
I don’t know about you, but when I am on the road – either locally or internationally – I seem to take a lot of tech devices with me. One of my trusty companions is my smartphone. I use it for everything – gps, text, videos, music, and apps of all sorts. ( A future article on how it helped me navigate multiple challenges in Japan is in the works – stay tuned for more. ) For now let it be said that my smartphone has helped me in so many ways I can’t begin to count. There is one downside, however. These little phone guys tend be a bit power hungry – the more I use it the more power it wants. As a result I have found myself occasionally a bit concerned that I might be without power at a critical moment – like say in mid movie at 30,000 feet while winging my way to my next travel adventure! (And to the scoffers out there – yes, I do watch movies on this “tiny little screen.” I also read books. Works really well for me. My movies and books, my way at my time.) But without power I would be out of business.
Let me introduce my smartphone’s favorite traveling companion – the Tek Charge MP1550 by Tekkeon www.tekkeon.com. I love this thing. Why do I love it? Let me count the ways!!
· It’s small – 3.2 inches x 2.5 inches x .7 inches, and weighs in at only 4.5 oz with 4 batteries installed making it nice and small and portable – great for travel
· It’s powered by AA Alkaline (or recharable) batteries so if you are not near an electrical outlet you can just swap out batteries and you can buy more locally in most places.
· It has a clearly marked “on-off” switch – no unexpected power drains.
· It has clear indicators of the status of battery charge available in the unit.
· It comes with a variety of adapter tips as well as a retractable USB cable
· Since it uses a USB connection it has the potential to connect to huge number of devices – phones, gps units, cameras, mp3 players, etc. (Of course you need to check the input requirements of your device) The Tekkeon website has a very clear listing of compatible devices.
· The unit can be used to actively power a device which is low on power and it can be used to charge a device which is low on power.
· A very nice, reasonable price of $24.95! (street prices may be lower)
I use this thing and it works like a charm. (And “no” – Tekkeon did not provide me with this item and they are not paying me for this review) On travels I use it with my iPhone and with my Kodak Z8 Pocket Video Camera. You do need to be aware that the device is small but needs to be attached to your device via a power cord. So in some situations this might be a bit awkward (no problem for me watching that movie on the airplane) But my feeling is that awkward power is far better than no power.And the corded connection is not an issue when you are using it to charge your device. This is a great power and backup device. It works – and the price is right! You can order it directly from Tekkeon or through one of my favorite photo outlets – B&H Photo www.bhphotovideo.com
Enjoy the Adventure!
Dr.B, The Photo Trekker[ad#ad-1]