Cut The Wires

How often do you see someone sitting in an airport lounge or coffee shop working on a laptop computer? Sure they could be playing solitaire, but the odds are increasing that they are corresponding via e-mail, sending a report back to the home office, or downloading a presentation for their next stop and staying one step ahead of their competition. Know anyone who brags that they can check e-mail, weather, news or sports on their laptop from anywhere in the house or even out on their deck? How often does the lack of an internet connected computer restrict the way you present, discuss, or demonstrate during a meeting, or exchange between colleagues? Wish you could instantly provide internet access for the new employee, the conference room, or guest in the lobby?

Those who have tried Wireless Fidelity or Wi-Fi say they will never give it up. Those who havenรขโ�ฌโ�ขt tried it are missing what the Wi-Fi alliance simply describes as Freedom.

OK, so what is it, how much does it cost, how is it installed and what problems are there?

First the good news. A Wi-Fi Network is simple, easy and inexpensive to install. Basic requirements are: 1. A high speed (broadband) internet connection, the most common being cable, or DSL. 2. Next, an access point, sometimes called an antenna or a wireless router. These are available at your local electronics or computer store in a common price range from $50 to $150. 3. A wireless card or "adapter" for your laptop computer(s). Most new laptops come with wireless capability already installed but if yours doesnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt have it, for less than $100 you can add an adaptor...no tools required. Thatรขโ�ฌโ�ขs it. Thatรขโ�ฌโ�ขs all you need. The equipment comes with instructions that are easy to follow, and setup is a breeze. You can be up and running in moments, sharing internet connection, and even printers, scanners and hard drives.

Sounds great, no? Any drawbacks? Well, a couple. First of all, these networks operate in the unlicensed spectrum of ranges of 2.4 and 5GHz. Do these numbers sound familiar? If you have a cordless telephone, chances are quite good that it operates in the same 2.4GHz spectrum. This causes problems with some wireless networks. There are adjustments that can be made if problems arise such as selecting a different channel on your wireless network (a similar process to changing the channel on your electric garage door opener) and in most cases this solves the problem. Other precautions such as separation of telephones and wireless equipment can be helpful. Note: If you have an old 900MHz cordless telephone, you may want to dig it out of the closet or think twice before replacing it with one of the newer 2.4GHZ models. Manufacturers of the newest 5.8GHz models claim they also do not interfere with wireless networks.

The other drawback is more of a quiet menace, generally more serious, and usually happens without the network ownerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs knowledge. Typically, wireless network products are shipped with any imbedded security features turned off in order to make setup a snap. There are a few more steps required to add network security. Without security measures active, your network is accessible by anyone with a Wi-Fi capable device and within range (typically up to a couple hundred feet). So what? Good question; maybe no big deal for the present time but the more users on your network, the less bandwidth there is for each user, and the sharing of your single internet access line (say 512Kbps) can cause noticeable slowing of downloads and certain applications. Higher speed internet access service can help if you are networking simultaneous users who use the internet.

A more critical issue is that of file sharing. If any of your computers are set to allow access for file sharing, or say sharing a printer or other peripheral device, your "guest" has the same access to these files and devices. This is an obvious problem and one that you need to be aware of. There are easy fixes. Read the documentation that comes with your equipment, and ask questions before you purchase. Tell the sales person how you plan to use this new freedom and ask for their suggestions as to how you can operate securely and reliably.

Then cut the cords and enjoy the freedom. You are bound to increase productivity, reduce fatigue, and get more done!

John Geiger owns and operates the local affiliate of WSI Internet Consulting and Education, a Toronto based global network of consultants, developers and production centers providing turn-key internet business solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises to include web-site design, development and hosting; site maintenance and upgrades, full e-commerce solutions, on-line training and education, and other cutting-edge internet technology and solutions. For questions, comments, free consultation, or ideas for future articles contact John at (828) 328-5929 or http://www.webmasters-wsi.com

Mobile Manufacturing

Making Advances

Technology and manufacturing have traditionally been closely related, with advances in technology leading to changes in manufacturing รขโ�ฌโ�� either in the products produced on in how they are produced รขโ�ฌโ�� and changes in manufacturing affecting technology รขโ�ฌโ�� through making technology more accessible via cost reductions that occur through scale economies as well as advances in materials and methods.

