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The distribution of lithium ions within the new electrolyte material provides obvious routes for the ions to move between electrodes. (credit: Kato et. al., Nature Energy)

For most of us, the only way we judge a battery is by how long it can deliver electrons to our favorite devices. But many applications require more than that. They need batteries that operate across a large temperature range, are compact or flexible, and can manage a fast charge/discharge rate. Plus, we'd all like them not to explode or fail suddenly.

Most energy storage tech involves balancing a trade-off among these various properties. But a new report from a collaboration between academic researchers and Toyota seems to promise it all: a battery more compact than lithium-ion, a better energy density, the charge speed of a supercapacitor, and improved safety. How is this all possible? They got rid of the liquid electrolyte typical of most lithium-ion batteries.

In principle, batteries are structurally very simple: two electrodes where ions exchange electrons, separated by an electrolyte that allows the ions to shuffle between the two. These electrolytes are almost always liquids, since they can easily dissolve the ions, allowing their free movement between the electrodes. Unfortunately, leaking electrolytes are often a cause of failure in these batteries. Fixing this is a challenge—you can't just shove ions through a solid, right?

Enlarge / The iPhone SE will hopefully "inspire" some small, high-end competitors from other ecosystems. (credit: Apple)

People want big phones. That’s an unquestionable fact. Look at Apple’s iPhone sales for the entire year of 2015, and you’ll have all the proof you need (and if you need more, remember that it was unexpectedly strong sales for Samsung’s original Galaxy Note that helped stoke interest in big phones in the first place).

I myself switched to an iPhone 6 the minute it came out in 2014, and I upgraded to a 6S last year. I haven’t looked back. But I’ve only ever wanted the 4.7-inch versions of both phones—the 5.5-inch Plus series phones are just too big and awkward for me.

And that’s the rationale behind the iPhone SE. It’s a high-end option for people who want a new phone but don’t want to deal with a bigger phone. It’s remarkable primarily because most smartphone manufacturers have completely abandoned smaller high-end phones as they’ve chased bigger screens (Sony’s Xperia Compact series being the most notable exception).

(credit: Kārlis Dambrāns)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Monday that it might be able to break into the seized iPhone at the center of an encryption battle with Apple. That is why it wants a federal judge overseeing the litigation to vacate Tuesday's hearing on whether Apple should assist the authorities in bypassing the four-digit passcode on the iPhone used by San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook, according to court documents filed Monday.

"On Sunday, March 20, 2016, an outside party demonstrated to the FBI a possible method for unlocking Farook’s iPhone. Testing is required to determine whether it is a viable method that will not compromise data on Farook’s iPhone," the government said.

US Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym has not yet ruled on the government's motion.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Gawker Media, as a Florida jury trial over its publication of a sex tape concludes.

The same jury that ordered Gawker Media to pay $115 million on Friday for violating the privacy of Terry Bollea, better known as professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, has heaped on an extra $25 million in punitive damages. The six-person jury said Gawker should pay an additional $15 million, while company founder and CEO Nick Denton was hit with an extra $10 million, according to a Reuters report from the courtroom.

The jury said an editor involved with the post, AJ Daulerio, should pay $100,000 in punitive damages. Daulerio and Denton were both held personally liable in the earlier trial.

Yankee Air Museum

Michigan's harsh winter is no place for a retired old spy plane (a Martin RB-57 Canberra) to grow old.

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OK, this one isn't strictly car news, but we were alerted to the story by our friends at Chevrolet, and we know most of you enjoy a bit of vintage plane content as much as we do. A restoration effort is underway in Michigan, not of a car or even a famous warbird, but the Willow Run bomber factory, where the actual "Rosie the Riveter" (Rose Will Monroe) worked during World War II. Last month, three historic aircraft—a PB4Y-2 Privateer, an RB-57 Canberra, and a DHC-4 Caribou—were brought inside the Willow Run plant for the first time in many decades.

During WWII the nation's car makers joined the war effort, building planes, tanks, and other material. Willow Run was originally a farm, which Henry Ford bought in 1931 with the idea of using it to give kids from the city exposure to a more rural way of life.

