technology

Apple this week has announced an iOS 5.0.1 update, which includes a fix for the battery problem plaguing many iPhone 4S users, who are reporting a battery life of less than half of the prior model. So, why are we announcing the news on this blog?

In today’s technologically-driven marketplace, the performance (or lack of) can directly impact the success of a consumer product. Not only is enough today to have an amazing electronics item with lots of bells and whistles, but the battery that powers the device better work in a way that meets customer expectations as well.

As Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales quickly approach, you’ll want to do your research before making an electronics purchase about the battery life of a product you are about to buy. Whether it is a toy, laptop, camera, smartphone, or a wide array of equipment or sports items on your list, it is important for the battery to have the life and strength to support the device. Or, why bother?

A good example of this is electronics

Lithium-ion batteries are considered the solution to making electric cars possible. But, which kind? A recent article in ConsumerReports.org talks about what’s next in the lithium battery landscape.

Seth Fletcher, editor of Popular Science magazine and author, describes the key technologies of today and what lies ahead. Here are excerpts of his take on develops, as reported by Eric Evarts.

• The first-generation lithium batteries are made from lithium-cobalt oxide. These are the batteries widely used in consumer electronics today. These batteries have good power, but they are less stable than other kinds. While lithium-cobalt oxide batteries are readily available, commercial versions are not set up for cars. They are mainly made by Sony.
• The second-generation lithium batteries, developed for the Chevrolet Volt, are made of lithium-manganese oxide. But lithium-manganese stores less energy, which limits the range of electric cars.
• The third-generation lithium-based batteries use lithium-iron

Lithium-ion batteries are used in an array of consumer electronics, from laptops, smart phones, and even electric cars. While the current lithium-ion batteries are good, they will get better. The reason can be credited to researchers who have found a way to have the batteries store more energy.

According to a recent article in Science Daily, the anode is a critical component in these batteries. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab have designed a new type of anode that can absorb eight times the lithium of current designs. Even more promising, it has maintained its greatly increased energy capacity after over a year of testing and countless charge-discharge cycles. And additional good news with it is that the new anodes are made from low-cost materials, compatible with current standard lithium-battery manufacturing technologies.

While the better batteries aren’t yet ready for your new electronics just yet, the emphasis on continual improvement to maintain high customer

According to a recent article in Science Daily, batteries could get a boost from a discovery that increases power, energy density and safety while dramatically reducing charge time.

A team led by Hansan Liu, Gilbert Brown and Parans Paranthaman of the Department of Energy lab's Chemical Sciences Division found that titanium dioxide creates a highly desirable material that increases surface area and features a fast charge-discharge capability for lithium ion batteries. Compared to conventional technologies, the differences in charge time and capacity are striking.

"We can charge our battery to 50 percent of full capacity in six minutes while the traditional graphite-based lithium ion battery would be just 10 percent charged at the same current," Liu said.

Compared to commercial lithium titanate material, the ORNL compound also boasts a higher capacity -- 256 vs. 165 milliampere hour per gram -- and a sloping discharge voltage that is good for controlling state of charge. This characteristic

We have been writing weekly blogs about our quality batteries and how Impact Battery is your source for your power needs of all kinds, but this week we wanted to talk about why ordering batteries online makes sense.

Studies of consumer buyer trends continue to show how more and more people are purchasing online. Reasons are simple: consumers don’t have to drive around and “hunt” for a particular item they seek. Rather, they point and click, are able to read about the item from the comfort of their own home, are able to shop for prices and quality, and then know that the item they want will be delivered to their doorstep.

We stock a wide variety of battery types that aren’t always readily available on retailers’ shelves, and our customers have told us they appreciate knowing that a particular replacement or backup battery is available and will be ready for shipping right away. Since scooter batteries and batteries for toys, boats, power sports, RVs, wheelchairs, and other equipment are sometimes

A futuristic concept called “reverse electrowetting” could change the way we recharge cell phones and other portable devices, but don’t look for it anytime soon.

Engineers are working on a new method to harvest the mechanical energy in our day-to-day strides, meaning they are looking at shoes to serve as a source for powering portable gadgets. The concept would utilize a micro-fluidic device consisting of thousands of micro-droplets that move past a nanotechnology-based film. The motion of the droplets would then be converted into an electric current. The idea is that you would have the energy to power devices whenever you choose to take a “power walk.”

Creators envision equipping special footwear with tiny mobile hotspots that are powered by the electricity-generating shoes. Researchers say in theory the shoes could generate up to 20 watts of electrical power.

While this additional convenience may sound appealing, it will have a long way to go before it is actually on shoe (or electronics)

Johnson Controls Inc. is planning to invest $138.5 million to convert its battery plant near Toledo, Ohio, into an Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery facility for start-top and other high efficiency vehicles.

Alex Molinaroli, president for Johnson Controls Power Solutions, said that the company sees the start-stop vehicle technology market growing to 35 million batteries globally by 2015—including batteries not put into new vehicles—with the United States as an important piece of the market. By 2020, JCI projects, demand for start-stop systems in new vehicles will reach 70–92% in Europe, North American and China—essentially supplanting conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

Johnson Controls’ Toledo investment will add 6 million in AGM battery capacity to the company’s North American AGM footprint by 2013.

Start-Stop is a technology applied to a standard gasoline-powered vehicle that automatically shuts the engine off during idle, reducing fuel use and emissions by 5–12 percent,

Researchers looking for ways to power our country more efficiently have developed a battery that takes advantage of using river water and salty. Stanford scientists have calculated that if all the world’s rivers were put to use, about 2 terawatts of electricity could be produced annually—roughly 13 percent of the world’s current energy consumption.

While the tests are a long way from actual production, the concept of using existing water from the planet is promising and environmentally exciting. A power plant could be potentially placed anywhere freshwater enters the sea, such as a river mouth. In addition, the battery would not require the water to be extremely clean—storm runoff and gray water could potentially be used as could treated sewage water. Because the water would be “borrowed” and then “returned” back to the source in the same condition, there should have little environmental impact. The discharge water would be a mixture of fresh and sweater, released into an area where the