<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5981da10b50ab12a008b6622-1125/iphone 8 white.jpg" alt="iPhone 8 White" data-mce-source="Martin Hajek" data-mce-caption="Designer Martin Hajek's render of the &amp;quotiPhone 8&quot; in white." data-link="http://www.martinhajek.com/iphone-8-leak-in-white/" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.martinhajek.com/iphone-8-leak-in-white/">Martin Hajek</a></span></p><p class="caption">Designer Martin Hajek's render of the new iPhone with an OLED screen.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple is set to announce a slew of new products on Tuesday, including three new iPhones: The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. </p><p>There are said to be several major differences between the three phones, but one of the biggest changes is the screen - the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-8-rumors-photos-renderings-reports-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iPhone X</a> will have a new OLED screen, while the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will have an LCD screen like Apple's previous phones. </p><p>The OLED technology is new for Apple, but anyone who uses Samsung phones (or the Google Pixel, or the new Essential Phone) is already familiar with OLED. In fact, <span>Samsung has been using OLED screens since its first Galaxy phone came out seven years ago. </span></p><h2>So, what is OLED?</h2><p>OLED, short for "organic light-emitting diode," is a type of display technology. It differs from the more widely used LCD (liquid crystal display) tech by creating light within every individual pixel that makes up its picture, instead of requiring a separate backlighting system.</p><p>This means it can produce perfectly dark blacks. Rather than trying to cover up a backlight behind the scenes, and inevitably letting some light through, it simply shuts the appropriate pixels off. The result is an infinite contrast ratio - i.e., the difference between a display's darkest blacks and brightest whites.</p><p>And that, in turn, means an OLED panel can produce a more vivid, realistic picture. If you've ever put a Galaxy S8 and an iPhone 7 side-by-side, you've seen the difference: Apple's LCD displays are excellent for what they are, but Samsung's just<span> </span><em>pops</em><span> </span>more. It's more engrossing. It's thinner, too.</p><p>Now, I'm simplifying. Improved backlighting tech, wider color gamuts, and<span> </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-hdr-tv-should-i-buy-2016-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HDR</a><span> </span>have helped the best LCD displays catch up a bit. But stuff like that isn't<span> </span><em>exclusive</em><span> </span>to LCD. Judged straight up, the contrast difference is great enough to make OLED superior. </p><h2>The drawbacks</h2><p>OLED isn't perfect. OLED displays are more prone to color-shifting. And OLED is also very vulnerable to burn-in. If you leave a certain image on an OLED screen for too long, you run the risk of that image being retained, or "burned into," the screen over time.</p><p>This isn't a problem unique to OLED - LED screens are also susceptible to burn-in. But the vulnerability to burn-in is even greater with OLEDs, which could shorten the lifespan of your phone (according to some <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-x-oled-burn-in-mitigation,news-25813.html">press reports</a>, there are clues in the iOS code that Apple has taken special steps to mitigate the burn-in effect on the iPhone X).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5818a6e0362ca425008b6182-1995/download.png" alt="iphone screen vs samsung screen lcd vs oled" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">These two screens are displaying the same photo of the color black (that blue line on the OLED screen, right, just serves to show that the screen is actually turned on).</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Changes ahead</h2><p>What does this mean for people who buy the new iPhone? Well, we'll have to wait until September 12 to find out what, exactly. But judging by my own experience with Samsung's OLED screens, I have a few guesses.</p><p>OLED screens paint a much more vivid picture, and the display is so bright and so captivating, it almost doesn't look real. You feel like you could climb into the screen - it's that immersive. For anyone who wears glasses or contacts, the difference between OLED and LCD screens felt like when your prescription gets bumped up a notch and everything comes into sharper focus.</p><p>Plus, since the iPhone X is rumored to have a screen that goes <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-8-rumors-photos-renderings-reports-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">all the way to the edges</a>, OLED technology will really have a chance to shine.  </p><p>An OLED screen on an iPhone would also give Apple the option to create an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s8-and-iphone-8-oled-screens-2017-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"always on" feature</a> like the Galaxy has. The screen can display the date, time, battery life, and more without wasting the phone's battery, since the phone only has to light up the pixels it needs. If an iPhone tried to do that now, it would have to light up the entire screen, then color in the pixels black to cover up the backlight. And your battery would drain. </p><p>One thing to note: OLED screens are typically more expensive, and that may be part of the reason the iPhone X is predicted to cost <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-8-rumors-photos-renderings-reports-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than $1,000</a>. </p><p>We'll know more when Apple officially launches its new products on Tuesday. Business Insider will be covering the event live, so check back then for complete coverage. </p><p><em>Jeff Dunn contributed to an earlier version of this post. </em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hidden-mac-macbook-keyboard-shortcuts-video-guide-2017-4">How to take a screenshot on a Mac - and 15 other useful keyboard shortcuts</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/M0Eo72MA-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The iPhone X is rumored to have an OLED screen - here's what OLED is and how it's different from past iPhones

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55f42d26dd0895a7788b4676-4184-3138/iphone%20charging.jpg" alt="iphone charging" data-mce-source="r. nial bradshaw/Flickr"><p class="source"><span>r. nial bradshaw/Flickr</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Yes, we know. Our smartphone batteries are bad because they barely last a day.<p>But it's partially our fault because we've been charging them wrong this whole time.&#xa0;</p><p>Many of us have an ingrained notion that charging our smartphones in small bursts&#xa0;will cause long-term damage to their batteries, and that it's better to charge them when they're close to dead.</p><p>But we couldn't be more wrong.</p><p>If fact, a site <a href="http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries">from battery company Cadex</a>&#xa0;called Battery University&#xa0;details how the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones are&#xa0;sensitive to their own versions of "stress." And, like for humans, extended stress could be damaging your smartphone battery's long-term lifespan.&#xa0;</p><p>If you want to keep your smartphone battery in top condition and go about your day without worrying about battery life, you need to change a few things.</p><h2>Don't keep it plugged in when it's fully charged</h2><p>According to Battery University, leaving your phone plugged in when it's fully charged, like you might overnight,&#xa0;is bad for the battery in the long run.</p><p>Once your&#xa0;smartphone has reached 100% charge, it gets "trickle charges" to keep it at 100% while plugged in. It keeps the battery in a high-stress, high-tension state, which wears down the chemistry within.</p><p>Battery University goes into a bunch of scientific detail explaining why, but <a href="http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries" target="_blank">it also sums it nicely</a>:&#xa0;"<span>When fully charged, remove the battery" from its charging device. "</span>This is like relaxing the muscles after strenuous exercise." You too would be pretty miserable if you worked out nonstop for hours and hours.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55f42d26dd0895a7788b4677-1200-900/phones%203x4.png" alt="phones 3x4" data-mce-source="Skye Gould/Tech Insider"><p class="source"><span>Skye Gould/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The batteries in these phones get stressed out, too.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><h2><span><span>In fact, try not to charge it to 100%</span></span></h2><p><span>At least when you don't have to.</span></p><p><span>According to Battery University, "Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because a high voltage stresses the battery" and wears it away in the long run.&#xa0;</span></p><p>That&#xa0;might seem counterintuitive if you're trying to keep your smartphone charged all day, but just plug it in whenever you can during the day, and you'll be fine.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55be0d49dd0895e05f8b46ad-987-658/55a00c96371d2232008b64db.jpg" alt="battery shot with gun bullet holes still working" data-mce-source="24M"><p class="source"><span>24M</span></p><p class="caption">Don't shoot your smartphone batteries, either.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><h2>Plug in your phone whenever you can</h2><p>It turns out that the batteries in our smartphones are much happier if you charge them occasionally throughout the day instead of plugging them in for a big charging session when they're empty.</p><p>Charging your phone when&#xa0;it loses 10% of its charge&#xa0;would be the best-case scenario, according to Battery University.&#xa0;Obviously, that's not practical for most people, so just plug in&#xa0;your smartphone whenever you can.&#xa0;It's fine to plug and unplug it multiple times a day.</p><p>Not only does this keep your smartphone's battery performing optimally for longer, but it also keeps it topped up throughout the day.&#xa0;</p><p>Plus, periodic top-ups also let you use features you might not normally use because they hog your battery life, like location-based features that use your smartphone's GPS antenna.</p><p><div><iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3o85xzt48uwfL4NPzy" width="800" height="400" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p><p><em>Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=battery+exploding">C2H 50H/YouTube</a></em></p><h2>Keep it cool</h2><p>Smartphone batteries are so sensitive to heat that Apple itself suggests you <a href="https://www.apple.com/batteries/maximizing-performance/#ios">remove certain cases that insulate heat from your iPhone when you charge it</a>. "<span>If you notice that your device gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first."</span>&#xa0;If you're out in the hot sun, keep your phone covered. It'll protect your battery's health.</p><p class="tagline"></p><div id="categorypromo" style="border:1px solid silver; min-height:90px; padding:10px;vertical-align:top;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/25-big-tech-predictions-for-2016?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen_2016-predictions&amp;utm_content=iphone_ctgr_leadgen_2016-predictions&amp;utm_campaign=iphone_ctgr_leadgen_2016-predictions"><img src="http://static-bii.businessinsider.com/image/5693ca34771aea1a1fc67bb6/bigtechcover-2.png" style="margin-right:15px;width:75px;float:left !important;" /></a><strong> EXCLUSIVE FREE REPORT:</strong><br>25 Big Tech Predictions by BI Intelligence. <strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/25-big-tech-predictions-for-2016?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen_2016-predictions&amp;utm_content=iphone_ctgr_leadgen_2016-predictions&amp;utm_campaign=iphone_ctgr_leadgen_2016-predictions">Get the Report Now »</a></strong></br></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-new-iphone-6s-features-2015-9">These new iPhone features will change the way you use your phone</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lvaTNndzpuHJenbcQSmbNPNkV41H0jqN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'lvaTNndzpuHJenbcQSmbNPNkV41H0jqN',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You've been charging your smartphone wrong

