Matsushita to mass-produce heatproof batteries
691865
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.   said on Monday it aims to mass-produce spark-resistant  batteries, eyeing a potential sales opportunity following  incidents involving rivals' battery packs.
370399
Nissan Motor Co. plans to develop and start selling subcompact electric cars powered by self-developed lithium-ion batteries in about three years, the Nihon Keizai (Nikkei) business daily reported on Sunday.
691209
Stanford researchers say silicon nanowires could help extend the life of a lithium ion battery for laptops from 4 hours to 40 hours.
242548
The replacement of a thin plastic resin insulating layer, or polyolefin, with a new and undisclosed heat resistance layer, could prevent future incidents of lithium-ion batteries spontaneously catching fire. From the battery producing arm of Matsushita, Panasonic's parent company, which claims it's now ready to begin producing batteries with the new insulator.
320925
(InfoWorld) - Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (Panasonic) is recalling several thousand laptop computer battery packs because mechanical problems with the pack's latch could lead to overheating of the battery. The recall applies to around 6,000 battery packs that were shipped with its CF-W4G Let's Note W4 laptop computers in April and May of 2005, the company said Tuesday. The recall only applies to machines shipped in Japan. The problems arise if the owner sometimes drops the machine or sets it down on a table very roughly, said Akira Kadota, a spokesman for the company in Tokyo. On such occasions the small spring in the latch can penetrate the battery pack and cause a short circuit that leads to overheating, he said. Panasonic has documented two cases to-date of this happening with the battery packs under recall. "This is veryÂ different from the Sony case," he said referring to recent recalls by Dell and Apple ComputerÂ of almost 6 million battery packs containing Sony-made cells. Sony said the presence of metallic particles inside the battery meant there is a chance that the cells could overheat and catch fire under certain circumstances. The cells in the batteries under recall were not made by Sony or Panasonic, said Kadota. He wouldn't name the battery maker. Panasonic has posted details of the recall on the Internet in Japanese at:Â http://askpc.panasonic.co.jp/info/info_w4.html.ADVERTISEMENTMAKE SOA REAL WITH IBM WEBSPHERE PODCASTStreamline processes and maximize efficiency within a proven service oriented architecture. Take back control of your business processes with IBM WebSphere.
688142
In an advance that could lead to lighter spacecraft and smarter cars, researchers have developed a new technique for producing a high-quality semiconductor that's much more resistant to extreme conditions than the silicon found in most of today's electronics.
540709
Cathode that operates at 500-700 degrees C lowers cost of solid-oxide fuel cells that could one day power individual homes.
65257
Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co  said on Friday that replacement of its batteries in Nokia  mobile phones is likely to cost the company 10 billion to 20  billion yen ($86-$172 million).
421450
Nanowire electrodes could improve the performance of electric vehicles.
423827
By Kyodo News International, Tokyo  Feb. 1--TOKYO -- Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. revised upward  Thursday its earnings forecast for the current business year on brisk sales of  flat-panel TVs, saying its group sales are now expected to hit an all-time  high of 9 trillion yen.
565232
mPhase Technologies [OTCBB:XDSL]  today announced that the Smart Nanobattery it is developing could be  equipped with features that would allow it to be disposed of safely.
210393
Problems with the battery pack's latch could lead to overheating, company says.
648835
Mobile phone users left talking to themselves when their battery runs out in the middle of a call could soon see an end to their frustration as scientists perfect a way to recharge electrical equipment while on the move.
114511
Sony has developed an  environmentally-friendly prototype battery that runs on sugars  and that can generate enough electricity to power a music  player and a pair of speakers, the Japanese company said.
80848
A new generation of rechargeable lithium batteries could reduce global warming, a leading expert says.
436047
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Tuesday it has begun recalling 6,000 lithium-ion batteries used in Panasonic-brand notebook computers in Japan on concerns they might overheat.
537594
More winterizing steps for big energy savings.