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.

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?

Sanyo Eneloop AA AAA Ni-MH Battery Charger

Rechargeable battery gurus have begun to test these battery technologies side by side, and they are finding that their overall performances are quite similar. A recent test involved comparing fully charged PowerGenix head-to-head against some Rayovac NiMH rechargeable batteries. The tester noted that “The Power Genix are rated at 2500 mwh since wattage is a power reading. If you consider the Rayovacs are 1.2 volts and multiply that by their rated 2100 mah you arrive at 2550 mwh. Meaning they should be roughly equivalent.” So, given the fact that they share similar mAh, how did they perform?

Using a flashlight, the tester was able to get 97 minutes of of full brightness light from the flashlight before fading from the PowerGenix, whereas the Rayovacs provided 87 minutes. A 10-minute difference is nominal.

From a price standpoint, PowerGenix seems to be priced similarly between generic brand rechargeable batteries like Vapex and premium brands like Sanyo Eneloop. From what we can see thus far, PowerGenix’s NiZn rechargeable batteries really don’t live up to the hype, and offer little performance upgrades to your own trust NiMH rechargeable batteries.

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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.

While the 5-year longevity of the new Sanyo Eneloops may seem unhelpful, there is a shorter-term performance fact that bears more purpose: as a result of “improvements that come courtesy of a change in the crystal lattice structure of the hydrogen-storing alloy,” ”. . . if you abandon them for just a year, they’ll have only lost about 10 per cent of their charge.” the fact that your Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries will lose no more than 10% of their charge after sitting for a year means that they ultimately will hold near 100% of their charge in any short-term situation.

This kind of performance can be extremely helpful to those who rely on charging sets of rechargeable batteries prior to an excursion where electricity won’t be available. In these settings, one might need to store spare rechargeable batteries for weeks or even moths before they are used. The fact that Sanyo Eneloops can retain virtually their entire charge in the span of even months of inactivity could mean the difference in mobile device and safety equipment working for an extended period of time — when people may need that equipment the most.

To be sure, Sanyo Eneloop chose to highlight the “five year” mark because, simply put, five years is a long time. Thus, the specs are more impressive than stating that after a year, their batteries won’t lose more than 10% of their charge. But sometimes in order to really grasp the effectiveness of a rechargeable battery’s performance, you have to dig deeper into the details.

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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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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.

Some users report that a camera such as an 8MP Olympus underwater point and shoot, which you would think would do great with a fully-charged digital camera battery pack, only gets 50 to 100 shots per battery charge, whereas a higher performance DSLR could yield ten times the amount of photos on one charge.

There are several things you can do to extend the life of digital camera batteries, but that’s for another article. And in the end, you won’t be able to extend the life that much farther to make it a viable option. Instead, if you’re planning on using your digital camera heavily on holiday or some other event, it makes total sense to invest in at least one extra third party generic digital camera battery pack.

Running between 960 mAh and 1400 mAh, you’re bound to find a generic brand battery pack that makes a perfect spare to the one that came with your digital camera. It will be the same chemistry — LiON — and will fit your charger. Usually these battery packs are high-quality as well, and should give you 1000 charges before dying on you (chances are, you will have already bought a new digital camera before having to invest in new digital camera batteries).

On a long trip where space is at a premium, having a spare battery pack ready to go makes total sense, rather than lugging along a battery charger in hopes that you’ll have a place to plug it in. After all, you’ve invested so much in your beloved digital camera — why not go all the way and treat it to a couple of extra digital camera battery packs?

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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).

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.

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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.

The Sanyo Eneloop Difference From An Average Consumer’s Perspective

Personally, I always used to forget to buy alkaline disposable batteries, so when they would go out in my television’s remote control for instance, I would end up without a remote for a week! And I don’t think I’m alone: for the average consumer in Australia, ratteries are the last thing on your mind when you go to the store. So, having the ability to forget about having to buy new batteries for ten years is an obvious convenience.

