This could very well be the next big leap in battery technology. Imagine being able to use the same rechargeable cells in your remote controls, clocks, flashlights, digitial cameras, GPS devices - everything that uses batteries, even if they sit around for weeks or months between uses. These are the new Low Self-Discharge NiMH rechargeable batteries.

These are a new breed of rechargeable batteries that come fully charged and hold their charge for months without use. I don't know much about them yet, but they are a new NiMH technology that allows for very low self discharge rates. This means that you can use them in devices that sit around in between uses without the batteries self-discharging away all their energy like regular rechargeables. I don't know about you folks, but if I leave newly charged rechargeables in a drawer for 1-2 months they're essentially dead. These new cells are advertised to keep their charge for over a year (only losing 15% - 20% of their charge in 1 year of non-use).

Amondotech.com has the Titanium "Power Enduro"AA and AAA cells, a low self-discharge cell.

From AmondoTech.com (product page)

I have a charged set of Titanium "Power Enduro" AA that I have left sitting around for a few weeks and they performed just fine, powering my digital camera without a hitch.

Sanyo is probably one of the most well known brands of this type of cell already. There has been a lot of hype on the Internet about their Eneloop cells.

Found these Sanyo Eneloop batteries at Wolf Camera

CandlePowerForums member Silverfox did some testing of the Eneloop cells which includes various discharge rates and self-discharge over time.

Rayovac is prducing a new "Hybrid" battery in AA and AAA that I found at Walmart.

Rayovac Hybrid found at Wal-Mart

Their sister company, Varta, is producing "Ready2Use" cells (care to bet that they're the same as the ROV Hybrids?).

Sure all of these cells have a slightly lower mAh rating than normal NiMH cells, but what good are those extra milliamps in the high capacity NiMH cells if they self-discharge away in a matter of days?

So far my use of all of these cells has shown to me that they really do hold a charge for a long time and perform very well. I personally think they're a much better investment for most common users of cells, bridging the gap between traditional NiMH and alkaline cells.