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Archive for the 'Rechargeable Batteries' Category

Aug

Why You Should Choose Sanyo Eneloop Over Apple’s Rechargeable Batteries

Categories: Battery charger and Rechargeable Batteries

Emperical evidence suggests that the new, hyped Apple rechargeable batteries are actually just the Sanyo Eneloop brand in disguise.

One of the best kept secrets in the world of business today is branding. Companies can buy anything they want, stick their logo on it, and sell it as their own. It happens all the time. As consumers, it is sometimes quite obvious when a product is being branded by the retailer who sells it. Other times, however, it can take you by surprise.

Batteries — and particularly rechargeable batteries — are one of these products.

You may have recently heard or read about Apple’s newest gift to the technology sector: Apple-brand AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and a convenient battery charger, both of which are touted to be “industry leaders” in quality, performance, and environmental focus. As usual, Apple has employed their unsurpassed marketing and promotion mechanism to ensure that Apple devotees see their new rechargeable batteries as the rechargeable battery reinvented; they practically used the old “This changes everything. Again” slogan from the iPhone!

It’s easy to get caught up in the Apple hype machine since, after all, most of their products really do live up to the hype that the company creates. The iMac, MacBook, iPod, iPhone, and now the iPad are indeed all groundbreaking electronic devices. It isn’t an understatement to say that these devices are more than just “gadgets” — they are real cultural icons; game-changers.

The same, however, cannot be said about Apple’s new rechargeable batteries.

To be sure, Apple has invested millions into their own rechargeable battery technology: the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook LiOn battery packs get better and better with each new generation, and the technology that recharges and conditions the batteries are among the “smartest” on the market. Apple, however, is trying to cash in on their battery credibility with their new AA rechargeable batteries without actually designing or manufacturing them.

You won’t find it in many places, but a little-read review of the new Apple rechargeable batteries by SuperApple — a Czech Apple website — clearly illustrates that Apple’s rechargeable batteries are in fact nothing more than rebranded Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries!

Nothing about this revelation is shocking: again, branding and rebranding go on everywhere, and we as consumers are constantly buying into it, knowingly or unknowingly. It is clear that Apple saw the product development of consumer rechargeable batteries to be a no-brainer: the sector itself is headed towards being an A$ 53 billion dollar industry, and on top of that, Apple’s newest accessories, the wireless trackpads and keyboards, are AA-powered. The fastest, easiest way for Apple to get into the action is to simply get Sanyo Eneloop to produce a bunch of AA rechargeable batteries with their logo on them, and then just switch on the Apple hype machine and cash in on some of that credibility they already have.

The last part of that equation is why you should avoid the Apple rechargeable battery products and just go straight to Sanyo Eneloop.

What you’re buying when you invest in the Apple rechargeable batteries is essentially the Sanyo Eneloop technology, plus the added expense of Apple’s marketing campaign. Remember: you’re being goaded into believing that the best way for your electronics to run — especially your new Apple trackpad and keyboard — is to use only Apple rechargeable batteries. This is a long-held tactic in marketing simply one that you have to make yourself immune to.

It’s no secret that Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries are considered to be the top brand in the world. That’s good news if you buy the Apple rechargeable batteries — at least you know you’re getting solid technology. But why pay for the hype? Instead, just buy your AA rechargeable batteries directly from Sanyo Eneloop and leave the groundbreaking gadget wizardry to Apple.

Aug

Are Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries Already Becoming Obsolete?

By electronicswarehouse 0 Comments

Categories: Rechargeable Batteries

courtesy of hshelleys.demon.co.uk/

Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries were said to be the next generation of rechargeable batteries and are used in today’s top electronics. But is the new Li-S lithium sulfur rechargeable battery poised to make the LiON obsolete? And are these Li-S rechargeable batteries even safe for the environment?

In case you didn’t notice it, the Lithium Ion rechargeable battery has become the darling of the technology and electronics industry. All of the top mobile devices — including the iPad and Amazon Kindle — utilize LiOn rechargeable battery technology in order to provide long-lasting, sustainable mobile battery power for high-performance gadgets that need a lot of juice for their processing power. Even the NiMH rechargeable batteries used in hybrid electric cars are said to be on the way out as LiON rechargeable batteries will supposedly offer a better charge and longer battery life.

Some even say that LiON rechargeable batteries will even overtake the NiMH rechargeable battery design in the consumer electronics marketplace someday.

