eneloop Batteries #1 By Consumer Reports 2009
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009Sanyo’s eneloop battery line was just named #1 rechargeable battery by Consumer Reports 2009.
Click Article for the PDF file of this story.
Green Products Blog - Sanyo eneloop Batteries, News, Reviews and More.
Archive for the ‘Product Feedback’ Category
PowerGenix NiZn rechargeable AA batteries: NiZn AA cells worth buying
Monday, November 9th, 2009by Darren Murph 
posted Nov 9th 2009 at 11:22AM
It’s rare if a month flies by without some random university or DIYer proclaiming that the next major jump in battery technology is just over the horizon, and yet, here we are — in the year 2009 — still buying overpriced AA cells from Duracell and Energizer that deplete far too quickly given the technology available. Heck, even those standard rechargeable cells have seen their performance degrade hastily in our experiences, and we’ve been longing for a rechargeable cell that was actually worth its salt for a long, long time. Frankly, we passed off the PowerGenix NiZn battery as just another slice of vaporware when it was first uncovered in late 2008, but after they went on sale this summer, we decided to really put a set through the paces. Click on to find out how we feel about ‘em after months and months of hardcore usage.
One of the major concerns with traditional NiMh rechargeables is just how weak they are, and just how quickly their longevity declines. With few exceptions, most of these cells can’t actually power a dedicated hotshoe flash for more than a few minutes (if at all), and any application that demands a serious amount of power generally asks too much from these pricey tubes. Furthermore, these batteries also have a tendency to go from fully charged to empty faster and faster as time goes on, and while we understand that said phenomenon is simply a harsh reality when dealing with devices such as this, we always felt that the performance decline was unacceptable given the price premium attached to ‘em.
Enter PowerGenix, a little known company with a lot of hustle and a pocket full of promises. The company is selling 1.6v AA Nickel Zinc rechargeables at a variety of outlets now, with the MRSP for a 4-pack sitting at $14.99; the special charger (needed for charging NiZn batteries) can be purchased along with four cells for $24.99. We began using these with exceptionally low expectations, and six wedding shoots later, we’re now grinning from ear to ear. Our Nikon Speedlight SB-600 chews through standard batteries like a voracious beast, only squeezing out around 200 to 300 shots on a warm, lucky day. The PowerGenix cells, however, allowed us to fire the flash anywhere between 300 and 400 times in all conditions, and even after running them bone dry and juicing them back up for months on end, we’ve yet to see ‘em take a performance hit.
Naturally, these will also keep your wireless keyboard, mouse or remote ticking for a long, long time, but it’s their ability to shine even in high-drain applications that really impressed us. The economics of it just make these tough to ignore: a 4-pack of Energizer’s ‘Ultimate Lithium’ AA cells can be had for around $7 to $10, while the 4-pack of PowerGenix batteries cost just a few bucks more (charger notwithstanding). If you’re a power user that eats through 8, 12 or more AA cells at every stop, it’s a no brainer to make the switch to NiZn. If you find yourself buying batteries around once per year, you’re probably better off sticking with your current habits. But hey — at least there’s finally a great solution for those of us who’ve been procuring more batteries than toilet paper over the past few years.
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User Review Pleomax / Samsung USB High Speed 2.0 drives
Monday, June 1st, 2009Made in USA Samsung Pleomax USB 2.0 drive
PUBT3002 blue 2GB, PUBT300BL4 black 4GB, PUBT300RE8 red 8 GB.
Operating systems – Windows 98 SE requires driver download from http://www.samsungpleomax.com. Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS 9.0 or higher and Linux are plug and play, good to go without download.
Small – the profile allows insertion of multiple drives into closely ganged USB ports without the need for cables to separate fatter drives.
These Samsung Pleomax USB solid-state drives are made in the USA. Small enough to fit easily, large enough to find and fit correctly, they are a good compromise ergonomically. Seriously, have you ever sneezed on your micro-SD card? Mine needs a dongle much larger than these Pleomax drives so that I can plug it in, and a road case so I can find it if it isn’t in a gadget.The Pleomax USB drives even have a leash eye molded into the LED lens at the end opposite the USB plug.
Three USB Drives plugged in!
When I plugged into my XP laptop the fit was secure and easy to find by feel.The USB plug is full size preventing accidental inversion and misalignment of micro USB connections. Nevertheless the slender profile allows drives to occupy closely ganged USB ports without crowding and compromising connections. The three drives worked perfectly each automatically assigned a unique drive letter and responding as if it had always been there. All three drives at once was no problem. No software is included with the Samsung Pleomax USB drives. The only files were two formats of the warranty in the package insert. Various different scenarios of hot installing, simply plug in, and uninstalling, “safely remove hardware” step; and leaving installed during shutdown and power up showed no hitch.
Next, on the 2GB stick I installed Liberkey, a free and shareware suite of applications and utilities designed to run from a USB drive. The Ultimate edition required about 600 MB of space and worked perfectly running everything from registry cleaner and defrag to Firefox all from the flash drive allowing me to do some long overdue maintenance on the hard drive that had been eluding me when attempted from programs that resided on the same drive. I was surprised at the quick loading and operation of the programs. My C: drive is now working faster and my personal data is copied to the 4GB and the 8GB Pleomax USB drives. The 2 GB is now my portable toolbox with plenty of space left for data files. Portable applications, free and automatically updated on a flash drive give a degree of mobility and convenience known only super geeks in the past, office suite, video, security, utilities, networking, music, browsers everything you need and more.
The USB drives act like internal hard disks including a drive status LED, except for one important way – be sure to use the “safely remove hardware” procedure before unplugging. It is important to close programs and allow other process to complete otherwise there is a risk of data corruption. There is a second, soon to be less important, difference. The USB drives have been inconvenient to set up as a boot drive from Windows. That weakness may be resolved with Windows 7.
A portable secure personal environment with optional operating systems all on one key in tandem with web based applications makes it possible to have a personal life on an impersonal computer, in fact on whatever computer you choose. The USB drive will be the means of bridging and synchronizing between on line and off line cyber space, an identity key, programs and data all in one. These new Pleomax USB drives are Samsung quality and USA made. There is no one to blame but yourself if you don’t have your personal digital life backed up securely on removable, convenient flash memory. The USB on a stick approach is hard to beat for convenience and portability.
Light – a red LED glows when the drive is connected and flashes when it reads and writes.
Eye – to connect a lanyard is molded into the LED lens.
Cap – covers the USB plug.
Colors – different colors make it easy to tell drives apart.
Warranty – “This product is warranted for one year period from the date of purchase. During this period, if defective in material or workmanship and returned to place of purchase with proof of purchase, this product will be replaced free of charge. REPLACEMENT IS THE SOUL OBLIGATION UNDER THIS WARRANTY. THIS WARRANTY EXPRESSLY EXCLUDES INCIDENTAL AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR RECORDED DATA IN ANY FORM CAUSED BY USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT.” The warranty is inside the insert card in eight languages as well as on the drives as .jpg and .ai files.
TH.
Chicobag rePETe Reusable Eco Shopping Bag for Earth Day – Depoteco.com
Monday, April 6th, 2009
ChicoBag Reusable Eco BagsThe average American uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year. If everyone in the United States tied their annual consumption of plastic bags together in a giant chain, the chain would reach around the earth 760 times! The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag, now at depoteco.com
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 "The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag")
This bag is made from 7 plastic bottles 99% recycled content by weight rePETe Original
The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag
ChicoBag rePETe Original Canyon Brown
- Materials: Fabric 100% Recycled PET, Carabiner 97% Recycled Aluminium, Cord 100% Recycled PET, Cordlock 100% Recycled Polyurethane (Thread, Screen Print, Care Label Made from Virgin Material)
- Dimensions:Bag 18 x 14.5- Pouch 3×4 (approximately)
- Weight: 1.5 oz
- Capacity: 25 lbs. (One gallon of milk is approximately 7 lbs.)
- Washing: Machine wash cold and hang dry.
- See More Colors below
ChicoBag rePETe Original reusable shopping bag now at DepotEco.com!
The ChicoBag rePETe Original follows the Original reusable shopping bag design but is made from 99% recycled content by weight! Each rePETe has uniquely accented handles with the phrase, “This bag is made from 7 plastic bottles!” accompanied by a custom illustration. A list of the recycled materials used in manufacturing the rePETe is printed on the inside of each bag. All ChicoBags are reusable shopping bags designed to be unforgettable. They effortlessly fit in your pocket when they are stuffed into their integrated stuff pouch. Design encourages you to always have your ChicoBag on hand or pocket or purse.
What is PET?
Polyethylene terephthalate, abbreviated PET, is found in the polyester family and often used in the production of beverage containers like plastic bottles.
Learn the Facts
The average American uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year. If everyone in the United States tied their annual consumption of plastic bags together in a giant chain, the chain would reach around the earth 760 times! Learn more
Did You know…?
- The average American uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year. If everyone in the United States tied their annual consumption of plastic bags together in a giant chain, the chain would reach around the Earth 760 times!
- Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in South Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting up to 30,000 plastic bags a month to weave into hats and handbags. – BBC
- The world’s largest landfill can be found floating between Hawaii and San Francisco. Wind and sea currents carry marine debris from all over the world to what is now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This “landfill” is estimated to be twice the size of Texas and thousands of pounds of our discarded trash, mostly plastics. Each year hundreds of thousands of sea birds and marine life die from digested plastics mistaken for food. –LA Times
Background on Bag Consumption
Single-use Plastic Bags:
- First introduced in 1977, single-use bags, now account for 4 out of every 5 bags handed out at grocery stores.
