Korean geniuses invent lithium batteries with eight times the juice

Oh, what wondrous things come from the land of Korea -- dancing emotional robot humanoids, oxygen-emitting robot plants, and multiple 24-hour StarCraft channels. It's all good, and we dig robotics and televised gaming, but this latest invention could be our favorite if it pans out. Professor Cho Jae-Phil and his team at Hanyang University have replaced the graphite in lithium batteries with a certain kind of silicon, which we're told can store eight times the power. No word on what the batteries have actually been used for yet, but it stands to reason they could eventually make it to consumer electronics. Now you see why we're willing to say this might be better than 24-hour StarCraft. Say it with us: 48-hour StarCraft.

[nDee @ Nov 13th 2008 7:35AM]

Now battery cars go further,
Or Nokia recalls more battery in future,

[Techie @ Nov 14th 2008 11:48AM]

You make it sound like the lithium battery are made by the infested terran.

[nDee @ Nov 13th 2008 7:35AM]

Now battery cars go further,
Or Nokia recalls more battery in the future.

[Allister @ Nov 13th 2008 7:37AM]

Eight times the exploding power!

[Ryan @ Nov 13th 2008 7:56AM]

Somehow your comment is over 9000 times better because it appears to be coming out of the mouth of a cartoon velociraptor.

[soobin27 @ Nov 13th 2008 9:32AM]

That is SO a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

[Warhorse @ Nov 13th 2008 10:32AM]

What ever that is clearly a small armed Iguana.

[Allister @ Nov 13th 2008 7:38AM]

Also...

8 x 24 != 48

[Saad Rabia @ Nov 13th 2008 7:42AM]

Is this

[yyan @ Nov 13th 2008 7:55AM]

No offense, I find people that use their real pictures as their avatar somewhat douchey. It's nothing against you, and I don't like calling things douchey (because doing so is in itself, douchey), but something tells me that you're overconfident about how you look. Don't assume that I have a low self esteem, and that I must censure people who have a greater ones. I just think a pokemon or album art is more pleasing to see than a picture of someone who feels too confidently about their face. Why not show your hands, or your feet? What about your face sets you apart from everyone else?

[gad get @ Nov 13th 2008 8:12AM]

yyan, that was classic!

[AVG @ Nov 13th 2008 8:16AM]

I don't know. I think it's alright to use your real face. It's a more personal approach to comments. I'd rather see someone's face than most other things. It lends their comment a more "HUMAN" feel.

[Reader @ Nov 13th 2008 8:19AM]

I just don't care for seeing random peoples' faces. All they are is another face, while an avatar at least says something about them.

[yyan @ Nov 13th 2008 8:21AM]

AVG, I think that it's good to cut the personal cord from these comments.
What do you think. Are we human? .. Or are we denser?

[mrpoo @ Nov 13th 2008 8:24AM]

Methinks yyan is one of those big fat people.

[Hush @ Nov 13th 2008 8:25AM]

I'm on the side that using a real pic is OK and not dooshy. I don't use a real pic but I got nothing against it. Why would I? I think someone here has a bad case of the "Mondays"...

BTW I can't even change my pic for some reason. So is no pic better than any pic or the other way around?

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Nov 13th 2008 8:55AM]

i use my real name , and somtimes my real image, so what .... it's more human and real. instead of that stupid Pokemon picture!

[Joe Maki @ Nov 13th 2008 9:14AM]

You said it was his face?

[Saad Rabia @ Nov 13th 2008 9:22AM]

yyan, I really think that it is totally okay to use your own picture, I'm confident about myself and I do really love have a more human approach through technology, isn't that the way it should.

I think yyan that you are slowly losing confidence of yourself, or to put it in a better way, you believe that it is okay to be distant from other people through using fake imagery like if we were living in a video game or a virtual world. Don't get me wrong, we are actually talking in a virtual world, but one of the big missions that we all have to work on is the fact that we should make technology more human, it must build up our self confidence and the way we live, it also creates some type of a responsibility in everyone's mind, whenever I post something I make sure soul and heart that it will not represent me in a bad way because it is really "me" who is talking. We will say stupid stuff, but when we talk as ourselves we will always try to be as respectful as possible.

I would love to see everyone in here using their own pictures while commenting, it will be like a real & "more human" community rather than just a bunch of pokemons having fun and leaving the place without any connection to the blog, and said before, put your picture for a while then have a different picture some other times, at least believe in yourself and trust your judgments in order for us to respect your opinion even more.

Thank you for bringing this up though.

[bouk @ Nov 13th 2008 9:32AM]

Your second reply was way more human, and made more sense than "Is This." I mean where's the human side to that?

[maveric101 @ Nov 13th 2008 10:56AM]

but this is my real picture.

[TheWB @ Nov 13th 2008 1:40PM]

yyan, is that because your picture would be of an ass?

[Ethan @ Nov 13th 2008 2:39PM]

I think the face is the thing that, as visual indicators go, says the most about a person. Of course, not so much in a photo, especially a driver's-license type style one where everybody tries to appear as attractive as they can (while looking relaxed and approachable, of course). But ever then, you can see something in a person's choices, and a little in their background, age, etc.

