The Writers Workbench

I have a new The Writers Workbench column posted -- this on portable power charging options.  I can't quite fully explain why I like portable chargers, but I do.  A lot of it is the efficient design, combined with usefulness.

Anyway, as I've noted in the past, it's too convoluted to re-code the column for here, so instead I'll give you the link here, for thems what are interested.  It's on both the Huffington Post and Writers Guild of America Online (for whom the column is initially written), and this is the WGA link, which generally includes more graphics and the TWW Notes at the end.  You can find it here.

There are some standard, but well-made products here, but also several different, interesting ones.  Most notable are a portable battery that allows for charging a laptop (very useful on long plane flights), a pocket battery pack small enough to keep in your glove compartment that can actually charge your dead car battery (!), and a fascinating "inverter" that sits in your car's cup holder and uses the car's battery -- via the cigarette lighter -- allowing you to plug in appliances, which can be beneficial during a power failure.