rechargeable

Energizer's AP1201 has been shipping for about a month, but one just showed up in the mail, so we thought we should give it a little ink because it's pretty nice.

The first thing to note about it is that it's relatively lightweight and thin but packs in a rechargeable battery and seems to offer good protection. We also liked the feel of the case, which is made partly out of hard plastic and partly out of recycled silicon rubber. While Energizer serves up a bunch of statistics on how much extra battery life it gives you (… Read more

This past week I had a chance to try out Sanyo's new rechargeable power supply for guitar pedals, called Pedal Juice. It's a weird name that to me conjures images of sweaty feet, but someone at Sanyo was smart to leave the name off the actual product.

Instead, the design is a stark, simple white box with a single button for power and a reassuring Eneloop logo. Initially, the color and dimensions of the box reminded me of a block of tofu, but after considering it, it dawned on me that Sanyo smartly modeled the form after a standard Boss guitar pedal. In fact, if you have a Boss-style pedal board, the Pedal Juice fits right in to the cutouts.

Even the most devoutly environmentally sensitive, patchouli-soaked, jam band in the world has to admit, $150 is a bitter price when compared with a disposable $2 9v battery or a $30 power adapter. Unless Sanyo is insane, there must be more to the product than Berkeley street cred.

Well, there is.… Read more

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me to recommend a good battery-powered or rechargeable speaker for their iPhone that they could bring on a camping trip. It seemed like a simple request, but finding solid recommendations turned out to be harder than I expected.

Maybe I'm just a sound snob, but to my ears, most portable speakers sound pretty bad. To be fair, it isn't easy to coax great sound out of a speaker system that fits in a backpack. Even with the best audio engineering money can buy, when you factor in concerns over battery life, … Read more

I'm a big, big fan of rechargeable batteries. But it seems I never have enough to go around, what with all the Xbox and Wii controllers, kids' toys, flashlights, and other battery-powered gadgetry around here.

Today only, Pennywise.biz has 12 Duracell pre-charged rechargeable AAA NiMH batteries for $17.99 (plus a penny for shipping). To put that in perspective, my local Walgreens sells a four-pack for $15.99.

Need bigger ones? Shnoop (Shnoop?) has 12 Duracell pre-charged rechargeable AA NiMH batteries for $21.99 shipped--also today only.

Because these are pre-charged, they're ready for service right … Read more

Logitech has pulled back the curtain on a new portable speaker system for the iPhone and iPod, and we gotta say--the company has outdone itself. Due out in a few weeks at $149 list, and packed with a total of eight drivers, the S715i hits a sweet spot of price and sonic performance we've never seen before.

The tradeoff is that you don't get bells and whistles, such as Bluetooth audio streaming, alarm clock, EQ, or FM radio--which is already mostly covered by the iPhone, anyhow. Ultimately, what the S715i offers is a big sound in a relatively … Read more

A year after first revealing its interest in Sanyo, Panasonic has finally won control of its electronics rival.

Panasonic said Thursday that it has secured a 50.2 percent majority ownership of Sanyo, as it moves to turn Sanyo into a subsidiary and create one of the world's largest electronics makers. To win its slice of Sanyo, Panasonic is paying 403 billion yen ($4.59 billion), or 131 yen per Sanyo share.

The deal gives Panasonic control of such Sanyo products as rechargeable batteries and solar panels, potentially lucrative businesses in light of the world's desire for greener … Read more

A battery charger is essential gear for any household with a game console (those controllers burn through AA's like nobody's business), childrens' toys, or anything else battery-powered.

Because, let's face it, you'll pay a lot more in the long haul for disposable batteries than you will for a good charger and some rechargeable batteries.

Of course, a good charger--one with features such as a heat monitor and status LCD--can cost you upward of $70 or more--batteries not included.

Today only, Amazon has the La Crosse BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger for $34.99 shipped. And in addition … Read more

Update: Looks like this is sold out already. You can find what looks to be an identical battery (in black) for $17.99 from HandHelditems--where you'll also find some very positive user reviews.

Until Apple sees fit to outfit iPhones and iPods with user-replaceable batteries (meaning never), travelers have no choice but to pack battery packs.

After all, the last thing you want in the middle of your playlist, movie, game, e-book, or audiobook is a dead battery. (It's not real convenient when you need to make a call, either.)

Meritline has a Mobile Power Station Battery for iPhone and iPod for $9.99. … Read more

It seems Nikon has realized the Coolpix L100's lack of support for rechargeable NiMH batteries wasn't the greenest move (or maybe it was a secret plan all along). The digital camera manufacturer announced Tuesday an eventual firmware update to correct the situation.

I get the convenience of AA batteries in pocket cameras, but the L100 requires four of them and only supports alkaline and lithium-ion disposable batteries, approximately good for 350 and 900 shots, respectively. The NiMH option will get you around 600 shots before you need to charge up.

According to Nikon, the firmware update will be … Read more