Chris Pirillo » charger

Do You Condition Your Rechargeable Batteries?

Chris — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:11:12 +0000

Do You Condition Your Rechargeable Batteries? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’m testing my batteries with a simple little battery checker. I simply slide the battery in, make contact on both ends, and it will tell me how much charge is left on them. The problem is that not all of these batteries have the same amount of charge left. I could just recharge them, of course. Or, I could use a LaCrosse BC-900 Battery Charger. It’s not just a simple battery recharger. The features include:

Works with all NiCd and NiMH “AA” and “AAA” Rechargeable Batteries
LCD shows capacity for each battery when charging is complete
Charges AA & AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously
Will not charge defective batteries
Select different charging current for each channel
Automatically switches to trickle charge when charging is complete to ensure maximum battery capacity
Automatically defaults to 200mA charge (the optimal setting for prolonging battery life)
Overheat detection to protect over-charging
7 Easy to Use Function Keys
Charge Mode (charging current)
Discharge Mode (discharging current)
Refresh Mode (time elapsed)
Test Mode (accumulated capacity)

Using one of these will extend the life of your batteries by quite a bit of time. Why not pick one up today? You’ll be happy you did, because you’ll save a ton of money in the long run.

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Are Mobile Car Chargers Good for Phone Batteries?

Chris — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:16:31 +0000

Are Mobile Car Chargers Good for Phone Batteries? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris Levo is the President and Chief Editor of Nteract Solutions. He sent me the following email after watching my video about charging my iPhone on the go. It’s excellent information, so you should read it carefully.

I was watching your video about leaving your house with your iPhone, and needing to charge it if it runs out of juice. You mentioned a car charger being a very good idea and what should be done (retract, iGo, whatever you want to call it). Any charger that goes into the car is bad for the device battery. Why? Because the power is not regulated like in your home. In my line of work, I have seen many batteries die because people use their car chargers WAY too much. A car charger should be a LAST resort. I try to explain to customers that when they get home they obviously (well I guess 99.9% of the world) take out their wallet, keys, coins, or whatever is in their pocket before going to sleep. Make it a habit to charge your phone with your home charger.
The same goes for purchasing cheap home chargers just to save a buck. Many customers frown at $30 for a home charger because they lost theirs and say they will just go to the “flea” market and get one for $10. The ones for $10 are worse then the vehicle/12v charger port (not called a cigarette lighter in any vehicle anymore because the lighter portion does not come with the car unless you add the option. That is another answer to a question you had at the beginning of the video).
I’m tired, it’s late, but I just wanted to get this out and make you aware of the fact that using a car charger can kill the length of the battery by as much as 50% (if used more then the home charger). Just something to think about before you go plugging in your expensive device in your car charger or don’t feel like running upstairs or where ever it is in your home to plug in your device because you might be too tired. Take the extra 2 minutes and plug it into the home charger.

The moral of the story here is to be proactive when it comes to keeping your mobile device charged. Use the proper home charger. Trying to save a few bucks or some time now will end up costing you far more down the road.

Which USB / Firewire Car Charger do You Use?

Chris — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:21:44 +0000

Which USB / Firewire Car Charger do You Use? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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How many of you out there have an iPod? How many of you leave the house? What about having a car? Even if you don’t have an iPod, you may have a device that requires a charger of some type. I’m sure you have a mobile power adapter. Today, I picked up the ultimate charger. The Emerge Tech Retractable 5-in-1 iPod Charger is an awesome little travel option. The features include:

Compatibility: This accessory is compatible with iPod, iPod mini and iPod nano.
Versatile charger: A car power adapter, wall power adapter, USB and Firewire charge plug are all included, so no matter where you are you’ll be able to stay powered up.
USB and sync cables: Sync with your Mac or PC, or use the USB cable to transfer music, pictures and video to your iPod.
High-quality: Durable ABS housing means this accessory will be particularly hard to break in any situation.
Retractable components: The cords retract into the shell for protection and to save space.

Even if you don’t own an iPod, I still recommend this gadget. It’s well worth the $20 I paid for it, even if only to have the USB and Firewire charging capability. What other travel devices do you use and cannot live without?

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.