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Why Batteries Haven't Kept Up

Posted by Hemos on from the problems-of-base-levels dept.

TimWeigel writes "Ever wonder why we can cram ever more computer power into smaller and smaller devices, but we're still (mostly) slaves to the almighty AA? This article on CNN touches on this very important facet of our lives - why the power sources for our Palm Pilots and Gameboys haven't matched the advances in computing power. In a word: physics." I had an interesting conversation with a person who's been doing a lot of research into batteries. Batteries have grown at standard normal industrial rates - which are much slower then Moore's Law, and hence, the source of our problem.

12 of 442 comments (clear)

  1. Calculus Has Kept Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Calculus has! Everyone needs integration!

  2. Re:Standardisation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    D, C, B, A, AA, AAA etc. are standards, you silly man. Different sizes for different uses, see?

    Why not standarise on one size of paper too? I say we go with B2. That should suit everyone, right?

  3. Re:Shake? by pizen · · Score: 4, Funny

    My gramps has a clock you just have to shake instead of wind up. Why can't a palm or other device work the same? Put some mechanics in there.

    Put it in a paint mixer for a few days and have it run for years...

  4. Re:Another reason... by pizen · · Score: 3, Funny

    I always hated my TI-85, fresh batteries at the start of a school year would run out just days before the final exam. My last calculus exam was a whole lot of squinting at the screen with the contrast turned up to 9 :o).

    Yeah, Tetris really sucked up the batteries in High School Calculus.

  5. The Way of the Fuel Cell by Jeppe+Salvesen · · Score: 3, Funny

    With Methane-powered fuel cells coming out, why bother about batteries? With methane-powered fuel cells, you can eat beans, stick a hose up your butt and surf pr0n 'till you collapse into a puddle of.. something.

    --

    Stop the brainwash

  6. Already been done... by Dan-DAFC · · Score: 1, Funny

    They called it the Etch-A-Sketch.

    --
    Suck figs.
  7. nuke batteries by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    I had a chem instructor who was a big proponent of nuke batteries and power plants. His argument is it is much better for the environment than burning fossil fuels. The only problem I see with nuke batteries is "what if someone buys a ton of batteries to harvest the radioactive material?"

    Sure it's not going to be warhead quality, but it could still make quite a huge explosion. Plus, animals and small children have been known to swallow small batteries. Not sure I want a nuke battery in someone's stomach.

  8. Re:Shake? by Maran · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I think a Palm uses much mroe energy than a clock, so you'd be shaking it every 15 minutes."

    Yes, but that's ok for a Windows laptop - finally an excuse to vent your frustrations on it. The "Come on you bas***d! WORK!" annoyed-shake suddenly becomes effective when you provide the CPU with more juice ^_^

    Maran

  9. the problem by ism · · Score: 1, Funny

    The close-sourced technology and the patent system are stifling innovation. Energizer keeps its Bunny and e2 technology to itself, while Duracell has not released the APIs to its M3 technology. It's obvious the patent system needs a complete overhaul, and these companies should open-source their technology. It will help open-source developers immensely. For example, they won't have to find out the hard way that those chemicals can eat right through a table.

  10. Re:Nuclear paranoia by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 4, Funny
    Antimatter might make an excellent method for storing and transporting energy someday, but it is not itself an energy source. It's just like hydrogen in this sense. You can do lots of interesting things with it, but it is not a fuel source because you have to make it and that process takes more energy than you get out of it.
    Phase 1: Build Antimatter generating plants in the Antartic, using abundant winds, and being happy in the fact that there's not very many people or animals around. Phase 2: ??????? Phase 3: Profit!
    --
    Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  11. to much power by surflorida · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well maybe there is a reason batteries haven't advanced. According to the article Paul Saffo says: "a double-A cell would contain more energy than a tactical nuke." Just imagine how much regulation and radiation there would be.

  12. That's a lot of power by sean23007 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here's a good poll question:

    What would you do with the power of a tactical nuke in your pocket?

    Please don't say CowboyNeal...

    --

    Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.