Battery

Just in time for the new iPhone 4s comes the Third Rail auxiliary battery system , an ingenious way to repower your iPhone while providing an additional backup battery at the same time. The system includes a protective iPhone case with a built-in iPhone charging port, into which you slide the phone, and a battery that snaps onto the case and charges via an included USB cable. Additional Third Rail batteries (sold separately), can be piggybacked on top of the first battery, building a big brick of charge power.

Carlos Cruz, the fourth-leading jockey at Philadelphia Park, was suspended yesterday for a suspected attempt to use an illegal electronic prod in a race there Saturday. A prod, or "battery," was found in the possession of Bernadette Mucciolo, the rider who accompanied Cruz and Halo Judge, the 3-5 favorite, toward the starting gate for the sixth race. Officers of the Pennsylvania Racing Commission, who had been tipped by an informant, searched Cruz, and then Mucciolo, just before the race was to begin.

Indianapolis Colts defensive back Mustafah Muhammad, unable to refute testimony from his 6-year-old stepson, was convicted yesterday of one count of domestic battery for beating his pregnant wife last fall. Nichole Muhammad, who was five months' pregnant, died 10 days later from excessive bleeding when she went into premature labor following a car accident. Her child was stillborn. Mustafah Muhammad - then known as Steve Muhammad - was cleared earlier this year of any responsibility in his wife's death.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Albert Belle was charged with domestic battery yesterday for allegedly hitting a woman and then ripping her phone from the wall as she tried to call for help. Stephanie Bugusky, 25, won a temporary order of protection against Belle at a hearing. He was released on a $3,000 signature bond and was at Comiskey Park a few hours later for a game against the Cleveland Indians. Belle hit a home run, his 29th of the season, in the sixth inning, got a walk and grounded out in his other two at-bats in Cleveland's 5-4 victory.

A jury in Atlanta found Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall not guilty of misdemeanor battery against his former girlfriend, announcing its verdict yesterday after about an hour of deliberations. Marshall had faced two counts of simple battery stemming from a March 4, 2008, argument with then-girlfriend Rasheedah Watley at the Atlanta condominium the couple shared. "I'm just happy now that legally and emotionally we can move past this," Marhshall said, adding that he appreciated the support of teammates and fans.

A Fort Lauderdale, Fla., woman sued WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall yesterday in Miami, claiming he pushed her down and seriously injured her knee after she rebuffed his attempts to kiss her. Lisa Braziel, 34, accuses McCall of battery and negligence in the incident that she said occurred Dec. 26 at a surprise birthday party for her in her cousin's Plantation, Fla., home. Attorney Ellis Rubin said his client, who wore a heavy brace on her left knee and walked with a limp at a news conference, suffered ligament damage that will require surgery.

THE MAYOR gets on television and says don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke detector. Then he goes around closing firehouses. Go figure that one out. Walt Van Horn, Philadelphia

Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen was indicted yesterday on three counts of aggravated battery stemming from a fight that escalated into a shooting outside a Chicago diner in August. Allen, who was charged last month with aggravated battery and released on a $150,000 bond, is scheduled to return to court Dec. 6 for arraignment. Aggravated battery carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. Allen is accused of being involved in an early morning fight at a diner south of the downtown business district.

The electrochemists are back. One hundred years after the founding of the Electrochemical Society in Philadelphia, the group has reconvened here, and its members are facing issues that even their most imaginative predecessors never dreamed of. In the spring of 1902, electric streetcars were starting to share Market Street with horse-drawn buggies, Guglielmo Marconi had just invented the radio, and Theodore Roosevelt had moved into the White...

Ryan Bell knows that his best friend, fellow captain, and closest confidant will be 60 feet, 6 inches away. It's just a matter of whether David Viselli is behind the plate or atop the pitcher's mound. Either way, Bell says, the two Burlington Township High School baseball stars will see the game the same way. "It's almost like we're the same person," Bell said. "When he's pitching and I'm catching, he never shakes me off. When I'm pitching and he's catching, I never shake him off. "We're both into the game on every pitch.

