Now if they'd brought this product to market *before* sandy? Things might be different.

SecretAgentWoman: It's a $300 device that takes $10 a piece non-rechargeable (and probably hard to recycle) batteries.

The "two weeks" worth of charges is bunk because they base that on one charging hour per day.

There's a 10000 mAh rechargable battery backup with multiple sizes of USB plug for $40 on Amazon.  This product is stupid.

FTFA: which will be sold exclusively at Brookstone

Well, that explains a lot.

AFTFA: works with any device with a USB 2.0 (this means anything from a tablet

A tablet, possibly. Any of the tablets I or any of my friends have owned? Not so much.

BarkingUnicorn: How does Brookstone stay in business with crap like this?

I farking hate Brookstone because I bought a golf trainer from them that was supposed to make me a good golf player but it didn't say Don't Use This If You Have Never Played Golf Before and I spent hundreds of dollars and months hiding in my office and all I got from it was bursitis and any hope of ever having a golf game destroyed thanks to all the bad habits I learned from that thing.

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.

Says farking who? There's a good chance that I am going to be near a free-to-use wall outlet within the next 2 weeks. I can also buy solar panels, such as the one pictured upthread. Either way, there is no market for a $300 device the requires$10 power cells. What a joke.

You are missing the other unspoken benefits of the Nectar. Things like enhanced reaction times and the ability to filter out unwanted imagery. Just don't use it too much, or bad things will happen and you might end up killing your device.

RexTalionis: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2011/09/first_look_ l illiputian_systems.html

In case you're wondering, the Nectar uses solid oxide fuel cells that uses butane.

Gee that sounds like something I want some business traveler using on my next flight.

$300 is a bit pricey for a Butane fuel cell for Joe consumer but I can see a lot of business travelers snapping these up without a second thought and writing them off as a business expense.

If the cost comes down by 30%-50% then I could see having one around for emergencies or family road trips and vacations where everyone is scrambling to recharge camera batteries, phones, iPads, etc.

I seem to remember an article during the development process that said the TSA and FAA were okay with the small amount of Butane in this device on a plane. I'll be interested to see if that is still the case.

Is Brookstone, ShaperImage's brother

If you are a business traveller who can expense or write off one of these things then picking one up is going to be a no-brainer.

That's probably 50% of Brookstone's business model. Cool toys and gadgets for business travelers. Cha-Ching.

tricycleracer: SecretAgentWoman: It's a $300 device that takes $10 a piece non-rechargeable (and probably hard to recycle) batteries.

The "two weeks" worth of charges is bunk because they base that on one charging hour per day.

There's a 10000 mAh rechargable battery backup with multiple sizes of USB plug for $40 on Amazon.  This product is stupid.

Yeah , but what if you were spending 2 weeks in a cave you'd be happy to have one of these you betcha.

$10 for a cartridge that is probably available almost nowhere? Let me know when the Chinese copy that uses Bic lighters for refills comes out.

Butane fuel cell power is cool (especially for the size/power ratio) but I'd much rather have one of those nifty camp-stove charger deals for emergency/outage power.

Link

MrSteve007: Butane fuel cell power is cool (especially for the size/power ratio) but I'd much rather have one of those nifty camp-stove charger deals for emergency/outage power.
[www.thecoolist.com image 600x447]
Link

I'm into camping stoves and have done a lot of research on various stoves. I've looked into this stove but have never seen any user info on actually getting the battery recharged to full capacity during use. Have you?

It seem like it's just a UPS that powers the fan for gasifying. I already have that.

StoPPeRmobile: It seem like it's just a UPS that powers the fan for gasifying. I already have that.

I know nothing, I just read their website, but it generates its own power to run the fan. Definitely better than a fuel cell with $10 cartridges.

tricycleracer: SecretAgentWoman: It's a $300 device that takes $10 a piece non-rechargeable (and probably hard to recycle) batteries.

The "two weeks" worth of charges is bunk because they base that on one charging hour per day.

