You are reading the article Opinion: Itunes Needs To Be Rebuilt From Scratch, But Not Split Into Separate Apps updated in November 2023 on the website Cancandonuts.com. We hope that the information we have shared is helpful to you. If you find the content interesting and meaningful, please share it with your friends and continue to follow and support us for the latest updates. Suggested December 2023 Opinion: Itunes Needs To Be Rebuilt From Scratch, But Not Split Into Separate Apps
For some reason, a popular opinion floating around the web these days is that splitting iTunes up into a bunch of separate apps that all do one individual task each would be a vast improvement on the current one-app-for-everything design. “They did it on iOS,” the logic goes, “so why not do it on the Mac as well?”
After pondering this suggestion for a while, I’m fully convinced that doing so would that be an unnecessary over-complication of the entire ecosystem.
Let’s consider exactly what functions in iTunes could be broken out into separate applications. At the moment iTunes is used for listening to music and podcasts, watching music videos and movies, playing streaming radio, managing audiobooks, syncing iOS devices, making purchases from Apple’s various digital stores (with the exception of iBooks), and downloading iTunes U content.
So in order to break up iTunes based on the iOS model (and assuming audiobooks get moved into the existing iBooks app), we’d need to have several different apps:
A Music app solely for managing songs and listening to Apple Music or Beats 1
A separate Videos app that houses music videos, movies, and TV shows
An app dedicated to syncing media to an iOS device
A separate iTunes Store for purchasing music and videos
An entirely different store for buying iOS apps
An iTunes U app for viewing that material (probably with an integrated store)
A Podcasts app for subscribing and listening to podcasts
This model works on iOS because mobile applications have limited screen real estate, meaning each app needs to be focused on a single function. You can’t cram an infinite number of icons in the tab bar at the bottom of the screen, so instead, you break out features and hide them behind different home screen icons.
On the Mac, this problem doesn’t exist. We have much more screen space to work with, and the Mac’s entire interface is designed for apps that are able to do many related tasks.
Another problem arises with some of apps dedicated to specific types of content. On iOS, music videos can now appear in the Music app as part of the Apple Music service, even though there’s a separate Videos app where your purchased videos go. Do we break out music videos and movies into two separate apps? Do we put music videos entirely in the music app, and let Videos hold only movies and TV shows? Do we just call that the Movies app? Could a Movies app also store home videos exported from iMovie?
Both of these points lead to a similar conclusion: we should combine apps that serve related purposes. Music, videos, and movies could all be combined into one media manager. iTunes U and podcasts could be added there as well.
So now we’ve reduced the above list to the following:
A Media app for music, radio, videos, podcasts, and movies
An app dedicated to syncing media to an iOS device
A separate iTunes Store for purchasing music and videos (and maybe podcasts?)
An entirely different store for buying iOS apps
The App Store can be combined into the iOS manager since that’s the only app that can sync those apps to mobile products. This puts us at three apps:
A media app for music, radio, videos, podcasts, and movies
An app dedicated to managing iOS devices and downloading mobile apps
A separate iTunes Store for purchasing music and videos
So, three things: a media playback app, a media store, and a mobile media syncing app. A media playback app, a media store, and a mobile media syncing app. Are you getting it? These are not three separate apps. This is one app. And we are calling it “iTunes.”
Like it or not, iTunes is one app because the all-in-one approach works. Right now you might think that you want three or four or seven separate apps for micromanaging every little aspect of your media collection. You might think you want your dock filled with half a dozen different icons for tasks that could easily be accomplished in one bundle.
But trust me: you don’t want that. It’s a bad idea. Soon you’d be complaining that seven apps crash too often or take too long to do something instead of just one. You’d wish you could get to your podcasts and music all at once. You’d get annoyed at having to deal with it all.
I’m not saying iTunes is a great app. Like most of the software Apple has released in recent years, they’ve dumbed down things that don’t need to be dumbed down and made other things more complicated than they need to be. They’ve released yet another buggy piece of software that gets harder and harder to deal with on a daily basis. This isn’t new.
iTunes isn’t a slow, buggy, pain to use because it does too much stuff. It’s like that because it’s built on old code that should have been put out to pasture five years ago. Taking the current functionality and breaking it into separate apps is just going to spread that pain around a little bit more.
