October 18, 2005
Power-thirsty gadgets draining consumers
A growing number of consumers becoming ever more dependent on their energy-hungry gadgets, reports CNN. But smartphones, laptops, digital music players and portable videogame consoles tend to gobble up more power with every additional feature.
Battery makers are racing to keep up, finding new ways to pack more power into smaller and smaller spaces. Much of the research is centered on improving the lithium ion battery. Found in most mobile electronics gear, they are energy dense, smaller and lighter than nickel-based batteries, but are often more expensive.
Sony Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic products, have developed longer-lasting lithium ion batteries that can allegedly boost the life of a battery by up to 30 percent, claims that some analysts question.
Panasonic says it's working together with Intel Corp. to develop an "all-day battery." Designed to power laptops, cell phones and other mobile electronics, the battery is scheduled to hit store shelves in April. Meanwhile Intel' is developing a mobile platform technology enabling laptops to take advantage of Panasonic's battery.
Finding ways of squeezing more performance from available power is a huge area of exploration for electronics makers.
Sometimes an executive in charge of power management employs a less scientific approach: begging designers to make room for a bigger battery in the device, said Dave Heacock, at Texas Instruments.
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2005/10/010305.htm