There's a 10000 mAh rechargable battery backup with multiple sizes of USB plug for $40 on Amazon.  This product is stupid.

I found http://www.brookstone.com/nectar-mobile-power-system
claims 55000 mW-hours (which I assume mean 55 watt-hours)

loser0: StoPPeRmobile: It seem like it's just a UPS that powers the fan for gasifying. I already have that.

I know nothing, I just read their website, but it generates its own power to run the fan. Definitely better than a fuel cell with $10 cartridges.

Thanks.

I was quite excited when I first learned about them but I still think the battery constantly drains and will eventually prevent usage similar to running out of fuel canisters.

I'd like to try out a beta-voltaic cell. Electrons from a radioisotope that can possibly last for over a year before becoming ineffective. I think that would be pretty darn cool, radioisotopes in consumers hands notwithstanding.

I'm buying this. I game and I travel, $10 a week is a great price to pay for the convenience of not being bored off my ass when my laptop dies on the flight. Great idea and great product. This will sell.

Suck it, haters.

StoPPeRmobile: loser0: StoPPeRmobile: It seem like it's just a UPS that powers the fan for gasifying. I already have that.

I know nothing, I just read their website, but it generates its own power to run the fan. Definitely better than a fuel cell with $10 cartridges.

Thanks.

I was quite excited when I first learned about them but I still think the battery constantly drains and will eventually prevent usage similar to running out of fuel canisters.

No, it is just a simple stove with an array of thermoelectric elements mounted in it, which produce electric current when one side is hot and the other is cold. The power provided by the temperature difference between the flame and the surrounding still air is enough to power the fan, which blows more cooling air over the heatsink side of the thermoelectric array allowing it to produce enough current to USB fast charge. The old USSR made a similar contraption using a kerosene lamp which could power a tube radio, so the design is sound but for the fuel burnt it is absurdly inefficient, likely only 1-3% of the heat ends up as electricity. If you use it to cook at the same time though this isn't that big a deal.

Side topic, but I would really like a solar charger.

Karac: I remember seeing some product that looked like a little cylinder that you plugged into your phone and held in your hand. With your other hand you yanked on a cord wound around the inside of it like you're trying to start a lawnmower. The review said that 10 minutes of tugging on this thing would get you something like 4 hours of talk time. Of course that was some years ago so it probably meant some flip phone instead of something from apple.

They took that idea and added few other relevant things, like a radio and a flashlight. And the Red Cross sells it.


Link

This is just the first one I grabbed an image for. There's a ton of variants, most with some kind of DC output plug or cord, usually USB, Mini-USB, or a barrel port, almost always 5v. You can use the hand crank to charge the batteries that power the whole mess. Some even take just common rechargeable AAs or Cs, either instead of the proprietary battery or in addition to it.

The only complaints people seem to have with these, aside from "I have to wind for TEN MINUTES WAAAHHH" is the amperage output on the DC out can be kind of low. Larger devices like Tablets would need to be powered off in order to charge. Most phones though will do just fine.

I picked up one from a Black Friday sale ages ago. Great to take camping. I never have to worry about running the car battery down to charge this thing or that thing, it's just a matter of finding the right adapter dongle and sitting down in the camp chair for ten-ish minutes giving my arm a workout.

I like how they are trying to market this to non campers. no, I'm not looking for the ability to charge my phone while it is in my pocket.
and for around $40 you can get a rechargeable 12000mah battery pack that's not that much bigger than a gs3. you can get a 20000mah battery for around the same price. if you need more the ability to watch more than 80 hours of movies on your phone while camping, I'm not sure you love the great outdoors as much as you think you do. if you are just playing music on your phone 24 hours a day everyday, that 20k battery should last over 2 weeks on a gs3.

How amazing that we have reached a point in technology where we can carry around power in our pockets. And because of the small size of the cartridges, we can carry many of these 'batteries' to power our electronic gizmos.