The idea is just as ridiculous as Facebook forcing everyone to download a separate app simply to send messages while blocking access to the inbox from the main client—a move that may have put Messenger at the #1 spot on the free app listings, but also earned it an average review of one star at the time.
So yes, nuke iTunes from orbit and start from scratch. Please, Apple, for the love of all that is good, build us a new, less-bloated, less-buggy, version of this app. While you’re at it, perhaps reconsider basically everything about the interface and bring back the simplicity of older versions.
Just don’t overcomplicate everything by needlessly dragging OS X into the iOS world with separate apps for every single function.
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Formula Challenge #6: Split A String Into Characters
This Formula Challenge originally appeared as Tip #194 of my weekly Google Sheets Tips newsletter, on 7 March 2023.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and well done to the 97 people who submitted a solution!
Special mention to Kieran D., Louise A., Martin H., Jelle G., Karl S., Earl N., Doug S., JP C., Alan B., and others for their ingenious solutions. I’ve shared the best below.
Sign up here so you don’t miss out on future Formula Challenges:
Find all the Formula Challenges archived here.
The Challenge Part I: Split A String Into CharactersQuestion: can you create a single formula to split a string into characters so that each character is in its own cell?
i.e. can you create a single formula in cell B1 that creates the output shown in this example:
Solution 1: Using MID and SEQUENCEAssuming the string is in cell A1, then this formula outputs the characters in a vertical orientation (column):
=ArrayFormula(MID(
A1
,SEQUENCE(LEN(
A1
)),
1
))
To change to a horizontal orientation (row), modify the formula to:
=ArrayFormula(MID(
A1
,SEQUENCE(
1
,LEN(
A1
)),
1
))
Complex formulas are best understood by working through layer-by-layer, starting from the inside, using the onion framework.
Applying that here, we begin with a LEN function to calculate the length of the string in A1.
The SEQUENCE function creates a numbered list 1, 2, 3, etc. up to the value corresponding to the number of characters in the original string.
Next the MID function splits the string into single characters and the array formula applies it to each character.
Solution 2: Using REGEXREPLACE and SPLIT=SPLIT(REGEXREPLACE(
A1
,
""
,
"✂️"
),
"✂️"
)
This succinct and beautiful formula uses the REGEXREPLACE formula to insert a character between each character in the original string.
The SPLIT function is then used to break this new string apart based on the inserted character “✂️”.
As it’s written above, this formula outputs the characters in a horizontal orientation. To change to a vertical orientation, wrap it with a TRANSPOSE function.
Solution 3: Using REGEXEXTRACT and REPT=REGEXEXTRACT(
A1
, REPT(
"(.)"
, LEN(
A1
)))
This is another clever formula to split a string into characters.
It begins with the REPT function and LEN function to create a string like this (.)(.)(.)…etc., where the number of bracket groups corresponds to the number of characters in the original string.
This feeds into the REGEXEXTRACT formula which extracts each bracket as a single character group in its own cell. Very cool!
Again, this output is a horizontal output, so wrap it with a TRANSPOSE function to switch to a vertical orientation.
Solution 4: Use REGEXEXTRACT and REGEXREPLACE=REGEXEXTRACT(
A1
,REGEXREPLACE(
A1
,
"(.)"
,
"($1)"
))
Another exceedingly clever REGEX formula solution!
The REGEXREPLACE adds brackets around each character in the string, e.g. “Google” becomes “(G)(o)(o)(g)(l)(e)”
Next, REGEXEXTRACT extracts each bracket group into its own cell.
As with earlier solutions, TRANSPOSE can be used to convert to a vertical orientation.
The Challenge Part II: Recombine In Random OrderQuestion: can you create a single formula to randomize the characters in a string?
i.e. can you create a single formula in cell B1 to create a copy of the string with the letters in random order:
The key to this question was to use the solution from part 1 inside a SORT function and use a random array to randomize the order.
