Thanks for the tip, the articles sound really interesting - I'll have to check out the magazine.

On the toys, err gizmos mentioned - the Porta-Jump (and related products that plug into 12V port) is only good in a very limited number of cases and does not replace a good set of jumper cables or a portable battery that connects directly to the cars battery. You just can't push enough power (amps) through those tiny little wires (and the 12V "power port") to drive the starter.

If you really want portable jump starting capability consider something more like one of these. Note: no particular interest/affiliation with the products/companies pointed to in the link.

- Eric