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Archive for the 'Rechargeable Batteries' Category

Mar

Discovering the Power of the New iPad 3 Battery

Categories: Rechargeable Batteries

Although a variety of companies were in competition to be the provider of the new battery for the New iPad for Apple, it appears there is only one maker currently that could meet the needs of the new device. Read on to learn which company it is, and the interesting facts about the battery itself.

Just as there were many people waiting on the edge of their seats for the release of the new iPad for their personal use, there were some people waiting just as excitedly to be able to take it apart and discover the secrets of the inner workings and its design. Shortly after the New iPad was released, the experts at iFixit were ready and willing to tear down the device and see what type of battery had been designed to power the new features. The new retina display and other additional features in the New iPad 3 would require much more battery power than the previous iPad 2. The tricky part of designing this rechargeable battery with longer life is that Apple did not want to create a much thicker device. After all, they took great pains to make a much smaller edition than the original when they came out with the second edition. Continue reading ‘Discovering the Power of the New iPad 3 Battery’

Dec

Make the Switch to Rechargeable Batteries – A Great New Year’s Resolution!

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Categories: Rechargeable Batteries

Many Australians already use rechargeable batteries on some items, simply because that’s what is included with those products. Cell phones, for example, include a rechargeable battery. In most cases, digital cameras also come with rechargeable batteries. By using these types of batteries on these products, the environment benefits and so does your wallet.

But what would the effect be if you switched to rechargeable batteries for everything that takes power?

ou might be surprised to learn exactly how much you have the potential to save by switching disposable batteries of all sizes, including those for your remote control, electronic toys, flashlights, and more. Not only that, but without disposing of all those used-up batteries, we recharge and reuse the same ones, which is beneficial to the environment. When they no longer take a charge, rechargeable batteries can be recycled for free.

Continue reading ‘Make the Switch to Rechargeable Batteries – A Great New Year’s Resolution!’

Dec

Should Australia Follow the Lead of New York Legislature & Make It Illegal To Dispose of Rechargeable Batteries?

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Categories: Rechargeable Batteries

Read about the groundbreaking new law in the United States, prohibiting the disposal of rechargeable batteries in the state of New York. Is this new law coming to Australia, and if so, would it be beneficial to the environment and economy?

According to TG Daily, New York law just went into effect that was passed over a year ago that makes it illegal to dispose of rechargeable batteries. Since rechargeable batteries were made to be recycled, and in doing so are better for the environment than typical alkaline batteries, the components that make up these batteries are harmful to the environment when they are not properly disposed of. Unfortunately, while more battery manufacturers are making this type of rechargeable battery, and more people are buying them, the disposal of them has remained the same as if they were using traditional single-use batteries. This, in turn, results in a good plan gone wrong and severe damage over time to the environment. While this in itself is bad, the question is should it be made illegal to toss the batteries in the trash in Australia?

The New York law that stipulates that rechargeable batteries being thrown away is illegal also includes the requirement of manufacturers to offer the ability to recycle through them for free. In addition, the punishment for improper disposal of rechargeable batteries is a graduated fine system – a smaller fine for the first offence, a doubled fine for the second, and a higher fine for the third. The big question about this law is how it will be imposed – how exactly will the government know if a person has thrown away a rechargeable battery? Will there be monitoring of trash on a regular basis to enforce the law? Or is it more of a scare tactic just to make citizens more aware of the consequences to the environment of improper disposal of these batteries?

While it is worthy of debate, would enacting a similar law in Australia make sense? If we were to follow suit and create stricter regulations of batteries that were designed to help the environment, but are actually harming it, would it be better to place more of the burden on the manufacturers – such as require that a discount be given on the next purchase when rechargeable batteries are returned? If the concern is actually for the environment, it may very well be a better idea to offer incentives for proper disposable instead of threats that are very hard to follow through with.

Continue reading ‘Should Australia Follow the Lead of New York Legislature & Make It Illegal To Dispose of Rechargeable Batteries?’