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55f42d26dd0895a7788b4676-4184-3138/iphone%20charging.jpg" alt="iphone charging" data-mce-source="r. nial bradshaw/Flickr"><p class="source"><span>r. nial bradshaw/Flickr</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Yes, we know. Our smartphone batteries are bad because they barely last a day.<p>But it's partially our fault because we've been charging them wrong this whole time.&#xa0;</p><p>Many of us have an ingrained notion that charging our smartphones in small bursts&#xa0;will cause long-term damage to their batteries, and that it's better to charge them when they're close to dead.</p><p>But we couldn't be more wrong.</p><p>If fact, a site <a href="http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries">from battery company Cadex</a>&#xa0;called Battery University&#xa0;details how the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones are&#xa0;sensitive to their own versions of "stress." And like humans, extended stress could be damaging your smartphone battery's long-term lifespan.&#xa0;</p><p>If you want to keep your smartphone battery in top condition and go about your day without worrying about battery life, you need to change a few things.</p><h2>Don't keep it plugged in when it's fully charged</h2><p>According to Battery University, leaving your phone plugged in when it's fully charged, like you might overnight,&#xa0;is bad for the battery in the long run.</p><p>Once your&#xa0;smartphone has reached 100% charge, it gets "trickle charges" to keep it at 100% while plugged in. It keeps the battery in a high-stress, high-tension state, which wears down the chemistry within.</p><p>Battery University goes into a bunch of scientific detail explaining why, but it also sums it nicely:&#xa0;"<span>When fully charged, remove the battery.&#xa0;</span>This is like relaxing the muscles after strenuous exercise." You too would be pretty miserable if you worked out non-stop for hours and hours.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55f42d26dd0895a7788b4677-1200-900/phones%203x4.png" alt="phones 3x4" data-mce-source="Skye Gould/Tech Insider"><p class="source"><span>Skye Gould/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The batteries in these phones get stressed out, too.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><h2><span><span>In fact, try not to charge it to 100%</span></span></h2><p><span>At least when you don't have to.</span></p><p><span>According to Battery University, "Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because a high voltage stresses the battery" and wears it away in the long-run.&#xa0;</span></p><p>That&#xa0;might seem counter-intuitive if you're trying to keep your smartphone charged all day, but just plug it in whenever you can during the day and you'll be fine.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55be0d49dd0895e05f8b46ad-987-658/55a00c96371d2232008b64db.jpg" alt="battery shot with gun bullet holes still working" data-mce-source="24M"><p class="source"><span>24M</span></p><p class="caption">Don't shoot your smartphone batteries, either.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><h2>Plug in your phone whenever you can</h2><p>It turns out that the batteries in our smartphones are much happier if you charge them occasionally throughout the day instead of plugging them in for a big charging session when they're empty.</p><p>Charging your phone when&#xa0;it drops loses 10% of its charge&#xa0;would be the best case scenario, according to Battery University.&#xa0;Obviously, that's not practical for most people, so just plug in&#xa0;your smartphone whenever you can.&#xa0;It's fine to plug and unplug it multiple times a day.</p><p>Not only does this keep your smartphone's battery performing optimally for longer, but it also keeps it topped up throughout the day.&#xa0;</p><p><div><iframe src="//giphy.com/embed/3o85xzt48uwfL4NPzy" width="800" height="400" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/3o85xzt48uwfL4NPzy">via GIPHY</a></p></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">&#xa0;<em>Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=battery+exploding">C2H 50H/YouTube</a></em></p><h2>Keep it cool</h2><p>Smartphone batteries are so sensitive to heat that Apple itself suggests you <a href="https://www.apple.com/batteries/maximizing-performance/#ios">remove certain cases that insulate heat from your iPhone when you charge it</a>. "<span>If you notice that your device gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first."</span>&#xa0;If you're out in the hot sun, keep your phone covered. It'll protect your battery's health.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-new-iphone-6s-features-2015-9">These new iPhone features will change the way you use your phone</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/MDlhYjRhYmQyMjA2NWM2Yzg4YTJkYzcz"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lvaTNndzpuHJenbcQSmbNPNkV41H0jqN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'lvaTNndzpuHJenbcQSmbNPNkV41H0jqN',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Elon Musk discusses the war in Ukraine and the importance of nuclear power &mdash; and why Benjamin Franklin would be 'the most fun at dinner'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/585064a2ca7f0ccb018b56d0-1593/undefined" border="0" alt="Macbook Pro" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson/Business Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/apple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple's</a> new MacBook Air seems to be the perfect laptop for me.</li><li>The problem is that I spent thousands on a new Apple laptop last year.</li><li>I'm annoyed because my MacBook Pro has several issues that the new MacBook Air fixed. </li></ul><p>When I received my MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in August of 2017, I was pumped.</p><p>15 months later, I have mixed feelings about my major purchase - and many of them are caused by Apple's new MacBook Air with Retina display, which is the laptop I wish I had bought. </p><p>I thought I had made the purchase correctly. I researched the specs, saved up, and waited until Apple refreshed its laptops with the latest Intel chips, so I wouldn't be buying old technology. </p><p>Reader, it was expensive. I loaded it up with lots of bells and whistles, including an upgraded processor, additional RAM, and extra storage space. I had owned my last MacBook Air for over six years, so I was ready to amortize the roughly $2,000 cost over a long period of time. </p><p>And now, just over a year later, I regret my purchase. It's not really a knock on the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar - although there are issues - it's just that the new MacBook Air is the right machine for what I need to do, and I'm frustrated that there was no similar option when I needed a new Mac. </p><p>Now, I've got an expensive laptop that I'm not completely satisfied with that I expected to own through 2023, and my wandering eye is looking towards Apple's latest and greatest. </p><p><em><strong>Read more: </strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macbook-air-hands-on-at-the-apple-event-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hands-on with Apple's new redesigned MacBook Air: This could be the laptop that Apple fans have been waiting for</a></em></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bd89b215f1f751c393d7bd5-2400/macbook air 00072.jpg" border="0" alt="MacBook Air 00072.JPG" data-mce-source="Kif Leswing" /><p class="source"><span>Kif Leswing</span></p><p class="caption">The new MacBook Air.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>A few issues </h2><p>It's not that the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is a bad machine - I've worked on it, traveled with it, and generally used it heavily, as I expected when I purchased it. </p><p>But I shouldn't have to deal with daily annoyances on what is a premium laptop. </p><p>Let's start with the Touch Bar.</p><p>I dislike it. I wish it weren't on my laptop. I frequently control iTunes through the function keys, and the touchscreen simply doesn't provide the same feedback as a button. I hit mute all the time when I'm in meetings to make sure my music doesn't start playing and embarrass me. These are buttons I press perhaps 30 times a day or more.</p><p>It's also really easy on the Touch Bar to accidentally activate a key, whether it's Siri (right above backspace!) or the screen brightness. It also frustrated me that I have to look at the Touch Bar to determine what I'm doing, because by default, it changes from app to app. There's a setting that basically turns it into the old keys, but even then, it's just a less effective version of what I had on my laptop in 2011. </p><p>The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar also has disappointing battery life - about four hours, in my experience. It's bad enough that when working in the field and covering events like Apple's iPhone launch, I frequently need to plug-in before the day is done. My 2011 MacBook Air had better battery life. </p><p>One place where that energy is going is heat: My MacBook Pro with Touch Bar gets extremely hot. It's too hot to use on my lap or in bed. I've worried that it's too hot to put directly on my dining room table. </p><p>Finally, my MacBook Pro with Touch Bar has the "<a href="https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-macbook-and-macbook-pro/">sticky key</a>" problem that's led to a slew of stories and even class-action lawsuits. The "1" key sticks and sometimes types two 1's when I only mean to press it once. The spacebar sometimes doesn't register. </p><p>It's a problem. Apple says it will fix the <a href="https://www.apple.com/support/keyboard-service-program-for-macbook-and-macbook-pro/">sticky keys free-of-charge</a>, but that's time and effort I'll need to spend.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5be5e2971011421b480e16f2-800/nhnqssjsvyknerzr.jpg" border="0" alt="MacBook Air keyboard" data-mce-source="iFixit" /><p class="source"><span>iFixit</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>But the MacBook Air solves all these problems</h2><p>Enter the new MacBook Air, which went on sale this past week. It appears to be the device that I wanted last year, when I bought my MacBook Pro.</p><p>For example, although it has Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner - a nice feature - it doesn't have the Touch Bar, bringing back my beloved media controls and escape key.</p><p>In terms of battery life, Apple says the MacBook Air can get up to 12 hours on a single charge. That might be optimistic, given that Apple boasts 10 hours for the model I have that usually runs out of battery in half the time, but it's a step in the right direction. </p><p>And it has an improved keyboard that should address the sticky key issues I've experienced. Apple even highlighted it at its launch event in Brooklyn. "The new MacBook Air has our latest-generation keyboard with keys that offer four times the stability over the previous generation, creating a modern keyboard with a more precise and responsive typing experience," an Apple official said at the launch. </p><p><a href="https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Air+13-Inch+Retina+2018+Teardown/115201"> A teardown from iFixit</a> shows that these keys have a plastic piece inside the keys that should cut down on crumbs and other debris getting inside the keys.</p><p>While the price - starting at $1199 - isn't that far off from what I paid for mine, especially after upgrading the storage and RAM, it's hard to not feel buyer's remorse.</p><p>The MacBook Air does still have some shortcomings compares to the Pro - it has a less powerful Intel chip, for example. But I don't really need massive processor power. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bd894dabeb6701a804927d7-2048/img0502.jpg" border="0" alt="MacBook Air" data-mce-source="Kif Leswing" /><p class="source"><span>Kif Leswing</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Of course, it's not Apple's fault that every year it comes out with new computers that are better than the last year's models. That's how the business works.</p><p>But I think a little bit of my annoyance is due to the fact that all of these changes could've been made in 2017. People were complaining about these issues with the MacBook Pro <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-2017-macbooks-could-fix-macbook-pro-complaints-2017-1">back then</a>. Apple never said it was preparing a new computer that addressed the issues - it never talks about upcoming products. </p><p>Which left me in a sticky situation in the summer of 2017. It wasn't the right time to buy Apple's best 13-inch laptop, as it turns out the next year's model ended up being what I wanted. </p><p>While it's great that Apple has fixed many consumer complaints with its main laptop line, it highlights that computer purchases are big items that people plan to use for years, unlike phones, which have a two to three year lifespan. And people who end up buying lemons are stuck with them for a long time. </p><p>People who now buy the new MacBook Air seem happy, and are likely to say they're satisfied with their purchase. But by not having a reliable release schedule and a roadmap for future updates, there's a chance that some people - like me - will end up in a generation of customers who are stuck with a laptop they're not completely happy with. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-event-ipad-pro-macbook-air-mini-2018-10">Watch Apple's October 2018 event in 8 minutes</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/BJ51L5kF-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

