http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8165928.stm
demonstrated tech that enables devices (demonstration includes the G1) to be charged wirelessly..
It's been talked about for a while, but nothing concrete has been shown before!
Supposedly available within 12-18 months!
Topic sounds very interesting
But I couldn´t open the link
The emitter has to be very powerful for the charge current to be high enough on the device being charged. There's also a huge waste of energy that grows exponentially with the distance. This is one of the reasons this technology has been primarily used for short range applications so far. This is exactly how wireless keyfobs/smart cards work, but their useful range is limited to 1 meter or so and their consumption is minimal in comparison with mobiles.
Heck, I even have my electric toothbrush charging this way and my electric tea pot drawing power from the base wirelessly, but effective range is millimeters in these cases.
Nobody knows for sure what kind of effects strong electromagnetic fields have on humans. Knowing that electric impulses drive our brains and bodies too, I think strong electromagnetic fields are more than likely to cause major interference. IMO it'll be a while before healthcare people approve use of this kind of chargers.
Reviews with accompanying video moved to bottom for readability.
Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/10/microsofts-first-stab-at-a-pc-surface-reviewed/
Verdict: Surface RT is a nice tablet, but Windows RT is an unknown.
AnandTech
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review
LaptopMag
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/tablets/microsoft-surface-rt.aspx
Verdict: 3.5/5
Pros: Striking industrial design; Innovative Touch Cover; Sharp display; Microsoft Office included; Long battery life
Cons: Few high-quality apps available for now; Poor-quality cameras; Sluggish and unresponsive at times
The Verdict: The Surface and its innovative Touch Cover proves that Microsoft can make hardware to rival the iPad, but the app ecosystem needs to catch up.
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/t...eils-the-surface-its-first-tablet-review.html
"Sleek Tablet, but Clumsy Software"
ABCNews
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/mi...indows-tablet-turned-laptop/story?id=17540348
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/video/microsoft-surface-rt-video-review-17549478 (video review)
Wired
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/10/microsoft-surface/all/
AllThingsD
http://allthingsd.com/20121023/hardworking-tablet-with-pc-chops/
Gizmodo
http://gizmodo.com/5953866
TheVerge
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/23/3540550/microsoft-surface-review
Verdict: 7/10.
Pluses: Ambitious new software. Solidly made, handsome hardware. Full Office suite. Excellent battery life.
Minuses: Performance is hit or miss. Weak ecosystem. Buggy software. Doesn't live up to hybrid promise.
Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review/
As a perspective, the Anandtech review compared prelim performance numbers against an (unnamed) Clovertrail tablet:
"On the user experience side alone, the Clovertrail tablet is noticeably quicker than Surface. Surface isn’t slow by any means, but had it used Atom hardware it would’ve been even more responsive.
"Across the board Clovertrail manages a 30 - 50% advantage over Tegra 3. Granted we’re not looking at power consumption here, but the Clovertrail tablet I’m comparing is even smaller/lighter than Surface for what it’s worth."
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review/10
On the ergonomics of the Touch/TypeCover, a key selling point for Surface:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review/
"However, the Touch Covers reveal the Surface’s fundamental flaw: The Surface is ungainly large when deployed. When used with the Surface’s kickstand and a Touch Cover, the whole contraption is 10-inches deep. That’s the same depth as a 15-inch MacBook Pro. An iPad with a Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard is only 7-inches deep; most ultrabooks are 9-inches or under. A Surface with a Touch Cover barely fits on most airplane seat-back trays; it doesn’t work at all on the trays that pull out of an armrest. That’s a problem.
"This design makes it very hard to use the Surface with a Touch Cover anywhere but a tabletop. It needs a 10-inch deep flat surface. I could not use the Surface with a Touch Cover sitting in an armchair, walking around, or laying on my back in bed. Forget about using it on the commode; it sits too precariously on the legs for comfort. These are use-cases that I do nearly daily with my iPad and Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard. The Surface is only usable when seated at a table or desk."
On video out:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review/6
"On the left edge of the device there’s a custom video out port that can be paired with a Microsoft made VGA or HDMI dongle. I tested HDMI output with Microsoft's dongle and unfortunately the result wasn't very good. The 1080p output had a lot of issues with scaling quality (as you can see from the shot below) and there was a lot of tearing on the screen with a big impact on UI frame rate."