Here’s the full formula to randomize the characters of a string in cell A1:
=JOIN(
""
,SORT(MID(
A1
,SEQUENCE(LEN(
A1
)),
1
),RANDARRAY(LEN(
A1
)),
1
))
The RANDARRAY function creates a random array with a length matching the length of the string in cell A1, calculated by the LEN function.
This is then fed into the SORT function as the sorting column. The characters are passed to the SORT function as the range to sort.
Finally, the list of randomized characters is joined together with the JOIN function.
Note how it doesn’t require the array formula designation because it all happens within the SORT function, which can already deal with arrays.
Sap Erp Procurement(P2P) Business Process From Scratch
SAP ERP Materials Management (MM) – Procure To Pay (P2P) Business Process skill has become a necessity in the career space for those who want to remain relevant and outstanding in areas like supply chain, Procurement, Purchasing, and even inventory management. This course is also designed for those beginners who want to learn SAP ERP from scratch.
Material is the engine of the supply chain and functional logistics, so in this course, with the aid of the SAP ERP System, I demonstrate the effective and efficient management of the organization’s materials to ensure the appropriate availability of the materials at the right cost and quality.
We provide affordable SAP ERP Software Access to our participants for an effective hands-on experience using the SAP ERP system.
This course will take you from scratch (even though you are just getting to know about SAP ERP) to the Global Best Practices on External Procurement Business Processes for Stock Items and Consumable Items.
The scope of this course is for SAP ERP New Users up to End Users. It covers the Introduction, SAP ERP Navigation, Purchasing Processes for Stock Items and Consumable Items, Inventory Management and Purchase Order Based Invoice Verification, and Goods Receipt Based Invoice Verification for partial delivery scenarios.
In this course, you also come to understand the Enterprise Structure and Organizational Levels for Procurement in the SAP ERP system (Client, Company Code, Purchasing Organization, and more). You will understand Material Types and the control functionality on the procurement business process, Material Groups etc.
This course covers
SAP New User Training
Introduction
SAP ERP Navigation for new users
Overview of Procure–To–Pay Business Process (External Procurement Process)
Determination of Requirements using Purchase Requisition (Stock Items)
Purchase Order for (Stock Items)
Determination of Sources of Supply using RFQ
Purchase Order
Purchase Requisition for Consumable Items (Including PR Approval Process)
Purchase Order for (Stock Items)
Goods Receipt (Planned & Unplanned Scenarios)
Transfer Posting from Quality Inspection to Unrestricted Use Stock Type.
Transfer Posting from Quality Inspection to Blocked Stock Type.
Process Return Delivery to Vendor
Goods Issue to Cost Center
Purchase Order-Based Invoice Verification
Goods Receipt Based Invoice verification
Purchase Order Monitoring and Closing of Open Purchase Order
Releasing Block Invoices.
Note that this course is a certificate course therefore a certificate will be issued at the end of the training.
Who this course is for:
Supply chain Practitioners and those interested in Supply chain
Purchasing & Procurement Practitioners and all those interested in Purchasing & Procurement
Inventory Management Practitioners and all those interested in Inventory Management
Beginners who are trying to get a job in the field of Supply chain, Purchasing, or Procurement and Inventory Management
Beginners who want to learn SAP ERP Materials Management
SAP ERP End Users who want to learn the End-to-end the Procurement Process
Goals
Gain Free Access to the SAP ERP System for effective practice
Introduction to SAP ERP and Understanding the System-wide Concept
Practically learn how to Navigate the SAP ERP System
Understanding the Procure-To-Pay Business Process Best Practice and the Enterprise Structure
Best Practise on how to Purchase stock material items using Purchase Requisition (PR), RFQ, and Purchase Orders (PO).
3 Scenarios of Consumable Material items with real-life examples and how to Purchase consumable material items using Purchase Requisition and Purchase Order
How to Approve/Release PR, PO, and how to release blocked Invoices
How to receive materials items from vendors and post Goods Receipt, Transfer Posting, Vendor Return, and Goods Issue
How to handle Purchasing Based Invoice Verification (3 Way Match) and Goods Receipt Based Invoice Verification (2 Way Match).