I was really excited about my MacBook Pro purchase last year - but now, I regret it

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/573dd399dd0895e2128b47bb-1850/gettyimages-532160144.jpg" alt="sundar pichai google ceo alphabet" data-mce-source="Justin Sullivan/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks during Google I/O 2016 at Shoreline Amphitheatre on May 19, 2016 in Mountain View, California. The annual Google I/O conference is runs through May 20."><p class="source"><span>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Google CEO Sundar Pichai.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Google is preparing to launch two smartphones at an event on October 4, <a href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/09/01/google-will-announce-pixel-phones-4k-chromecast-google-home-daydream-vr-viewer-on-october-4th/" target="_blank">according to Android Police</a>, who claims to have spoken to a well-informed source.<p>The Mountain View company will reportedly announce the "Pixel" and the "Pixel XL" handsets alongside a 4K version of the Google Chromecast.</p><p>There's no word yet when the devices -which take their name from Google's Pixel Chromebook - will go on sale or how much they'll cost.</p><p>It's also not immediately clear whether these Pixel devices will just be a rebranded version of its existing Nexus range - though <a href="https://twitter.com/daithaigilbert/status/771602238460432384" target="_blank">some believe this is the case.</a> Taiwanese mobile giant HTC is expected to continue doing the manufacturing.</p><p>The report from Android Police came within hours of a <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/google-is-suspending-modular-phone-project-2016-9?utm_content=10ThingsSAI&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;nr_email_referer=1&amp;utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20%28tech%29:%2010%20things%20in%20tech%20you%20need%20to%20know%20today&amp;utm_term=UK%2010%20Things%20In%20Tech%20You%20Need%20To%20Know" target="_blank">report from Reuters</a> that cites two sources who say Google has suspended Project Ara, its ambitious project to build a modular smartphone with interchangeable components.</p><p>Google announced a host of partners for Project Ara at its developer conference in May and said it would ship a developer edition of the product this autumn.</p><p>The company's aim was to create a phone that users could customise on the fly with an extra battery, camera, speakers or other components.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/573f5788dd08950f528b4806-873/project%20ara%202.png" alt="project ara 2" data-mce-source="Google/ATAP"><p class="source"><span>Google/ATAP</span></p><p class="caption">Google's Project Ara smartphone.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Modular smartphones have generated great enthusiasm in the tech community for their potential to prolong the lifespan of a device and reduce electronic waste. But the devices are difficult to bring to market because their interchangeable parts make them bulky and costly to produce, said analyst Bob O'Donnell of TECHnalysis Research, who told Reuters that he was not surprised to see Google halt the project.</p><p>"This was a science experiment that failed, and they are moving on," he said.</p><p>Project Ara was one of the flagship efforts of Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group, which aims to develop new devices, but it had various stops and starts.</p><p>The alleged decision to kill of Google Ara has prompted debate among Google observers. Martin Bryant, former editor of The Next Web, tweeted that it doesn't feel very "Googley" when Google isn't investing in crazy projects, while Charles Arthur, former tech editor at The Guardian, argued that it is a sign of a "more cautious" Google/Alphabet.</p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I always thought Project Ara was unlikely to go far but a Google that's not investing wildly in crazy projects just doesn't feel 'Googley'</p>- Martin Bryant  (@MartinSFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/771610109344567296">September 2, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>But canning Ara (+ pulling back on cable laying in Fiber) points to an Alphabet/Google more cautious about spending. <a href="https://t.co/eapDXbYg1w">https://t.co/eapDXbYg1w</a></p>- Charles Arthur  (@charlesarthur) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/771608881273327616">September 2, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div></p><p>Google did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/clip-air-pod-airplane-concept-video-2016-8">This pod plane could be a radically new way to fly</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="A5azJrNTE6MsjKMvcWj632yG98zQgSmX" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'A5azJrNTE6MsjKMvcWj632yG98zQgSmX',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Google is reportedly preparing to launch 2 Pixel handsets as it kills off its build-it-yourself smartphone project