I did have the same thought about plains and trains etc its a real pain. Though its worth noting that you should be able to plug in a standard keyboard and do away with the cover. I really don't think its worth the extra £100 that said I think the whole thing is overpriced! That said I am an MS fanboi so I will be getting mine but I do fear that they went for looks over function.
If I had a spare £1000 the best I have seen by a clear mile is the sony duo 11, that device makes the surface look pathetic but then at double the price it really should.
lumpaywk said:
I did have the same thought about plains and trains etc its a real pain. Though its worth noting that you should be able to plug in a standard keyboard and do away with the cover. I really don't think its worth the extra £100 that said I think the whole thing is overpriced! That said I am an MS fanboi so I will be getting mine but I do fear that they went for looks over function.
If I had a spare £1000 the best I have seen by a clear mile is the sony duo 11, that device makes the surface look pathetic but then at double the price it really should.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love how all these reviewers are ragging on the app selection alleady - The thing is just coming out and all of the apps are being wrtiten for tablet - There's already like 4k and more are to come since its part of full Win8 as well. Even the Ipad doesn't have many apps written just for tablet. What's also frustrating is they are saying how buggy it is - Give me a break, like MS is not going to ever update the thing. I guess the tech world has higher expectations because its MS and they love Apple so much.
Let the product be released and get in the real world for a bit before we cast judgement.
As long as the hardware is solid, which it sounds like it is, the rest will be sorted out.
guitar1969 said:
I love how all these reviewers are ragging on the app selection allready - The thing is just coming out and all of the apps are wrtiten for tablet - There's already like 4k and more are to come since its part of full Win8 as well. Even the Ipad doesn't have many apps written just for tablet. What's also frustrating is they are saying how buggy it is - Give me a break, like MS is not going to every update the thing.
Let the product be released and get in the real world.
As long as the hardware is solid, which ist sounds like it is, the rest will be sorted out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the reviewers don't point out both positive and negatives of today, when should they?
its been released to the real world, folks are giving real reviews, today.
last i saw the ipad and mini ipad have somewhere near 275,000 applications.
its not mature, that's for sure. if there were no issues to improve, it would stagnate and not change. I love to read honest, real reviews pointing out possibilities for improvement, it means there -will- be improvement.
Update:
Crowd funding campaign is online:
www.startnext.de/en/andock
Hello everyone,
Today I would like to ask you about your opinion on my self-developed Nexus 4 Dock. First, I wanted to develop the station just for me, because I couldn’t find a Nexus 4 docking station that really fits my needs. Now I’m thinking about starting my own crowd funding campaign with this station. I already got some positive feedback on the German website android-hilfe.de.
The features of my docking station are:
- SlimPort included
- Active cooling by a fan to prevent the usual CPU throttling
- Display in widescreen format unlike the usual docking stations
- NFC-Tag
- cube shape design
- Docking Station is weighted to provide more stability
I also created a website for this project: andock.com
What do you think? Would you be interested in such a station? Thank you for your opinion.
So here are some pictures:
1) Frankly, the prototype looks terrible, especially when placed next to the Apple mouse and keyboard with their curves. Hopefully that's not what the final product will look like. Some round corners might help.
2) Take the LED away. It's not going to do jack if it's behind the phone. You won't be able to see it from the front.
3) Consider making the thickness of the "gap" around the micro usb adjustable so as to accomodate a larger range of phones. One way to do that is to make the gap wider, but provide plastic pieces that can be slipped into the gap to make it narrower. Think ipod dock adapters.
4) You need a better looking power button. It looks like something from the 70s, in which case you should make the dock out of wood. (In that case, disregard point 1 about rounded corners).
5) If possible, the dock should be powered by a micro usb.
snapper.fishes said:
1) Frankly, the prototype looks terrible, especially when placed next to the Apple mouse and keyboard with their curves. Hopefully that's not what the final product will look like. Some round corners might help.
2) Take the LED away. It's not going to do jack if it's behind the phone. You won't be able to see it from the front.
