Tag Archives: Lithium Ion

Did Israel sabotage B&H batteries to explode Hezbollah pagers?!

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Did Israel sabotage B&H Photo batteries so that pagers used by Hezbollah in Lebanon would explode?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Israel sabotaged B&H batteries to explode Hezbollah pagers!

Right after news broke that pagers allegedly used by members of Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon, killing and injuring scores of people, there were claims that Israel intercepted a shipment of pager batteries from B&H Photo and inserted Kiska 3 explosives as part of Operation “Below the Belt“.

The Hawk Eye / GoaChronicle : GoaChronicle through its intelligence network has learned that Israeli intelligence successfully intercepted a shipment of pager batteries that had been ordered from B&H Photo. The order was placed from Lebanon. Acting on a confirmed tip, the intelligence agency seized the shipment and covertly modified the batteries. Small, undetectable explosives known as Kiska 3 were inserted into the battery casings and connected to the battery wires via a discreet chip. The pager model was Rugged Pager AR924 IP67. The operation code word was ‘Below the Belt’.

The modified batteries were programmed to heat up and detonate when triggered by the chip. This chip was remotely activated by sending a common message to all targeted pagers simultaneously, causing the explosions. This operation demonstrates a precise and strategic use of technology, further highlighting Israel’s sophisticated capabilities in cyber and intelligence warfare.

Defense News of INDIA : MOSSAD successfully intercepted a shipment of pager that had been ordered from B&H Photo. The order was placed from Lebanon. Acting on a confirmed tip, the intelligence agency seized the shipment and covertly modified the batteries. Small, undetectable explosives known as KISKA-3 were inserted into the battery casings and connected to the battery wires via a discreet chip. The pager model was Apollo Gold Rugged Pager AR924 IP67. The operation code word was ‘Below the Belt’.

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Truth : Israel did not sabotage B&H batteries to explode Hezbollah pagers!

This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating around the Hezbollah pager attack, and here are the reasons why…

B&H Photo claim was satire

It appears that stories about Hezbollah purchases pager batteries from B&H Photo appear to be based on satire posted by Dovi Safier on 17 September 2024.

Safier deleted his satirical post after it was picked up and posted as legitimate, but thanks to a cached X post on Google, we have a fragment of his post:

When @bhphoto received a large order from Lebanon, they tipped off the Mossad’s Eli Kopter, who planted the undetectable Kishka 3 explosive …

Frankly, even that short post fragment has two obvious jokes that screamed satire. It is truly hilarious that any serious media outlet / analyst would fall for such jokes.

Eli Kopter = Helicopter

Eli Kopter / Eli Copter (Eli Cobter in Arabic) is a play on the Hebrew word for helicopter. It went viral as an Israeli joke about Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash in May 2024.

Even French-Israeli TV presenter Daniel Haik fell for it, quoting a Telegram channel in saying that, “The pilot pilot was a Mossad agent with the name ‘Eli Copter’, it’s not currently clear whether this is true or not, but that’s the rumour going around.”

Kishka is a type of sausage

There is no undetectable explosive known as Kishka-3 or Kishka 3. It appears to be a joke based on kishka – a traditional Jewish Ashkenazi food.

Kishka or kishke is a type of sausage filled with meat and grain or potato. In Jewish cuisine, it’s also known as stuffed derma, and traditionally made from flour or matzo meal, schmaltz and spices.

Below the Belt is an unlikely name for a Mossad operation

While not mentioned in the fragment, it appears that Dovi Safier joked that the name for the Mossad operation was called “Below the Belt“.

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Dovi Safier called his post a “parody”

Dovi Safier also explained that his post was a “parody“, and “not meant seriously“. He also stated that he was shocked that any news outlet would run it as fact.

Earlier I deleted a satirical post mentioning B&H photo. This was parody and not meant seriously. I’m shocked that any news outlet would run it as fact, but apparently in 2024, the idea of fact-checking is dead. Thank You.

B&H Photo denies selling Hezbollah pager batteries

There is also no evidence that Hezbollah ordered those pagers, or their batteries, from B&H Photo. In fact, GoaChronicle updated its article clarifying that B&H Photo denied supplying the batteries for those pagers:

In a phone call to GoaChronicle and an email by B&H Photo post the release of the article. A representative of the PR firm of the company has informed us that they have not supplied the batteries for the pager.

