#905: ChargeAge

It’s a stupid disgrace that we have so many different, non-standard batteries for everything from laptops to cameras. Having found hardware I’m happy using, I want to do so for much longer than the manufacturer would probably like.

This urge to hold on to quality products, rather than pitch them out early like fashion items, is surely set to continue in these increasingly frugal times.

So, today’s invention is a software tool which recognises the type and condition of one’s laptop battery. Since it won’t be possible to buy a new one of these in six months’ time and since they cost a lot too, the program calculates exactly what usage/charging pattern is allowed to maximise the overall life of the battery unit.

This would probably mean that it would demand occasional stoppages in work together with instructions to connect or disconnect from the mains.

These hiatuses might be turned to advantage -especially if they could be coordinated with a low-power screensaver indicating one’s offline todo list.