Last week, I desperately tried to get sleep on a red-eye flight. With the ongoing turbulence, it was extremely difficult to get even the least bit of rest. I decided to listen to music instead. I fumbled through my backpack and grabbed my iPod, but the screen was black. It was out of power, and without a computer there was no way of charging my music device. No question about it: I need a portable charger.

Maybe I'll pick up one of these: Kensington Computer Products Group just released a new portable battery-pack charger for iPods or iPhones. It's compact, weighing about 3 ounces and small enough to fit in backpacks, handbags, and briefcases. An even smaller version, the Mini Battery Pack and Charger, is small enough to fit in your pants pocket

"The Battery Pack and Charger and the Mini Battery Pack and Charger are lifelines to extend talk, tunes and videos," says Kevin Ngo, global product manager at Kensington. "Apple has done a terrific job in consistently innovating the iPod and iPhone with exciting features - and we're committed to providing consumers with the battery power to take maximum advantage of them. Now consumers can choose the power size they want to carry along and they can recharge even as they talk, watch and listen."

These products are now both available on amazon.com and Kensington.com and will arrive in stores at the end of May 2008. The regular charger suggested retail price is now $69.99, and the mini charger is selling for $49.99.