New battery technology

[jbcohen]

http://www.technologyreview.com/news...tery-advances/

[murraypaul]

The story is two years old, so not exactly recent advances.

[kitoo1]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

The story is two years old, so not exactly recent advances.

And it is even so weird that they haven't done any accomplishment so far..


solocigars

[jbcohen]

Hmm, I wonder why I have not seen this technology in some devices yet if its several years old.

[teh603]

Probably because there's too much money in replacing existing batteries and increasing humanity's landfill waste, and not enough real desire to change things for the better?

Everything's about profit these days, and a technology that could change the world is worth more being suppressed than it is being implemented.

[Fluribus]

Originally Posted by teh603

Probably because there's too much money in replacing existing batteries and increasing humanity's landfill waste, and not enough real desire to change things for the better?

Everything's about profit these days, and a technology that could change the world is worth more being suppressed than it is being implemented.

This assumes that the Big Battery Conglomeration is bigger and more powerful than the Big Technology Conglomeration. I assume that Apple, Samsung, and the rest would love to have better batteries to pump up sales. How many people would dump their version 1.0 device for a version 1.000000001 device in which the battery lasts twice as long between charges.

The other difficulty with suppressing advances is that in order to apply for a patent it becomes public information. Once the patent expires anyone can access the specs and build it.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

This assumes that the Big Battery Conglomeration is bigger and more powerful than the Big Technology Conglomeration. I assume that Apple, Samsung, and the rest would love to have better batteries to pump up sales. How many people would dump their version 1.0 device for a version 1.000000001 device in which the battery lasts twice as long between charges.

Not really. As I mentioned in another thread, Apple's iOS devices are designed to wear out after a few years of average use, and much of that is the battery. When the iPod or whatever no longer holds a charge, you throw it away and buy another one.

In more philosophical terms, durability has no place in capitalism because it lessens the money you could be making off repeat customers. Selling cheap, wasteful trash makes you more money, regardless of environmental impact.

The other difficulty with suppressing advances is that in order to apply for a patent it becomes public information. Once the patent expires anyone can access the specs and build it.

That implies people knew about the patent to begin with. How many years did it take for someone to rediscover Gregor Mendel's research on genetics?

[ScotiaBurrell]

Originally Posted by teh603

Apple's iOS devices are designed to wear out after a few years of average use, and much of that is the battery. When the iPod or whatever no longer holds a charge, you throw it away and buy another one.

Apple can replace battery for less than price of new device.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html

[carpetmojo]

Haven't we already had this "news" about new battery technology recently ?

It certainly seems to pop up fairly regularly....

[Abtacha]

Originally Posted by ScotiaBurrell

Apple can replace battery for less than price of new device.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html

Yes, and that $79+ battery probably costs Apple less than a tenth to buy, I'm sure they have only the best interest of their customers in mind.

[Fluribus]

Originally Posted by teh603

That implies people knew about the patent to begin with. How many years did it take for someone to rediscover Gregor Mendel's research on genetics?

A patent requires full disclosure. All of that information is public. Had Gregor Mendel applied for a patent, all of his work would have been recorded in the patent office and available to anyone who wanted it. That is why the patent system exists.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by Abtacha

Yes, and that $79+ battery probably costs Apple less than a tenth to buy, I'm sure they have only the best interest of their customers in mind.

Well, of course they do.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

A patent requires full disclosure. All of that information is public. Had Gregor Mendel applied for a patent, all of his work would have been recorded in the patent office and available to anyone who wanted it. That is why the patent system exists.

There's a difference between something being public, and being known.

[Penforhire]

The reason why this happens all the time is the huge gap between inventing something and making it cost effective. That might be materials cost, low manufacturing yield, liability, or any other money-based reason. All sorts of wickedly cool inventions are out there but not yet "reduced to practice."

I'm still expecting full-electric brakes on passenger cars (no hydraulic fluid at end-of-life, less unsprung weight, faster maximum braking) and steer-by-wire (no steering column to damage a driver in a crash, even our modern collapsing style is not great) but I'm not holding my breath. Those technologies are nearly mature but the liability issues are huge.

[SeaKing]

Can you buy a replacement battery and replace an iPod battery yourself by opening the case?