The Battery Project has introduced FruitJuice (http://fruitjuiceapp.com), its new Mac application and online service designed to help maximize Mac notebook battery life and runtime. It has a free 30-day trial period and is available immediately. Annual subscriptions are US$9.99 per year.

The folks at the Battery Project say that FruitJuice makes it possible to follow Apple’s recommendations for ensuring longer battery life and accurate “time remaining” estimates when running on battery. You can find out the current health of your battery and see whether it’s performing up to Apple’s specifications. All the info you need is in one place in the “Battery Information” screen.

FruitJuice works by tracking the battery’s condition and usage in real-time and provides a picture of the battery’s health in a Mac interface. In addition to the main application, FruitJuice also provides a menu bar application that replaces the built-in battery status menu. At a glance, it shows you much of the same information available in the main FruitJuice application: the current battery information, plugged in percentage for the last 7, 14 and 30 days and calibration (or conditioning) status.