Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with charge

is there a "smart" way to get my computer to shut down after my ipod is charged?

pennstatephil — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:49:05 -0800

is there software or a trick to shut down my computer after an ipod finishes charging? Recently moved to an iTouch, and the old wall charging brick (firewire adapter) won't work with it, so I've got to use my computer. I'd love some sort of tool that would auto-shut down the computer when the battery was charged. Is there such a tool, or (I'm a programmer) is there some way to interface with itunes' battery status meter to run something when the ipod is fully charged? I know there are plenty of programs that can shut down at a certain time, but I'd rather something a bit "smarter."

How to avoid police charges?

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:53:07 -0800

After being apprehended but before being charged by the police, how do you maximize your chances of being let off with a warning? I was apprehended recently for theft under $5,000 in Ontario, involving items worth a bit over $200. The police were tied up so I was released from the store. The police called later on and I'll be meeting with them in a few days.

I'm 19 (so an adult now) with no priors and very cooperative. I spoke to duty counsel and then a lawyer afterward, and they said that if charged, I would likely be eligible for diversion. I don't mind completing diversion, since I realize I need to take responsibility for my actions; however, any sort of criminal record would be devastating for a number of reasons. Now, the loss prevention officer told me that for people like me, the police often just give a verbal warning. The loss prevention officer even went so far as to change the wording on my notice of apprehension, crossing out the "will" in "A Criminal Summons will be obtained by the Police on that charge after your release" to "may." On the other hand, I've heard that for cases involving hundreds of dollars, officers always charge. I'm still holding out hope that if I behave in all the right ways, the officer might let me off without charges (and thus no record).

My main concern is of how to talk to the police officer. I want to express remorse for my actions and demonstrate that it won't happen again. But would it be a bad idea to admit guilt in case the police decide to charge? I should add that the loss prevention officers saw me conceal some merchandise and attempt to leave the store with it, so I don't know if I have much of a chance at pleading not guilty. I'm just worried that telling the police officer too much could really hurt my options should he decide to charge me.

What do you think is the best way to go about this? Is the dollar value of the items too high to hope for a warning? If there is a possibility of leniency, then how can I maximize this possibility in my interactions with the officer? YANAL, etc. but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Throwaway e-mail at anon0602@gmail.com.

Last thing I need is more car trouble...

special-k — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:21:37 -0800

Why did my Subaru outback lose power steering on this rainy night? My car is a Subaru Outback, 2000.

I drove to work in torrential rain on a flooded, hilly highway (Hwy 17 in N. California). The car handled perfectly fine both ways but something weird happened on the way home. Right after I came down the hill, both my brake system warning light and my charge warning light came on. It also became very difficult to steer. Luckily, I was close to a left lane exit and I pulled off safely and parked.

Turned off the engine, waited and turned it back on but both lights were still on and it was still impossible to steer. I had to wait 45 minutes for a ride and the situation did not improve over that time. The car starts just fine, and I am able to move forward and backward, just can't steer.

What happened? Two things to consider:

a) I had my car last checked by a Subaru specialist in June. I had my head gaskets replaced and had him look over everything. Nothing obvious was wrong at that time.

b) My car has been fine since then.

c) I also drove through several deep puddles today (much of the hwy was flooded).

My car is fine overnight but I will have to get it towed first thing tomorrow. Did I snap something simple like a belt, in which case I can just tow it somewhere local and get it replaced right away. OR Is this something more complicated that I should just get it towed to my Subaru guy (25 miles away, harder to retrieve car etc)?

I appreciate any advice to minimize the inconvenience.

I Ch-Ch-Charge you

gensubuser — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:10:49 -0800

Where would you go to get a cheap iPhone/iPod wall charger and/or USB cable? From looking at amazon and a couple other vendors, it seems there is a very popular tactic of ramping down the product quality in successive batches. By the time an item has 4star reviews, the next shipment could very well fry your device. I have a 2G Touch.

Can you recommend a vendor that either: A) has a large inventory in stock of the same device, such that I can rely on the reviews, or B) is semi-branded such that their reputation matters?

Or, some other tactic.

