A sodium-ion portable power bank comes to market

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2011, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Accessory maker Elecom has announced what it’s claiming to be the first consumer-ready power bank that uses a sodium-ion battery instead of a lithium-ion one, as spotted by Notebookcheck. In addition to being more environmentally friendly to manufacture, the 9,000mAh Na Plus can be used in extreme temperatures with less risk of overheating, and has — Elecom claims — a lifespan of almost 5,000 charges. Even if you’re recharging it every single day, after 13 years it should still be providing power. Sodium-ion battery technology is new compared to lithium-ion tech, and production capacities haven’t reached the level of lithium-ion batteries. So while a little deal-hunting can get you a basic 10,000mAh lithium-ion power bank from companies like Anker for less than $20, the Na Plus is debuting in Japan (in black and light gray color option ... Read full article.