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When good toys go bad V: RC planes going down in smoke
PSA: If you just so happen to be one of the incredibly unlucky 66,000 owners of either a Sky Squadron Model 4153 (pictured after the jump) or Sky Rangers Model 4161 radio-controlled aircraft, we'd highly recommend not making them part of your Sunday afternoon fling. Unfortunately, the overheating (and potentially explosive) Li-ion curse has reared its ugly fiery head once more, and this time two RC planes distributed by Estes-Cox through Radio Shack and Wal-Mart are being promptly recalled. There have already been nine reports of eruptive behavior, including one craft that actually caught fire and somehow inflicted "a minor burn injury" to the unsuspecting user, triggering the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to take action. So if you're not exactly interested in the possibility of getting toasted by your not-so-innocent toy plane, be sure and hit the read link to initiate that always fun RMA process.[Via Gearlog]
A123Systems crafts long-lasting automotive Li-ion for electric cars
A123Systems most certainly won't go down as the first startup to crank out what could be the batteries that reside in our future electric vehicles, but it seems to be edging ever closer to landing a full-blown contract with General Motors. GM has already selected the Massachusetts-based company to "develop batteries that might be used for the Saturn Vue," and it is pondering the idea of awarding the battery maker a similar deal for the Volt. The firm is garnering a good bit of praise for its "long-lasting, safe rechargeable Li-ions" that could potentially power the all-electric / hybrid vehicles of the future, but rather than relying on "cobalt oxide, it used iron phosphate assembled in a novel, nano-structure." Interestingly, the outfit's current offerings started out with the idea of utilizing self-assembling cells, but after they proved "intractably hard to develop," the idea was scraped in favor of the less pricey Li-ion approach. Still, don't expect these guys to run the table on automotive contracts, as there's already quite a few formidable opponents on the loose.
MIT gurus concoct Li-ion batteries that build themself
It's fairly reassuring that if those rollable, water-powered, paper, and ultracapacitor-based battery ideas don't exactly pan out, we've got yet another idea coming out of MIT that just might gain traction. Apparently, scientists at the university are working on self-assembling Li-ion cells when not thinking about what witty remark they'll plaster on their own spacecraft, and it seems that Yet-Ming Chiang and his colleagues have selected electrode and electrolyte materials that, when combined, "organize themselves into the structure of a working battery." By measuring various forces with "ultraprecise atomic-force microscope probes," the researchers were able to choose materials with just the right combination of attractive and repulsive forces, essentially creating a perfect environment for batteries that could build themselves. Additionally, a current prototype has displayed the ability to be discharged and recharged "multiple times," and while commercial uses aren't nailed down just yet, the backers are already envisioning how the technology could be used in minuscule devices where standard cells won't exactly fit in. Let's just hope this stuff doesn't cause too much friction whilst building itself up, eh?[Via TheRawFeed]
Mainnav kicks out Bluetooth-enabled MW-705 GPS watch
GPS watches certainly aren't new 'round these parts, but a timepiece that sticks up around 1.1-inches off your arm has to set some sort of unwanted record. Hot on the heels of the company's MG-920 Bluetooth GPS receiver, Mainnav is offering up a GPS wristwatch with built-in Bluetooth and a SiRF Star III LP chip that could probably double as a weapon in a fistfight. Aside from sporting an unnaturally large design, the Taiwanese device can track your current position, operate as a standalone GPS receiver, and also handle heart-rate monitoring, speed and distance tracking, and sense the temperature whilst frolicking in the great outdoors. Unsurprisingly, this beast can handle underwater excursions without a hitch, and the built-in Li-ion cell should keep things humming along for a good bit before needing a recharge. As of now, it doesn't look like Europe nor the US will ever see the behemoth on their shelves, which seems fairly smart considering the fashion sense most of western civilization holds dear.[Via GPSGazette, thanks Dimitris]
Nokia 6280 overheats, erupts in smoke on video
