New Microsoft Tech Makes Battery Changes a Breeze
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From: Don McKenzie on 2 Jul 2010 19:52 Tim Wescott wrote: > On 07/02/2010 02:55 PM, Don McKenzie wrote: >> New Microsoft Tech Makes Battery Changes a Breeze >> >> http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365995,00.asp >> >> On Thursday, Microsoft announced a technology called InstaLoad, which >> will allow you to insert a battery into electronic devices any way you >> please. >> >> The InstaLoad technology will be licensed on a royalty-free basis, >> Microsoft said. Duracell was named as a partner for the technology, as >> well as several manaufacturers of electronic devices, including >> ClearSound's hearing aids, NovaTac's LED flashlights, and Black >> Diamond's headlamps for mountaineering. > > It doesn't quite meet the "not obvious" criteria -- it makes you wonder > why Microsoft is even bothering with a patent. Just wonder how tested against little children and preying fingers they are. Did Micro$oft test them to the nth degree like they did with Vista? :-) Cheers Don... -- Don McKenzie Site Map: http://www.dontronics.com/sitemap E-Mail Contact Page: http://www.dontronics.com/email Web Camera Page: http://www.dontronics.com/webcam No More Damn Spam: http://www.dontronics.com/spam These products will reduce in price by 5% every month: http://www.dontronics-shop.com/minus-5-every-month.html
From: Paul Gotch on 2 Jul 2010 19:55 In comp.arch.embedded Tim Wescott <tim(a)seemywebsite.com> wrote: > It doesn't quite meet the "not obvious" criteria -- it makes you wonder > why Microsoft is even bothering with a patent. Because they can and because they appear to be only licensing it royalty free for certain classes of devices. That is to say certain ones that don't compete with the thing they developed it for which appears to be wireless keyboards and mice. -p -- Paul Gotch --------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Chris Burrows on 2 Jul 2010 20:59 "Don McKenzie" <5V(a)2.5A> wrote in message news:8977vaFsn5U1(a)mid.individual.net... > > this is brilliant, takes a bit of reading to understand how it works, but > it allows batteries to be inserted into any gear either way around. > I have an alternative idea. Redesign batteries so that they have a positive terminal at each end and the body is negative. Bring in O.H & S legislation to ban the old batteries and the electronics industry will make millions selling new equipment with the new batter holders to replace what everybody already has. I thought this was such a good idea I couldn't wait until April 1st to share it ;-) Cheers, Chris Burrows CFB Software http://www.cfbsoftware.com
From: John Tserkezis on 2 Jul 2010 20:59 Paul Gotch wrote: > In comp.arch.embedded Tim Wescott <tim(a)seemywebsite.com> wrote: >> It doesn't quite meet the "not obvious" criteria -- it makes you wonder >> why Microsoft is even bothering with a patent. > Because they can and because they appear to be only licensing it > royalty free for certain classes of devices. That is to say certain > ones that don't compete with the thing they developed it for which > appears to be wireless keyboards and mice. Why am I expecting cheap Chinese gear to start appearing with this idea soon? :-) On a technically related subject, one problem that comes to mind, is I've seen suitable-for-tagging rechargeable batteries, untagged, but with rather flat "nipple" ends as you would normally expect. However, I've seen them being sold every so often as-is (untagged). This idea would preclude this type of battery from being used, because the nipple end would short across both the contacts. However, if the primary market is wireless keyboards and mice, I'm guessing most are going to use normally structured alkalines rather than rechargeables.
From: langwadt on 2 Jul 2010 21:25
On 3 Jul., 02:59, John Tserkezis <j...(a)techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote: > Paul Gotch wrote: > > In comp.arch.embedded Tim Wescott <t...(a)seemywebsite.com> wrote: > >> It doesn't quite meet the "not obvious" criteria -- it makes you wonder > >> why Microsoft is even bothering with a patent. > > Because they can and because they appear to be only licensing it > > royalty free for certain classes of devices. That is to say certain > > ones that don't compete with the thing they developed it for which > > appears to be wireless keyboards and mice. > > Why am I expecting cheap Chinese gear to start appearing with this idea > soon? :-) > > On a technically related subject, one problem that comes to mind, is > I've seen suitable-for-tagging rechargeable batteries, untagged, but > with rather flat "nipple" ends as you would normally expect. > > However, I've seen them being sold every so often as-is (untagged). > > This idea would preclude this type of battery from being used, because > the nipple end would short across both the contacts. > However, if the primary market is wireless keyboards and mice, I'm > guessing most are going to use normally structured alkalines rather than > rechargeables. yeh, someday the tolerances won't be quite right the battery will short and set something on fire, a clever idea but I'm not sure it will work -Lasse |