Whether your laptop is your main source of income or you just use it for entertainment, running out of juice just when things get interesting can be a major annoyance. The Edge power bank has been designed to alleviate such things.
There are a good many power banks already in the wild that can provide extra up time for your laptop while you're on the move. But many of those are heavy bricks that you need to find space for in your cramped train seat, or don't hold enough juice for all-day working.
The Edge measures 270 by 190 mm (10.6 x 7.5 in) and is designed to slip under your 13 to 16-inch mobile workhorse to top up its battery. It has a slight wedge design – standing 12.88 mm (0.5 in) at the back and 8.5 mm (0.3 in) to the front – and supports 65-W output via USB-C. A braided fabric cable is included. A second USB-C port plus two Type-A ports are also included for charging other devices while you work.
Inside its aluminum alloy body and plastic top panel (which is made from waste recovered from the oceans) are four 5,000-mAh battery packs, for a total capacity of 20,000 mAh. According the Krafted, that should be enough four full laptop recharges or five smartphone top-ups before the Edge itself needs to be plugged in for a couple of hours.
And if the Edge's own battery cells start to fade under the pressure of your excessive workload, you can just unscrew the housing and replace any spent ones – instead of just tossing the whole thing in the trash without so much as a "thank you for your service."
"Most power banks are bricks," said company co-founder, Vinal Patel. "They sit in your bag and they die in landfill. We built Edge to disappear under your laptop, charge whatever you need throughout the day, and stay with you for years because the only thing you have to replace is the cells."
As someone who is regularly frustrated by the relatively short battery life of my Dell XPS laptop, this project excites me way more than it should. The Edge is currently raising production funds on Kickstarter. If you're quick, you can grab an Edge for US$129, which represents a saving of 35% on the expected retail price.
Crowdfunding campaigns always carry an element of risk, and this is Krafted's first venture on the platform. However, the UK-based company does have a couple of products already on sale via its webshop and is aiming to start shipping of this new addition from next month.
Source: Krafted
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