Hasta La Gadget!

Having lots of devices can be fun, but it’s a pain when you run out of juice. I’ve had to scramble to find a power plug more than once, and the external battery that I have usually doesn’t last that long. Lugging around a large battery in your backpack makes sense if you’re heading outdoors.

The SOOT Electropack is supposed to be able to power your devices for up to two weeks without having to plug it in. Now that’s what I call self-sufficiency. The bag is made up of three modular bags, which can be combined to suit your needs.

Each one contains a 10,000 mAh battery. The pack can charge up to four devices at once, from smartphones to tablets. A single battery pack can charge a typical smartphone up to seven times, or an iPad once. Get the version with an extra battery pack to double that for up to two weeks of capacity for your smartphone.

The SOOT Electropack has got 34L of storage, so you can still lug around a lot of gear while keeping your devices fully juiced up. It was launched as Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, which ends on October 17th. You’ll have to pledge at least $239(USD) with one battery pack. $279 will buy you a the version with the extra battery pack.

[via Yanko Design]

Do you leave your phone on the kitchen table a lot? If you do, then you’ll be pleased to know that it won’t just be sitting there idly, thanks to a collaboration between DuPont Building Innovations and the Power Matters Alliance.

They’ve come up with a surface that can charge smartphones and other devices wirelessly. They basically took Powermat’s wireless charging technology and embedded that within Corian solid surfaces. The latter is basically a synthetic, granite alternative that’s often used for countertops.

This new technology isn’t just for kitchen counters. The surface can also be installed on nightstands and coffee tables. The DuPont-PMA team up is especially exciting. Who knows? We might soon see countertop chargers installed in public spaces soon.

[via designboom via Bit Rebels]

No matter what smartphone you have, at some point in time, even if you’ve got a 2,300 mAh battery, you’ll end up needing a juice up. While there are plenty of battery cases available, these kinds of products quickly become obsolete once the format of your smartphone changes. That’s one of the reasons why having an external battery makes a lot of sense.

The TYLT PowerPlant has a 5,200 mAh battery, which comes in a nice, rectangular cuboid shape with rounded edges. The PowerPlant comes with an integrated cable, so that you aren’t fumbling around with cables. The downside is that this cable is quite short, so you can’t operate your phone in one hand while keeping the battery in your pocket or  your bag, with a cable trailing out. You’ll need to set your phone down so that it can juice up. Thankfully, the PowerPlant also comes with a microUSB and USB slots, so any cables you have will work with your devices. Charge-ups are pretty fast, too.  One full charge up takes about 2 hours for the iPhone 4S. The pack has got four LEDs telling you the remaining charge, and you can easily get 3 complete charges on a typical smartphone using the battery.

The TYLT PowerPlant comes in three different versions. One for iPhone 4/4S, one for iPhone 5 and one for other smartphones. The last model has got an integrated microUSB cable. Naturally, this battery can also be used for any other mobile devices you have, like tablets. The performance of the battery is certainly good, though it remains to be seen if this will continue over time. Most of these battery packs will suffer as the batteries degrade, but overall, it’s a really interesting device that will definitely help keep you powered up when you are in a bind, and no matter if you change phones or models, you’ll be still able to use it, which isn’t the case in for battery cases.

The only negative is the rubber cover the ports. I almost ripped it out the first time I opened it. It takes a while before you realize which side can be easily opened. The PowerPlant costs between $69.99 to $89.99 (USD).

Nissan has thrown down the warranty gauntlet to other EV makers by announcing it would be the first to “restore” battery capacity if a Leaf’s full charge fell below 9 out of 12 “bars” within 5 years or 60k miles. The new clause was announced by VP Andy Palmer and will go into effect in spring of next year on all models, including those sold in 2011 and 2012. The company stressed it would only “repair or replace the battery under warranty with a new or remanufactured unit to restore capacity at or above a minimum of nine bars,” and not a full charge — saying a gradual, but not excessive loss of charge was normal. Nissan added that it’d look to improve the accuracy of the battery gauge, since the aforementioned bars on the dash were computer managed and not exactly scientific. All of this applies to US-only vehicles for now, but similar policies will soon go into effect worldwide, according to the statement. So, if you’ve been starting to get range anxiety, check the PR below the break for more info.

Continue reading Nissan upgrades US Leaf warranties, will ‘restore’ batteries that lose too much charge

Filed under: Transportation

Comments

Via: Autoblog Green

Bicycle lights generally use battery or solar-powered LEDs these days, not bike dynamos like in the 1980s. That doesn’t mean that these types of tiny power stations aren’t still useful. I’ve seen a couple of different ones allowing you to charge up your devices simply by pedaling a bit more. The BikeCharge will take this to a new level since it generates more current and is lighter than other models.

iBikeConsole’s BikeCharge Dynamo is a mounted DC power generator and it works with most smartphone brands. It’s supposed to charge up your phone in 2 to 3 hours, which isn’t bad – especially if you’re going for  It’s weatherproof, and the all-in-one design is 20% lighter than other systems of this nature. There’s a quick-release clutch that will allow you to disengage the dynamo when you aren’t in need of the extra power, though it’s designed to add minimal drag to your pedaling efforts when engaged. It’s also got a front LED light and two rear red LED lights, which can stay illuminated for up to 2 hours after you stop riding.

The BikeCharge Dynamo sells for $99.99(USD) but is currently out of stock.

[via Ubergizmo]