Researchers have made an important discovery to advance rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology. The breakthrough is the in the consistency of a solid electrolyte. The discovery has the potential to increase battery safety and exponentially improve battery life and overall storage capacity.

In general, batteries have three chemical components called reactants. There are two electrodes, the anode and the cathode, and the electrolyte. Electrodes are typically composed of solid chemicals that we commonly call metals. The electrolyte is a liquid chemical that sits between the electrodes. Electrolyte is the medium through which energy flows between the electrodes.

Electrical Energy and Chemical Reactions

A battery does not store electricity, which currently is impossible. Rather, a battery stores electrical energy in the form of chemical energy. When in use, chemical reactions transform the chemical energy into electricity. The electricity flows into a device and the energy powers functionality. An operating battery depletes the reactants as the chemical reactions occur. Functionality persists only as long reactants are available. Eventually, use of the battery depletes the reactants so the chemical reactions are no longer possible and the battery ‘dies.’ But, if it is a rechargeable battery, it is possible to apply electrical energy back into the chemical system. This restores the ability to once again store and discharge electrical energy.

Causes of Malfunction

There are two other causes of battery malfunction. First, liquid electrolyte is flammable and poses a safety risk. The most recent well-known example of burning electrolyte is the Samsung Note 7. Second, during the chemical reactions that create electrical energy, bits of metal accumulate on the electrodes. The accumulated metal bits, dendrites, project outward from the electrodes. If a dendrite ends up touching the opposite electrode, a short circuit occurs and the battery is useless.

However, if the electrolyte is solid instead of liquid, then there is no longer a risk of fire. Also, if it is a particular consistency of solidity, then dendrites cannot form. The pursuit of a solid electrolyte has occurred for almost fifty years. The new research is the result of a fundamental reevaluation about the consistency of the solid electrolyte (wow, look at that, the scientific method in action!).

The previous line of research kept looking at stiffer consistencies to protect against dendrite formation. However, the new research shows that the consistency needs to have more elasticity. This is because stiffer materials can suffer from micro-nicks and –scratches that provide a foothold for dendrite formation. However, a more elastic surface provides degrees of flexibility. Therefore, the surface is pliant at pressure points and does suffer from nicks and scratches. A solid electrolyte would also allow the use of pure lithium electrodes thus further increasing the capacity of the battery. In the end, we have smaller, safer, and longer-lasting rechargeable batteries.

Batteries in the Zombie Apocalypse?

A battery is a spectacular device. They are so common and disposable that the majority of us never give them a second thought. Take a moment and try to identify everything around you at this moment that requires a battery to operate. Computer? Watch? Cell phone? That UPS on your computer system? E-cigarette? Fitbit? Gaming console? Cordless power tools? Car? Lunar explorer? The Mars rover Curiosity or the Juno spacecraft? During the zombie apocalypse, I’m definitely looking for guns, but it’s easy to create weapons out of almost anything. However, I’ll be hoarding batteries like the 90-year old cat-lady hoarding hard candies

This week was bittersweet in the gaming peripheral industry. On the one hand, I have bad memories of using crappy Mad Catz controllers as a child so I wasn’t too sad to see Mad Catz go out of business. On the other hand, Mad Catz has been producing affordable 3rd party accessories for gamers for almost 30 years so it’s sad to see such a major player unable to keep up with the times. The bankruptcy of Mad Catz brings up an interesting question: Can anyone compete with Razer and Corsair when it comes to Game peripherals?

The downfall of Mad Catz knocked out what was previously a major player in the peripheral industry, and the situation is not great for the consumer. While Mad Catz hasn’t always had quality products, they’ve produced some legitimately cool peripherals in the last few years. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough to compete with the behemoths Razer and Corsair who have a chokehold on the peripheral market – even more so now that Mad Catz is gone. This leads to increased market share for the two companies, but less choices overall for the gamer.

With Razer estimated to be worth over $1 billion back in 2015, there’s no doubt that their valuation has increased since then. To me, Razer is the Apple of gaming peripherals. The company relies heavily on branding and they produce some decent quality and seriously expensive products. There are definitely better options out there for a lower price, but Razer has branded themselves as the gamer company. With flashy lights and an aesthetic that appeals to most gamers, they’ve managed to market products that, while definitely decent in quality, are honestly not worth as much as they cost.

