Samsung is taking steps to ensure another Galaxy Note 7 fiasco doesn't happen: it is developing solid-state batteries for smartphones, something that could be available to consumers within the next handful of years. The tip comes from an unnamed Samsung executive who recently spoke to a Korean publication anonymously, saying that the technology is only one or two years away.
Are fidget spinners the new 'hoverboard?' Such may be the case after one family reports that their son's Bluetooth fidget spinner caught fire and exploded while charging, raising concerns about the quality of these battery-equipped models. Unlike ordinary fidget spinners, which operate using bearings and little else, a Bluetooth fidget spinner is a bit more modern, packing in connectivity to one's phone...and a battery that can overheat while charging if the product is poorly made.
Researchers with Rice University have announced a new type of lithium-based rechargeable battery that boasts three times the capacity of currently available lithium-ion cells. The new prototype technically qualifies as an advanced lithium metal battery, something that has thus far eluded the industry. At the heart of the difficulties is the so-called 'dendrite problem,' an issue in which storing too much energy could result in mossy deposits known as dendrites, which damage the batteries.
Late last year, Samsung took the wraps off a lineup of exclusive accessories for its smartphones, including the 'Battery Pack Kettle' that features a unique design. While using the battery pack to charge a phone, the phone itself can be nestled between the powerbank and a special USB connector attachment that serves as a phone stand, keeping the handset upright on a desk or table surface.
Mercedes-Benz is taking a page out of Tesla's book, announcing today that it will soon pair its batteries with solar energy systems installed by Vivint Solar. As with Tesla's Powerwall batteries, these Mercedes-Benz batteries will be complementary to Vivint's solar panels, offering energy storage and backup power.
Rechargeable batteries are, thankfully, becoming increasingly common to the point that few devices still use ordinary single-use alkalines. Some common home gadgets still use these kinds of batteries, though, such as remote controls and smoke detectors, not to mention various loud kids toys. Though these disposable batteries shouldn't be thrown into the garbage, people do that anyway...and more often than not it is due to the relative difficulty of recycling the batteries.
Lithium-based batteries are great, except when they're not -- these batteries are prone to catching on fire and exploding, hence many product recalls over the years. A safer alternative comes in the form of zinc-based batteries, but these aren't popular due to the difficulty of recharging them. The U.S. Navy's Research Laboratory is changing that with a newly developed 3D 'sponge' battery electrode made with zinc.
E.ON North America has announced that it will be building a pair of 9.9MW battery storage facilities in Texas, with one in the Pyron wind farm in Hermleigh, TX and another in the Inadale wind farm near Roscoe. These wind farms have been in place for several years now, and are in possession of 249MW and 197MWs of battery storage at the present, numbers that will both grow when these new facilities go live later on this year.
Eagle-eyed inspectors will be watching over Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 and other upcoming smartphones to ensure there's no battery explosion repeat, South Korean regulators confirmed today. In the aftermath of the Galaxy Note 7 recall - which saw Samsung forced to refund every buyer of the phablet worldwide, as well as hear its flawed flagship declared unsafe at the start of every flight - battery pack safety testing has suddenly become a high-profile commitment. Now, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in Samsung's home country is weighing in too.
The electronic longboards called Boosted Boards are now into their second generation, and have proven popular with those who want something akin to a hoverboard, but faster and with a more traditional style. Unfortunately, the second generation version of the Boosted Board is the subject of a new recall being initiated “out of an abundance of caution.” According to the company, a couple customers have experienced issues with their boards’ battery packs smoking, something traced back to ‘quality control issues.'
Hot on the heels of the reveal of Faraday Future's FF 91, Tesla has its own news to share. Tesla may not be revealing a new car today, but what it is doing could potentially be just as big: the company announced today that is has flipped the switch at its Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada. It's here that Tesla will be producing lithium-ion battery cells for use in its electric vehicles and energy storage devices.
The amount of smartphones that explode every year has gotten entirely out of hand, as one Galaxy S6 Edge user was loathe to find this week. The user goes by the screen name ReturnThroughAether and posted a number of images of the aftermath of a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge explosion that happened overnight last night. The bad news for Samsung is that this was a Samsung smartphone. The good news is that this should further encourage research into alternate battery technology.