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45ac-1443-1082/2-s7s.png" alt="samsung galaxy s7 and galaxy s7 edge" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The Galaxy S7 Edge (left) and Galaxy S7.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Don't be disappointed when you look at Samsung's newest phone.</p><p>At first glance, the Galaxy S7 looks almost exactly like the phone Samsung gave us last year, except for the rounded back and slightly larger display on the curved-screen "Edge" model.</p><p>Boring, right?</p><p>Nah.</p><p>Here's the real story with the Galaxy S7.</p><p>Samsung made huge, significant improvements to all the stuff you really care about. It's water resistant. It has a bigger battery that charges quickly. It has a memory card slot so you can expand the storage. A lot of the clunkiness has been stripped out of the software. It has the best camera ever put on a smartphone.</p><p>And, like last year, the Galaxy S7 is more beautiful and unique looking than the iPhone.</p><p>What else could you want from a phone?</p><p>Aside from the qualms I have with Android phones in general (more on that later), the Galaxy S7 is about as perfect as a phone can get. It starts around $690 and the curved-screen Edge model starts around $790, but pricing will vary depending on your carrier. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Unlocked-Smartphone-International-Black/dp/B01C4H29VY/ref=sr_1_6?s=wireless&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457442425&amp;sr=1-6&amp;keywords=galaxy+s7">You can pre-order it now</a> and it'll be in stores on March 11.</p><h2>Design and hardware</h2><p>It's an amazing feat of engineering that Samsung was able to build a phone this beautiful, yet this functional. Even though it has an all metal and glass design, Samsung figured out how to make the Galaxy S7 waterproof for up to 30 minutes under a meter of water, without needing to seal the charging port with a plug like on other water resistant phones. If you're scratching your head over how Samsung out-engineered Apple on that one, you're not alone. But it works. It's the kind of feature that should be standard on all premium phones.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45ad-1538-1154/s7-in-water.png" alt="galaxy s7 in water" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Don't be afraid if the Galaxy S7 gets wet.</p></div><p></p></div></div>I tested the Edge version of the S7, which has a larger, 5.5-inch screen than the standard version. That's the same size as the screen on the iPhone 6s Plus (the phone I normally use), but Samsung's design is much more svelte and easier to hold than Apple's unwieldy phone. When I carry my iPhone 6s Plus in my pocket, it feels like I have a slab of metal stabbing into my hip. The S7 Edge is barely noticeable.</p><p>The curved screen doesn't do much more than look pretty and give you the illusion there aren't any borders around the display. Samsung did include a slide-over menu that has shortcuts to your favorite apps, contacts, and news bulletins, but I never found that feature very useful. It's best to just switch it off.</p><p>If you're going to get the Galaxy S7, you might as well spend the extra $100 and get the Edge. It's that good.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45ae-1543-1157/s7-edge-wireless-charging2.png" alt="samsung galaxy s7 wireless charging" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">You can charge the Galaxy S7 wirelessly.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The battery is impressive too. While last year's Galaxy model could barely make it a day on a charge, the S7's battery lasted well over a day for me. Plus, you can charge the phone using a standard wireless charger, which is handy if you want to keep one at your desk and top up during the day. It also has a wired quick-charging feature, which charges your battery a few times faster than normal.</p><p>The latter feature is probably the most important. I woke up the other day and realized I forgot to charge my phone overnight and I was at a dangerously low 35%. So I plugged the S7 into the quick charger while I got ready. I was at 85% by the time I left for work less than an hour later. Perfect.</p><h2>The best camera</h2><p>Samsung has leapfrogged the competition with the Galaxy S7 camera. Simply put, it's the best camera ever put on a smartphone.</p><p>It has the widest aperture of any smartphone camera, which means it can pull in more light for better shots in dark settings. But my favorite feature is the quick auto-focus, which lets you take photos faster without having to worry about missing a shot. By comparison, my iPhone feels like it takes an eternity to auto-focus, or I have to deliberately double-tap the screen to get it to focus on what I want. With the Galaxy S7, I just point and shoot without waiting.</p><p>Tech Insider's camera expert Rafi Letzter put the S7 camera through its paces, and it beat the iPhone 6s (our previous choice for best smartphone camera) in just about every way. <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/galaxy-s7-camera-vs-iphone-6s-plus-2016-3">Check out his camera comparison for even more details</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedae1dd08952f758b4604-1200-1800/phone camera comparisson 8.jpg" alt="galaxy s7 iphone 6s phone camera comparison 8" data-mce-source="Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The Galaxy S7 takes better photos in the dark.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Software</h2><p>Over the years, my problem with Samsung phones has been that they usually come packed with far too many complicated features and quirks in the software that make it difficult to find what you want to do.</p><p>Almost all of that has been stripped out of the Galaxy S7. The software is clean and easy to navigate, and Samsung did a good job at making sure a lot of the junk has either been hidden or removed entirely.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45af-1733-867/s7-front-5.png" alt="samsung galaxy s7 always on screen" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The screen is always on. (You can customize what you see too.)</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>There is one handy feature Samsung did add though. The lock screen stays on with basic information like the time, date, and incoming notifications, so you don't need to constantly switch on your phone to see what's happening. Only part of the screen lights up, so it uses almost none of the battery.</p><p>Other than that, the Galaxy S7 feels like any other Android phone. The Galaxy S7 isn't going to revolutionize the way you use a smartphone, but that's ok. By now, smartphone innovation has matured to the point where we only see incremental improvements every year, and the Galaxy S7 made significant improvements to all the features that matter.</p><h2>Virtual reality</h2><p>Ever since I tried an early version of the Oculus Rift in 2012, I've had a tough time explaining just how amazing and transformative VR is as a computing platform. While the high-end VR headsets from Oculus and HTC will cost several hundred dollars, Samsung teamed up with Oculus to give you a similar experience for just 99 bucks.</p><p>The Gear VR headset turns the S7 into a virtual reality machine, and it's the most important distinguishing feature Samsung's Galaxy phones have over other devices. Although the resolution isn't as crisp as high-end VR headsets, Gear VR is more than worth the extra $99. (You can get one for free if you pre-order the S7 now.)</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45b0-2000-1000/gear-360-and-co.png" alt="samsung gear 360 galaxy s7 and gear vr" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p><p class="caption">The Samsung Gear VR. Samsung is also making a VR camera called the Gear 360. It's coming soon.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>There are already a handful of interesting games and VR videos in the Oculus app store, but many of them are in the experimental phases. VR is a very new platform, and developers are still experimenting.</p><p>But boy is it a blast to use. As crazy as it sounds, my favorite VR app so far is Netflix. It puts you in a virtual living room in a snowy cabin in the woods. In front of you is a big-screen TV that runs the standard Netflix app you see on smart TVs or streaming boxes like Apple TV or Roku. You really do get the sense that you're binge-watching the latest season of "House of Cards" in someone's exclusive vacation home. Incredible.</p><p>Words don't do the VR experience justice, and Samsung has the best, most accessible VR platform available today. It's your entry into a whole new world of computing and entertainment. Try it.</p><h2>The problem with Android phones</h2><p>I just said a bunch of nice things about the Galaxy S7, and I mean every single one of them. The phone is incredible.</p><p>But there's still one thing that keeps me from recommending it over the iPhone, and that's <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/why-the-iphone-always-wins-2016-1">Apple's key advantage to the iPhone's roaring success</a> over the years: iOS. iOS is simply the best smartphone platform. It has the best apps. The best developer support, and the most consistent updates throughout the lifespan of your device.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45b1-2000-1000/edge-apps.png" alt="Samsung galaxy s7 edge" data-mce-source="Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /><p class="source"><span>Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>You can't say that about Samsung phones. Since Samsung makes a lot of modifications to Android, it can take months to get the latest updates, assuming you get them at all. The newest version of Android came out last fall, and only a small fraction of Samsung phones started getting it this month. (Only Google's own Nexus phones get updates as soon as they're available.)</p><p>For a lot of people, that may seem like an insignificant complaint, but when security flaws like last year's <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/stagefright-security-flaw-leaves-android-devices-exposed-to-hackers-2015-7">major "Stagefright" scare hit Android</a>, or when a hot new app launches only on the iPhone, I can't feel confident using a smartphone platform that's always a step or two behind iOS.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>The Galaxy S7 is Samsung's best phone yet, and easily a strong contender for the best phone available today. If you want an Android phone and don't mind spending a lot of cash (you can get a lot of great Android phones for about half the price of the S7), this is the first device you should look at.</p><h2>What you need to know</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image"><a title_source="Skye Gould/Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45b2-960/ti_graphics_galaxy-s7-review.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56dedb13dd089575708b45b2-1200-979/ti_graphics_galaxy-s7-review.png" alt="TI_Graphics_Galaxy s7 review" data-mce-source="Skye Gould/Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider" /></a><p class="source"><span>Skye Gould/Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-7-features-comparison-iphone-2016-2">7 things the Samsung Galaxy 7 can do that the iPhone can't</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="IxcWgzMTE6Do3IBps1_FBglWgTu4E9_9" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'IxcWgzMTE6Do3IBps1_FBglWgTu4E9_9',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

