Some 12-volt batteries are rechargeable, while others are disposable. The disposable ones are alkaline batteries and are used to power smaller devices that need more juice. Rechargeable 12-volt batteries are much more expensive and used for larger items (like cars) that don’t require constant power. For example, in a car, a 12-volt is used to ignite the engine. But once that happens, the battery is no longer needed—the alternator takes over to run the car, and it also re-charges the battery.

There are a few ways to recharge a 12-volt battery. You can use a regular battery charger and use the low settings (2 amp) for the longest lasting charge. You can also put a dead battery in a car to recharge it, as long as the car is running first. And if your battery dies en route, you can use jumper cables to recharge your battery with the help of a passing motorist.

Another method to recharge a 12-volt is to use solar power. There are solar panels on the market that will power up the battery once it is plugged in.

How long it will take to charge a 12-volt battery depends on how dead the battery was to begin with and what method you are using to charge it. If the battery was completely dad, and you are using a battery charger at 2 amps, it could take several hours to a day or so. If you use a higher amp, it could charge quicker. If you use a solar panel, it will depend on how sunny it is outside and how much of a charge the battery needs.

It’s important to note that a defective battery or one with a bad cell won’t recharge, no matter what. If you use the methods above and don’t get a charge, your battery may be bad and you should have it checked.

So how long does a 12-volt battery take to fully charge? It all depends on how much juice the battery had to begin with and what method you use to recharge it. The process can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or so.

The first step to burn a picture CD is to make sure all your pictures are imported into the computer and saved in a file where you can find them. Next, make sure you have the appropriate type of disc to record onto—people commonly burn to CD’s, which will not play in a DVD player. If you want to burn a DVD, you need to make sure that’s the type of disc you have.

The next step is to open your burn drive and drag over the files you want to burn. Find the “Burn a DVD data disc” option and name your disc. You’ll also need to decide how to format it. If you choose “Live File System”, your DVD won’t play in anything except computers with Vista operating systems. If you choose “Mastered disc”, you should be able to view it in other places, including a DVD player.

Once you’ve gone through the set-up process, the DVD will start to burn. The amount of time needed for this process depends on how many pictures you’re burning and how big the files are. A couple of JPEGs under 1 megabyte shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, but and entire gallery of pictures that are more than 1 megabyte could take some time. Your computer should track the progress of your burning project, so keep an eye it for a better idea of the timeline.

So how long does it take to burn a picture DVD in Vista? The answer depends on the file size and file type. Hi-resolution pictures will take much longer to burn, as will certain file types.

One popular old wives tale is that a piece of plastic will take 100 years to decompose. But the true answer is not so simple, since it depends on the type of plastic, the thickness, and the conditions of the landfill where it is buried.

According to some studies, a plastic containers like a mayonnaise container will take around 30-80 years to decompose. Plastic soda bottles and 6-pack containers can take up to 450 years. Plastic grocery or garbage bags will take around 10-20 years. And Styrofoam, which is also a type of plastic, won’t ever break down or decompose if put in a landfill.

Trash needs moisture to break down. Without it, garbage will stay intact for a very long time. Using that logic, it will presumably take longer for any material to decompose in drier areas like the southwest. On the other hand, the process might be accelerated in the Pacific Northwest.

Experts recommend using the 3 R’s to avoid putting plastic in the landfill altogether—reduce, reuse and recycle. Reducing your waste means not buying plastic in the first place—don’t buy plastic water bottles, use a reusable one instead. Buy a canvas grocery bag and don’t use the plastic ones. The 2^nd “R” is reuse—the reusable mug is another good example. Another example is to reuse 2-liter soda containers to grow plants or for school projects. The 3^rd “R” is recycle—make sure to put your plastic products in the recycle bin, not the plastic bin.

So how long does it take plastic to decompose in a landfill? The answer depends on the type of plastic, but it can be anywhere from 10 years to never.

The apple tablet, unveiled as the iPad, is designed to bridge the gap between the Macbook Pro and the iPhone. Running the same operating system as the iPhone and iPod touch, the apple tablet is said to have a fully charged battery life capable of playing 10 hours of video or 10 hours of application usage. The internal battery will be charged using the same white 30 pin connector cord that charges and syncs other apple products, such as the iPhone and iPod. When resting in standby mode the iPad was said to last up to one month, or 30 days. The consuming public will not be able to verify or test these claims until early second quarter 2010 (the beginning of March).

How long does a fully charged apple tablet iPad battery last? An estimated 10 hours to 1 month depending upon the type of usage.