The early days of rechargeable batteries were like many first steps in the field of technology, with a combination of engineers and chemists working together to create something that was part ingenuity, part technology, and that strange magic of inspiration. The early batteries were often oversized and underpowered. Anyone that grew up in a home with the first cordless phones, as well as the first laptops, or cellular devices can fondly recall how awkward they were with bulky antennas, and either immense battery packs that looked like several batteries strapped into shrink wrap with two wires running out of them. Naturally, this is precisely what they were, but very little work was put toward aesthetics, and batteries would often suffer from “Battery Memory” the phenomenon that would be a cross for battery packs for years to come.
If you’re interested in learning more about the past and present of rechargeable batteries, and how they have greatly impacted technology and the environment, please read below:
Continue reading ‘Rechargeable Batteries, A History’
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?
Continue reading ‘Energizer’s Bid to Dominate the Rechargeable Batteries Market Continues To Falter’
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.
Continue reading ‘Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries: Great in the iPad & Kindle, But Are They Safe?’
Ever notice that the “best” brands on the market are always the most expensive ones? There’s a good reason for that – all those advertising dollars have to add up to something. The marketing formula is simple: spend a lot of money telling consumers that your product is the best and, for the most part, they start to believe it. This of course leads to higher sales and, once Madison Aveune sends out their advertising invoice, higher prices.
However, it only takes a quick trip to the supermarket to learn how many generic brands often rival the name-brand goods at a fraction of the price. Everything from breakfast cereal to ice cream has a wide range of retail prices, and for the most part, the price gap exists not because of taste or quality, but because Post Cereal spends a heck of a lot more to market “Boo Berry” than the supermarket spends on their own version of blue-coloured rice puffs. Both products gives you that same blue-coloured cereal milk and smooth, sustained sugar rush – it just depends on whether or not you’re a brand snob who likes looking at that goofy ghost on the front of the box.
"Lance" from Pulp Fiction - embracing the generic "Fruit Brute." Not a brand snob.
Continue reading ‘Tech Opinion: Vapex Rechargeable Batteries – Embrace the “Generic”’
As more and more people continue to increase their gadget use, the demand for batteries has increased as well. Because disposable batteries are expensive and bad for the environment, consumers are now turning to rechargeable batteries as a more affordable, eco-friendly option. Sanyo Eneloop was one of the first companies to jump on the rechargeable battery band wagon, developing a functional, affordable NiMH rechargeable battery for consumer electronics. As a result of a robust marketing campaign, Sanyo Eneloop has become a market leader in rechargeables.
New competitors in the rechargeable battery market are emerging, however. In particular, the lesser-known Vapex brand of NiMH rechargeables have several advantages over their Sanyo Eneloop counterpart at a much lower retail price. We decided to do a comparison of the two brands, and came up with a few interesting conclusions that might make you a believer in Vapex.
Continue reading ‘Vapex NiMH Rechargeable Batteries Outshine Sanyo Eneloop in Value & Quality’