Wow!

yukichigai: I picked up one from a Black Friday sale ages ago. Great to take camping. I never have to worry about running the car battery down to charge this thing or that thing, it's just a matter of finding the right adapter dongle and sitting down in the camp chair for ten-ish minutes giving my arm a workout.

Is that what you kids are calling it now a days?

MindStalker: found http://www.brookstone.com/nectar-mobile-power-system
claims 55000 mW-hours (which I assume mean 55 watt-hours)

It means 10000 mA-hours at 5.5v. Which is the same output as the unit that tricycleracer posted. This product is a complete waste of money.

MetaCarpal: A tablet, possibly. Any of the tablets I or any of my friends have owned? Not so much.

Yeah, my GTab draws 2 amps. This thing would barely get it up to 100% charge twice on a single cartridge.

relcec: if you need more the ability to watch more than 80 hours of movies on your phone while camping, I'm not sure you love the great outdoors as much as you think you do. if you are just playing music on your phone 24 hours a day everyday, that 20k battery should last over 2 weeks on a gs3.

If you're wasting your (emergency device) phone battery to listen to music while camping, wouldn't you be better off spending $20 on a cheap mp3 player with its own battery than $80-$300 to recharge the phone?

/watching movies out in the woods? Why aren't you home where it's warm?
//haven't been camping in decades, don't miss it
///get my fix of "roughing it" during the annual week-long power failure

dyhchong: MindStalker: tricycleracer: SecretAgentWoman: It's a $300 device that takes $10 a piece non-rechargeable (and probably hard to recycle) batteries.

The "two weeks" worth of charges is bunk because they base that on one charging hour per day.

There's a 10000 mAh rechargable battery backup with multiple sizes of USB plug for $40 on Amazon.  This product is stupid.

I found http://www.brookstone.com/nectar-mobile-power-system
claims 55000 mW-hours (which I assume mean 55 watt-hours)

That's surprisingly low, 10Ah outputting the USB spec 5v would put it at 50Wh. So you'd be better off getting the rechargeable backup battery seeing as you don't have to pay ten bucks a charge and it's a tenth of the price.

But then again, if you know you need say 3 times this for your trip. Do you buy 3 rechargeable units at $40 a pop, or 3 capsules at $10 a pop. I certainly can see use cases where a bunch of capsules makes more sense.
Also this would be great in a emergency kit. I'd be willing to bet the shelf-life of a capsule is a decade at least, whereas the when you charge a rechargeable battery you only get a few months of shelf life before you need to recharge.

RexTalionis: Oh, apparently, the FAA approved this, according to Lilliputian. Alright, well, I still think it's too expensive and does too l ittle.

Wut? The FAA approved a device for cabin use that is powered by combusting butane... the hell?

Vaneshi: RexTalionis: Oh, apparently, the FAA approved this, according to Lilliputian. Alright, well, I still think it's too expensive and does too l ittle.

Wut? The FAA approved a device for cabin use that is powered by combusting butane... the hell?

No, they approved its transport, not its use.

MindStalker: Vaneshi: RexTalionis: Oh, apparently, the FAA approved this, according to Lilliputian. Alright, well, I still think it's too expensive and does too l ittle.

Wut? The FAA approved a device for cabin use that is powered by combusting butane... the hell?

No, they approved its transport, not its use.

I take that back, use is allowed as well
http://www.nectarpower.com/
It does sound as if they are following guidelines not specifically getting this device approved.

I have something much like this. It's got a USB port on it.

I can leave it in the sun to charge it, or crank it up.

No power cell required at all.

acefox1: $300 is a bit pricey for a Butane fuel cell for Joe consumer but I can see a lot of business travelers snapping these up without a second thought and writing them off as a business expense.

I'm sure the TSA would LOVE you bringing a butane canister on a plane.

fluffy2097: acefox1: $300 is a bit pricey for a Butane fuel cell for Joe consumer but I can see a lot of business travelers snapping these up without a second thought and writing them off as a business expense.

I'm sure the TSA would LOVE you bringing a butane canister on a plane.