Peer into the drawers of the average gadget addict and you’re sure to find a tangled mess of unused chargers gathering dust. Mobile phones are a prime offender in creating redundant gadget junk, with new models released every few months to drive upgrades. Indeed, U.K. carrier O2 calculates there are now more than 100 million unused phone chargers languishing in Brits’ drawers — which is why it… → Read More
Hitachi Maxell, in cooperation with Murata, has announced [JP] the so-called Air Voltage for the Japanese market today, a combination of a wireless charging pad (dubbed “Energy Stand”) and jacket (“Energy Cover”) specifically for use with the iPad 2. According to Maxell, the device is the first of its kind (mass-produced).
The way it works is that users put their iPad 2 into the jacket, place… → Read More
We will see more of these devices coming in the next few years, I am sure: Panasonic today announced [JP] the BG-BL01, a portable and solar-powered LED light that doubles as a charger for USB gadgets. The device is sized at just 152×104×24mm, weighs 150g, can house two AA batteries and is splash proof. → Read More
Charging your phone the usual way is too boring for you? Then consider the Hatsuden-Nabe, manufactured by a Japanese company called TES NewEnergyCorporation. It’s basically a pot with a USB port, and it can turn heat that would normally be wasted into power that you can use to charge your cell phone (or other USB gadgets). → Read More
Not sure what to think of this, but here we go: Hitachi Maxell has developed a wireless charging solution for the iPhone 4 that looks pretty elegant but requires users to place their handset in a special case. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that this case can double as a protective sleeve in everyday use. → Read More
Ben Heck, the engineering whiz who makes genuinely useful stuff for the lot of us, has a new device that may interest you Android fans in the crowd. It’s a mobile phone charger that works using the mighty power of kinetic energy, the energy of motion. What a pleasant man this Ben Heck is. → Read More
Japanese electronics company Murata has developed a wireless charging system for the iPad (see picture). According to a recent report in Japanese business daily The Nikkei, the main bullet point here is that users can choose how to place their iPad on the charging plate freely. → Read More
In September last year, Konami Japan released a dating simulation called LovePlus that went on to become a huge hit on the Nintendo DS. It’s so successful that last November, a Japanese man married a character from the game. Now Konami decided to give a merchandising license to Tokoy-based Webcrew Agency [JP], which today announced cell phone chargers [JP] based on LovePlus. → Read More
Do you own an iPad, iPhone, iPod, Sony Xperia, a Nintendo DS, or other mobile devices? Do you need a power source when you use these gadgets on the go? If yes, then the mobile chargers Sanyo announced today might do the trick for you.
There will be two versions: one, the so-called “eneloop stick booster” (pictured above) comes with adapters (licensed by Nintendo) to power your DS and the other… → Read More
One of the biggest hurdles on the road to make electric vehicles attractive for the mass market is the long time it usually takes to charge batteries. But a Japanese company called JFE Engineering now claims it has found a solution for that problem. According to JFE, even so-called “quick battery chargers” often take 30 minutes to charge a car’s battery to 80% of its capacity. → Read More
AT&T’s ZERO draw charger will turn itself off when it isn’t actively charging. That is all. → Read More
Short Version: A bit of a twist on traditional induction chargers, Case-mate’s “Hug Wireless Charging Pad and Case” attempts to offset its $100 price tag by adhering to the Wireless Power Consortium’s universal charging standard, which promises interoperability with other charging pads and devices that are developed using the same technology. → Read More
I’ll be damned. A solar charger with a 1500mAh capacity battery and 5-volt output from a relatively well known manufacturer priced at $30. That actually seems reasonable.
The solBAT II from Scosche features a standard USB output port for charging most of your portable devices and it even comes with a little suction mount case for use in the car. So what’s the catch for $30? → Read More
You’ve left your cell phone charger at a hotel, right? At least once. Plenty of frequent travelers leave their chargers behind all… the… time.
