As not seen on the INQUIRER thanks to .net
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Microsoft teams up with Duracell
SOFTWARE GIANT Microsoft has decided to release some technology that it designed with Duracell and could change the way you load batteries.
Instaload technology will be licensed on a royalty-free basis, under a special deal worked out between the Vole and the Energiser Bunny company.
It means that whatever way you stick your batteries into your gadget the device will work. There is no need to line up the "+" or positive terminal in a given direction.
It is expected to be under the bonnet of Clearsound's hearing aids, Novatac's LED flashlights, and Black Diamond's headlamps.
The Vole apparently came up with the idea of having a terminal that contains both positive and negative connectors, and it works with CR123, AA, AAA, C or D batteries.
It is a good idea because it means that you do not have to fool around with making sure you have the batteries installed in the right direction in your torch during a power cut.
Everyone knows that however often you change batteries they are always drained at the moment you need to use them. µ
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I am soooooo sick of everything being called a 'technology'. I was sick of it when Microsoft started calling their crap technologies 15 years ago. Now we've put two posts on each end of the battery, and it's a TECHNOLOGY? Puhleeeze, you're killing me over here.
This *probably* isn't progress, though a clever enough *idea*. I just doubt that it will work in practice because the spring pressure can't be made large enough.
@ Narg: you should really look things up before commenting. This is an entirely mechanical *connector* design.
That figures.
Because sometimes "progressive" technology ends up adding unnecessary costs to products. Why would I want to pay extra (money, weight, complexity) for a company to incorporate this technology into a product, when I am perfectly capable of putting batteries in correctly myself? It's like paying to have a CD player accept discs in any direction.
I think the industry will agree with this view on this technology. Those devices you encountered with worn off or unprinted +/- symbols would probably never even incorporate the technology because it'd be an unnecessary cost on an already cheap product. Rather, this technology might appear in more expensive hardware where the cost can be wrapped up into the overall device cost. Cameras will probably be the first.
I really don't get all the criticism. Surely something that simplifies an existing function is a good thing? There have been countless times when I've come across devices where you can't see the +/- symbols, either because they were never there or because they have worn off. If we have the technology to avoid such a problem then why shouldn't we use it?
I swear most of the people here are against any sort of progress whatsoever.
Holy cow folks. This is nothing more than a diode bridge. This is Electronics 101. Been around for decades.
Let's expect a little more from humanity huh? This is not "fool proofing", this is "dumbing down". When you cater to the lowest common denominator, you're going to get the lowest common denominator, and that's not something we should encourage.
What happens when some person is so accustomed to this nanny technology that he/she can't even function without it? It's like having parallel parking technology on brand new cars, and then forcing the driver into an older or less expensive car that doesn't have it. All of a sudden the driver is completely at a loss, unable to function in this new environment.
You're in a hurry.
It's dark.
You grab some flashlight in your bag that was purchased as an afterthought from a convenience store. For some stupid reason you didn't put the batteries in it.
Your life depends on it.
buuut...
You're so used to your home's goofy omnidirectional battery flashlight you bought for $70 in some yuppy catalog that you can't remember if the spring is for the + or - part of the battery (whichever the hell that is!).
Good luck with that.
Where the technology will probably end up is in the battery compartments of digital cameras where there are separate battery slots (the tech can't fix same-polarity-touching batteries in series). It'll be a nice convenience feature, and not part of any "mission critical" aspect.
This seems more like a solution seeking a problem. How hard is it to correctly insert your batteries? It's not even as if replacing the battery is something that is done frequently either.
All this useless technology does is cater to morons who can't be bothered to think for themselves. The last thing I want is to pay for such worthless technology, free license or not.
@ Daemon_ZOGG
think for a moment.This is not just about you changing the battery in your mouse.
what about:
your in a hurry
its dark
you make a mistake
your blind
your life depends on ...
Mission critical.
human error.
ect,
ect,
ect.
people die because of mistakes.
If you can remove an element of human error , in any process or any technology, no matter how trivial it seems, please do so.
if you cant see value of this through your naked arrogance, then that's your problem.
Its called fool-proofing and has nothing to do with fools and everything to do with technology.
Gee folks, do you have problems using your computer? Buy Windows preinstalled on you computer so you do not have to think, and when you are trying to type a document our adorable "Clippy" mascot will be right there to tell you what you should do next!
To install new programs, just click on things! And, don't forget to bring your computer to the Microsoft Store when its chock-full of viruses!
And do you have trouble installing batteries? We at Microsoft understand how frustrating the complex task of installing batteries can be, so we and Duracell have teamed up to make the new "Vacuous-Volt" batteries that you can fumble in anyway you want and get right back to "consuming content", staring slack-jawed at your Microsoft-powered device as it empties your wallet and mind.
S. Ballmer, Esq.
What a brilliant invention. Because it's so incredibly difficult to put batteries in with the correct orientation. It's so challenging infact, that the only possible solution is to spend $ Millions on research to redesign the battery. Yes, the same battery that people have been using, without issue, for decades. What a joke. Plus since Microsoft is involved, now you'll have to worry about your batteries crashing and getting viruses! Ha!
"whatever way you stick your batteries into your gadget the device will work." ... Instead of teaching the unwashed-masses how to use technology, they stupify it instead. Either RTFM! Or don't use the device at all. If your too lazy to read the manual, then you haven't earned the right to use the tech device. ;P
I've looked at the connector, and while it may work for a while when new, battery contacts are quite unreliable, not least because always some degree of corrosion; this reduces the already poor mechanical fit, besides available spring, so that keeping pressure on will surely be a problem. Prediction: fail.
Energizer is the brand name for Ever Ready alkaline batteries. It's not spelt with an 'S' and has nothing to do with Duracell.
You probably also think the plasticine 'instantly turn off-and-onable' tortoise advert of the 90s was for British Gas...
Energizer couldn't come-up with this technology on their own. Doesn't seem like such a complicated issue that required a company like Microsoft to design.
Unless they wanted to start implementing Window CE in flashlights and hearing aids too which is just overkill.
...allowing you still to make mistakes in other applications that run on Microsoft operating systems but are third party products.
Insert your batteries anyhow into a Microsoft keyboard and it will work. Do the same with someone else's keyboard and tahw uoy etirw semoc tuo ekil siht.
But why does Duracell need Microsoft to tell them about making batteries?
Duracell has nothing to do with the "Energizer Bunny" Energizer was formed by Ever Ready. Or were you referring to the UK's Duracell Bunny?