Category: Chargers/Batteries

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Chargers/Batteries Smart Home

The Plugzr outlet add-on puts you in charge of your charging

Year and year, more devices are making their way into the homes of the general populace — and all of them need sweet electricity to make them work. The problem lies in the myriad of chargers and cables that soon become difficult to keep track of, eventually being misplaced altogether.

To help manage the increasing amount of clutter these smart devices generate, a team out of Germany developed the Plugzr smart wall outlet. While Plugzr may look like an ordinary wall outlet, it’s Wi-Fi connectivity and built-in charging docks and rapid charging USB ports make it anything but. With the former, users can do everything from remotely turn on or turn off plugged in devices to gauge the amount of power each device is sucking up or also set devices to a schedule and even set scenes using the Plugzr companion smartphone app.

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Chargers/Batteries

Plug’s beefy battery can power anything you need off the grid

Once a novel idea, our growing need for smartphone connectivity has spawned an endless supply of battery chargers. Many of these range from tiny keychain trinkets to more substantial slabs that offer two to three charges of smartphones boasting the biggest internal batteries.

To really stand out, though, you need to something big and different. ChargeTech knows this as the company has released a series of portable charging units including this charger charger that can keep a series of charging bricks topped off.Aafter hitting Indiegogo back in 2014 with what it claimed was the world’s smallest battery pack with an AC outlet, it’s with Plug, which houses a massive 48,000 mAh battery and two AC outlets as well as a USB-C port. How is capable of outputting  250 volts, which means it is robust enough to handle a desktop computer, a monitor, a television, a blender and many other electrical items one normally wouldn’t expect to use away from a wall.

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Aquatics Chargers/Batteries

Estream uses running water to keep your devices running

Reconnecting with the great outdoors is a wonderful thing, but sharing those experiences with family and friends makes it even more memorable. But keeping the devices used to document these adventures can be pretty difficult without access to electricity. That’s why Enomad developed its Estream portable hydroelectric generator.

Small and compact enough for a backpack, the Estream sports a modular design that lets users easily ready it for power generation. Users need only to snap off its cover, unfold its turbines and lock them, hook it in with its base, then throw into the water. There, a run ning current will spin its turbines, powering the 6400 mAh battery in its base.

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Chargers/Batteries

The ATILIUM power bank keeps you charged up all day with dope design

Getting through the modern work day means having enough juice powering the connected devices needed to get from point A to point B. Because of this, there’s no worse feeling than seeing a battery indicator turn red as it begs for more power. People usually carry around charging cables and power banks to mitigate the problem, but in the end, no one really wants to do either.

Inspired by his childhood in Brooklyn, New York during the Golden Age of Hip Hop, Louis W. Colon III’s ATILIUM is an effortless blend of nostalgia and practicality. Immediately, the power bank’s slim design draws attention because it was made to resemble a pager, a cultural icon immortalized in countless songs, movies, TV shows and literature from the decade. By combining this design with a 4400mAh battery, the pager is resurrected for a more modern purpose.

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Chargers/Batteries

PompAdapter brings faster charging to existing devices

It’s a common problem. A phone call must be made, but there is no power left on one’s smartphone. Attaching a charging cable is easy, but typically results in a long wait until there is enough juice to make a call.

patent-claimedPompAdapter is a universal power adapter that doubles the charging speed of any mobile device charging cable that a user already owns. The patent-pending (in China) accessory can be used with any laptop or notebook computer, and any Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. PompAdapter just needs to be plugged into any device charger. PompAdapter ships in August at future pricing of $39.99. But Indiegogo backers can get one for a pledge starting at $19 for early birds. Its makers are looking to raise $3,500 by June 2.

This device is a handy one for just about any consumers who own mobile devices –- especially when traveling. An additional plus is that PompAdapter won’t drain a device’s battery even if it remains connected all night long, its makers say.

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Chargers/Batteries Music

The Ripcord USB cable powers all your musical gadgets anywhere

For the roving musician, inspiration can strike anywhere. The good news is that there’s never been a better for this to happen, with a plethora of options — both digital and analog — for playing and recording music. The bad news is that all of this equipment, from guitar pedals, amps, synths and keyboards to mixers, MIDI recorders, and tuners, all need to be powered by batteries that are too expensive or power outlets that may not be compatible or not there at all.

