While Samsung is receiving a lot of media attention this month for overheating battery issues in the new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and the following non-recall, it’s easy to forget that overheating, occasionally exploding batteries are an issue that has come along with the popularity of lithium-ion batteries. They’ve caused issues in everything from baby monitors to airliners to e-cigarettes to hoverboards, as well as an awful lot of portable computers. [More]
batteries
Tesla’s Worst Kept Secret Is Out: It’s Making Solar-Based Batteries For Homes, Businesses
By 5.1.15
For months Tesla CEO Elon Musk has subtly (and not so subtly) hinted that the company’s next big foray wouldn’t be another car, but a battery system aimed at homeowners, businesses and utilities. On Thursday night, he finally made the announcement most of us saw coming. [More]
Tesla Testing Soon-To-Be-Launched Batteries At Several Walmart Stores
By 4.23.15
With Tesla’s “major new product line” announcement scheduled to take place next week, new reports have surfaced that support the idea the company’s much-hyped unveiling is for a new line of batteries to power homes and businesses. One in particular points out the company’s new energy source is already at work powering several Walmart stores. [More]
Tesla Working On A Lithium-Ion Battery To Power Homes, Businesses
By 2.12.15
Pricey electric-car manufacturer Tesla plans to use its technology to revamp the way we power our homes. [More]
Tesla Batteries Might Be The Next Big Threat To Electric Companies
By 12.5.14
Electric cars might not be great for gas companies, but they feel like a net win for the electric utilities: after all, if you’re plugging in a Tesla in the garage every night, that’s a little more juice they can charge you for using. Tesla’s goal, though, isn’t just to make cars less environmentally hostile, but to make everything else that way too. And that might just be a huge problem for existing electric utilities. [More]
Procter & Gamble Is Planning To Ditch Its Duracell Battery Business
By 10.24.14
Here’s to hoping Duracell has enough battery power to move on with its life after a breakup: Procter & Gamble announced today that it’s planning to ditch its Duracell business, as part of a move to trim down its roster of consumer brands. Duracell will become a separate company, with shareholders getting the option to exchange some or all of their P&G stock for a stake in the new venture. [More]
Find Some AA Batteries That Are Not Terrible
By 12.2.13
Haven’t you always wanted to buy a bunch of different brands of batteries, test them side by side in the same appliance, and see which one lasts the longest? No? Well, let’s pretend that you have. Everyone uses batteries at some point, and our fully-charged colleagues over at Consumer Reports tested some for all of our benefit. [More]
Autopsy Shows Toddler Died From Consuming A Battery
By 10.30.13
A Las Vegas toddler died a few weeks ago, and the reason for his death wasn’t immediately clear. His illness began when he started coughing blood, and doctors couldn’t figure out what was making the child ill. The culprit wasn’t identifiable in an X-ray: a small coin-shaped battery. [More]
How To Not Kill Every Rechargeable Battery You Own
By 6.17.13
It seems like every device we use, from toothbrushes to mobile phones, has some kind of rechargeable battery in it now. I mean, seriously, toothbrushes? Prolonging the battery life means prolonging the useful life of your gadget. Are there things you can do that would wreak havoc with the millions of microscopic hamsters inside the battery that power your laptop? [More]
Who Put A Used Battery In My New Car?
By 6.8.12
Amanda’s car is pretty new: it’s a 2008 Honda Civic. She’s its first and only owner, and a trusted family member performs all maintenance on it. When the battery died recently, a mechanic changed it out for her. What was supposed to be the car’s original battery….wasn’t. It was a reconditioned battery that had clearly served her well for 4 years, but didn’t belong in a factory-fresh car. So how the heck did she end up with a used, refurbished battery instead of the shiny new one that it clearly deserved? [More]
Physics Professor Uses Super Math Skills To Investigate Classic Question Of Generic vs. Brand Name Battery
By 1.27.12
It’s a good thing there are physics professors around to do all the complicated math when we need questions answered, otherwise how would we know if it’s worth it to buy name brand batteries? We would never know, is the answer. [More]
Blockbuster Wants To Lure You In On Christmas With Free Batteries
By 12.21.11
Apparently having given up on the whole movie rental thing as a way to lure customers into its few stores that remain open, Blockbuster is trotting out a free battery gimmick. Go into any participating store on Christmas and you can walk away with two packs of either AA or AAA batteries. If you need more than that, you can buy additional packs for a buck. [More]
How's Your iPhone 4S Battery?
By 10.27.11
Our lab-coated colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports are still testing various features of the iPhone 4S, so we don’t have their verdict on its battery life yet. But many customers online, including reader Bill, are already complaining that the battery drains much too quickly, and never fully charges to 100%. [More]
Are Batteries Going The Way Of The VHS Tape?
By 6.28.11
When portable radios, cassette and CD players exploded onto the market, users began chewing through batteries like they were going out of style. But now, even though the use of personal electronic devices is at an all-time high, fewer devices use traditional batteries and companies like Duracell and Energizer are feeling the pinch. [More]
Stretch The Life Of Your Laptop Battery
By 3.10.11
If your laptop is saddled with a battery so poor that you have to constantly be plugged into an outlet, you’re missing out on all the benefits a portable computer can offer. There are steps you can take to make sure your batter lasts as long as possible before you need to replace it. [More]
Duracell Battery Pack Comes With Free Glue Stick. But Why?
By 2.8.11
Here’s an interesting cross-promo. Reader Ally spotted a pack of Duracells at her lokcal Hannaford that came with a FREE glue stick. It wasn’t something that the store had shrinkwrapped together, but the glue stick was actually in the package itself. What’s the marketing strategy here? Maybe because they’re both supplies you put in your desk drawer. Maybe the glue makes the electrons stick together better. Inquiring minds want to know. [More]
Don't Call Apple About Your Expanding MacBook Battery Unless It Explodes
By 1.14.11
The necessary but easily interchangeable pieces of a laptop, such as the power cord and any removable batteries, usually aren’t covered under the laptop’s warranty. When those items wear out or break in the course of normal use, you’re expected to replace them. When the 1.5-year-old battery to Tommy’s 6-year-old Macbook Pro overheated and began to expand, Apple representatives were sympathetic, but unable to replace the battery since, well, batteries are only supposed to last for a year or so. [More]
Virus Could Make Batteries Last 10 Times Longer
By 12.9.10
“Virus” and “tobacco” are not two words you usually think of in a positive light, but they could be the secret to making batteries last ten times as long. [More]