How to clear On-Order from the PO/ How to Close Open Items in a PO
How to Close Open Items in a PO
How to generate SAP ERP Standard Business Reports and export reports to Microsoft Excel
Prerequisites
Basic Understanding of Purchasing Process
How To Fix Itunes Not Working In Windows 11
While it might not be the best of the media player applications out there, Apple’s iTunes player is still one of the popular applications for users across the globe. Amongst other users, iTunes is especially useful for those who prefer Apple Music over other music streaming platforms like Spotify on their Windows PC or laptop. However, after upgrading to Microsoft’s latest and greatest Windows 11 OS, many users have reported that they are experiencing the iTunes not working issue on their PCs and laptops.
So, if you have been affected by the issue as well and the iTunes media player is not working on your Windows 11 PC or laptop, this article should be of help. In this in-depth guide, we have compiled some of the best fixes that you can try on your PC or laptop to fix the iTunes not working issue in Windows 11. You can also find step-by-step guides to execute some of the fixes on your Windows 11 device in the following sections.
Fix iTunes Not Working in Windows 11
Now, Apple’s iTunes is a part of the Windows Store applications and is available on the Microsoft Store app in Windows 11. Hence, much like other Microsoft Store apps, iTunes might sometime run into system issues that can create conflicts for it and cause it to malfunction in Windows 11. These issues can be caused by misconfigured system settings in Windows 11, issues with your audio driver, or an outdated build of the application.
However, we have tried to address every possible cause for the iTunes not working issue in Windows 11 to help you resolve the issue with the said app and get it up and running on your PC or laptop. Check out the list of fixes right below to get more details.
1. Restart Your Windows 11 PC or Laptop
If you are encountering system issues on your Windows 11 PC, such as the iTunes app not working correctly, it is recommended that you attempt a quick restart as one of the initial troubleshooting steps.
Although it may seem like a basic solution, restarting your PC can be very effective. This is mainly because a restart of your system forcefully terminates all background processes and applications, minimizing the risk of any conflicting processes with the Netflix app.
So, to restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop, navigate to the Power option UI through the Start menu or by pressing the Alt + F4 shortcut while on the Desktop screen. Then, select the Restart option.
After restarting your PC, open the Netflix app and confirm whether or not the issue has been resolved. If not, proceed to the next recommended troubleshooting step.
2. Check Your Internet Connection in Windows 11
Now, although iTunes can let users maintain a local library of songs and media on their Windows 11 PC or laptop, it is essentially a music streaming platform. Hence, most features of the application require a stable internet connection to properly work in Windows 11.
So, if your internet network, be it an ethernet connection or a Wi-Fi connection, is facing downtime, you might experience the iTunes not working issue on your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
In this case, you can reach out to your internet service provider for assistance in restoring your internet connection. Once you have a stable connection, the iTunes app should function properly on your Windows 11 device, enabling you to browse and stream songs seamlessly.
3. Restart iTunes in Windows 11
Another simple fix that you can try to resolve the iTunes not working issue in Windows 11 and get the app up and running again is force-closing the app and relaunching it on your PC or laptop. This fix would require you to follow the steps right below:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager in Windows 11.
2. Here, under the Processes tab on the left navigation bar, locate the iTunes app under the Apps section.
4. Once iTunes is closed on your Windows 11 PC or laptop, relaunch it on your device and check whether or not the issue is fixed.
One of the most common causes for the iTunes not working issue in Windows 11 is an outdated iTunes build that is installed on your PC or laptop. If you have not updated the iTunes app on your Windows 11 device in a while, bugs, and glitches in outdated builds can very well cause the app to malfunction.
In this case, you can follow the steps below to update the iTunes application via the Microsoft Store on your Windows 11 PC or laptop. There is a high chance that this will fix the issue and get iTunes working properly on your device once again:
1. Use Windows + S to open Windows search on your PC or laptop.
3. Now, go to the Library section on the left navigation bar.
5. Wait for Microsoft Store to check for the latest available updates for iTunes.
7. Following the update, restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
Now, launch the iTunes application and check if it is running properly.
