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Portable Power - Instant ChargeNgo and Black and Decker Power to Go

If you're on the go, say at a wedding, it's good to know you have spare power for your electronic devices -- camcorder and camera, mobile phones, and maybe even a game machine for when the reception drags on too long. But that's a lot of devices to worry about -- It's a pain to carry spare batteries for each of them, much less all the power adapters in the hope that the church pews are wired ...

A nicer solution is to have a single portable power source -- i.e., carry one larger battery, with the ability to charge up whatever devices that end up needing a boost. As summarized in my Portable Power Accessories Gallery, there are a bunch of options along these lines, ranging from AA batteries with adapter tips (Energizer Energi To Go, Turbo Charge) to complete systems of large chargers/batteries with adapters and tips (iGo, MFUEL). And now there are some new options in between -- more than a little power, but also not a huge brick of a battery to carry around.

The U.N.O. Instant ChargeNgo Portable Battery Charger is the size of a few AA batteries at 1.6 ounces, but it's a fixed rechargeable Li-ion battery that holds more power compared to AA alkaline batteries. Recharge it from wall power (it fully charges in 3 1/2 hours). Then use the interchangeable adapters to charge your specific device on the go (including USB adapters for devices including MP3 players and Bluetooth headsets).


The Instant ChargeNgo is rated to charge completely depleted mobile phones in 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours, or provide 50 hours of continuous play for MP3 players and iPods. It's also designed to allow charging devices directly when the A/C charger is plugged in, but I could not get this to work with several devices. It's priced at $39.99, and adapters around $8.99.

For more power, try the line of Black and Decker Power to Go Cordless AC/USB Power Supplies. These plug in to the wall to charge (for some 10 to 15 hours), and then offer both an A/C plug and USB jack for charging your electronic devices.


Just plug in the USB cable or AC adapter that came with your device, and charge away. The Power to Go line includes a smaller Compact 0.6 pound / 8 W unit for around $51 that provides up to 1 hour of extended runtime (estimated for typical mobile phones), a midsize 1 pound / 16-20W unit ($69) for 4 hours of runtime, and a larger 2 pound Laptop / 80-100W model ($99) for up to 9 hours of runtime.

These could provide the just-in-case boost you might need for your devices, without having to carry all the cables and adapters for all your devices.

See more in the Portable Power Accessories Gallery, under Portable Battery Chargers.

    Find the Black and Decker - Compact - Power To Go on Amazon.com
Find the Black and Decker - Laptop - Power To Go on Amazon.com

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