A Portable Rescue for Cellphones
That Give Out
at the Wrong Time
01-13-2005 -- New York Times
Perhaps you have experienced that sinking feeling
when your cellphone battery runs out of juice midchat. Suddenly
you are cast into a time warp, wondering if pay phones still take
quarters.
A $20 device called Charge 2 Go has come to
the rescue. The device uses one AA battery to provide up to two
hours of talk time.
About the size of a lipstick, the Charge 2 Go has an aluminum case
in blue, red, silver and black. When ordering the device at the
company's Web site (www.charge2go.com), you can choose a color as
well as a connector compatible with your phone.
Charge 2 Go offers connectors for phones by
Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony- Ericsson.
Pop in a AA battery and connect the device
to your phone. A red light-emitting diode flashes, indicating that
it is charging. A chip inside the Charge 2 Go converts a 1.5-volt
alkaline battery into a 3.7-volt, 380-milliampere current for your
phone.
Because Charge 2 Go relies on AA batteries,
which are available worldwide, the company expects its device to
fare well against competing emergency cellphone chargers.
Charge 2 Go's plans do not end with
cellphones. Benjamin Ovadia, its vice president for business
development, says the company plans to offer AA-powered chargers
for iPods, PalmOne hand-held devices and other mobile gadgets.
Neil McManus