Today, a typical manufacturer will rely on a host of technologies, from ERP systems to CNC machines and from PCs to traditional Fax technology. Over the last 10 years we have seen manufacturers adopt such things as webcams to control stock, e-Ban systems to communicate with suppliers and new project management software to manage the development of complex new products and services.

Anticipating future trends we can safely predict that manufacturers will continue to adopt new technologies to take advantages of the capabilities, and cost reductions, they create, and in particular we will see the widespread adoption of low cost communication technologies such as SMS1.

SMS was first introduced in the GSM2 specification in the late 1980รขโ�ฌโ�ขs and was included by Norwegian engineers who wanted a simple messaging system that worked when the userรขโ�ฌโ�ขs mobile phones were switched off or out of signal range. SMS allows up to 160 character messages to be sent to and from a mobile phone. The first SMS was sent in 1992 and by 2002 1 billion SMS per day were exchanged globally.

Manufacturing Applications

Given the ability of SMS to reduce operating costs in a number of areas and the low cost and relative ease of adoption of SMS technology, it has widespread applicability to manufacturing and this article explores some of the simplest ways that manufacturers can benefit.

Out of Hours

For businesses operating extended or unusual hours it is not always economically possible to maintain a complete set of support staff รขโ�ฌห�just in caseรขโ�ฌโ�ข a problem arises. This is particularly so with critical maintenance personnel, senior management and engineers, but with the fact that it is now becoming a social norm for people to carry their mobile phones with them at all times SMS is an ideal way of sending alerts without the need for people to be on site. Obviously, such things as gaining permissions to contact and also setting response times need to be considered, but the net cost is substantially lower than having staff available out of hours รขโ�ฌห�just in caseรขโ�ฌโ�ข.

Team Communication

Many organisations have a dispersed workforce and in manufacturing certain functions can be dispersed, such as sales teams, field service teams or even engineering teams with different disciplines located at different sites.

SMS provides an ideal communication method for maintaining contact with such dispersed teams, or even managerial staff who are รขโ�ฌห�on the shop-floorรขโ�ฌโ�ข frequently. There are tools now available that allow bulk messages to be sent from a PC to a particular group, such as Clickatellรขโ�ฌโ�ขs Message Pro 3 (http://www.clickatell.com). Although for a more personal communication method, say one to one with a particular sales person, it is possible to use a plug-in to MS Outlook. Many companies including Telemessaging (http://www.telemessage.com) give their outlook plug-ins away free, knowing you are then tied into using their messaging service.

This makes sending and receiving SMS messages as simple as sending and receiving emails and much easier and less time consuming or costly than making bulk telephone calls to pass a message to even a small dispersed team, and as it is a two way process, the team are able to reply from their phones and it will be received as an email message.

Tracking People & Products

Materials are the lifeblood of manufacturing and knowing where your materials are and whether they have reached the customer or are on their way from a supplier is an essential part of the role of many people inside manufacturers. Whilst it is becoming increasingly common to use RFID3 in the role of tracking individual items, the more widespread availability of SMS technology allows the drivers of vehicles to be tracked and therefore for entire shipments to be monitored and arrivals predicted.

Coupled with this is the frequent need to know where critical personnel are (such as sales or managerial personnel who may be on the road from site to site) and using this to anticipate arrival times.

For a mobile to operate it has to be connected to a nearby base station. As the site of the base station is known it is also possible to know the location of a mobile. The accuracy of the location is dependent upon the density of base stations and can be from tens of meters to a few hundred metres. As a general rule of thumb, the greater the population density, the greater the accuracy of the location.

Location information is very sensitive and is only provided in particular circumstances and normally requires the owner of the mobile to explicitly give permission for its use. It is possible for a user to give permission of location in a tacit manner. For example we will use a sales situation where a new product had been launched and is available only at certain stores. Adverts could be produced that included the option "Text Location to [phone number] for your nearest store". This technology is often called "Call to action" and by responding to an advert the mobile owner has tacitly agreed for you to use their location information on a one-off basis. The system could use their location to send them the address or directions to the nearest store selling the product.

