Archive for: charger
If you haven’t brushed up on the official Gadgetsteria iDapt 3 multi-gadget charging dock review (say that 5 times fast…) now is the time to do so. We’ve got another iDapt i3 in-house in need of a new home. You know the drill — leave a comment inside and we’ll pick one winner at random. And for the record, saying something on our Facebook fan page and/or Twitter page helps your chances. There isn’t any limit on comments/Facebook posts/Tweets-retweets. As for all the Twitter users out there, use #gsidaptgiveaway so we can easily find you. Have at it!
- December 29, 2010 6:31 pm
Europeans will have a much easier time finding chargers for their phones in 2011 and beyond. A law that has been several years in the making will go into effect and mandate that all phones be able to charge via micro-USB. The list of manufacturers who came together to support the law is surprisingly large and includes many big name companies including Apple, LG, Motorola, RIM, and Samsung to name a few…
Last month we reported that Apple was suing popular Mac accessory maker, HyperMac. In their legal filings, Apple cited copyright/IP infringement specifically on their MagSafe adapters as the reason for the gavel toss. At first, anger is the only thing that came to mind. I mean, how could Apple put a truly innovative company out of business? Especially since Apple themselves won’t produce any type of external battery like HyperMac? And then it came to light that HyperMac was in talks with Apple to license their technology a bit more legally this time so that the 3rd party battery love fest could continue.
And continue it has. Sort of. HyperMac announced today that they will be re-branding themselves to “HyperJuice” in accordance with Apple’s lawsuit and licensing regulations. Hopefully a deal can be worked out so we can get these extremely useful batteries back on the market once again. Speaking of which, HyperMac batteries will officially go offline tonight at midnight. So if there was any lingering desire in your soul to get a HyperMac, now is the time.
In a move that shouldn’t surprise many, it has come to light that Apple is finally unleashing the legal hounds on several iPhone/iPod/iPad accessory manufacturers for producing “sub-par” quality accessories. One example given by the lawsuit cites a case where an iPod user bought a third party battery charger from one of the defendants only to have the charger worsen his battery life. So far, there are over 20 different defendants named in the lawsuit.
As many of us have experienced over the years, getting that extra $5-$10 of an accessory doesn’t always lead to “value”. You know how it is — you get what you pay for. In Apple’s case, their accessories tend to be higher priced. But part of that is because Apple requires a 20-25% royalty on any products that are “officially licensed” with Apple’s seal of approval. Naturally, that cost gets passed along to consumers.
Regardless of how many companies are found guilty in this initial lawsuit, Apple’s gadgets are a hot ticket item world wide, with knock-off companies and accessory companies alike churning out new products faster than you can blink an eye.
It just goes to show that Apple’s own motto — “Our way or the high way” — is practiced in everything they do. Though in this case, they at least have some consumer interests at heart. No one wants a shoddy case…
“I wish there was something I could use that would charge everything I owned all at once!!”
Don’t fear extremely tech savvy older lady, iHome has got you covered!
Yes, you heard right, or if you can see, saw the picture, and you now know that iHome isn’t some white or black alarm clock radio thing that you can plop your iPhone/iPod into anymore. It is now the He-Man of bedside gizmos. If you have things that need to be charged, and are cussing the designer of your humble abode for not including more than only a few outlets, iHome punches him in the face and saves the day. The folks over at iHome understand you can’t be bothered with multiple cables, charging a different gadget in every room, they know you need every Apple product you can think of cluttered onto your nightstand, or next to your toilet.
Need a reason to drop a few more dollars on the geeky things you know and love? Today’s gadget won’t be one that fulfills only lust, but utility as well. The USBCell is so ingenious and simple in design that it pains me to think that I didn’t coin this up first. But I digress, the USBCell…
Basically, it’s a nickle metal hydride battery with a removable top cap that exposes a standard USB plug. Pop it into your ever plentiful USB port and whip up a 90% charge in 5 hours or a 50% charge in 1 hour. When you’re finished, simply replace the cap, and pop a couple into your battery loving gadget. Viola! Hopefully more sizes become available as interest increases. I’d kill for a 9-volt version. You?
Pick up a 2-pack of AA USBCell batteries from the following locations: Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, SharperImage.com, ThinkGeek.com, and Tiger Direct.
The inevitable part about any gadget is that it is going to die. Batteries just don’t last forever. Even on some of today’s most electron frugal devices, a full day is really stretching it. Luckily things called outlets and USB ports meander around us to save the day. Though as many of us know, actually finding a power source while on the go can be quite the chore.
That’s where Sony’s new portable USB power supply comes in. Joining the arsenal of countless other mobile charging solutions, Sony’s offering gives USB-compliant devices an easy and quick way to juice up when more traditional methods are out of the question.
The only downside to Sony’s little power station is that it is virtually impossible to find any hard info on it, specifically concerning battery capacity. Honestly though, with all of the other solutions out there, do you really care?
Have you hugged a tree today? If not, don’t fret. Simply pick up a pair of the Orange Power Wellies boots — a pair of boots that uses heat from every foot step to recharge your phone.
I often forget to bring my charging cable with me, resulting in a power depleted phone by midday. Though I doubt I’d ever forget my feet (unless someone else was using them of course). Precisely the phone accessory I could use. However, the reported 12-hour stomp session that only nets you an hour of charge time is kind of disappointing. But it’s a prototype so I’ll let it slide.
Finally jumped head on into the new age of gaming compliments of the PS3 and Xbox 360? Depending on how many other bodies you cater to, quite the collection of controllers could be loitering around your living room. Stowing said controllers usually entails tossing them in a drawer and forgetting about them until you need them. But there’s a better (and cooler) way.
