LAS VEGAS — Backup
batteries for phones and tablets have gotten smaller and more powerful, with
some offering about two-and-a-half charges in a package a little larger than
two packs of playing cards. A new fuel cell demonstrated here at the Consumer
Electronics Show says it has them beat by a factor of five. The Nectar Mobile
Power System is a fuel cell powered by a butane cartridge. It is roughly the
size of a small but thick paperback book. Nectar asserts it carries 10 to 14
full charges for a phone or tablet. The company is calling that two weeks of
power, based on one recharge a day. The unit is fairly lightweight and doesn’t
produce much heat. While charging a phone, the case felt not much warmer than
room temperature – far cooler than the average laptop battery while in use.
Although the charger is powered by butane, you cannot pump it full of lighter
fluid to get a recharge. The butane comes in “Nectar Pods,” small reservoirs
that are approved to be carried on aircraft and can be tossed in the recycling
bin when empty. Nectar will be initially available at Brookstone stores this
summer at a wallet-lightening price of $300. Refill pods will be $10 each.
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