How much should I charge for consulting work?

hellodonna — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:11:04 -0800

I will be doing some consulting work. Basically I will be strategizing with a very small company on optimizing their presence on the web and helping them with social networking. Here's my problem-- I have no idea what to charge for my time. I will spend two hours driving to them and probably an hour or two consulting. What do you think I should charge? I don't want to be too low but I am also scared that I might be too high. What do you think would be a good rate? I am located in the Philadelphia area if that makes any difference.

Why won't my laptop charge?

Emera Gratia — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:13:13 -0800

My Aspire 3680 (crappy laptop PC) doesn't want to hold a charge anymore, with either battery. How do I determine if it's my laptop, my batteries, or my charger? (I have a VOM and know how to use it).

Charge a really dead battery, even if it damages the battery.

brenton — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:32:07 -0800

How can I recharge my nearly-completely-drained car battery so that it will work long enough to drive it to get crushed? I'm hoping to avoid buying a brand new battery just to have it crushed. My car qualifies for a $1,000 rebate if I crush it, due to some "gross polluter" laws. To qualify, I have to drive it to the crusher under it's own power, and it has to demonstrate that it can start up and run on its own. But I've been letting it sit unused for months. Battery worked before, but now it's dead. I tried jumping it, with the hope that after a 45 minute drive to the dismantlers, it would be charged up enough to start again.

But even revving at 3,000 rpm, I could barely get it to turn over once! And the jumper cables were hot after-wards!

I have to do this on Saturday, or I won't ever get to do it. Is there a tricky way to charge a battery, maybe a way that will ultimately destroy it but will work for a week or two? Can I get some old AC adapter and use it as a trickle charger? How much voltage can I run through it? If I overcharge it overnight, will the battery explode in my room?

How much should I get paid for hosting and producing videos?

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:19:41 -0800

Hired to host and produce video content for a PR firm. How much should I ask to be paid? Because they liked a previous project of mine, a PR firm wants me to to produce video content for a client of theirs. The client is basically a media industry group running a promotion campaign.

The jobs will vary but it seems there will be two main kinds. Sometimes I will do funny interviews with people for 2-3 minute videos to be posted online. The firm will arrange for the filming, but I will do the editing (which I expect to be minimal).

The other job would be creating funny video shorts that I would write, produce, and act in. I would ask for a small production budget to get a crew and such, but I'm unsure what I myself should receive in compensation for something like this.

I've already been given the obligatory speech about how times are tough and the budget for the campaign has been slashed. I really don't have any idea what I should be paid for this, and I haven't found anything too useful in previous Ask Mefi posts. Can anyone give me an idea what I should expect to be paid for either job?

How much should I charge for video editing?

burhan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:03:53 -0800

How much should I charge to create a promo video for a friend? I've been ask to edit footage to create a short promo video for a friend of mine who is a professional performer. She has all the video she wants me to use, and is content to have me use my Mac to produce a final product. Our market in Calgary is such that video production companies are not taking 'small' jobs from people as the demand from oil and gas, as well as other markets have

I am not a professional by any means, but am extremely proficient in video editing. The footage has already been shot, so it looks like some straightforward work.

I expect the video to be about 10min long when done, and will require going through 3 hours of her footage.

Obviously, the general rule of thumb (1hr per min of video) may not apply, as I didn't generate the video and as such have no idea what there is, and since it's not 'my vision'.

What is a fair rate to charge given I am not a professional?

With thanks!

Who did this musical rendition of the Charge of the Light Brigade?

BeaverTerror — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:41:51 -0800

Who did this musical rendition of the Charge of the Light Brigade? Please watch this video and tell me the origin of the song in it, as well as where I can obtain a copy. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvw_1zkSEDo

What is my hard work really worth?

purpletangerine — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:28:58 -0800

How much should I charge for a baby blanket I crocheted for an acquaintance? I was recently commissioned to crochet a baby blanket for a girl I know through work (we do not work together). She offered (naturally) to pay me for it, and suggested she provide a gift card to Micheal's to purchase the yarn. I told her I would buy the yarn and have her reimburse me for that. We did not talk about specific pricing. I am almost done with the project. The yarn was inexpensive ($5 per ball, 4 balls total) and I won't use all of it on this project. I estimate that my total time spent will be about 15 hours. I've never sold my crafts before. What's a reasonable price to ask? Bonus points for suggestions about how to approach the conversation.
P.S. The purchaser has already seen my progress so far, and is really impressed and pleased (yay me!) but we still didn't talk about a price.

