Gooey Electrolyte Could Put an End to Battery Fires

Gooey Electrolyte Could Put an End to Battery Fires

Battery fires are no fun. Just ask Boeing. Problem is, lithium-ion batteries are full of liquid acid electrolyte that gushes out when a battery’s housing ruptures, causing chemical burns and fires. Not fun. But what if, instead of burny liquid, batteries were filled with a viscous goo that would stay put? That’s exactly what these Washington State University researchers propose.

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NYT: Apple’s Smartwatch Could Use Wireless Charging and Solar Power

NYT: Apple's Smartwatch Could Use Wireless Charging and Solar Power

The New York Times reports that Apple is researching new technologies to charge its products—and it could see its smartwatch come equipped with solar charging capabilities. Some day.

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Massive 24,000mAh Battery Pack Is Like a Tiny Reactor In Your Pocket

Massive 24,000mAh Battery Pack Is Like a Tiny Reactor In Your Pocket

If keeping your smartphones, tablets, and other gear running all day long is more important to you than keeping your backpack light, the latest addition to Limefuel’s lineup of backup batteries—this 24,000mAh monstrosity—should be part of your daily kit.

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Researchers make high energy density battery that runs on sugar

Battery innovations have promised to change mobile technology for the everyday user, and we’ve seen all sorts related breakthroughs, from the 30-second battery charge to the urine-powered Samsung cell phone. … Continue reading

A Lightsaber Battery Lets You Battle Intergalactic Power Emergencies

A Lightsaber Battery Lets You Battle Intergalactic Power Emergencies

If you had to pinpoint one common feature of all the backup batteries on the market, it would probably be their uninspired brick-like form factor. There are exceptions, though, but none as elegant and civilized as Brando’s new lightsaber-themed portable backup battery.

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There’s a Surprising Amount Of Power Inside This Super-Thin Battery

There's a Surprising Amount Of Power Inside This Super-Thin Battery

Last year Vorson managed to squeeze a 2,500 mAh battery into its Bookmark power pack that measured in at just 4.7 millimeters at its thinnest point. Impressive! But it’s a wimp next to EnerPlex’s new Jumpr Slate, which packs a heft new 10,000 mAh battery into a binder-friendly, blade-thin package.

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A Charging Cable That Saves a Little Power For Later

A Charging Cable That Saves a Little Power For Later

A backup battery for your phone is only useful if you’re willing to carry it with you. So Native Union has come up with the JUMP which integrates a little extra power into your smartphone’s charging cable, ensuring it’s light enough to carry and always has a little bit of extra power to keep your device running.

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The Batteries of the Future Could Be Powered By Rhubarb

The Batteries of the Future Could Be Powered By Rhubarb

Building the perfect battery is a hard problem. Batteries either too inefficient or too expensive or too unstable to power the renewable gadgets of the future. But a team of Harvard scientists just built a new kind of battery with a molecule found in food, and it could solve these problems.

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The ChugPlug Adds a Backup Battery To Your MagSafe Power Adapter

The ChugPlug Adds a Backup Battery To Your MagSafe Power Adapter

If you own a smartphone and actually use it on a daily basis, there’s a good chance you’ve always got a backup battery close at hand. But what about your MacBook? Instead of desperately hunting for a plug when its battery life dwindles, Lenmar’s new ChugPlug is designed to integrate with the MagSafe adapter giving you a few extra hours of precious power.

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An Electric Chainsaw So Badass It Needs Two Batteries

An Electric Chainsaw So Badass It Needs Two Batteries

Electric chainsaws aren’t anywhere near as powerful as the ones with gas engines, but Makita’s X2 LXT comes close—and offers several key advantages if you don’t need a tool capable of clear-cutting a forest.

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