Keep on waiting for safer, longer-lasting batteries
If you were among the millions of people affected by the recall of potentially explosive laptop batteries by Dell and Apple recently, you might be wondering if there's some alternative power source out there that might be a little less incendiary and a little more reliable. "The prevailing technology to power gadgets is lithium-ion batteries, which experts view as relatively safe despite last month's recall," says a Reuters report today. Part of the problem is that more is expected of laptop batteries than ever before, as people use their machines for power-hungry tasks like video-conferencing, interactive games, and watching full-length movies. Technology is available that would produce safer, longer-lasting batteries, but don't hold your breath for the new power sources to hit store shelves soon. "The next step is fuel cells, but (they) are a little way away," Gartner chief of research Jim Tully told Reuters. "In five to 10 years, fuels cells will become an integrated replacement for conventional batteries."
