Battery Runs Laptop Plus Phone or PDA

Dave Salvator's Dream is one step closer to coming true. In his recent opinion piece, "Power-Crazed" he outlined a multi-cabled device that was intelligent enough to run portable device.

The N-Charge Power System, from Valence Technology, Inc., debuted at Demo 2002, an annual conference that features new products and new technologies. It's a laptop-sized battery plate, half an inch high, that can run a typical notebook for 10 hours, but it has an extra socket that can recharge a cell phone or a PDA. The high-current tap can output 16 to 24V, while the low-current socket provides 5 to 12V. The plate will be available in 5- and 10 amp-hour versions.

It's designed to run many different kinds of laptops, too. Voltage and current are programmable, set by the cable that connects the laptop to the N-Charge system. Your existing laptop's charger recharges the N-Charge too, through a socket on the connector.

N-Charge uses a lithium iron phosphate battery technology, which VP of system engineering Joe Lamoreux describes as "dirt coated with rust." The chemistry is said to be more stable than current lithium batteries, more environment-friendly, can be built with greater capacity, and can handle more charge/discharge cycles.

The power system is designed to simulate an AC connection, not a battery connection, so laptops run at full speed and full brightness. Availability is set for spring, 2002. Valence expects the devices to be provided through OEM channels and anticipates prices of approximately $175 for the smaller unit and under $300 for the larger one..

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in ExtremeTech.