Hasta La Gadget!

Researchers at MIT reckon they’ve struck oil. In fact, you’re looking at what they call “Cambridge crude” — a substance that could halve the weight and cost of EV batteries and make them quicker to charge too. The black goo is packed with a high concentration of energy in the form of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. When separated by a filter, these particles function as mobile electrodes that can be pumped into and around a system before the energy is released. So instead of waiting up to 20 hours to juice your Nissan Leaf, you could potentially just pump this pre-charged substance into it — rather like dirty old gas. Until now, no such “semi-solid flow cell” has been able to hold useful quantities of energy, but this stuff literally oozes with it. Not only could it power EVs, it could even be used for large-scale electricity storage for utilities. The researchers insist this energy revolution is years off — but when it comes, there will be blood.

New ‘semi-solid’ battery could recharge EVs as fast as pumping gas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patent Trolls have been around nearly as long as patent infringement itself. Bottled Lightning by Seth Fletcher takes a look at one scientific-disagreement-turned-nasty fight over the batteries that power our cordless tools and someday, potentially, our cars. More »

The Third Rail battery piggy-backs onto its own iPhone case

The Third Rail case is much less dangerous than it sounds. Instead of being a huge metal beam that carries a gazillion volts with the dual purpose of powering underground trains and terrifying children, the Third Rail is an accessory battery pack for your iPhone.

It’s not just another chunky juice-pack style case, either. While the case itself remains permanently attached to your iPhone, the battery is removable. When needed, it piggy-backs onto the case and provides its electrical replenishment. This cuts down on bulk and also lets you carry more than one spare.

The Smart Battery, as it is called, has a pair of USB ports on it, too. One is for charging the battery, and the other is for juicing any other USB-powered devices you might have.

I used to use a small, plug-in external battery for my iPod Touch, and while it was super-handy, it hung from (and often detached from) the dock connector. The Third Rail system seems to combine the best parts of power cases and external batteries.

The “Slim Case” will cost $40, and a battery costs $60. You can also opt for the kit with everything , including cables, for $90.

Third Rail product page [Third Rail. Thanks, Ashley!]

See Also:

• Solar-Powered iPhone Battery Case: Apple Approves
• Powerskin iPhone Battery is Supermodel-Slim
• Octopus Battery Charger Sucks Up to iPhone
• Mystery Charger Glows Like iPhone Battery Icon

Mobee’s Magic Bar charges Apple’s keyboard and trackpad, wirelessly

The biggest failing of Apple’s Bluetooth trackpad and keyboards is that they aren’t rechargeable. Instead, you have to keep them fed with a constant diet of AA cells. Low-discharge rechargeables do the trick, but if you have any regular NiMH cells around, they tend not to last so well for such low drainage purposes.

I also use a Magic Trackpad on either side of an aluminum Bluetooth keyboard, which means I get through the alkalines at a fair clip.

Enter the Magic Bar (of course) from Mobee. It’s a wireless charger for your Apple keyboard or Magic Trackpad. The Magic Bar comes in two parts. First is a double-AA sized battery pack, and second is the dock cradle. The cradle connects to the computer or other power source via USB, and has a channel into which the cylindrical rear section of your chosen input device snugly fits for charging.

It sounds ideal.

Then we take a closer look at the specs. A pair of regular AAs will last you for months. The battery pack that comes with the Magic Bar gives just ten days of life on a six-hour charge, thanks — presumably — to a reduction in battery size to accommodate the charging circuitry. This is the same problem as befalls Mobee’s other product, a charger for the Magic Mouse.

The Magic Bar will be available to order on May 15th. The price is still unannounced, but as a guide the Magic Mouse version — which is a lot smaller — costs €50, or $72.

The Magic Bar [Mobee]

JBL’s OnBeat speaker dock fits an iPhone, iPod, or even an iPad

Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.

JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock Works With iPhone, iPod and iPad
The OnBeat is JBL’s first iPad speaker dock, and it will be available in April for $150. Touted as a loudspeaker docking station, you can stream Netflix, chat on Skype, or watch YouTube using the dock, or just blast some music. A universal connector supports iDevice docking in landscape or portrait orientation, and an IR remote lets you control it from the comfort of the couch.

OnBeat [JBL via Engadget]

iPod Batteries In Short Supply After Factory Closure
The factory supplying a particular polymer used to make the iPod’s lithium-ion batteries was closed after Japan’s March 11 earthquake, now leading to tight supplies of the eponymous MP3 player. The company in charge of the factory, Kureha Corp., plans to move more of its factories overseas. Although the factory itself wasn’t overly damaged, the port nearby has sustained sever damage, inhibiting the delivery of necessary chemicals.

Chemical Reaction: iPod is Short Key Material [WSJ]

Cosmonaut Stylus Feels Like You’re Using a Dry Erase Marker
From the makers of the Glif comes the Cosmonaut, a stylus designed to make writing on a tablet less awkward. The makers felt that using a pen on a tablet felt unnatural; it was like writing on a dry erase board, not writing in a paper notebook. So, they developed a tablet that grips like a dry erase marker. You can donate to their Kickstarter campaign now. The Cosmonaut is expected to retail at $25.

The Cosmonaut [Kickstarter via Core77]

Nokia E6-00 Pics and Specs Leaked: Yep, It’s a Nokia Phone
A prototype Nokia E6-00 was found and has bared all on some Nokia forums. It’s got a VGA resolution capacitive touchscreen (small – under 3-inches) with a D-pad and a physical QWERTY keyboard situated underneath. An 8-megapixel rear camera supports 720p HD video recording. There’s no HDMI port, but it does include a microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a 2mm charging socket. It runs a new version of Symbian^3 that’s compatible with the 4:3 aspect ratio display.

Nokia E6-00 Most Detailed Leak [My Nokia Blog via Slashgear]

Quadrocopters Tossing and Catching a Ball to One Another
Those quadrotor drones never cease to amaze. In the latest video from the Flying Machine Arena, a Swiss Federal Institute of Technology research facility, a pair of quadrocopters (and sometimes a human) plays catch with one another. The video title says they are juggling, but they’re not really juggling.

Quadrocopter Ball Juggling [Adafruit via Makezine]

Remember Tamagotchis? They’re Back (in Japan) With Color Displays
Maybe you missed this trend, but back when I was in 5th or 6th grade, everyone had a Tamagotchi. It was a little palm sized, black and white screened gadget that you let you raise and take care of a virtual pet. Bandai has now released the Tamagotchi iD L, which is available in 6 colors, with 32 virtual characters. I’m not quite sure if today’s smartphone toting, Internet-savvy pre-teens and tweens will dig this little electronic toy of yesteryear… Perhaps that’s why they’re releasing it exclusively in Japan first.

Tamagotchi iD L [Japan Trend Shop via Chip Chick]