Battery

Lexus HB Concept 2WD pedal-assist, carbon-fiber racing bike

By Gizmag Team

09:48 October 22, 2009 PDT

Designed totally inside Lexus by Lexus designers, this sleek electric pedal assist bicycle is among the many hidden gems to be unearthed at the 41st Tokyo motor show. Sporting carbon fiber everything – including the battery cover – the Lexus HB Concept has a 2WD system that uses a smaller electric motor on the front wheel and a larger pedal assist motor at the crank. Head on through to the video to learn more. Read More

Venom introduces world's first carbon neutral alkaline battery

By Jude Garvey

04:07 October 22, 2009 PDT

A new range of batteries from Venom is free of mercury, cadmium and lead, and has been certified carbon neutral by Carbonfund.org. The Eco Alkaline batteries were certified carbon neutral after a detailed product life-cycle assessment of carbon emissions. As part of a carbon neutral project, Venom is supporting the Return to Forest Project which is helping to reforest Nicaragua's Pacific coast. Read More

eWolf unveils the e-2: a battery-powered car with attitude

By Mick Webb

04:19 October 14, 2009 PDT

With electric powered vehicle development picking up pace in a big way, German based company e-Wolf is looking to take things one step further after unveiling its “e-2” EV prototype. Boasting an expected acceleration of 0-60mph in under four seconds, e-Wolf is set to deliver an Italian-inspired electric “supercar” that puts the mean in green. Read More

Solar e-book reader demo from LG

By Paul Ridden

04:06 October 14, 2009 PDT

E-readers are a welcome alternative to lugging around paper-bound tomes when on holiday, as they can store volumes of reading material in one handy, pocket-sized (well almost) device, and offer users the possibility of hours and hours of uninterrupted reading pleasure. That is, of course, until the battery runs out. LG Display has developed a solar cell capable of extending the battery life of an e-reader, possibly making the anxiety of a blank screen on the last page of that captivating thriller less likely. Read More

France to spend US$2.2 billion on network of electric car charging stations

By Jeff Salton

19:15 October 11, 2009 PDT

As France’s car-makers push their plans to increase sales and give motorists more electric and hybrid-powered vehicle choices, the French Government has added its support by announcing it intends to spend €1.5 billion (about US$2.2 billion) on creating a battery-charging network for electric vehicles across the country. Part of its spend will also go towards further encouragement of clean vehicle technology and battery manufacturing. Read More

A nuclear battery the size and thickness of a penny

By Darren Quick

03:01 October 9, 2009 PDT

They might sound dangerous, but nuclear batteries have been safely powering devices such as pace-makers, satellites and underwater systems for years. They have an extremely long life and high energy density compared to chemical batteries. However, they are costly and also very large and heavy. Now researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) are developing a nuclear battery that is smaller, lighter and more efficient. Read More

Get mobile power with or without an outlet from the iGo Charge Anywhere

By Jeff Salton

22:47 October 1, 2009 PDT

Everyone remembers that interstate or international trip when their cell phone or GPS ran out of power and they discovered they’d brought the wrong charger with them. Or found themselves 'powerless' with no outlet in sight. Frustration, fear, panic … you name it, there are a lot of emotions that run through your mind when you find yourself in that situation. It’s a scenario you never want to repeat. But unfortunately, many of us are slow learners. A new travel-friendly charger called the iGo Charge Anywhere should help you overcome the problem of flat batteries by allowing you to charge your mobile devices in any location, with or without an outlet. Read More

Silicon nanotubes could increase li-ion battery capacity 10X

By Darren Quick

00:21 September 25, 2009 PDT

In news that could greatly extend the range of electric cars, researchers have shown that replacing the conventional graphite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries with silicon nanotubes can produce a battery that can store ten times more charge. The researchers developed a silicon anode that, aside from extending the range of electric cars, could also make gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles more efficient by allowing them to run in electric mode for longer periods. Read More

