batteries
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Researchers look deeply within batteries to see why they explode
High-energy batteries, like the ones in your laptop and smartphone, can fail, which can cause them to overheat and even catch fire. A team of researchers used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) , a technique that won the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry, to capture high-resolution, atomic-level images finger-like growths in these devices called dendrites. The new images will give scientists a better idea of what causes high-energy batteries to overheat, which could lead to safer devices for all of us.
Apple's AR efforts will only work if the battery can keep up
All of Apple's new iPhones are ready for augmented reality. The iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X are designed with AR capabilities built-in, a lot like ASUS's ZenFone AR and other Google Tango-powered devices. AR is being billed as the medium of the future, allowing users to seamlessly blend the real world with fantastical creatures, sprawling battlefields and cosmic adventures -- or to just see if that Ikea Billy bookcase will actually work in their living rooms. The promises of AR are vast. On-stage today during its 10th anniversary iPhone event, Apple showed off a competitive multiplayer game called The Machines that superimposed a gritty sci-fi war zone over a blank table. On the iPhone 8, tanks and soldiers blasted lasers into buildings and enemies, and a spaceship was eventually engulfed by a massive explosion. It looked like the future of gaming. And it might be -- for 30 minutes at a time, at least.
Researchers create flexible battery that can run on salt water
When it comes to making batteries for wearables or implantable medical devices, there are a few features that have to be incorporated. The batteries need to be flexible and remain functional while being bent or twisted, and ideally, they'll be absent of harmful chemicals. So far, batteries developed for these uses don't meet that latter requirement and instead pack on extra material to keep the chemicals from leaking and coming in contact with human tissue. But that often makes them bulky and rigid. However, a research team in China has developed a new type of flexible battery that doesn't require dangerous chemicals.
Toyota’s future EV battery tech could enable much longer trips
The switchover to an electric vehicle (EV) future is bound to happen, with increased sales and companies like Volvo committing to hybrid models in the next couple of years. One of the things still holding back widespread adoption of the technology, however, is the low range the current crop of EV batteries represent. We're not going to put all of our hopes into cars that can only travel so far, especially as the infrastructure to recharge such vehicles is thin on the ground. Toyota is looking to change that, however, with a new solid electrolyte battery technology that would make for smaller, lighter lithium-ion batteries, which could then combine into higher-range charges for electric cars. Toyota told The Wall Street Journal that the batteries are in "production engineering" now, and that we might be able to buy cars with the new batteries by the early 2020s.
Apple blames third-party batteries for exploding Beats headphones
Apple has refused to compensate an Australian woman who woke up on a flight to the sound of her Beats headphones exploding in her face. According to Australian site Adelaide Now, Apple says they have investigated the incident and determined that third-party batteries were to blame.
The Navy built rechargeable batteries that won't explode on you
The Navy, the airline industry and Samsung all have a major problem with lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, they tend to catch fire more than most people would like. But that could change soon thanks to a new breakthrough from the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) that allows for safe, rechargeable nickel-zinc batteries with a similar performance to Li-ion cells, but without all the flames.
Scientists make battery that runs on air and carbon dioxide
Researchers at Penn State University have potentially come up with yet another way we could create energy from all that nasty carbon dioxide we pump into the atmosphere. They've developed an inexpensive flow cell battery that uses mostly water solutions containing either dissolved CO2 or dissolved normal air -- the technical name for the dissolving process is called sparging, just FYI. Because the liquids contain different concentrations of CO2, they have different pH levels, and it's this imbalance that generates electricity.
Tesla's Gigafactory ramps up to full battery production
Following earlier production tests, Tesla's Gigafactory is now pumping out Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2 energy storage products at full speed, with Model 3 cell production set to follow next quarter. By 2018, it'll produce 35 GWh of lithium-ion cells per year, "nearly as much as the rest of the entire world's battery production combined," the company wrote.
Boosted tells skaters its latest electric board isn't safe
One of the best electric skateboards on the market is suffering from battery problems. In a blog post, Boosted confirmed that its second-generation board has overheated on two separate occasions. In both instances, a lithium battery cell "vented" inside its fire-retardant enclosure -- no-one was hurt, but as a precautionary measure the company has advised against charging and riding its boards. At least for the time being, until it can finish a "thorough investigation" and figure out the root of the problem. For now, Boosted has said it will stop shipping new boards to its customers too.
