The Longest Lasting AA Alkaline Battery Cell from Panasonic

AA batteries have been around for such a long time already that we more or less take them for granted, but there is still more to the evolution of AA batteries than meets the eye. Case in point, Panasonic’s Evolta battery that has already been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s “longest lasting AA alkaline battery cell”. This is a newly created category just for batteries alone, and you can be sure that the Evolta is but a starting point in this category - I can’t wait for the day technology evolves to make alkaline battery cells last virtually forever.

The name Evolta itself is an amalgamation of “evolution” and “voltage”, symbolizing growth and power, respectively. Both of them were specifically designed to work with a wide range of electronics devices, although I think it would be rather foolish to use these in a remote control unless you don’t want to change the batteries in your remote for 10 years or something. It would be more suitable to use the Evolta in energy draining devices like digital cameras and remote control toys, although its use is not limited to just those mentioned products.

What makes the Evolta battery so special? Well, the way it is structured internally offers more space within compared to previous generation batteries, which in turn lets Panasonic cram in even more active materials. Couple that with an improved sealing technology and you end up with a more durable battery by all means. Not only that, newly-developed active materials for the battery’s cathode (manganese dioxide and oxy-hydroxide titanium) and anode (zinc) facilitate a chemical reaction that delivers superior performance. Panasonic has also worked hard to improve the manufacturing process to jam active materials more evenly and densely.

The Evolta will come in AA/AAA flavors in four-pack and eight-pack versions, retailing for $4.99 and $8.99, respectively.

Promethean Power Solar-Powered Refrigerator.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Promethean Power Systems, a start-up developing solar-powered refrigerators for India, has raised a round of angel funding from the Quercus Trust.

The funding, finalized Thursday, will allow the company to build another prototype which it hopes to test in India next year, according to company CEO Sorin Gramma.

Promethean Power prototype of a solar-powered refrigerator.

(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET Networks)

Promethean Power showed off its first prototype this week at the Technology Review EmTech 2008 conference.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinoff is combining solar power with thermoelectrics--materials that create cooling or heat from electrical current--to make a standalone refrigeration unit for rural India.

At the heart of its system is what it calls its hybrid compressor, a cooling unit that can run both off of a diesel generator and three to five 180-watt solar panels.

Solar panels make this sort of refrigerator far more expensive. But Gramma estimates that a milk or food distribution company could save two-thirds what it spends picking up food from farmers.

The refrigeration allows for one, rather than two, milk pick-ups a day. Also, by squeezing as much power as possible from the sun, these cooling stations don't need to run their generators as often.

The electricity from the panels flows through the thermoelectric modules. A heat-exchange system of water tubes creates ice for cold storage, while the heat is whisked away.

Gramma said the company is probably two years away from having a commercial product.

The Quercus Trust, run by David Gelbaum, keeps a low profile but has made a number of seed investments in the clean-tech area.

"The Quercus Trust is a leading investor in solar and other clean-tech technologies and is proud to provide Promethean with capital to further its goal of providing better living conditions for the communities that can most benefit from this technology," it said in a statement.

Pininfarina Sintesi Electric-Hydrogen Hybrid

At the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, Pininfarina, the famed styling house, showed off its Sintesi concept car. The Sintesi features four suicide scissor doors, a 0.27 coefficient of drag, and rear lights that not only feature the newest LED Osram technology but also have cameras and sensors. The lights visually connect the rear styling to the side by underlining the car's central axis. But one of this concept's most amazing features lies inside.

The Sintesi's instrument panel is unlike any other I've seen. The entire panel is one translucent piece that uses various light displays to show information. If you look closely, it really is the entire dashboard from one end to the other, not just the oval-shaped display in the center. The company claims that the car could help do away with traffic signals and road signs altogether, since it displays them all inside the vehicle as you approach them. The car can also "communicate" with other cars in order to determine the best, most traffic-free routes.

Source: Pininfarina

The car is an electric-hydrogen hybrid, with small fuel cells located throughout the vehicle rather than in one central location. The system is expected to deliver in the neighborhood of 700 hp. All of this sounds incredibly cool and yet maddeningly vague. The company has been slowly revealing the car and its features over the course of several months. One thing is for certain: this four-door is a heck of an alternative to a Honda Accord.