This description is referring to the upcoming innovations in the realm of battery technology — specifically that of solid-state batteries. And while both fusion power and solid-state batteries have been labelled technologies of the future but never of today, advancements and investments in solid-state materials have increased tremendously over the years. Today not only are there many major companies and credible researchers involved, but it also seems we may finally start seeing these batteries released in just the next few years.

A simplified diagram shows the liquid electrolyte of conventional batteries and the solid electrolyte of solid-state batteries.

Batteries are nothing more than devices that store chemical energy and convert it into electrical energy. They have four main parts: the cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator. The cathode and anode are the electrodes.

What is important here is that there is one main difference between our current batteries and the solid-state batteries of the future: the electrolyte. Current lithium-ion batteries have a liquid electrolyte. Unfortunately, certain compounds present in the liquid electrolyte allow for the growth of crystalline structures known as dendrites. The dendrites produce long, sharp whiskers that can puncture the separator and cause short-circuiting, consequently leading to dangerous explosions. Solid-state batteries have a solid electrolyte that inhibits the growth of these harmful dendrites. Not to mention something astounding happens once the electrolyte is switched from liquid to solid.

The battery has a higher energy density, the risk of fires and explosions is greatly reduced, it takes up less space, and it is able to operate in a wider range of temperatures. Let’s take a look, for example, at what this would mean for vehicles.

By far the largest drawback of electric vehicles today is their limited driving range. An average electric vehicle will get a range of 250–300 miles (402–483 km) on a full charge. Fully charging the vehicle takes anywhere from an hour to 17 hours depending on whether the vehicle is charging at a station or using a standard outlet at home. Yet electric vehicles are expected to continue growing in popularity, eventually dominating the automotive sector. To reach this point they will need to expand their range to at least 450 miles (724 km) while remaining affordable to the consumer.

Here are the solid-state batteries

The driving range of electric vehicles becomes double or triple the current number. Companies can choose between making a smaller, lighter battery that charges faster or leaving the battery the same size with a much more extensive range. Charge times are reduced to just 15 mins. If we look at Samsung’s advancements in solid-state batteries we see they were able to develop a battery that can be charged and discharged over 1,000 times with a range of 500 miles (805 km) per charge. This is a battery life of 500,000 miles. And all while being able to operate efficiently in more extreme temperatures.

Something like this could be the end of gas-powered vehicles. For laptops and smartphones, it means the devices could last days on a single (very fast) charge, with the overall lifespan of the battery increasing from just 2 years to over 10. Medical devices could become more portable and compact while the larger temperature range means solid-state batteries could have applications in future space technology.

This potential has not escaped the attention of powerful companies. Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Toyota, and Bill Gates have all invested billions of dollars into solid-state research. Toyota is planning a limited release of vehicles with solid-state batteries by 2025. And yet the most exciting breakthrough comes from someone you’ve probably never heard about.

CeraCharge makes solid-state batteries the size of a grain of rice.

A research team led by physicist John Goodenough has submitted a patent for glass and a ceramic solid-state battery that is stable, non-flammable, offers faster charging, and has 3 times more energy storage than a regular lithium-ion battery. This was achieved by adding sodium or lithium to form an electrode in the battery. Equally as important, the battery is affordable and is estimated to last over 2,000 charge and discharge cycles. The operating temperature range for the glass battery is between -4º F and 140º F (-20º C and 60º C).

Goodenough himself is no ordinary scientist. He’s won 8 scientific awards, including the Nobel Prize in chemistry. His past world-changing innovations include the original lithium-ion battery and the RAM needed to make your computer run. His involvement — along with the involvement of many major competing companies — have put the solid-state battery well within our reach. We may begin to see the limited release of this technology in just 3 or 4 years, though it is difficult to say when it will achieve wider release to the public.

The battery represents a lot more than just convenience. It represents a key element in saving the world. More capable electric vehicles can provide a drastic shift in the automotive market — a shift away from more emission-heavy gas vehicles. Solid-state batteries may also be produced with earth-friendly materials like the very sodium found in our plentiful ocean water. But perhaps more than anything, the arrival of solid-state batteries will represent the capabilities of our most brilliant minds: the capability to make real a technology we’ve known about for centuries and dreamt about for decades. It does not forever have to remain a technology of the future, but can be the technology of today.

Agility is now a necessity

“Agility quickly became the highest priority, as … well understood consumer behavior and fixed distribution chains failed. Companies needed to embrace and adapt to a fully unified online/offline world, valuing resilience over pure cost, and IT agility became indispensable.”

says Andy Mutz, head of engineering, new ventures and technologies at enterprise software developer SAP.

On the bright side, the pandemic showed IT leaders that it’s possible to safely transform key operations and services at a previously unimaginable pace.

Collaboration is now routine

By joining with internal and external partners, IT staff can gain access to the knowledge and resources necessary to stay a step ahead of the competition. COVID-19 forced enterprises clinging to a “built here” IT philosophy to recognize the value inherent in partner collaboration. Moore explains:

“Whether it’s for technology embedded in products or cloud-based production and collaboration tools, the ecosystem will continue to be important to companies as they innovate and protect their competitive position in the marketplace.”

Threat awareness is now enhanced and expanded

Technology-rooted emerging threats, such as ransomware and denial of service attacks, generally give enterprises at least a few clues as to what to expect and how to prepare and react. But COVID-19 hit hard and suddenly, upending critical operations within a matter of days. Jason Goth, CTO at technology consulting firm Credera says:

“There simply wasn’t time to do six-month assessments on different technology options, or to build a long-term roadmap for compliance.”