However, recent advancement in a new Lithium-based rechargeable battery is beginning to turn some heads in the electronics community and suggest that the Lithium Ion battery cell may become outmoded even before it reaches its peak. A bolder Lithium battery design — the Lithium Sulfur, or Li-S rechargeable battery, was recently highlighted by the successful flight of the QinetiQ Zephyr, an unmanned drone aircraft that smashed the world record for the longest duration unmanned flight, exceeding 336 hours (14 days) of continuous flight.

The QinetiQ Zephyr did it entirely using an Li-S rechargeable battery pack, which is said to be significantly smaller, lighter, and more efficient than even the Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries.

The belief is that, although none of the major automobile manufacturers have yet to indicate that they are considering Li-S rechargeable battering for up-coming hybrid models, the results of the Zephyr will most certainly lead them to add Li-S into their R&D plans over the next few years. and if the Li-S rechargeable battery becomes a viable energy technology for aircraft and automobiles, we can safely assume that the technology will continue to be adapted for consumer electronics and even AA and AAA rechargeable batteries down the line.

There is one question yet to be asked regarding Li-S technology: is it safe for the environment?

Rechargeable battery formulas are notoriously toxic. Disposable alkaline batteries, for example, are among the most polluting to the environment and, because they are disposed of frequently, they present a continuing problem for affecting water sources and other environmental hazards. Early rechargeable battery designs, such as NiCD rechargeable batteries, offered a better option than alkalines, since they could be used over and over again for a longer period of time. But eventually when NiCad batteries make their way into a landfill and begin to break down, the cadmium offers as much pollutant to the environment as alkaline.

The more contemporary rechargeable batteries — NiMH and LiOn — offer consumers the “greenest” options for rechargeable batteries, since the predominant nickel and Lithium in these designs have nominal impact on environmental resources, such as drinking water and air, and the technologies themselves are considerably more sustainable than Nicads.

Sulfur, however, is a concerning element in the Li-S design when it comes to pollution.

Little has been said about the environmental impacts of Li-S rechargeable batteries, but the destructive nature of sulfur — and particularly sulfur dioxide — is well documented. While sulfur dioxide primarily contaminates the air, questions must be raised about how sulfur will affect the ground and water when disposed of, or whether or not incinerated Li-S battery cells could be harmful.

Even though there is a buzz about Li-S rechargeable batteries, clearly NiMH rechargeable battery technology remains the most reliable and non-polluting to this day. And since the rechargeable battery industry continues to climb towards becoming a A$5+ billion dollar industry, my guess is that we won’t see Li-S enter the consumer marketplace until it is fully tested.

Aug

New, Hyped Up Apple Battery Charger Offers Greener Standby Power Outputs

By electronicswarehouse 3 Comments

Categories: Battery charger, New Product Reviews and Rechargeable Batteries

Image courtesy of mactalk.com.au

Everyone knows that Apple isn’t in the consumer-driven rechargeable battery business — they leave that industry vertical to companies like Sanyo, Vapex, and Panasonic. However, behind the scenes, Apple has invested millions into the R&D of its own in-house rechargeable battery technology. The LiOn rechargeable batteries used in its iPad, iPhone 4, and latest round of MacBooks are unprecedented in how long they can hold their charge and continue to perform an optimum levels. This, of course, is great news for the Apple consumer, since most of Apple’s most popular product are mobile-based.

But just as Ferrari started out as a strictly race-oriented car builder and only eventually got into the street car business, so too has Apple thrown its hat into the consumer rechargeable batteries market, looking to share a slice of the A$ 39 billion dollar pie, which is projected to grow to A$ 56 billion by 2013.

Apple’s new consumer-based NiMH battery charger hit the Australian consumer market just recently and, even though a battery charger is a rather modest piece of technology for the company that brought us the iPad, iPhone 4, and MacBook, it has caused as much of a splash as many of its top-tier gadgets.

Priced at A$ 39.00 — a middle-of-the-road price point for battery chargers — Apple’s battery charger is being hyped as one of the most “Green” NiMH battery chargers on the market, boasting a very low standby power output. While Apple claims that the average battery charger outputs 274 mW of power in a day when it is not charging batteries, the Apple battery charger only outputs 30 mW, thus saving a ton of electricity over the long haul. It does this by way of a sophisticated circuit that shuts the charger down automatically when not charging, similar to technology it uses on its mobile gadgets.