How accurate is this dashboard light?

fermion — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:38:47 -0800

The "battery not charging" light on my dash went on; the mechanic told me I need a new alternator. Now the "battery not charging" light has turned itself off again. Does this mean my battery is, in fact, charging? After a couple-of-thousand-mile road trip, I left my mid-90's Honda Civic unused for a few weeks. When I started it again, the "battery not charging" light on the dash was on. Two different mechanics concluded that the alternator was shot (I went for a second opinion, since I just had the alternator replaced last year.) I opted not to replace it immediately, and on the drive home the "battery not charging" light went off again.

Could this mean something that came loose in the alternator has temporarily shaken itself back into place? I know the alternator probably still needs replacing, but I'm wondering if I can safely use the car for short trips until/unless the battery light comes on again.

Extra bonus question: how long can I put off replacing the alternator if I get a solar trickle charger?

Fix for Braun Shaver/Razor Syncro Clean & Charge System?

criticman — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:18:39 -0800

Fix for Braun Shaver/Razor Syncro Clean & Charge System? The base on my system has been broken for years. Here is a replacement: http://www.theessentials.com/jump.jsp?itemID=186&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=186

The upper "arm" that snaps into the bottom of the razor when it is placed in the charge/cleaning station stopped working. It used to snap into place and stay there unless you hit the blue release button on it. Now (and as I said, for years) it never snaps/clicks into place. For about a year, thanks to the position of some shelves in my bathroom at my old house, I could wedge the unit between shelves after inserting the shaver. This kept the top part locked into place & allowed the cleaning and charging cycles to run.

However, in my past two (including my present) living situations, there is no place to wedge it. I spent time on Google seeking answers previously without any luck.

I am hoping someone either A) managed to open it and fix it or B) has a clever way to keep the top locked into place to allow normal operation. Yes, I could spend $50 (plus shipping) to get a new base station, but I worry if they did not update the design, that it may fail (I noticed newer models did not have anything that snapped into the back of the razor, making me believe they recognized the design flaw but chose to ignore it on the old parts).

I love this shaver, but the quality of shave (even with recently replaced foils etc) is not as good as when it is frequently cleaned with the base station. I actually have 3 cleaning cartridges waiting to be used, so hoping someone can help.

How to find the cheapest phone service for someone who seems to be paying too much...

omnigut — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:46:33 -0800

What phone service would be best for me? All I use my Verizon Wireless account for is the phone itself: calling and messaging people. But I think I'm paying far too much. I live in NYC. Suggestions? (description of bill here) Check this to see my regular charges. The total bill for that month was about eighty seven bucks. I'm on the 450 minute plan from Verizon, and it just seems like $87 is too much (if you're only getting phone service). Thanks,

Nick

Web Hosting With Generous Bandwidth Limits

jimmyjimjim — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:53:26 -0800

I need web hosting, and my needs are pretty narrow. I don't need fancy tools or applications, everything I'm doing is pretty much text. I don't need hand-holding or customer service. But what I DO need is to not have to worry that if any of my domains (I've got five or six) go viral, I'll be socked with $$$$ bandwidth overage bills. That happened to me once a long time ago, and I still have trauma scars. I realize that no hosting service can offer, like, infinite bandwidth. At a certain point, service would either cut off or else overage charges will cut in. But are there any web hosting outfits out there known to have particularly generous bandwidth limits, and reasonably priced overage charges beyond those limits?

Why is ther no bat-acitor (hybrid battery/capacitor)?

bartleby — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:02:14 -0800

Why is there no bat-acitor? (hybrid battery/capacity w/best of both) Is there some limitation in physics, chemistry, materials, etc. that prevents it, or has it just not been invented yet? So as I understand it (generalizing):
1) a Battery can store an electrical charge. It can only be charged by a fixed amount over a period of time, and can only discharge over a period of time. But it can hold its charge for an extended period.
2) a Capacitor can also store an electrical charge. It can be charged to its capacity in either a burst or a trickle; but it discharges all at once. And it can't hold a charge for an extended period.

