Batteries

General Motors' upcoming electric vehicles will use a new wireless battery management system, the automaker has announced, promising safer and simpler power management as well as an easier roadmap for second-life repurposing after their time in cars and SUVs is done. Part of the GM Ultium platform, which will feature in models like Cadillac's Lyriq luxury crossover and GMC's Hummer EV, the system replaces the traditional flurry of cabling that runs through other automakers' batteries.

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We live in an electricity-powered world, which shouldn't really be news, but we will always find a time when electricity isn't always readily available. Be it a power outage at home, going off the grid in the wilderness, or simply being meters away from a power outlet, there will come a time when we wished we had a power source we can carry around that is more powerful than a smartphone power bank. The Jackery Explorer 1000 definitely fits the bill when it comes to raw power but is that all that it can offer? We take the company's newest and biggest portable power station to see if size is all that it has.

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A study published this week showed experimental evidence that batteries of the future might very well have double or triple the power capacity available in standard lithium-ion batteries today. This could eventually lead to smartphones with batteries that allow you to go without a recharge for several days at a time. It could also mean that phone batteries will last just as long as they do now, but with a smaller footprint, allowing innovative new uses of the extra space.

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Mophie has released its 2020 Powerstation range, portable batteries supporting up to USB-C PD input and output, and with up to 20,000 mAh of juice to share. The New Powerstation, Powerstation XXL, and Powerstation Wireless XL are also joined by a new Mophie Powerstation Wireless Stand, which combines a desk stand for a Qi-enabled smartphone with a battery of its own.

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Given the current state of battery technology, it's no surprise that we have become dependent on external batteries, a.k.a. power banks, sometimes even too dependent. Those small batteries wrapped in plastic, however, can only get us so far, especially when you consider the growing number of devices one carries and their equally growing power needs.

Anker, whose claim to fame has always been its wide variety of portable power sources, also has a line of not so pocketable portable power station and its PowerHouse 200 may have just the right mix of features to make it your go-to backup when you're out and about.

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Mercedes-Benz's upcoming EQS all-electric luxury sedan will tap a new battery supplier deal for Tesla-beating range, the automaker has promised, as it tries to eclipse the Model S. The agreement with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) will see the automaker and battery supplier collaborate on new li-ion module technology, in addition to bringing production of the batteries closer to Mercedes' HQ.

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In the summer of 2020 I reviewed the Toro 22" (56cm) 60V MAX* Electric Battery Smartstow Personal Pace High Wheel Mower (20363) over the course of a couple of months. That's an extremely long name for such a simple piece of machinery, but absolutely necessary when it comes to the testing of a tool that can take considerable wear and tear damage over time. With the "Flex-Force Power System" (plug-and-play rechargeable batteries and charger), 22-inch blade for mowing, and a tenacious yard of summertime grass, I ran this mower through the paces more than a few times.

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The first truly wireless earbuds from OnePlus were leaked just before official reveal earlier this month - now we're seeing how they're going to sell. The company's still not truly revealed the earbuds called OnePlus Buds in their entirety, but we're getting more information on their key features, day by day, info bit by bit. Today's key bit of detail on the OnePlus Buds has to do with charging - and the fact that they won't be released with wireless charging abilities.

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The Yamaha Civante is the first Class 3 power assist bicycle Yamaha's released in the United States marketplace. The Yamaha Civante works with a 10-speed Shimano drive train for top-notch versatility and a design that's aimed at ergonomics from top to bottom. In this bike is a PWSeries SE motor and Yamaha's own Triple Sensor System for "the most natural-feeling bike ride, even at top speeds."

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A lot of focus is being poured on the Galaxy Note 20 even though it won't be the only thing Samsung will reveal next month. That may be understandable considering it will be the more "normal" of the two. The Galaxy Fold 2 will, of course, be a head turner but its price tag will surely be a downer as well. That said, Samsung may have one more upgrade planned for its third foldable phone, one that is almost ironic considering it cut down its battery a bit.

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Chrome is probably the most used web browser on all platforms but it's not exactly because it is the perfect browser. Although it has considerably improved over the years especially in memory management, it's still notorious for being a huge drain on battery life, something that the pre-Chromium Microsft Edge tried to capitalize on. That may soon be a thing of the past if the latest update makes it to the stable version of Chrome, saving users 30 minutes to even 2 hours of battery life even with dozens of tabs open.

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Concern or sometimes even obsession over battery life sometimes nurtures habits that ironically degrade battery capacity over time. While devices today are smart enough not to overcharge, some practices like keeping the battery at 100% for a long time will eventually kill the battery anyway. That's true for laptops and smartphones but it is also true for the tiny earbuds some wear day in and day out. That's why Apple is apparently rolling out in iOS 14 optimized charging to extend the longevity of its smallest smart products.

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