batteries

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

Phone manufacturers and the aftermarket wage war against crappy battery life and Google does battle with poor app design on this week's episode of Android Atlas Weekly.

NEWS:

-Woz concedes Android advantages over iPhone

-iPhone 4S helps iOS close the gap on Android

-Google evangelists release bible of good Android design

-The Android sloppy interface when guidelines are not enough

-NSA Releases Secure Android Version

-LOL, Seido 3800mah extended battery for Galaxy Nexus

-Galaxy Nexus nfc feature requires original oem battery… Read more

Eos Energy Storage is developing a zinc air battery it claims will be able to clear up bottlenecks on the power grid by placing them at office buildings and shopping malls.

The energy storage startup before the end of March plans to close a round of funding from corporate partners which is expected to be at least $5.5 million. It plans to raise $20 million by the end of this year and start making its batteries at a pilot manufacturing facility next year, said President Steve Hellman.

Although it doesn't have a product on the market yet, Eos … Read more

Researchers are working on a lithium air battery that will make electric vehicles as practical as internal combustion cars are today.

For all the leaps and advances electric vehicles have made in the last couple of years, they still have a way to go before they become practical enough or cheap enough to be the typical family car. But IBM is working on a battery that will put an end to range anxiety, able to power a vehicle for 500 miles.

IBM researchers at four of the technology giant's laboratories are testing a lithium air battery. Dubbed the Battery500 Project, … Read more