In addition, the battery charger comes with 6 NiMH AA rechargeable batteries and can charge them all at once — a particularly impressive feat, given the diminutive, portable size of the charger. This, combined with available interchangeable plugs for traveling, make Apple’s battery charger an immediate contender in the battery charger industry.

What are the downsides?

For one, Apple’s battery charger features the same sparse, minimalistic design features that you find on their pricier gadgets. Just as no Apple computer has an eject button for its disc drives (very strange), the battery charger features no LCD or indicator for determining the minute status of its charging cycle. Given its price when you compare it against similar battery charger designs, you’re actually paying quite a lot of money for a portable, non LED NiMH battery charger. You can get a very similar product, such as the VAPEX Super Fast LCD NiMH Battery charger for A$ 32.99 that features a LED display, 4 ports for charging both AA and AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries, and comparable charging technology as found on the Apple battery charger.

Also, while the Apple charger’s low standby power output is impressive, ultimately you can make any battery charger on the market achieve a zero mW standby power output very simply: just unplug the charger when you’re not using it! One can argue that because Apple’s battery charger has no LCD indicator, it encourages you to leave the charger plugged in for longer durations, thus wasting more energy than a comparable battery charger with an LCD.

The fact is, Apple has rolled out this new battery charger as a counterpart to its new keyboards, trackpads, mice, and other wireless accessories for their computers. If you check out their online store, you can see that they are heavily cross-promoting all of these items together, trying to upsell new trackpad customers on getting this little gadget to go with it.

And because we are so used to Apple making such great products, when we see their marketing hype machine go into full force for this little battery charger, we assume that it must be “The ‘iPad’ of all battery chargers.”

But the fact is, the Apple battery charger is probably just as good as lesser-priced battery chargers on the market. What are you paying for?

The logo, of course.

Jun

Energizer’s Bid to Dominate the Rechargeable Batteries Market Continues To Falter

By electronicswarehouse 1 Comment

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living and Rechargeable Batteries

Becoming a leader in the rechargeable batteries market has proven elusive for the disposable battery giant.

When most people think “batteries,” Energizer and Duracell are the two brands that usually make the short list. After all, it was these two battery giants that put consumer batteries on the map, essentially becoming the ubiquitous names for what batteries are to the average consumer. Up until recently, the battle for battery supremacy has been fought between these two companies, with Energizer bunnies and Duracell jingles being hurled about in their advertising campaigns like mortar rounds on a battlefield.

The rise of rechargeable batteries, however, has changed the face of battery warefare.

While Duracell has mostly positioned itself to remain in the domain of disposable alkaline batteries, Energizer has made an aggressive bid to corner the market on rechargeable batteries, launching a new line of Energizer NiMH rechargeable batteries, battery chargers, and an equally robust marketing campaign. And yet, even with all this research, development, and marketing, Energizer hasn’t been able to use its brand to push out the leaders in rechargeable battery technology. What gives?

Why the Best NiMH Rechargeable Batteries Are Not Made By the Big Boys

Strangely enough, it has been Sanyo, the sometimes-awkward electronics manufacturer, who has managed to garner the lion’s share of the rechargeable batteries market. While Sanyo is a Fortune 500 company and a leader in the electronics market, its business model for targeting the “middle” of the consumer electronics market led it to hit bottom in 2005. However, it was the advent of their Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable battery line that resurrected the Sanyo brand (and stock dividend), and in 2009, they were bought out by Panasonic.

All of this has led to the Eneloop brand having the infrastructure needed to crowd Energizer out of the rechargeable batteries market: while Sanyo started from square one in convincing people it could be a leader in rechargeable batteries, Energizer has been unsuccessful in convincing people to start grabbing for their new, green batteries, all while having to make sure that they don’t deep-six their alkaline business in the process.

Because of Sanyo’s improbable rise to become a rechargeable battery leader, it has opened up new opportunities for even smaller rechargeable battery brands, such as Vapex, as well as more novel rechargeable batteries, such as the USB cell. Pound for pound, however, Energizer has failed to energize their own line of NiMH rechargeable batteries.

When Rechargeable Batteries Go Viral

To add insult to injury (or in this case, “industry”), Energizer’s DUO USB battery charger suffered an enormous setback in mid March, when the battery giant admitted that malware had been planted in all of their chargers, leading to countless numbers of PCs to contract a nasty, trojan horse-style virus via the charge monitoring app that accompanied the charger.

