Technabob » charger

BioLite CampStove Generates Electricity to Charge Your Gadgets

Range — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:00:16 +0000

Have you ever been stuck in the wilderness and your devices are about to fail because there is just no way to charge them back up? Check out BioLite’s CampStove, which will allow you to cook or heat your food while charging up your gadgets at the same time.

The CampStove features a thermoelectric system that will transform part of the heat of the fire into electrical energy by moving the internal fan. There are no batteries or other fuels required. You can charge any USB device, from smartphones to LED lights. The overall device is quite small and packs away easily since it’s about the size of a Nalgene bottle.

It sells for $129(USD) and will be released in the spring of this year, right about when you’ll need something like this when you go out camping.

[via NOTCOT]

K-TOR Power Box Charger: Pedal to the Metal… or Whatever Your Gadget Is Made of

Lambert Varias — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:00:29 +0000

Hand-powered generators are pretty common nowadays, but this is the first foot-powered model that I’ve seen. Developed by K-TOR, the Power Box has a two-bladed socket, so you can charge or power almost any device while working up a sweat. Lance Armstrong can probably charge his phone in 5 seconds using this device.

The Power Box measures 4.5″×4.5″×8.75″ and weighs less than 2lbs., so it’s a very portable charger. Generally speaking, our legs are more powerful than our arms, so it should be easier to produce power on the Power Box than on a hand-powered generator. Add that to the fact that it has two pedals while most hand-powered generators only have one crank and you have a more useful and practical gadget. Its only weak point is that it doesn’t have a USB port. Instead, it’s just got an (ungrounded) outlet on top. Also you can’t use it while you’re running away from zombies. Hand-powered generators win that one.

The Power Box isn’t available for order yet, but K-TOR did say on their Facebook page that they’ve already “ordered production parts and tooling” for the device. The company’s hand-powered generator sells for $50 (USD), so I’m guessing the Power Box will be significantly pricier than that.

[K-TOR via The Gadgeteer]

XDModo Solar Charger: Window to the Sun

Hazel Chua — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:19 +0000

Solar energy can be considered “green” energy in the sense that it’s readily available and that it doesn’t release pollutants to be generated. Solar cells and batteries aren’t exactly new technology. There are already a lot of released products and gadgets where the sun is their major (and sometimes, only) power source.

However, the idea of putting your device under the heat of the sweltering sun isn’t very appealing because it might overheat and end up getting fried if you don’t pay attention. A pretty neat solution for taking advantage of solar energy without being out in the elements? The XDModo Solar Charger.

Basically, the charger “catches” solar energy through the window where it’s stuck on, and uses this energy to charge up your device, while it sits safely in an indoor environment, such as an office or even in your car. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t just flip it over and use it outdoors if you want too.

The XDModo charger comes with regular and micro USB outputs, and stores power in its 1400mAh rechargeable lithium battery – which should be good for about a full charge of today’s smartphones. It’s available for purchase online from Design3000 shop for €49.95 (~$66 USD.)

[via The Green Head]

Kanex Sydnee Holds and Charges 4 USB Devices at Same Time

Range — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:00:41 +0000

With the plethora of USB chargeable devices in your home, you probably have run into some problems finding enough plugs, space, or both to try to get them all juiced up at once. I know that I have to split them up into different rooms and plugs to get them all powered up. The Kanex Sydnee offers a way to charge up to 4 devices via USB from a single power source.

The advantage is that the charger actually looks pretty good and can handle your tablet, laptop, and smartphone at the same time without missing a beat. It delivers 2.1A of juice to each of its four USB ports, so even the power-hungry iPad can be charged without a problem. It ships with three short USB to 30-pin cables – though it would be nice if they included four. Guess they’re assuming at least one of your gadgets isn’t an iOS device.

The Kanex Sydnee charging station will be available in two colors, onyx and snow, when it arrives at the end of Q1 this year for $149(USD).

[via Ubergizmo]

Crank Up the Eton FRX3 Radio During Emergencies

Hazel Chua — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:00:41 +0000

Most times, people don’t really put much thought into stocking up on emergency supplies until the actual emergency itself is upon them. This can result in a lot of chaos and even worse, panic.

So while things are all good and there are no emergencies or calamities looming, I think it’s time you put together an emergency kit for good measure. Stock up on canned stuff, pack together some sheets, and put together a first aid kit. And throw in the Eton FRX3 radio if you’ve got still got some space left over.

Basically, the Eton FRX3 is a crank radio that will keep you connected to the rest of the world in case you find yourself trapped somewhere or far away from the rest of civilization. It’s powered by the crank, so no external power sources needed. If it’s bright out, the FRX3′s internal battery charges up via solar energy, since it’s got solar panels lined up at the top, too.

