Although wireless connectivity may be very liberating, allowing the user to surf the web on the sofa, in bed or in the garden it does zap the power of your laptop.

Very soon that exhilarating feeling of having broadband next to the barbie is lost as you either have to: a) plug in your laptop or b) wear a bandoleer of spare batteries and look like a poor imitation of Vin Diesel.

Well help is at hand in the form of the Universal Notebook Battery launched today in the UK by vendor APC.

Weighing a paltry 2lb, the battery is ideal for travellers as it will last eight hours and allow you to comfortably watch your favourite DVDs on the plane. Similarly it will allow you to catch the rays as you catch up on your emails in the garden.

"Your laptop sees the battery as mains power," according to APC's director of consumer business Paul Tyrer. " As we see more and more technology in the home, we will increasingly need more and more mobility products to support the digital lifestyle," Tyrer added.

For early adopters, the price could be a bit steep for some at an estimated price of £200 notes but it will pay for itself every time you end up in economy on the plane and the only film on offer is The Pacifier with, you guessed it: Vin Diesel.

APC has also launched today a new line of surge protection for the home to protect your precious plasmas and PS2s from power surges, spikes and lightening.

Ranging from £8 to £30 notes its one of those purchases that reminds us of insurance. Don't buy one and you could be hurting later.