LAS VEGAS -- The small portable charger you carry around for your laptop can be bulky. There's a new option, the finsix dart, that's less than half the size of an Apple power adapter and much lighter. It's on sale now for $89 and, although that might seem steep for a replacement cord, it could make sense for people who travel frequently and want to eliminate the clunky plugs in their backpack or carry-on.
The Dart is a rectangular brick that's about a quarter of the length and width of an Apple style charger and only slightly wider near the AC prongs. It has no buttons or LEDs, just 2 prongs on one end that accept the tips for different types of laptops and a connector for the thin 6-foot cable on the other. The cable has an inline USB port that handles 2.1A of power and can charge a smartphone or tablet along with your laptop.
Finsix sells the Dart for most PC laptops and says it works globally. A MacBook Dart and a custom model that accepts MagSafe are also available. A compatibility chart on the company's website lists nine tips, one of which should work with your laptop. If you find that none of them do, a warranty note on the Dart's packaging promises that if you contact FINsix with proof of purchase, the company will send you a replacement tip.
The company's Dart-C looks like the original, but it only services USB-C devices with a connector that attaches to the charger. The cable also hosts a second USB port for top off charging of mobile devices. An orange LED pulses brightly when the charger is plugged in and active, and it shuts off when the cable disconnects.