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B&H Photo does not sell pager batteries

Even though B&H Photo has stated that it did not sell the pager batteries to Hezbollah, it is likely that some people will still believe that they are lying, or in on the conspiracy too.

Anyone who bothers to check B&H Photo will quickly realise that it does not sell any pager battery. In fact, B&H Photo only sells lithium-ion battery for cameras, camcorders, notebooks and laptops.

The only rechargeable batteries available on its website are standard Ni-MH batteries in the AAA, AA, C, and D sizes. It also sells non-rechargeable alkaline and lithium batteries in the AAA size. However, none of them are used in the pagers used by Hezbollah.

B&H Photo does not sell pagers either

In addition, claims that Hezbollah ordered those pagers from B&H Photo also appears to be false – B&H Photo does not sell any pager at all! So it will be quite impossible for Hezbollah to order any pager from B&H Photo.

Hezbollah pagers were mostly Gold Apollo AR924

According to The New York Times, Israel intercepted and tampered with a new batch of Apollo Gold pages that were being shipped to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Most of the pagers were the Rugged Pager AR924 model (archive), but three other Gold Apollo models were also part of the same shipment.

Gold Apollo founder and chairperson Hsu Ching-kuang explained to reporters on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, that the Gold Apollo AR924 model was actually manufactured under licence by its European distributor – B.A.C. Consulting, which is based in Budapest, Hungary.

Explosives were planted next to the battery

The Rugged Pager AR924 lasts for up to 85 days using a replaceable lithium-ion battery. However, video footage of the explosions suggest that an explosive was used, and it was not just the battery.

According to The New York Times, the explosive material was not hidden in the pager battery. Rather, the explosive was implanted next to the battery in each pager, together with a switch that could be triggered remotely to detonate the explosive.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did magnetic field in lift cause e-bike battery to catch fire?!

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Can the magnetic field of a lift cause an e-bike battery to catch fire?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Magnetic field in lift caused e-bike battery to catch fire!

People are sharing a video of a man who was burned to death when his e-bike battery caught fire, claiming that it was caused by the magnetic field generated when the lift doors closed!

On WhatsApp and LinkedIn : 🙏🙏🙏He took the e-bike battery into lift. When lift door closed electro-charge of the battery turn the hole lift into a magnetic field. 😪😪

Possible of the battery get damaged before. Becarefull not to carry large rechargeable batteries in lift.

On WhatsApp : 🙏🙏🙏Apek bawa e-bike battery masuk lift. Bila lift tutup electro-charge of the battery turn the whole lift into a magnetic battery. 😪😪

Translated : 🙏🙏🙏 Old man brought e-bike battery into the lift. When the lift doors closed the electro-charge of the battery turn the whole lift into a magnetic battery. 😪😪

Note : As the full video is gruesome and can be traumatising, I’m only posting shorter version of the video below, which is sufficient to convey what happened in the lift.

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https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/China-e-bike-lithium-ion-battery-fire-lift-video-small.mp4?_=1

 

Truth : Lift / magnetic field did not cause e-bike battery to catch fire!

This is yet another example of fake news being propagated online, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 :  Video Was Recorded In China In 2021

Let me start by pointing out that this video isn’t new, as some have suggested. The incident was recorded in Guangzhou, China, on Friday, 8 October 2021 (source).

In addition, the victim was a 28 year-old man whose surname was Chen. He was not an old or middle-aged man, as some netizens are claiming.

Chen was seriously burnt in that fire, and tragically died 28 days later after succumbing to his injuries.

Fact #2 :  Lifts Do Not Generate Magnetic Fields

Now, I should point out that lifts or elevators do not generate massive magnetic fields, as suggested by the wild claims circulating on the Internet.

In fact, most lifts are constructed of conductive metals like steel, and act like a Faraday cage that block electromagnetic fields. That’s why your mobile phone signal is impaired, or gets cut off, whenever you enter a lift.