Nov

Does NiZn Really Outperform NiMH Rechargeable Batteries?

By electronicswarehouse 0 Comments

Categories: New Product Reviews and Rechargeable Batteries

PowerGenix NiZn Rechargeable Batteries

NiZn rechargeable batteries claim to have higher capacity and longer life than NiMH rechargeable batteries. But for the extra cost, are they really worth it?

If you’re a digital camera, gadget, or electronics enthusiast, then you know that the rechargeable battery market never stands still — there is always a new kind of battery technology seeking to replace the status quo. For years, NiCd dominated the rechargeable battery landscape, until NiMH offered a higher quality, more eco-friendly replacement. And for quite a long time, NiMH has remained the standard for most consumer-based rechargeable batteries. Even many hybrid automobiles use NiMH rechargeable batteries.

In recent years, however, LiON batteries have come into vogue, particularly for high-profile gadgets like SLR digital cameras, some of which take AA batteries instead of digital camera battery packs. AA LiON batteries, however, are often not offered as rechargeable, meaning that camera hobbyistys and professionals alike run into the age-old problem of constantly having to invest in disposable batteries again, or otherwise using NiMH rechargeable batters for cameras that call for LiON.

A new kind of rechargeable battery technology, however — NiZn — has sought to replace NiMH rechargeable batteries as the next step toward the output of LiON. PowerGenix has come out with the first mainstream NiZn rechargeable batteries and battery charger, claiming big claims against standard NiMH rechargeable batteries. According to Steve’s Digicams, a reliable website on battery technology, “Their unique NiZn (Nickel-Zinc) batteries offer better voltage output when compared to NiMH rechargeable cells at about 1.6 volts (NiMH average around 1.2V). This means NiZn cells can deliver more than 0.4V of additional voltage (about 30% more than NiMH), whether at open circuit or under load.” As a result, PowerGenix says that you get higher power density in a smaller, lower-cost package, and in the end, they outperform NiMH rechargeable batteries.

But is this really the case?

Continue reading ‘Does NiZn Really Outperform NiMH Rechargeable Batteries?’

Oct

Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries Now Hold Charge For Over Five Years

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Categories: Rechargeable Batteries and Sanyo Eneloop

Sanyo Eneloop‘s claim that their new generation of rechargeable batteries can hold their charge for five years confirms them to be the industry leaders. But does a shelf life of 5 years make a real difference to the consumer?

It seems that with every passing year, Sanyo Eneloop continues to advance its rechargeable battery technology and keep their products are the forefront of the industry. This year’s newest generation of Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries boast new features and performance specs that improve on previous batteries’ longevity.

According to Gizmodo, on a full charge, “. . . their latest rechargeable nickel-metal hydride AA and AAA Eneloop batteries will retain up to 70% of their capacity after sitting unused for five years.” There’s no doubt that this is an impressive new feature, but like many of the features often touted for rechargeable batteries, the practical application of having rechargeable batteries sit on a shelf for five years and still retain up to 70% of the charge may seem like an empty feature for the practical consumer who, aside from building and outfitting a bomb shelter, would probably have no need for rechargeable batteries to retain their charge for so long. Does it really benefit the average person?

In fact, it does.

Continue reading ‘Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries Now Hold Charge For Over Five Years’

Oct

Did Apple Improve the Rechargeable Battery on the iPhone 4S?

By electronicswarehouse 0 Comments

Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living, New Product Reviews and Rechargeable Batteries

Apple’s new iPhone 4S uses the same form factor as the old iPhone 4, while boasting some powerful, new components. But did they increase the power of the battery to handle the new performance levels?

This week has been a disappointment for Apple fans worldwide. The announcement of a refreshed iPhone 4S instead of an iPhone 5, together with the death of Steve Jobs, has cast an unusual pall over the usually optimistic glow of Apple. For iPhone users, the death of Steve Jobs perhaps helps to put Cupertino’s decision to merely refresh the iPhone into better context, assuming that his passing will undoubtedly have some short term negative consequences on the image of the company he helped to make so successful.

