Eton has made a name for itself with a line of emergency devices—like flashlights and radios—that don’t require an outlet to stay powered. And its new BoostTurbine backup batteries promise to keep your other devices perpetually powered too, as long as you’ve got the energy to crank its built-in folding handle. More »
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have devised new algorithms that can cut lithium-ion battery charge times in half, help cells run more efficiently and potentially cut production costs by 25 percent. Rather than tracking battery behavior and health with the traditional technique of monitoring current and voltage, the team’s mathematical models estimate where lithium ions are within cells for more precise data. With the added insight, the team can more accurately gauge battery longevity and control charging efficiency. The group was awarded $460,000 from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E research arm to further develop the algorithm and accompanying tech with automotive firm Bosch and battery manufacturer Cobasys, which both received the remainder of a $9.6 million grant. Wondering if the solution will ever find its way out of the lab? According to co-lead researcher Scott Moura, it’ll see practical use: “This technology is going into products that people will actually use.”
Filed under: Alt
Researchers create algorithms that help lithium-ion batteries charge two times faster originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 23:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Rohm’s hydrogen fuel cells are meant to power smartphones and other mobile devices, but unlike other juicing-up solutions, the cells are only good for one charge. Rohm says disposable fuel cells can be made smaller and lighter than their multi-use counterparts, and as the only byproduct is hydrogen, the company is touting the cells’ eco-friendliness. The system generates electricity by using hydrogen that’s created by the reaction of a metal material and water. While the device we saw here at CEATEC is a prototype, Rohm may offer its recharging system as both a smartphone case and a USB-attachable juicepack. Each offers 5Wh and can fully charge a handset once. There’s also a 200W power generator, which certainly stretches the meaning of portable but can keep a laptop, LCD TV and a peripheral or two going for three to four hours. Rohm says its fuel cells will see a commercial release some time in 2013; for now you can get a sneak peek in our hands-on gallery below.
Gallery: Rohm Hydrogen Fuel Cells hands-on
Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals
Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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If you’re buying an iPhone 5, you’re probably paying a lot of money for the handset. That’s especially true if you’re buying the phone directly from Apple without a two-year contract, as the cost of the 16GB model is set at $649 – and that’s the least expensive model on offer. That certainly isn’t cheap, but there’s one aspect of the iPhone 5 that isn’t expensive at all: the cost to charge it.
The folks at Opower ran some tests and determined that the iPhone 5 only costs an estimated 41 cents per year to charge. Getting a little more specific, they used the Watts Up Pro Consumption Power Meter to figure out how much electricity the iPhone 5 consumes when charging from 0% to 100%. Once they had those results, it only took a little bit of math to figure out how much it will cost consumers to charge their iPhone 5 per year.
The test assumes that these iPhone 5 users are charging their shiny new handset once per day, which isn’t unreasonable considering the iPhone 5′s beefier battery compared to past iPhones. Just for kicks, the Opower team also tested the Galaxy S III and determined that it costs 53 cents per year to charge Samsung’s flagship. Why the discrepancy between the two handsets? The Galaxy S III features a bigger battery than the iPhone 5, meaning it takes a little bit more electricity to fully charge it.
Still, the difference between the two is negligible, especially since the cost is spread out over an entire year. It’s somewhat surprising that the cost to charge a cell phone is so low, but Opower also reminds us that the power usage is actually quite significant when we take all smartphone users into account. That’s set to increase quite a bit in the near future too, as it’s estimated that by 2016, a whopping 1 billion people around the world will have smartphones. If you have a few minutes, be sure to read through Opower’s entire report, as it’s all very fascinating. What do you think of this little experiment?
iPhone 5, Galaxy S III cost less than $1 per year to charge is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Planning on juicing up your Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi i-MiEV or Nissan Leaf with Tesla’s Supercharger? Hold your horses, vaquero. The nighttime unveiling stressed that the quick-charge solution was Model S-friendly, but we should also note that it’s only compatible with the firm’s automobile. Vehicles from other automakers won’t be able to jack into the station thanks to a 20-kilowatt hour converter, which would zap other batteries with too much electricity, and a proprietary plug. Unless something changes, those planning cross-country trips using EVs from other manufacturers will just have to find an alternative to Musk and Co.’s white obelisk.
