Handy Guide

All around the world researches teams are working on finding new ways to reduce battery consumptions of our devices, such as phones, mp3 players, etc. Here we make a summary of most interesting techonologies that could be soon used (or already are available) to the end user!

• In Texas, a team of researchers has created a new material that can use the audio signal created by your voice to create enough electricity to power a cell phone. According to them, a certain type of piezoelectric material at 21 nanometers in diameter, it can increase the energy production of that material by 100 percent. The technology could be applied to cell phones, and other low-powered electronics devices. Such devices could then operate without a battery.

• A U.K.-based company called MotionTouch introduced a new charger today that can recharge phones through solar energy. The Powcell — initially designed for iPhones and certain BlackBerries — is a sleeve that fits around the sides and back of the phone. It has an internal battery that is always charging when exposed to light. It can be attached to a phone to recharge a dead battery or continuously charge the phone. According to MotionTouch, the Powcell is designed for each phone and is styled accordingly to match the design of the handset. MotionTouch says that it will build Powcells for other handsets depending on demand. By using solar energy, the Powcell could help to reduce the dependency on chargers that must be plugged into electrical outlets.

• A company called M2E Power is developing technology that will harness the kinetic movement of the human body to charge electronic devices, including cellular phones. The charging station would be a small device worn on the body. Whenever the wearer moves, such as walking or running, the movement will create and store electrical energy in a battery. The battery can then be used to charge or power a mobile device. M2E Power suggests that 6 hours worth of activity could provide 30 to 60 minutes of talk time. The company expects to have the device to market in 2009.

• Nokia has recently announced that a research team is working on a wireless energy harvesting mechanism, which captures ambient radio waves and turns it into electrical current. Radio waves are emitted by all sorts of electronics, and Nokia’s research is focused on a way to harvest this energy as it hits the phone’s battery. Their goal is about to capture about 50 milliwatts of power for “ambient charging” — which would at least be enough to top off the battery while the phone is off. Unfortunately, right now their current prototypes are only pulling down 3 to 5 milliwatts, and many in the industry are convinced it can’t be done. To be honest, we’re not totally sure were comfortable with the thought that there’s enough RF floating around to make this even theoretically possible, but as we slowly come to grips with our own mortality, we imagine we’d gladly pay an extra $70 or so for the privilege of never having to charge our phone again. Nokia itself isn’t over promising: they plan on supplementing this juice with solar power, and thinks it’ll be three or four years until it makes its way into a handset — probably around the time your existing iPhone contract dries up.