A startup in California, with the rather odd name of Qnovo, says it has developed a new way of rapidly recharging conventional lithium-ion batteries. With Qnovo's technology, you can get six hours of phone life from just 15 minutes of charging -- compared to just 1-2 hours from conventional charging. The secret, according to Qnovo, is that no two batteries are identical -- and knowing exactly how much power you can pump into the battery without damaging it can significantly improve recharge times.