Stanford University researchers makes unexpected use of a familiar material with a high-performance aluminium battery said to be a faster-charging, longer-lasting and safer alternative for powering mobile devices.

"We have developed a rechargeable aluminum battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames," chemistry professor Hongjie Dai says. "Our new battery won't catch fire, even if you drill through it."

In theory aluminium makes an ideal battery material, as has low flammability and a high-charge storage capacity while being low cost. However, in the past researchers have failed to find a materials capable of producing sufficient voltage after repeated charge-discharge cycles-- a problem the Stanford scientists solved by using graphite, the carbon-based wonder material.

Many wearables sell themselves on the basis of being able to handle multiple tasks, from fitness tracking to applications and notifications. However the Emvio is different, as its only task is stress management.

According to makers Data Systems chronic stress is caused by repeated daily annoyances, not occasional life-changing events. The Emvio promises to help by constantly measuring heart rate to determine the wearer's emotional state (but "it's not as simple as "excited = more beats per minute" and "calm = fewer beats per minute,"", the company insists). Should stress levels get too high, the wearable vibrates and provides tips on how one can calm down.

Once the wearer is sufficiently calm the Emvio, perhaps ironically, vibrates again to let the know exactly that.

According to Purdue University researchers packing peanuts are more than an annoyance getting in the way of recent acquisitions-- the bits of foam might actually be key to next generation rechargeable batteries.

As we all know, batteries consist of two electrodes, the anode and cathode, with the anode being generally made of graphite. The research shows packing peanuts can replace the graphite in anode production, specifically with carbon-nanoparticle and microsheet anodes from polystyrene and starch-based packing peanuts.

Creating the anodes is a fairly straightforward process-- one needs to heat the peanuts at 500-900 degrees Celsius in a furnace under inert atmosphere in the presence or absence of a "transition metal salt catalyst." The result not only provides cheap and simple means of recycling the peanuts, but also promises faster charging times and higher "specific capacity" to current graphite anodes.

Following the launch of the new Macbook Belkin announces an assortment of 9 different USB-C cables for use with the Apple notebook and other upcoming devices making use of the latest connectivity standard.

USB-C handles data transfers, video output and power, and features connectors with a slimmer, reversible design perfect for more easily frustrated customers.

The Belkin cables include the regular USB-C (F2CU030), USB-A to USB-C charge cable (F2CU031), USB-A to USB-C (F2CU029), USB-C to Micro USB-B charge cable (F2CU033, F2CU034), USB-C to Micro USB-B (F2CU031), USB-C to USB-B charge cable (F2CU035). Also on offer is a USB-C to gigabit ethernet adapter.