Fact #3 :  Lithium Ion Batteries Do Not Generate Magnetic Fields

Like your mobile phone, or your electric vehicle, e-bikes use lithium ion batteries, which have high energy density. But regardless of the technology used, batteries do not have magnetic fields by themselves.

Batteries can be used to generate an electromagnetic field. You may recall learning how to create your own electromagnet in school, using nothing more than a coil of insulated wire around an iron nail.

However, an e-bike battery being carried into a lift won’t do that, because it’s not connected to anything. So it is simply impossible for the ebike’s lithium ion battery to “react” with the lift to create some kind of magnetic field.

If lithium ion batteries can “react” with lifts to create an electromagnetic field that triggers a fire or explosion, it would have happened to millions of people who bring their phones, laptops, tablets and other battery-powered devices into lifts every day, across the world!

Recommended : Can Your Phone Explode / Catch Fire If You Fart?!

Fact #4 : Lithium Ion Batteries Can Catch Fire

There is really no reason for people to invent stories about this tragic event. Lithium ion batteries can and do catch fire. While this is relatively rare, the risk is serious because lithium ion batteries are energy-dense and highly flammable.

That’s why airlines forbid passengers from checking in any device with lithium-ion batteries, and limit the capacity of power banks that you can bring onboard. In addition, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forbids the lithium ion batteries from being transported as cargo on passenger aircraft.

Generally, lithium ion batteries are at risk of catching fire, if they were improperly manufactured, overcharged or charged using non-compliant equipment, exposed to extreme heat, physically abused, or short-circuited.

Fact #5 : It Appears To Be Battery Thermal Runaway

Some (unverified) reports claimed that Chen was charging the e-bike battery at home when it overheated, which was why he took it downstairs to cool down. That is plausible as he can be seen pressing the lowest button for the ground floor in the video.

In any case, prior reporting confirms that the video shows a thermal runaway of a lithium ion battery that tragically killed Chen, because it occurred in an enclosed space. It would have been quite a different outcome if the e-bike battery caught fire just a few seconds earlier.

If Chen was not in the elevator / lift at that time, he would have been able to escape death or serious injury by throwing the battery away from him, or simply running away from the burning battery.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did Tesla Cars Catch Fire + Explode After Accident?!

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Did two Tesla electric cars catch fire, and explode spectacularly, after colliding in an accident?!

Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Video Shows Tesla Cars On Fire + Exploding After Accident!

A video has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, with people claiming that it shows two electric vehicles, or Tesla cars, catching fire and exploding spectacularly, after colliding in an accident!

AlphaFox : This is what happens when one Tesla catches on fire.

BUDA : Tesla car battery exploding #tesla #elonmusk @elonmusk $TSLA

An incredible video, showing what can happen when two EVs collide. Note that both sides of the freeway have been shut down and there are no fire apparatus present because, once a lithium battery ignites, it cannot be easily extinguished and the fumes are toxic.

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Truth : Video Does NOT Show Tesla Cars On Fire + Exploding!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are there reasons why…

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded In Moscow, Russia

First, let me start by pointing out that the viral video was recorded on the Moscow Automobile Ring Road (MKAD).

Fact #2 : Video Was Recorded In July 2013

Next, you should know that the incident did not happen recently. In fact, it actually occurred on 13/14 July 2013 – more than 10 years ago!

Although the Tesla Roadster was displayed in Moscow as early as June 30, 2010, Tesla never sold any electric cars officially in Russia. Instead, Tesla enthusiasts in Russia imported them in by themselves, through a “Tesla Club”.

Even as late as 2020, there were only about 500 Tesla electric cars in Russia, with 400 of them sold through the Russian “Tesla Club”. Therefore, it is virtually impossible for two Tesla electric cars to be involved in an accident in Russia, in 2013…

Fact #3 : Exploding Vehicle Was A Propane Gas Truck!

The truth is – the incident involved a truck that was carrying propane gas tanks. No electric vehicles were involved.

In the video above, you can see that the propane gas truck driver was speeding, and slammed into the back of a grey van / mini bus that was changing lanes to the right.

The accident caused the 36 propane gas tanks to burst and catch fire. Some of them exploded spectacularly, while others flew around like rockets!

