A Hyper

Powerslayer is a $75 phone/tablet charger designed by Motorola veterans whose goal is to end wasteful power consumption by 'vampire devices.' Photo: Velvetwire

The company is trying to save energy by keeping manufacturing close to home and so far have been able to keep suppliers within 70 miles of their Santa Cruz headquarters. Photo: Velvetwire

When Eric Bodnar and Jennifer Lee decided to take a break from their corporate gigs at Motorola and sail from California to New Zealand they were prepared for hardship. Fierce storms were expected, but drydocking their smartphones was a true challenge. It turns out that onboard a ship batteries are babied and every watt is watched to ensure that the navigation systems keep the vessel on course and the desalination machines keep pumping out fresh water. There's precious little juice for games of Fruit Ninja.

'It wasn't until we returned to land that we realized how much we had changed,' says Bodnar. 'We couldn't sleep the first night back because of all the blinking, buzzing and clanking going on in our apartment.' All that noise amounts to a tremendous waste of electricity.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that $3 billion a year is lost to 'vampire devices' or 'phantom load,' which are essentially spooky ways of describing a PlayStation that stays plugged in, slowly drawing power. Bodnar and Lee resolved to solve this problem and developed a new power-management gadget called Powerslayer.

A series of algorithms detect when a connected gizmo is fully charged.

Like most chargers, Powerslayer plugs into a wall socket and can recharge smartphones and tablets, but the $75 gadget also utilizes a series of algorithms to detect when the connected gizmo is fully charged, and can stop the flow of electricity. The result is a topped-off phone and a 90% reduction in wasted energy.

Plenty of devices already try to educate techies about their power use, but require constant monitoring, lots of plugging and unplugging, and on whole, are ghoulishly ugly. Instead of hectoring potential customers about the environmental benefits of their product, Powerslayer wants to reach customers viscerally with design.

'If you're going to take the time to elevate the USB charger from a simple power adapter to a smart device, why hide it?' says Lee. 'We want people to take notice because Powerslayer is emblematic of a movement away from cheap disposable imports to lasting, thoughtful and well designed products.' Powerslayer's design feels like something Punky Brewster might have come up with if she became an electrical engineer. It's colorful, asymmetrical shape is a pronounced contrast with today's more balanced designs and minimal finishing.

The UI consists of a single, triangular LED that glows through the faceted surface-orange means charging, green is fully charged, and no light means the phone is charged, but not drawing power. The USB and Lightning charging cables are wrapped in cloth, a nod to mid-century American manufacturing and the sailing ropes that helped inspire the project. A funky wool and neoprene carrying case turns the utilitarian widget a stylish statement piece sure to spark conversations at the airport.

'Our goal is to introduce seductive forms, textures, materials and colors not commonly seen in the market,' says Lee. 'We hope that creating objects that draw attention will prompt conversation and discovery.'

If Powerslayer is successful, Bodnar and Lee hope to expand into other power management products. It's estimated that the average household has between 25-40 gadgets-everything from hair dryers to toasters-plugged into walls at any given time and their phantom load accounts for about 20% of electric bills.

The company is trying to save energy by manufacturing close to home and have been able to find factories and suppliers within 70 miles of their Santa Cruz headquarters. 'Competing against low cost commodity USB chargers with something locally made seems a bit insane, but we can do it,' says Bodnar. 'We watched and even contributed to the gradual deterioration of local manufacturing as technology moved overseas-now we want to surf a wave to bring it back.'

Joseph Flaherty writes about design, DIY, and the intersection of physical and digital products. He designs award-winning medical devices and apps for smartphones at AgaMatrix, including the first FDA-cleared medical device that connects to the iPhone.

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