REVIEW: You're going to love Samsung's Galaxy S7

<p>Matching output to demand is hard with wind and solar power. The answer is to store surplus juice on the grid until it is needed</p>
<p>ON OCTOBER 28th a battery factory opened in Concord, North Carolina. That was good for an area which has seen dark economic times, but the event made few headlines. Perhaps it should have made more, though, for this factory's owner, Alevo, a Swiss company, is not in the business of manufacturing cells for torches, mobile phones or even laptop computers. Rather, it is making batteries that can store serious amounts of electricity--megawatt-hours of it. And it plans to sell them to power-grid operators.</p>
<p>To start with, the new batteries will be used to smooth the consequences of irregular demand through the day by absorbing electricity during troughs and regurgitating it during peaks. If that pans out, it will eliminate the need for gas-powered "peaker" stations which fire up quickly when needed, but are expensive to run. It would also allow non-peaker stations to operate more efficiently. Alevo reckons that if a grid as big as America's Western interconnection (which supplies the west of the United States and Canada) were to use 18GW-worth of its batteries the grid could save $12 billion a year. Though the company has no North American contract yet, it does have an agreement to deploy its batteries in Guangdong, China.</p>
<p>Smoothing the operation of existing grids, however, may be only the beginning. In the longer run, optimists believe, batteries like these, or some equivalent technology, are the key to dealing with the problem not just of irregular demand, but of irregular supply. As the unit cost of solar and wind energy drops ever closer to that of power from fossil fuels, the fact that the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine becomes more and more irksome. It is not just the great power-gap that is night which matters. As the chart below shows, even during the day--and even in deserts--the amount of sunlight can vary from minute to minute. And the wind, of course, is equally fickle.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cb1165f5bf-595-171/187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4-1.png" border="0" alt="187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4" style="font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Cheap grid-scale storage would overcome these irregularities. Renewables could then compete on cost alone. And there are many ideas for how to make this happen. Some, such as Alevo's, are ready to be sold. Others work in laboratories but have yet to be scaled up for use in the real world. Others still are little more than twinkles of varying plausibility in their inventors' eyes. But if even one of them is up to the task, then renewable energy may, at last, be able to stand on its own, rather than having to be subsidised and regulated into existence.</p>
<p>At the moment, grid-scale storage is dominated by pumped hydro. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, an American think-tank, 140GW-worth of this is installed around the world, with a capacity of 1.4TWhr. Pumped storage requires friendly geography. You need two reservoirs separated by a good gap of altitude. But it is then just a matter of linking them with pipes and using turbines that, if turned by falling water, generate electricity, but, when fed electricity, turn the other way to pump that water whence it came. Send it uphill when power is cheap, and let it flow down when there are spikes in demand, and you have a nice little business.</p>
<p>Not everywhere, though, has compliant hills and valleys. And pumped storage takes a long time, and a lot of money, to build. Technologies that start small, but can be scaled up as needed, are often a better answer.</p>
<h3>Batteries now included</h3>
<p>The immediate future of grid-scale storage, then, probably lies with real batteries rather than topographical ones. At least, Alevo thinks so. At full capacity, the firm's factory in Concord should be able to turn out 16.2GWhr-worth of them a year. And Alevo is not alone. Tesla is building an even bigger factory near Reno, Nevada (see "Brain scan: Tesla's electric man") to make batteries for its electric cars and for local and grid storage.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cf1965f5c1-290-353/b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c.png" border="0" alt="b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Several stations that use batteries to regulate the output of wind farms have already been built, or are under construction. In Sendai, Japan, Toshiba is creating one based on lithium-ion batteries. This should open in 2015. It will have a maximum power of 40MW, and will be able to run at that rate for half an hour. The Notrees Battery Storage Project, which opened in Texas in 2013, uses lead-acid batteries--sophisticated versions of the type found in petrol and diesel cars. It has a maximum power of 36MW and could run for 40 minutes at full tilt. Another Japanese project, of 34MW, in Rokkasho, uses sodium-sulphur batteries. And one in Alaska, of 27MW, uses nickel-cadmium ones.</p>
<p>As that list suggests, many types of grid-scale battery technology are available. Alevo uses electrodes made of lithium iron phosphate and graphite. These are connected by an inorganic sulphur-based electrolyte, a combination, the firm claims, that is particularly propitious because cycling between charged and discharged states produces only a 1°C change in the battery's temperature. This should eliminate the risk of overheating, to which some sorts of lithium-based cells are prone.</p>
<p>There are types of battery that actually require high temperatures to work. In sodium-sulphur cells of the sort deployed at Rokkasho both of those elements need to be liquid, meaning the battery has to be maintained at a temperature of 300-350°C. And an approach being developed by Donald Sadoway of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would use two sorts of liquid metal, separated by a liquid electrolyte. The clever thing about this design is that, by picking a dense metal such as a mixture of antimony and lead, a light one such as lithium, and an electrolyte whose density falls between the two, the three substances will float as separate layers in a container, rather as oil separates from vinegar in a salad dressing.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365aceab8eaf41d95b35b-290-408/a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9.png" border="0" alt="a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9" style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Despite their superficial differences, one thing all these batteries have in common is that the energy they contain is stored chemically within their electrodes. This has a consequence, at least for those with solid electrodes. The constant change in the electrodes' composition as they are charged and discharged gradually wears them out. This limited lifespan is one reason using batteries for grid-scale storage is still pricey. Indeed, Alevo's claim that its batteries can undergo more than 40,000 cycles of charging and discharging without noticeable loss of function is an important part of its sales pitch.</p>
<p>An alternative approach, known as a flow battery, does not suffer from this difficulty. A flow battery's energy is stored in its electrolytes (of which there are two, separated by a membrane), rather than its electrodes (see illustration 1). Not only does that stop the electrodes wearing out, it also means that there is no upper limit, based on the sizes of those electrodes, on how much energy such a battery can store. Its capacity depends instead on the size of the tanks used to hold the electrolytes.</p>
<p>Flow batteries are a much less developed technology than standard batteries, but they are beginning to become commercially available. Many of those on sale at the moment (by firms such as Gildemeister of Germany and UET of Washington state) use vanadium-based electrolytes. Vanadium is a good material because its multiple ionic states mean it can be used to store energy without having to involve other reagents, and thus complicate the design.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, vanadium is expensive. But systems that use cheaper materials are being developed. Several firms are trying zinc and bromine in electrolytes and others iron and chromium. Ideas still in the lab include flow batteries based on cheap organic compounds called anthraquinones. If these prove robust enough to commercialise, they will be strong competitors in the grid-scale storage market. But they will not be alone. For batteries are not the only route to the destination.</p>