3) Consider making the thickness of the "gap" around the micro usb adjustable so as to accomodate a larger range of phones. One way to do that is to make the gap wider, but provide plastic pieces that can be slipped into the gap to make it narrower. Think ipod dock adapters.
4) You need a better looking power button. It looks like something from the 70s, in which case you should make the dock out of wood. (In that case, disregard point 1 about rounded corners).
5) If possible, the dock should be powered by a micro usb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for you quick and honest response.
1) Personally I am not a friend of the “apple curves “ and I especially don’t want to get sued. I wanted to create my own design. But everyone has a different opinion about design and that’s why I asked about your feedback.
2) You can also see the LEDs on the other side
3) SlimPort doesn’t work for other phones either, but depending on the feedback I will also make adjustments for different smartphones.
4) I will think about it. It’s still a prototype.
5) It’s powered by a USB cable.
Noc2 said:
Thank you for you quick and honest response.
1) Personally I am not a friend of the “apple curves “ and I especially don’t want to get sued. I wanted to create my own design. But everyone has a different opinion about design and that’s why I asked about your feedback.
2) You can also see the LEDs on the other side
3) SlimPort doesn’t work for other phones either, but depending on the feedback I will also make adjustments for different smartphones.
4) I will think about it. It’s still a prototype.
5) It’s powered by a USB cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I like it!
Does it charge the phone fast enough to gain a charge when outputting it to a TV? How about with Bluetooth on also for controllers and the like?
I agree that it would be nice to have it adjustable to fit other phones (and cases/bumpers). This might be the only phone with a Slimport, but who's to say other phones won't have them soon?
I agree the whole thing does look a little old school, but as long as its functional.
I would also prefer no LED light, but I might in the minority. I hate how everything in my home has a glow to it LOL.
Ultimately the biggest determining factor for me in buying something like this would be price.
Noc2 said:
Hello everyone,
<snip>
- Active cooling by a fan to prevent the usual CPU throttling
<snip>
So here are some pictures:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an N4 owner I'm excited to see any development of nice quality support h/w.
One doubt I have is for the fan cooling. I don't think the case of the N4 is really designed to dissipate much heat to the surrounding air (like most phones) with no fins and a pretty poor thermal conductivity (glass and plastic). I can't imagine that an external fan would help much, and just drive up cost and annoying noise of the dock.
mark398 said:
One doubt I have is for the fan cooling. I don't think the case of the N4 is really designed to dissipate much heat to the surrounding air (like most phones) with no fins and a pretty poor thermal conductivity (glass and plastic). I can't imagine that an external fan would help much, and just drive up cost and annoying noise of the dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can switch the fan on and off. Besides I got good results in tests with the fan on. If you run a lot of benchmarks in a row (especially while the Nexus 4 is charging and connected to a TV via bluetooth), you’ll experience a decrease of the benchmark score. The fan definitely reduces this issue. I will post some results in the next days.
I want to make the price as low as possible without any quality restrictions. It will be under 100 Euro.
Great to see people developing unique accessories for the Nexus 4, but for me this dock is just awkward.
The power switch should be replaced with something more modern, and the design should maybe better match the N4. Maybe a glossy black plastic and an led mounted under a more transparent plastic like the led on the N4 is mounted under the glass. Over all, I love the idea and would probably buy it even in its current state.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app
I'd love it as a kit to put together myself and keep the cost down... already as an option.
100euros would be a bit steep imo. I can already get a dock for cheap.
Your slot should come with a way to accommodate cases too... atleast the bumper
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Your dock is interesting, but, unless you're a developer that needs a cable connection (in my opinion) it makes a lot more sense just to buy an Orb and be done with it. File transfers can be done with AirDroid (for example). Wireless charging on the Orb is just as fast as trough cable (I have one) and it doesn't have the hassle of connecting/disconnecting the cable itself.
For someone that really wants the cable connection, it's useful. The design, if you want to really produce it, I'd recommend you to make it in a way that you can plug-in most android phones with the usb dock on the bottom. Make it simpler, why leds, buttons and fan (sorry, but I really don't think you need a fan in it)? Otherwise, good work.