Reducing Overall Cost of Sales

With an increasing number of manufacturers selling direct via the internet or even supplying straight to retail outlets, SMS has the capability to play a big part in assisting to reduce overall sales costs.

It has become possible for information sent in response to a text request from a customer (or distributor) to be generated directly off a website with no major modifications to existing IT systems and no changes to business processes. Roger Francis, CEO of Make My Show (www.makemyshow.com), a company offering request based services, says "รขโ�ฌยฆa typical client integration takes less than a day." So text requests can provide a powerful, but simple, mechanism to get product information into customerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs hands quickly and if information is being fed from a website it is possible to capture the phone number of the person who requested the information. So when a member of the sales team returns to their office they could log into the website and be given full information of the products that have been requested and the details of who has requested them with a simple press of a button.

In fact using the "Call to action" technology offers a superb sales and product information channel. It can not only be used for standard SMS text messages but for MMS4 that allows you to add images, audio clips and video clips all delivered directly to a mobile. Within a few seconds of seeing an advert a potential customer can be watching a 15-30 second video clip of your product.

Reducing Costs of Procurement

With the growing use of รขโ�ฌห�call offรขโ�ฌโ�ข contracts with suppliers, where a customer commits to ordering 10,000 of an item but only pays for them as they รขโ�ฌห�call them offรขโ�ฌโ�ข and use them (say in batches of 1,000), it is possible to use SMS to place the replenishment order and this can even be controlled by the operator working on the line or their immediate supervisor, significantly reducing the burden on procurement personnel whilst speeding up the procurement process.

This system can work alongside traditional procurement processes for more expensive items, as well as being integrated into other รขโ�ฌห�automated call offรขโ�ฌโ�ข technologies such as webcams (which allow suppliers to visually track stock levels left in certain locations) or e-bans (which are standardised emails which trigger a replenishment order against a set call off contract).

Reducing Wasted Trips

SMS messages can be used to check availability of people, so saving time and money. Prior to a delivery (or even a sales trip) it is possible to send a message that reads "Your goods will be arriving the next 30 minutes รขโ�ฌโ�� is someone available for receipt?" If there is no response then the delivery could be postponed saving the cost of a wasted trip. Deliveries are another good example of location information, in response to the question "Where is my delivery?" It would be possible to provide a map on a website giving the location of a customerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs delivery.

Enabling SMS

To enable manufacturers to make use of SMS technology for commercial purposes using a PC, there are two main mechanisms used to send SMS messages from a computer, one is via a standard mobile phone the other is via an Internet based SMS gateway, such as the one offered by MX Telecoms (http://www.mxtelecom.com).

To send an SMS from a computer via a mobile, they are first connected via a cable.

Software on the computer then allows messages to be sent and received via the mobile phone. As the mobile is sending the messages the cost is the same as sending normal SMS messages from the phone รขโ�ฌโ�� which is dependent upon the tariff.

The second and most common method for sending SMS messages from a computer is via an Internet SMS gateway. An SMS gateway is the link between the internet and the operatorรขโ�ฌโ�ขs mobile networks. When you send or receive SMS messages from a computer what youรขโ�ฌโ�ขre really doing is talking to a SMS gateway via the internet. There are several methods for communicating with gateways including very simple options such as sending them an email. When using a SMS gateway messages are brought in bulk and used as required.

Concluding Thoughts

Manufacturing in advanced economies competes principally through competitive advantage rather than on price and manufacturers should be constantly scanning the commercial environment for changes in technology that will benefit (or threaten) their business and in the constant fight for ever improved performance, SMS can be a manufacturerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs ally.