Aside from being a radio, the FRX3 is also a LED flashlight and USB charger for your gadgets. The multi-purpose radio also has a glow-in-the-dark outline to make sure you can still use it and spot it, even in the dark.

The Eton FRX3 was unveiled at CES 2012 and will be available for sale soon for $60.

[via Oh Gizmo!]

Bracketron’s GreenZero Chargers Stop Charging at 100% Battery Power

Hazel Chua — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:00:14 +0000

People are becoming more and more green these days. And by green, I mean in how conscious they are of how their actions can affect the environment.

Electricity is one of the things that everyone can consume less of to help the environment. A lot of people aren’t aware of it, but leaving appliances and electronics plugged into chargers even when they’re already fully charged is a huge energy waster. Concept designs like the Eco-Socket and the PumPing Tap Concept all work with the concept of stopping the flow of energy once the device is fully charged or when it’s not used, respectively.

If you’ve ever wished for at least one of those concepts to become a reality, then your wish has already been granted with Bracketron’s GreenZero Chargers. Your wall sockets remain unchanged, because all the green stuff happens in their smart and eco-friendly chargers.

Their series of GreenZero chargers automatically shuts off at zero idle power when your device is fully charged. There’s one specifically for Apple devices, one with a micro USB wire, and two that have a USB slot so you charge any USB-powered device. The chargers will be priced from $24.95 to $34.95 (USD) and will be unveiled at CES next week.

[via Oh Gizmo!]

Roll-Up Travel Charger: Power Up with Style

Range — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:15:13 +0000

When I travel with my chargers, it’s usually a mess, with cables everywhere and tangled up in my bag. You’re probably the same way. This is why Restoration Hardware’s Roll Up Travel Charger is a cool addition to anyone’s kit bag.

The Roll Up Travel Charger is basically a power stick that hooks up to an AC adapter at one end, and offers an additional four sockets to charge up your various devices. This can be quite useful because in most hotel rooms, you’ll be lucky to find just one socket to power up. The outputs will charge iOS devices, mini USB, and micro USB ports. There’s also a Samsung charger. When not in use, the whole thing rolls up neatly and snaps closed.

It sells for $49 (USD), so it’s not too expensive and it’s an elegant solution to all of your travel-based charging quandaries.

[via Wired]

IKEA Sunnan Solar Lamp Modded Into iPad Charger

Range — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:00:49 +0000

When you think about it, having a solar charger is a good idea, especially if you find yourself outdoors frequently, and your gadgets often run out of juice. If you’d rather not just go with an off-the-shelf charger, you can always mod an IKEA Sunnan solar lamp to become your iPad charger.

In order to complete the hack, you’ll need to replace the stock batteries with higher capacity ones. Then, the battery compartment has to be modded to accept Voltaic Systems small 2-Watt solar panels. Finally the lamp has to be re-wired to accommodate Adafruit’s MintyBoost charger module.

The resulting hack adds a USB charging port, while at the same time allowing you to still use the lamp, which is cool and that makes it even more useful. You can check out the whole procedure here.

[via Ikeahackers]

Kensington AbsolutePower Charges Absolutely

Lambert Varias — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:00:49 +0000

Another week, another charger. But while most of the portable electron tanks we’ve featured are only for smartphones or tablets, the AbsolutePower from Kensington packs 100W, enough to charge a laptop.

The AbsolutePower comes with “Smart Tips” – adapters compatible with laptops from different brands. Sadly for Apple users the MacBook Pro isn’t one of those brands. It also has a USB and a micro-USB port so you can charge other devices as well, although if you use it to fully charge a laptop it might not have enough power left for your other devices. As we all know, only Sith Lords have unlimited powah.

You can order the Kensington AbsolutePower from Amazon for about $102 (USD).

[Kensington via Coolest Gadgets]

Twelvesouth’s PlugBug: One Charger to Rule All Apple Chargers

Range — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:00:01 +0000

Do you ever run out of space on your outlet to charge up all of your Apple devices? The chargers Apple includes for iOS gadgets and MacBooks are cool, but they do take up precious outlet space, which is why the Twelvesouth PlugBug is so cool. It cuts down on the number of chargers that you’ll need in order to juice up your devices. The PlugBug can be added to a MacBook charger so that it can charge up all your iOS devices with the same charger.

It’s definitely a smart idea, and it makes you wonder why it hasn’t been invented before. It will charge up your MacBook, iPad, iPhone, and iPod – two gadgets at a time. The 10-watt charger delivers enough juice to charge up your iPad in a timely manner, because your computer’s USB ports can take up to 4× as long. It can also convert non-US chargers to US adapters because you can swap out the prongs to the PlugBug.

You can get the PlugBug for $34.99 (USD) at Twelvesouth.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

IIDA Jupitris Phone Charger: No More Tangled Cords

Range — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:00:41 +0000

Have you ever gotten annoyed at the tangled web of wires that any AC adapters become, when left untouched in your bag? Well if so, then check out this charger. The new Jupitris phone charger created by the Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto for IIDA.