Filed under: Transportation
Tesla’s Supercharger not compatible with competitor’s EVs, keeps electricity within the family originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Imagine if everything on your desk was powered by identical batteries, all of which could be recharged by slipping them into matching charging slots on the side of your computer. It might not be ubiquitous wireless charging, but it still sounds pretty great, right? More »
These days, just about every Apple product is defined by a non-removable battery. It’s with no small hint of irony, then, that Apple just received a US patent for a universal removable battery system. As proposed, the technique would let Apple cut batteries from lithium-polymer or similar materials into commonly sized packs that could then be swapped between devices, providing all the benefits of removable, rechargeable batteries with a longer lifespan than an old set of AAs. Batteries could have serviceable cores for when they finally give up the ghost, and computers could even alternate between charging the batteries (when plugged in) or using them to extend the runtime of MacBooks. We’d recommend against basing any purchasing strategy around Apple’s filing, though. The Cupertino team originally applied for the patent in 2010, and in turn broke out the technology from a patent it had filed in 2007 — there’s no guarantees Apple is still interested in replacing those disposables, let alone any sealed-in batteries. That won’t stop us from yearning for the day when a Magic Mouse lasts for more than a week of heavy use.
Filed under: Peripherals
Apple gets patent for universal batteries, edges closer to long-lasting wireless peripherals originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nokia’s new Lumia 920 may have stolen the show this morning while they announced a few new handsets, but the accessories Nokia brought to the market along with their new phones deserve a quick look too. We have wireless charging in multiple ways, NFC speaker docks from JBL and more so check them out below along with some hands-on and first impressions.
First we’ll start with the just announced JBL Power Up wireless speaker. This new speaker doesn’t have a dock, well, because it doesn’t need one. This is as wireless as it gets featuring both NFC capabilities for wireless media playback, and wireless charging with compatible Lumia devices too. JBL partnered with Lumia and the Qi wireless technology to produce a neat accessory here. Just tap the phone and speaker together for some NFC goodness to start streaming your favorite song, or lay your Lumia right on top and charge it at the same time. This is quite the cord-cutting accessory.
Then since we are talking about cord cutting they also detailed multiple other wireless charging systems too. Nokia also announced their own Lumia Wireless charging pads using the same Qi charging we’ve seen from others like HP and Palm. This still hasn’t taken off like many had hoped, but Nokia seems to be putting forth tons of effort in the technology. We have hands-on video showing off their charging system that will be available shortly.
When we said Nokia is going all in on wireless charging we meant it. They partnered with JBL above, and even with Fatboy to announce a wireless charging “pillow”. Yea this is actually a soft microfiber pillow with the Qi charging standard built-in. This will be a nice and comfy place to set your lovely Yellow or Cyan Lumia 920, and they’ve partnered with Virgin Atlantic, Coffee Bean, and Tea Leaf to get these pillows in lounges nationwide. Yes they want you to be able to charge your Lumia while hanging out at the coffee shop — again all wirelessly.
Then while it isn’t an accessory in the usual standards the Lumia 820 also announced today will support a wide array of colors and battery covers. This will add the wireless charging options to that budget smartphone to join the 920, and they’ll be offering multiple colors such as black, yellow, cyan, purple and more. Then lastly just like leaks all last week Nokia has partnered with Monster to offer the same bright colors in multiple NFC capable wireless headphones as you can see below.
The Nokia event has just wrapped up earlier today and we’ll continue to bring you more details and hands-on video as the day continues.
Nokia Lumia accessories and wireless charging hands-on is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Any of you who bothered to read Engadget this past Labor Day Monday must’ve noticed all those Nokia leaks making the rounds. Chief among them was a wireless charging pad, featured in a legit-looking press shot. Well, Nokia’s big day of announcements has arrived and indeed, the company just formally unveiled the charging accessory — a soap-dish-shaped device based on the popular Qi wireless standard. (Of course, the Lumia 920’s built-in Qi tech means that you can use all manner of third-party charging pads; they don’t have to be made by Nokia.) Additionally, the company briefly teased a Fatboy-branded pillow (pictured), also designed for recharging. Other than that, the company didn’t share too many specifics, though it did reveal that Virgin Atlantic and Coffee Bean will both be offering wireless charging — Virgin in its Heathrow Airport lounge, and Coffee Bean on its countertops.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile
Nokia announces wireless charging pads, Fatboy Recharging Pillow for Lumia phones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LaunchPort is finally releasing a sleeve for the new iPad, which makes it compatible with the company’s inductive charging gear. It goes on sale in September for a hefty $149, and of course, you’ll also need at least one $199 tabletop or wall mount to connect it to. The sleeve also works with the iPad 2, and if you’re thinking about getting one, be quick — it’s only a matter of time before resonance charging renders inductive juicing a little passé.
Continue reading LaunchPort releasing AP.3 sleeve for juicing your new iPad the inductive way
Filed under: Peripherals, Tablets
LaunchPort releasing AP.3 sleeve for juicing your new iPad the inductive way originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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