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Ballpoint Pen Doubles as an Emergency Mobile Phone Charger
Posted by Sean Fallon at 5:15 AM on September 6, 2008
Brando is known for quirky and offbeat gadgets, but they deliver their fair share of useful devices as well. Case in point, this ballpoint pen that can also be used as an emergency mobile phone charger. According to the description, it averages a 100 minute charge time, 20 hour standby time and 2 hours of talk time on one AA battery. It also features five connectors (Sony Ericsson Fast Port, Nokia 2.5mm, 3.5mm, mini USB and Samsung). It makes sense because many of us already carry around a pen, and it's not a bad deal at US$18. [Brando]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Curves
Posted 5:49 AM 6/9/08
No way, not for the pen kleptomaniacs around here. I put out "decoy" dead pens on the top of my desk to throw them off and hide the good ones in a file drawer.
Curves
PipeRifle
Posted 5:48 AM 6/9/08
I wonder if there's a reason Brando has all their different items on different sites? I'd like to put together an order, but their USB gizmos are on a different site from their phone gizmos, with separate shopping carts. Good way to get a little extra in shipping money, I suppose, but making multiple tiny payments is a bit of a bother.
PipeRifle
onewiththewurlitzer
Posted 5:48 AM 6/9/08
Save $18 and do what a Polishman would do, duct tape a pen to any and all your chargers chargers-
onewiththewurlitzer
Rabid Penguin
Posted 5:40 AM 6/9/08
@Delaportas: You can still do all that, but no one ever said it was going to be easy. If it's worth writing down, you'll make it happen.
Rabid Penguin
eblingmis
Posted 5:29 AM 6/9/08
So it's basically an AA to cell phone adapter, with a bonus pen thrown in?
eblingmis
Delaportas
Posted 5:27 AM 6/9/08
What if I need to write while talking on the phone while charging it? I guess I still need to carry a regular pen.
Delaportas
OMG! Ponies!
Posted 5:25 AM 6/9/08
@Kaiser-Machead on the Edge: Will it be handy after you've made poo-poo all over it? If so, remind me never to eat with you.
OMG! Ponies!
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 5:21 AM 6/9/08
Part of me wants to poopoo all over this, and say something snarky and lame, but I want one, and it would be pretty dang handy sometimes.
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
cowpop
Posted 6:11 AM 6/9/08
Why not save the money and just use a much cheaper payphone? And who's going to carry all that stuff?
cowpop
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 6:04 AM 6/9/08
@Curves: Get a cheap bottle of fountain pen ink, a medicine dropper, and just remove the nib and ink tubes from those regular ballpoint pens and you can take your dead-pen prank to a messier new level.
Just be sure that the caps don't have holes in the top.
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
ps61318
Posted 5:58 AM 6/9/08
No Treo adapter? No peace.
Ok, that's pushing it.
No Treo adapter? No sale.
ps61318
PipeRifle
Posted 5:53 AM 6/9/08
Screw it, got one anyway, along with a phone holder for the car which they had a good deal on. I'll report back when it arrives in 7-20 days.
PipeRifle
PipeRifle
Posted 6:59 AM 6/9/08
@Kaiser-Machead on the Edge: I'm basically going to use it to impress my non-tech-savvy friends. I love causing those "wait...they have an X that can do Y now?!" moments.
PipeRifle
theimmc
Posted 6:58 AM 6/9/08
Darn.. I clicked on this because Firefox's RSS tempted me with "Ballpoint Pen Doubles as an Emergency Cellpho.."
theimmc
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 6:20 AM 6/9/08
@cowpop: Only hookers, runaway delinquents and yo mama use the payphone, that's why.
But really, this is actually kinda cool to have if you're traveling and don't have an outlet available.
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 7:47 AM 6/9/08
@PipeRifle: But you may get one of those grouchy old codgers who'll just say "Big deal. A fax machine is just a waffle iron with a phone attached!"
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Gary_7vn
Posted 10:23 AM 6/9/08
@Curves:
+ Watch video
You can't charge a cell phone with this, but if someone steals your pen, just follow the scream.
Gary_7vn
Curves
Posted 2:58 AM 7/9/08
@Gary_7vn: Thanks for the idea, but where I work, screams of terror, rage and pain are the norm. No one would notice....
Curves
paulnptld
Posted 4:00 AM 7/9/08
Two hours of talk time on one AA battery? Why didn't cell phone manufacturers think of this!? Just run cell phones on those high powered AA batteries! I'm calling serious b.s.
paulnptld