Greetings,
I just heard a very interesting story on the radio, about a woman, Christina Lampe-Onnerud, who redesigned the "guts" of a typical lithium ion battery -- and it lasts much longer, charges faster, and greatly reduces the likelihood of overheating/bursting into flames! Her company's name is "Boston-Power", and their battery called the "Sonata" is in production, right now.
It charges in ~1/2 the time of regular batteries (80% in just 30 minutes!), and it lasts much longer, too.
Here and Now : Building A Better Battery - 9/8/2008
Boston-Power unveils long-lasting "Sonata" laptop battery - Engadget
Start-up to launch safer notebook battery - CNET News
Boston-Power’s Sonata Batteries Enhance Performance, Safety
Boston-Power Selects GP Batteries to Expand Manufacturing of Next-Generation Sonata
Boston-Power - Home
Cool stuff!
