Nectar mobile fuel-cell power system now available for pre-order

On paper, the Nectar Power system is both awesome and ludicrous. This is essentially a keychain-dongle USB power solution for super-sized keychains. You carry it around and charge your iPhone or other USB devices as needed.

Let's start with the ludicrous, which is the price. The unit is now available for pre-order from Brookstone and will retail for (wait for it...) US$300.

Individual "power pods," used to generate the power, will cost $10 each. An extended warranty adds another $40 for two years, or $50 for three years. Gift wrap alone adds another $7.

So why are we so ridiculously excited about this? It's simple.

First, there's the technology. The Nectar is a butane-powered Solid Oxide Fuel Cell solution. It's like we really are living in the future. Each pod can supply power for about a dozen full charges, or as the product site says, about two weeks of power without outlets.

Second, there's the size factor, which is impressively small. The gadget is a slick-looking chrome and black, with a satisfyingly Brookstone design aesthetic.

But most important, the one thing that really makes this the device for any would-be James Bond type, is that it allows you to go completely off grid for extended periods of time without having to attach a solar grid to your backpack. Gilligan and the professor wouldn't have to make power supplies out of coconuts.

The Nectar Power system looks like a sleek, slick solution for people who have the money and aren't afraid to use it as both a beautiful and practical toy.

We can't wait to try it out. The Nectar ships Sept. 11, 2013.