Virtually every one of us carries around one or more electronic devices for that occasion we may need it. Examples include having a cell phone with you in case of emergency, or a Game Boy for when you get stuck waiting in a long line. However, Murphy's Law states that anytime you really need a portable device to work for you, the battery will be dead.
So what can you do to make sure this never happens to you? The first thought that comes to mind would always be to carry around the device's power charger for both the home and car. When you need a little more juice, you can plug the device into the car's cigarette lighter, or go wandering around for an unused outlet on the side of building. Avoid doing this in residential areas; you wouldn't want to get chased down by the police. Of course, there are those times when you may not have access to a car charger or outlet, so the best course of action is to then carry a gas-powered electric generator with you at all times.
If it were any more than 3 years ago, those would have been your only options. Lucky for us, the masterminds over at Compact Power Systems have come up with a much better solution. They call it Cellboost, a portable and disposable boost of power for your cell phone, PSP, iPod, camcorder, and dozens of other portable devices.
The Cellboost
The concept behind Cellboost is pretty simple. If you need a quick charge on your cell phone, plug the Cellboost pack into your phone, and you'll be able to make a call within two minutes on a completely dead battery. Leave the Cellboost plugged in, and it will charge up your device. When the Cellboost is drained, just throw it away.
How many times have you been on a very important call, only to have your cell die at the worst possible moment? Plug a Cellboost into your phone as soon as your phone beeps, and you can continue your call. Best of all, these are not single use items. If you only need a few minutes talk time or a just enough juice to keep your phone on until you get home, simply put the cap back on the Cellboost pack, and save for a future use.
Unfortunately, there's no indicator to tell you how much juice is left in the Cellboost. I could easily see someone needing to get a quick boost during an emergency, only to discover the Cellboost is dead, too. Try to keep a mental note how much of it you've used, or always keep a spare new pack on hand for those "emergency situations".
How long the Cellboost will keep you talking or playing depends on the device. The package claimed 60 minutes of talk time, or 60 hours of standby time for my Sony Ericsson S710a. My tests came in slightly less than the stated talk time, though it was close enough.
Compatibility and Price
When it comes compatibility with cell phones, Cellboost hits a home run. They have products available for many models of all major cell phone manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson. Smart phone support certainly could use improvement; currently only the Treo and Blackberry are supported. Oddly missing is support for the popular Sprint PPC-6700 and T-Mobile Sidekick products. Cellboost packs for cell phones range between $3.99 and $4.99.
On the gaming side, they offer support for the three current portable game systems. The Nintendo pack works with the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS, and is rated for 6 hours. The PSP is the other supported player, with a pack rated for up to two hours of additional play. Both retail for $6.99.
Ever been caught recording junior's baseball game, but only to have the camcorder run out of steam in the 9th inning? Cellboost currently offers two different solutions, but whether or not they'll work for your camcorder will be hit and miss. Their Cam1 pack offers a boost of 60 minutes for select models like Canon and JVC, while their larger Cam2 pack for Sony and Panasonic offers 100 minutes. Camcorder packs sell for around ten dollars.
If I had any real complaint, it would be their support for MP3 players. Of course, any of Apple's iPod products with the dock connector are supported, and that's where their support for MP3 players currently ends. It's no secret that Apple holds the majority of the market for MP3 players, but I can't see how they can overlook the Zen line of MP3 players from Creative, or even some of iRiver's more popular offerings. The iPod pack sells for $7.99, and provides up to 8 hours of playtime.
Conclusion
There's no reason to be a victim of Murphy's Law when you can carry with you a small, lightweight boost of instant power anywhere you go. Taking a long flight? For 8 bucks, you can power your iPod for the whole trip. For 4 to 5 bucks, you can be assured you'll always be able to make that emergency call, or keep your cell phone on standby because "the babysitter might call".
While I can't say that Cellboost is affordable enough to justify using it for your PSP, iPod, or Camcorder every time the battery dies, it isn't so expensive that using them from time to time or keeping one on hand "just in case" will make a significant dent in your pocketbook. However, I do think it's an essential accessory for anyone that owns a cell phone. Pick one up and keep it in your car or purse. Not only will it provide piece of mind... it could someday save your life. Isn't that worth five bucks?