5. Repair the iTunes App in Windows 11
If updating the iTunes app in Windows 11 did not resolve the issue on your Windows 11 PC or laptop, you can try repairing the application using the built-in Repair tool. This will fix minor internal issues within iTunes that might be causing it to malfunction in Windows 11, and get it running properly again.
So, follow the steps right below to repair the iTunes app on your Windows 11 PC or laptop to hopefully, fix the iTunes not working issue in Windows 11:
1. Use Windows + I to launch the Settings app in Windows 11.
2. Go to the Apps tab on the left navigation bar and select the Installed apps menu.
5. Now, scroll down to the Reset section and hit the Repair button.
6. Wait for the Repair to complete.
7. Exit the Settings app and launch the iTunes app on your Windows 11 PC or laptop to check if it is working properly.
6. Reset the iTunes App in Windows 11
If repairing the iTunes app did not work and you are still stuck with the iTunes not working issue on your Windows 11 device, you can try resetting the application. However, do keep in mind that resetting the iTunes app in Windows 11 means that all the changes in settings that you made within the app will be lost and you might also need to re-login to iTunes with your registered Apple ID.
So, with these out of the way, let’s take a look at how you can reset the iTunes app in Windows 11 and get it fixed on your PC or laptop:
1. Follow steps 1-4 from the previous fix (Fix #5) to open the Advanced options page of the iTunes app.
3. Wait for the process to complete.
4. Exit the Settings window after completion and restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
Following the restart, launch the iTunes app on your Windows 11 device and check whether the said issue is fixed or not.
The audio driver installed on your Windows 11 PC or laptop plays a huge role in supporting media player apps such as iTunes. So, if you are running an outdated audio driver in Windows 11, you might experience media player issues such as the iTunes not working issue on your PC or laptop.
In this case, you can follow the steps right below to update the audio driver on your Windows 11 PC or laptop to try and fix the iTunes app on your device:
1. Press Windows + X to reveal the Quick Links menu on your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
2. Choose Device Manager on the following pop-up list.
3. In the Device Manager window, expand the Sound, video and game controllers section with the tiny arrow to its left.
5. On the following prompt, choose the Search automatically for drivers option.
6. Wait for Windows 11 to check for the latest driver updates and install them on your PC or laptop.
7. After the process is complete. restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
Now, if you are facing issues while updating the audio driver on your Windows 11 PC or laptop, you can check out our in-depth guide on how to update drivers in Windows 11 right here.
8. Reinstall the Audio Driver in Windows 11
If updating the audio driver on your Windows 11 PC or laptop did not resolve the iTunes not working issue, try reinstalling the driver. This will get rid of major driver issues in the audio driver of your device and install the latest version of the audio driver.
So, here’s how you can reinstall the audio driver on your Windows 11 PC or laptop and get the iTunes not working issue resolved:
1. Open the Device Manager in Windows 11 as explained in the previous fix (Fix #7).
2. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section in the Device Manager window.
4. Confirm your action on the following prompt.
5. Wait for the uninstallation to complete.
6. Restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop after completion.
When you restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop after uninstalling the audio driver, the Windows system will automatically detect the change and reinstall the necessary audio driver on your device automatically.
So, after the restart, launch the iTunes app in Windows 11 and check whether or not the iTunes not working issue is fixed. If not, proceed to the following fix.
9. Run the Audio Troubleshooter in Windows 11
Other than issues in your audio driver or within the iTunes app itself, misconfigured audio settings on your Windows 11 PC or laptop can also cause the iTunes not working issue on your device.
In this case, you can run the built-in Audio troubleshooter in Windows 11 to detect the incorrect settings that might be causing the app to malfunction. Follow the steps right below to run the Audio troubleshooter in Windows 11:
1. Use Windows + I to launch the Settings app on your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
2. Go to the Troubleshoot menu on the right pane, under the System tab on the left navigation bar.
5. Wait for the process to complete.
6. Make the suggested changes to your audio settings, if there are any.
7. Exit the Settings app and restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
Following the restart, launch the iTunes app on your Windows 11 device and check whether the issue is fixed or not.
