Power to the PSP

Ah, the PSP. Isn’t it shiny and desirable? That screen, those crisp, clear graphics. It’s like a cross between an iPod and an Atari Lynx. The only problem has always been the battery life. When playing games that stream a lot of data from the UMD, the PSP can suffer battery power dropping as low as two hours from a fully charged state. Indeed, it is this shortcoming that Nintendo have most highlighted in their rival's machine, pointing out that their DS boasts around 10 hours of play between recharges.

Now it seems that there are several solutions. Sony announced in Japan a couple of months back that a new battery with extended life will be available for the handheld within a year – if we’re lucky maybe even before the European launch. If you’ve already bought a PSP, or were planning to in the very near future, this good news may have left you feeling less than happy.

Worry no more, however. An external battery pack is now available from Honk Kong-based accessory store Brando, for the measly sum of $13US. You attach the lifesaver to your desirable lifestyle accessory through the adaptor socket (no doubt PSP owners will be very familiar with this part of the console). The more image conscious of early adopters may not like the look of it; though, would you still like Eva Mendes if she had a, ahem, hump on her back?