Engineers: feel free to take this idea

[fayanora]

Engineers, feel free to take this idea, because I just want it to become real and I don't care if I get credit:

Build a portable CD player that uses cell phone batteries and can thusly be recharged.

Comments

[kengr]

What you "actually" want is one with batteries that can be swapped out.

The "old" Nomad Muvo is one that runs off an AA or AAA (too lazy to dig mine out and check).

It's a bit bare bones as far as functionality goes.

Cell phone batteries aren't that great because they aren't standardized.

The batteries for my friend's phone won't fit my phone. But AA & AAA batteries are really standard, and you can get them anywhere.

[fayanora]

Well I get tired of either replacing the batteries or waiting an hour while the rechargeable AA's are recharging. I thought if a portable CD player took some kind of cell phone batteries, it could have a little display like cell phones do, to tell you exactly how much power is in the batteries, so you can recharge them during downtime, rather than be halfway through your session and the batteries go caput.

[kengr]

The display is independent of type of battery. Except that they only work well if the gizmo knows the disharge curve of the batteries in question.

For all the stuff I have that uses AA or AAA batteries, I just carry extra in my bag.

[consortofvenus]

Yeah, I figure I gotta use all my pockets for something.

[gkathellar]

The problem with this is that people aren't nearly as into CD players any more. Only one of my RL friends uses a CD player - everyone else uses MP3 players. Thus, companies aren't enthusiastic about pushing older products with new parts.

[fayanora]

Do MP3 players have rechargers?

[gkathellar]

Universally. I can't think of a single MP3 player that uses regular batteries.

[kengr]

Creative's Nomad Muvo line uses *single* AAA batteries. I've got a 512 meg, and gave my 64 meg to a friend.

[fayanora]

The portable CD player I have, it has the battery door inside the thing. You have to open the CD door and take out the CD to get to the batteries. So changing them, even with my rechargeable AA's, is a pain in the tookis.

[scwizard]

That'd be pretty nice actually...

[consortofvenus]

Rechargeable batteries? They exist already ;)

[fayanora]

Yeah, I know. But like... the portable CD player I have, it has the battery door inside the thing. You have to open the door and take out the CD to get to the batteries. So changing them, even with my rechargeable AA's, is a pain in the tookis.

[consortofvenus]

Man, that sucks.

[fayanora]

Man, that sucks.

Yeah. And not in a good way, either.