I'm back! (plus power component questions)

Hi folks, I unfortunately lost access to the net last Sunday/Monday when my Dreamcast (model HKT:3010 (Hong Kong)) started resetting itself randomly (usually every 5-10 seconds). Despite having another one (partially broken - the GD disc drive doesn't work), a model HKT:3000 (Japanese), I was unable to sort the problem out. I did opened up the spare one as a test run and gave it a good clean out. I checked it still worked and, apart from the GD disc drive, it did. I opened up the one I had been using and, apart from a dead spder in there, it wasn't at all dirty. I looked over the connections and did everything I could to try and get it working again. It still resets itself randomly, making it pretty useless other than for spare parts. I have borrowed my dads one (model HKT: 3030 (UK/Europe?)) so I can get back online and get a new one from eBay :) While poking around inside the Dreamcast games consoles I noticed some familiar components which I has seen similar versions of in my Amiga. The first one is what I have dubbed the "power towers" and they look like vertical batteries. Usually come in groups of 5. Can anyone tell me there name and/or what they do? The second thing is the erm... plastic(?) "polo mint" that has what appears to be copper wire wrapped around it. Can anyone give me (or send me in the right direction to find) any information on it. Thanks in advance, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk