Recharge your phone in 30 seconds? Israeli firm says it can

Worrying about staying in touch when your mobile phone battery runs low could soon be a thing of the past. An Israeli company is developing a way to charge a phone in seconds. Tel Aviv-based StoreDot uses nano technology to synthesise artificial molecules. StoreDot founder Doron Myersdorf says this allows them to develop the best material for a fast-charging battery. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF STOREDOT, DORON MYERSDORF, SAYING: "We design new molecules, new materials that would enable the new chemistry and the improved physics that is required for fast charging." StoreDot's technology is based on 'nanodots' which means the battery can absorb the charge rapidly - and most importantly, retain that charge. The Israeli firm says its nanodot is the first bio-organic nano crystal to be discovered. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF STOREDOT, DORON MYERSDORF, SAYING: "We are using these bio organic materials in order to enrich the movement of ions inside the battery, from the electrode to the electrolyte in a faster way. With this technology we can charge a battery in 30 seconds." StoreDot's prototype battery is too big for current mobile phones and can only deliver half a day's charge at the moment. But the aim is to have a slim battery that can charge a smartphone for an entire day in just 30 seconds by 2016. It would cost up to 150 dollars more than current models and would last for around three years. Doron Myersdorf says the unique bio-organic approach will allow the technology to be applied more widely. And there's competition from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University where a team is working on a battery that can recharge up to 70 percent of power within two minutes. It's made with a gel containing tiny tubes of titanium dioxide a thousand times thinner than the diameter of a human hair, mixed with sodium hydroxide. Both teams have private investor funding, with a major Asian mobile phone maker backing StoreDot's bio-organic technology. And with billions of smartphone users around the world keen to make sure they're never out of charge, the industry could be gearing up for a major change.