Mobile Computing Tips: No More Dead Batteries

Feature: More Power to You, a Guide to Battery-Enhancing Accessories

At some point, Genghis Khan must have paused, admired the view of the land he had just conquered, and remarked to one of his subordinates, "Isn't power fabulous?"

Okay, maybe those weren't the 13th century warrior's exact words. The point is, power is fabulous when you have it. When you don't--like those times your notebook, PDA, or mobile phone battery goes dead--you're sunk.

Because power is everything to a road warrior, I've put together a guide to battery and power-enhancing products you might not have heard about. Though I haven't tested the following products myself, I mention them here because they offer creative solutions to the dead-battery dilemma we've all faced at some time. And while return policies vary, in most cases you can send these items back if they don't float your boat--or charge your battery.

PowerPad 120 and 160 External Batteries

Notebook batteries typically last up to 3, maybe 4 hours, tops. But when fully charged, these two batteries, from a small Canadian firm called Electrovaya, can keep your notebook going for up to 12 and 16 hours, respectively, depending upon use, according to the company. (As with any battery, playing DVD movies and audio CDs consumes juice faster than, say, writing memos or crunching spreadsheets.)

Measuring 11.75 wide by 8.75 deep, each PowerPad is approximately the same size as a notebook, but is less than an inch thick. The PowerPad 120 weighs 1.9 pounds; the 160 is 2.4 pounds. The batteries connect to your notebook's AC power port and fool your computer into thinking it's plugged into a wall socket, says Paul J. Van Damme, Electrovaya's vice president of finance and chief financial officer.

There are a few caveats to keep in mind: Because the notebook thinks it's operating on AC power, you may need to adjust the computer's AC power settings, which are usually more liberal than those for battery power. It can take more than 4 hours to fully charge a PowerPad. And the price tag might give you a little shock: the PowerPad 120 is $399 and the 160 is $499.

The PowerPad 120 and 160 work with most notebooks, and the company will introduce new models for Dell portables later this summer. Electrovaya is expected to soon begin selling PowerPads from its Web site. In the meantime, the batteries are available online at TigerDirect.com and other retailers.

Note: The PowerPad online retailers I checked either charge a restocking fee or don't allow you to return hardware unless it's defective.

Emergency USB/9V Mobile Phone Charger

This $20 kit from Targus, the maker of some cool gadget accessories, lets you keep yakking on your mobile phone after its battery has fizzled. The kit includes a USB Charge Cable for connecting a mobile phone to your notebook's USB port. Once connected, the phone draws power from the notebook, giving you about 30 minutes of additional talk time without affecting notebook performance, according to the company. Also included is a 9V-to-USB Charger, which powers your mobile phone using a 9V alkaline battery. The kit is available for selected Nokia and Motorola phones and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Power Cartridges

Electric Fuel's Instant Power division sells disposable zinc-air cartridges that connect to Palm, Handspring, and Pocket PC PDAs and most mobile phones using an adapter. The cartridge recharges your device's battery up to three times, providing hours of use, the company claims. The charger and one cartridge costs $20 for PDAs and $15 for mobile phones; replacement cartridges are $10 each.

The company also sells USB charger kits for PDAs and mobile phones that are similar to Targus's mobile phone charger.

Note: Products can be returned only if defective or if your order was incorrectly fulfilled.

Solar Power

ICP Global Technologies' ISun is a clamshell device that opens up to reveal two solar panels that convert sunlight into power. According to the company's Web site, the ISun comes with adapters for a variety of electronic devices including notebooks, mobile phones, PDAs, and MP3 players. The ISun is available online for about $80 from Batteries.com, which offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and other retailers.