Energizer quickly removed the app from the battery charger, but the damage was already done. If nothing else, the incident played further into the belief that, while Energizer knows the disposable battery market well, they continue to miss the mark with new rechargeable battery technology. There are many battery chargers on the market today that utilize USB connectivity to power the charger for mobile recharging when an electrical socket isn’t available. Energizer’s concept, however, was over-reaching: the app — in itself completely unnecessary, since you can monitor the battery charge from the charger itself — was clearly meant to put their brand on the vanguard of rechargeable battery technology. Instead, it led to further skepticism of their rechargeable battery brand.

Rechargeable Battery Confusion

In more recent developments, Energizer has sought to capitalise on the increasing popularity and excitement over Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries. With the new Apple gadgets as well as the Amazon Kindle, the Li-Ion rechargeable batteries are seen to be the emerging new standard in rechargeable batteries. In response to this trend, Energizer has released a wide-ranging line of Advanced Lithium and Ultimate Lithium batteries. Boasting longer battery life and optimal power output for electronic gadgets, Energizer is again pushing hard to advance to the front of the line in high-tech battery technology.

The only hitch is that Energizer’s Lithium batteries are not rechargeable: their Lithium batteries are nothing more than a super-charged version of their standard disposable batteries. Thus, these Lithium batteries in no way speak to the demand for cleaner, more disposable, less toxic battery technology.

Once again, Energizer runs the risk of disillusioning the public with this new line of batteries. The average Joe could very well purchase Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries, thinking that they’ll recharge in his charger. Thus, Energizer runs the risk of their Lithium brand becoming known as a “bait and switch” maneuver.

Energizer can most likely go on being a leader with its alkaline batteries for years to come. However, it is clear that the company is seeking to break free of the disposable battery moniker and become a greener, more 21st century supplier of mobile energy. To this end, Energizer has missed the mark, with larger companies like Sanyo Eneloop and even smaller companies like Vapex rechargeable batteries offering more reliable, affordable mobile power to people who are passionate about their gadgets. If you’re looking to invest in NiMH rechargeable batteries, it’s best to trust the industry leaders and ignore the games that Energizer and Duracell play to endear themselves to the 21st century consumer.

May

Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries: Great in the iPad & Kindle, But Are They Safe?

By electronicswarehouse 4 Comments

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living and Rechargeable Batteries

The rechargeable batteries in Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle are both Lithium Ion-based. They are proven to be great rechargeable batteries, but are they really safe?

If you have followed the “tablet talking points” for both the iPad and Kindle, then you’ll know that one of the technological features of both of these popular devices are their incredibly long-lasting rechargeable batteries. The Kindle can go for almost two weeks without having to be charged. The iPad has a more modest charge life of 10 to 12 hours, but given the power and productivity of the iPad, this is still an amazing breakthrough in battery technology.

Both tablets, as well as virutally every laptop and high-tech electronic gadget on the market today, are now using Lithium Ion, or Li-Ion as they are commonly known, as the rechargeable battery technology of choice. To date, it has proven to be the superior technology for rechargeable batteries, and many battery experts believe that Li-Ion rechargeable batteries will eventually replace NiMH rechargeable batteries in hybrid automobiles as well as the consumer AA and AAA market.

Recently, however, there has been a bit of disconcerting news about the otherwise perfect Li-Ion rechargeable battery track record.

Just today, computer-making giant Hewlett Packard is recalling another 54,000 Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries from its laptops. This new crop of recalls joins an earlier recall of 70,000, all of which has been caused by widespread reports of these laptop batteries overheating and causing major damage to the computers and/or injuries to people.

This recent rash of Li-Ion recalls follows an even larger recall of Sony rechargeable laptop batteries in 2006 and 2007, when over 10 million Li-Ion batteries had to be recalled for the same reasons.

So what is the dirty little secret behind the otherwise idyllic Li-Ion battery?

The problems with Li-Ion rechargeable batteries has to do directly with Lithium metal. Lithium metal is incredibly unstable and dangerous, making it completely unsuitable for anything consumer-oriented. This is why early Lithium battery design quickly shifted to non-metallic lithium batteries using lithium ions. The industry rule is that, as long as we’re dealing with Lithium ions, then the technology is quite safe.

The problem, however, is that shoddy production quality can lead to microscopic Lithium metal particles in the battery cells. While a few of these are nothing to be concerned about, if the Li-Ion battery-making process is poorly managed, a large quantity of these metal particles can show up in the battery cells, transforming them from battery to bomb.

