
I LIKE HAVING a replaceable battery in my phone and that's one reason I opted for a Lumia 820. However, I've discovered that all batteries aren't built the same.
In my case, an inexpensive 8 euro battery won't give me eight hours of hard use. However, the 1500 mAh rating on the Li-ion replacement is less than the 1650 mAh of the original Nokia BP-5T Li-polymer so I reckon I'm getting what I paid for.
Batteries and microtechnology intrigue me. I'm worried about all the evil residue I'm leaving behind for future generations because of my disposable batteries so I try to buy the (much more expensive) rechargeable batteries for kids' toys and consumer electronic gear. I've also noticed a relationship between how long it takes to recharge a battery and how long that battery's duty cycle actually extends. And I'm seeing evidence of major leaps in microtechnology that might boost our expectations of battery power.
Battery technology deserves to observe a breakthrough. Researchers at the University of Illinois might have just what we need--powerful microbatteries so strong that you might use one to jump start your car's flat battery. These lithium ion microbatteries are only a few millimeters in size. You could recharge your smartphone in less than a second with these microbatteries.
From research published here in the journal Nature Communications:
-- The batteries could enable sensors or radio signals that broadcast 30 times farther and devices that are 30 times smaller.
-- The batteries are rechargeable and can charge 1,000 times faster than competing technologies.
-- These test batteries have an internal three-dimensional microstructure based upon a three-dimensional nanostructure cathode design with integrated microscale components that result in a complete battery with superior performance.
Bernie Goldbach teaches creative multimedia students how to power themselves for longer than an eight-hour duty day.