Despite the ferocity of the fire and explosions, no one died in the accident. The truck driver can be seen running away from the exploding gas tanks.

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Did Tesla Cars Catch Fire + Explode After Accident?!

Fact #4 : There Were Firefighters

The viral video does not show any firefighters, because it is only one minute long. The original video, which is over 8 minutes long, shows Russian police and firefighters arriving on the scene within minutes.

However, it seemed safer to just let the truck burn completely, as the propane gas tanks were still exploding and flying around. In fact, a Russian police car was almost hit by one of those flying gas tanks, and quickly beat a hasty retreat!

Fact #5 : Lithium Battery Fires Are Hard To Put Out

It is true that the lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles can catch fire, and these lithium fires are notoriously hard to put out. Firefighters generally need to dump a ton of water on the burning electric vehicle for several hours.

That is why it is generally a good idea to simply let the electric vehicle burn itself out, unless the fire is threatening life or other property.

Electric vehicles will burn furiously, but they won’t explode like what was shown in the viral video. Those are, again, pressurised propane tanks exploding.

Fact #6 : Electric Vehicles Are Less Likely To Catch Fire

Electric vehicles can and do catch fire during car accidents, especially when their lithium ion battery packs are damaged or ruptured by the impact.

However, their overall fire risk is lower than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. According to AutoinsuranceEZ, ICE vehicles are 60X more likely to catch fire than an electric vehicle.

The riskiest are hybrid vehicles – they are 130X more likely to catch fire than an electric vehicle! The much higher fire risk in hybrid vehicles is likely due to the fact they have both a lithium-ion battery, and a gas tank filled with combustible fuel.

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Can Your Phone Explode / Catch Fire If You Fart?!

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Can the hydrogen and methane in your fart catch fire or explode if your phone rings?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : Your Phone Can Explode / Catch Fire If You Fart!

People are sharing a video on WhatsApp and social media platforms, claiming that it shows a phone exploding or catching fire after its owner farted!

Be Careful! ⛔ Never fart with your cell phone in your pocket ! Gases are flammable ! 😱🤣

Human fart contains Hydrogen and methane both can combust with a spark ,please be careful when you fart with your phone in your back pocket. Funny but so true😅😅

Presumably, the phone triggered the fire when it rang after the man farted… but is that really possible?

Recommended : Did A Ringing Phone Cause This Gas Stove Explosion?

 

Truth : Your Phone Won’t Explode / Catch Fire If You Fart!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and shared on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video From South Africa

The viral video isn’t new. This video of a CCTV recording was recorded in South Africa in March 2020.

Fact #2 : It Was Not A Phone, But A Power Bank

The video does not show the man’s phone exploding or catching fire. Rather, it was a power bank that caught fire.

Fact #3 : Flatulence Is Combustible

Farts, or flatulence, is combustible, because it contains methane and hydrogen sulphide which are produced by bacteria digestion of our food. However, the power bank did not catch fire because the man farted.

Even if the man farted a great deal of combustible gas, there needs to be a spark for there to be any fire. Power banks don’t generate sparks. Phones, even when they are ringing, do not generate sparks – that is just an urban legend.

So flatulence may be combustible, but neither a phone or a power bank will set it off, because neither produce sparks or an open flame.

Fact #4 : Power Bank Apparently Overheated

At the time the incident happened, 29 year-old Lwando Mashiamahle was waiting for his girlfriend to buy a plane ticket at the OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa.

While sitting down to wait, he realised that the power bank in his pocket felt warm. But he didn’t think anything of it, until it suddenly burst into flames.

It felt quite hot in my pocket but I thought it was normal, like sometimes your phone heats up when you’re using it, but I never thought it could explode,

I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to do, I automatically just lost my mind. I was very, very scared.

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Fact #5 : He Was Not Injured By The Fire

Mashiamahle was not injured when his power bank burst into flames, because he was able to quickly take off his trousers, and avoid getting burnt.

Fortunately I have no injuries but my pants were burnt and I had to quickly find the nearest shop to buy a new pair.

He is very fortunate, as lithium battery fires are very strong and hard to put out.

