Thursday, September 28, 2017

Sony CPF10LS 10,000 mAh Portable Charger Review



Running out of battery is a very common issue. It’s even more annoying when you run out of battery at important times, during work or while you’re travelling. Finding a power outlet at these times can be a difficult task, and even more difficult to sit through until your device is charged. I also face this issue quite often as I’m usually on the go while I work.

Recently, I purchased Sony’s 10,000 mAh battery pack (like GOAL ZERO GUIDE 10 PLUS SOLAR KIT ) — during my last visit to Dubai — and yes, this one caught my attention since it was available for a discount. The charger measures 70.4 x 130.6 x 16.5 mm and weighs only 260g. I found it to be a portable solution which isn’t too difficult to carry when I’m on the go. The device comes with a massive 10,000 mAh capacity, which cannot only be used to charge smartphones, but also tablets as well.

It can charge the iPhone up to six times, and other devices as high as 9 times — it charges my Galaxy S4 three to four times when it’s fully charged. To charge it, there’s a MicroUSB cable included in the package. You can charge it either by plugging it into a USB port, or through an adapter which you must buy separately. An adapter will charge it in half the amount of time when compared with the USB port.

The device also comes with two USB ports, which can charge two devices simultaneously. It comes with 3.6A output for two ports (1.8A if two devices are connected). It also comes with pass through charging, which means you can charge and power at the same time — just connect the charger to a power source and charge your devices. Compared to my original charger, it takes half the amount of time to charge my smartphone, even my iPad. I’ve tested this not just with my Samsung Galaxy S4, but with an iPad, a Lumia 525, and a few more smartphones.

Like every other device available in the market, this one has its flaws as well. One of the problem is that you cannot find out how much battery is left. The official documentation does mention a way to find out about the remaining battery, but it’s not accurate at all. As per the documentation, you can find out about the remaining battery by counting the number of times the light blinks. This can give you a rough idea, but an LED light as present on other devices would definitely be better. Secondly, the charger is not as portable compared to other alternatives, meaning it’s a little difficult to carry it in your pocket because of its size.

Based on my tests and usage, it takes over 7-8 hours to fully charge the battery on the charger, and can last up to a few days depending on the devices you charge. Charging it from a USB port will take a longer time, around 20-23 hours.

The bottom line is, the charger is quite good, and can come in handy on several occasions. However, the price it comes with is quite high, maybe because it’s from Sony. Otherwise, you can find similar capacity chargers from other manufacturers for a lesser price. HyperJuice Plug, which offers way more than the Sony charger comes with a sub-$100 price tag. So, you’ve got a lot of options, it just depends on your personal preferences.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

UNIST hits new world efficiency record with perovskite solar cells



A recent study, affiliated with UNIST finds key to produce a new cost-efficient way to produce inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) which sets a new world-record efficiency performance of 22.1 % in small cells and 19.7 percent in 1-square-centimeter cells.

This breakthrough comes from a research, conducted by Distinguished Professor Sang-Il Seok of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST in collaboration with Professor Jun Hong Noh of Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Professor Eun Kyu Kim of Hanyang University who both partook as co-authors of the study.

A key feature of this technology is its ability to fix the dominating defect in perovskite-halides, which is known to decrease the photoelectric efficiency. Their results, published online in the June 30th issue of the prestigious journal Science, demonstrates that careful control of the growth conditions of perovskite layers with management of deficient halide anions is essential for realizing high-efficiency thin-film PSCs based on lead-halide-perovskite absorbers.

"This study can improve the current record efficiency of perovskite solar cells (for example: RENOGY 100 WATT SOLAR PANEL KIT ) from 20.1% to 22.1%," says Professor Seok. "This will accelerate the commercialization of the low-cost, high-performance perovskite solar cells."

A perovskite is an unique crystal structure, consisting of formamidinium with multiple cations and mixed halide anions. A perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a type of solar cell, which includes the perovskite structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic-inorganic lead or tin halide-based material, as the light-harvesting active layer.

An organic-inorganic hybrid PSC is a type of solar cell, which includes the perovskite structured compound, as the light-harvesting active layer. Such devices have inspired much research interest owing to their applications in high-efficiency solar cells and light emission. Indeed, these solar cells not only show relatively high photovoltaic energy conversion efficiencies (above 22%), but can be also easily fabricated using cheap inorganic-organic perovskite compounds.