10. Run iTunes Diagnostics in Windows 11
Now, if the iTunes app on your Windows 11 PC or laptop is opening but is not playing any song, video, or podcast, you can try the iTunes diagnostics feature within the app itself to fix the issue. The iTunes Diagnostics is a built-in tool within iTunes that runs a series of tests to detect issues in your system configuration that might be causing the app to malfunction.
So, there is a high chance that the iTunes app will be fixed after using this tool in iTunes on your Windows 11 device. Follow the steps right below use the iTunes Diagnostics tool:
1. Use Windows + S to open Windows search and find the iTunes app.
4. Hit the Run Diagnostics… button on the context menu.
5. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the iTunes Diagnostics process.
6. Make the suggested changes to your system, if there are any.
7. Following completion, exit the iTunes app and restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
After the restart, launch the iTunes app in Windows 11 and check whether or not it is working properly.
11. Restart the Windows Audio Service in Windows 11
The Windows Audio service in Windows 11 is an essential Windows service that is responsible for handling all the audio-related operations on your PC or laptop. So, if there is an issue with this service on your device, you might experience issues with iTunes and other media-playing applications installed on your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
However, a quick and easy fix to this is to restart the Windows Audio service in Windows 11. Follow the steps right below to do it:
1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run tool in Windows 11.
2. Type in Services.msc in the text field and press Enter.
3. In the Services window, press W to find the Windows Audio service on the right pane.
6. Make sure the Startup type is set to Automatic. If not, choose the Automatic option on the drop-down list.
Following these procedures, exit the Services window and launch the iTunes app on your Windows 11 PC or laptop to check if the issue is resolved.
12. Reinstall iTunes on Windows 11
Now, if all the above methods to fix the iTunes not working issue in Windows 11 fail, you can try reinstalling the app on your PC or laptop. Moreover, if you have not installed the iTunes app from the Microsoft Store and from third-party sources, it is highly recommended to reinstall the iTunes app on your Windows 11 device.
So, follow the steps right below to uninstall and then reinstall the iTunes app in Windows 11:
1. Use Windows + S to launch Windows search and search for iTunes.
3. Confirm your action on the following prompt and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Note: Many of your setting changes in iTunes will not be there after the uninstallation.
4. Now, launch the Microsoft Store app from the Start menu or by searching for it.
6. Now, hit the Install button to start the installation process.
7. Wait for the process to complete.
8. Restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
Much like how an outdated app version or an outdated audio driver can cause the iTunes not working issue on Windows 11, running an older Windows 11 version can do that as well. So, if you running an outdated Windows 11 version on your PC or laptop, the iTunes not working issue and other such issues will start to appear.
So, if you think that an outdated Windows 11 build is the reason behind the iTunes not working issue, follow the steps below to check for updates in Windows 11 and hopefully, get the iTunes app up and running:
1. Use Windows + I to launch the Settings app in Windows 11.
Note: Keep your Windows 11 PC or laptop connected to an active internet network.
4. Following the download, restart your Windows 11 PC or laptop.
If you are facing with the Windows Update function and cannot update your PC or laptop, you can check out our in-depth guide on how to fix Windows Update not working in Windows right here.
FAQs
Does Apple iTunes support Windows 11?
Yes, iTunes is a part of Windows Store apps and is available to download and install on the Microsoft Store in Windows 11.
How do I get iTunes on my Windows 11 PC?
Is iTunes free on Windows 11?
Yes, iTunes for Windows 11 is available as a free-to-use application for PCs and laptops in the Microsoft Store app.
Final Words
So, there you go! This was all about how you can fix the iTunes not working issue on your Windows 11 PC or laptop. iTunes for Windows is an essential app for some users who are avid Apple Music fans and want to get the best Apple Music experience on their Windows 11 devices.
However, as per recent rumors and reports, Apple might soon discontinue the iTunes app on the Windows platform. The Cupertino giant already discontinued the iTunes for Mac app back in 2023, and it is now testing three standalone applications – Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices, to replace the all-in-one iTunes app on Windows 11.
