Being the gadget geek that you are, one of the worst possible scenarios for you is when your iPod runs out of power and you are left without a smidget of self-selected music. It sucks even more when you are out on the town, only to discover that your cell phone is about to run out of juice. Without a car charger or wall outlet in sight, you could be out of the communication loop until you can make it back home. These situations can be terribly terrifying, can’t they?
To ensure that all of your portable electronics always have access to an emergency power source, the people at Ecosol created what they call the PowerStick. While it may look like an extra beefy USB flash drive, this handy little device actually serves quite a different purpose. With a 750mAh battery housed within, it can provide an emergency boost in power to your cell phone, BlackBerry, or portable music player.
Features and Specifications
Designed as a green energy solution, the Ecosol Powerstick is effectively a universal portable charger. It may not be able to fill up the biggest of batteries, but it’s not supposed to be your primary source of power either. The idea is that it’s relatively small and can come in super handy during emergencies. You’d hate to have your cell phone run out of juice when you find yourself stranded on the side of the road.
The features sound pretty standard:
- Battery Type: Lithium Polymer (750 mAh capacity)
- Universal charging via USB
- Integrated LCD with “fuel guage”
- Intelligent USB charging
- Microcontrolled Protection System
- Output current: 700 mA max
- Output voltage: DC 5V
- Charge time (to 90% capacity): 0 to 90 minutes
- Cycle life: 1000+ full cycles
- Dimensions: 23.5 x 105 x 15mm
- 1 year limited warranty
While it may seem like a handy device to have, I am a little disappointed at the maximum 750 mAh capacity of the Ecosol Powerstick. My Windows Mobile smartphone, for example, takes a battery that is 1250 mAh. This means that if I use the Powerstick with this phone, I’d only achieve 60% capacity at best. Surely they could have fit a larger battery in there.
Look At All Those Adapters
While you may already find some portable power solutions out there that cater to specific products (a plethora have been developed for the iPhone 3G), the Powerstick by Ecosol is much more universal. It doesn’t do this right out of the box, per se, but included in the package are no fewer than nine different adapters. The adapters in the box will fit everything from a Nokia cell phone to a BlackBerry, from a Samsung handset to an iPod. The mini-USB cable is probably the most universal, being used for a huge range of devices.
With this many adapters, the Powerstick will work with a lot of different electronics. Unfortunately, the “Samsung” adapter didn’t fit my friend’s Samsung D900. For this reason, I’d highly recommend that you inquire with Ecosol about the compatibility of the Powerstick with your particular mobile phone before purchasing. Otherwise, you’re stuck with a device that doesn’t do what it needs to do for you.
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Ergonomics and Design
Ecosol says that the Powerstick is ergonomically designed. It seems that manufacturers can get away with that statement with just about any product these days. I guess the slight curvature in the Powerstick’s profile earns it that privilege. While larger than most USB flash drives these days, I’d say that the Ecosol Powerstick has about the same proportions as the Corsair Padlock USB drive. The industrial black and silver motif works quite well, but don’t expect this to win any fashion awards.
The USB connector is protected by a clear cap, but I found it very unfortunate that there is nowhere to stow this cap when you are charging the Powerstick. It would have been very nice if the cap could just stick into the other end or something. Maybe Ecosol could have taken the sliding USB approach and ditch the cap altogether. Whatever the case, I have the feeling that most people are going to lose the cap within the first little while.
You’ll notice that there is a fuel gauge on the Powercell. This helps you see exactly how much juice you have left. The display stays off until you press the single button, which is also used to “activate” the charging process. The jack at the other end, which looks almost like a 3.5mm audio jack, is where the various adapters can be inserted.
Conclusion
Priced at about $70, the Powerstick Universal Portable Charger by Ecosol is not exactly the cheapest solution on the block. At the same time, it’s probably one of the most universal solutions, offering you no fewer than nine adapters (my box had 10 for some reason). The battery tops up fairly quickly and it can pump out the power at a reasonable pace as well. Usability and portability are good, assuming that you don’t need to carry all the adapters with you all the time.
My two primary complaints regarding the Ecosol Powerstick are that the internal battery has a relatively capacity and there is no USB cap management system. If Ecosol addresses these two concerns (and lowers the price a bit), they could have a pretty decent product. It would be even better to throw in a free USB wall adapter so the Powerstick can be charged through a regular outlet too.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Plenty of adapters for universal charging
- Fuel gauge is kitschy, but useful
Cons
- No USB cap management
- Relatively low 750 mAh max capacity
- Kind of expensive
Overall Rating: 7.0/10
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