Hi, I don't own a nexus 4 but I'm intrigued with ur project. To me, the concept is nice: something minimalistic, able to cool down the phone and provide connectivity to another device (or computer). It'd be a good idea if u can make the cube have a glossy texture, like white or black because it will still look nice even if u don't want to smooth out the edges. Also, it would be nice if it can accommodate phones that have a screen size of 5" or more (perhaps a slightly bigger cube). Also, I think led is fine but the switch for the fan should be smaller, maybe something rounded like the buttons of the iPhone 5 or a power button of any android phone and can also disguise with the cube's color. I believe something like that would look really nice on any desk.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Thank you for your feedback. I take it seriously.
Here is the promised article about the fan of my docking station:
http://www.andock.com/2013/04/the-temperature-of-google-nexus-4-with.html
The article + picture explains the purpose behind a dock like this, you essentially want to be able to run your N4 as a console (hence the fan and necessity of slimport) seems like a niche product for a niche phone.
Seems cool but for the same price I could get an Ouya and keep my phone for phone stuff.
I'm intrigued. If this went to market I would be very tempted to buy. Could set it on my desk, hook up sixaxis controller and jam out a few games easily.
Sent from one device or another.
this is awesome man, i hope you can built more and can sell to us or me
Is that SLS? SLA? Rapid prototyping ftw.
irishrally said:
Is that SLS? SLA? Rapid prototyping ftw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It’s SLS.
I really liked it because of the structure of the material. It’s not like the usual plastic or FDM.
threeclaws said:
The article + picture explains the purpose behind a dock like this, you essentially want to be able to run your N4 as a console (hence the fan and necessity of slimport) seems like a niche product for a niche phone.
Seems cool but for the same price I could get an Ouya and keep my phone for phone stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Judging by some of the Ouya reviews out there, it's probably advisable to stick with your phone for now.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
pnnorth said:
Judging by some of the Ouya reviews out there, it's probably advisable to stick with your phone for now.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's beta/developer hardware right now, the retail stuff will have to be better (they are planning on selling at BB/Amazon.) The software on the other hand...I already went through that once with the boxee box (solid hardware + crap software.)
That of a pity that when I could made a acquisition of 1st technology Xiaomi Earphone 72 hours afterwards because it is at the moment on discount sales with regard to $14.22, which is 44% off on the other hand with authentic price. Nevertheless, let us have a look at this specific work of genius that I ordered not long ago.
As you have seen, Xiaomi Earphone incorporates transparent plastic box, a prepared organize found attention the best, sensation something premium to be good. And also a little brochure throughout animated consistency.
Delightful case in point
Remember, though case in point is written in China, that is a bit challenging regarding comprehending, yet it's the actual indication of traditional Xiaomi creation.
Just unsealed this area, Xiaomi Earphone is positioned nicely and also succinctly about bobbin winder, which is one of my own favour component too, searching sensible.
As we discussed, besides authentic earmuff, three set of two earmuff in various dimensions (little, channel and enormous) tend to be used with all the package deal, giving comfort for people with diverse hearing form, exactly how amazing!
Don't be misled by my awful firing technology, a complete earpad area looks stunning and exquisite.
Here is a great common Three or more.5mm put via first age group Xiaomi Headset, sound and sturdy, feels outwit when compared with $2 or even $3 not known stuff.
Approaching will be wire section, unlike silicone cable, it really is made of something similar to abs or possibly Kevlar wire even though I don't know about that, nevertheless it can feel consequently sturdy, Xiaomi stated it can be used standard cable, just like tighting upwards some thing.
Based on my actual expertise, audio encounter is more preferable when compared with any one of my previous earphone, specially serious bass effect. In a nutshell, it's nicely deserving the charge.
Since the Apple joined to bring wireless charging on*iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, a new charging-wireless charge method popular among smartphone maker and user. especially many smartphone maker all make efforts to achieve this function.
Such as Xiaomi, Elephone, AllCall MIX2 bring some device with this innovative feature. especially allcall mix2 spread a lot with their fast wireless charge.
Not all people Optimistic about this emerging technology, so Is there Qi wireless charge indeed with Practical function？