IIDA makes accessories for phones in the Japanese market. The adapter comes with an integrated cable management system, so your wires will stay untangled. The cord is retractable and you’ll find a microUSB port at the other end.

It took IIDA three years to finally finish this concept and ramp up production. It comes in a variety of different colors and sells for ¥1,780 (~$23 USD).

[via designboom]

iCharge iPhone Charger Lets You See What Happens Behind Closed Doors

Hazel Chua — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:45:01 +0000

There are a ton of gadgets out there that you can use and install in your home or office for some covert ~~spying~~ surveillance. The latest one to join that category is the iCharge charger that can record stuff while you leave your iPhone charging in your home or office.

The iCharge is equipped with a motion-activated 450 TVL Color CCD camera so it starts rolling once it detects that someone’s in the room or approaching it (maybe to swipe it?) Of course, it would probably be a good idea to keep your room locked and bring your iPhone with you if you’re leaving the room, even if it’s running low on power, but hey, that’s totally up to you.

The iCharge records video using the included 4GB of memory, which can be expanded up to 32 GB. The iCharge retails for $395 (USD), which is extremely pricey for what it does. I mean, you could buy a really nice new smartphone with that kind of money in the first place. And there are plenty of apps which let you use the iPhone itself as a spy camera.

[via ChipChick via Dvice]

Maxell Air Voltage iPad 2 Wireless Charger: No Wires, But Still a Dock

Conner Flynn — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:00:07 +0000

Who wants to charge their tablet via cables or a docking connector? Not me and not you. Maxell Japan knows this and so they have announced the “Air Voltage”. The device combines a wireless charging pad with a case that will allow your iPad 2 to charge wirelessly.

Well, there is one cable of course. The one that connects the Energy Stand to the power source, but at least the iPad 2 itself is untethered and that’s the important part.

Just put your iPad 2 into the jacket, place the jacket on the pad either vertically or horizontally and get a charge via induction. It will take about 3 hours for a full charge. The Air Voltage will arrive in Japan on November 25 for about $196 (USD). We aren’t sure when it will arrive here.

[via Techcrunch]

Elecom Battery Charger: 4 AA = 1 iPhone Battery

Lambert Varias — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:00:56 +0000

Elecom gives us another reason to keep our AA batteries around with this portable charger. It’s similar to the Sanyo Eneloop Mobile USB Booster, but while that one only takes two AA batteries to provide up to 90 minutes of additional power, the Elecom DE-A01D-1908 combos with four AA batteries to fully recharge an iPhone. Kinda makes the letters in its typically inventory-friendly name quite ironic.

Audio Cubes calls it an “iPhone battery charger” even though it only actually has a USB A Female connector. I see no reason why it shouldn’t work with other cables and devices just like its Eneloop counterpart.

You can order the Elecom DE-A01D-1908 USB/iPhone battery charger from Audiocubes for $50 (USD).

[via Acquire]

Electree Solar Bonsai Trims Down Your Electricity Bill

Lambert Varias — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:00:07 +0000

Real bonsai can be very beautiful and relaxing, but they also require much skill, care and effort. Vivien Muller’s plastic bonsai on the other hand is easy to use and actually takes care of you. Or at least your gadgets. As you’ll see in the picture below, the Electree Solar Bonsai has small solar panels in place of leaves, and instead of roots it has a fairly large battery hidden in its base.

The 27 solar panels can be individually adjusted, so you can tweak them for optimal exposure to sunlight or for aesthetic purposes. The Electree’s battery has a maximum charge of 13,500 mAh and takes about 36 hours to be fully charged via sunlight. You can then charge your gadgets using Electree’s built-in USB connection. Muller and the Electree are featured in the video below. It’s in French though so I can’t tell you what they’re talking about. They make nice silky sounds with their mouths, that’s as far as I can tell you.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can pre-order the Electree from Ulule for €299 (~ $409 USD).

[via Inhabitat]

Sanyo Waist Warmer Also a Gadget Charger

Lambert Varias — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:00:12 +0000

Are your guts freezing because of the weather where you live/work/play? You might want to check out this upcoming gadget from Sanyo. The memorably named ENW-WW2 is a waist and stomach warmer. No one’s stopping you from wrapping it around other parts of your body or on other things, living or non-living, but you’d best keep such ideas to yourself.

But what if you already have someone to hold you and keep you warm on cold and lonely nights? Well, unless that person is Cole MacGrath or Max Dillon, he or she probably won’t be able to charge your gadgets, something that the dual purpose ENW-WW2 can do. Seeing as the warming bit seems to be done by the strap alone, and the power source is an Eneloop battery, I wonder if Sanyo will release the strap as a stand alone purchase. No word on that or on the electrical and thermal numerology relevant to this device, but it’s supposed to go on sale in Japan on October 21 for ¥8000 (~$104 USD).