If you’ve forgotten various phone and mobile device chargers in the past, you are entitled to partake in the wheel of karma known as the lost and found box at your nearest hotel. You can defer your participation to a later date or use it right… → Read More
Well here’s ones way to get your “brand” out there. Samsung will install its mobile chargers (you might have seen them at airports here and there) at 15 colleges around the U.S. That’s just step one. Step two is installing said chargers at more than 50 colleges around the country. → Read More
Did you know you can recharge your mobile devices without an actual power outlet? It’s true! You can use solar power, magic, or little alternators like this YoGen charger. → Read More
Available starting today, the $30 Energizer Flat Panel 2X Charging System from Performance Designed Products is an inexpensive, quick, and cool way to juice up your Wii remotes. → Read More
Apparently Monday is DIY day here at CrunchGear, as we have another project for you. Battery powered USB chargers are nothing new — but building one yourself, that’s something different. Using a few components from your local electronics store and a 9v battery, you too can solder together your own little frankencharger. → Read More
What is that bear doing to that poor outlet and WHAT is that iPod cable doing to that poor bear?! This is the Kawaii Bear iPod Charger, straight from our friends in Japan. → Read More
Here’s an interesting idea: what if the part of the cell phone charger that you plug into the wall doubled as a rechargeable extended battery pack? That’s actually coming in November with the $50 PowerPak from Technocel. → Read More
If you have a dynamo generator-equipped bike, $100, and a USB-powered gadget that needs charged, Dahon has a doodad called the BioLogic FreeCharge coming out in March that just might interest you. It basically grabs the power you generate while pedaling and outputs it via USB cable, allowing you to keep your phone juiced up along that 100-mile bike ride you’re always talking about doing someday. → Read More
Scosche has dropped the price of its solar battery charger from $40 down to $25, plus you can get an extra 15% off by using promo code back2school until October 1st. The “sunVOLT” is a five-volt solar battery that holds a 500mAh charge and features little suction cups for use in the car. → Read More
This thing’s slim, I tell you. Slim. At just one centimeter thick, the “Ultra Slim (Card Type) Emergency Charger for iPod / iPhone” over at USB Fever might find its way into a few pockets when it’s released on August 23rd. → Read More
Here we have a combination USB hub, rechargeable battery extender, and solar doodad in one. The 2.5- by 2.5-inch square features an internal lithium ion battery that can be charged via sunlight or AC power and then hooked up to your dying cell phone to provide some extra juice on the go. → Read More
Short Version: Simple to operate and offering the ability to pop out the rechargeable AAA batteries for use in other devices, the Pocket Booster pulls double duty as life support for your phone and battery charger for items like remote controls and Bluetooth mice. → Read More
Ah, the eternal struggle of figuring out where to put your gadgets while they charge. So far we’ve got: the floor, a table and/or desk, a chair, a window sill, a dresser, and your bed. Now add “Plug-in Shelf Portable Cell Phone Charging Station” to the list. → Read More
Quick Version: We take a look at three different iPhone/iPod chargers from Kensington, RichardSolo, and i.Sound, weighing the pros and cons of each. → Read More
Short Version: The Kensington 4-Port USB Charger is an ideal solution for people toting multiple USB-powered gadgets who want to charge more than one of those gadgets at a time without looking for open USB ports and wall sockets. → Read More
I’m not an experienced electrical engineer so I’m never sure about the feasibility of this sort of thing, but I’ve seen wireless power demonstrated before, and if you’re willing to work within certain restrictions, it seems to be a perfectly good option. I don’t really like the idea of, say, microwave based power being shot all over my room, so this magnetic induction… → Read More
Short Version: The Medis 24/7 Power Pack makes for a good, easy-to-use emergency charging kit to keep in the car or for use anywhere without access to conventional power. At $30 to $50, it’s relatively inexpensive as long as you use it sparingly. → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Boston, MA
Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
