It's still as important as ever for parents to purchase backpacks, pencils and other traditional school supplies for their kids this fall. However, increasing dependence on technology makes it essential for students to purchase and preserve electronic gadgets before the academic year. And to prevent retina strain and increase mood & concentration levels, it's also important that students have the proper lighting environment to study in.

Batteries Plus, the nation's largest and fastest growing battery and light bulb franchise, has more than 515 locations nationwide and has access to more than 40,000 kinds of batteries, light bulbs and related products. The experts at Batteries Plus want to help clarify technology for parents and inform families about the hottest new must-haves in academia. Batteries Plus supplies batteries for items such as cell/smart phones, laptops/netbooks, calculators, digital cameras and accessories including Retrak ear buds, GEARTIES^™, Rayovac^® Power-On-the-Go items, and accessories for many Apple^® products.

"Now that summer is beginning to wind down parents are starting to think about back to school savings and products" said Batteries Plus CEO Russ Reynolds. "Part of our responsibility as battery and light bulb experts is to educate consumers about products that can not only help them save money but also products and accessories that can improve learning."

Batteries Plus also supplies a full line of common and specialty light bulbs with various energy-saving and color temperature options. "Studies have shown that when lighting mimics natural daylight, it can help improve mood, alertness and performance," Reynolds says. "We have a staff of knowledgeable lighting experts that will walk you through your various lighting options and help find the light bulbs that are right for you."

Parents can test their own technological savvy on battery maintenance and lighting with the following 10-question True or False back-to-school test:

• It's possible to overcharge a Lithium-Ion cell phone battery. False. Technically you can't overcharge a Lithium-Ion cell phone battery since most Li-Ion batteries and chargers have built-in internal circuitry that cuts off charging at 95 percent capacity. However, charging the battery for an extended period of time (more than 12 hours) can overheat the battery which can ultimately shorten its life.
• Don't let your laptop or cell phone battery completely discharge (drain) before recharging it. True. Lithium Ion batteries work better when charged more often—the battery lasts longer with partial rather than full discharges. Full discharges can "wear" the battery at a faster rate.
• If your child's laptop doesn't work, repair or replace it. False. It might just need a new battery. Batteries Plus can test a laptop's battery with a laptop battery analyzer to determine if that is the only problem—a much less expensive replacement.
• Decreasing the LCD brightness of your laptop or cell/smart phone will extend the battery run time. True. Furthermore, turning off the LCD or other accessories that are not in use will contribute to longer battery runtime (refer to your netbook/laptop Power Management features while running on battery power).
• The most common cause for premature laptop battery failure is overheating/overcharging. True. Remove the battery from the netbook/laptop when operating on fixed (AC) power to protect the battery from heat and overcharge. If operating on AC power for a long-term period, store the battery in a cool, clean, dry place away from heat and metal objects.
• Under normal operating conditions, the life of a netbook or laptop battery is typically up to 500 charge/discharge cycles. True. For an average user, this is between 1.5 to three years of battery life.
• The run time of the netbook/laptop will remain the same even towards the end of the battery's life. False. It will decrease toward the end of the battery's life. When a netbook/laptop battery will only function for an hour, it is time to replace it.
• The color temperature of a light bulb can help affect your reading environment. True. Light bulbs with a color temperature in the daylight range of the kelvin spectrum can help make the black words stand out more on paper.
• Light bulbs with a bluish/daylight color temperature can help improve mood, alertness, and reduce eye strain compared to standard incandescent or fluorescent tube lighting. True.
• To ensure a good night's rest, you should consider switching out your standard light bulbs to orange colored CFLs. True. Recommended by Dr. Oz, orange light bulbs don't have the blue and white wavelengths which suppress melatonin (the body's natural sleep inducing hormone).

ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS
Batteries Plus is the nation's first, largest and fastest growing battery & light bulb franchise. Batteries Plus, ranked as the #1 Retail Battery Franchise by both Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 and D&B AllBusiness.com, has over 515 locations in 46 states and Puerto Rico. Batteries Plus is owned by Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm. Roark's current franchise portfolio includes companies such as: Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky's, Moe's Southwest Grill, Seattle's Best Coffee International, McAlister's Deli, FastSigns, Arby's, Primrose Schools, Wingstop, Pet Valu and Auntie Anne's. With access to more than 40,000 types of batteries, light bulbs and accessories, Batteries Plus has the widest selection of battery and light bulb products available and offers unmatched service to consumers, businesses and government entities at the national and local levels. Batteries Plus stores are equipped to design, assemble, rebuild and test custom battery packs. Batteries Plus continues its reign as the undisputed leader in the expanding $30.7 billion U.S. battery replacement market and in the rapidly growing U.S. light bulb replacement market estimated to be at $17 billion (Freedonia Research Study). To learn more about our exciting franchise opportunities please visit www.batteriesplus.com/franchise for more information.

Contact: Fishman Public Relations, Sheryl Bass, (847) 945-1300, sbass[at]fishmanpr.com