Five new Alienware PCs invade the gaming market with aggressive looks and specs

By Dario Borghino

17:40 September 24, 2009 PDT

Demanding PC gamers could soon see their wildest dreams come true with the five new Alienware gaming rigs — a laptop and four desktop PCs — recently presented by Dell. From overclocked, liquid-cooled Intel Core i7 processors to the latest-generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics, these machines combine the very best of the industry for blazing fast performance and an unprecedented gaming experience. Read More

Algae used to create a quick-charge, lightweight battery

By Dario Borghino

16:21 September 13, 2009 PDT

Algae blooms are unpleasant and unpredictable phenomena that arise quickly and strike seas and oceans, often causing serious problems to local ecosystems. But, in an effort to try and find a use for such algae, a research team from Uppsala University, Sweden, has recently managed to design a record-breaking "green" lightweight battery that is incredibly easy to produce and might just even out the environmental consequences of these blooms. Read More

New solar battery technology offers household power at 2.5c per kWh

By Jeff Salton

00:14 September 2, 2009 PDT

As part of man's ongoing quest to extract the greatest benefits from solar power, Salt Lake City-based company Ceramatec, the R&D arm of CoorsTek, has made what it believes to be a massive breakthrough in batteries for storing energy harnessed from the sun. The company is making impressive inroads on the prototype of a deep storage battery, the size of a small refrigerator, that safely operates at room temperature, consists of everyday materials, and can output household power at 2.5c per kWh. What’s more, Ceramatec says it will be cheap to purchase. Read More

Portable USB drive and solar charger boosts gadgets on the move

By Paul Lester

17:40 August 23, 2009 PDT

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that gets a decent amount of sun every year, investing in a solar charger to give portable devices a boost when out and about would be a wise idea and Korean company Zyrus has come up with something tidy and practical enough to hold genuine appeal. Read More

Fisker Karma PHEV hits the tarmac for the first time

By Jeff Salton

19:27 August 17, 2009 PDT

The Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) recently demonstrated how quick it is in two ways – it goes from 0-60mph in six seconds and from concept to public driving debut just 19 months after the company was formed. The 403hp prototype Karma PHEV almost silently attained a top speed of 100mph (using no gasoline) as it made its way around the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Read More

Spinal Cord Stimulators - the 'pacemaker' for chronic pain

By Loz Blain

02:20 August 12, 2009 PDT

While nobody's exactly sure how it works, it's been clinically proven over the past 30-40 years that low levels of electrical energy, delivered straight to the nerve fibers in the spinal cord, can disrupt the signals that certain chronic pain conditions send to the brain, and replace them with a much more pleasant tingling sensation. Now, St Jude Medical has received FDA and CE mark approvals for the world's smallest and longest-lasting rechargeable neurostimulator. The Eon Mini is the size of a silver dollar, about 1cm thick (1/2 inch), and weighs only 29g (1oz). It sits under the skin of the buttock or abdomen, and its rechargeable battery should last nearly 10 years. It can be programmed by remote control to treat as many as eight different chronic pain areas and, in doing so, it can get many patients with chronic pain off morphine and back into a semblance of normal life. Read More

New Sony rechargeable battery charges faster and lasts longer

By Darren Quick

01:51 August 12, 2009 PDT

We cover our fair share of battery technology breakthroughs here at Gizmag, from lithium-sulfur batteries to NanoEnergy batteries. But it’s less often that we get to report on new and improved batteries actually hitting the market. So it was nice to learn that Sony has launched a new type of rechargeable Li-ion battery that promises an extended life span more than four times that of existing Li-ion batteries and can be charged to 99 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes - approximately half the charge time of Sony’s current Li-ion battery line up. Read More

Portable solar powered fridge goes off-the-grid

By Paul Ridden

18:55 July 15, 2009 PDT

A fridge that positively thrives in direct sunlight might seem a bit of a strange idea, but if you find yourself in a baking hot country where keeping your medical supplies cool and fresh could mean the difference between life and death, or you just want to sell some chilled refreshments to passers-by, then you need a portable, stand-alone chill solution. Industrial Insulation Systems (IIS) has developed a solar powered fridge/freezer which can be tailored to meet the needs of these off-the-grid scenarios. Read More