Notes/Definitions

1 รขโ�ฌโ�� SMS = Short Message Service
2 รขโ�ฌโ�� GSM = Global System Mobile
3 รขโ�ฌโ�� RFID = Radio Frequency Identification
4 รขโ�ฌโ�� MMS = Multimedia Message Service

Mark Eaton MSc MBA CEng FRSA รขโ�ฌโ�� markeaton@nxt4.com Mark Eaton was formerly director of a major Manufacturing Trade Association and director of the UK Governmentรขโ�ฌโ�ขs Manufacturing Advisory Service in a number of regions. Mark chairs the IOM Operations Development Panel and is the Chair of the IEEรขโ�ฌโ�ขs Forum on World Class Performance. Mark was awarded the Viscount Nuffield Medal in 2004 for his contribution to UK Industry and is a partner in Nx Transformation, specialists in implementing Lean in Complex Businesses (http://www.nxt4.com).

Andy Chitty รขโ�ฌโ�� andy.chitty@exigenconnect.co.uk Andy Chitty is a technology consultant specialising in the integration of SMS into Web based solutions (http://www.exigenconnect.co.uk). Andy has worked for a number of Mobile related companies across Europe, including Nokia, T-Mobile and Actix.

Watching HDTV on your Laptop

Do you have a small laptop with a beautiful LCD display? Active matrix is now the standard for laptops and, as a result, the quality of images on most laptops is comparable to most desktops.

Why should you let your TV and your desktop have all of the fun with high-definition programming? High-definition (HD) programming allows you to view movies and television as they were meant to be viewed. Almost all TV viewers who have the opportunity to view HD broadcasts say they strongly prefer them to standard digital and analog broadcasts. Many TV's now come with HD tuners standard and it is very easy to find HD tuners for PC's. Unfortunately these have only been available as PCI cards traditionally. PCI cards require you to open your computer and install the card on the motherboard - this is not an option for laptops.

Take advantage of USB 2.0 to watch HD programming Now you can use your USB 2.0 port, which comes standard on virtually every laptop manufactured today, to watch HD programming. Note that USB 1.1 is much to slow to stream video without a lot of choppiness. This technology comes from Korea and has been available in Korea for about two years - now various manufacturers are embracing the technology and products are starting to appear on the American market which will allow you to stream HDTV to your laptop.

DVR-like attributes will be coming Along with the ability to stream HDTV to your laptop comes the ability to record programming to be viewed at a later date. This technology, commonly referred to as digital video recording or simply Tivo-ing, offers you the ability to record HD programming for playback. The USB HDTV adapters available in the US right now do feature time-shift technology, but the ability to download the programming information will require you to find a third-party service. Fortunately these are popping up all over the place to fill the pending demand.

Preston Wily is the marketing director for Sewell Direct, an online retailer of hard-to-find computer cables and accessories. Sewell Direct offers a USB HDTV Adapter from OnAir and offers a variety of other HDTV cables and accessories.

Integrated Power Management Circuits

Discussing internal battery design would be incomplete if we did not write on the subject of integrated circuits. Batteries for PDAs, MP3s, Digital Cameras, and Laptops have designed within them integrated power management circuits that insure that the deliverance of reliable power is properly managed. Without these power management integrated circuits even fine tuned handhelds will exhibit problems such as over-voltage, and under-voltage conditions.

Taking a step back a moment letรขโ�ฌโ�ขs build a platform with which to discuss power management integrated circuits. At its most basic level an integrated circuit in general is a miniaturized electronic circuit. An electrical circuit is a network that has a closed loop, giving a return path for current. The goals of integrated circuits are multifaceted, for example when designing for signal processing integrated circuits apply a predefined operation on potential differences (measured in volts) or currents (measured in amperes). Typical functions for such electrical networks are amplification, oscillation and analog linear algorithmic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, differentiation and integration.

For batteries the use of integrated circuits with the goal of power management is integrated battery management which include voltage regulation and charging functions. Power management integrated circuits offer other key benefits as well including maximizing battery life between charges, minimize charging times, and improve battery life.