Fact #6 : Phone / Power Bank Batteries Are A Fire Risk

Despite claims our phone or smartphone can spark flames in petrol / gas stations, or even cause a gas stove explosion, there is simply no scientific evidence for those urban legends.

The electrodynamic speakers in your phone vibrate to produce sound waves. They do not generate sparks. Without a source of sparks or an open flame, even a gas leak wouldn’t catch fire and explode.

The US FCC, US NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and the Petroleum Equipment Institute have all confirmed that mobile phones do not pose a fire hazard.

The lithium ion battery in our phone and power bank, however, are a fire hazard. Roughly one in every 10 million lithium-ion batteries will fail and catch fire. That sounds like very low risk, but not when there are BILLIONS of lithium-ion batteries in use around the world!

That is why it is forbidden to pack any device with a lithium-ion battery into luggage that needs to be checked into an aircraft cargo hold. Everyone must carry their phone, computer and power bank using these lithium-based batteries into the cabin, so that if they catch fire, the crew are aware and can quickly put them out.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Apple Watch Explodes, Apple Tries To Cover It Up!

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An Apple Watch Series 7 exploded recently, and Apple tried to cover it up. Maybe that’s why there’s not much uproar over it!

 

Apple Watch Explodes, Apple Tries To Cover It Up!

An Apple Watch Series 7 user recently reported to 9to5Mac that his smartwatch overheated, started smoking and eventually exploded!

The user recently noticed that his smartwatch was getting much hotter than usual, and that the back of the Apple Watch Series 7 had cracked.

watchOS also started showing a warning about needing to shut down due to the high temperature. This happened while he was in his own home where the temperature was just over 70°F / 21°C.

He immediately called Apple Support, and his call got escalated through multiple levels, eventually landing in the hands of a manager who told him not to touch the watch until he heard back from them.

The next morning, the Apple Watch was even hotter to the touch, and the heat actually shattered its display!

When he picked it up to take photos to send to Apple Support, it started making “crackling sounds” and “exploded” just as he threw it out the window.

The exploding Apple Watch Series 7 left burn marks on his couch, and he visited the hospital emergency room out of an abundance of caution over the potential of lead poisoning from the burning Apple Watch.

When he reached out to Apple, he was told that his case was a “top priority”, and that he would receive an update by the “following Monday”. Apparently, it wasn’t top priority enough to deal on a weekend…

Eventually, he waited until Wednesday, October 5, 2022, to hear back from Apple – it arranged to pick up the Apple Watch for further tests in its labs.

Apple also sent him a document asking him to agree not to share his experience with anyone. Fortunately, the Apple Watch user declined to sign the document, so he could share his story. Otherwise, we would never have known about an Apple Watch Series 7 exploding!

 

Apple Watch Explodes vs. Samsung Phone Batteries Bloating

It is inevitable that comparisons will be made between this story of an Apple Watch actually exploding, and the recent complaints by influencers that their Samsung phone batteries were bloating.

First, let me point out that in both cases, we cannot determine cause and effect merely from a few cases (in the saga of bloating Samsung batteries) or one case (this example of an exploding Apple Watch).

Apple sold over 100 million Apple Watch models since December 2020, and Samsung sells over 270 million smartphones every year. So it is important to frame both incidences in that context.

While exploding or bloating batteries are a real danger that we must all be aware of, it is an unavoidable risk of using lithium-ion battery technology.

When the drama over bloating Samsung batteries first exploded (pun intended!), many people asked me for my opinion as I too have many smartphones that I keep for comparison tests.

I shared that so far, the only Samsung phone to bloat was an old Galaxy S7 edge from 2017, and many other smartphones from ASUS, Xiaomi, etc. have bloated on me. In fact, a realme smartphone is slowly splitting itself in two from a battery bloat in front of me right now.

So it isn’t exactly a “brand problem”. In fact, the worst brand for battery bloating in my personal experience is Apple. My 15-inch MacBook Pro suffered no less than THREE (3) sets of bloated batteries in just 3 years. So Apple fans really should not laugh at other brands over battery issues.

All lithium-ion batteries have an innate risk of bloating, catching fire, or even exploding. That is something we must all acknowledge.

Read more : Did Exploding Samsung Smartphones Kill 3 In Florida?

