U of U developing new chip to extend battery life

The University of Utah is celebrating the development of a new chip that could eventually help extend battery life in devices like cell phones and laptop computers.

Engineering students have developed a chip that converts excess heat into radiation, which can then be converted to electrical power.

The chip is still under development and is years away from being marketed.

But the team behind the chip hopes it will eventually be picked up by a major company like Apple to be used in phones, tablets and other electronic devices.