Rechargeable

A new study shows how fluoride might be put to work in better batteries. Researchers at Caltech, JPL, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Honda Research Institute have developed fluoride-based batteries that could potentially last much longer than existing lithium-ion-based devices.

Most batteries have a cathode on one side and an anode on the other, with a separator between them. Engineers at Cornell University have developed an unusual new structure that intertwines the components together in a swirling shape, which they say lets the device recharge in a matter of seconds.

To counter the variability of renewable energy, the grid will need large-scale energy storage systems. Now, an MIT team has developed a new type of battery that could fit the bill. It breathes air, and can store energy long-term for about a fifth of the cost of existing technologies.

Zinc-manganese batteries are back in the spotlight now that a team of researchers has made them much more reliable, with greater numbers of charging cycles than ever before. And all for around the same price as a standard lead-acid car battery.

Researchers at Stanford University have created a fast-charging and long-lasting rechargeable battery that is inexpensive to produce, and which they claim could replace many of the lithium-ion and alkaline batteries powering our gadgets today.

Is the mobile phone threatening to kill off the wristwatch? Not if Swiss watchmaker Breitling has anything to say about it. The Breitling B55 Connected combines smartwatch technology with haute horlogerie in a partnership where the phone serves the watch instead of the other way round.

The same lithium-ion battery technology that powers Tesla’s electric vehicles will be used to develop a battery for the home, according to a statement by CEO Elon Musk. The batteries would be used by homes and businesses to store excess energy generated from solar panels.

New headphones that promise great sound quality are released regularly. Blue Microphones says the high-end built-in amp of its Mo-Fi headphones provides up to six times more power than typical devices while high-end drivers deliver high levels of detail and accuracy.

Hong Kong-based company Design to Innovation (DTOI) has developed what it is claiming is the world's first wireless scanner mouse. The Zcan Wireless is designed as a standard optical mouse, but cuts the cord and packs a miniaturized scanner, enabling users to instantly scan images and text.

The days of being tied to a mains outlet to do a bit of soldering are long gone, but what about the techie on the go who doesn't want to be lumbered with chargers, batteries, and cans of gas? Solderdoodle is a partly 3D printed device that can be charged using a standard USB cable.

A team of scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) are working on a water-based organic battery that is cheaper, more environmentally friendly and scales up better than conventional batteries.

Electric skateboards generally featuring a longboard form factor that can be unwieldy to carry. That's why Adam Riley of Epic Skateboards has developed the Caseboard, an electric skateboard that folds in half for carrying like a briefcase when not getting users from A to B.