The US is hitting records for the rapid growth of its energy storage market. That'll go a long way to shoring up the grid, increasing reliability and also cutting emissions, since batteries can help store energy from intermittent renewables like wind and solar. Crucially, this is all happening with the help of cheap Chinese batteries, though there's been a concerted effort to reduce the US's reliance on them. Most recently, in an executive order in late August, the Trump administration declared a national emergency that essentially bans Chinese batteries from being used in grid-scale energy storage systems.

Battery installations hit a new record in the US in the second quarter of 2026. In total, 20.2 gigawatt-hours of new capacity came online, according to a new report. That's enough to supply the daily electricity needs of about 700,000 homes. The surge is putting the country on a trajectory to see 71 gigawatt-hours of batteries installed in 2026, a 20% increase over last year. This growth is being driven by a combination of cheaper batteries and an urgent need for more energy storage capacity as renewables such as solar and onshore wind power are added to the grid.

Wireless charging performance is limited less by power delivery than by the physics of heat, and solving it requires rethinking the hardware. Plug a phone into a modern charger and the first 10 minutes are impressive. The next 20 are not. This is not a defect. It's the connected device protecting itself. As temperature rises during charging, a smartphone's battery management system reduces the current it will accept, because heat accelerates the chemical degradation that permanently reduces battery capacity.

Look Up Trending Now Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Creator Playbook Say More Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Switch Off Mashable Voices Mashable Selects Safety Net Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List All Series The latest iPhone Ultra rumors and leaks: Everything we know about Apple's first foldable Will its first foldable phone be its next big hit? Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything. Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen Will plug-in solar plus batteries solve your power problem? It can't be just about harvesting solar power - it's also about storage, and time-shifting cheap, off-peak power to times when it's more expensive. Batteries let you store and timeshift power. They can store solar-generated power or cheap, off-peak power. To make this work, you need a TOU tariff with a decent peak/off-peak rate spread.

Mashable Voices Look Up Trending Now Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Say More Mashable Selects Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off In My Bag All Series The latest iPhone Ultra rumors and leaks: Everything we know about Apple's first foldable Will its first foldable phone be its next big hit? Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything. Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Look Up Say More Mashable Selects Mashable Voices Safety Net Creator Hub Versus Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Switch Off Trending Now In My Bag All Series The 6 best battery life laptops we've ever tested Laptops' battery lives have gotten so much better in recent years, and our current top pick lasts 40 hours per charge. Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what's actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons . All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. You want a laptop that can reliably get you through a full day of work, but the best laptops for battery life we've tested have lasted literal in our tests.

We tested hundreds of options--our top picks from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Beats are standout favorites that are ready for any task. I use Wireless earbuds constantly. I use them for work, running, working out, relaxing, traveling--whatever I am doing, chances are I have a pair of wireless earbuds on me, just in case. While some of the earliest models were huge and inconvenient, earbuds nowadays are slim, comfortable, and often affordable. The WIRED Reviews team doesn't just use earbuds--we test them. And after weeks of music, calls, commutes, and rogue earbuds flying out of our ears, we've chosen these favorites that are the best for most people.

For most people, a set of nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries is the way to go. Panasonic Eneloop is an Engadget staff favorite. It's consistent and tends to hold up over time better than cheaper options. If you want to save a few bucks, IKEA LADDA is a good budget alternative. Both are sold in the AA and AAA sizes you need for these systems.

I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses TCL's new E Ink tablet beats the Remarkable and Kindle Anker's new charger is one of the most unique I've ever seen The hidden diagnostic file breaks down all the logging your Pixel, Samsung, or even Motorola does daily. Here's how I've been using it. The'dumpstate' is a hidden diagnostic file you can easily access. It breaks down your phone's battery health, excess cache, and more. Most of the analysis can be done on your phone, but using ADB on a PC helps.