better battery technology
A company named Valence Technology has just announced an <a href="http://www.valence.com/readnews.asp?page=PR_021102a.htm" target="_blank">improved Litium-Ion battery</a> based on a phosphate cathode (instead of Cobalt). This news reminded me that we haven't discussed the importance of battery technology recently.
Apple advertises a 5 hour battery life for my iBook (dual USB). Even with the brightness lowered to 1 out of 12, I haven't been able to reach that time typing notes in class or writing papers at the library.
I am now able to leave my AC adapter at home three days a week, while I had to bring it along (or leave a second one at school) every day with my PowerBook 2400c. But I would still rather be able to do without an AC adapter at all for an entire day's work.
What do you think or know? Could you use a 10 hour battery in your portable Mac? How much would you be willing to pay for it? Wouldn't it be nice if your PowerBook's battery lasted as long as the one in your Palm PDA?
Escher
Apple advertises a 5 hour battery life for my iBook (dual USB). Even with the brightness lowered to 1 out of 12, I haven't been able to reach that time typing notes in class or writing papers at the library.
I am now able to leave my AC adapter at home three days a week, while I had to bring it along (or leave a second one at school) every day with my PowerBook 2400c. But I would still rather be able to do without an AC adapter at all for an entire day's work.
What do you think or know? Could you use a 10 hour battery in your portable Mac? How much would you be willing to pay for it? Wouldn't it be nice if your PowerBook's battery lasted as long as the one in your Palm PDA?
Escher
Comments
other battery technology that will apear is paper batteries <a href="http://www.powerpaper.com/" target="_blank">http://www.powerpaper.com/</a> and it will allow eink dispalys on consumer packaging <a href="http://www.e-ink.com" target="_blank">http://www.e-ink.com</a>
enjoy!
As for nano turbines, paper batteries and electronic ink, I fear that we will have to wait a bit more than two years. Note that I appreciate this new technology, as well as JasonPP's optimism, nonetheless. I would think that Hydrogen fuel cells will beat nano turbines to market, but both technologies still seem pretty far from reaching any kind of (electronics) market.
Escher
Then again, you'll have advertizements in books ;-;
Such is the price we pay for technology \
Sorry about my almost naive optimism. I'm really into futurist readings right now...
Ray Kurzwell and Ian Pearson/Ian Neild of BT.
micro turbines are on the lab bench working right now. Within 2 years we'll see tech demos of units runing at then industry performance levels, and a few yers later you'll be filling up your Ti PB (or carbon nanotube PB) with Zippo fluid.
I agree with you about the fuel cell's beating M/NT's to market ...
<a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/01/29/086253&mode=thread" target="_blank">http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/01/29/086253&mode=thread</a>
apparently they're here already.
e-ink has demonstrated a full colour demo unit at a tradeshow recently, and are working to bring newsprint resolution development kits by years end.
<strong>Sorry about my almost naive optimism.</strong><hr></blockquote>
No need to apologize. Without optimism we would still be stuck in the Stone Age.
[quote]<strong>a few yers later you'll be filling up your Ti PB (or carbon nanotube PB) with Zippo fluid. </strong><hr></blockquote>
Wouldn't that be nice?
[quote]<strong>e-ink has demonstrated a full colour demo unit at a tradeshow recently</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's just kickass to be living in this day and age. There's so much cool new stuff every day...
Escher
My sister Betty Botter is also into butter, but the family doesn't talk about that.
<strong>a few yers later you'll be filling up your Ti PB (or carbon nanotube PB) with Zippo fluid.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Great, a smelly Ti.
<strong>Then again, you'll have advertizements in books ;-;</strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually, it used to be quite common to have advertisements in books. Check out old paperbacks from the '60s. A few around here have liquor ads inside the front cover.
Its the same stuff (simaler) to the shielding the use on the space shuttle... basically its "frozen smoke"...
<a href="http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad30oct98_1.htm" target="_blank">NASA - AeroGel Link</a>
Great Link Anyway... having stuff to do with future super computers running at 24GHz... becuase of AeroGel...
found it!!!... <a href="http://www.csupomona.edu/~winnydong/websites/personal/batt_article.html" target="_blank">-AeroGel Battery-</a>
[quote]"these materials can have surface areas of over 1000 square meters per gram"
"That means the area of five football fields can be rolled up into an aerogel the size of a bar of soap!"<hr></blockquote>
I hope that apple gets this battery technoligy into their batteries...
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© FERRO 2001-2002
[ 02-21-2002: Message edited by: FERRO ]</p>
Try $1000 US for half a kilo....granted that's about 1m3 or so (guess) but man.. that's steep!
<strong>Well, Apple could always include a crank.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You mean <a href="http://www.aladdinpower.com/apAladdinPower.shtml" target="_blank">like this?</a>
Or maybe <a href="http://www.aladdinpower.com/apStepCharger.shtml" target="_blank">foot-powered</a> instead?
link isnt working right now...???
but a baygen type flat coil spring crank generator would be cool and I could bring this book anywhere without worry for power...
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© FERRO 2001-2002
Because it doesn't have to conform to a shape you can lay out the other components in the design closer together, and then fit the battery in a less obtrusive way.
Perhaps a second battery snaps to the back of the screen?
Kind of like pouring pankake batter into a laptop (except LiP batteries arn't liquid, they're thin sheet of flexible material)
Note* Please do not pour pancake batter into your laptop to try to increase it's battery life, you'll only make it tasty.
<strong>Note* Please do not pour pancake batter into your laptop to try to increase it's battery life, you'll only make it tasty.</strong><hr></blockquote>
wheeew... thanks, I almost did that...
lol...
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© FERRO 2001-2002