Every and anyone who has ever owned a laptop before has undoubtedly faced the dredging issue of battery life. Whether you’re a student, a businessman, using a laptop for work, or simply finding a nice space outside the house to have some recreational time; nothing is worst than getting where you need to be, opening your laptop and seeing that little red battery symbol flashing in the bottom right corner of your screen. You could be at school and not wanting to shuffle around a lecture, in the back of the car at the beach or simply at a cafe where there is no accessible electricity. Either way, when that battery finally runs flat, it almost feels like a little part of yourself has died on the inside.
I guess you could always make sure it’s charged? But that really isn’t the problem. Unlike smartphones that you can now charge within the hour and have last you the entire day, the battery life on most laptops just doesn’t cut it. Computer manufactures claim to provide battery lives that last 15+ hours, and in a way that somewhat is true. However, this is usually based on the assumption that your computer is in battery saver mode, is not connected to the internet and is performing a basic task like using word. In hindsight however, if you’re outside there’s a good chance that you will have your brightness on full, be connected to wifi, scrolling the internet or talking over Skype. Therefore you are more likely to get 4 – 6 hours at best for a reasonably powerful machine with a battery that is fully charged and still fairly new. Remember, that’s at best.
The Omnicharge
As a result, Los Angeles based startup the ‘Omnicharge Team’ have developed a revolutionary portable power bank that will allow you to take your favourite devices to places you couldn’t before.., for longer periods of time than you ever have. The Omnicharge however, does much more than just power laptops, but could somewhat become the power bank to your day-to-day traveling as the capabilities are endless.
“I certainly had a “where have you been my whole life” moment”. – TC
Currently in testing, the Omnicharge gives you the ability to power and charge several devices at once for prolonged periods of time. At almost 12 times the size of the battery in the latest Iphone, it definitely packs the power to keep you going through the week with ultimate portability as it is around the size of one’s hand.
There are two options to choose from; the Omnicharge and the Omnicharge Pro, which weigh at 0.8 pounds and 1.3 pounds respectively. Besides the difference in size, opposed to 20,400MAH, the cheaper of the two has a smaller battery size holding 13,600 MAH. It is still more than enough to charge your Iphone over 6 times and is more suitable for those looking to carry a lighter power bank in their pocket for use with mobile devices. For example sake however, this article is predominately based around the “pro’ version and its features.
Arguably the greatest feature of the Omnicharge is the extreme diversity of devices that can be powered and charged, hence its name. There are multiple different outputs that include 2 Usb 3.0 chargers, a Usb-c charger, a Universal AC/DC Power Outlet and a wireless phone charger for devices that have NFC charging abilities.
More than just the ability to power your phone, laptop and tablet, the Omni can go as far as powering small to medium appliances such as lights, stereos, toasters, kettles and even a flat screen television!This is a great feature for those who want more than just a laptop backup. With the ability to power anything small, the omni could somewhat be used as a mini power station for a short trip away. The below table depicts how many charges or how long the Omni will work for a few specific devices.
Another great ability of the Omnicharge is that you can recharge it with almost any common charging devices found around the house. Old laptop charges, ac/dc adapters, usb and car charges, even old RC and electric scooter chargers can be used. Using a universal 4.5V-36V DC port, full charge can be achieved in as little as 3 hours.
Furthermore, something undoubtedly worth noting, is the ability to charge the Omni using portable solar panels without the use of any other hardware at all. One can simply plug it in and let it charge. Compared to using the provided charger, it does take an additional 9 hours to charge. However, I am sure without any electricity at all, one could reason. On top of that, with the right amount of Omnicharge’s and enough solar intake, one could easily power their phone, laptop and several other small appliances while traveling.
On the front is a small OLED display that offers a bunch of key contextual information, including:
- Input and output status/watt rate
- Battery percent and time remaining
- Unit temperature
All handy info that you can turn on and off while the system is in use.
As TC explained:
“It’s also nice to be able to see how the system’s status impacts the amount of time left; the minute my computer fell asleep, the number jumped up by several hours.”
To the right of the display are buttons that turn the flow to the USB and AC/DC outlets on and off individually.
From this it is quite easy to see how useful the Omnicharge could be for those who are constantly using multiple devices on the move as the possibilities for use are almost endless. At this stage the Omni is well on its way with most of the development finished. The company will start shipping the product in late 2016 with specific country alternatives beginning to ship at the start of 2017.
Source: Tech Crunch, Indiegogo: Omnicharge.
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