ion

Ion's digital turntables, which let you convert LP records directly to digital files, aren't new--I first saw them at the 2006 CES--but the company is showing more sophisticated equipment each time I stop by their booth. This year, they're showing off their LP Dock turntables, which not only feature a USB connection out but also a dock for selected iPods (5th gen and Classic and 2nd and 3rd gen Nano). This lets you record directly to the device via Voice Memo mode.

But I hadn't seen their URecord before--it's like their digital turntables but more … Read more

Imagine buying sneakers and cell phones waterproofed with the same stuff.

You may be able to do that soon with the development of something called Ion Mask, a cold plasma surface enhancement technology developed by the U.K.'s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the University of Durham now being marketed by spin-off Porton Plasma Innovations (P2i.)

When applied, the technology invisibly modifies the surface of products making them super oil and water repellant. How repellant? It's three times more effective than Teflon, according to P2i.

The treatment works by decreasing the surface energy of virtually any object … Read more

As part of its effort to get its first cars out of the door, Tesla Motors is putting its battery business on ice for a bit.

The electric car company back in January said it was going to sell its battery pack--composed of thousands of lithium-ion battery cells--to third party manufacturers. Interim CEO Michael Marks, however, made the decision to suspend the program in September when he also decided to push out the release of the car and scale back production a bit. Although a few Tesla Roadsters may come out this year, the bulk of the first cars will … Read more

Next to guitars--real, virtual or something in-between--the most popular musical instruments we've seen on Crave are drums. From fingertip pads to several types of rollaway versions, percussive gadgets appear to be everywhere. But they usually don't look like a cookie sheet.

That's what the "Ion Digital Drum Station" resembles, though ThinkGeek nevertheless claims that it has "eight natural feeling, velocity-sensitive drum pads." They also come with their own sticks, headphones and MP3 inputs to help create custom tunes, or you can just play along to programmed patterns with 233 sounds available … Read more

General Motors may lease the battery packs for its Chevy Volt electric car to make it more affordable, according to a news report.

GM's electric car will take lithium-ion batteries which are known to be expensive and have a limited lifespan compared with the life of a car.

Bob Lutz, GM's global product chief, has said that the company hopes to make the car available in the $30,000 price range.

While GM has several leading battery technology developers and manufacturers onboard in its effort to build an affordable, long-range rechargeable battery for the car, critics have pointed … Read more

The lithium ion car battery created by Tesla Motors has passed a battery of certification tests that effectively remove another hurdle in the path toward selling products.

Because they can burst into flames, lithium ion batteries are classified as dangerous goods, according to Erik Toomre, Director of Manufacturing Programs. "Before we ship it to the public, we have to demonstrate that it is safe," he said.

The United Nations has issued specifications on what tests lithium batteries have to pass and these regulations have been adopted and/or tweaked by various governments. In third party tests, both the … Read more

Altair Nanotechnologies, which specializes in lithium ion batteries, said Monday that it will work with investor AES to develop home energy storage systems that can hold more than 500 kilowatts of energy.

AES, a power company, invested $3 million in Altair earlier this year.

Home storage is one of the holy grails of the clean technology field. With a big battery in the closet, the energy harvested from solar panels on the roof could be used by a homeowner at night. Home storage also gives utility owners breathing room. Get enough batteries out there and the risk of a brownout … Read more

When GM unveiled the Chevy Volt at this year's Detroit auto show, it admitted that the electric-powered required a technological breakthrough in battery development for the concept to become a reality. Skeptics suggested that the unveiling was little more than pie in the sky or PR hoopla intended to paint the General in more a more non-electric-car-killing light.

This week, however, GM has gone some way to dispelling that skepticism by awarding contracts to two firms with credentials in the lithium ion battery and automotive industries to come up with a solution to the Volt's power requirements. Compact … Read more

In an indication that Mitsubishi is serious about building a production electric car, sooner rather than later, it entered into a joint venture with Japanese battery maker GS Yuasa to make large lithium-ion batteries. We've seen Mitsubishi's MIEV technology on cars at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show and the 2006 Detroit Motor Show, and it's pretty cool. Mitsubishi developed in-wheel electric motors that can be used in all four wheels of a car. The result is a very flexible all-wheel-drive car where torque can be finely tuned for each wheel, depending on the current driving conditions. Mitsubishi … Read more