We've seen dozens and dozens of aftermath photos from laptops and other random batteries suddenly possessing violently explosive tendencies, but we all know full motion video is more satisfying than simple stills. In this particular case, we're thrilled that the smoking, fizzing Nokia 6280 was filmed while in a location where humans couldn't be harmed, and initial reports are (unsurprisingly) tagging the battery or charger as the culprit. The 3 customer reported that his new handset "began fizzing white smoke" just hours after switching it on for the first time, and Nokia is reportedly investigating the issue. Of course, this isn't the first time a Nokia battery has been blamed for a fire, but unlike the previous case, we kind of doubt the firm will get off as easy here. So if you've actually hung around to read this far, we'll let you get to the fun stuff now, so go on and hit the read link for the final moments of the mobile's smoky death.[Via Inquirer]
Wonde Proud's Bluetooth GPS receiver touts unreal battery life
Alright, so maybe "unrealistic" is more like it, but regardless, we highly doubt the latest Bluetooth GPS device from Taiwan's own Wonde Proud can actually live up to its lofty claims. Of course, the GPS-BT760 could indeed be using some early prototype form of EEStor's sensational battery, but considering the company itself proclaims the built-in battery is of the 2400mA/h Li-ion variety, we're a bit miffed. Aside from claiming up to "55 hours of continuous use" on a single charge, the unit is fairly ho hum, and sports a SiRF Star III receiver, -159dBm sensitivity, four hour recharge rate, four LEDs to indicate status, and a "non-slip back pad" for chilling on your dash. Nah, there's no pricing -- or more importantly, actual availability -- information just yet on this one, but if someone manages to scoop one and has just over two full days to prove or disprove a claim, let us in on the results.
EEStor unveils ultracapacitor-based battery system, Li-ion shudders in fear
If relying on sunlight and downhill routes in Venturi's uber-green Eclectic doesn't exactly sound feasible for your everyday (and night) errands, and your ultraportable's five hours of battery life just isn't where you think it should be, EEStor is hoping to remedy those issues -- along with basically every other battery-related quandary -- in one fell swoop. In another case of "this just can't be for realz," an elusive Texas company is coming clean about what's been happening in its labs of late, and the proclamations are nothing short of sensational. The firm boldly states that its one of a kind system, a "battery-ultracapacitor hybrid based on barium-titanate powders, will dramatically outperform the best lithium-ion batteries on the market in terms of energy density, price, charge time, and safety." Moreover, this miracle-working solution is said to produce "ten times" the power of lead-acid batteries at half the cost, sans the need for "toxic materials or chemicals." Additionally, EEStor is hoping to have its Electrical Energy Storage Unit (EESU) powering the wheels of Toronto-based ZENN Motor vehicles, and if "estimates" are to be believed, it will only take about $9 worth of electricity for an EESU-propelled car to travel 500 miles, compared to nearly $60 in gasoline. Of course, such a "breakthrough" product is bound to have its fair share of naysayers, and Jim Miller, vice president of advanced transportation technologies at Maxwell Technologies, is indeed skeptical that EEStor's technology will be able to withstand the unique pressures that a vehicle would place on the "brittle" structure. But we've got to give credit to the company's vow to veer clear of hype, as it notes that this is just the first time it has come forward to intro the technology, and maintains that it will "meet all of its claims" -- guess we'll see about that, eh?[Via The Raw Feed]
California fire not sparked by defective cellphone battery
Just two days ago California fire department authorities pinned the blame of damaging hotel fire on a malfunctioning cellphone battery, but after further inspection, it seems that the mobile's battery isn't the culprit after all. Engineers from 2125i could not have sparked the blaze that resulted in $75,000 worth of property damage and severe burns to Luis. Upon testing the phone, they discovered that "the electronic circuitry in the phone was undamaged and that the battery was still functioning," with a Vallejo Fire Department investigator adding that the battery performed flawlessly after surviving the fire, which eliminated it from being a suspect. Unfortunately, it looks as if the real case of the blaze may "have been destroyed in the fire," but thankfully, Mr. Picaso is in "critical but stable condition" in a Sacramento hospital.[Thanks, DeShaun]
Canadian lawsuit pegs Dell for knowingly selling defective laptops
Sure, it's a new year, but it's the same ole problems for Dell. Yet again the Texas powerhouse is facing a lawsuit claiming that the company knowingly and willingly sold laptops to loyal buyers even though they were defective, and this time it's coming from our northerly neighbors. A group of Canucks who purchased toasty Dell lappies have slapped some legal action on Dell through the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the filing claims that "Dell was negligent in designing the computers and sold them even though the company knew of the problems." The models in question reportedly include the 1100, 1150, 5100, 5150 and 5160 models of the Inspiron, and rather than focusing on batteries that erupted in their laps, it claims that the "notebooks suffer from design defects that cause premature failure of the motherboard due to overheating just after the one-year warranty expires." As expected, a Dell spokesperson didn't have a comment on the pending suit, but we're sure it'll be a bit more diligent to show up in court than in previous scenarios.[Via Inquirer]