Rusty Metal Could Be The Battery The Energy Grid Needs
Electricity is highly perishable. If not used at the moment it is created, it rapidly dissipates as heat. Full decarbonization of the electric grid can become a reality only when vast amounts of solar and wind energy can be stored and used at any time. After all, we can’t harness renewable energy sources such as solar and wind 24/7.
At present, lithium-ion batteries make up a considerable chunk of the market for energy storage. But they are expensive, involve mining rare metals, and are far from environmentally sustainable. Finding an alternative that is less ecologically degrading is crucial—and so far, scientists are analyzing replacements for lithium-ion batteries with the help of raw materials such as sodium, magnesium, and even seawater. But in the last few years, the energy industry has been investing in metal-air batteries as a next-generation solution for grid energy storage.
Metal-air batteries were first designed in 1878. The technology uses atmospheric oxygen as a cathode (electron receiver) and a metal anode (electron giver). This anode consists of cheap and abundantly-available metals such as aluminum, zinc, or iron. “These three metals have risen to the top in terms of use in metal-air batteries,” says Yet-Ming Chiang, an electrochemistry professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1932, zinc-air batteries were the first type of metal-air battery, widely used in hearing aids. Three decades later, NASA and GTE Lab scientists tried to develop iron-air batteries for NASA space systems but eventually gave up. Still, some researchers are chasing after the elusive technology.
The limits, and potential, of metal-air batteriesResearchers believed that, theoretically, metal-air batteries could have higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries for more than six decades. Still, they have repeatedly failed to live up to their full potential in the past.
In a lithium-ion battery, the process of power generation is straightforward. Lithium atoms merely bounce between two electrodes as the battery charges and discharges.
Involving air, however, makes the process more tricky, and adds an added challenge—the difficulty in recharging. Oxygen reacts with the metal, creating a chemical that then sets off the electrolysis process, discharging energy. But instead of a reaction that can go back and forth, in metal-air batteries, the transfer is most of the times only one way. Thanks to the constant flow of atmospheric oxygen into a metal-air battery, once you start it up, the battery can corrode quickly even when left unused and have a stunted shelf life.
Additionally, metal-air batteries’ watt-hours per kilogram—that measures the energy storage per unit of the battery’s mass—is not currently exceptionally high. This is the main reason why electric vehicles now cannot utilize metal-air batteries such as iron-air, Chiang tells Popular Science. “Lithium-ion batteries have 100 watt-hours per kilogram. But for iron-air, it was only 40 watt-hours per kilogram. The rate at which energy is stored and then discharged from the battery is relatively low in comparison,” he says.
[Related: We need safer ways to recycle electric car and cellphone batteries.]
But he argues that despite these limitations, stationary energy storage might utilize iron-air batteries. At a start-up called Form Energy, Chiang and his colleagues have been developing a new, low-cost iron-air battery technology that will provide multi-day storage for renewable energy by 2024.
“Even though it did not work out for EVs, iron-air batteries can be commercially scaled up for energy storage and help mitigate climate change by mid-century,” adds Chiang, who is also chief science officer at Form Energy.
New designs for metal-air batteriesChiang’s team fine-tuned the process of “reverse rusting” in their battery technology that efficiently stores and releases energy. As the iron chemically oxidizes, it loses electrons sent through the battery’s external circuit to its air electrode. Atmospheric oxygen becomes hydroxide ions at the air electrode and then crosses over to the iron electrode, forming iron hydroxide, which eventually becomes rust.
“When you reverse the electrical current on the battery, it un-rusts the battery. Depending on whether the battery is discharging or charging, the electrons are either taken away from or added to the iron,” explains Chiang. He claims that the battery can deliver clean electricity for 100 hours at a price of only $20 kilowatts per hour—a bargain compared to lithium-ion batteries, which cost up to $200/kWh.
But iron isn’t the only metal on the rise. As the race to develop sustainable metal-air batteries for energy storage accelerates, several companies and their researchers are busy investing in zinc-air and aluminum-air batteries.
[Related: Renewable energy needs storage. These 3 solutions can help.]