This is particularly true with laptop batteries, which are often constantly being fed electricity via a wall socket. The combination of a constant charge with too much Lithium metal in the battery cell can make for a potentially explosive situation.

Now, the good news is that Apple has worked tirelessly to develop a charging system on their new computers to ensure that the minimal amount of juice is being supplied to a MacBook’s battery at any given time. This, compounded with Apple’s usually good track record of production quality, would make one believe that its rechargeable batteries are safe.

For HP and the other manufacturers, however, the prognosis is not looking good. Because Microsoft-based laptop and netbook manufacturers are currently in a price war to make the cheapest computers possible, low-quality components — including their batteries — are becoming a reality for unsuspecting laptop users.

Still, most avid gadget geeks are not going to let the outside chance of an exploding battery ruin their quest for the ultimately mobile computing experience. It would take a lot of Li-ion battery tragedy to sour the world on all of the mind-blowing devices that are using Li-Ion technology. But if you are a bit nervous about your mobile gadget going kaboom, researching the best companies with high quality and safety standards (hint, hint — Apple) is always a best practice for buying a gadget with a battery that you can rely on.

May

The Best Rechargeable Batteries For Your Camera Flashes

By electronicswarehouse 0 Comments

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living and Rechargeable Batteries

If you’re an avid photographer who is looking to use rechargeable batteries for your flashes, you might be surprised which kinds are the best.

Cool flash photo courtesy of digital-photography-school.com

Whether you take photos as a hobby or as a professional for weddings, newspapers, or some other form of media, then you know that professional camera flashes suck battery power fast. Very few professional photographers use disposable AA and AAA batteries for their camera flashes, since they know that one photo session can easily drain 4 to 8 batteries. For people who are just beginning to take their passion for photography seriously, using rechargeable batteries for your camera flashes are the way to go.

Much has been made lately about the new Li-Ion disposable batteries on the market today, such as the Energizer Advance series, that give you extra-long performance with electronic devices at a very good price. However, even if it doesn’t bother your conscience that Li-Ion disposable batteries are bad for the environment, then you should still avoid using them for your camera flashes because it has been widely reported that they take too long to charge flashes between shots. In the long run, Li-Ion batteries are not the solution for a serious photographer.

So what’s left?

While some camera flashes feature Li-Ion battery packs that can be recharged using a charger, most photographers use either NiMH or NiCd rechargeable batteries. Believe it or not, many photographers actually prefer older NiCd rechargeable batteries over NiMH rechargeable batteries, due to the fact that they tend to recharge the flashes faster than NiMH varieties.

The problems with NiCd rechargeables, however, outweigh this one perk.

It is widely accepted that NiCd rechargeable batteries are destructive to the environment, are highly susceptible to the dreaded “memory effect,” and will lose their ability to be fully recharged much more quickly than NiMH rechargeable batteries. NiMHs’ longevity, quality, and affordability make them a perfect choice for photographers with external flashes.

But before you go out and buy any NiMH rechargeable batteries, it’s important to follow one critical performance factor: mAh ratings. Most camera flashes perform best when NiMH rechargeable batteries have a minimum of 2000 mAh. This is the minimum amount of juice that you’ll need to ensure that your camera flashes charge up at a reasonable speed while still maintaining the longevity that you’ll need for long camera shoots.

For a powerful flash such as a 580EX flash, many photographers seek out even higher mAh ratings, ranging between 2400 and 2900 mAh. The Powerex 2300 mAh line of NiMH rechargeable batteries are a particularly popular brand for camera flashes, as are Enegizer’s NiMH line, which run at 2500 mAh.

The best performer for camera flashes, however, also tends to be a rather obscure brand. Vapex makes a 2900 mAh NiMH rechargeable battery that outclasses Powerex, Sanyo Eneloop, and Energizers. These Vapex rechargeable batteries are not the “instant” variety, and do not come already changed. But once you put a full charge on them, you’ll get the best performance and longevity of any other NiMH rechargeable battery on the market today.

If you plan on using external camera flashes, now is the time to invest in a good set of NiMH rechargeable batteries, as well as a good battery charger. Remembering to get as close to 2900 mAh with whatever brand you choose will ensure that you get the performance out of your rechargeable batteries that you need in order to do your best work behind the camera.

May

Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries: Will They Become the New King of the Rechargeable Battery Market?

By electronicswarehouse 2 Comments

Categories: New Product Reviews and Rechargeable Batteries

Lithium Ion or “Li-Ion” rechargeable batteries have become the gold standard for high-end electronics. But will the technology overtake the entire consumer battery market?