Panasonic develops more capacious Li-ion laptop battery
While the IEEE is "hard at work" revising the laptop battery standard so these explosive cells permanently become a thing of the past, Panasonic has developed a new rechargeable battery pack with increased capacity and energy density, hopefully working on previous heat issues as well. The prototype, which is being shown here at CES, reportedly boasts a "20- to 40-percent" increase in capacity by using "an alloy material for the negative electrode instead of a commonly used carbon material" such as graphite carbon. Additionally, energy density per volume is increased to 740 Wh/L, which is 40-percent higher than that of the company's existing product. Notably, Panasonic claims that this newfangled Li-ion pack will tout a "heat-resistant layer made of insulating metal oxide," which purportedly "ensures improved safety while maintaining a current capacity as high as 3.6 Ah." As expected, there was no word on if (or when) this prototype would actually hit production, but the firm did state that it would like to commercialize it "within a few years" if everything progressed nicely.
Bluetrek unveils twistable ST1 Bluetooth headphones
It looks like Bluetrek is hopping into the Bluetooth headphone game, and while it faces some stiff competition, the ST1 sports a design entirely more pleasing to the eye than Etymotic's ety8 or Koss' Cobalt. Expected to make a showing at CES, these Korean-bound headphones feature a slim, bendable frame made to fit the heads of runners / commuters without gangly adornments cramping your style. It also boasts a trendy black / snow white color motif, Bluetooth v1.2 support, USB connectivity, operates "about nine hours" before its Li-ion needs recharging, and can supposedly last 400 hours in standby mode. Additionally, the play / pause, track direction, and volume controls are handily included on the earpieces, so you can control your playlists (on supported devices) without ever looking down. While we're not sure how much Bluetrek plans on charging for these snazzy wraparounds, we'll hopefully be getting a listen of our own before too long.[Via Engadget Chinese]
Matsushita to begin production of new, non-explosive Li-ion batteries
Apparently Matsushita isn't waiting around for the (notoriously slow) IEEE task force to settle on a new Li-ion battery standard, as the company has announced that it will soon begin "mass production of a new lithium-ion battery that is safe from the overheating problems" we're all too familiar with. These batteries in particular will be built to replace those that prompted a massive recall of Sony cells earlier this year, and should be available en masse "by the end of the year." Sony's global recall affected "around 9.6 million cells" used on nearly every laptop under the sun, so we're sure Matsushita's conveyor belts will be approaching record speeds to crank out these replacements. Notably, the company asserted that while actual pricing would depend on the quantity ordered, it would be "higher than existing models" regardless -- which makes sense considering all the loot Sony is losing from this fiasco.[Via Laptoping, thanks Kaztm]
Tesla Motors' looking to license Roadster's battery technology
After the glamorous unveiling of Tesla Motors' ultra-speedy, purely electric vehicle, it didn't take long for deep-pocketed believers to throw down their deposits for the yet-to-be-released Roadster. But apparently appeasing head honchos isn't all that Tesla's about, as it's now considering licensing the outlandish (albeit very remarkable) battery technology to other firms looking to jump in the EV game without all those up front R&D costs. In an exclusive interview with AutoblogGreen, the firm stated that Tesla "had been in talks with other companies" in an effort to get their 7,000 Li-ion cell pack out to other companies. While they couldn't pry much deeper than that, the biggest upshot to grabbing its technology is the UN-approved label that's been slapped on the 56 kWh, 366V Li-ion pack; its proprietary "redundant active / passive safety features" help prevent propagation of a "thermal runaway event" (read: an explosion), which certainly helps when trying to get your electric vehicle past those pesky regulators. Nevertheless, Tesla Motors is currently testing crashing "10 to 20 vehicles" in Europe to make sure all systems are go, and we can't help but hope a few more muscle car competitors that don't drink octane show up real soon.
