Why can’t someone figure out a way for smartphones to charge using kinetic energy? You know, you stick it in a pocket and as you walk around, the movement juices the battery?
Until that day comes (come on, science!), you’ll need some kind of mobile charger. And maybe more than one, because wouldn’t it be handy to have backup power in your purse, briefcase, glove compartment, backpack, good-for-nothing pants pocket, and so on?
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Staples has the iEnjoy MyBolt portable USB charger for $9.99 plus tax, with free site-to-store shipping.
This little lipstick-shaped tube comes in a choice of six colors and packs an impressive 2,600mAh battery, which should be enough to fully charge just about any smartphone. It includes a USB/Micro-USB cable for charging the MyBolt itself and most mobile devices; owners of Apple gear will need to supply their own 30-pin or Lightning cables.
This is about as basic as mobile chargers come, with just two ports at one end and, far as I can tell, nothing to indicate charging status. (Hopefully there’s at least an LED, but the specs make no mention of one.)
But what do you really need? When your phone is running low and you gotta make a call, send a text, or get driving directions, beggars can’t be choosers. Juice is juice, and $10 is pretty hard to beat. Plus, the design of the MyBolt makes it particularly travel-friendly, more so than the typical power brick.
Thoughts?
Bonus deal: As gadgets go, could there possibly be anything cooler than a battery-powered skateboard? That’s the ZBoard Classic in a nutshell. It’s pricey, normally $649 (plus $50 for shipping!), but for a limited time StackSocial has the ZBoard Classic electric skateboard for $550 shipped. Still pricey, I know, but want want want! Lean forward to go, lean back to brake. I’ll probably break my neck, but I’m sure gonna have fun in the process. Check out the Amazon reviews.
Bonus deal No. 2: Cheap storage alert! While supplies last, TigerDirect has the Western Digital Elements 2TB portable USB 3.0 hard drive for $89.99 shipped when you apply coupon code UCB127153 at checkout. That’s a crazy-good deal for a huge (but compact) portable drive. It’s formatted for Windows but can be reformatted for Mac.