Idea: 6
Tuesday, 06 January 2015
By. Howie Diamond
Siphon
For those times when you’re running low on battery, but don’t have access to a wall charger, there’s Siphon. Get a little boost from a friend. Charge one device with another device, when you don’t have access to power.
Today’s idea comes from Howie Diamond. In Howie’s words: “I want to develop a singular portable device that allows for the parasitic charging / discharging of two connected mobile devices. I’m calling it Siphon. Requires no pre-charging and no external power supply. Just takes battery from one phone or tablet and transfers it to another. Should be iOS and Android compatible and have a lightning port and micro USB output toggle.”
Uses
“Any scenario where you have low battery, don’t have access to a charger and need a little boost from a friend. All public areas.”
Pricing
“Needs to be tested and depends on final landing cost of the bill of materials. I have not done a cost analysis yet as I don’t even know what electrical components are necessary to make it work or if the tech is even possible. I would love for the retail price to be under $30. Also, I want the form factor to be small enough to fit on a keychain. Portable battery packs and battery cases (aka Mophie) are bulky to carry around, ruin the aesthetic of your phone and all require a pre-charge.”
References
Android devices, esp. this Lenovo one, support inter-device charging, but seems clunky.
