There’s no point in buying a backup battery if you keep forgetting to top off your mobile devices before they die. So Griffin Technology’s new PowerBlock Beacon and PowerJolt Beacon external chargers will actually send your smartphone or tablet a notification when they’re nearby, reminding you to top off their batteries.
Both chargers connect to a free accompanying mobile app over Bluetooth that monitors the battery level on a smartphone or tablet. Users can specify at what charge level they usually begin to panic (10 per cent battery, 20 per cent battery and so on) and the app will automatically remind them to connect to the PowerBlock Beacon or the PowerJolt Beacon whenever a Bluetooth connection is established, indicating the portable chargers are nearby.
Available in the US in a few months, the $US30 ($41) PowerJolt Beacon is designed to plug into a vehicle’s cigarette lighter providing a single USB port for charging a mobile device, while the $US40 ($55) PowerBlock Beacon plugs into a standard US wall outlet and instead provides two USB ports for charging multiple gadgets at the same time. Australian pricing and availability has not yet been announced.
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