Recently in batteries Category
Current, mobile handset power requirements are growing at a faster rate than handset battery capacity can handle reports
IMS Research. The gap between power available to users and the power need for power handset features threatens to slow the connected and mobile lifestyle of consumers. Features such as high data throughput, faster processors and beautiful displays all drain battery power. The strongest battery available now at 1500 mAh will only provide six hours of battery life.
They say that handset power capacity limitations spell trouble for a number of
players across the entire mobile handset industry.
Sony Corporation has launched a new type of lithium ion secondary battery that combines high-power and long-life performance, using olivine-type lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material. Shipment started in June 2009. These batteries can charge in a little time as 30 minutes which is half the time of Sony's current lithium ion batteries. Where they really excel is that they can be charged many more times. They have super long-life with more than 80% capacity retention after 2,000 charge-discharge cycles.
Some tech types suggest that these batteries could last up to four years, in stead of the one-two life of most batteries used in portable devices today. It has be speculated that these type of batteries will show up in netbooks, smartphones and other portable devices.
f you have ever had a cell phone battery die on you, you know it could cost as much as new phone. Replacement batteries generally cost $40 and can be hard to find in stock.In fact, Jay Leno on the Tonight commented that when he went to a Sprint store, his phone was a two years old and they didn't stock the battery.
Starting Monday, U.S. Cellular will launch an Battery Swap program, where customers can come into any store and change out a dead or dying battery for a fully-charged one, for free. U.S. Cellular is the only wireless company to offer this service.
Consumers who are watching their spending closely can use the Battery Swap program to extend the life of their phone without having to purchase a new battery, which generally costs about $40. U.S. Cellular phones that have been purchased in the last 18 months are eligible for the program.
Strategy Analytic’s report, “Cell Phone Energy Gap: Desperately Seeking Solutions,” reveals that improvements in component power consumption and battery chemistry will not be sufficient to offset the growth in feature penetration and application usage.
The report predicts that web browsing, navigation and social networking will see the biggest increase, growing from a combined 9% of the battery budget in 2008 to 30% by 2014. The report details in-depth analysis of the battery budget in smart phones, feature phones and basic phones.
Atif Shamim, an electronics PhD student at Carleton University, has developed a way to greatly reduced smartphone, such as BlackBerry or iPhone power consumption.
He developed a prototype that removes of all the wires used to connect the electronic circuits with the antenna. It uses packaging technique to connect the antenna with the circuits via a wireless connection between a micro-antenna embedded within the circuits on the chip.
"This has not been tried before -- that the circuits are connected to
the antenna wirelessly. They've been connected through wires and a
bunch of other components. That's where the power gets lost," Mr.
Shamim said in the Ottawa Citizen
The module, Shamim developed consumes 12 times less power than the
traditional, wired-transmitter module. It is also much simpler in
design which lowers the overall cost of any device using it.
There is a new version of Opera Mini 4.2 mobile browser. Opera Mini has reached over 20 million unique mobile users.the 4.2 beta is supposed offer.
- a faster more personalized user experience via new skins
- improved support for YouTube and related mobile video
- improvements in Opera Link allow users to share notes between their mobile phones and PCs, in addition to their bookmarks and recently-visited URLs.
Beginning January 1, airline passengers will no longer be allowed to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage, under new transportation laws aimed at reducing the risk of battery fires.
Passengers are permitted to carry up to two spare extended-life rechargeable lithium batteries in carry-on bags as long as they are in their original packaging or in a plastic zipper bag, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Checked bags can contain batteries already installed in gadgets such as cell phones, cameras or laptop computers, according to the DOT.Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Safety testing conducted by the FAA found that current aircraft cargo fire suppression system would not be capable of suppressing a fire if a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries were ignited in flight.
