Spectrum Online, November 2007
MIT scientists plan to replace the activated carbon of current ultracapacitors, which can can store more charge than a capacitor, with a dense, microscopic forest of carbon nanotubes grown directly on the surface of the current collector.
This would create a device that can hold up to 50 percent as much electrical energy as a comparably sized battery, while being more effective at rapid, regenerative energy storage than chemical batteries and with longer life.
This feat would allow ultracapacitors to supplant batteries in a number of mainstream applications.
Original article: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/5636 (Via KurzweillAI.net.)
Also interesting: Terabyte Storage for Cell Phones
A nanotech-enabled device could replace the flash memory used in portable electronics.
By Kevin Bullis
A new type of memory technology could lead to thumb drives or
digital-camera memory cards that store a terabyte of information--more
than most hard drives
hold today. The first examples of the new technology, which could also
slash energy consumption by more than 99 percent, could be on the
market within 18 months...
Full story: http://www.technologyreview.com/Nanotech/19643/