{"id":99363,"date":"2020-10-28T12:16:58","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T09:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-buffalito-is-a-lamp-equipped-power-bank-that-wants-to-make-a-difference\/"},"modified":"2020-10-28T12:16:58","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T09:16:58","slug":"the-buffalito-is-a-lamp-equipped-power-bank-that-wants-to-make-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-buffalito-is-a-lamp-equipped-power-bank-that-wants-to-make-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Buffalito is a lamp-equipped power bank that wants to make a difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#The Buffalito is a lamp-equipped power bank that wants to make a difference<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n Power banks may be unsexy, but they still get me all stirred up in the loins. What? No, I don\u2019t want to see therapist again. Stop saying that.<\/p>\n

Anyway, it\u2019s tough to make external battery packs stand out, so I always app<\/a>reciate it when I see someone putting in a little bit of effort \u2014 and this is where the Buffalito from BuffaloGrid bursts into the room.<\/p>\n

This power bank has two stand-out features beyond just, you know, charging your phone. The first is that it\u2019s also a flashlight. And the second is that for every two sold, the company will donate one to a person in the developing world (defined here as rural India or sub-Saharan Africa).<\/p>\n

[Read:\u00a0What audience intelligence data tells us about the 2020 US presidential election]<\/em><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s have a look at it:<\/p>\n

\"buffalo
<\/a>A nice touch here is you can use one of the included attachments so it works as a bike light. Considering I just got mine robbed, this is a Good Thing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Okay, so whacking a flashlight on a power bank isn\u2019t exactly spork levels of innovation, but it is useful \u2014 especially when you consider what BuffaloGrid does.<\/p>\n

The company builds BuffaloGrid Hubs, which are solar powered charging stations people can use to juice up their devices in the developing world. They\u2019re designed to sit in a central location in a rural area \u2014 think of a shop or post-office \u2014 and let people access power who may not have it at home.<\/p>\n

The Buffalito battery pack and lamp is an extension of this project. The idea is that someone can charge their phone\u00a0and<\/em> the external charger, meaning they can keep their device full, as well as having access to a light.<\/p>\n

On top of that \u2014 and this is fucking cool \u2014 the box the Buffalito comes in also transforms into a lamp stand:<\/p>\n

\"buffalito
<\/a>Mmmm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the downside of the Buffalito though: some of its tech specs.<\/p>\n

It will retail for $34 after launch (it\u2019s currently on early bird pricing<\/a>), so we should consider it in that price bracket. It has a 2,900mAh capacity. Compare this with Anker\u2019s\u00a0PowerCore 13000 (which is selling for $36 normally) and you get over four times that, with\u00a013,000mAh.<\/p>\n

This also impacts how long the flashlight can last (4 hours on 160 lumens, and 36 on 20). This isn\u2019t bad, but a bigger battery included would\u2019ve been nice. Still, in the point of fairness, Anker\u2019s portable battery neither has a lamp or a scheme that gives them free to people in the developing world.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll chalk that up to a win for the Buffalito.<\/p>\n

Basically, the BuffaloGrid\u2019s power bank and lamp is a lovely little device that\u2019s both useful, and wholesome. It\u2019s currently crowdfunding (as per usual, always be aware of the risks) and you can find more information out about the product\u00a0and<\/em> project right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I\u2019ve been talking about portable chargers too long now, I need to go and slip into something more comfortable.<\/p>\n

For more gear, gadget, and hardware news<\/a> and reviews, follow Plugged on
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\n Published October 28, 2020 \u2014 09:16 UTC\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n