Apple has done extremely well with this business model, but you can’t draw a direct comparison between Apple and Razer. Apple still innovates despite their reliance on branding and offers a unique ecosystem to their consumers, while Razer mainly produces peripherals that light up and look nice. This model may end up paying off despite their lack of innovation, however, as there’s one less company to contest Razer’s rule.

Corsair, on the other hand, I’m more of a fan of. Their designs are largely more muted than Razer, which appeals more to my aesthetic. From my experience they also have a slightly higher build quality than Razer, though that’s probably up for debate. While not as much as a household name as Razer, Corsair produces some seriously high-end mechanical keyboards that feel awesome to game on. While the keys still light up it feels like Corsair isn’t trying as hard as Razer to build up this aura or aesthetic of being a “Razer Gamer” or “Corsair Gamer”. This less aggressive marketing style combined with quality products appeals to me, and it must appeal to others too as Corsair is obviously the second biggest name in peripherals right now.

It’s prudent to raise the question of whether Mad Catz was really a direct competitor, however. Razer and Corsair focus mainly on PC peripherals, and a lot of people think of Mad Catz as a controller company despite their efforts to expand into the PC market. Razer offers a controller, but it may be hard to draw a direct connection between the demise of Mad Catz and the near-monopoly that Razer and Corsair hold on peripherals.

What exactly led to the downfall of Mad Catz? Was it Razer and Corsair edging them out or were there other reasons the company couldn’t keep up? From some preliminary research, it seems like Mad Catz was their own worst enemy. A string of bad business decisions, including investing heavily into instrument accessories for games like Rock Band and gaming pads for more niche markets like fighting games resulted in a bunch of money invested with no profit.

Whether or not Razer or Corsair killed Mad Catz is kind of irrelevant. The end result is the same: one less option when it comes time to buy peripherals. Are Razer and Corsair the “uncontested rulers”? They definitely have the majority of the market cornered, but for the time being there are definitely other options for the informed gamer. Logitech produces some quality peripherals for gaming, including some console options too. Turtle Beach is another option, though I’ve had some questionable experiences with their products.

The fact of the matter is that Razer and Corsair are not uncontested, but the bankruptcy of Mad Catz is a loss for the consumer. Razer and Corsair will squeeze the market just a little bit tighter, and while Logitech isn’t likely to go anywhere anytime soon, we may unfortunately be looking at a future with fewer options and more expenses.

If you’re in the market for a new gaming mouse specifically designed for MMOs you’re in luck because Razer recently came out with another such product and it seems to be the best one to date. The new MMO mouse goes by the name Razer Naga Chroma and features a couple of improvements over its older sibling, Razer Naga Epic Chroma, which came out last year. The most noticeable improvement is the huge increase in DPI, with Razer going for no less than 16,000 on this new model. This is coupled with the new and improved 5G laser sensor that’s capable of tracking “true 16,000 DPI in down to 1 DPI increments” according to the company.

The Razer Naga Chroma also comes with RGB lighting and 16.8 million colors, a feature that has become a staple on many of the new Razer products. Aside from RGB and a better laser sensor, you’ll also get 19 programmable buttons, 12 of which are located on the mechanical thumb grid, just like we saw on its predecessor. Unfortunately, the Razer Naga Chroma does not feature a left-handed edition like some of the company’s previous products, so you’ll need to look at different options if you’re a lefty and need a suitable mouse. Also, the new model is not wireless this time around, which can be either good or bad depending on what you prefer.

All in all, the differences between the Razer Naga Chroma and the Naga Epic Chroma are not all that spectacular, especially since the design seems to be identical. However, the increase in DPI and upgraded laser sensor is sure to please those who are looking for even more accuracy from their peripherals. As for the price, it seems like Razer decided to keep it pretty affordable as the Naga Chroma clocks in at just $80 in the US. That said, the price in Europe sits at no less than €99, which is just a little bit too much if you ask me.