Hasta La Gadget!

You might have come across warnings in the past about how if you notice that your phone swells up, it could be a sign that it could explode as the swelling would be caused by the lithium-ion battery in it. You might have also come across stories of phones catching fire, also possibly due to its lithium-ion battery, and some more famous lithium-ion battery problems include Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner which has been grounded several times due to issues with its battery. Well the good news is that thanks to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, flammable lithium-ion batteries could soon be made a thing of the past.

According to the researchers, they claimed to have developed the first non-flammable lithium-ion battery, which was achieved by replacing the electrolyte’s flammable organic solvent with an industrial lubricant which is known as perfluoropolyether (PFPE). This industrial lubricant is typically used in maritime applications to prevent sealife from sticking to the bottom of large boats. Leader researcher, Joseph DeSimone, says, “These electrolytes not only are completely nonflammable, but they also exhibi unprecedented high transference numbers and low electrochemical polarization, indicative of longer battery life.” Now the bad news is that this discovery is far from being made commercial as additional testing has to be performed, such as whether it will be able to withstand constant charging and discharging, as well as how to mass produce it, but it is a development worth keeping an eye on.

Researchers Develop Non-Flammable Li-ion Batteries original content from Ubergizmo.

There are times in life when a particular experience would actually jolt us into action, and in July 2012, Ahmad Haidar saw a young man die at the hands of a Syrian army sniper. the first shot hit the victim in the leg, before the second shot hit the man squarely in the neck, killing him instantly. Ahmad then decided to put his expertise in electronics and computer programming to develop a remote-controlled robot that has large mechanical arms which will hopefully be able to ferry sniper casualties to safety. This robot, known as Tena, has caterpillar tracks to help it traverse all sorts of terrain.

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Robot Helps Ferry Sniper Casualties To Safety original content from Ubergizmo.

It’s one of science’s ultimate goals, and perhaps the only thing that could prevent humanity’s ultimate depletion of the Earth’s resources — the ability to create more energy than is used to make it. Now, a new nuclear breakthrough has brought that feat even closer to becoming a reality.

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Not all refrigerators are created equal, that is for sure. This particular magnetic refrigerator model from GE (General Electric) offers something that looks unconventional – considering how the researchers at the GE Labs have managed to let it run on magnets. This is a unique creation in the sense where it will run a water-based fluid through a slew of carefully positioned magnets, and by doing so, it will be able to trigger the magnetocaloric effect. This magnetocaloric effect is one where some metal alloys gain heat whenever they are located near magnets, followed by cooling down should they be pulled away from the same magnets. Imagine this concept being made flesh as magnets are pumped throughout the machine in such a way that the cooling aspect is captured all the time, and you have got a truly unique refrigerator.

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GE Magnetic Refrigeration Keeps Your Drinks Cold original content from Ubergizmo.

The public is grieving this week as China’s Yuta moon rover appears to have kicked the bucket once and for all. While Space.com confirms that China’s moon lander Chang’e 3 … Continue reading