In 1941, Ford transformed the site into a factory and airfield. At first Willow Run just made parts for the Consolidated B-24s, which were assembled elsewhere. But in 1942, the first Ford-built B-24 Liberator rolled out of the factory's doors, the first of almost 7,000.

(credit: J. Sibiga Photography)

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the rationale behind a Massachusetts law barring stun guns. In an unsigned order, the eight-member court ruled that the Second Amendment and the high court's precedent on the topic were enough to question the legal reasoning behind the top court of Massachusetts backing the prosecution of a woman that they said unlawfully possessed the electric weapon for self-defense.

The decision, for the moment, sets aside last year's ruling from the Judicial Court of Massachusetts, which upheld the law that carries up to 2.5 years in prison. The state's top court had ruled that the US Constitution's framers never envisioned the modern stun-gun device, first patented in 1972. The state court also said that stun guns are not suitable for military use and that it did not matter that state lawmakers had approved the possession of handguns outside the home.

For the moment, the US Supreme Court didn't go so far as to throw out the Massachusetts stun gun law. Nor did the court outright say stun guns are "arms" for Second Amendment purposes. But the decision is a major threat to the five states and the District of Columbia that ban them outright for civilians, and it comes at a time when all types of weapons are being constructed at home via 3D printing technology.

Cookie Lyon is not impressed. (credit: FOX)

On Friday, we reported that Facebook has a marketing tool that targets groups based on what the company believes your race is after assessing your activity. Today, Facebook reps explained to Ars how this targeting works—and why it isn't really about race or ethnicity. Instead, they say it's about ethnic activities and interests.

It sounds confusing because Facebook is trying to do two contradictory things. The company wants to offer advertisers access to multicultural communities, but it also wants to claim that it isn't identifying users by their races. So how exactly do you become part of an "ethnic affinity" target group without being targeted as an ethnicity? Reps say Facebook never looks at census data, names, photos, or private information. Instead, they focus on what language you speak, where you're from, and what interests you declare. Let's say you are a fan of BET and have shown an interest in #BlackLivesMatter—well, then, you might be categorized as part of an African-American ethnic affinity.

That doesn't mean that Facebook has identified you as a black person, Facebook reps hasten to say. It just means that you seem like you would be interested in black culture or activities. "They like African-American content," one rep told Ars. "But we cannot and do not say to advertisers that they are ethnically black. Facebook does not have a way for people to self-identify by race or ethnicity on the platform."

Andrew Cunningham

A rose gold iPhone SE (left) next to an iPhone 5S.

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Have you ever held an iPhone 5? How bout an iPhone 5S? If you have, you really probably don't need me to tell you what it's like to hold an iPhone SE. They're close enough that you'll have trouble telling them apart if you don't know what you're looking for.

Let's focus on the physical differences: the chamfered edges of the phone, previously shiny, are now matte. Those shiny edges were prone to getting scratched and losing their finish in extended use, so a change to a matte finish may help out a bit. Also, the Apple logo on the back is now a separate, inset piece of metal rather than a shiny patch of finish as it is on the 5 and 5S. This is the end of the list.

And that's not really a bad thing; by sticking with an iPhone 5-era design, Apple has avoided some of the common complaints about the 6 and 6S design. There are no awkward visible antenna cutouts, because the wireless signals can escape through the glass cutouts at the top and bottom of the rear case. There’s no camera bump, since the phone is a little thicker. There are no slippery rounded edges, making the phone a bit easier to hold.

Ars checks out Alt.Ctrl.GDC (video link)

Panels, exhibits, and demonstrations at the annual Game Developers Conference tend to err on the wonkier side of the industry, but recent years have included a major exception. Now in its third-annual iteration, GDC's "Alt.Ctrl" showcase has quickly gained a reputation for having the conference's weirdest and (sometimes most fun) content.

But is it actually fun to stare into your own soul by way of a confusing phone call or to control on-screen characters by licking candies or even to make friends with an iPad-loaded toy by offering it colorful pieces of paper-food? Kyle Orland and I took to the GDC show floor with video cameras in hand to find out.