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magazine
26
innovations
i
On test:
Crosskase Solar
15 Back-pack
On test:
Jabra Halo2
Power pack
On reflection, Jubilee week in
Herefordshire wasn’t the
ideal time or place to test
Crosskase’s new Solar Charge
Back-pack. Given all the rain, a hydro-powered
variant would have been more suitable. Even so,
the few hours of sunlight we did enjoy gave a good
idea of the pack’s potential and left
Business Info
eager to test it in sunnier conditions.
In most respects, the Crosskase Solar 15 is just
what you would expect from a contemporary back-
pack: comfortable, well padded, sturdy and capacious
(25 litres), with an attractive modern design (the
photo doesn’t do it justice).
Business Info
tried a version for 13-15in laptops/
Macbooks. Our notebook is a little larger (15.6in), but
there was plenty of room for it in the main cavity,
along with notebooks, spare clothing and snacks.
Two additional compartments provide storage
space for keys, wallets, cameras, phones, MP3
players, headphones and other paraphernalia.
On either side, there are pockets for a compact
umbrella or small water bottle – we used a re-
usable, dishwasher-proof Vapur ‘anti-bottle’
(
www.vapur.us
).
Crosskase Solar 15 is a great day-pack for
the journey to work, short business trips, days-
out, sports and outward bound activities. But
there’s more to it than that.With a large
solar panel on the outside and a removable
rechargeable battery, it also provides a useful
back-up power supply for a mobile phone,
MP3 player or other handheld device (but not
notebook PCs).
The opportunity to recharge gadgets using solar
power is appealing, if unreliable. In ideal conditions,
the battery should recharge fully from flat in eight
hours.We never found out how long it would take
in less than ideal environments, as after one week
of predominantly rainy and cloudy conditions, the
battery was still less than half full.
Fortunately, there is also the option to recharge
the battery using mains power – it takes about three
hours. This may not have the eco-appeal of solar
power, but who cares if it means you can carry on
using your mobile phone when there is no alternative
power source. It took about one and a
half hours to recharge a Blackberry from
the back-up power supply, which used
up 25-50% of its capacity.
The backpack comes with
everything needed to power-up
gadgets (and the rechargeable
battery) including a plug, nine
device adaptors and a retractable
USB cable – and very useful
zipped pockets to keep them in.
The addition of a solar panel
elevates the Crosskase Solar
15 above the purely functional.
Having experienced it in the
worst of conditions, I now look
forward to a prolonged spell of
clear skies and bright sun to really
see what it’s capable of.
www.crosskase.com
n
Since writing this review,
Business
Info
has taken the Solar 15 on a business trip to Italy
and is pleased to report that fears it might attract
unwelcome attention at the baggage scanners were
misplaced. Indeed, security staff said it was now quite
common to see solar-powered hand luggage.
Heaven sent
Swapping a computer satchel for the Crosskase
Solar 15 is not the only improvement to
Business Info
’s daily commute: the 30-minute
walk from the Park & Ride to our new offices is
immeasurably more enjoyable with a Jabra Halo2
Bluetooth stereo headset.
A Bluetooth connection between the foldable
headset and a Blackberry lets you listen to music
without the inconvenience of wires and take
incoming calls without having to interact with the
smartphone in any way. Push button and finger
swipe controls on the right-hand earpiece can be
used to take and end calls, adjust volume and skip
and replay music tracks.
Business Info
uses a Blackberry both for phone
calls and playing music, but the Jabra Halo2 also
works with separate MP3 players and mobile phones,
as it can be paired with two Bluetooth-enabled
devices simultaneously, or with non-Bluetooth-
enabled devices using a detachable cord.
In this configuration, the headset’s remote
controls won’t work but you’ll still be able to
enjoy Halo 2’s exceptional comfort – ear pieces
are cushioned with velvet – and impressive audio
quality, featuring Virtual Surround Sound and Power
Bass.
The adjustable headset has quite a loose fit. This
improves comfort over extended periods, especially
when compared to ear buds, but does make them
unstable when running for the bus. For the daily
commute, however, or listening to music while
working, the Jabra Halo2 is heaven sent.
The headset is available from a variety of outlets,
including Amazon and the
CarphoneWarehouse,
with prices starting at
around £66.
www.Jabra.com
The lightweight Jabra HALO2
is turned on and off by
folding/unfolding.