Chastened by the experience, a growing number of IT leaders are now beginning to treat communicable threats, such as COVID-19, with the same level of importance as natural disasters, by including defined strategies within their business continuity/disaster recovery plans.

IT as a business solutions driver

When the pandemic crippled long-standing business operations, IT stepped forward to provide solutions. Enterprises possessing advanced technical capabilities were able to create new products and services, Goth says.

“For example, retailers like Home Depot and Costco added curbside pickup; restaurants like McDonald’s added curbside and new delivery options; telecommunications products, like Zoom or Teams, had to add orders of magnitude in terms of scale as well as new features. Businesses that were able to make the changes quickly and effectively were not only able to survive, but thrive.”

Yet COVID-19 also raised enterprise expectations.

IT as a financial innovator

COVID-19 allowed IT to take the lead in financial innovation, particularly in tech-driven areas such as contactless commerce. Carol Juel, executive vice president and CIO of consumer financial services, noted:

“While the industry had been innovating contactless commerce technology for years … the pandemic accelerated the transformation and brought it to the forefront. What made this development so significant is what would have taken years, took … only a few short months.”

The pandemic increased consumer demand for the ability to transact and process payments without touching cash, cards, or keypads.

As you can see in the screenshots, the Caller ID feature in the Google Phone app appears as a new setting called “Caller ID announcement.” This setting was previously hidden in the Advanced section of the app’s Settings menu, but it has been moved to the main Settings page in the final release. Tapping on the setting opens up a new page with a single option called “Announce caller ID.” You can tap on this option to enable Caller ID announcements for all calls, while you’re using a headset, or turn it off completely.

Once enabled, the feature will announce the caller’s name or phone number for incoming calls. This will help users quickly discern whether they wish to answer an incoming call or not without looking at their phone. Although the new Caller ID feature in the Google Phone app isn’t a monumental update, it’s still quite a handy feature to have, especially for users who have some form of visual impairment.

The new Caller ID feature comes just weeks after Google rolled out a new call recording feature in the Google Phone app. The call recording feature lets you automatically record phone calls from unknown numbers.

Fiona Cicconi

Google’s Global Operations Lead Fiona Cicconi wrote to company employees that Google was bringing forward its timetable of moving people back into the office.

She said as of 1st September employees wishing to work from home for more than 14 days would have to apply to do so. Employees were also expected to “live within commuting distance” of offices. The intention was very clear. Sure, you can do more flexible working than you did before – but most people will still have to come into the office.

That thinking seemed to fly in the face of much of what we heard from Silicon Valley executives last year when they championed the virtues of remote working.

Jack Dorsey

For instance, Twitter‘s co-founder and the CEO Jack Dorsey made headlines across the world last May, when he said

“Twitter employees can now work from home forever if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home.”

In fact, Twitter has clarified that it expects a majority of its staff to spend some time working from home and some time in the office.

Pretty much every Silicon Valley tech firm has said that it is now committed to “flexible” or “flexible” working. It was speculated that after Covid, the “new normal” for Silicon Valley might be a workforce heavily geared around remote working, with tech companies needing only minimal staff on-site.

Microsoft envisages “‘working from home part of the time (less than 50%) as standard for most roles” in the future.

Amazon also issued a statement to employees saying:

“Our plan is to return to an office-centric culture as our baseline. We believe it enables us to invent, collaborate, and learn together most effectively.”

Carolyn Everson

Part of the hesitancy is that although many employees want more flexibility, it’s still not at all clear what kind of model works for the companies. Carolyn Everson, vice-president of Facebook’s global business group noted  when talking about current work-from-home arrangements:

“None of us has this all figured out. We are making this up on the fly.”

Prithwiraj Choudhury

Harvard Business School professor Prithwiraj Choudhury says that tech companies have long been at the vanguard of remote working.

“The early adopters and the companies that are embracing this model and building the organisation around that remote work model will have a huge advantage in attracting talent.”

Companies like Spotify appear to have some of the most “flexible” working practices for their staff. In a recent statement Spotify said:

“Our employees will be able to work full time from home, from the office, or a combination of the two. The exact mix of home and office work mode is a decision each employee and their manager make together.”

Arvind Krishna

IBM also announced its system of remote working, with 80% of the workforce working at least three days a week in the office. Arvind Krishna, IBM chief executive commented:

“When people are remote, I worry about what their career trajectory is going to be…If they want to become a people manager if they want to get increasing responsibilities, or if they want to build a culture within their teams, how are we going to do that remotely?”

Remote working’s biggest test is going to be when the office starts opening up. When meetings are being held partially in person and partially on Zoom, is the dynamic going to work quite so well? And when some employees develop face-to-face relationships with managers, will remote workers feel disadvantaged?

One is sure – there are so many different approaches being taken by tech companies and nobody can tell what is wrong or right yet.

“It is a great tool for improving developers’ productivity and avoiding some bugs. Getting started is easy, both create-react-app and nextjs come with built-in support.”

Just because of that he decided to demonstrate some techniques that we can use in our day to day work with TypeScript and React. Some of the things that Maciek covered are:

• Use union types

• Do not repeat yourself

• Use generics

If you want you can read the whole article from here.