<h3>Pumped up</h3>
<p>If the engineers at Gravity Power in Goleta, California, get their way, even pumped storage is in line for a makeover. Their approach, it should be said from the outset, is one of the most twinkly of the twinkling eyes in the field. Even if it ultimately fails it shows the originality of thought that is being brought to bear on the problem.</p>
<p>Instead of two large reservoirs at different altitudes on a hillside, Gravity Power proposes two water-filled cylindrical shafts--one wider than the other--dug into the ground (see illustration 2). The shafts will be linked top and bottom to form a circuit, with a combined pump-turbine, similar to the ones used in conventional pumped storage, in the upper link. The wider shaft will contain a huge cylinder, made either of the rock the shaft is cut through or of concrete, to act as a piston.</p>
<p>When the pump-turbine is opened, the piston sinks, driving water around the circuit and through the turbine, generating power. Spin the device the other way using electricity, and the reversed water flow pushes the piston up again.</p>
<p>How much energy this arrangement can store depends on how deep the shafts go. And that is where it gets tricky, for some serious civil engineering will be needed if the idea is to work. Gravity Power proposes the shafts descend hundreds of metres. This will require large thicknesses of suitable rock--in practice this will probably be limestone, which is soft enough to cut into--so deployment will be limited not so much by geography as geology. And making a good seal between piston and shaft will hardly be trivial. So it will be expensive. A unit 700 metres deep, with a main shaft 26 metres across and a return shaft (or penstock) of about a tenth of that, would cost $170m. It would, though, be able to store about 200MWhr of energy, with an output of 50MW. Building one that size is years away, but the firm hopes to start work in 2015 on a demonstration plant near Penzberg, in Germany, with a depth of 140 metres, a capacity of 500 kWhr and an output of 1MW.</p>
<p>Nor is Gravity Power's approach the only one to rely on underground spaces and friendly geology. Another is to fill a subterranean cavern with compressed air. For that, the cavern needs to be hermetically sealed and this means using an underground salt dome that has been hollowed out by solution mining (ie, the salt has been extracted with hot water).</p>
<p>Given such a cavern, compressed-air storage is a bit like classical pumped storage, except with a gas, rather than a liquid. Air is pumped into the cavern, increasing its pressure, and then let out to drive a turbine. But there is a catch: gases heat up when compressed and cool when they expand. For compressed-air storage to work, therefore, the air released from the cavern has to be heated (usually by burning natural gas), otherwise it would freeze the turbine. That makes compressed-air storage inefficient--one reason there are only two grid-scale examples of it in the world (one in Germany, the other in Alabama).</p>
<p>This would change if the heat of compression could be captured, stored and recycled. And that is the goal of LightSail Energy, a firm based in Berkeley, California. LightSail has developed a small, but still grid-scale, compressed-air system that sprays water into the compression chamber, to cool the air as its volume shrinks. The air is then stored in a set of tanks with a total volume of 42,000 litres, and the water, with its heat load, is put into two tanks that have, in total, about a quarter of the volume of the air tanks.</p>
<p>At the moment, this device can store 700kWhr of energy, but that should rise to 1.1MWhr when (as is the plan) it is pressurised to 300 atmospheres instead of the current 200. That is a fraction more than one of Alevo's battery packs, which store 1MWhr. For comparison, the Alabama salt dome can store 2.9GWhr.</p>
<p>If heat is to be stored at scale some inventors would prefer to simplify the process, get rid of the compressed air, and concentrate on sequestering the heat itself. Isentropic, a company in Fareham, Britain, plans to employ the compression and expansion of a gas (in this case, argon) to create heat and cold respectively in two large containers of gravel--one of the cheapest solid heat-storage media imaginable. Once again, a pump-turbine is involved. It does the compression and expansion when electricity is abundant, and when it is scarce the gas flow, and thus the heat flow and therefore the whole process, is reversed.</p>
<p>Nor are these ideas the end of the list. Several firms, from giants such as ABB of Zurich, to minnows such as Berkeley Energy Sciences, a neighbour of LightSail, are pushing giant flywheels as at least part of the answer. Another suggestion--for filling in the shortest irregularities in supply, those lasting a few seconds or minutes such as are caused by the passage of a cloud in front of the sun--is to use supercapacitors, which store electricity as an actual electric charge, rather than converting it into chemical or physical potential energy of a non-electric form. At the other end of the scale as far as the size of the gap in supply is concerned, namely the nocturnal hours when solar energy cannot operate, several research groups are trying to use molten salts (usually sodium and potassium nitrates) to store heat gathered during the day and then, at night, raise steam for generators with it.</p>
<p>And there is one further idea around that, though it relies on new storage technology being developed, does not rely on that technology being developed specifically for grid-scale storage. This is to use the fleet of electric cars that its proposers hope will take over from ones driven by internal-combustion engines over the course of the next couple of decades.</p>
<p>In the imaginations of such people, the batteries of these cars (which would, when idle, be attached to the grid in order to charge them), could be employed as a giant storage network, to be plundered with the car owners' permission at times of peak demand. It is an intriguing thought--but the overlap between those times and the times cars are most likely to be on the road might scupper it in practice. As might the answer to the question about how ubiquitous electric cars will actually become. For that will depend on the future success and affordability of batteries.</p>
<p>The path from startup to success is littered with corpses, and an awful lot of business models depend for their putative profit on what is, according to your point of view, either a subsidy or a factoring in of the economic externalities (in the form of climate change) imposed by fossil fuels. In particular, Germany's Energiewende and California's Renewable Energy Programme have, by requiring a large fraction of those jurisdictions' electricity to be renewable, helped fuel the boom.</p>
<h3>Your bill, sir</h3>
<p>The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity. But that is a hard sell, not least because of disagreements about those externalities' true size. In the meantime, it is better if grid-scale storage can be rolled out without taxpayer support.</p>
<p>That is the main reason for watching the example of Alevo. It says it can make money even in unsubsidised grids, because it has been ruthless about reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the technology as far as possible.</p>
<p>This is a businesslike approach. If it works, and others prove able to mimic it, then the cost of running a grid, and thus the price of electricity, will fall. That alone will be a good thing. But success will change the very nature of such a grid, enabling it to absorb more wind and solar power even if this is a consequence unintended by the grid owners. How much more is yet unknown, for fossil fuels (particularly natural gas) are getting cheaper too. But renewables will no longer be fighting the battle with one hand tied behind their back.</p>
<p>The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity</p>
<p>Click <a href="https://subscriptions.economist.com/nwcd">here</a> to subscribe to The Economist</p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="https://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1lM2YyZjdjM2EyNzE3MzJiMTI1OTE3N2FmODU1OTA2NyZwdWJsaXNoZXI9NzMwZWI4NmFiNTlmMGQ0MTkyNmFjNjViMDFmODNlMmY=" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>

