Batteries, the black sheep of the technology

Batteries are the Achilles heel of the mobile industry, a segment exhibiting a florid face. Nearly 270 million smartphones were sold during the first three months of the year, according to the consultant TrendForce. The status of black sheep was alleged to batteries for their short evolution in relation to other components that comprise a mobile device. The autonomy of the batteries has evolved, but not to the passage of the components surrounding their body’s ion lithium.

Why cell presented in early 2000 managed to stand over several days, while modern iPhone 5 Galaxy S5 and hopefully stretch up to 24 hours without requiring energy assistance? The answer lies in the benefits to which they have agreed in recent years increasingly sharper screens, 3G and 4G connectivity, applications running simultaneously, the ability to play multimedia content. A cell phone is more, today, a personal pocket computer.

The proliferation of apps that promise to lengthen the battery life is a perfect example of the weaknesses identified above. With free and commercial versions, JuiceDefender is one of the most used; as the developer has been downloaded more than 5 million times. It is useful for devices with Android-based process automation, as the alternate network access, control brightness, adjust the CPU performance when the phone is idle and performance settings according slots. Do not forget that, in addition, they usually come with cellular usage modes for energy savings.

HORIZON RECHARGED

During the first week of April, as part of an event organized by Microsoft in Tel Aviv, an Israeli startup showed a prototype that came at the hands of the ordinary user; dismantle part of the discrediting of batteries for mobile devices. Although extending the autonomy, the device promises a full recharge in just 30 seconds. According StoreDot explains the firm specializes in nanotechnology responsible for this development, the apparent magic has a scientific explanation: The system is based on peptides, molecules composed of amino acids that can reduce drastically the recharge time. With marketing planned for 2016, subtract polishing various aspects of the promised panacea. Seek, first, to extend support to more devices (the show was performed in a Galaxy S4) and, second, to reduce its size, which is now larger than the average smartphone.

To speak of autonomy, during 2013 the mobile industry saw the emergence of a new concept in smartphones, the curved screen, offering a new physical space in which to accommodate the batteries. The conducive crannies of arc are unprecedented in a traditional phone.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy Round and LG launched the G Flex. For the purposes of this review, it stop staring at the latter company, which has a department specifically dedicated to research and development of batteries, LG Chem plans recently its freshest met in the area. “Batteries never seen before that break with tradition rectangular” said the division of the South Korean company department. Besides batteries curves, the presentation included staggered models, ranking each other, taking advantage of the open spaces within the housings.

G2 is the case, a smartphone from LG whose peculiarity is the presence of buttons on the back side, creating a vacant location space, again, for the batteries. LG Chem also unveiled a battery model in the form of wire, flexible and water resistant, appropriate for the new wave of technology products to dress like glasses, smart watches and even rings. However, commercial production has not yet been set up. LG Chem said it plans to lead efforts to produce these components in bulk.

In late January, Google Motorola sold to Lenovo 2900 million, but retained the department in charge of Ara Project, an initiative to develop modular phones. In an effort to bring the world of hardware open source philosophy that both revenue handed Android, the proposal represents a “democratization of smartphones assembly.” A skeleton (called Endo) contains various modules, associated through a magnetic system. Thus, the user can configure your computer from beginning to end, or almost. It will be possible to choose between a touchscreen or a physical keyboard, the type of camera and microprocessor. It will also be possible to add battery modules for extended runtime device. That’s right: there are a limited number of receptacles modules, although the Ara Project includes three sizes with different capacities.

ECCENTRIC OR INNOVATIVE??

Who has not put the outcry when a tablet or smartphone runs out of charge, just when we need more technical charms? In an industry marked by technological development disrepute, it is not strange the appearance of certain eccentricities barked as the ultimate solution and that some days elapsed, few remember their benefits portended.

In late Business Insider 2013 reported that Bill Gates, father of Microsoft, provided financial support for the Bristol Robotics Laboratory English, which investigates the properties of human urine as a possible source liable to be used to power smartphones energy. In these arenas work of a team of Chungnam National University in South Korea, which investigates a method to extract silica from rice husk, to convert that material silicon for lithium-ion batteries also appears.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that these electrodes can store ten times more energy and lose no capacity even after two hundred charging cycles. It speaks to wind power to give effect to the devices: as showed a group of researchers from the University of Arlington, Texas, mobiles could incorporate smaller than a grain of rice mills, which, with the aid of air currents generate the power needed to feed the operation of a mobile, although they could also be a complement to other mechanisms of traditional load.

The powerful Apple also suffers the weaknesses of this component and its search-some confirmed, others rumoradas-are proof that the batteries do not meet what the industry needs. As he told The New York Times Tony Fadell, one of those responsible for the creation of iPod and iPhone, the Cupertino firm working for years in the eventual implementation of solar recharging but also the slowness of this method, the habit bring equipment inside bags it is bad for those plans. Smart watch for her husband (believed to be called iWatch) has emerged that Apple plans to harness the kinetic energy: the movements of the user generate the required load for a portable device whose essence squandered end having to plug it into the mains. All of this, because of the batteries, that in spite of their brave and quiet work, is not at the height of a thriving industry.