This weekend, whilst I wandered around PC World trying to find network cables (Damn expensive in there, but the easiest place to get some on short notice), I saw some really expensive batteries. USBCell, by Moixa. Yes, they were expensive to the tune of £9.99 for a pack of TWO compared to less than £4 for a pack of leading brand disposeables, but there is some method to this madness.
Obviously, these are rechargeable batteries. Nothing out of the ordinary there, except the way they get charged. The clue is in the ingenious yet fairly obvious name: USBCell…
These batteries are charged by the magic of USB. You can take off the top bit of the battery (attached by elastic to the main section itself, so you don’t lose it) to reveal a USB connector. Everything else about the batteries are fairly normal. Like they are AAs, they can be used in a normal Ni-MH charger if you don’t have a computer near you, and they take a few hours to become useable, but the USB bit is a really useful feature. I don’t need a separate charger to use these. I can just plug them into some spare USB sockets and they’ll light up and draw power. And there’s a few situations where these are so much better to use than other rechargeable batteries.
For example: I carry my camera around with me most of the time. If I go on holiday, it goes with me. Back to the family? Camera comes too. I’ve always had to bring disposable batteries with me, purely because I cannot be bothered to unplug the charger for any rechargeable batteries, pack it with my stuff, and then at the destination find a plug to put them in. That charger takes up space in my bag that could be used for something more constructive (like snacks).
The USB Cells remove the need for a separate charging unit, so I don’t have to bring one with me. They could be charged on the Mac overnight, since the Macbook itself is being charged and is closed, but the power from it’s USB ports are still useable, perfect for these USBCells.
There are a few problems, though. Granted, you could buy a charger and a pack of 4 AAs for the same price as a pair of USBCells, but that’s defeating the point of them. It also basically turns my Mac into an £850 battery charger, which loses some charm from the whole idea. Also, if you’re bereft of USB ports and want to charge lots of the batteries, you would probably end up buying a USB hub, and that would completely destroy the whole point of not having a charger. They also charge a bit warm, which worries me a bit.
That being said, these USBCell batteries are a perfect compliment to my camera. They give the ability to use rechargeable batteries in a way that suits me, without harming the environment by throwing away disposable ones.
I must, however, remember not to throw them away when these ones run low. That may be a problem for me…
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