Rechargeable Battery Concept Doubles as a USB Drive
Rechargeable Battery Concept Doubles as a USB Drive
Posted 01/19/2011 at 6:17am
| by Paul Lilly
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Designer Wonchul Hwang has come up with a novel design for a rechargeable AA battery. Unlike other batteries, this one pulls double duty as a 4GB USB drive.
The idea here is that it's primarily a USB drive, one that you presumably keep hooked to your computer most of the time, but can serve as a AA battery in a pinch. What's more, it's a rechargeable battery that's juiced every time you plug it into your PC's USB port.
"Students or office workers mostly carry a memory stick," Hwang explains. "If a memory stick could be used as an emergency battery, its use would be versatile, ranging from cameras to lanterns to speakers and other devices in outdoor activities."
View the schematics here, and then hit the jump and tell us whether you think this is a novel idea or about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
Image Credit: Yanko Design
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Ceadderman
January 19, 2011 at 10:12pm
Gimme a USB Car Battery and I might think it was worth it.
That's sarcasm in case you can't tell.
A USB capable rechargeable battery? WTF?
My 16GB Voyager is just slightly larger than a AA holds much more information and has more upside than this thing.
Most remotes these days are AAA powered. My TI-89 Platinum is powered by 4 of them if that tells you anything. No Cell phone takes a AA. Handheld game devices take more than one but don't give you USB capability.
About the only thing the design is good for is the inner 007 in all of us. Even then it won't take much to fill up the drive. Oh and just to be clear, I've had friends and family throw out standard rechargeable AA batteries. That was a waste of $8 on a brand new set each time. In a perfect world, it's a great idea. A world where nothing is completely within your control? Not hardly.
As useful as a pair of shoes made of lead.
Shalbatana
January 19, 2011 at 2:19pm
I disagree, the battery part is just the beginning. You could then get a usb key with a built in flashlight. Perhaps the battery could instead act as an emergency cell phone battery (assuming voltage could be matched of course). It would also be nothing to make it a two AA pack instead of one.
My point is, it's not about what use is one AA, it's about once these two ideas are merged, where can we go with it?
violian
January 19, 2011 at 12:16pm
The concept at this stage is already a fail. I'm a techy, and the only things I need AA batteries are for my remote controls (which lasts about a year) and my Xbox-360 remote control. Both devices needs 2 batteries. And even if the batteries deplete, the abillity to not be able to use my Xbox360 remote isn't considered an emergency. My digital cameras use proprietary rechargeable batteries - like most cameras. I could see this idea working if instead of a battery, it can be used to emergency charge your cell phone or other devices (like those standalone emergency chargers).
bling581
January 19, 2011 at 11:14am
I agree, most devices need 2 batteries and they die at the same time. On the flip side, why would you want to carry 2 USB keys? I'm sure there's some tech people or others that need or want multiple USB drives, but for the average Joe I don't think this technology would make sense. 4 gigs isn't that much either.
orca11
January 19, 2011 at 7:37am
Not a bad concept, but how often do you need ONE AA? Would probably be better if this was a charger that accepted cables like some of the emergency phone batteries out there.
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