TOKYO - All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines said they replaced lithium-ion batteries in their Boeing 787 Dreamliners on multiple occasions before a battery-overheating incident led to the worldwide grounding of the jets. ANA said Wednesday that it replaced batteries on its 787 aircraft about 10 times because they failed to charge properly or showed other problems and that it informed Boeing about the swaps. Japan Airlines said it had also replaced lithium-ion batteries on its 787 jets, but couldn't immediately give details.

In the Region   Jobless rate up in Pa.   The U.S. Labor Department said civilian unemployment in Pennsylvania ticked up 0.1 percentage point to 7.9 percent in December, compared with November. In New Jersey the number fell by the same fraction, to 9.6 percent for the same period. The rates are seasonally adjusted. The national unemployment rate in December was 7.8 percent. In regional numbers, the Mid-Atlantic held steady at 8.4 percent unemployment. - Reid Kanaley   Lawyers feud over fees   GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C.

U.S. officials and Boeing Co. are investigating whether defective batteries from the same batch caused incidents in two 787 Dreamliners that triggered the plane's worldwide grounding, according to two people familiar with the incidents. If that proves to be true, it could show a flaw causing the incidents was confined to a small number of 787s, rather than a systemic fault with the plane's engineering, design, or manufacturing, and could speed the resumption of flights. The sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly, said the information was preliminary and investigators had not ruled out other causes.

HOW ARE you going to keep your mobile phone up and running if Hurricane Sandy hits us with a wallop? Gizmo Guy has suggestions to help get you through the worst of the storm. First, prep your phone for hardship duty. Fully run that battery down - watching videos does that job quickest - then recharge the battery. While charging, venture into the settings and shut off all the "polling" features - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Navigation - buzzing in the background, sucking juice. Also shut down any apps running in the background.

The SpareOne mobile phone is not for everyday chatting, and there's no e-mail or Web browsing. This phone is meant for emergencies - now, or up to 15 years hence. That's how long the included single AA battery (an ultra-long- lasting Energizer Ultimate Lithium L91) is estimated to stay charged if stored unused. Once turned on, you get about 10 hours of talk time. The battery is replaceable. The phone looks pretty much like a basic cellphone (though a bit longer, at 5.5-by-2 inches, but slim and featherweight)

DETROIT - Stan Ovshinsky, the self-taught inventor who developed the nickel-metal hydride battery used in the hybrid vehicle industry, has died at his home in suburban Detroit after a fight with cancer. He was 89. Ovshinsky, who ran Energy Conversion Devices, a car battery development company, also created a machine that produced nine-mile-long sheets of thin solar energy panels intended to bring cheaper, cleaner power to homes and businesses. His son, Harvey Ovshinsky, said his father was passionate about science and alternative energy, but also about civil rights and other social causes.

DETROIT - After years of struggling with weak sales and mounting losses, electric-car battery maker A123 Systems Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection and reached a deal to sell its automotive assets Tuesday. Auto-parts maker Johnson Controls Inc. will pay $125 million for A123's auto business, which includes two Michigan factories and the lithium-ion battery technology used in cars including the Fisker Karma and upcoming Chevrolet Spark. A123's demise as an independent business reflects the problems of the electric-car industry.

Mayor Nutter signed legislation Tuesday that will require one- and two-family homes to have smoke detectors with built-in batteries that last for a decade. The detectors, which would be required as part of the city's fire code as of Jan. 9, cost a few dollars more than traditional smoke detectors, but residents would save money over 10 years by not having to replace batteries. The fire code has required smoke detectors on every floor of one- and two-family homes since the early 1980s.

In alphabetical order, with last season's records. Absegami (20-7). The Braves are led by senior pitcher Kelly Lipton, who struck out a school-record 294 batters last season. Lipton also batted .398 with 30 RBIs. Catcher Melissa McCann is a top defender, and infielder Bryce Maguire batted .494. Buena (22-5). The Chiefs have senior Brittany Scott, who was 23-5 with a 0.81 ERA and also batted .490 with 39 RBIs. Catcher Ashley Curran anchors the defense, and outfielder Janessa Rios is a spark plug at the top of the lineup.