A report said Hitachi Maxell and a number of universities and firms in Japan have created a design for a Lithium Ion battery that will last 20 times longer than current units.

According to nikkei.net, the design won't need cobalt, which will lower the cost of the batteries. Instead, it uses a nano version of manganese which will result in a battery with discharge capacities greater than current designs.

Hitachi Maxell worked with Nagasaki University, Fuji Heavy Industries, Nagasaki University and the National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, with additional funding from the Japanese government.

While this is great news, unfortunately we're unlikely to see the battery in production for three to four years. Battery technology is the biggest drawback to portable Internet technology, while technology firms also need to make advances in screen technology to reduce power consumption. X

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