battery stopped working after 10 months of use." 

The hassles of returns, the waiting, the searching and browsing all over again, and loss of productivity are just not worth it.

Edited by Limewit Tech Blog

Photos courtesy of Limewit Tech Blog

Written by Liz Weston

Lexmark Exiting The Printing Business

On August 28, 2012, Lexmark announced restructuring actions which included the exiting of the development and manufacturing of the company's remaining inkjet hardware. Overall, the total pre-tax cost of eliminating the division is likely to be $160 million through 2015, Lexmark said. Despite this decision, Lexmark will continue to provide service, support and aftermarket supplies for its inkjet installed base.

"Today's announcement represents difficult decisions, which are necessary to drive improved profitability and significant savings," said Paul Rooke, Lexmark chairman and chief executive officer. "Our investments are focused on higher value imaging and software solutions, and we believe the synergies between imaging and the emerging software elements of our business will continue to drive growth across the organization.

By the end of 2012, Grasso said, Lexmark expects to employ about 2,300 people in Lexington (Lexmark's main facilities in the US), down from about 3,000 before the cuts. An additional 1,100-plus employees worldwide also will be affected, with a plant in the Philippines closing by 2015. The company is attempting to sell the inkjet division and its approximately 1,000 patents.

"So we think we're in good shape," Grasso said. "Technology evolves. There just wasn't the return on investment that we needed. We think inkjet is still viable, just not for us."

Edited by Limewit Tech Blog

Source Lexmark and Businessweek
Photos courtesy of Lexmark

Breaking News: iPhone5 Revealed! (Live Coverage-Video)

Live coverage enter here

Notable Features

• Will run on Higher Speed LTE networks.
• Made entirely out of glass and aluminum.
• Weighs 112 grams (iPhone 4S = 140 grams)
• A larger, 4-inch screen, showing five rows of icons with a "retina" display. The screen has 326 pixels per inch, the same as the iPhone 4S, but because it is longer it totals to 1136 by 640 resolution.
• New “A6” processor, which executives claim runs twice as fast as the previous generation.
• Three microphones.
• Improved 8 megapixel camera that can take pictures on higher resolutions. The front facing camera is now able to shoot 720p video.
• Upgraded and a more interactive Siri.
• Battery will last for 8 hours of talking on 3G networks or talking and browsing on LTE networks. The new battery lasts for 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing.

Photo by: James Martin/CNET

How Does A Rechargeable Battery Work?

How Does A Rechargeable Battery Work?

Rechargeable batteries behave like ordinary batteries when they are being discharged. An electrical circuit is created when one material oxidizes, or gives up electrons, while another material immersed in an electrolyte becomes reduced, or gains electrons. The key to a rechargeable battery, however, is that it can reverse this flow of electrons when it is plugged into an electrical outlet (see image above). The material that oxidizes during discharge gains electrons, while the other material gives up electrons.

A More Detailed and Scientific Response

"All batteries, both rechargeable and nonrechargeable, undergo electrochemical reactions. When a battery is discharged, an electrochemical oxidation reaction proceeds at the negative electrode, and an electrochemical reduction reaction occurs at the positive electrode. When one attempts to recharge a battery by reversing the direction of electric current flow, the opposite takes place: a reduction reaction proceeds at the negative electrode, and an oxidation reaction takes place at the positive electrode.

In the case of the rechargeable battery, the electrochemical oxidation- reduction reactions are reversible at both electrodes. For example, when the battery is recharged, the overall electrochemical reduction reaction at the negative electrode is identical to the electrochemical oxidation reaction that proceeded at the negative electrode when the battery was discharged, only written in reverse."

-Frank McLarnon, staff scientist/principal investigator in the Energy & Environment Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Limewit.com, is an excellent source for portable and mobile rechargeable batteries. The majority of these are Li-iOn (lithium-ion) which outperform other battery cell technologies. They also have a higher capacity, no memory effect, faster charge times, and have a longer shelf/operational life.

Lego Masterpiece - 7 Foot Spaceship, Serenity from Firefly

What Is Firefly?

Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as an executive producer, along with Tim Minear. The show ran for one year from 2002 to 2003 before being cancelled by Fox.

What Is Serenity?

The show takes its name from the "Firefly-class" spaceship, Serenity, that the central characters call home. It resembles a firefly in general arrangement, and the tail section, analogous to a bio-luminescent insectoid abdomen, lights up during acceleration. The ship was named after the Battle of Serenity Valley, where Mal and Zoe were on the losing side. It is revealed in "Bushwhacked" that the Battle of Serenity Valley is widely considered the loss which sealed the fate of the Independents.

