international travel deals: Without a Wall Charger? The Nectar Powers Devices for Up to Two Weeks

Monday, January 7, 2013

Without a Wall Charger? The Nectar Powers Devices for Up to Two Weeks

LAS VEGAS -- You know how it goes -- you're camping and there's nowhere to charge your phone. Or maybe you're a university student who needs to plug in a laptop during class but you're too far away from an outlet on the wall. And let's not even get started with the airport, where outlets are almost always in use.

To put a plug in your pocket, portable power company Lilliputian launched at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show on Sunday a device called the Nectar, which can keep electronics running for about two weeks. Unlike typical backup batteries, it never needs to be plugged into a wall outlet. Plus, it eliminates the need to lug around cables and power adapters. Hello, business travelers.

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The $299 device -- which will be sold exclusively at Brookstone starting in the summer -- works with any device with a USB 2.0 (this means anything from a tablet and smartphone to digital cameras and Bluetooth headsets). But for the device to work, users must insert a Nectar power charge cardtridge ($10 each). When the power runs out, it can be tossed in a recycling bin and a new cartridge is needed. Although this is a setback -- who wants to keep replenishing a cartridge stash -- the overall concept trumps the setback.

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In addition, the Nectar spokesperson said it will charge devices for about two weeks based on a typical charging session (about one hour to reach 100% power) one time each day, so the supply isn't unlimited during that time. But even still, this is a device we want with us on our next camping trip. Or next year at CES.