What I'd like to see, along with my personal jetpack, is a "bat-acitor" which can:
1) be charged either in burst or trickle
2) discharge either in burst or trickle
3) hold that charge, if not indefinitely, then for some reasonable period
4) not be volatile (not gonna go kaboom if you look at it wrong)

I read a lot of Heinlein as a kid, and I remember the Shipstone battery as being a key piece of technology for this in his universe. Physical object (maybe a crystal?) could be charged just as easily by a bolt of lightning as by a solar panel; discharge output had a rheostat allowing it to be a 9v battery lasting for decades - or to let out a lightning bolt all at once.

That's Sci-Fi, understood. But why do I have to wait overnight for a rechargeable battery to "fill up" at a trickle, instead of just letting it "drink from the fire hose" - plugging it in and counting to ten?

Lay some science on me.

Using Ipod Line-Out

jimmyjimjim — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:07:17 -0800

I'm an old stodgy audiophile finding myself forced to resort to iPod, but I want to make the most of it. First of all, I'm looking for a solution that will allow me to use line-out audio on my ipod (5th generation), and simultaneously charge via AC. Does such a thing exist? Also, what's the standard audiophile solution for on-the-go listening? Headphones into mini-preamp into dock, I'd suppose?

Powerbook charging troubles

rtha — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:32:20 -0800

Help me diagnose my Powerbook’s power supply woes. I'm running 10.4.11 on a powerbook g4 (1GHz, 768 MB RAM). The trouble started yesterday when I got to work and plugged it in: the light at the site where the cord connects to the laptop doesn't light up, although the indicator in the menu bar says that it's charging. It shows a 95% charge, and that hasn't changed.

When I got home last night, I plugged it in again - I have two different powercords, both the standard Apple-supplied brick kind, one for home and one for work - and the home one does glow (green), but again, the charge doesn't increase. It isn't dropping either, at home or work.

The original battery for this powerbook keeled over in September or October, so it's got a new battery in it. I have googled, but found nothing helpful. So, help?

Debt charged off and reported without asking me for payment

0xFCAF — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:16:38 -0800

Is a company required to make a good faith effort to collect on a debt before reporting it as charged off? Do I have any recourse for my credit report? I seem to have the opposite problem of everyone else on the internet - I can pay my bills, and collectors won't start calling me.

Here's the full story: About three years ago I moved and neglected to change my address with my cell phone provider (Verizon). Since I stopped getting bills, out of sight, of mind, and I didn't pay for about two months. When I tried to make a call and got redirected to their billing department, I realized what I had done. Their automated system offered a total amount due (about $150 if I recall) and I paid it using a credit card over the phone. I switched to automatic credit card payments and continued to have uninterrupted service with Verizon for another two years, at which point I closed my account and switched to a different provider.

I checked my credit report recently and found that I had a ~$30 item from Verizon listed as "Charged Off as Bad Debt". This item originated about five months after I originally paid off what I thought was the due balance on my account.

In the intervening three years, I was never contacted by a collection agency nor Verizon about the amount supposedly due. They certainly could have - they had my address and obviously my phone number, but it seems they made no attempt to inform me of this debt or collect on it. They certainly could have just deducted it from my credit card since I had automatic payments set up. Now it's the only bad thing on my credit report and I'd like to get rid of it.

Assume for the purposes of this discussion that I really don't care if the $30 is legitimate or not, and that I'm willing to pay it + interest to get rid of the item on my credit report.

General questions I'm tossing out:
* Is it OK for companies to report a charged off debt without even trying to collect on it?
* Will Verizon even accept payment on something "charged off" ? If so, will that change the status of the report?
* Can I get this completely erased by any means?
* Is the dispute process with the credit reporting agencies something that might actually work in this case?
* How much is it actually affecting my credit score?

What are the Names of all the riders involved in the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade led by Lord Cardigan during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War?

complience — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:32:35 -0800

Names of all the riders involved in the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade led by Lord Cardigan during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War? I'm looking for the complete list of names and ranks for every rider involved in the charge, with special interest to the those ranks of the 11th Prince Albert's Own Hussars.