The Lego Masterpiece

Adrian Drake spent 475 hours over the course of 1 year and 9 months to build this painstakingly accurate model of Firefly's Serenity entirely out of Lego's. The result is this 135-pound, seven-foot long, 70,000+ brick beauty that looks especially shiny paired with its minifig crew.


Keep your "Serenity", aka Laptop, afloat with Limewit's high quality laptop batteries. Look for coupons and promo codes on our Twitter page.

70,000 pieces, 7 feet long and 135 lbs.

Top 5 Laptop Battery Myths

Battery life is a key consideration for many of us when buying a laptop or that already own a laptop, and ending up with one that runs down in a matter of hours is very annoying to say the least. A number of misconceptions about how long laptop batteries should last, and how you should look after them, have been circulating for many years – we tackle some of the most common below.

If you’re looking to learn more about battery types and the various technologies available, don’t forget to check out our Complete Guide: The Different Battery Types and Technologies.

Manufacturer battery life claims

Laptops come with headline battery life claims from the manufacturer which sometimes sound a bit too good to be true, and, according to product review websites like Cnet and Which.co, they definitely are. Experts often find battery life claims that are hours longer than the real story when they are put to the test in labs. For example, in a recent test the Acer Aspire Timeline U M3 claimed up to eight hours of battery life but the guys at Which.co got less than five browsing the web over a wi-fi connection. Claims are normally benchmarked results given under specific circumstances – take them with a pinch of salt.

"Disconnect the charger when the battery is full or it will damage it."

In short, you just don’t need to do this – laptop batteries will stop charging when they are full. The battery technology used is much cleverer than it’s ever been before. Compared to 10 years ago say, you can now trust that you can leave your laptop plugged in and it will take care of itself.

(60W) AC Adapter for Apple Laptop

"You need to let the battery drain completely before charging again."

Again, this is just not true. Like the above, this myth still exists from older battery technologies which are no longer commonly used. If you’re using your laptop at home you should leave the laptop plugged in making sure it’s running at full speed with the laptop battery setting on ‘high performance’ (see ‘Check your power setting’ in the tips below).

"Laptop batteries can always be easily replaced."

There’s no getting away from the fact that the running time on a single charge will get shorter over time. After a few years you might want to replace the battery, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. On a standard laptop it’s generally possible to replace the battery – costing between $45 to $130 US depending on your model  and the batteries quality– and they’re easy to fit at home. MacBook Pro's however, tend to come with built-in batteries which you won’t be able to replace yourself and normally require you to send your laptop back to the manufacturer to be fitted – whether or not you’ll be charged may depend on if you’re within your warranty.

HP Pavilion® dv3-4000 Laptop Battery (Standard Capacity)

Extended battery life claims

Not exactly a myth, but these claims are worth looking out for as they refer to how long the laptop battery will last under very specific circumstances (some might say rather unlikely ones), as opposed to the ‘normal’ claimed battery life. You might see battery life claims of weeks, or even up to a month on some laptops. The Asus ZenBook UX31E, for example, claims up to two weeks of ‘standby time’ with open files and other data kept safe in the memory. While the Acer Aspire S3 claims to conserve battery life for up to 50 days in Sleep mode. Though you can expect a longer battery life in sleep mode, the exact times claimed should be viewed with caution in terms of how they’ll stand up in a real life situation.

If you are interested in a real solution to extend the battery life of your laptop then you might want to consider a Limewit Extended Life Battery or Standard Battery. The Limewit Standard Battery is designed to be 10-15% more efficient than the original in your laptop. While the Extended Life Battery will give you, in some cases, up to 50-100% more battery life and power. To see if your model is available you can browse their selection here.

Getting the most out of your laptop battery

1. Check your power setting – your laptop should automatically switch to a power saving option when you’re running on battery but it’s worth checking. In Windows 7 or Vista, check that you’re not on a ‘High performance’ option in the Power Options settings.
2. Lower the screen brightness – this will reduce the rate of your battery’s power consumption. Brightness buttons will be marked with a "sun" icon.
3. Switch off Wi-fi and bluetooth – turning these connections off when you’re not using it can improve battery life.
4. Eject CDs and DVDs – the spinning disks can eat up battery power even if you are not using them.

Edited by Limewit Tech Blog

Written by Catherine West
Photos courtesy of Limewit.com