Holux intros compact GPSmile 52 Car Navigator
Holux's newest offering sports a lightweight, near-borderless design that's sure to draw a smile from aesthetics gurus, while the longevous battery life should keep even the most long-winded trekkers on track. The GPSmile 52 Car Navigator should feel right at home on a dashboard or in a hiker's palm, as the 9.5 x 7.7 x 2.2-centimeter enclosure and 6.3-ounces of heft shouldn't pose too much of a burden on the average weary traveler either way. The device is powered by a modest 200MHz Centrality Atlas processor and boasts a SiRF Star III antenna, 3.5-inch touchscreen, 32MB of NAND flash memory, 64MB of RAM, integrated speaker, SD slot, MP3 playback, USB 2.0 port, and a PDF / JPEG file viewer. Although no fancy connectivity options like WiFi or Bluetooth are found here, Holux claims "8 to 10" hours of realizable battery life from the rechargeable 2600 mAh Li-ion cell, which would be fairly impressive if it refrains from erupting in your hand. Although we aren't sure of details concerning pricing or availability, we don't expect the GPSmile 52 to deviate too far from all its oh-so-similar competitors when it hits store shelves. [Via NaviGadget]
f-tech unveils NAV 550 Professional Navigator
If you're scouting a run-of-the-mill GPS handheld, and have the itch for something a bit different than those Garmin and TomTom units already on shelves everywhere, f-tech's got your solution. The same folks who brought you the (partly) solar-powered Solar 7 GPS unit have toned things down with the NAV 550 Professional Navigator, as it resorts to just the basics when leading folks around. Powered by a 400MHz Samsung RISC microprocessor, the device provides turn-by-turn voice guidance and boasts integrated smart2go maps, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, SiRF Star III antenna, SD slot, stereo speakers, and a (presumably non-explosive) rechargeable Li-ion battery. It also sports a headphone jack and USB 2.0 connectivity, while touting the ability to "operate indoors" by receiving "tracking signals down to -159dBm." Although pricing and availability details have yet to surface, we're fairly certain this ho hum offering won't dent the travel budget too bad when it hits North America.[Via NaviGadget]
Suzuki Motors unveils MIO: the fuel cell-powered wheelchair
If you're trying to get away from that gas guzzling wheelchair, but feel a bit awkward rolling in the less-than-glamorous solar-powered edition, Suzuki Motors has got your back. Taking a leap forward from its previous lead-acid battery-powered electric wheelchair, the MIO is a motor-driven cart that gets its juice from an ultra-green fuel cell. The cell works in conjunction with a "large capacity Li-ion secondary battery," and while we aren't certain of how quickly this bad boy can streak down the quarter mile, it can supposedly cruise for 25 miles on a single fill up (four liters) of methanol solution. Aside from the power source, the MIO sports armrests that serve double duty as safety barriers, ergonomic handlebars, a comfortable mesh seating surface, and even an LCD panel that shows such useful data as fuel level and power status. While Suzuki insists the unit is simply a prototype, and refuses to hand out pricing details while it "judges consumer interest," the MIO should still be a bit easier to acquire than the sold out Tesla should it ever hit stores.[Via Far East Gizmos]
Dell laptop number 3 explodes
This time it was in Singapore, a Dell Latitude D410. We'll keep posting these until we see a recall or a solution, so please Dell, treat 'em right.[Thanks, Robert]