I think it's as worthy a representation as my pikachu in a mario hat. And not in the least obnoxious. He's just smiling in an undoctored photo.

I think I should probably show my face too after saying that.

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/448/ytubexw0.jpg

But I don't get what the original post's about. Best I can surmise is it's a rather out-there joke about a laptop battery dying.

[ED @ Nov 13th 2008 4:54PM]

Nah, I'm not really into Pokémon.

[keithwwalker @ Nov 13th 2008 8:11PM]

so what's that say about my avatar?
giggity giggity goo!

[Ethan @ Nov 13th 2008 7:42AM]

But they have to make the batteries last roughly 3 hours. This is so after a few years they deteriorate to unacceptable levels. Otherwise the bottom end of the market will fall out from all the grandparents and luddites who thinks it's just broken and buy a new one.

[Saad Rabia @ Nov 13th 2008 7:42AM]

the double comment post?

[pavlindrom @ Nov 13th 2008 8:35AM]

your face again...

[strider_mt2k @ Nov 13th 2008 7:44AM]

You better hope that movie is, "Spammy McSpamerson: Corporate Tool".

[yyan @ Nov 13th 2008 7:48AM]

Does this mean eight times the blast radius of an exploding battery?

[ethana2 @ Nov 13th 2008 7:57AM]

Good heavens no. Eight times the blast _volume_.
..I don't feel like running the numbers for the radius now.

[MrGutts @ Nov 13th 2008 8:25AM]

Yeah man,

It's more BANG for your buck. :P

[Jaydizzle @ Nov 13th 2008 8:36AM]

Are you serious? You don't feel like "running the numbers?" The cube root of 8 is 2. So the radius is doubled. Of course, that assumes there's a linear relationship between battery power and explosion volume - and I would love to read an academic paper on that topic.

[JR @ Nov 13th 2008 11:06AM]

jaydizzle:
Your calculation assumes a cubic explosion... The term blast "radius" implies a spherical area. I think you're the one who shouldn't be running numbers.

[Mark @ Nov 13th 2008 11:21AM]

JL if you paid even the slightest attention in math class, you'd know that the volume of a sphere is also proportional to the cube of the radius.

[a ham sandwich @ Nov 13th 2008 11:55AM]

jaydizzle is right. its really not that hard.

[teej @ Nov 13th 2008 3:27PM]

I disagree- it's a very difficult calculation, but i think Donkey Kong is the best game ever.

[aatnet @ Nov 13th 2008 7:52AM]

A Samsung or LG battery photo would be more relevant

[chrisp @ Nov 13th 2008 7:56AM]

But do they have a channel with 48 hour Crysis?

[allenvanhellen @ Nov 13th 2008 8:12AM]

Nope, but maybe one of the two Starcraft channels (that's just on analogue cable) will switch one day to Crysis.

Hanyang university is one stop away from me. Maybe I'll go down there and swipe a new bat pack for my lappy...

[ctbear @ Nov 13th 2008 10:48AM]

control Blizzard and you will have control of the Korean people...

though this stereotype is slowly diminishing...just look at Grubby and players from the PRC.

[icepop4who @ Nov 13th 2008 2:37PM]

if you are hoping for change, you'll be happy to know that one day, those starcraft channels will become starcraft 2 channels.

[isfelch @ Nov 13th 2008 8:07AM]

Why is it that for every story on engadget someone has to mention crysis. Geek!!!

[Jimmy Dendrite @ Nov 13th 2008 8:07AM]

Excellent post. For the record, great women also come from the Land of the Morning Calm!

[pekosROB @ Nov 13th 2008 9:08AM]

True true. And I'm proud to be Korean considering this is coming from there. But it would suck if 8x's more battery recalls occurred!

Oh, and to everyone up there talking about personal pics and avatars, who cares? This is my pic, but you can't see my face... that was why I took it back when my hair is long. I do think some avatars are hella funny though of course.

[ITRanger @ Nov 13th 2008 8:11AM]

Have heard this before and once again, it sounds great.

However, for the love of all that good in the universe, show me the distributor where I can spend my money and buy one right now ...

No more foreplay.

[momotarosan @ Nov 13th 2008 8:12AM]

90% more energy but last 8 times longer...am I reading this right or should it last 1.9 times longer.

[LarryLarryLarry @ Nov 13th 2008 12:18PM]

This is a classic Korean breakthrough. The blog cites no source for the information, and the numbers make no sense. The Gadgeteers exercised typical editorial judgement with this obvious bullshit.

[Marcus @ Nov 13th 2008 8:19AM]

From the article: "Cho and his team have developed lithium batteries that are 90% more energy efficient then current batteries. That means you can do whatever it is you do eight times longer!"

I really don't get that...

[Homer @ Nov 13th 2008 8:39AM]

Wow Korea is full of geniuses indeed, no wonder Japanese want to conquer their land hundred years ago.