Apple, Dell, Lenovo To Develop Battery Standards

[GodBless]

Anything to produce safer batteries is a step in the right direction. It's a shame that it takes a videotaped explosion to get something started.

I totally agree. These batteries should have never become a standard -- there should have been research and vision for safer batteries before li-ion and li-poly batteries were released to the masses. At least the trouble will be over in about 5 years.

This new idea to store more electrons is pretty cool and seems more environmentally friendly. And if there is standardization, it would be easy to have recharging stations all over the place so anybody could easily recharge their device.

Since the surface area will be extended for electrons (because of the use of nanotubes -- watch the video that the website provides -- you have to register to watch it but the video provides some interesting facts) I think that the new capacitor batteries will last just as long as our current li-ion and li-poly batteries (perhaps longer) and will probably be the same size and weight (perhaps smaller and lighter) than our current batteries.

It will be good that no chemical reactions will need to be used anymore. It reminds me of the transition from the hard disk to flash memory that has been happening for a while. All in all the "no moving parts/chemicals" transition is the current trend and I hope it continues. (It also reminds me about the OLED advancement in displays.) These 3 new technologies will make things a lot better -- a whole lot better.

I don't think Li-Poly batteries are any safer. In fact, they require extremely precise systems that monitor and control charging and discharge rates to prevent them from exploding. Videos of LiPo batteries exploding are all over google video and you tube.

My thoughts exactly after watching the videos. Before viewing them I assumed that MacRumors statement, "Apple has historically used Li-Ion batteries in its iBook and PowerBook laptops, but has opted for Lithium Polymer batteries (Li-Poly) in its MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. One of the apparent advantages of Li-Poly batteries is reduced combustability.", was reliable but I guess not.

 

[DeVizardofOZ]

German Co. works on power-cells...

Batteries are holding back so many new technologies. It's too bad battery capacities haven't progressed along with hard disk data density, transistors per cpu, bus speeds, etc. I suppose if just getting them to not explode is still a problem then any real advance is still way off in the future.

A few years back I saw a report on TV about a german company developing a power-cell for laptops. I remember, that the initial cell was quite bulky, too heavy to carry around. I wonder what happened to this development...??? Maybe some big battery maker bought the patent for a few Million and dumped it into their big safe to sell the junk batteries we see in Laptops.

It is definitel y true, that battery development lags way behind all other technologies. Look at the car batt's.😱 Still heavy and big.

 

[bousozoku]

...
It is definitel y true, that battery development lags way behind all other technologies. Look at the car batt's.😱 Still heavy and big.

Car batteries haven't changed much because they require high current and low voltage in an inexpensive package. The typical laptop computer Lithium Ion battery is much more expensive than the more expensive car batteries.

Lithium Ion batteries for cars would most likely cost as much as the car and probably weigh more and be larger than the current models to get the cold cranking power.

 

[Moonlight]

Li-Poly

Did you know that the original iPod used a Li-Poly not a Li-ion, but they switched to Li-ion with the 2nd gen. I still have my 1st gen iPod and the battery still holds almost a full charge. Why did they switch ?😕

 

[imikem]

I'm surprised these standards were not already in place to be honest! The chemicals used in Li-ion batteries are indeed very combustible. Anyone ever seen lithium when placed in water? Its explosive and quite exciting to watch.

Aly

FYI, metallic lithium is not really explosive on contact with water. Fizz, and some heat, rather. There's a video showing the activity of the alkali metals with water. They get nastier as one moves down the periodic table. Lithium is the lightest of these metals. Sorry, the clip is in the format used by the dark side...

http://www.wm-rsc.co.uk/students/interactive/gcse/alkali/AlkaliMetals2.wmv

I spent too long in chemistry to let this go.

 

[luminosity]

anyone see this?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14500443/

 

[Hattig]

Apple recall 1.1 million Sony-made batteries

Affects 12" iBook G4 and 15" Powerbook G4:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06245.html

(Also an additional 700,000 replacement battery packs)

 

[ibilly]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2134266654801392897&q=lithium+water

Kinda cheezy presentation, but the do use everything but francium... Several bath tubs explode... and entertaining 3 minutes

 

[aly]

FYI, metallic lithium is not really explosive on contact with water. Fizz, and some heat, rather. There's a video showing the activity of the alkali metals with water. They get nastier as one moves down the periodic table. Lithium is the lightest of these metals. Sorry, the clip is in the format used by the dark side...

http://www.wm-rsc.co.uk/students/interactive/gcse/alkali/AlkaliMetals2.wmv

I spent too long in chemistry to let this go.

My apologies imikem. I did correct myself, and admitted to the use of exaggeration, I just got carried away, but yes as you say moving down the table is more fun! Sorry to have annoyed you, I understand how annoying it is to let someting go you know is wrong 🙂 I believe thats what makes us mac users and our continual arguments that macs are better than pcs, lol 😛

 

[sparky672]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2134266654801392897&q=lithium+water

Kinda cheezy presentation, but the do use everything but francium... Several bath tubs explode... and entertaining 3 minutes

That video was very entertaining. Thank-you.

However, please note the use of cheap thin PVC plastic bath tubs. Not to diminish the hazards of alkaline metals in water, but it really doesn't take much force to blow a hole in a crappy plastic bath tub. I thought that part kinda gimmicky.

If they had used much more durable containers like a drum or even a regular cast iron tub, you would have seen more energy directed upwards which, in my opinion, would have made for a more dramatic demonstration.