One USB charger to replace lots of wall warts?

spaceman_spiff — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:12:16 -0800

Like most mefites, I have far too many gadgets, and the wall warts to match. I suspect most of them could be replaced with a single USB charger - is this something that already exists? Wall warts are annoying. They take up space, add to the clutter, and they're overly bulky - especially when I'm trying to cram them into a suitcase.

I have a number of devices that all take small amounts of power for charging - small enough that they all (individually, not collectively) could theoretically be charged via USB, if not for the wide range of physical plugs they take. Is there a company that sells a USB charger for these things? Something like the iGo or Zip-Linq, but with more adapters. Those two companies have a lot of adapters that work with Model X cellphone or Brand Y PDA, but none (or very few) of this sort, and they're marked by brand/model, not size.

Ideally, I'd like one brick that I plug into my USB port, and several interchangeable tips. Bonus points if I can plug two or three into the dongle at a time. If the USB-to-DC is all one unit (one for each type of plug) as opposed to a single power supply with interchangeable tips, that'd be okay too - as long as it's all somewhat less bulkier than what I'm dealing with now. My soldering skills are minimal, so the DIY route is not something I'm interested in (right now, anyway).

As an alternative, are there any AC power supplies that would let me travel with just one wall wart, and plug adapters into it? (If it makes a difference, assume North American 110V.)

Help me be a nice guy AND get paid.

Jonsnews — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 05:24:09 -0800

Whats a better way to say "Just pay me whatever you can afford for fixing your computer" than calling it a free will donation? I work in IT and fix peoples personal computers on the side at home. I have a nice little bench set up, and it keeps me busy and gives me a little spending cash.
I know one solution for my problem, would be to just set a rate, but I also know what its like to be going through rough times and have your computer break. And my work place has people from all walks of life, so I generally tell people that its a free will donation when they ask how much to pay me.
But obviously that leaves it up to them to even pay me at all. I've been stiffed a few times, the most recent being yesterday in a system with a crapped out HD that I replaced with one I had laying around.
So I am looking for a better phrase to use, that will let them know that I expect to be payed in some manner, be it with booze, cookies, or cash but leaving how much up to them.

Small screen. Big fingers. How much?

913 — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:45:35 -0800

How much should I charge for a mobile website? I've been asked to create a basic mobile website for a local company. The work involved is very minimal, as simplicity is the name of the game.

I will be displaying four things on the mobile site:

- Events
- Contact/location info
- Hours
- Small bio

This isn't my first time making a mobile site (I've made a few) but how much should I charge for it? It isn't intensive work for me, so I don't want to overcharge, however, I don't want to be a bargain deal either.

Why aren't my Macbook and battery communicating with each other?

4ster — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:58:48 -0800

My Macbook has stopped recognizing/charging the battery. Help. Today, I noticed that every time I unplugged my Macbook from the AC adapter, it shut down instead of going into sleep mode. When I plugged it back in and restarted it, I noticed the following:

The light on the adapter is green.
The battery icon in the finder bar says 0% for about 3 seconds, and then has an X on it.

So the Macbook thinks it has no battery and the AC adapter thinks the battery is charged. The button on the bottom of the Macbook for checking battery shows no lights when I push it.

I found an Apple document that suggests reseating the battery (done) and shutting down, disconnecting from AC, removing the battery, holding down the power button for 5 seconds, reinserting the battery and AC and restarting. Neither works.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Wanted: inverter that will drain a battery all the way?

croutonsupafreak — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 00:53:47 -0800

My brother is looking for an inverter to use with a deep cycle battery while camping. He says:

I use a 12v DC -> 120v AC power inverter hooked up to a deep cycle
battery while camping. Unfortunately the inverter I use emits a high
pitch whine when the output from the battery falls too low, presumably
as a warning. Eventually the inverter shuts off and the camp goes
dark. When I recharge the battery my meter indicates that it's still
got about a 60% charge remaining. The point of the deep cycle battery
(as opposed to a regular car battery) is that it can be fully
discharged without damaging it. Does anyone know of an inverter which
will let me use more than 40% of the battery's capacity and which
won't make an annoying noise when it gets low?