In spite of the disappointment, the iPhone 4S is an impressive new iPhone, to be sure, much in the same way that the 3GS improved on the 3G’s design performance-wise. The inclusion of iOS 5 and iCloud, as well as Siri and the A5 processor, all make the iPhone 4S the most powerful, versatile iPhone ever.

Granted, iPhone users really wanted a larger screen more than anything: most of the iPhone’s natural competitors all boast 4″+ screens, and many expected the next iPhone to be an “iPhone 5″ with a larger screen and new form factor. But that’s not what we got. Perhaps one of the reason — from a technical perspective — why Apple was reluctant to increase the iPhone’s screen size this time around was their unwillingness to overhaul the rechargeable better on the iPhone?

From our observations, the iPhone 4S not only borrows the form factor of the iPhone 4 — it also uses essentially the same LiON rechargeable battery pack. Comparing the battery specs for the iPhone and iPhone 4S side by side, they read almost the same: talk time on the 4S up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM), which is a one-hour increase from the iPhone 4 for 3G; video playback up to 10 hours; and audio playback up to 40 hours.

There are, however, some areas where the iPhone 4S has seen a reduction in its battery performance as well. Whereas the iPhone 4′s specs for internet use boasts up to 6 hours on 3G and up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi, the 4S is rated at up to 6 hours on 3G, and up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi. And while the iPhone 4 offers 300 hours of standby time, the iPhone 4S only features “up to 200 hours.”

Why has Apple gone backwards with battery technology on the iPhone 4S?

The answer is simple: they have sacrificed battery power for performance. The A5 chip, iOS 5, and the new Siri Voice Assistant technology all sap the iPhone 4S of its battery juice, in spite of Apple’s impression LiON technology. In particular, the A5 chip really puts a lot of pressure on the battery while the iPhone 4S is on, which is why there is such a dramatic difference in standby times.

It remains to be seen what the unintended consequences will be for the iPhone 4S with less rechargeable battery power. It very well may be that the 4S will have significant rechargeable battery issues, in spite of the fact that Apple is boasting of the A5 chip’s ability to run on a moderate amount of power. And because the iPhone still does not allow users to easily replace the battery, having spare rechargeable batteries for the iPhone 4S is still not an option.

Only time will tell.

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Sep

Digital Camera Batteries: How Many Do You Need?

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Categories: Rechargeable Batteries

High-end digital cameras often comes with a digital camera battery pack. But if you’re an avid photographer, you cannot assume that one of them is enough.

Digital cameras that use AA or AAA rechargeable batteries offer camera users a wonderful option for saving a lot of money. But if you’re looking to invest in a high-end digital camera, you’ll often find that the camera itself comes with a proprietary digital camera battery pack that takes the place of traditional AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. To be sure, digital camera batteries like these tend to be high-quality, and they make recharging easy, since you can often charge them while in the camera itself, or in a proprietary charger.

There’s no doubt that the LiON digital camera batteries that are used in digital camera battery packs are high-quality and high-performance. But is one digital camera battery pack enough for your photo-taking needs?

It really depends on the digital camera, battery pack, and your level of enthusiasm for photography. As a rule, digital camera batteries discharge whether you are taking a photos or not. For this reason, you could take 300 photos with a camera battery pack one day, recharge it, and then only be able to take 100 photos with the same pack over the course of using the camera over the course of a week. Ironically, if you’re taking lots of photos in a shorter amount of time, you’re likely to get more endurance out of a fully charged digital camera battery pack than you are if you’re using it on and off over the course of a long duration.

It also depends on the digital camera.

Continue reading ‘Digital Camera Batteries: How Many Do You Need?’

Aug

NiMH Rechargeable Batteries Versus “Instant” Rechargeable Batteries

By electronicswarehouse 0 Comments

Categories: Rechargeable Batteries and Sanyo Eneloop

Read how giving people a pre-charged option for buying NiMH rechargeable batteries changed the industry forever — and what the real differences are between standard and “instant” rechargeable batteries.

