Samsung rumoured to be looking into getting the Galaxy S8’s battery from Japanese manufacturer

Aside from implementing a new eight-step battery check for its devices, Samsung is rumoured to be looking into getting a new battery supplier for its upcoming flagship, the Galaxy S8. According to Korean news site Han Kyung, Samsung is looking to work with Murata Manufacturing Company, which was acquired by Sony last year. This move might a reputation boost for the company as Japanese-made products are perceived to be of better quality than its Chinese counterparts.  

The batteries of the Galaxy Note7 were primarily sourced from Samsung’s own SDI battery division and Hong Kong-based and China-owned Amperex Technology. These faulty batteries were said to be the cause of the Note7 catching fire. Samsung hasn’t confirmed the news yet.

Source: CNET

Firmware updates and fixes now available to Microsoft Surface 3

Microsoft's Surface 3 is getting a large dump of firmeare updates which fix a variety of issues for Microsoft's 'entry level' Surface device including some that recalibrate the touch panel, improve battery charging and solve some of the Wi-Fi connectivity issues. Look out for update today and hit this link for more information.

Huawei works on new lithium-ion batteries capable of charging 10 times faster than normal batteries

Imagine being able to charge a 3,000mAh battery to 48 percent in just five minutes. Existing quick charging technologies have nothing on what Huawei is planning. Huawei presented at the 56^th Battery Symposium in Japan new lithium-ion batteries that are said to achieve ten times the charging speeds of existing batteries. Shown in two separate videos, one 600mAh battery can reach 68 percent capacity in two minutes, while the other is the 3,000mAh one that hit close to 50 percent at around five minutes.

The science behind this according to Huawei is it “bonded heteroatoms to the molecule of graphite in anode, which could be a catalyst for the capture and transmission of lithium through carbon bonds.” This helps improve charging speed without decreasing energy density or battery life. For now it’s still a concept but we can’t wait for future smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and the like to take advantage of this technology.

Source: Android Police

Dyson buys battery firm Sakti3

With the latest acquisition by tech company Dyson, we can expect a boost in the battery life of its vacuum cleaners. Dyson just bought battery technology firm Sakti3 for US$90 million dollars. The manufacturing and technology firm previously invested $15 million into Sakti3. According to the company’s founder James Dyson, they plan to deliver new products using Sakti3 technology and build a battery production plant. The advanced solid-state battery technology is expected to be integrated within Dyson’s systems in a year or two.

Dyson and Sakti3 founder Ann Marie Sastry won’t say though if they plan to bring Sakti3’s technology into electric cars. Sakti3 previously claimed their batteries were twice as efficient as Tesla’s car batteries. Dyson isn’t ruling out licensing the technology to other companies. He said the batteries by Sakti3 don’t overheat like other liquid batteries and can charge “in a matter of minutes as opposed to a few hours.”

Source: USA Today