The problem with long battery life is...

...you forget to charge the damm thing

I use the Karma for my walk to work and back every day, about 50mins 5 days a week. Today is the first day of the 4th week without a charge or being docked, and it ran out on the way home. I had totally forgotten this thing runs on batteries.

My Karma is SO cool, how the hell does it do it? and I only ever listen to half a song, I skip forwad all the time, amazing

Cheers

Cris.

how the hell does it do it?

Magic gnomes in Cambridge who have lots of practice at writing agressive caching schemes for hard-disk-based MP3 players. I think they got at least a two-year headstart on everyone else...

I'm betting that they've coded some software batteries. Much more efficient than hardware-based ones.

Maybe there is a magic gnome inside the player running a generator. The whole battery life scheme it to cover it up so Rio doesn't get sued for some kind of gnome abuse violation.

That sounds likely. They've probably got harnessed gremlins, but some of them are staging revolts, leading to all of these hosed hard drives.

That's the clicking noise is, the gremlins are trying to break their way out.

is this the prototype

"Well, as you know, inside each computer is a tiny little man who makes the computer work. Our programmers have to practice on a full size person and then shrink him down."

"Why are your programmers poking him with sticks?"

"Ah, well, it's their lunch hour..."

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, that photo is great in context!

By the way, obligatory Three Dead Trolls link.

...you forget to charge the damm thing

I imagine that my Rio battery is inside, reclining on a hammock and taking things easy!
After 4 decades of being let down by failing batteries in torches, razors, cameras, walkmen etc., I'm too old a gimmer to grasp the concept of relying on rechargeable batteries, with fantastic life, and religiously move it from dock to cigar lighter plug in the car and even once an extension lead in the garden(but the battery was flat). One day, I promise myself I'll grasp the white heat of technology!

I tested mine and it really does go 15 hours playing non stop.

Does anyone know the specs for the battery ? It can't be very big since there is a hdd and other electronics crammed in there too. I really is amazing that it lasts for so long.

couple of pictures of the battery posted on riovolution.com



and another one