[via Japan Today via Craziest Gadgets]

Powerbag: Charge and Carry

Lambert Varias — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:00:52 +0000

Until we (by that, I mean you guys) invent longer-lasting batteries or figure out a way to efficiently harness power from readily available sources, chances are your gadget will run out of juice when an outlet isn’t within reach. An entire industry has sprung up to ~~cash in~~ provide nothing but portable power sources for our media players, smartphones and tablets. Now, a new challenger has appeared, planning to stand out from the rest literally by being hidden – in the world. I meant in a bag.

Called the Powerbag, this product line comes in a variety of forms, from backpacks to slingbags to a wheeled briefcase. The smaller Powerbags have a 3000mAh battery while the larger bags have a 6000mAh battery. The smaller battery can charge an average smartphone two times and of course the larger battery does twice that. Each bag also comes with three connectors – the 30-pin connector for Apple’s iOS devices, a micro-USB connector and a mini-USB connector – plus a USB port, meaning it can charge practically any electronic device.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

To use the charging system, simply press and hold the power button outside the bag for 2 seconds. A quick press of the same button will give you a general idea of how much power is left in the battery. Another practical feature is that you can charge the Powerbag’s battery without taking it out of the bag.

You can check out the official website for more info. If you’ve got your credit card ready head to Amazon; to order your own Powerbag. Prices range from $76 (USD) to $250. Bag included.

[via Best Stuff]

InStep Nanopower Shoes Create Electricty While You Walk (and Hopefully Won’t Electrocute You)

Range — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:05:29 +0000

There’s something intrinsically logical about harvesting the energy that we create by walking so that we can power up some of the gadgets that we have on our person all the time. These InStep Nanopower shoes will do something like this, and they actually use liquid metal to get the job done.

Researchers Tom Krupkin and J. Ashley Taylor at UW-Madison have been working on this technology and it looks like it will be able to deliver 10 to 20W of power. This is a lot more than the electricity created by similar attempts with piezoelectrics. The process is called reverse electrowetting and includes liquid metal that is stored in pouches of the heel and sole of the shoe. As you walk, you will pump nano-sized droplets of the metal through tiny channels, creating electricity. The electricity is stored in a battery at the center of the shoe.

To access the shoe power for your gadgets, you just plug in an USB cable. They’re hoping the tech will be ready for the market in a few years and will cost about the same as the shoe you’ll end up buying, so it’s not that much more expensive.

[UW Madison via DVice]

Ozaki iSuppli Gramo iPhone Speaker Still Needs to be Plugged in

Range — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:29:25 +0000

If you’re looking for a unique dock and charger, look no further, because the Ozaki iSuppli Gramo iPhone Speaker, on top of having a quirky name, will do the job nicely. The speaker is designed to look like a gramophone, and from the description, it will only need to be plugged in if you want to charge your iPhone or use the amplified speaker features.

The overall effect is pretty distinctive, and it reminds me of those acoustic Phonophone iPhone docks that we’ve seen. The speaker doesn’t come with any other ports, so it’s for iPhone and iPod Touch only. However, it can be plugged in to provide an additional boost in power.

You can buy it for $70 (USD) over at Audiocubes, where it’s available in white, black, or red.

[via Ubergizmo]

Mobee Magic Charger for Apple Magic Mouse: Less Magical than Rechargeable Batteries

Lambert Varias — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:16:34 +0000

After releasing the Magic Bar charger for Apple’s wireless keyboard and trackpad, Mobee continues their war on (disposable) batteries with the Magic Charger, which uses inductive charging to wirelessly charge the Magic Mouse, using a base station that is, uhm, wired to your computer’s USB port.

Undoubtedly the best thing about the Magic Charger is its look. That plus its ease of use makes it fit right in with other Apple products. The Magic Charger comes with Mobee’s custom battery pack that also replaces the battery cover on the bottom of the Magic Mouse.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I see a missed opportunity with the Magic Charger. I think Mobee should have made the base station significantly wider so that it could double as a mousepad, enabling you to use the mouse while it’s charging, especially since it takes five hours before the batteries are fully charged. You could leave the mouse on the charger overnight, but isn’t it more convenient to use rechargeable batteries instead? That way you’d still save money, reduce waste and you’ll be able to use the mouse as soon as you replace the batteries. But that’s just me.

If you’d like to partake of the magic of inductive charging, you can order the Magic Charger from Mobee’s online shop for $50 (USD). The battery pack is good for 500 cycles or about 3,000 hours of use, if Mobee’s 6-hour run time per charge is to be believed. Additional battery packs cost $30 each.

[via Bless This Stuff]