LAB NOTES
Aladdin's lamp. The GCN Lab recently heard about a hand-powered device that recharges the battery of a wireless phone.
The GCN Lab recently heard about a hand-powered device that recharges the battery of a wireless phone. It sounded cool, so we checked out the vendor's Web page and found a similar device to extend the working time of portable computers.The company that markets both is Aladdinpower, a division of Bridges Equipment Co. Inc. of Valrico, Fla.The Aladdinpower hand-powered electric generator looks like a small clamp. It generates up to 1.6 watts through a connector that resembles a dashboard lighter when you squeeze the handles together 90 times per minute. The $60 handheld generator measures 5.3 by 1.7 by 1.0 inches and weighs 3.7 ounces.It can power many rechargeable devices. Visit to read how it works on citizens band radios, DVD players and flashlights.The larger Aladdin StepCharger, measuring 2.3 by 5.5 by 1.6 inches and weighing 10.5 ounces, is said to provide four times as much power.With the $100 StepCharger, you can supposedly power larger devices such as notebook PCs, transistor radios or digital cameras. Maximum output from foot pumping is 6 watts.It sounds a bit strenuous, though. Maybe using Aladdinpower can substitute for workouts at the gym. Need a new monitor for your conference room? The Arcadia T series of very large CRT monitors and receivers from Princeton Graphic Systems Inc. of Santa Ana, Calif., has top-of-the-line graphics.The AR3.6T measures 36 inches diagonally, comes ready for high-definition TV reception, and has an extended graphics array for high resolution at up to 65,000 simultaneous colors.The $3,299 monitor accepts digital TV as well as SuperVGA, VGA and XGA graphics from a PC or Apple Macintosh. The built-in speakers have 12-watt amplifiers and a built-in tuner.But your conference room had better have a big, sturdy table. The AR3.6T measures 35.6 by 29.5 by 29.3 inches and weighs 223 pounds. The new flagship of Sony Electronics Inc.'s monitor line is the Multiscan FW900, a 24-inch flat CRT with a 22.5-inch viewable-image size.It has a resolution of 2,304 by 1,440 pixels at 80 hertz. The $2,500 monitor measures 18.7 inches wide by 11.7 inches high and comes with one upstream and four downstream Universal Serial Bus connections.
Aladdin's lamp.
www.aladdinpower.com
Monitor madness, Part I.
Monitor madness, Part II.
'Carlos A. Soto
E-mail: csoto@gcnlab.com
www.aladdinpower.com
Monitor madness, Part I.
Monitor madness, Part II.
'Carlos A. Soto
E-mail: csoto@gcnlab.com
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