SCiB: Have Charge, Will Not Explode

I'm sure many have not forgotten the Sony laptop battery debacle. Well, Li-ion batteries have that problematic potential of overheating and exploding or catching fire. Toshiba has developed a new design, called SCiB, or Super-Charge ion Battery which should eliminate many of the drawbacks of Li-ion batteries, and not just overheating.

According to a Toshiba press release, the SCib can recharge to 90% capacity in 5 minutes (!), will last for 10 years even under constant recharging conditions (compare that with a Li-ion battery, which generally starts to lose the ability to hold a charge after a year or so), and won't explode or short-circuit.

"This is a truly innovative battery. The excellent performance of the SCiB will assure its successful application in industrial systems and in the electronic vehicles markets as a new energy solution. In terms of environmental impacts, the SCiB offers a long life that will reduce waste."

The biggest problem: this will only be offered for industrial uses when it debuts in March 2008.  When can we get this in our laptops, Toshiba?

Tags:  XP, Charge, Will, AV, Xplod, AR