Power-generating heatsinks

Apple is currently in talks with Eneco -- an engineering firm -- to use a new Thermal Chip which is said to convert heat into electricity, bouncing the free electrons of hot metal against cold metal to capture the resulting energy. The chip is alternately able to dramatically cool hardware by receiving direct electricity, and produces as much as five times the energy density of a lithium-ion battery, according to Eneco. Both companies have yet to settle on a contract and are not expected to ship products in the immediate future, according to ITWeek. Apple has often struggled in the past with thermal issues in its systems, and the new technology could effectively solve the company's cooling difficulties by absorbing most of the heat generated by processors and converting it into a source that would reduce or even eliminate the need for a high-capacity battery in laptops, according to Electronista.

by MacNN Staff