You Might be Able to Charge Your Phone with Han Solo

A maker of artistic, collectable USB sticks is on Kickstarter with an attempt to fund the development of a series of smartphone portable spare battery-based chargers shaped like cute little monster and creatures. Interesting, but why report on it here?

Because the company, Mimoco, is known for having one of the widest portfolio of licensed characters for its USB sticks, from DC Comics to Star Wars to Hello Kitty and My Little Pony. The USB memory sticks are called Mimobots, so the planned new chargers are called BatteryBots. And it will start with a series of original characters like Terry Le Bat, but there should be no doubt that Mimoco will try to expand its licenses to cover the BatteryBot devices.

I don’t know about you, but I really want a Green Lantern Kilowog that can charge up my phone — or better yet, an Emperor Palpatine. Unfortunately, the only Mimobot version of him the company had, Darth Sidious, has been retired. Yes, the company regularly retires designs to increase the collectability factor. Fingers crossed that it will bring him back for the BatteryBot.

To be clear, this isn’t a plea to fund the Kickstarter campaign — frankly I don’t know why a successful company with years of product sales under its belt would go to Kickstarter for financing its R&D. Unless it is also licensing the battery tech and needs to raise the extra money above the cost of product design. But either way, I am sure Mimoco will find a way to make this happen, however much it raises under the campaign.

“In brightest day, when night is loose, no cell phone shall escape my juice!”