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.

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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.

Don't let busted pipes or an overflowing washing machine dampen your day. Water plays an essential role in our homes, but it can also wreak havoc. Burst pipes, leaky toilets, and misbehaving appliances can stop your day in its tracks. Water leak detectors help reduce the risk by alerting you to problems quickly so you can act to prevent severe damage. Around one in 60 insured homeowners file a claim related to water damage or freezing every year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and the average cost of the property damage is about $15,000. The longer a leak goes undetected, the more damage it does, destroying furniture and decorations, spawning mold and fungi, and even threatening structural integrity. I've tested many smart leak detectors over the past few years, and these are my favorites. Insurers love them, so before you go shopping, it's worth checking with yours to see what they offer or recommend, and whether installing a leak sensor can reduce your premiums. Shaped like a drop of water, this versatile standalone device alerts you within seconds of detecting a leak and offers compelling extras like temperature tracking at a reasonably affordable price.

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Unveiled at IFA 2026, the Oukitel RG14-P has an IP69K rating and swappable solar-powered batteries. It also weighs over 8 pounds.

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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.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Logitech's Mobi Fold mouse is anything but ergonomic, prioritizing design over usability. The Mobi Fold is anything but ergonomic, prioritizing design over usability. Logitech's new travel mouse, the Mobi Fold, takes inspiration from the recent flip phone trend. It reminds me of the Motorola Razr or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip .

How a tiny little electronic switch sparked the computer revolution. Last week I revealed the sneaky physics behind the " joule thief," an electrical circuit that lets you squeeze more energy out of seemingly dead batteries. The key, it turned out, was a clever pairing of a transformer and a transistor. But the transistor deserves its own headline, because it's maybe only the most important invention of the 20th century. Life would be completely different without transistors.