We've Almost Solved the Biggest Problem With Solar And Wind

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5483681769bedd181b047d2d-1200-924/solar-tracker-panels-champlain-valley-west-haven-vermon.jpg" border="0" alt="Solar tracker panels Champlain Valley West Haven, Vermon"><p class="source"><span>Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Solar tracker panels follow the sun's path May 17, 2014 on a Champlain Valley dairy farm near West Haven, Vermont.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Matching output to demand is hard with wind and solar power. The answer is to store surplus juice on the grid until it is needed</p>
<p>ON OCTOBER 28th a battery factory opened in Concord, North Carolina. That was good for an area which has seen dark economic times, but the event made few headlines. Perhaps it should have made more, though, for this factory's owner, Alevo, a Swiss company, is not in the business of manufacturing cells for torches, mobile phones or even laptop computers. Rather, it is making batteries that can store serious amounts of electricity--megawatt-hours of it. And it plans to sell them to power-grid operators.</p>
<p>To start with, the new batteries will be used to smooth the consequences of irregular demand through the day by absorbing electricity during troughs and regurgitating it during peaks. If that pans out, it will eliminate the need for gas-powered "peaker" stations which fire up quickly when needed, but are expensive to run. It would also allow non-peaker stations to operate more efficiently. Alevo reckons that if a grid as big as America's Western interconnection (which supplies the west of the United States and Canada) were to use 18GW-worth of its batteries the grid could save $12 billion a year. Though the company has no North American contract yet, it does have an agreement to deploy its batteries in Guangdong, China.</p>
<p>Smoothing the operation of existing grids, however, may be only the beginning. In the longer run, optimists believe, batteries like these, or some equivalent technology, are the key to dealing with the problem not just of irregular demand, but of irregular supply. As the unit cost of solar and wind energy drops ever closer to that of power from fossil fuels, the fact that the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine becomes more and more irksome. It is not just the great power-gap that is night which matters. As the chart below shows, even during the day--and even in deserts--the amount of sunlight can vary from minute to minute. And the wind, of course, is equally fickle.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cb1165f5bf-595-171/187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4-1.png" border="0" alt="187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4" style="font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Cheap grid-scale storage would overcome these irregularities. Renewables could then compete on cost alone. And there are many ideas for how to make this happen. Some, such as Alevo's, are ready to be sold. Others work in laboratories but have yet to be scaled up for use in the real world. Others still are little more than twinkles of varying plausibility in their inventors' eyes. But if even one of them is up to the task, then renewable energy may, at last, be able to stand on its own, rather than having to be subsidised and regulated into existence.</p>
<p>At the moment, grid-scale storage is dominated by pumped hydro. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, an American think-tank, 140GW-worth of this is installed around the world, with a capacity of 1.4TWhr. Pumped storage requires friendly geography. You need two reservoirs separated by a good gap of altitude. But it is then just a matter of linking them with pipes and using turbines that, if turned by falling water, generate electricity, but, when fed electricity, turn the other way to pump that water whence it came. Send it uphill when power is cheap, and let it flow down when there are spikes in demand, and you have a nice little business.</p>
<p>Not everywhere, though, has compliant hills and valleys. And pumped storage takes a long time, and a lot of money, to build. Technologies that start small, but can be scaled up as needed, are often a better answer.</p>
<h3>Batteries now included</h3>
<p>The immediate future of grid-scale storage, then, probably lies with real batteries rather than topographical ones. At least, Alevo thinks so. At full capacity, the firm's factory in Concord should be able to turn out 16.2GWhr-worth of them a year. And Alevo is not alone. Tesla is building an even bigger factory near Reno, Nevada (see "Brain scan: Tesla's electric man") to make batteries for its electric cars and for local and grid storage.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cf1965f5c1-290-353/b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c.png" border="0" alt="b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Several stations that use batteries to regulate the output of wind farms have already been built, or are under construction. In Sendai, Japan, Toshiba is creating one based on lithium-ion batteries. This should open in 2015. It will have a maximum power of 40MW, and will be able to run at that rate for half an hour. The Notrees Battery Storage Project, which opened in Texas in 2013, uses lead-acid batteries--sophisticated versions of the type found in petrol and diesel cars. It has a maximum power of 36MW and could run for 40 minutes at full tilt. Another Japanese project, of 34MW, in Rokkasho, uses sodium-sulphur batteries. And one in Alaska, of 27MW, uses nickel-cadmium ones.</p>
<p>As that list suggests, many types of grid-scale battery technology are available. Alevo uses electrodes made of lithium iron phosphate and graphite. These are connected by an inorganic sulphur-based electrolyte, a combination, the firm claims, that is particularly propitious because cycling between charged and discharged states produces only a 1°C change in the battery's temperature. This should eliminate the risk of overheating, to which some sorts of lithium-based cells are prone.</p>
<p>There are types of battery that actually require high temperatures to work. In sodium-sulphur cells of the sort deployed at Rokkasho both of those elements need to be liquid, meaning the battery has to be maintained at a temperature of 300-350°C. And an approach being developed by Donald Sadoway of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would use two sorts of liquid metal, separated by a liquid electrolyte. The clever thing about this design is that, by picking a dense metal such as a mixture of antimony and lead, a light one such as lithium, and an electrolyte whose density falls between the two, the three substances will float as separate layers in a container, rather as oil separates from vinegar in a salad dressing.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365aceab8eaf41d95b35b-290-408/a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9.png" border="0" alt="a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9" style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Despite their superficial differences, one thing all these batteries have in common is that the energy they contain is stored chemically within their electrodes. This has a consequence, at least for those with solid electrodes. The constant change in the electrodes' composition as they are charged and discharged gradually wears them out. This limited lifespan is one reason using batteries for grid-scale storage is still pricey. Indeed, Alevo's claim that its batteries can undergo more than 40,000 cycles of charging and discharging without noticeable loss of function is an important part of its sales pitch.</p>
<p>An alternative approach, known as a flow battery, does not suffer from this difficulty. A flow battery's energy is stored in its electrolytes (of which there are two, separated by a membrane), rather than its electrodes (see illustration 1). Not only does that stop the electrodes wearing out, it also means that there is no upper limit, based on the sizes of those electrodes, on how much energy such a battery can store. Its capacity depends instead on the size of the tanks used to hold the electrolytes.</p>
<p>Flow batteries are a much less developed technology than standard batteries, but they are beginning to become commercially available. Many of those on sale at the moment (by firms such as Gildemeister of Germany and UET of Washington state) use vanadium-based electrolytes. Vanadium is a good material because its multiple ionic states mean it can be used to store energy without having to involve other reagents, and thus complicate the design.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, vanadium is expensive. But systems that use cheaper materials are being developed. Several firms are trying zinc and bromine in electrolytes and others iron and chromium. Ideas still in the lab include flow batteries based on cheap organic compounds called anthraquinones. If these prove robust enough to commercialise, they will be strong competitors in the grid-scale storage market. But they will not be alone. For batteries are not the only route to the destination.</p>
<h3>Pumped up</h3>