The team behind the Ripcord believe that due to its ubiquity, USB power is the future. To take advantage of the fact that most people carry already carry with the USB chargers, power banks, laptops, and smartphones all with USB ports, the Ripcord was developed to be a plug-and-play power cord that allows the standard 5V output of USB ports to charge musical equipment requiring 9V.

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Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries

Soso beats the so-so option of separate cases and chargers

Cases and chargers are must-have accessories for smartphones and tablets. Having one product that performs both functions, therefore, would be convenient for many consumers. In addition to eliminating the need to buy two separate products, it would eliminate the need to schlep around two separate products.

patent-claimedSoso provides exactly that solution. It’s both a patented device case and charger for mobile devices. Soso comes in multiple form factors to fit Apple devices, and looks like a standard case. But built into the back of the cover is a charging cable that easily peels off when needed and quickly folds back in place when not needed.

Soso ships in July at future pricing of $30 for a version that works with the iPhone 6 and 6 S, $35 for the 6 Plus and 6 S Plus, $39 for iPad mini, $49 for iPad Air, and $59 for iPad Pro. But early bird Indiegogo backers can get them for pledges of $15, $20, $25, $30 and $35, respectively. The cases for iPads also serve as tablet stands. Soso’s makers hope to raise $25,000 by April 8.

This is a handy device for iOS device owners. Support for Android devices would obviously open it up to a much wider audience.

 

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Chargers/Batteries

Voltower towers above other power strips and surge protectors

Surge protectors have long been among the most important electronic accessories to own. They not only provide consumers with the ability to power multiple devices at the same time, but also ensure those devices aren’t damaged if there’s a power surge.

patent-claimedOne common problem with them, however, is that it’s often hard to get devices of different sizes to reach the same power strip, at least without causing an unsightly mess of cables. Voltower is a patented and vertically-oriented, height-adjustable power strip that makes the task easier. It can be adjusted to stand from 25 to 36 inches tall and has the capacity to plug in up to 10 devices, with six 110-volt standard power outlets and four USB ports. The grounded and surge-protected strip also offers multiple mounting options.

Voltower ships in November at $129 in black, silver and black-on-silver SKUs. But early bird Kickstarter backers can get one for a pledge starting at $69. Its makers are looking to raise $188,888 by April 3. The device is clearly a handy one to have in a home or office. But it lacks the portability of typical power strips and surge protectors. It also lacks the original, eye-catching design of the similar TwistVolt.

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Chargers/Batteries Smart Home

The YOUMO modular power strip makes supplying power electrifying

While smartphones and laptops continue to slim down and offer more powerful specs, the humble strip keeps on chugging along in all its practical, drab glory, doling out power and taking names. Most of the time, though, it doesn’t offer much in the way of functionality.

The YOUMO is a smart modular power strip offering users a wide range of plug-and-go modules for a custom power solution for any situation.  Good Gadgets, the three-man team behind the Kickstarter campaign, has designed YOUMO modules to be lightweight for travel and aesthetically pleasing, a far cry from most dollar store varieties. It all starts with a base cord in three different lengths and seven different colors. From there, six modules can connect in any combination to each other.

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Chargers/Batteries Wearables

The NiftyX Lifesaving Bracelet’s puny power bank is more jewelry than joules

The specter of a near-death smartphone battery is the type of first-world problem that needs an immediate solution lest the existential dread of being cut off from notification set in. Power banks can be a key aid in this regard, helping many smartphones avoid an untimely (if temporary) fate. However, they can sometimes be clunky and those cables can get pretty messy. In other words, shouldn’t there be more wearable power banks?

The team behind the NiftyX Lifesaving Leather Charging Cable Bracelet sure think so. The wrist-worn portable charger and cable boasts a hand-braided, genuine leather construction set off by a stainless steel buckle for maximum fashion appeal. But while it may look great, the NiftyX Lifesaving Bracelet’s 210m  Ah battery won’t be saving much. While it will certainly come through in a pinch, a more powerful solution is still needed if, say, one forgets to charge a phone overnight and needs to get through the day.

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