THINERGY battery packs a little power in a littler package

By Alan Brandon

01:27 July 1, 2009 PDT

The new line of THINERGY Micro-Energy Cells from Infinite Power Solutions Inc (IPS) could soon be powering small devices such as autonomous wireless sensors, powered smart cards, active RFID applications, and implantable medical devices. The manufacturer says these tiny, rechargeable, thin-film batteries combine the energy density of traditional batteries with the high discharge current of supercapacitors. With some models measuring just 0.5 inches square (12.7mm) and less than 0.01 inches thick (0.17mm), IPS claims these are the most powerful batteries for their size. Read More

Electric vehicle trials gain traction in UK

By Jeff Salton

04:09 June 26, 2009 PDT

A raft of electric vehicle related news from the UK this week with Mitsubishi, Ford, Toyota and BMW (through its Mini brand) all getting a piece of the action. A total of approximately 340 all-electric and hybrid vehicles will begin trials on UK roads within the next 6-18 months. Read More

Lithium-sulfur batteries could store triple the power of lithium-ion

By Dario Borghino

06:11 June 10, 2009 PDT

A Canadian research team led by Dr. Linda Nazar has synthesized a prototype of a lithium-sulphur rechargeable battery that, thanks to its peculiar nanoscale structure, can store three times the power of a conventional lithium-ion battery in the same volume while being significantly lighter and potentially cheaper to manufacture. Read More

Apple adds a bit of zip and grunt to latest MacBook Pro line-up

By Paul Best

22:19 June 8, 2009 PDT

Apple has given its MacBook Pro line a quick touch up, most notably increasing processing speeds, hard-drive capacity and battery life, as well as adding SD card slots to the 13 and 15-inch models. The 13-inch model has also undergone a name change – the MacBook now joins the MacBook Pro family – and has had its Firewire port restored.

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Green energy charger ready and pumped for UK's biggest music festival

By Paul Best

23:30 May 26, 2009 PDT

Mobile operator Orange and renewable energy specialists GotWind know they’ve hit on a good, marketable idea. The companies have joined forces for a third consecutive year to showcase their outdoor charging solution at next month's Glastonbury Festival, the United Kingdom’s largest and hippest open-air music bash. This year Orange has unveiled a mobile phone charger prototype it’s calling the Orange Power Pump. By treading on what is essentially a standard camping air foot-pump, the kinetic energy created drives a small turbine inside the Power Pump. The energy is converted into electrical current, which recharges the mobile phone. The idea is not only simple, it cleverly encourages you to dance and charge your mobile at the same time. Read More

Air-fueled battery boosts capacity tenfold

By Darren Quick

22:52 May 20, 2009 PDT

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the preferred power storage technology for the vast majority of portable devices, such as cell phones, laptop computers and MP3 players. They have also made their way into electric cars, but even with recent developments making them more effective, storage capacity continues to remain a problem. Now researchers at the University of St Andrews, with associates at Strathclyde and Newcastle, have developed a new type of air-fueled battery that could provide up to 10 times the energy storage of existing designs, paving the way for a new generation of electric cars and portable devices. Read More

Lolaloo rocks and baby sleeps … with a bit of luck

By Jude Garvey

01:06 May 17, 2009 PDT

Unfortunately, all babies are not created equal when it comes to sleeping. While one child will contentedly drop off to sleep, another will only visit the Land of Nod after interminable minutes of rocking. The Lolaloo is a clever, German-designed, rocking device that, with bit of luck, helps put baby to sleep. Read More

NanoEnergy battery to tackle growing needs of consumer electronics

By Darren Quick

17:52 May 13, 2009 PDT

As the rate of miniaturization of portable technology increases, so too does the need for smaller and smaller batteries to power them. Current devices, such as hearing aids and wireless sensor networks, that draw small amounts of power over an extended period of time have generally relied on coin-cell batteries to keep them running. Now ultra-thin bendable battery technology from Front-Edge Technology (FET), delivering between 10 and 20 times more power, may provide the advances the electronics industry needs. Read More