by Christopher Lindquist

Backup: USB Phone Power

News
May 01, 20021 min
Consumer Electronics

Delayed at the airport again? Ah well, might as well make a few calls?except that your cell phone battery has flat-lined. Too bad you don’t have a way of tapping the juice in your fully charged laptop. But wait, you do.

Power product manufacturer American Power Conversion has introduced a line of power cords that let you charge a variety of Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia phones from your laptop’s USB port. (Customers outside the United States can also get cables for Alcatel, NEC, Panasonic and Siemens phones.) The 1.5-meter cable lets you charge the phone while you make calls or continue to use the laptop?APC claims that the power drain from the laptop’s battery is minimal. You can also use the cords to provide long-term talk time far beyond the capabilities of your phone’s standard battery.

The cables are available now for a suggested retail price of $19.95. For more information or to order, visit www.apc.com.