When it comes to overall performance, Lithium Ion rechargeable battery technology is by far the most advanced in the world today. All of the top electronics devices use Li-Ion rechargeable batteries, such as laptops, iPhones, digital cameras, the Kindle, and many others. At the present time, hybrid car batteries are all NiMH rechargeable batteries. However, because Li-ion cells hold roughly twice as much energy per pound as do the previous generation of advanced batteries, it is believed that the next generation of hybrid car batteries will be Li-Ion, meaning that the charge and life cycle of the battery will last longer.

Because the Li-Ion has proven itself to be such an advanced design for making long-lasting rechargeable batteries, it didn’t take long for the technology to surface in your everyday AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt varieties. Energizer, for example, has attempted to outpace the wave of NiMH rechargeable batteries flooding the market now, and is offering both an advanced lithium and ultimate lithium battery that is quickly overshadowing their own NiMH product. Energizer’s “advanced lithium” AA batteries promise to offer the same powerful battery technology that you’d find in top-tier electronics, just in a smaller, lighter package, and surprisingly affordable package.

As for quality and value, the lithium batteries are less money than NiMH rechargeable batteries, and though they are said to under-perfrm in camera flashes, all in all they are known to perform much better in electronics than any other battery, disposable and rechargeable alike.

There’s only one catch — Energizer’s lithium batteries cannot be recharged. In fact, there is no effective Li-ion AA rechargeable battery on the market . . . yet.

What Energizer’s lithium-based disposable battery proves is that the overall design does beat out all other batteries in charge and longevity. However, Energizer’s commitment to their new lines of disposable lithium batteries also proves that the giant battery manufacturers are still committed to the disposable battery design, regardless of the fact that they are terrible for the environment and don’t give electronics users the sustainability they are looking for.

There are, however, some small, relatively unknown companies toying with Li-Ion rechargeable batteries in consumer-based sizes, such as the obscure Marsell 9-volt pictured above. But the few reliable reviews of these batteries have left consumers skeptical of their quality and performance, particularly because there doesn’t seen to be proprietary Li-Ion battery chargers to accompany these early Li-Ion rechargeable battery designs.

It remains to be seen if any of the big battery companies will eventually venture into the Li-Ion rechargeable battery territory. But until then, the Li-Ion still has not assumed the kingly role of the “lion” in the rechargeable battery jungle yet, since no viable, consumer-ready AA Li-Ion battery design has surfaced. Clearly, NiMH rechargeable batteries will remain the domain of AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt rechargeable battery varieties for the foreseeable future.

May

Get The Best Value Out Of Your Children’s Toys by Using Rechargeable Batteries

By electronicswarehouse 2 Comments

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living and Rechargeable Batteries

Leapfrog's "Baby Tad" - a battery guzzler.

Rechargeable batteries are often thought of as accessories for gadgets and electronics. But children’s toys, more than any other consumer product on the market today, put the highest battery demand on households.

If you’re searching the blogosphere for articles about the best rechargeable batteries, it may be that you’re looking to make a long-term battery investment for your digital camera, Flip video camera, or other electronic gadget. But year after year, we see electronic devices like iPods, digital cameras, and other hand-held gadgets switching from AA and AAA battery power to proprietary rechargeable battery packs that cut out the need for AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. If this is the case, then why does the rechargeable battery market continue to grow and innovate?

A primary reason is that one particular sector of consumer products has significantly increased its dependence on AA and AAA rechargeable batteries: toys. For those of us who have children under the age of 13, one quickly realises that virtually every toy on the market today makes some kind of sound or song, or otherwise features a series of interactive features that are battery powered. Infant and toddler toys are perhaps the most battery-dependent, with the vast majority of name-brand toys such as Fisher-Price requiring battery power for virtually every baby toy imaginable.

If you find yourself up to your ears in toddler toys, then you’ll quickly realise that feeding them disposable alkaline batteries is a completely unsustainable situation; you’ll be buying batteries every week! Rechargeable batteries, on the other hand, allow you to make a one-time investment and continue to recycle batteries in your children’s toys as needed. The following is a list of toy categories that require the most battery juice and as a result are best suited for rechargeable batteries.

