KEEPING YOUR CELLPHONE ALIVE

It's every cellphone user's nightmare: You're on an important call, just as the last bar on the battery gauge starts to blink. Panic time. Sure, you can carry extra batteries and a portable wall charger. There are even things you can do to maximize the life of your existing battery charge. But face it: Eventually, if you're not around an outlet, the battery will go out. And inevitably it's at the worst time possible. (Or at least that's how it always seems.) Fortunately, a dead battery doesn't necessarily mean a dead phone. There are a handful of products that can breathe new life into your device. "If you need to keep the phone going, they're good in an emergency situation," says Ish Matos, an agent of Best Buy Co.'s Geek Squad technical-support service.
The popular iPhone is packed with battery-draining bells and whistles, so power users are often scrambling around for an outlet. One device, Mophie Inc.'s Juice Pack, can double the time between iPhone recharges. The Juice Pack is a form-fitting sleeve that goes around the 3G and 3GS versions of Apple Inc.'s smart phone and continuously recharges the battery as it's used. Just charge the Juice Pack at the beginning of the day and slip it on the iPhone when the battery runs low. The Juice Pack comes in two versions: A $100 model, which holds about as much energy as the iPhone itself, and the sleeker Juice Pack Air, which sells for $80 and holds less energy. They each hold a full charge for about a month; after six months, they retain less than 20% of their charge. For other devices, Energizer Holdings Inc. makes a portable charger called Energi To Go, an egg-shaped device that holds two AA batteries and can provide a quick boost to dead or dying batteries. It comes packaged with multiple connections, and works with virtually any phone, which makes it a handy product for those who carry multiple devices. Energi To Go, however, is a bit clunky to use. When it's attached to a phone, making calls can be awkward, with this extra device hanging there. It also comes in a case that's too large to fit in your pocket. Energi To Go can be found at drugstores and other retail chains for under $19. If you only have to worry about one specific device, check out the Battery Booster line at Pocket Solutions Inc.'s online store (ThePocketSolution.com). The company offers products specifically wired for different smart phones, so its battery booster for the HTC Corp. Touch Pro for Verizon Wireless is different than the one designed for the iPhone. Boosters are available online for $15 each, regardless of the phone model.
If you have time to plan ahead, there are a number of chargers you can power up ahead of time and use at your discretion. For example, you can plug in the Jumpstart, made by the DigiPower Solutions unit of Mizco International Inc., to charge it up. Once it hits capacity, you can carry it around as a backup power supply. It has a USB port that allows most smart phones to connect to the device for a quick charge. The Jumpstart sells for $40 and can be found at select RadioShack Corp. stores. For multiple smaller devices, try the iGo Charge Anywhere from iGo Inc. It offers two USB ports, allowing you to charge more than one cellphone. It sells for $50 at most of the large electronics retail chains, plus any tips you need, which generally cost less than $10 each. The tip is a part that connects the charger to a mobile device, and different devices require different tips. All of these devices can store a full charge for more than a year, so you can plug them in, throw them into your suitcase, and know you've got a backup ready whenever you need it. For the environmentally conscious, there's the Solio line of products fromBetter Energy Systems Ltd. The palm-size Solio Hybrid Solar Charger has a fold-out solar panel that can charge the internal battery. But being green requires some patience; it takes eight hours to fully charge the device this way. Of course, you can plug it in for a quicker charge. The Solio product costs between $50 and $80, depending on the power level. Pocket Solutions also sells a charger that draws its energy from sunlight. It also has a USB plug that can be hooked up to a computer or USB charger. When fully charged, the device can fill your phone's battery to 45% capacity in 20 minutes. The charger isn't as sleek as the Solio product, but it is cheaper at $30. Handset manufacturers are conscious of the battery issues. Samsung Electronics Ltd. says it is experimenting with cellphones that have built-in solar panels. Two models already are available: The Blue Earth, which is sold in emerging markets, and the Crest Solar, which is available in several overseas markets, including Europe, Southeast and Southwest Asia, and Latin America. Ultimately, we might let our phones bake in the sun for an extra bit of juice.