The Guide To Efficient Living
External hard drives allow you to add terabytes of storage to your computer for a few hundred dollars. External drives connect to PCs and Macs via their external connectors. Almost every computer has a USB 2.0 port, so it’s the most common type of connection currently. Here’s the speed of other interfaces (from slowest to fastest): FireWire 400,… [Continue Reading]
Today, we use smartphones and tablet computers wherever we go. However, batteries life tends to be a constant issue. That’s why carrying a spare charger in your daypack or purse makes a lot of sense. In most cases, you just need a bit of spare power to make a call or access the internet.
The small size and directional light output of LEDs make them ideal for personal reading lights, and they are energy efficient too. Here are some of the best LED reading lamps:
This year, we found that Onkyo and Harmon Kardon are the brands that produced the best budget stereo amplifiers. Above the $500 level, your best bet is a amplifier like the Marantz PM6004 Integrated Amplifier. It received What Hi-Fi’s Product Of the Year in 2011. See also our master list of American-made amplifiers and audio products on Reactual.… [Continue Reading]
LED Lanterns are perhaps the most useful portable lights — they can be used as camp lights, work lights, or emergency lights. The LEDs inside aren’t susceptible to shocks, and they burn for decades.
What do you want in a golf cart charger? Golf cart batteries are lead-acid batteries that operate at 36 or 48 volts. Like all lead-acid batteries, they must be charged at a specific voltage and amperage levels. They cannot be fast charged — a full charge requires 14 to 16 hours.
The best rechargeable C-size batteries are Acculoop C cells, by Accupower. These batteries are the new low self-discharge NiMH (Nickel Metal-Hydride) cells, and they have a high capacity of 4500 mAhs (milliamp hours).
NiZn (Nickel-Zinc) batteries are a type of rechargeable AA battery that operates with a nominal voltage 1.6 volts, which is very close to the 1.5 volts of alkaline batteries. This makes NiZn battery perform well in high-drain devices like handheld games.
In a Nutshell Our choice for the best 18650 battery is the Panasonic 18650 battery. This battery has a high capacity (3100 mAh) and performs better than comparable 18650 batteries. The Panasonic 18650 battery is available at Amazon for around $21. You can also find a pack that includes a charger and four batteries on Amazon here. If you are… [Continue Reading]
Low-self discharge 9v NiMH batteries have recently become available from Tenergy and Maha. Low-self discharge means these batteries will hold their charge for a year, unlike previous NiMH batteries. Update November 2012: Accupower has released a 300 mAh 9 Volt Rechargeable NiMH Battery — this currently the highest capacity rechargeable 9V. Ansmann has released a low-discharge 250… [Continue Reading]
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