If you have ever tried working with lipo batteries, you would know that they are a fantastic power source. They come in many sizes, can provide more power and last longer than most normal cells and have the ability to dump a tremendous amount of power on demand. However it is also inordinately hard to tame. It needs to be carefully charged up to no more than 4.2v, never be allowed to drop below 3.3v and have an over-current safe guard built in. Fail to do any of the above and the cell may become damaged, expand or even catch fire. This limitation makes many projects very difficult to implement safely, such as performance flashlights, data loggers, heaters and robotics to name a few. Thanks to Emmanuel's (EmmDev) fantastic "Arduino Uno + Li-ion Battery" project, based around 3 of Maxim's ICs, this project aims to make that design a little cheaper and simpler to put together, while still maintaining the following capabilities: - Charge any single cell Lithium Polymer or Lithium Ion battery from a typical 5v power source - Safely connect to your project without the fear of damage or explosions - Take up a small footprint, so that your project can stay as compact as it needs to - Provide outputs at a steady 5v and 3.3v, as well as the raw cell output Hopefully this project will ease the pain of trying to find what limited information there is out there, required to take advantage of this fantastic power source! Links: http://www.maximintegrated.com/app-notes/index.mvp/id/960