Six next-gen battery technologies
By Cat DiStasio We all love our battery-powered gadgets, but portable power cells can be devastating to the environment. Fortunately, recent developments have proven that greener batteries are coming in the not-too-distant future. Engineers are replacing toxic components with less harmful materials ranging from leaves to sugar. Other innovations on the rise look to nature to help make batteries last longer, perform better and leave less of a trace once they've been discarded. This gold nanowire-based battery, for instance, was created by accident and could make lithium ion batteries obsolete, while this single-use battery dissolves in water when its job is done, making it easier to reuse its components.
Faraday Future unveils 'world's highest energy density' EV battery
Faraday Future has partnered with LG Chem to build battery packs for Faraday's upcoming FFZero1 supercar and other vehicles that use its new electric car platform. In a joint press release, the companies said they have produced "the world's highest energy density for a production automotive battery." Faraday Future and its products are still a mystery, but LG Chem is a well-known firm that's supplying batteries for two important EVs set to arrive this year: the Chevy Bolt and Renault Zoe.
The Engadget Podcast, Ep 6: I Beg Your Pardon
Managing editor Dana Wollman and reviews editor Cherlynn Low join host Terrence O'Brien to discuss all the latest Apple goodies. Plus they'll talk about Samsung's software bandaid for your exploding Note 7 and debate whether or not Edward Snowden deserves a presidential pardon.
Galaxy Note 7 replacements hit stores on September 21st
If you've turned in your Galaxy Note 7 (like you should!), you've probably been wondering when Samsung would start getting replacement devices out the door. Turns out you won't have to wait too long: the company just announced that "most retail locations" in the US will have the phone available on September 21st. This news comes as the US consumer safety group officially recalled the product, a move that Samsung already made a few weeks earlier.
Samsung's Note 7 exploding battery 'fix' is a 60 percent limit
Samsung has a "quick fix" in the works for stubborn Galaxy Note 7 owners who don't want to return their devices, despite the global recall over batteries that might potentially explode. The company will roll out a software update on September 20th in South Korea that will limit the Note 7's battery to a 60 percent charge, which will hopefully prevent overheating, the AP reports.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall: how to replace your UK phone
It's only been five days since it confirmed the Galaxy Note 7 battery problem and issued a global recall for its highly-rated smartphone, but Samsung is moving quickly to limit the damage. A couple of days after it issued replacement instructions for US consumers, the company has kicked off the exchange process in the UK, confirming that the small number of customers who received their units before the official UK launch will have their devices replaced from September 19th.
Mophie's cheapest battery packs yet start at just $30
There are two things Mophie has always been known for: Delivering attractive mobile cases and battery packs that fit right alongside Apple's aesthetic, and making you pay a premium to own its products. That all changes with the company's next batch of mobile battery packs, which are up to 50 percent cheaper than their previous models. They're still sleek, but of course, Mophie had to make some manufacturing tweaks to lower its production costs. Now instead of being encased entirely in metal, they're sandwiched between two pieces of aluminum.
Smartphone batteries with twice the life may arrive in 2017
A type of lithium battery that could make gasoline-powered cars obsolete is on track to be commercialized, according to MIT News. The "lithium metal" batteries, developed by MIT spin-off SolidEnergy, can reportedly pack the same energy as a standard lithium-ion cell in half the size. "Or, we can make a battery the same size as a lithium ion battery, but now it will last twice as long," says SolidEnergy CEO Qichao Hu.
Inside the Gigafactory: Tesla's most important project
Journalists sit in cars and a shuttle as a guard checks to make sure every passenger is on his list. They're the security guards for Tesla's biggest and most important endeavor, the Gigafactory. When completed, it will occupy space equivalent to 107 football fields. The automaker has invited us for a tour of the largest battery-manufacturing factory on the planet.
Lithium-ion pioneer Sony is selling its battery arm
Sony is planning to sell its battery division to Murata, a Japanese firm that makes a diverse variety of products like wireless components and robots. Sony started the battery business in 1975 and was the first company to commercialize lithium-ion batteries back in 1991. The electronics giant has been selling off core businesses and assets in an effort to return to profitability -- it recently unloaded its VAIO PC division, New York and Tokyo Headquarters, and Sony Online Entertainment game division. It also split off its sensor and TV businesses into separate companies.
Department of Transportation bans e-cigarettes in checked baggage
Like the FDA, which recently decided to regulate e-cigarettes like tobacco products, the Department of Transportation has also decided to treat e-cigarettes like a fire hazard. The DOT issued a final rule today, banning e-cigarette batteries in checked baggage.