Of course, better design decisions and stringent quality control can greatly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of such dangerous incidences. When hundreds of millions of lithium-powered devices are being manufactured every year, it is inevitable that many of them will bloat after some time, and a few will catch fire and may even explode.

That is why airlines forbid travellers from storing lithium-ion batteries, or devices with lithium-ion batteries, in their check-in luggage. That’s to ensure that if a fire does break out, it would be noticeable to the cabin crew, and can be tackled quickly.

What is most concerning though what happens when companies are made aware of battery issues. Do they take you seriously and treat you right? Or do they try to shut you up, to protect their reputation and sales?

What Samsung did was assuring, but probably only because they learned their lesson from the Galaxy Note7 battery saga. Apple did not suffer through such a traumatic event, and it shows.

Perhaps they should go through a similarly traumatic experience. Then maybe they will treat their customers a little better. The way they treated me when I reported my MacBook Pro’s bloated batteries is why I steadfastly refuse to ever consider buying an iPhone.

And trying to cover up this case of an Apple Watch exploding? That’s just not right…

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + AA Batteries Review!

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In my review of the EBL lithium-ion AA batteries and 8-bay charger, I will share with you why this is the future of AA batteries!

 

EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + AA Batteries Review!

The future of AA batteries is here, and it comes in the form of EBL lithium-ion AA batteries, and the 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger!

Most of us have long relied on rechargeable AA batteries using NiCad (Nickel-Cadmium) and NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) technologies which were developed in the 1980s.

They are set to be replaced by AA batteries built on lithium-ion technology – the same kind of battery used in your smartphone and laptops.

So I was most excited when EBL said that they would send me their latest lithium-ion AA batteries and 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger to try out.

 

EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + AA Batteries : What’s In The Box?

EBL sent me their most popular AA battery bundle, which consists of an 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger, and eight of their lithium-ion AA batteries. They also offer them for sale as separate items.

The package arrived in a simple black plastic bag – there is no special bundle packaging. EBL would do well to add bubble wrapping to prevent damage to the box, and pilfering from the package.

There are the items that you will receive if you purchase the EBL 8-bay Li-Ion battery charger and 8-battery bundle :

  • 1 x EBL 8-bay Lithium-Ion Battery Charger
  • 1 set of EBL Lithium-Ion Battery Charger + Lithium Ion Battery manuals
  • 1 x USB Type A to micro-USB Type B power cable
  • 8 x EBL Lithium-Ion AA batteries
  • 2 x AA battery storage cases

 

EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger Review!

The EBL 8-Bay lithium-ion charger has a pretty simple design. It has 8 battery bays, supporting up to eight AA or AAA lithium-ion batteries, or a mix of them.

However, please note that this charger only supports lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Please do not use it to recharge your NiCd / NiMH rechargeable batteries!

Every bay has a separate circuit, allowing for optimal charging according to each battery’s condition. It is also smart enough to prevent over-charging, over-voltage, over-current and overheating while charging.

That said, EBL recommends that you take out the batteries once they are fully-charged, and do not leave them in the charger. Trickle-charging lithium-ion batteries is not good for their lifespan.

I would also recommend that you disconnect the charger after use, because it will use up to 0.3 watts of power even when it’s not charging any battery. That “vampire power loss” may seem little, but it is still a waste of power.

Power input comes through the very common Type A to micro-USB cable. In 2022, I would have very much preferred a bidirectional USB Type C connector. But this is a minor inconvenience – you won’t generally remove the cable unless you are travelling.

The 8-bay charger has a 10 watt power input, delivering up to 1.25 watts per bay when fully-loaded with eight batteries, and up to 1.5 watt per bay with fewer batteries.

However, EBL does not provide a 10 watt USB power adaptor to actually power this 8-bay lithium-ion battery charger. So you will need to purchase a separate USB power adaptor, or use the one that came with your smartphone.

Just make sure the USB power adaptor can deliver 10 watts or more. Otherwise, charging will be much slower.