The other critical aspect of power management integrated circuits is their functioning design to detect and monitor voltage levels in batteries. When certain parameter thresholds are exceeded or dangerous conditions exist, these "supervisory circuits" react through a programmable logic design to protect the monitored system and correct problems as programmed. Supervisory circuits are known by a variety of names, including battery monitors, power supply monitors, supply supervisory circuits and reset circuits. They perform critical functions including power-on-reset (POR) protection to ensure that processors always start at the same address during power-up. Without POR, even well-functioning systems can exhibit problems during power-up, power-down, overvoltage, and undervoltage conditions.

A real example of a battery pack protector circuit is a Texas Instrument two-cell lithium-ion (Li-Ion) and lithium-polymer (Li-Pol) battery pack protector device. The deviceรขโ�ฌโ�ขs primary function is to protect both Li-Ion and Li-Pol cells in a two-cell battery pack from being either over-charged (over-voltage) or over-discharged (under-voltage). It employs a precision band-gap voltage reference that is used to detect when either cell is approaching an over-voltage or under-voltage state. When on-board logic detects either condition, the series FET (field effect transistor) switch opens to protect the cells.

I wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt be getting anymore technical as this topic is better left to engineers. But suffice to say power management integrated circuits are a critical design aspect of your handheld battery. Without these integrated circuits your handheld device would have died along while back.

Dan Hagopian of Batteryship.com authored this article. http://www.Batteryship.com offers PDA Battery Replacement Kits with tools and instructions for iPod battery, iPAQ battery, Clie battery, Palm Battery, Axim battery, Treos, and Blackberries.

Why Would You Want To Buy a New Laptop or Notebook Computer?

Maybe you say your laptop works fine when it comes to word processing and internet e-mail. But, wouldn't it be fun to expand your notebook computer and be able to create your own music CDs, home movie DVDs, maybe some digital photography, or even some serious gaming! With a new laptop you could even use broadband to surf a lot faster...Isn't it time you checked out some of the new notebook computers?

Processor:
Intel's Pentium4 and AMD's Athlon XP processors now have significant gains in laptop performance since the last generation. The processor is what gives the notebook its power to get up and go. The newest notebook computer versions have much improved for a wide range of activities; broadband connections, surfing the web, printing digital photos, 3-D games, making music, and videos.

Operating System:
The new Microsoft Windows XPร�ยฎ has improved stability for laptops as well as pcs and its newest features make for a more enjoyable experience when working with digital music, digital photography, and videos. Notebook computer communication is also much easier with the new multimedia messaging and networking functionality.

Memory:
Most notebook computers now offer DDR SDRAM memory and it will give you a lot higher bandwidth, which in turn gives you better total system performance. Your experience with the new laptops will be better no matter which applications you are using.

Network Interface Card:
Most new laptops include integrated network interface cards. These give you a direct network connection and let you get connected to the latest modems like high speed DSL and cable modems as well. So with these new notebook computer interface cards you won't have to buy or install a separate card.

Wireless:
Of course, the main reason people want a laptop computer is because they can pick up and go. This wireless technology is a great benefit of the high-end notebook computer. With wireless you can hook up to the Internet, synchronize your handheld, print, with out cables to constantly connect and disconnect.

Check out some of the new and innovative laptop computers now on the market. Shop wisely and make sure your new notebook computer has all the great options you want before you click on 'check out'.

By Bonnie Archer: For more information on cheap laptops visit A1-Computers.

Dual Core Laptops - Sorting The Facts From The Fluff

Mobile computing technology is ever changing and the latest evolutionary step is the development of dual core processor laptops.

New CPUรขโ�ฌโ�ขs for notebooks.

The recent introduction of the NAPA Platform has shown some significant enhancements on the older Somona technology. The new NAPA platform offers a lot of significant advantages for a dual core laptop such as a 60% performance increase with its physically smaller dual core processor which can utilise memory more effectively whilst using less power as well.

What are the enhancements for laptops?

Performance Increases:

- Dual core processing with 667Mhz Front Side Bus
- Latest Intel 945 Chipset
- Generation 3.5 Intel Integrated Graphics
- DDR2/667 Dual Channel Memory
- Lower power consumption = Increased battery life
- Latest IEEE 802.11 Standards

We've been playing with a couple of the latest Toshibas to see exactly what these developments have to offer a real world user.