Educational Toys

Educational toys have become a huge toy sub-market. Originally designed for children between the ages of 4 and up, educational toys are now starting to stretch into the beginnings of toddlerdom, and it isn’t unusual for educational toys to be geared towards children as young as two years old. Companies like V-Tech and Leapfrog are leading the way in educational toys, and they are now making amazingly interactive toys and games that are specifically designed to give your kids a leg up on even pre-school education.

These sorts of educational toys, however, are notorious for sucking down battery power. All of V-Tech and Leapfrog’s toys — even their stuffed animals — utilise microchip technology to power their interactive features. Because of this, many of their toys put high demand on even premium alkaline batteries. Toys like Leapfrog’s Leapster — a hand-held educational gaming device — is a perfect choice for rechargeable batteries, since the processing power of the game quickly uses up battery power, and the device itself it apt to make your toddler a gaming junkie after the first day of using it. The Leapster takes 4 AA batteries, so a set of 8 AA rechargeable batteries will ensure non-stop gaming, which is a must for car trips and rainy days.

Stuffed Animals

Long gone are the days of simple stuffed animals. Many of them nowadays feature lights, sounds, and front panels on their bellies that allow babies to interact with them. Similar to educational games and toys, these sorts of battery-powered stuffed animals use MIDI Technology to create the music and songs that they play; they are not simply playing recorded tunes, but rather are perforning the songs using a simple on-board synthesizer. Because many parents like to use these stuffed animals’ nighttime lullabies to put their children to sleep, having rechargeable batteries on hand can mean the difference between getting your child to sleep the easy way or the hard way.

A good example of these toys is Leapfrog’s Baby Tad and Violet stuffed animals. They provide up to 10 minutes of nighttime music, along with soothing lights. But both of these stuffed animals take 4 AA batteries and can use them up rather quickly. Having an extra set of AA rechargeable batteries, however, allows ongoing play of your Baby Tad or Violet each night.

Batteries That Outlast Toys

The fact is, rechargeable batteries will always be useful for your child’s toy collection, even as he or she moves on to the next generation of toys. Now, infant, toddler, and child-level toys all generally use AA and AA batteries, so the rechargeable batteries you invest in for your infant’s toys will be useable for years to come. Because you’ll be investing in toys for quite a long time, it makes total sense to make the investment into the batteries that keep them all going a one-time thing.

May

Why You Should Use NiMH Rechargeable Batteries for All Your 9 Volt Gadgets

By electronicswarehouse 0 Comments

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living and Rechargeable Batteries

Most people use AA and AA rechargeable batteries. But are 9 volt NiMH rechargeable batteries worth it?

In the grand scheme of consumer batteries, the 9 volt battery is really the black sheep of the fold. AAA, AA, C, and D -sized batteries all utilize the same cylandrical, tube-shaped design, with the positive and negative terminals on opposing ends. It’s a nifty design, and it especially allows for batteries to be put end to end in a series to create a higher voltage for certain electronics.

So what’s the deal with the 9 volt battery?

Also known as a PP3 battery, the 9 volt battery was originally called a “transistor battery.” It was designed back in the mid 1950s to be a compact battery that would work in portable transistor radios . The whole purpose of the 9 volt was to be easy to house inside small radios. And because transistor radios require very little power, the 9 volt was a perfect battery design.

It didn’t take long, however, for the 9 volt battery to become a popular choice for other emerging gadgets, such as smoke detectors, portable devices of all kinds, toys, guitar effects pedals, and battery back-ups for digital alarm clocks. In all of these examples, the 9 volt battery design works perfectly: a little bit of power in a small, easy to install package.

But most importantly, 9 volt batteries benefit from a very low self-discharge rate: a 9 volt battery can sit inside of a smoke or carbon monoxide dector or other passive electrical gadget for upwards of 6 years without draining. This make it perfect for applications where someone needs to rely on battery power being there for a long period of time (like a smoke detector).

So, the big question remains: if disposable 9 volt batteries have a low self-discharge rate, why bother investing in 9 volt NiMH rechargeable batteries?

The fact is, many gadgets that use 9 volt batteries these days can greatly benefit from 9 volt rechargeable batteries. People who live in rural areas who often have to deal with power loss see their alarm clocks and other electronics that use a 9 volt for battery back up using up battery power much quicker than others. This is a perfect setting for a 9 volt rechargeable battery.

Another popular setting for 9 volt rechargeable batteries is with electric guitar effects pedals and other electronics used by musicians. While guitar effects are similar to transistor radios in that they use only a low level of power, whenever a guitarist or other musician has their 1/4″ cables plugged into the pedal, the device is essentially “on,” even if it is not engaged. This can very quickly drain 9 volt batteries.

