Visiting with Eton to check out their new products is always fascinating. I’m hardly immune to technology, but their ingenious designs always seem to catch me by surprise. And this year, there is so much, I had to split it into two articles. First up are the “mobility” devices – products designed to keep your small electronics juiced up and ready to go, wherever you go. Tomorrow I’ll cover radios and emergency devices.
BoostBloc series: Remember life before smartphones? Wait, don’t go way back, like, to when Vanilla Ice was still around. But back before we had the internet with Facebook, corporate and personal email, our Google calendars, and the rest of our lives in our pocket or purse. Although we managed for thousands of years without all that, now that we have it, people get a bit antsy when their battery is down below 20%. Eton offers an elegant solution for users that go through their battery in less than a day. The BoostBloc, available in 2000, 4000, and 6600mAh lithium battery configurations, is as at home in a briefcase as it is in a backpack. Charge it via the Micro-USB input, then use the standard USB output to recharge your phone or similar device. There are no buttons to worry about either – shake it, and some tiny LED lights indicate the state of charge. Plug your device in, and it starts charging right away. The 2000 and 4000 both have a single USB port, and will recharge most smaller devices. For power users, the 6600 has two ports, and can handle larger devices such as tablets. Upon returning from Outdoor Retailer, Mrs. Outsider commandeered my BoostBloc 2000, and has had nothing but praise for it.
BoostTurbine series: So you like the idea of the BoostBloc, but worry that you might not always have a way to charge it? The BoostTurbine addresses that by adding a hand crank to their 1000 and 2000mAh battery packs. Small enough to fit in a pocket, purse, or backpack, the aluminum encased BoostTurbine has a Micro-USB input and standard USB output, with a set of LED light between them for indicating charge (Although you do need to press a recessed button to check the status). Should the internal lithium battery become completely depleted, you can still give your phone enough of a charge for a few text messages or a very short call with less than two minutes of cranking. This may be the first charging device that indirectly uses caffeine to recharge a phone.
BoostSolar: Heading outdoors, and want to make sure you can keep your phone, GPS, or LED light charged and ready to go? Why not take advantage of free power from the sun with the BoostSolar? A unique variation of the many different solar chargers we’ve seen, the BoostSolar is rigid, with the solar panel on one side, and access to the 5000mAh lithium battery on the back. That’s enough to charge two phones or a tablet, as well as a variety of similarly sized devices. Cutouts in each corner make it easy to attach to a backpack or tent, and the removable battery pack allows you to use one panel to keep multiple batteries charged.
For full specifications, as well as color options and pricing, visit etoncorp.com, and look for the link to Browse Mobility Products. Check back tomorrow for part two of the new Eton products.
– Brian