Specifications EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger
Model EBL M7012
Type USB Charger
Battery Size AA / AAA
Battery Type Only 1.5V Lithium-Ion
Input Voltage DC 5V @ 2A
Input Power 10 W
No-Load Input Power 0.3 W max.
Output Voltage DC 1.5 V @ 1 A
Output Current AA : 1000 mA max.
AAA : 500 mA max.
Dimensions 126.4 mm wide
75.4 mm high
25.2 mm thick
Weight 94.9 grams

 

EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion AA Batteries Review!

The EBL lithium-ion AA batteries work like any other rechargeable AA batteries. Just plug them into any device that requires AA batteries, and they just work.

These lithium-ion batteries have a capacity of 3,000 mWh, which is equivalent to 2,000 mAh. So they are equivalent in capacity to many NiMH batteries, but about 18% lower than top-shelf Eneloop Pro batteries.

EBL claims that they have a low self-discharge like Eneloop batteries, and will retain up to 80% of its capacity 3 years after it’s fully-charged. But they do not come pre-charged, because so you will need to charge them for 6-8 hours before using them.

The biggest advantage of the EBL lithium-ion AA battery though is its ability to deliver 1.5 volts of constant current. This beats NiCad and NiMH batteries which are limited to just 1.2-1.4 volts.

Even though these batteries have similar capacities to NiCad/NiMH batteries, their higher voltage means they deliver 7% to 25% more power.

That extra power is useful when it comes to certain devices, like Nerf guns or electric toothbrushes for example. You will get higher performance with these 1.5 volt lithium-ion batteries than you would with NiCad / NiMH batteries.

Specifications EBL Lithium-Ion AA Battery
Size AA
Type Lithium-Ion
Capacity 3000 mWh
2000 mAh
Discharge Voltage 1.5 V ± 2%
Low Voltage
Warning		 1.1 V ± 2%
Standard Charging Time ≤ 2.5 hours
Standard Discharge Time ≥ 5 hours
Charging Voltage 5.0 V ~ 5.5 V
Recommended
Discharge Current		 0.2 C (400 mA)
Maximum
Discharge Current 		1 C
Overcurrent
Protection Limit		 800 mA
Overcurrent Discharge
/ Short Circuit Limit		 2.1 A ~ 2.8 A
Low Temperature
Charging Protection
 0 ℃ : ≤ 150 mA
-10 ℃ : ≤ 100 mA
Static Power Consumption ≤ 100 μA
Dimensions 50.1 mm tall
14.1 mm wide
Weight 20 grams

 

EBL 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + AA Batteries : Price + Availability

The EBL 8-Bay lithium-ion charger can be purchased separately, or together with AA batteries, at these official price points :

  • 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger + 8 AA batteries : US$45.99
  • 8-Bay Lithium-Ion Charger only : US$13.59
  • 8 x Lithium-Ion AA Batteries : US$28.99

Here are some online purchase options :

  • EBL Direct : $45.99 (use Welcome for 10% off)
  • Amazon : $45.99

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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How Samsung Found & Fixed Their Exploding Battery Problem

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The Samsung Galaxy Note7 arrived to great acclaim on 19 August 2016. It was literally the best phablet ever, with its IP68 rating and its improved S Pen and Knox capabilities. However, its massive early success was soon overshadowed by reports of some Note7 phablets catching fire – the infamous exploding battery problem.

In October, Samsung initiated a global replacement program, but even some of the replacement devices continued to catch fire. That’s when they decided to recall and permanently end the sale of the Galaxy Note7. Since then, they have been working hard on finding out what happened, and how to prevent a recurrence.

After an exhaustive investigation, Samsung can now reveal what caused both the original and the replacement Galaxy Note7 phablets to catch fire, and what they are doing to prevent that from ever happening again. Check it out!

 

The Investigation

After the global replacement program was initiated, Samsung assembled 700 engineers to find out why some of them would spontaneously catch fire. Together with the replacement Note7 phablets from the global recall, their engineers tested more than 200,000 of those returned devices, and over 30,000 batteries.

Samsung also roped in three industrial safety and quality control organisations – UL, Exponent and TÜV Rheinland – to examine the Galaxy Note7 phablets, and provide Samsung with their own findings.

