Re: no longer possible to detect battery presence? RE: Battery API in Last Call

On 12/2/2011 8:32 AM, Mounir Lamouri wrote:
>
>
> You seem to complain because the API doesn't let the webapp know if 
> there is a battery or not in the device but do you actually need that? 
> If yes, I would be interested in the use case. While discussing this, 
> the only use case that was mentioned was a system UI for the battery 
> which is a tiny use case that could be fulfilled with another API or a 
> future version of the API (very likely requiring permissions).
>
>
>

There are cases when the device cannot figure out the runtime left, and 
yet it does have a battery. Consider a handheld device like an advanced 
TV remote control (think Harmony on steroids). It might only contain a 
primary cell (i.e. not rechargeable). The remaining runtime is 
critically dependent on what the usage of the device is. Probably the 
runtime is unknowable until right near the end. I know that batteries in 
my remote controls last from months to years (at least an order of 
magnitude difference). Part of this may be that sometimes I put in cheap 
batteries. Sometimes the kids jam the remote controls by the side of the 
chairs and I suspect that the buttons get held down.

Philip

-- 
Philip Gladstone
Distinguished Engineer
Product Development
pgladstone@cisco.com
Phone: +1 978-ZEN-TOAD (+1 978 936 8623)
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