- According to the Wall Street Journal, 100 billion plastic shopping bags are consumed in the United States annually.
- Cutting single-use bag waste in half would reduce our oil consumption by more than 2,000 barrels a day and keep out 73,000 tons of rubbish out of landfills.
- EPA research has shown that only 1% of plastic bags get recycled while about 20% of paper bags are recycled.
Single-use Paper Bags:
- Paper bags generate 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags.
- Paper in landfills doesn’t break down faster than plastic.
Solution:
- Reusable bags! A sturdy, reusable shopping bag needs only be used 11 times to have a lower environmental impact than using disposable plastic bags.
Sources:
Paper or Plastic?, Healthwell
Reusable Bags Tackle Plastic Bag Mess, Organic Trade Association
“Paper Cuts: Recovering the Paper Landscape”, Abromovitz & Mattoon, Worldwatch Institute, Washington DC, 1999
Keep the Sea Plastic Free—Bin It, Australian Government, Department of the Environment and HeritageSea Turtles Don’t Shop, Earth Resource Foundation
10 Things You Can Do to Create a Reusable Bag Habit in your Community
- Wage a campaign in your town or city to end the use of single-use bags by encouraging legislators to implement a grocery bag fee. Contact advocacy@chicobag.com for more information.
- Talk to local community and environmental groups about the bag issue and find out if they want to get involved.
- Create a petition asking for your city to take on the single-use bag problem. Circulate it at schools, universities, the library, grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and anywhere else where you can connect with your neighbors.
- Encourage local retailers to start a smart bagging policy with these tips:
- Offer a bag refund to customers who bring their own bags.
- Place signs reminding people to bring their own bags
- Create a reusable bag drop-off for others to use.
- Create an in-store bag recycling program.
- Sell reusable bags in their store. - Bring an extra reusable bag to the grocery story the next time you shop and give it away to a stranger who doesn’t have them. Ask them to “Pay it Forward” and give a bag away the next time they shop.
- Write a letter to the newspaper explaining the environmental problems with paper and plastic bags. Use our resources to help you come up with talking points.
- Start a ChicoBag fundraiser to raise money for an environmental or litter prevention group. Contact fundraisers@chicobag.com for more information!
- Stage a Bag Monster sighting in your community. Contact bagmonster@chicobag.com to set it up!
- Give your friends and family reusable bags as gifts for birthdays, graduation, housewarming parties, and special holidays.
- Set a good example by just saying no to single-use bags when you’re at the store. Others in line will follow suit!
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The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag ChicoBag rePETe Original Canyon Brown |
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The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag ChicoBag rePETe Original Green Cypress |
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The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag ChicoBag rePETe Original Moss Green |
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The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag ChicoBag rePETe Original Pacific Blue |
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The rePETe Original Reusable Shopping Bag ChicoBag rePETe Original Red Clay |
enloop adapter shells FAQ’s
Sunday, April 5th, 2009eneloop rechargeable batteries currently do not come as a C or D cell, yet. (read this for info)
They do offer the adapter shells. Some people have great success with these others report back that they seem not to work at all.
Tips, for using the eneloop D and C shells.
1. Make sure the AA battery is completely inserted into the Spacer / Adapter. The Small tip of the eneloop (positive) needs to touch the extremely small ring of metal on the inside of the tip of the adapter.
2. In many case the AA eneloop battery bottom (negative) side is to small to touch the negative contact terminal in the flashlight or other devices .
Solution, Tape a washer or a penny to the eneloops negative side/ bottom of the adapter terminal after inserting the AA battery. This should then provide sufficient contact area for the device.
One of our customers recently sent this in to us. ( Thanks for the feedback !! )
“This may be a new one for you. I knew that I had pushed the AA battery completely into the D cell adapter because it clicked into place. I even pushed the two D cells together inside the flashlight housing to make sure they made contact. This is in a Maglight 2 D-cell flashlight.
Well, as I looked at the two parts of the flashlight I noticed the butt end with the wire coil that presses against the batteries was larger than the AA battery butt end in the adapter. Ah HA! I put a balled up piece of foil over the AA battery end and screwed the butt end of the flashlight on and, voila’! It works! So, it was simply the coiled end of the flashlight was larger than the AA battery so no contact was made. Please add this to your support notes for other Eneloop users who may run into the same issue.
BTW, I’m still very happy with this kit. If a bit of foil is all it takes to reduce my dependence on disposable batteries then that’s fine! I can reuse the same bit of foil over and over and over and over and…….”
We love to hear that about eneloops.. 
and yes they are worth any extra effort.
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Keep the comments coming.