Finally, Samsung went back and examined every aspect of their production processes in their factories in China, Vietnam and south Korea  – from hardware and software development to the assembly and testing of the Galaxy Note7, as well as logistics.

 

Double Trouble

The reason why both the original and the replacement Galaxy Note7 phablets exhibited similar spontaneous combustion issues was because two different batteries were catching fire under different circumstances.

Battery A

The first situation involved battery A which had an overly small casing. The cramped condition led to the negative electrodes being “deflected in the upper right corner of the battery“, and coming into contact with each other.

Battery B

The second situation involved battery B where welding burrs on the positive electrode penetrated the insulation tape and separator, and came into direct contact with the negative electrode. This essentially resulted in a short circuit.

 

Making Sure It Won’t Happen Again

To ensure that Samsung users will never have to worry about the exploding battery problem ever again, Samsung developed a rigorous 8-point battery safety check protocol for all future Samsung devices :

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  • Enhanced battery durability tests – includes overcharging tests, nail puncture tests and extreme temperature stress tests.
  • Visual inspection tests of every battery under standardised guidelines and objective criteria.
  • X-ray scans of every battery to look for any abnormalities.
  • Every battery will undergo a large scale charging and discharging test.
  • TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compound) Test –  to make sure there isn’t the slightest possibility of leakage
  • Disassembly Test – the batteries are disassembled to assess their quality, including the battery tab welding and insulation tape conditions.
  • Accelerated Usage Test – the batteries will undergo extensive tests to simulate accelerated consumer usage scenarios
  • △OCV (Delta Open Circuit Voltage) Test – Samsung will check for any change in voltage throughout the manufacturing process, from component level to the assembled device.
Large scale charge & discharge testing
X-ray scanning of the batteries
Delta Open Circuit Voltage tests

Samsung may have been hit hard by the exploding battery problem in the Galaxy Note7, but there may be a silver lining after all. It brought up the critical and often overlooked issue of the safety of lithium-ion batteries that are, by nature, volatile. The new battery safety check protocol Samsung put in place should become an industry-standard. Other smartphone manufacturers would do well to adopt Samsung’s battery safety check protocol, or a similar one.

 

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ADATA X7000 Dual USB Power Bank Released

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Taipei, 03 January 2017 – ADATA Technology today launched the ADATA X7000 Power Bank. As the model name suggests, the device is rated for 7000mAh. The X7000 features dual USB ports for efficient battery top-up of two devices at once.

Its stylish design employs the finest components and smart circuitry to provide multiple protective measures, made of highly durable materials to increase fire and impact resistance. A bespoke hairline-brushed aluminum textured surface combined together with a tough plastic side panels resulted in a unique look which differentiate the X7000 from other power banks.

With a choice of three colors, the X7000 is elevated from a mediocre power charging device to a premium power charger on-the-go for smartphones, tablets, and other devices.

ADATA X7000 Power Bank

Functionality into Fashion

While power banks are often thought of as generic, practical items, the ADATA X7000 power bank is a work of art itself. The combination of durable aluminum surface with tough plastic panels dissolves differences in texture into one unmatched visual experience. This innovative power bank is resistant to scratches, chipping and fingerprints smudges.

Weighs merely 210g and measures up to 12mm in thickness, the X7000 could be fitted into narrow, small spaces. The X7000 comes in three distinct colors to better match various smart devices: Titanium grey, blue, and red. A bright white LED status indicator provides at-a-glance charge capacity information, as well as a low-charge caution to keep users informed.

Quick and Efficient Charging

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The X7000 includes two USB ports, providing a total output of 2.4A output as needed by connected devices. The dual ports allow users to charge two mobile devices simultaneously, saving precious time. Additionally, the 7000mAh device can fully recharge a smart phone three times and a tablet one time. Now you can have enough power to watch and shoot videos on the mobile device, take photos and surf social networks, all the long.

Built Durable Inside Out

ADATA makes safety the leading priority with all products, and more so with power banks. Meticulous circuit and wire engineering provides six-faceted protection against excessive heat, voltage, current, charge, and discharge. Externally, the shell uses tough, fire-resistant polycarbonate that has been IEC 60950 impact resistant-certified for safe portability in diverse environments.

 

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