Book excerpt: Battery Operated Devices and Systems provides a comprehensive review of the essentials of batteries and battery applications as well as state-of-the-art technological developments. The book covers the most recent trends, especially for the ubiquitous lithium ion batteries. It lays particular emphasis on the power consumption of battery operated devices and systems and the implications for battery life and runtime. Battery management is also dealt with in detail, particularly as far as the charging methods are concerned, along with the criteria of battery choice. This book describes a variety of portable and industrial applications and the basic characteristics of all primary and secondary batteries used in these applications. Portable applications include mobile phones, notebook computers, cameras, camcorders, personal digital assistants, medical instruments, power tools, and portable GPS. Industrial applications range from aerospace and telecommunications to emergency systems, load levelling, energy storage, toll collection, different meters, data loggers, oil drilling, oceanography, and meteorology. The book also discusses wireless connectivity, i.e. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee, and concludes with some market considerations. Links to further reading are provided through the 275 references. This book will be a valuable information source for researchers interested in devices and systems drawing power from batteries. It will also appeal to graduates working in research institutions; universities and industries dealing with power sources and energy conversion; civil, electrical and transport engineers; and chemists. A comprehensive review of battery applications Includes 209 figures and 62 tables Describes state-of-the-art technological developments