9 volt rechargeable batteries allow the gigging musician to easily change out tired 9 volts for new ones, so that they never have to worry about losing power while on stage.

Finally, using 9 volt rechargeable batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors offers a much better and safer solution to using disposable 9 volt batteries. The fact is, many people fail to test their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on a regular basis, and very soon lose track as to how old their batteries are and when they will need to be replaced. Using rechargeable batteries in these kinds of devices encourages users to be more aware of cycling. A best practice is to purchase 2 9 volt rechargeable batteries for each detector and cycle them yearly, so as to stay on a regular routine of keeping smoke and carbon monoxide detectors working properly.

while the 9 volt rechargeable battery is not necessarily the most popular rechargeable battery on the market today, it does have a lot of important and helpful uses, making it a viable investment for your electronics needs.

May

iPads, iPhones, & Droids: The Future of Mobile Computing Depends On Rechargeable Batteries

By electronicswarehouse 1 Comment

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living, Rechargeable Batteries and iPod accessories

3G and even talk of a 4G network may open up endless mobile computing opportunities, but rechargeable batteries will play the biggest role in mobile technology.

We’ve come a long way from the early days of the internet, when a 2400 baud modem was your only ticket into cyberspace. Now, city-wide 3G network coverage is giving people the opportunity to access the internet sans cables or even a local wi-fi hot spot. In essence, the world is fast becoming a hot spot for 3G access.

This is exactly what mobile computing giants like Apple are hoping for; they cannot continue to tout the mobility of their devices if network coverage does not continue to advance as the same pace of mobile gadget technology. So far, however, the ability to connect has remained on pace with the amazing features that you find on the iPad, iPhone, Droid, and top-of-the-line laptops and notebooks. Now, it is not unusual to see people “at work” in nearly any location within a major city. The future is definitely now.

With mobile technology continuing to grow, however, the question of endurance remains: how will the mobile gadgets of the future be powered, and can rechargeable batteries and the technology that goes along with them continue to be as innovative as the gadgets that they power? After all, few people focus on things like rechargeable batteries when they buy a new iPad or Kindle. However, the designers of these amazing devices are spending huge amounts of time, money, and brain cells to develop rechargeable battery technology that can keep pace with their amazing inventions.

To this end, the future of mobile computing will be based entirely on how well the rechargeable batteries inside the device hold up. As has been previously reported, the iPad and other Apple-related devices benefit from some rather sophisticated battery wizardry, with the new iPad purportedly being able to run for up to 12 hours on a single charge. The Amazon Kindle boasts an even more impressive battery life, going for over a week before having to be recharged. Both of these devices now use Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries, which are proving to be the best approach for charging and recharging complex mobile gadgets like the iPad.

However, it’s important to note that, in both of these devices, the power of the charge drops significantly when you’re accessing the 3G network. This is because the 3G networks puts much more strain on the system and thus requires more energy to process. A good analogy is when you run the air conditioning in your car: the added strain on the engine guzzles up more petrol. The risk, then, is that the 3G network and the advent of the 4G network — which is on its way — could at some point outpace even Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries, leaving us with powerful mobile gadgets that don’t have the longevity that they need.

So what will be the solution?

Believe it or not, renewable energy might play a factor in extending the lives of rechargeable batteries for mobile gadgets. Early on, battery manufacturers experimented with solar powered rechargeable batteries that could charge in an emergency. This technology is continuing to be developed, and some companies, such as Scosche’s Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger for the iPod offers a great solution for campers, hikers, or anyone else who runs the risk of losing their charge before getting back to a power outlet. Lenmar also has a Lithium polymer battery for the iPhone 3G that does essentially the same thing.

But the newest and boldest 3G network gadgets still lack this kind of solar-powered battery back-up.

In the end, however, the next generation of mobile devices are likely to incorporate a powerful, efficient Lithium Ion rechargeable battery with some sort of renewable energy source that will take advantage of the device’s own mobile characteristics. We’ve already seen this with watches, which can now harness solar power, or even inertia and movement to keep their batteries charged. Apple may be looking to similar technologies, imagining an iPhone or iPad whose face is laced with solar panels or whose guts feature a gyroscope that harnesses the movements of the user.

Whatever the case, rechargeable batteries will continue to be the unsung heros in the world of mobile gadgets that seem to get more and more mobile each year.