My daughter bought a new tv recently, and apparently it came with a remote control that has a built in solar panels underneath it. She asked ChatGPT what it was for and it’s to perpetually charge it with ambient light.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve grown used to all innovations in technology to be more or less a contrivance to extort money out of us. That solar panels idea is just a value add for the customer’s benefit which makes the product genuinely more valuable… In my opinion.
Is it just me? Are any of you as cynical as me about new technology and the motivation behind it’s creation?
Or, do any of you have examples of other products that are less “take” and more “give” (i hope that terminology makes sense).
I have on my desk, a TI-34 programmers calculator I’ve used daily for the last THIRTY NINE years :). It still works perfectly, nothing has failed, faded or broken, tho the slide-in glossy operators card has been lost over the years.
What is missing, that over the years always leaks acid or alkaline and always ruins electronics eventually ?
If this missing component doesn’t leak, then it fumes and the same thing happens, electronics tarnish and corrode slowly.
This non-fitted component is usually discharged when you want to use it, so it needs a compartment with a cover so it can be easily replaced, and these get lost, or if they don’t get lost then one needs to find a fine screwdriver to replace the screw holding it on.
This same mysterious part is also expensive and heavy. It’s guaranteed to burst forth from it’s compartment and shoot under a heavy piece of furniture if you drop the device …
What a tremendous discussion topic! The solar charging remote is a nifty idea too. I hope the rechargeable battery and extra circuitry doesn’t cause any reliability issues and end up being its downfall over the long-term.
I wholeheartedly agree with your cynicism. I’ve been pondering your question overnight and have struggled to find an example of something that hasn’t been “enshittified” or isn’t otherwise a pain in the bum requiring maintenance or consumables or subscriptions or repairs or isn’t going to be obsolete within a few years. I suppose that’s one of the appeal of the homelab - getting away of some of that garbage that comes with using technology now days.
It’s hard to beat the solar powered calculator as an excellent example, but after some reflection I’d like to put forward a Philips DAB+ clock radio which I semi-regularly use.
I picked my unit up as an impulse buy about 10 years ago on the last day that Dick Smith traded (in the same haul as the Seagate Personal Cloud I’ve mentioned on here before). I don’t think it cost more than $10 in the bundle of clearance stuff I picked up on the day.
The specific model I have does one thing, and does it reliably. Audio quality is excellent, the time automatically sets itself from the DAB+ signal, the alarm is easy to set and unset, there are no updates, or subscriptions, or consumables or other considerations. Even the screen dims and brightens itself, and is gentle compared to the bright red 7-segment displays that seem to illuminate a whole bedroom. Turn it on, spin the dial, pick the DAB+ station I want to listen to, and turn it off (or have it sleep) when done.
Interesting that the only example in my life I could come up with is something that’s entirely offline, no WiFi, no USB, no phone/iPod docks…
Nah @skalyan, it’s not a new technology, but it just seems like the manufacturer of Lil’s television briefly suspended their “inbuilt obsolescence” motivation, and accidentally did something for the consumer.
It just struck me as such an anomaly. When she told me about it i immediately thought “hey yeah, why aren’t all remote controls built like that”? I thought it would make an interesting discussion thread here.
Still though, i’m curious to hear of any other examples. Any other instances our capitalist overlords having a lapse in judgement and unwittingly dabbled in altruism. It’s sad that it’s so rare.
Instant Pot comes to mind. Unfortunately, it was so good that it quickly saturated its market and became commercially unviable. (It didn’t help that it was designed without planned obsolescence.) Then private equity came and did its thing: The Instant Pot Failed Because It Was a Good Product - The Atlantic
So there’s still hope for the TV controller buried down the back of the sofa.
@techman and I clearly predate @skalyan. I remember the HP-67 from my youth. It did reverse polish but not solar unlike the TI. (But it did have a holster!!).
I also remember a wave of enthusiasm for rechargeable batteries in the late 2000s. It turned out to be a huge pain for my secretary who was in charge of charging . The memory in those NiCads would develop so quickly, that it was enough to test the patience of Job.
Li-ion batteries are a huge leap forward. They now power everything from my watch to my home. I’ve spent much of the last few weeks thinking about solar and batteries but I might continue that in another thread.
I lusted after one of those SO BAD back in the day, but it was well out of my electronics technician salary league, so I obtained a personal loan and purchased a TI-SR52 instead.
That’s exactly what I was thinking, until I asked GLM-5 what it thought !
“do lipo batteries have any long term corrosion issues for electronics equipment similar to nicads, akaline and basically all batteries before lipos ?”
The short answer is no, LiPo batteries do not suffer from the same type of spontaneous, long-term corrosion issues that plagued Alkaline and NiCd batteries.
However, they have their own distinct failure modes that can be just as destructive to electronics, though for different chemical reasons.
Here is a detailed breakdown of why LiPos are different, and what risks they actually pose.
1. The Difference in Chemistry and Construction
To understand why LiPos don’t “corrode” like old batteries, you have to look at how they are built.
Alkaline/NiCd (The “Leakers”): These batteries contain a liquid electrolyte (usually a potassium hydroxide solution) inside a metal can (steel or nickel-plated steel). Over time, the battery generates gas as it discharges or ages. This pressure builds up, the metal casing eventually ruptures at the seal, and the caustic liquid leaks out. This liquid reacts with air and moisture to form white, crusty corrosion (salts) that eats away at battery contacts and circuit boards.
LiPo (The “Pouch”): LiPo batteries use a solid or gel-like polymer electrolyte, not a free-flowing liquid. They are packaged in a flexible, heat-sealed foil pouch rather than a rigid metal can. Because there is no liquid sloshing around and the seals are heat-fused plastic, they rarely “leak” in the traditional sense of a liquid oozing out and corroding the surrounding area.
2. The LiPo Equivalent: Swelling (Puffing)
While LiPos don’t leak crusty white residue, they are prone to gas generation.
As LiPos age, are overcharged, or are mistreated, chemical reactions inside produce gas. Because the foil pouch is sealed, the battery expands (puffs up).
Minor swelling: This is common in older batteries. It usually just deforms the device casing.
Major swelling: In extreme cases, the battery can swell enough to crush the internal components of the device (screen, logic board, or other batteries).
3. The Danger Zone: Venting and Fire
If a LiPo is punctured or swells until the foil pouch ruptures, it does not leak a slow corrosive liquid. Instead, it vents.
The Electrolyte: The organic solvents inside a LiPo are highly flammable. When exposed to air, they can ignite.
Hydrofluoric Acid: If the battery vents or catches fire, the electrolyte can decompose and release Hydrofluoric Acid (HF). This is extremely dangerous. While technically “corrosive,” it doesn’t look like the white fuzz on an old AA battery. It is an invisible, toxic gas or vapor that burns lungs and skin on contact. It will etch glass and destroy electronics instantly, but this is a catastrophic failure event, not a slow long-term storage issue.
4. The “Silent Killer”: Deep Discharge
The most common way a LiPo damages electronics over the long term is actually the opposite of leaking: Deep Discharge.
If you leave a LiPo-powered device sitting on a shelf for a year or two, the battery will slowly self-discharge. If it drops below a certain voltage (usually around 2.5V per cell):
The chemistry inside changes.
The battery effectively dies and cannot be recharged safely.
If you try to charge it, the copper inside the battery can dissolve and create “dendrites” (microscopic shorts), leading to fire.
While this doesn’t corrode the device contacts, it renders the device useless because the battery is often hard-wired into the electronics (unlike removable AAs).
Summary Comparison
Feature
Alkaline / NiCd
LiPo (Lithium Polymer)
Electrolyte
Liquid (Water-based)
Gel / Solid Polymer
Casing
Rigid Metal Can
Flexible Foil Pouch
Leakage Risk
High. Seals fail over time, liquid leaks out.
Very Low. No liquid to leak; pouch is heat-sealed.
Corrosion Type
External Corrosion. White/green crusty residue on contacts.
Internal Degradation. The battery destroys itself internally.
Long Term Risk
Ruined battery contacts and PCB traces.
Swelling (crushing device) or Fire (if punctured/charged damaged).
Conclusion
You generally do not need to worry about a LiPo battery leaking acid and rotting the battery springs or circuit board of your device like an old flashlight left in a drawer.
However, you do need to worry about the battery swelling and physically crushing the device, or entering a “zombie” state where it cannot be recharged. If you are storing electronics with LiPos for a long time, the best practice is to charge them to about 50-60% and check them every few months. Do not store them fully charged or fully empty.
