A company called Moixa Energy are showing off a product at this week’s CeBIT expo which is so freaking cool, it has really made my day. Called USBCell USB Rechargable Batteries, they are essentially rechargeable AA batteries that can be charged directly from any USB port on your computer. These little strokes of genius virtually make battery chargers redundant. Just pop the top to reveal the USB connector and plug in (video below).

The USBCells work just like any regular rechargeable NiMH cell and will work in any gadget that accommodates AA’s. They will even charge in regular chargers too, so if you’re caught away from civilization without your computer, you could probably juice them up with that cool little solar charger from Energizer.

The cells take around 5 hours to charge from empty and include an indicator to show the charging status. If only we could combine this technology with the clever SunCat battery prototype we saw the other day. We’d have onehellofa battery.

Unlike most of the stuff on display at CeBIT, we don’t have to wait for these little gems to be released at some point in the future. They’re available NOW! So, don’t walk…RUN to Amazon.com where you can pick up a pair for $17.50. Folks in the UK can grab them too from Amazon.co.uk for £6.99.

Sources:
USBCell and Amazon.com
Via: Inhabitat