For the decades that NiCad rechargeable batteries were king, one of the main reasons why they failed to catch on in mainstream popularity were the fact that many consumers couldn’t be bothered to charge them initially. While NiCad rechargeable battery technology was toxic and clumsy compared to today’s NiMH rechargeable batteries, it was nothing more than the fact that NiCads didn’t come pre-charged in their packs. Simply put, batteries are often purchased on an as-needed basis, making an uncharged pack of rechargeable batteries unhelpful for many consumers who are not shrewd enough to plan their battery useage schedule.

It is for this reason why, in today’s consumer electronics market, more and more NiMH rechargeable battery manufacturers are offering pre-charged or ” “instant” alternatives to their standard rechargeable batteries. Now, when your digital camera is completely dead, or if you’re an organisation who recently invested in a large quantity of devices that all need AA rechargeable batteries, you can now go to the store and pick up NiMH rechargeable batteries that offer both the “instant gratification” of alkalines with the longevity of rechargeables. It was the rechargeable battery industry’s way of further competing with the immediacy of disposable alkaline batteries.

Now that the choice between pre-charged and standard rechargeable batteries exists, which ones are better?

Vapex’s AA rechargeable batteries offer the best comparison. In price, they are generally identical — you can pick them up on EW’s website for AUD$14.99 a 4-pack. So, if the prices are the same, why would anyone buy the un-chanrged over the pre=charged? The answer has to do with battery capacity and mAh.

All rechargeable battery companies are careful to make sure that they give their standard NiMH rechargeable batteries a bit more capacity than their pre-charged counterparts, as an incentive for investing in them over the instants. Using the Vapex example, they just recently released an upgrade of their instant model — they now have a quite impressive Instant AA 2500mAh NIMH Rechargeable Battery option. These Vapex “instant rechargeable batteries” actually feature more mAh than even Sanyo Eneloop’s competing model.

But for as impressive as this may be, Vapex’s standard AA Rechargeable Batteries are 2900 mAh. So, what you lack in an instant charge, you make up for in capacity.

To be sure, the set-up for standard NiMH rechargeable batteries can take much longer. Imagine, for example, that you need to buy several dozen AA rechargeable batteries for a set of new walkie talkies. It could take you days to charge all of them, which may not be an option if you need them to work straight away. In this case, you’re going to probably want to go with instants.

In the end, the decision on whether to buy instant or standard rechargeable batteries will depend on how important mAh is in your purchase, and how much time you have to charge them (if any at all).

Aug

Rechargeable Batteries & mAh: What a Higher mAh Means For Your Digital Camera

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Categories: Mobile Gadgets Living, Rechargeable Batteries and Sanyo Eneloop

When researching rechargeable batteries, the term “mAh” gets bandied about quite often. Read about how a higher mAh can have a tremendous impact on the performance of electronics like digital cameras.

Anyone who owns a digital camera — particularly one that takes AA batteries as its power supply — knows that they have the capacity to suck battery power like a vampire. It is not uncommon for a digital camera to completely drain its batteries after just an hour of heavy use, which often comes at the most inopportune times, leaving you with no digital camera when you need it the most.

If you rely on AA rechargeable batteries for your digital cameras, then the most important consideration is investing in rechargeable batteries with the right mAh. Of course, if you have no idea what mAh is, then it might be a bit confusing to determine what level of mAh you need for digital camera, and why.

Rechargeable Batteries and mAh

“mAh” stands for “milliampere-hour.” But if that definition is somewhat lost on you, then think of it another way: mAh is all about battery capacity — kind of like the size of the petrol tank on your AA rechargeable batteries. So, it is easy to imagine that the higher the mAh on your AA rechargeable batteries, the higher performance for your digital camera.