<p>If the engineers at Gravity Power in Goleta, California, get their way, even pumped storage is in line for a makeover. Their approach, it should be said from the outset, is one of the most twinkly of the twinkling eyes in the field. Even if it ultimately fails it shows the originality of thought that is being brought to bear on the problem.</p>
<p>Instead of two large reservoirs at different altitudes on a hillside, Gravity Power proposes two water-filled cylindrical shafts--one wider than the other--dug into the ground (see illustration 2). The shafts will be linked top and bottom to form a circuit, with a combined pump-turbine, similar to the ones used in conventional pumped storage, in the upper link. The wider shaft will contain a huge cylinder, made either of the rock the shaft is cut through or of concrete, to act as a piston.</p>
<p>When the pump-turbine is opened, the piston sinks, driving water around the circuit and through the turbine, generating power. Spin the device the other way using electricity, and the reversed water flow pushes the piston up again.</p>
<p>How much energy this arrangement can store depends on how deep the shafts go. And that is where it gets tricky, for some serious civil engineering will be needed if the idea is to work. Gravity Power proposes the shafts descend hundreds of metres. This will require large thicknesses of suitable rock--in practice this will probably be limestone, which is soft enough to cut into--so deployment will be limited not so much by geography as geology. And making a good seal between piston and shaft will hardly be trivial. So it will be expensive. A unit 700 metres deep, with a main shaft 26 metres across and a return shaft (or penstock) of about a tenth of that, would cost $170m. It would, though, be able to store about 200MWhr of energy, with an output of 50MW. Building one that size is years away, but the firm hopes to start work in 2015 on a demonstration plant near Penzberg, in Germany, with a depth of 140 metres, a capacity of 500 kWhr and an output of 1MW.</p>
<p>Nor is Gravity Power's approach the only one to rely on underground spaces and friendly geology. Another is to fill a subterranean cavern with compressed air. For that, the cavern needs to be hermetically sealed and this means using an underground salt dome that has been hollowed out by solution mining (ie, the salt has been extracted with hot water).</p>
<p>Given such a cavern, compressed-air storage is a bit like classical pumped storage, except with a gas, rather than a liquid. Air is pumped into the cavern, increasing its pressure, and then let out to drive a turbine. But there is a catch: gases heat up when compressed and cool when they expand. For compressed-air storage to work, therefore, the air released from the cavern has to be heated (usually by burning natural gas), otherwise it would freeze the turbine. That makes compressed-air storage inefficient--one reason there are only two grid-scale examples of it in the world (one in Germany, the other in Alabama).</p>
<p>This would change if the heat of compression could be captured, stored and recycled. And that is the goal of LightSail Energy, a firm based in Berkeley, California. LightSail has developed a small, but still grid-scale, compressed-air system that sprays water into the compression chamber, to cool the air as its volume shrinks. The air is then stored in a set of tanks with a total volume of 42,000 litres, and the water, with its heat load, is put into two tanks that have, in total, about a quarter of the volume of the air tanks.</p>
<p>At the moment, this device can store 700kWhr of energy, but that should rise to 1.1MWhr when (as is the plan) it is pressurised to 300 atmospheres instead of the current 200. That is a fraction more than one of Alevo's battery packs, which store 1MWhr. For comparison, the Alabama salt dome can store 2.9GWhr.</p>
<p>If heat is to be stored at scale some inventors would prefer to simplify the process, get rid of the compressed air, and concentrate on sequestering the heat itself. Isentropic, a company in Fareham, Britain, plans to employ the compression and expansion of a gas (in this case, argon) to create heat and cold respectively in two large containers of gravel--one of the cheapest solid heat-storage media imaginable. Once again, a pump-turbine is involved. It does the compression and expansion when electricity is abundant, and when it is scarce the gas flow, and thus the heat flow and therefore the whole process, is reversed.</p>
<p>Nor are these ideas the end of the list. Several firms, from giants such as ABB of Zurich, to minnows such as Berkeley Energy Sciences, a neighbour of LightSail, are pushing giant flywheels as at least part of the answer. Another suggestion--for filling in the shortest irregularities in supply, those lasting a few seconds or minutes such as are caused by the passage of a cloud in front of the sun--is to use supercapacitors, which store electricity as an actual electric charge, rather than converting it into chemical or physical potential energy of a non-electric form. At the other end of the scale as far as the size of the gap in supply is concerned, namely the nocturnal hours when solar energy cannot operate, several research groups are trying to use molten salts (usually sodium and potassium nitrates) to store heat gathered during the day and then, at night, raise steam for generators with it.</p>
<p>And there is one further idea around that, though it relies on new storage technology being developed, does not rely on that technology being developed specifically for grid-scale storage. This is to use the fleet of electric cars that its proposers hope will take over from ones driven by internal-combustion engines over the course of the next couple of decades.</p>
<p>In the imaginations of such people, the batteries of these cars (which would, when idle, be attached to the grid in order to charge them), could be employed as a giant storage network, to be plundered with the car owners' permission at times of peak demand. It is an intriguing thought--but the overlap between those times and the times cars are most likely to be on the road might scupper it in practice. As might the answer to the question about how ubiquitous electric cars will actually become. For that will depend on the future success and affordability of batteries.</p>
<p>The path from startup to success is littered with corpses, and an awful lot of business models depend for their putative profit on what is, according to your point of view, either a subsidy or a factoring in of the economic externalities (in the form of climate change) imposed by fossil fuels. In particular, Germany's Energiewende and California's Renewable Energy Programme have, by requiring a large fraction of those jurisdictions' electricity to be renewable, helped fuel the boom.</p>
<h3>Your bill, sir</h3>
<p>The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity. But that is a hard sell, not least because of disagreements about those externalities' true size. In the meantime, it is better if grid-scale storage can be rolled out without taxpayer support.</p>
<p>That is the main reason for watching the example of Alevo. It says it can make money even in unsubsidised grids, because it has been ruthless about reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the technology as far as possible.</p>
<p>This is a businesslike approach. If it works, and others prove able to mimic it, then the cost of running a grid, and thus the price of electricity, will fall. That alone will be a good thing. But success will change the very nature of such a grid, enabling it to absorb more wind and solar power even if this is a consequence unintended by the grid owners. How much more is yet unknown, for fossil fuels (particularly natural gas) are getting cheaper too. But renewables will no longer be fighting the battle with one hand tied behind their back.</p>
<p><br id="__tmp">The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity</br></p>
<p>Click <a href="https://subscriptions.economist.com/nwcd">here</a> to subscribe to The Economist</p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="https://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1lM2YyZjdjM2EyNzE3MzJiMTI1OTE3N2FmODU1OTA2NyZwdWJsaXNoZXI9NzMwZWI4NmFiNTlmMGQ0MTkyNmFjNjViMDFmODNlMmY=" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>

You Searched For "phone battery lifespan" and got 9 results

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Avery Hartmans

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You've been charging your smartphone wrong

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Elon Musk discusses the war in Ukraine and the importance of nuclear power and why Benjamin Franklin would be 'the most fun at dinner'

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I was really excited about my MacBook Pro purchase last year - but now, I regret it

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Google is reportedly preparing to launch 2 Pixel handsets as it kills off its build-it-yourself smartphone project

Sam Shead,Reuters

REVIEW: You're going to love Samsung's Galaxy S7

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We've Almost Solved the Biggest Problem With Solar And Wind

Business Insider

Grid-Scale Storage: Smooth Operators

The Economist