We’ve all been there… humming along using our Centro, Treo or other mobile device when suddenly realizing that it's almost out of juice with no charger in sight. Or perhaps leaving the house thinking, “I should have enough juice to make it through the day,” only to come up short. In both circumstances, the feeling isn’t good.
One option would be to try to “mooch” a charge from someone to tie you over until you get home, but being able to pull that off is pretty unlikely (chances are, you weren’t the only one who left the charging cable next to your computer at home).
Santa Fe, California-based, mobile accessory company, Cellet seems to have come up with a way to keep you running with a lipstick-sized charger that uses just one AA battery. Called the Emergency Charger, it will help you by trickling out enough “juice” to tie you over until a full-fledged energy source can be found.
Design:
Actually, it looks more like a cross between a Chapstick and lipstick. It consists of a cylindrical case (approximately 3-inches tall and about 3/4-inch in diameter) that encloses an AA battery (1.5 volt). Just unscrew the bottom to insert the battery. Then take the cable that’s included in the packaging (5-inch long, end-to-end), and plug one side into the Emergency Charger and the other into the Centro.
The design is pretty straightforward, though I found myself wishing there was a clip or something to secure the cable when not in use.
Note: I’ve always thought it was cool how Apple designed the iPod cable to fold into itself and clip.
Usability:
Just plug and go. I ran an experiment using the Propel battery gauge on my Centro. My initial reading was 56%. After being plugged into the Cellet Emergency Charger for 15 minutes, I gained 4%. I continued to use my Centro to monitor baseball scores and found myself at 64% after one hour. Guess it is the equivalent of what they call a trickle charge.
Conclusion:
To me, the Cellet Emergency Charger at $12.95, is a great idea that could use some help. While it is smart for Cellet to offer it through electronics and accessory retailers, it would be quite brilliant (and practical) if it could be found at a convenience store (7-Eleven or Qwik-E-Mart), hotel gift shops, airport newsstands, etc. And why not throw in a battery? Seriously, most of us aren’t carrying spare AA batteries in our purse or briefcase. For a couple of bucks more, you could bundle in a battery for a complete solution.
As mentioned above, a clip would be nice. Better yet, you could make a wrap or sleeve with a sponsor’s name on it (think the Chevron Charger or Geico Emergency Charger).
The Cellet Emergency Charger does the job adequately. I just wish it did it better and a bit more completely.
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| Pros |
Quick way to jump start your Centro/Treo
Convenient size (cross between a Chapstick and lipstick)
One AA battery is all you need to eek out more life in your device
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| Cons |
Seems like they could have thrown in a battery (like they do with TV & cable box remotes)?
How about a clip or some other way to carry it? Could get lost in a purse or briefcase. |
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