Materials scientists at the University of Münster in Germany have reworked the design of zinc-air batteries with a new electrolyte that consists of water-repellant ions. In traditional zinc batteries, the electrolytes can be caustic with a high pH substance, making them corrosive enough to damage the battery. The researchers overcame this issue by ensuring that the water-repellant ions stick to the air cathode, so that water from the electrolyte cannot react with incoming oxygen. The zinc ions from the anode can travel freely to the cathode, where they interact with atmospheric oxygen and generate power repeatedly.
As researchers are getting closer to developing rechargeable zinc-air batteries, a Canadian company, Zinc8 Energy, has already unveiled its product. The start-up uses zinc-air batteries with a storage tank that contains potassium hydroxide and charged zinc. Electricity from the grid splits chemical zincate into zinc, water, and oxygen. This charges zinc particles and stores electricity.
When the electricity needs to feed into the grid, the charged zinc syncs with oxygen and water, releasing the stored electricity and producing zincate. Following that, the entire process begins again. The group announced introducing these zinc-air flow batteries to the global market by installing their technology in a solar-paneled residential building in Queens, New York.
Like iron, zinc is widely available and has existing supply chains. Another metal that is also abundant, aluminum, is also being used to develop aluminum-air batteries. But unlike zinc-air batteries, aluminum-air batteries cannot recharge, says Chiang. The carbon footprint of aluminum production is also higher than other metal-air battery options.
By 2028, the global metal-air battery market is expected to reach $1,173 million, mainly for providing energy storage solutions. But for now, investors, industry analysts, and consumers alike are eagerly waiting for the next big breakthrough.
Lalal.ai’s New Feature Lets You Separate And Isolate Musical Instruments From Songs
You’ve probably heard of chúng tôi in the past, what with their capability to separate vocals and instrumentals from audio files. However, the service is now taking things to the next level; you can now use chúng tôi to not only separate vocals and instrumentals, but even get individual instruments separately. Here’s what that means, and how you can easily get started.
What is LALAL.AIIf you’ve never heard of it before, here’s a quick intro to what is chúng tôi It’s basically a service that uses machine-learning and AI to do a bunch of really cool things with audio files.
You can use chúng tôi to separate vocals and music from audio, which is great for a bunch of things like Karaoke. And now, you can use chúng tôi to even separate different kinds of instruments from your audio files.
You can read more about chúng tôi in our other article on how to extract vocals and instrumental tracks from audio files using LALAL.AI
How to Separate and Isolate Musical Instruments from Songs
Choose ‘Drums’, ‘Bass’, ‘Electric Guitar’, ‘Acoustic Guitar’, or ‘Piano’ from the stem-separation type menu.
The website will start processing the audio (this can take some time, depending on the length of the audio file you’ve uploaded).
Once done, you will see the preview of the file with the instrument separated, as well as the file with the instrument removed from the rest of the audio.
You can also change the instrument you want to isolate, and generate new previews.
Instruments that chúng tôi can Separate
Piano
Drums
Bass
Electric Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
PricingOne of the best things about chúng tôi is that it has a very flexible pricing structure. You can try it out for free, so you don’t need to pay anything before you’re convinced that the service can do what you need it to do.
Plus, there’s a free tier available which can let you process files up to 10 minutes in length, and up to 50MB in size, which is great if you just need to process one single song, or if you’re simply testing the service.
Once you’ve checked things out, I’m sure you’ll be willing to spend some money and get the full benefits of LALAL.AI. In that case, you’ll be glad to know that it has a very reasonable pricing.
On the other hand, you can use the Plus plan, priced at $20 to get up to 300 minutes or 2GB of audio processing bandwidth.
Use LALAL.AI’s New Feature to Easily Separate Piano, Bass, and Drums from Audio FilesWhile you must already be using chúng tôi to separate vocals and instrumental music from songs, the service’s new feature is even more powerful and takes things to the next level. With LALAL.AI’s new instrument isolation feature, you can easily separate individual instruments from your favourite songs. This is great whether you just want to play along to the track, or if you need the separate instrument track to learn how to play it on your own.
This is definitely a very useful feature, and the fact that you can use it for free is just a cherry on top. You should definitely check out chúng tôi and try out the new feature right away.
Check out LALAL.AI
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