To be sure, there are more rechargeable battery brands out there besides Sanyo Eneloop, and I have tried most of them in the past. Sanyo, however, creates different types of rechargeable batteries for different needs. The regular Eneloop is an all purpose battery that lasts up to 1500 charges and has a self-discharge of 75% after 3 years. It comes in AA and AAA. The Sanyo Eneloop Lite is for low-to-medium power consumption devices and lasts up to 2000 charges. This battery also has a self-discharge of 75% and can last for three years. The XX powered by Sanyo Eneloop is for medium-to-high power consumption devices. This one doesn’t last as long at up to 500 charges, but it is a very high voltage battery at 2500mAh (AA) and 2400mAh (AAA). Sanyo has an Eneloop rechargeable battery for everyone’s needs.

Premium Rechargeable Batteries Like Sanyo Eneloop Make a World Of Difference

Most consumers who buy alkaline batteries hate to pay for premium brands, since they know that, in the end, they’ll end up throwing them away. But when it comes to purchasing rechargeable batteries, it’s all about making a slightly higher up-front purchase that will pay dividends down the line.

If you have to purchase a large quantity of rechargeable batteries, then it might make sense to go with a value brand, like Vapex. However, if you’re looking to outfit one of two electronics with rechargeable batteries that will provide optimal performance and longevity, then investing in a premium brand like Sanyo Eneloop makes the most sense. Spending a bit more money at the outset ensures that you’ll have years of reliable rechargeable battery performance.

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Mostly they are virtuous ideas driven by voodoo technology. Here is a look at some of the proposed “alternatives” to rechargeable power:

The Fuel Cell

The most common type of fuel cell is the Methanol Fuel Cell. As early as 1933 some enterprising individuals were submitting patents for Methanol technology with the ultimate hope of creating a mobile power source that was also ecologically friendly. Every few years a company takes up the torch of fuel cells and attempts to develop them into a viable alternative to batteries.

Methanol is a kind of wood alcohol that can produce energy transmitted through a thin plastic membrane when it is mixed with water. This creates potential chemical energy that can be transmuted into electrical energy, the same way stored chemical excitation in a battery can be used to carry power in a chemical format until it is needed by an electrical appliance.

The Methanol Fuel Cell seems like a good idea. A little wood alcohol and water can be mixed together into the cell for instant power. No more needing to recharge at an outlet, merely carry a few jugs of wood alcohol with you and you’re all set.

The crux of the problem with any fuel cells is that rather than simply finding an outlet at a coffee shop, one must lug around combustible fluids. In addition, while water is harmless enough, Methanol is a highly dangerous substance that can be ingested for an intoxicating effect. It will also often make those that drink it blind or dead. Making such products readily available risks the lives of children. In addition, trying to travel with combustible liquids will often put individuals on Interpol’s terrorist watch list.

In short, not an ideal solution.

Nanotubes and Ultra-Capacitors

One of the most impressive ideas to replace batteries came out of the big brains in the Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. They proposed the idea of Capacitors, which store energy as an electrical field, rather than in the chemical form used by standard and rechargeable batteries. This field doesn’t require the conversion of batteries from chemical to electrical power, meaning they can discharge at a greatly accelerated rate. This means they have a much higher potential for power output than a battery. The removal of conversion also makes them more efficient.

The initial problem the fine minds at MIT ran into was that while the power output of the Ultra-Capacitor was bigger and faster than a battery in order to store the power capacitors needed to be significantly larger than batteries.

To combat this, experiments have been underway to use nanotubes, which are micro-thin strands of carbon that can hold a charge far more effectively when used in conjunction with the Ultra-Capacitor. These would be comparably sized to current batteries with coils of nanotubes holding the charge for the Ultra-Capacitor to be released on demand.

The benefits would be a lifespan of approximately ten years, highly efficient recharging and discharging rates meaning more power could be absorbed quickly into the capacitor, reducing charging times, and more efficient discharged which means more power. The capacitors would also not suffer from the dangers of shock, heat, and cold, and could be recharged more times than even the highest quality battery.

The problem is the cost of the capacitors is many times that of a battery. Could it revolutionize the power of the mobile world? Without a doubt. But that would come at a high price due to the intensive process to create these items. For the cost of a single capacitor, you would be able to buy not only several rechargeable batteries, but also a brand new charger and probably a Russian bride.

For now the only way to help the planet and save money when it comes to powering your mobile devices is to use a high quality rechargeable battery. The good intentions of humankind have gone far beyond the technology available to realize dreams of inexpensive power that can be taken anywhere. Like cold fusion and water powered engines, it may be many years before a viable source of power will dethrone the rechargeable battery.

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