Donka's Mobile Rambles

A spooky thing happened a couple of months back. While speaking with a marketing executive at Proporta, I mentioned about how I would love to see some form of mobile charging solution for people on the go. I was told in the same conversation that Proporta had just such an item on the way and it would include a rechargeable battery and connect using USB. Fast forward to today and this product is now available and is even better than I was anticipating!
The USB mobile device charger is one of those products that you think could come in handy and you end up using it a whole lot more than you imagined. Coming in the form of a relatively compact and simple design, you have a product with a single button and led for controlling the power state and two USB ports; one mini for power in and one standard for power out. Included in the package is a matching white USB to mini USB cable, a retractable USB cable with an assortment of end connectors and a simple user guide. I say a simple user guide because there really is not much to the charger itself. To charge a device, you simply use the USB cable supplied with the device or one of the adapters included along with the charger; iPod, Sony Ericsson and Nokia mobile phone adapters are included. Plugging the device into the standard USB port and pressing the power button starts the charging process and disconnecting the cable will stop the power. If the device is fully charged and stops charging, the USB charger will automatically shut down in approximately one minute and likewise if the USB cable is disconnected. When the led glows red, the charger itself is in need of replenishment and that is where the supplied USB cable comes in handy. Any USB source can be used for charging such as a computer, a USB hub or a main or car USB charger.
The mobile device charger holds a very healthy 3400mAh of power and can be used to charge any device that can be charged from a USB port such as a mobile phone, iPod, PDA and many more. Another benefit is the ability to actually power the device so if you run out of power, you can hook your phone for example up to the charger and continue using it straight away. Imagine video iPod users being able to watch multiple movies on a long haul flight, safe in the knowledge that when their battery is running low, power is on hand to see the end of their movie and perhaps a few more. Off a single a charge, I was able to fully charge my Acer Pocket PC, Sony Ericsson mobile phone, GlobalSat GPS receiver and iPod nano and there was still no sign of the red led warning of low power on the mobile charger.

All in all, the Proporta USB mobile device charger is a fantastic product; simple to use, excellent connectivity and capacious battery all wrapped up in a very portable solution. If you are a mobile user of gadgets, this really is the ideal product for you! The only thing I could see to improve this package would be a small slip case to keep the charger secure and together with the USB cable and adapters.
Fantastic value at £29.95, more details can be found at the Proporta website.