However, it can be particularly helpful in understanding the battery draw of your digital camera when you go shopping for rechargeable batteries, and determining if you’ve got the capacity you need for the kind of camera and picture taking you normally engage in.

What Components on a Digital Camera Use the Most Power?

Simply put, there is no set answer to this question, since digital camera features vary from model to model, and depending on the performance level of the digital camera, you’ll need to take that into consideration when shopping for rechargeable batteries. The good news is that, for the vast majority of digital cameras, they draw very little power when simply turned on — most cameras have idle currents of 1 mA.

However, it is all the “bells and whistles” on a digital camera that start to push the levels of power that drain rechargeable batteries. Actions like encoding a JPEG, manipulating sensor data, driving the LCD screen, or charging the flash, all draw high currents. And considering that these are commonplace operations on all digital cameras, you can begin to imagine why your rechargeable batteries drain so easily.

How Much Juice Does a Digital Camera Need?

Let’s go back to the definition of “mAh,” and hot it relates to your digital camera’s performance. Think of it this way: if the rating of your rechargeable batteries is 2500 mAh, then you can draw 100 milliamps for 25 hours, or 50 milliamps for 50 hours etc. When you think of your digital camera “idling,” then you’d imagine that you could get a lot of endurance out of rechargeable batteries rated at 2500 mAh. However, this would only be when a camera is in standby mode. When you’re running all of your camera’s components, it is more realistic to pull about 200 mAh, and when you take a picture, it can draw anywhere between 1.2 and 2A!

The best approach is to invest in the highest mAh possible for your digital camera’s rechargeable batteries. Vapex’s 2500 mAh instant rechargeable batteries are a great value, and come pre-charged. Sanyo Eneloop‘s pre-charged AA rechargeable batteries are rated a bit lower at 2300 mAh and priced a bit higher, but their production quality can make up for the slightly lower rating, with Sanyo Eneloop claiming their AA’s can take up to 500 photos.

Thanks for reading our article! Did you know that Electronics Warehouse is the leading online retailer in Australia for Vapex and Sanyo Eneloop AA rechargeable batteries? Plus, as an added bonus, use promo code EWBLOG for 10% off your order, plus fast, FREE shipping Australia-wide, just for reading this article. Take a look!

Jul

Sanyo Recharges the Eneloop: What You Need to Know

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Categories: Rechargeable Batteries and Sanyo Eneloop

Sanyo continues to recreate the revolutionary Eneloop rechargeable battery.

From its beginnings, the Sanyo Eneloop was revolutionary because it was one of the first NiMH rechargeable batteries that came charged right out of the packaging, making it ready to use immediately after purchasing it. It also lasted longer than other lackluster battery brands on the market, making it the first truely “premium” rechargeable battery brand/

The all new Sanyo Eneloop is now even stronger and lasts even longer — it is now rechargeable up to 1500 times. To top that, the Eneloop can be stored for three long years and they’ll still retain 75% of its capacity. You can even use Sanyo Eneloops in freezing cold temperatures.

Now for the technical aspects; The Mignon-eneloop (AA) has a 2000 mAh capacity and the Micro-eneloop (AAA) has an 800 mAh capacity. For all the green, tree-saving rechargeable battery users out there, these batteries are factory pre-charged using solar energy in Japan using photovoltaic generation. This gives the eco warriors of the world an added incentive to invest in Sanyo Eneloop: even the charge on these instant rechargeable batteries do not contribute to the world’s “carbon footprint.”

In addition, the Sanyo Eneloop is the most cost-effective rechargeable battery design for the average consumer to use compared to other NIMH rechargeable batteries. Not only is it more powerful, but it is also much more cost efficient. With normal alkaline batteries, you have to replace them every other couple months. The Eneloop can last for up to ten years! Now for me, I’d rather pay a few more dollars to get rechargeable batteries that I won’t need to swap out every month. Each time you charge your Eneloop batteries, it only costs 4 cents.

Continue reading ‘Sanyo Recharges the Eneloop: What You Need to Know’