Fingerprint Reader Technology.

New fingerprint technology will allow users to bypass multiple password entry with one swipe of the finger.

Bundled with some awesome software Toshiba owners can now utilise this technology to logon to Windows, access secure websites, secure files and folders and even logon to a laptop secured with a Bios password.

Laptops that have the fingerprint reader hardware have now got the software to match and utilise what the fingerprint reader hardware can do.

Toshibaรขโ�ฌโ�ขs new OmniPass and Protector Suite QL software gives the user all of the following features and functions.

- Data encryption
- Individual fingerprint application assignment
- Multiple print storage
- Fingerprint website access
- Bios fingerprint authentication
- Single touch boot feature

In addition to this sort of technology, Toshibaรขโ�ฌโ�ขs new Wireless Authentication logon feature is impressive to say the least. This technology coupled with the Toshiba Wireless Key Logon utility enables a user to setup their BT (Bluetooth) enabled mobile phone to act as a key, with similar password entry free logon from Bios to Windows simply by activating the BT function on your phone when in range of your laptop.

There's been a bit of misinformation floating around regarding these new dual core notebooks so we'd like to clear up a couple of points.

1. If a machine has a stated processor speed of 1.66GHz then that's across both cores, not 1.66GHz on each core, the advantage over a 1.66GHz single core processor would be improvements in performance and data handling.

2. The new dual core processors don't require software written specifically for the CPU, you would still see an improvement running all your existing software.

3. A dual core notebook will actually run cooler than it's single core counterpart, this is due to the fact that the processor is more efficient and uses less power. This is a welcome development in the world of mobile computing where overheating machines are a constant bugbear for users.

The evolution of dual core processors is big news in the laptop world, as they become more common in the marketplace it will be interesting to see how they cope with the multitude of applications that will be thrown at them.

About The Author

Laurie Vella is a professional laptop technician with 10 years experience in the service field. He has accreditation for and has worked extensively with Toshiba notebooks. He also has accreditation for HP and BenQ machines.

You can find more info on laptop repair and other related issues at his site http://www.laptop-repair.info

Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries

Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are by far one of the most important technologies that have been developed over the last 10 years. Lithium based batteries are used in most portable devices from PDAs to laptops to digital cameras. Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are not hazardous when sealed and used according to the recommendations of the manufacturer.

There a number of electrochemical components contained inside a lithium battery that can cause it to be dangerous. Again let me stress that when sealed and used according to the recommendations of the manufacturer lithium ion rechargeable batteries are not hazardous.

However contained inside a battery are components that convert chemical energy into electrical energy and these components if not carefully designed can become dangerous. Why? Because it is basis of the design!

The basic design of a battery includes two electrodes, an anode and a cathode. The batteryรขโ�ฌโ�ขs purpose: to create current, from which we get voltage, the power to make our devices work while on the go. But the same power can also be quite dangerous if not manufactured and or used correctly. Letรขโ�ฌโ�ขs look closer at the batteryรขโ�ฌโ�ขs design.

The two electrodes contained within the battery are the anode and the cathode. The anode is where oxidation occurs. During oxidation oxygen is added to the electrode which causes the removal of electrons from the specific chemical compound (e.g. lithium). The cathode is where reduction (gain of electrons) takes place. A Redox reaction is one where electrons are gained from an oxidizing source. In a battery it is in the anode where oxidation occurs to pass electrons to the cathode.

From the anode to the cathode electrons are passed through an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a scientific term for salt, specifically ions. The term electrolyte means that an ion is electrically-charged and moves to either a negative (cathode) or positive (anode) electrode. The electrolyte is a substance containing free ions which behaves as an electrically conductive medium.

Electrolytes are typically formed when the force of salt is placed into a solution. The force of the salt (not to mention the salt itself) separate the atomic components of the solute molecules in a process called chemical dissociation. The solution can be any number of things such as a solution of lithium hexaflourophosphate (LiPF6) in a mixture of Organic Solvents: [Ethylene Carbonate (EC) + DiEthyl Carbonate (DMC) + DiEthyl Carbonate (DEC) + Ethyl Acetate (EA).

