USB device designed to drain power?
 

I just got an Anker E4 2nd Gen battery. The manual recommends discharging and charging it at least once every 4 months. Since I mainly got it for a couple of upcoming long flights, I am thinking I could probably remember to plug in some power-sucking device to drain it once in a while. Is there some USB device designed to just suck power? Maybe a fan or light or something, I guess.

I realize I could just periodically plug my iPad and phone into it, but I'd probably forget... :)

Like this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16800998091

It'll take a looong time for that LED to drain the battery. But why buy an additional device? Just use this to charge your phone/ipad/whatever and let it run empty every once in a while. If you can't remember to do that you're not likely to remember to leave it on with the LED f:eek:r a few weeks.

Portable HDD - or better yet, get two and use one to charge the other, then vice versa.

hehe, thanks all. I'll probably just try to remember to use it to charge my iPad from time to time.

I really like my new battery!

How odd - I thought the days of the "memory effect" were behind us, now that we have moved on to NiMH batteries...

NiMH is what we moved from - they had a memory effect (though not as bad as the preceding NiCad technology). Virtually all consumer electronics batteries today at Li-ion. They don't have a memory, but leaving them dormant for extended periods causes them to lose capacity to hold a charge. I think it's something about lithium crystals appearing in the cells.

I stand corrected. Thanks gfunkdave...

Might I suggest...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thumbs-Up-US.../dp/B000MDYBFU
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/96b3/

:D

I have the 9.6Ah version. It's helped me out of a jam more than once. I've become a big Anker fan. The 40W (i.e. 8A) 5 port USB power supply is my favorite travel accessory.

I've been using the 40W supply as my bedside charger - nice to have one device that charges everything I have at once.