Playstation Vita and Nintendo 3DS batteries put through their paces – which was the winner?

Handheld gaming can be great fun, but not so much when your console battery dies mid-flight. A dedicated gamer who goes by the name “kurekureyon” has put both the Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita to the test this week, comparing their battery life to the PSP-3000 handheld.

The three systems were set to their highest brightness and highest volume, then left to run mid-game. The resulting film of the test has been shared on YouTube, … Continue Reading

Blame software, not hardware for iPhone 4S battery issue, test suggests

iPhone 4S owners still facing battery issues after Apple’s recent iOS update can rest a bit easier. A recent test shows that the problem could still be fixed with future software updates, ZDNet reports.

An unnamed developer who has two iPhone 4S models — one for day-to-day use that exhibited the battery problem, and another for development use that didn’t have the issue — found that he could make the issue appear on the unaffected … Continue Reading

iPhone 4S owners report phantom battery draining

If you missed out on the initial shipment of the iPhone 4S, you may want to count yourself lucky.

Apple engineers are reportedly contacting new iPhone 4S customers to collect more information about a possible defect in the device’s battery, reports the Guardian.

Some customers (including VentureBeat’s very own Devindra Hardawar) are reporting the phone’s battery life will randomly and dramatically decrease — even when the phone isn’t in constant use. For instance, people are … Continue Reading

You can hack a MacBook battery from afar. Is there a point?

A seasoned security hacker who spent seven months figuring out how to hack a laptop battery disclosed his findings today at the Black Hat security conference. Charlie Miller, who specializes in hacking Apple software, figured out how to remotely control a battery and do some damage to it such as “bricking it” – or incapacitating it – from afar.

Miller, a security consultant at Accuvant, said he tried to make a MacBook “smart battery” explode, … Continue Reading

Sodium-ion cell maker Aquion Energy raises $20M

Aquion Energy, a maker of sodium-ion batteries that can store large amounts of electricity, has raised $20 million of a roughly $30 million round that includes Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Foundation Capital as investors, according to a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company is finalizing its term sheets for the remaining $10 million of the round, which should be closed sometime later this week, Aquion Energy’s vice president of … Continue Reading

Report suggests cost of electric cars matters little to buyers

Less than a fifth of electric car buyers listed the price tag of an electric car as the most important factor when deciding to make the purchase, according to a new report by management consulting firm Accenture.

Most of the concerns for electric car buyers center around how long it takes to charge the car and how far it is able to drive, according to the report. Electric cars are typically limited in how far … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Cape Wind hunts for customers, Honda eyes China for electric car sales

Here’s the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat today:

Offshore wind farm Cape Wind needs buyers for its power — The large, expensive and controversial Massachusetts wind farm needs customers, the Associated Press writes. Half of its 468-megawatt capacity has been sold to National Grid, but the other half has been turned down by top state utility NStar, which said it could find cheaper alternative energy elsewhere. Siemens is in talks to help finance … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Logitech launches solar keyboard, South Korea pledges $8 billion to offshore wind

Here are the top cleantech stories we’re following today on the GreenBeat:

Logitech announced today the launch of a solar-powered wireless keyboard (pictured), as well as an app that will track power level and ambient light. The sleek, thin keyboard (one-third of an inch thick) retails for $79 and can stay charged for three months without light.

Nissan plans to launch three more all-electric vehicles in the United States in the next four years after … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Siemens buys SureGrid, Fenix debuts portable electricity for developing countries

Siemens has purchased building management firm SureGrid, Green Tech Media reports. The acquisition is a sign of interest in building efficiency startups, which make software that integrates into building management systems created by big companies like Siemens and Honeywell. There’s also an overall trend of conglomeration within the smart grid sector, the article notes, and highlights a few startups as potential acquisition targets: Audra Technologies, Building IQ, Hara, Optimum Energy, Lumenergi and Redwood Systems.… Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Ener1 sells $20 million in stock, Hara's success could attract buyers

Battery company Ener1 is selling $20 million in stock as part of efforts to expand capacity at its plants, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Ener1 batteries are geared towards electric vehicle use. The company announced a $65 million capital raise earlier this month. It has raised over $160 million in equity so far and also earned a government grant.

Energy management startup Hara seems to be on an upward swing and could become a prime acquisition … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: A123 opens battery plant, Siemens targets India

A123 opens largest lithium-ion battery plant in the U.S. The Livonia, Mich. plant will expand the company’s manufacturing capabilities by up to 600 megawatt-hours per year, with the goal of ramping up to a total 760M megawatt-hours by next year’s end. The announcement comes one year after A123 was awarded a $249 million grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As GigaOm notes, A123’s IPO last year opened at $17 per share … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: China beats U.S. in cleantech investment, BrightSource IPO projected within 3 years

Here’s a list of cleantech news we’re tracking today:

China has become the top country for cleantech investment, outstripping the U.S., according to a report from Ernst & Young. China’s renewable energy investment dollars outdoes the U.S. nearly two to one, Green Chip Stocks reports, and installed wind power capcity in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest in three years. Germany, India, the U.K., Portugal and Spain also topped the list. Read the … Continue Reading

EEStor to "blow away" lithium-ion battery technology, to launch

Here’s a list of cleantech news we’re tracking today:

China has become the top country for cleantech investment, outstripping the U.S., according to a report from Ernst & Young. China’s renewable energy investment dollars outdoes the U.S. nearly two to one, Green Chip Stocks reports, and installed wind power capcity in the U.S. has dropped to its lowest in three years. Germany, India, the U.K., Portugal and Spain also topped the list. Read the … Continue Reading