Batteries and Chargers

Just Mobile Gum Max Duo review

The Just Mobile Gum Duo has two USB ports - one 1 Amp and one 2.4 Amps.

A new entrant into the crowded field of portable power supplies has recently arrived from a trusted mobile vendor – Just Mobile.  It sports some unique features without missing any of the standard items. The Gum Max Duo (GMD) is Just Mobile’s  top-of-the-line USB charger, and it packs quite a wallop: 11.2 Amp/hours of power! Let’s […]

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USB Utility Charge Tool – A pocket gadget charging multi-tool

usb utilitycharger

The USB Utility Charge Tool looks like multi-tool or pocket knife, but it’s really a multi-bladed charging tool. There are several “blades” that you can use to charge your gadgets, including a 30 pin connector for the iPhone or iPod, a micro USB and a mini USB connector. There’s also a USB adapter to connect

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This gives “crank telephones” a whole new meaning…

crankerator

Did you ever see one of those old, wall-mounted telephones that you had to crank to get the operator’s attention in old movies?  Well, the Crankerator isn’t like that.  This accessory from Photojojo is a backup battery with an emergency power source.  It works with smart phones, cameras, and tablets, and a fully charged Crankerator

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iDuo2Go Charge and Sync Cable for iPad, iPhone, and iPad with USB 3.0 SD card reader review

iduo2go schettino review 04

The iDuo2Go Charge and Sync Cable for iPod, iPhone, and iPad with USB 3.0 SD Card Reader from Atech Flash Technology is a surprisingly useful if simple bit of mobile gear. It’s a USB 3.0 SD card reader, or an iPhone/iPad 30-pin sync/charge cable. Why bring two things on your next trip when one will

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Brando Power Jacket for Nokia Lumia 920 – 2200mAh review

powerjacket schettino review 12

The Power Jacket for Nokia Lumia 920 from Brando is an extended battery/case that can nearly double the battery life for the Lumia 920, if you’re willing to accept the trade-offs that come with it.  So what are the trade-offs?  Let’s look at them.

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Hack your nightstand into a Qi inductive wireless charging station

Remembering all the interest in Julie’s recent Gadget Diary about the Qi inductive wireless charger, I know some of you will be interested in reading an article I recently found on the Huffington Post site.  They have an article about modifying a nightstand to turn it into a Qi inductive wireless charging station.  Basically, a

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Do you know where your MagSafe converter is?

magsafe adapter keyring

They don’t do it especially frequently, but Apple does sometimes change the power or sync connectors on their computers and mobile devices.  You may find yourself the proud owner of a MagSafe to MagSafe 2 converter so that you can use your computer with some older Apple power adapters or the MagSafe power connector on

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Julie’s Gadget Diary – Qi inductive wireless charging, more trouble than it’s worth?

qi charging 6

My first experience with inductive charging was way back in 2004 when I reviewed one of Microsoft’s SPOT watches. The watches themselves were kind of clunky, but I thought it was so cool that they could be charged just by being placing on a cradle. The fact that no  cables had to be plugged directly into

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Keep your gadgets charged with NewTrent’s Travelpak and Travelpak Plus

newtrent travelpak charger

If you spend any time traveling, or even just have a long commute, you’ll at some point find yourself needing a power boost for one of your gadgets.  NewTrent has two backup battery packs in their line of mobile accessories that can keep you powered until you reach your destination.  The Travelpak (NT400C) has a

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Charge your devices faster with the ChargeDr

digital innovations chargedr

If you find that charging your USB-chargeable devices takes too long, you may be interested in the ChargeDr USB Charge Booster from Digital Innovations.  The ChargeDr uses an unspecified method of boosting the power from your computer’s USB port, so that a normal 5V, 0.5A-2.1A port always outputs 5V, up to 2.1A of power.  The ChargeDr is

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A-solar Xtorm Portable Power Bank 7300 review

ASolar Xtorm Power Bank 1

Most of us carry around a bunch of tech devices throughout the day, and pretty much all of them require batteries. And we all know that batteries usually don’t last all day long, especially those in power-hungry cell phones.  That’s where A-solar’s Xtorm Portable Power Bank 7300 comes in.  Can it keep us powered all day

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PowerSkin announces battery case for the BlackBerry Z10

powerskin blackberry z10

Just as the title says, the PowerSkin for BlackBerry Z10 is available now from PowerSkin.  The one-piece shockproof, anti-dust silicone skin protects your Z10, and it contains a 1500mAh rechargeable battery that gives your smart phone up to 60% more talk or standby time.  It weighs only 3 ounces and measures 5.39″ X 2.89″ X 0.79″.

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Fuel may be the world’s tiniest phone backup battery

fuel emergency battery

The Fuel backup power source is a Kickstarter project from Devotec Industries, a maker of backup batteries and Bluetooth speakers.  (Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of companies are looking to expand their product lines through crowd-funding projects lately?)  The Fuel is a 220mAh emergency power source for any phone that

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i18-USB iPowerStation Smartphone/Tablet Charger review

i18 USB 01

I’ve always wanted a small docking station either for my iPhone or Nexus 7/Kindle Touch tablet.  I then got my hands on the i18-USB PowerStation  from i18 Technology.  The USB PowerStation is a microUSB smartphone and tablet wall charger and dock.  It’s made of plastic (color choices are in white, black, or pink) and has a small green

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Wallet-sized ChargeCard cable now available.

chargecard travel cable

Last July, Julie told us about a crowd-funding project for a charging cable that could be carried in a credit-card slot in your wallet.  That project was very successfully funded at more than 3 times the goal, and now the ChargeCard is ready for shipping to the general public.  BiteMyApple, a website that sells only

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Y-Charge turns your car’s power outlet into a dual charging station

tylt y charge usb adapter

If you travel with multiple USB-chargeable devices in a car with only one power outlet, you may find yourself having to make a difficult decision – which device do I charge?  With the Y-Charge from TYLT, your decision will be easier because you can charge two devices at once.  The Y-Charge plugs directly into the

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The PowerFlask supplies enough juice for a gadget party!

powerflask charger

If you travel with a lot of power-hungry devices, you probably also travel with backup power.  Instead of needing a different emergency charger for each device, you can charge everything with one PowerFlask charger from Digital Treasures.  The PowerFlask has a 13,000mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery with enough power to add hours of use to your USB-chargeable

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Energizer Recharge Value AA/AAA NiMH Battery Charger review

energizer recharge value 1

How many devices, toys and gadgets do you own that use AA or AAA batteries? Do you feed these devices standard alkaline batteries, or do you use rechargeables? I personally prefer to go the rechargeable route mainly because it’s easier and less expensive for me to pop a set of drained batteries into a charger

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Use that cup of joe to charge on the go with onE Puck

Epiphany onE Puck 1 .jpg

Looking for a unique way to charge your phone on the go? The Epiphany onE Puck from Epiphany Labs is a Kickstarter project that may provide the ooh factor you desire. The onE Puck is a unique portable charging device that uses either heat or cold to charge your phone. It uses a small Stirling engine

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