 Q&A: Rene Winter
MD of Wintec Solutions
Q: What is your opinion on the fact that smartphones are capable of doing so much these days, as a result of all the applications available, but their battery life is still a problem?
A: Yes, Better for us!
No, I agree. Smartphones and their applications are indeed a very “battery-intensive” accessory to run and, unfortunately, it’s going to remain like that. Any addition to any phone is going to require more power, The battery technology is advancing and over the years we have seen batteries go from Lithium Ion to Nickel Metal Hydride to Polymer, all with their own pros and cons. Of course, the circuitry surrounding these batteries plays an important role too, hence the better developed a brand and phone, probably the better the battery life. The competition to provide additional value over competing brands is intense and, in many cases, the accessories market is large and may play a role in certain OEM developers leaving battery life the way it is! In my past, I have developed two worldwide patents – one for improvements to audio devices in handsets. We worked on development for many of the major brands’ head offices R & D.
Unfortunately, we will have to live with what they issue, where software programs due to demand run down battery and in turn the batteries are developed to support the applications. It’s a cycle that may not stop until someone invents transferring power through airwaves!
Q: Is being mobile, always-on and always-connected really making a positive difference in people's personal lives, or do you think only businesses benefit from this?
A: I think many people rely on it, businesses and people. Being connected in the move is the obvious one and the benefits are clear. Sadly, I do think the youth are too absorbed in technology and often neglect real life social events and activities.
Q: What are your thoughts on universal and standard power supplies and connections for all mobile devices?
A: I think it is a great idea! It will make things much easier for everyone, reduce costs across numerous industries for end users and, of course, benefit our environment. I would like to see a unit that is universal and made from recyclable materials – these accessories contribute to a huge part of e-waste around the world!
Q: Give us your thoughts on the traditional coal power versus solar power generation, especially in the South African context.
A: Solar power is the way to go – costs and efficiency on developing this technology have come down and we don’t need to destroy and run out of natural resources to make it work! There are huge projects going up all over Africa with solar being utilised to harvest energy and we drastically need to reduce the world's carbon footprint. I think this is a great way to do it. We have free energy – the sun! South Africa should be spearheading the way for the rest of the world!
Q: How do you ensure all your devices are always powered and ready to use, wherever you are in the world?
A: Using exactly the method described above – solar. Our products do come with USB cables and worldwide mains plugs but the best part of any of them and the accessories they charge can be done for FREE and, in return, benefit the environment. They are the ultimate power solutions for travelling technology – our Laptop Solar charger is the only of its kind on the market and with micro businesses in rural areas, to engineering support on mines, it’s definitely the way to go! |