The formation of a dense and uniform thin layer on the substrates is crucial for the fabrication of high-performance PSCs. The concentration of defect states, which reduce a cell's performance by decreasing the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density, needs to be as low as possible.

The research team reports that careful control of the growth conditions of perovskite layers with management of deficient halide anions is essential for realizing high-efficiency thin-film PSCs based on lead-halide-perovskite absorbers.

In their study, the research team demonstrated the introduction of additional iodide ions into the organic cation solution, which are used to form the perovskite layers through an intramolecular exchanging process, decreases the concentration of deep-level defects. The result showed that the defect-engineered thin perovskite layers enable the fabrication of PSCs with a certified power conversion efficiency of 22.1% in small cells and 19.7% in 1-square-centimeter cells.

The energy conversion efficiency of those PSCs with reduced defects is 22.1% and has been officially certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

"The key to manufacturing high-performance solar cells to reduce defects in materials that generate energy loss when converting sunlight to electricity," says Professor Seok. "Our study presents a new method that suppresses the formation of el defects,deep-lev thereby setting a new record efficiency for PSCs."

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Business Visitor’s Guide to London – Where to Eat, Drink, Stay and See



No other city in the world provides the richness to its visitors, whether they are visiting on business or pleasure. As a financial capital of Europe London has world-class financial institutions to go with world famous London School of Business. For those willing to spend extra day or two to explore the city and experience its rich history there are number of places where you can experience luxurious dining, its famous pubs and countless historical attractions. Here are some of places recommended by locals as a must-see attractions for dining, drinking, staying and seeing.



Eat


Let it never again be said that English food is dull. If you want to experience their traditional food at its finest, then Berners Tavern is the restaurant for you. Don’t let the name fool you though; this is no country pub. The dining experience here is luxurious to say the least, and the setting is both grand and glamorous. The executive chef at this particular establishment is Michelin-starred Jason Atherton.

Drink


We’re going to continue with the theme of traditional English finery with Gordon’s Wine Bar. It’s the oldest such place in the city and certainly looks it with interior is simply brimming with history, and while not nearly as glamorous as the Berners Tavern, this is a very trendy place to be seen, if not necessarily the kin. Only a small façade is shown to the outside world, but inside is a world of wine – you won’t be disappointed.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

How can Computer Forensics Protect Your Business Data



The increased popularity of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in workplaces has created potential for large security hole. Companies of all sizes are vulnerable to threats imposed by employees using their own computes or mobile devices to do business and access sensitive information. Business owners cannot prevent this trend from taking hold in their companies, however they do need to ensure their computer systems and information is secured from falling in the hands of criminals or those who intend to do harm to your business. Computer forensic is one way to track the employee behavior and catch the ones who intend to do harm. Here is how computer forensic can help secure your business.



How to Catch Dirty Employees in the Act


Companies have been using advanced software and hardware for decades to catch dishonest employees. Today, the threat is even greater. Businesses have the burden of proof when making a claim against an employee.

Specifically, employers have to prove that:
  • The employee took the information without permission.
  • The information they took caused some kind of provable harm to the company.
  • The make, model, and serial number of any electronics used belong to the company or that there was an electronic device used in the theft.
  • When the storage device was first connected.
  • The last time the storage device was used.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

5 Ways to Diversify Your Business for Greater Profit



In today’s fast-paced business world, diversification is key if you want to remain ahead of the competition and increase your net income. Simply remaining within a single product or service can have a negative impact on the ability for your business to survive. Many large organizations are also seeing this potential threat and merging with other businesses or expanding their own in order to meet the demands of society. So how can you diversify your business without stretching yourself too thin. There are number of avenues to do that. Here are top 5 ways in which you can accomplish diversification:





1. Mobile Apps

Many businesses provide apps to their customers. In most cases, these mobile applications are free additions to the business platform. However, some companies produce more elaborate apps that are sold at $0.99 each. In either case, these additions improve online marketing of a brand. A well-developed program could also create a great deal of secondary revenue – especially if the project is regularly updated.

2. eCommerce Expansion

Nearly any business can host an eCommerce addition to the company assets. Some businesses have made more in online sales than actual income from the brick-and-mortar location. This could be especially beneficial for rural businesses that don’t experience a great deal of walk-in traffic due to a low population. An example of this would be a daycare expanding to sell child toys, clothes and other necessities.

Sony CPF10LS 10,000 mAh Portable Charger Review

Running out of battery is a very common issue. It’s even more annoying when you run out of battery at important times, during work or whil...