battery

As implantable medical devices become smaller and less power hungry, they are taking on a variety of new roles. What began as largely stationary objects, such as pacemakers and cochlear implants, are becoming small enough to actually pass through our bodies (i.e. in the form of pills) to deliver drugs and perform diagnostics.

Now, a new class of medical devices is emerging that adds a twist to the traditional implant: the devices are so small that they can travel through our bloodstream, not to mention are powered wirelessly via electromagnetic radio waves, according to Stanford electrical engineer Ada Poon.

By moving through the bloodstream, these tiny implants will be able to perform minor surgeries such as removing blood clots, Poon told an audience at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco this week.… Read more

From the age of dot, we're all told not to put gadgets in our mouths.

But along came electric toothbrushes--and then electronic cigarettes. Some will wonder how safe they might be after a 57-year-old Florida man was taken to hospital Monday night when his electronic smoke exploded while he was smoking it.

He ended up in an Alabama hospital, facing burns, the loss of part of his tongue and his front teeth.

Joseph Parker, division chief for the North Bay Fire Department, offered a graphic analogy to the Associated Press: "It was trying to hold a bottle rocket in your mouth when it went off. The battery flew out of the tube and set the closet on fire."… Read more

Apple's been mum lately about iOS 5.1, but new rumors suggest the update could launch on March 9.

Digging into profiles sent by Apple to various iPhone carriers, blog site YourDailyMac found a pointer to 09Mar2012 in one of the text strings. Aimed for operators in Japan, France, Greece, Finland, and Sweden, the profile files are designed to ensure that network connections will continue to work after iOS devices are updated to the latest version. The files are also said to be compatible with iOS 5.1, according to YourDailyMac.

Of course, like most rumors, this one should … Read more

What do the iPhone, Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, and Nokia Lumia 900 have in common? The fact that their batteries can't easily be removed.

Last week, the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx wowed us with its slim physique and a long battery life that nearly doubled that of the original Droid Razr. The one component that made it possible is the unremovable--or embedded--battery.

Cell phones with batteries you can't pop out are more common than you may think. Apple has made embedded batteries a mainstay in every iPhone since its first.

In fact, add up the iPhones, both Droid Razrs, two Nokia Lumias (800 and 900), and the upcoming Motorola Droid 4 and it appears we have a trend on our hands.… Read more

We have an ongoing list of top tough iPhone 4 and 4S cases, but a lot of folks have requested a roundup of top battery cases for extending your iPhone's battery life, so here it is.

A few notes: While you should be able to go a day without recharging your iPhone 4 or 4S, some people use their phones more than others--or use battery-intensive applications such as video--and need more juice than what's offered with the iPhone's internal battery. Most, but not all, of the cases in this roundup are designed to double the battery life … Read more

SOUTH BOSTON--From this grungy warehouse converted into a startup incubator, Sam White and Sorin Grama plot how to chill milk for poor Indian villagers.

The four-year journey of their startup, Promethean Power, has included several trips to India and dramatic engineering detours. Now finally, their rapid milk chillers, which feature a novel energy-storage technology, will be installed at three milk processing centers in India in the coming months.

The two company co-founders had originally intended to build a solar-powered milk chiller that would improve the lives of Indian farmers and advance renewable energy. But despite engineering some nifty power electronics, … Read more

U.S. government-backed battery supplier Ener1 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the third U.S.-backed energy company to file in as many months.

Ener1 posted a notice today stating that it "has reached agreement with its primary investors and lenders on a restructuring plan that will significantly reduce its debt." This action will pave the way for up to $81 million for recapitalization, the company said.

A "pre-packaged" Chapter 11 case was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York. Ener1 is planning to complete the restructuring process within … Read more

Apple has long been at the forefront of battery technology, especially for mobile consumer electronics. One of Apple's most recent patent applications details a new line of thinking for battery design that could lead to thinner, more efficient power on the go.

Apple believes that the current standard for battery design is approaching its maximum limitations. But, not to worry, the geniuses in Cupertino seem to have a plan. Using electrode sheets of differing shapes and sizes, Apple would be able to build thinner batteries that fit any number of shapes, instead of having to be constrained by the typical rectangular shape of today's mobile device batteries.… Read more

Electric carmaker Coda Automotive thinks its car batteries are versatile enough to buffer the electric grid.

The company today announced a venture called Coda Energy, a business unit created to build stationary energy storage systems.

The expertise Coda acquired in designing lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles translates directly to the grid energy storage world, the company said. Its battery system includes an active thermal management to keep batteries at a safe temperature and it has a manufacturing partnership with Lishen in China to make products at large scale. It plans to make modular energy storage systems that can be … Read more