Microsoft Announces InstaLoad Battery Technology
Sometimes the smallest technological developments make a big difference.
It's not a big deal, but it is annoying. You check the little positive and negative markings on the battery cover (if they're there at all) and then you put them in the wrong way around anyway. Sure, taking them out and switching them around isn't going to make you late for your lunch date, but it's something you'd like to avoid if at all possible.
Thanks to Microsoft, it is. Microsoft recently debuted a new technology called InstaLoad, which involves doubling the number of contacts in the battery compartment. By including a set of positive and negative contacts at both ends of the compartment (instead of a single positive contact at one end and a single negative contact at the other end), Microsoft has enabled users to cram batteries in any way they like. This should come in particularly handy when changing batteries in the dark.
Microsoft is licensing the technology out to any and all third-party device suppliers and already counts Duracell on its list of licensees. If companies want to license the technology for accessibility products aimed at people with vision or learning disabilities, Microsoft is willing to license the technology royalty-free.
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Lets think about other ways which don't need MS technology...
Use a diode "wheat stone bridge" network and apply the supply between the 2 terminals..
Ahh just search in Wikipedia, you might get the Idea for yourself..
The network is popular for rectification of AC(a dual polarity) to DC(Unipolarity )..
So if you have connected it in reverse you don't need to worry.
wonder how MS does that? If its with out Diodes then its interesting..
don't diodes give quite a bit of volt drop though? using a bridge rectifier would mean there's a total of 4 diodes in the circuit (for two batteries), and with only 3v (or 2.4v for rechargables) your going to loose quite a bit of voltage.
also seems like an odd "invention" for a software company
"also seems like an odd "invention" for a software company"
Forgive my ignorance but hasn't Microsoft been making hardware for a while now (controllers, keyboards, mice, consoles, et cetera)
solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
I've had no problem installing batteries since I was four years old....
"also seems like an odd "invention" for a software company"Forgive my ignorance but hasn't Microsoft been making hardware for a while now (controllers, keyboards, mice, consoles, et cetera)
true they make the xbox, (and have their logo stuck on the odd keyboard) but this esnt exactly a run of the mill product for them is it?
just found this on another website, and it said it's a mechanical device that switches the current and there's no electronics involved at all. which is interesting, pretty neat idea.
but to be honest, if i got a new camera or toy, came to insert the AA's and there was no clue as to which way round they are supposed to go, then i would be more confused than the confusion this device is supposed to solve? so... whats the point?
Erm... AA AAA D ect, positive is the raised and negative is the flat end.
Negative goes to the spring.
So hard... save me microsoft
Perhaps if Apple made this you would all think it was the greatest thing ever, rush out to buy it and queue like a moron for days to get one.
If you had bothered to read the article it says this is aimed at people with disabilities or learning difficulty. Perhaps you were able to master this task by the age of 4. Some people are not in a position to be able to do this.
Small changes here and there can add up to a major change in life or quality of life for a lot of people.
Perhaps if Apple made this you would all think it was the greatest thing ever, rush out to buy it and queue like a moron for days to get one.If you had bothered to read the article it says this is aimed at people with disabilities or learning difficulty. Perhaps you were able to master this task by the age of 4. Some people are not in a position to be able to do this.Small changes here and there can add up to a major change in life or quality of life for a lot of people.
I take your point, but i think its only going to be of any use to a very, very small group of people with very specific conditions....
As mentioned above, all batteries sicne time began go with the spring to the flat negative terminal, the most common exceptions being 9v square batteries (can only be attahced one way)and watch batteries (most likely too small to incorporate any mechanical device).
The vast majority of people with physical disabilities, most notably visual impairment can already discern the correct orientation of a battery by touch alone, people who happen to be blind, with no proprioception would have a hard time finding and opening a battery compartment to begin with.
As for people with learning disabilities, I expect that there is a very (very) limited spectrum of people who have the faculties to know that the batteries are exhausted and need replacing but who lack the reasoning to be able to put them in in the correct orientation.
Perhaps if Apple made this you would all think it was the greatest thing ever, rush out to buy it and queue like a moron for days to get one.If you had bothered to read the article it says this is aimed at people with disabilities or learning difficulty. Perhaps you were able to master this task by the age of 4. Some people are not in a position to be able to do this.Small changes here and there can add up to a major change in life or quality of life for a lot of people.
Put things into other tighter things to make them bigger.
true they make the xbox, (and have their logo stuck on the odd keyboard) but this esnt exactly a run of the mill product for them is it?
Maybe not, but they have been making controllers for the PC since the Windows 95 days, and at the time they produced some of the best keyboards you could get, they didn't simply slap their logo on the side of another persons product
Positive has a raised bit in the middle negative is flat (or sometimes dipped in the middle) negative goes to the spring.
Would need to have mental problems if you couldn't change battery's without looking.
Perhaps if Apple made this you would all think it was the greatest thing ever, rush out to buy it and queue like a moron for days to get one.If you had bothered to read the article it says this is aimed at people with disabilities or learning difficulty. Perhaps you were able to master this task by the age of 4. Some people are not in a position to be able to do this.Small changes here and there can add up to a major change in life or quality of life for a lot of people.
All it says is Microsoft will make it royalty free for companies that want to make it for disabilities that means Microsoft wont charge them to make them, NOT that they designed it for people with disabilities. Learn to understand what you read before telling others to learn to read...
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