Interesting Facts

Brits are spending more more than £900 million a year simply keeping our smartphones and tablets charged. (If that's not bad enough, we waste £134 million a year by overcharging them: According to research commissioned by insurance provider Row.co.uk, part of the problem is overcharging which happens when users plug in their devices overnight. A massive nine in ten owners keep gadgets on permanent charge, often unaware that overcharging batteries can reduce their lifespan, and under certain conditions lithium-ion batteries can pose a safety hazard. The figures suggest that around 85,000 tonnes of CO2 could be saved if people disconnected as soon as charging was complete.) Average charging times:- Mobile Phone - 2 hours Laptop, with Express Charge - 2 hours Hand-held vacuum cleaner - 3.5 hours Mp3 player - 4 hours Digital Camera - 2 hours

In 1946 the first (very primitive) mobile phone was used by the Swedish police force.  After 6 calls the battery died. An early mobile phone weighed 80lbs. Early phones could run for about 30 minutes, and took 10 hours to recharge. Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually .

Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist, invented the battery. (Also known as the voltaic pile, Volta's battery was the first object that generated a constant electric current. The unit of measure for electricity was named after him: the volt.)