Camera - a fragile thing, prone to all sorts of harmful influences. If you want it served cobalt mine for a long time then pay attention to the mechanical structure. If the shell metal, then at least not crack if dropped. There are models designed to operate in extreme conditions. Traditionally Pentax pays great attention to protect their equipment from the adverse effects of the environment.
Nonetheless, the Volt is not something in GM's immediate plans. The idea for the Volt would require that a cost efficient 400-lb lithium-ion battery be found. lithium facts-ion batteries of this size are not currently available. Further advances in battery technology would be required to allow GM to consider making the Volt a production car. These are enhancements that could occur in as little as a year, or as many as 20 years. GM has stated that they feel the technology is almost there, yet a vehicle like this is probably about a decade away.
Nickel-Cadium - Ni-Cd batteries is one of the oldest and best performance types of rechargeable batteries but it has a major problem. After a long usage ( a few years), the battery will suffer from the dreaded memory effect. This means that the lifespan usage of the battery will deteriorate as time goes by.
The iPod warranty is one year but you can expand it for two years with AppleCare Protection Plan for iPod. Various merchants have inexpensive extended warranty coverage available and often these programs purely change the lithium bettery stock product with a corresponding new unit.
Briefly relating back to overall size... many lithium 18650's will differ ever so slightly in length (measured in millimeters). This is mainly due to an added protection circuit. The circuit helps to prevent the battery from over-discharging, since Li-ion cells can easily become damaged if their power is drained below a particular voltage. The protection circuit also prevents the cell from being over-CHARGED as well. These cells are very sensitive. They must be handled carefully, gently, and as described above, must never run-down too far, or be charged over and above their threshold. They can actually explode if severely mistreated!
Using these easy tips to keep the battery in the best condition won't do wonders, but will let you use it to the maximum number of recharges. Ever wondered why some laptops keep their maximum capacity for 3-4 years, while others dive under an hour of runtime in one? This is why.