Technology keeps advancing

MMR, Jan 26, 2009

NEW YORK -- Each day brings a host of new consumer electronic gadgets, fueling a never-ending demand for power sources that are smaller, lighter and more powerful. Battery manufacturers have been keeping pace.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show Energizer Holdings Inc. unveiled the Energizer Zinc Air Prismatic battery, which the company maintains will offer makers of electronic products greater design flexibility while providing greater run times and enabling smaller devices.

Energizer says the new battery, which is the result of several years of work with electronic device manufacturers, combines high energy density with three times more run time than similarly sized alkaline and lithium ion batteries.

Duracell USA, meanwhile, has introduced an innovative emergency power product to help consumers cope with power outages.

Duracell Powerpack 450 With Voice is a durable, stand-alone power supply with 450 watts of AC household power for important electronic devices and appliances. It uses voice technology, which is new to the portable power segment, to guide consumers in the use of the Powerpack's built-in vehicle jump-start system. The voice technology also tells consumers how to inflate a tire with Powerpack's built-in air compressor and tells them how much run time they have for each device connected to the Powerpack's multiple outlets.

"The Duracell Powerpack 450 With Voice is designed to be rugged enough for road trips, picnics and camping," says Rick Jane, Duracell's vice president and general manager. "It also provides the reassurance of a night light and a comforting voice.

"When people are away from home it's great to know they have a power backup that can also help perform the most obvious and crucial road fixes."

For its part, Panasonic Corp. maintains it has improved the performance of everyday batteries with its recently introduced Evolta AA alkaline battery. The Evolta is designed to work well with a wide variety of electronic devices, from remote controls and MP3 players to such high-drain devices as digital cameras.

The Evolta battery's internal structure is said to provide more internal space than Panasonic's previous generation of batteries, allowing storage of extra active materials. It also incorporates improved sealing technology, resulting in a more durable battery. Newly developed active materials for the battery's cathode (manganese dioxide and oxy-hydroxide titanium) and anode (zinc) make possible a chemical reaction that delivers superior performance. Denser and more even packing of the materials maximizes the chemical reaction.

In addition, Rayovac Corp. has become the exclusive global distributor of a new line of switches and outlet plates developed by Sunovia Energy Technologies Inc. The switches and outlet plates contain light-emitting diodes that illuminate automatically when the power goes out, providing a reliable, inexpensive, hands-free source of light. They are powered by standard AA and AAA batteries that provide up to 48 hours of light.