In batteries electrolytes are used to store energy as chemical fuel on the surface of the metal plates within battery cell and the electrolyte also serves as a conductor, which connects the plates electrically.

In some of the lithium batteries at www.BatteryShip.com for example the electrolyte is a gel-like polymer film that allows ion exchange. The dry polymer electrolyte design offers simplifications with respect to fabrication, ruggedness, safety, a razor thin-profile geometry, and enhanced conductivity. The electrolyte is held within a dry cell which is a galvanic electrochemical cell containing the pasty electrolyte.

Under normal conditions of use, the solid electrode materials and liquid electrolyte they contain are non reactive provided the battery integrity is maintained and seals remain intact. There is risk of exposure ONLY in cases of abuse (mechanical, thermal, electrical), which leads to the activation of the safety valve and/or the rupture of the battery container. Electrolyte leakage, electrode materials reaction with moisture/water or battery vent/explosion/fire may follow, depending upon the circumstances. Consequently the battery may bulge, bubble, smoke, or catch on fire in extreme circumstances. However if constructed and used according to the manufacturers recommendations lithium rechargeable batteries are perfectly safe and very useful.

ร�ยฉ Dan Hagopian. You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included with link. Dan Hagopian of http://www.batteryship.com is a known electronics author that specializes in portable power gadgets. His work can be found on the BatteryShip blog at http://www.batteryeducation.com He frequently writes about pda batteries, ipod batteries, general battery technology for our mobile world, new fuel cell technology and interesting power related inventions. For further information please visit http://www.batteryship.com where you can also find PDA Battery Replacement Kits, iPod battery, iPAQ battery, Clie battery, Palm Battery, Axim battery, Treos, and Blackberries.

The Kick-Off To The Best Rated Laptops Of The Year

The best rated laptop award changes not only from year to year, but it can and does change just as quickly from month to month.

Heck, with the major players out there like Dell, IBM, Compaq and HP just to name a few, competition is absolutely fierce!

But one thing is for sure.

This years best rated laptops all seem to have one thing in common. They are all called Apples!

Apple has taken this honor from several leading computing and electronics magazines, and the trend in sales seem to suggest that consumers are feeling the same way about them, as well.

Laptops such as the apple powerbook and ibook have helped apple stand tall among the major players in the computing world.

In 2004 alone, apple announced that it had an overall net income growth of 300 percent. That equals to a profit of $295 million in the last quarter. And if you are a stock holder that certainly must put a smile on your face. I know it does for me, and a number of my friends.

Single computer model sales are also showing the same trend. For instance, the ipod desktop version disappeared off the shelves at the rate of 4.5 million per year. The imac tripled its sales!

Apples share of the international market may still be lagging behind, though. Dell still has top honors with 18 percent of the world market. HP comes in a close second with 16 percent. And in a distant third, IBM brings in 6 percent of the share.

Apple can put a dent in those figures though with the press they have been getting lately. In fact, apple won the 2004 Readers Choice award for the brand with the most impact on an international scale. It had beat out Google, which had been the winner of this award for two years running.

No matter what awards for best rated laptops or what percentages of the world market that apple acquires over the next few years, you can be rest assured that apple will continue to put out the innovative products that they are known for.

Just take a look at the software that is featured on apples laptops and desktop computers. Such admiration of application design as iphoto and itunes make apple so popular just because these programs are so useful and yet they are so easy to use.

See if you can say that about the software that comes standard with most other mp3 players or digital cameras. It's this powerful but symplistic design that makes apples some of the best rated laptops available today.

One other point I would like to make. In 2006, we will see Apples with intel chips instead of the current IBM chips. Will this improve the performance of the apple laptops and computers, I don't think so, at least not right away. But it will possibly help apple to grow and expand in the market.

In the future, I believe you will see vast improvements in performance with this change making apple computers and laptops even better than what's available today.

Get free information, articles and reviews for all your computing needs at http://www.best-rated-laptops-and-computers.info.