Hasta La Gadget!

You’ve probably seen another solar-powered charger that looks a lot like the Kiwi U-Powered, but this one has a difference: Besides charging from solar panels, it also charges from any USB source, such as a car charger or wall charger. That makes it a little less green, but a lot more useful. If you’ve ever tried to use a solar-powered charger, you’ve probably discovered that they require a lot of strong sunlight for a full charge. The U-Powered works with the sun when you have it, but can also charge from a USB connection to save time.

This is the first in a line of four environmentally-friendly products coming from Kiwi Choice this summer and fall. Once you’ve powered up your U-Powered, use it to charge your iPhone, BlackBerry, digital camera, or other portable device. The charger comes with 11 connectors for a range of devices, as well as a USB and wall charger. Get it for $49.99 from KiwiChoice.com.

Green is red-hot, and gadget-maker Dexim is capitalizing on that with its latest iPhone accessory. The Dexim DCA199 Foldable Solar-Powered P-Flip can charge up your iPhone 3G or 3GS is a mere 15 hours. Mere? Well, major. If you get 15 hours of sunlight, you may be living at the equator. Dexim says the P-Flip will extend talk time up to 8 hours, game playing or video watching up to 15 hours, and audio playing up to 60 hours.

Besides charging, the P-Flip can hold your iPhone vertically or horizontally for hands-free viewing, and folds up for easy travel. You can get the charger from Dexim’s site for $79 or, not surprisingly, from SkyMall.com.

We’re pretty big fans of the HyperMac external batteries here at Engadget, as they’ve saved us on numerous occasions from becoming mindlessly bored on coast-to-coast flights by keeping our laptops humming for a few more hours. Unfortunately, the integrated USB port — while handy — isn’t up for handling Apple’s new iPad, which requires a 10 watt USB adapter to even charge. We tested our lab iPad on our existing 222Wh HyperMac, and sure enough, the screen you’re peering at above is what we saw (read: “Not Charging”) — though it does seem to power the device as to not drain what’s left of the battery while connected. In order to remedy said quandary, the folks at Sanho have announced a new line of HyperMac batteries that support iPad charging, but unfortunately for you existing users, every available upgrade path involves shelling out more cash for a new pack. The revamped devices will be available in four different capacities: 60Wh ($169), 100Wh ($269), 150Wh ($369) and 222Wh ($469), able to extend the iPad 25Wh rated internal battery by 2 to 9 times, giving a total run-time of between 34 to 99 hours. Sanho claims these will be rechargeable up to 1,000 times and will include a one-year warranty, so if you’re interested, you can place your pre-order now and await a shipment notification in around a fortnight.

Continue reading HyperMac external battery packs refreshed with iPad charging support

HyperMac external battery packs refreshed with iPad charging support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know what you’re thinking: what could possibly be cool about a simple micro-USB charger? Well, lots of things, turns out — and T-Mobile’s latest three-pack of aftermarket chargers might just be worth the cost of admission over the standard wall wart your phone’s manufacturer tossed in the box. There are three models available — a wall charger, car charger, and 2-in-1 model that’ll do both — and all of them promise to charge your handset 20 to 50 percent faster than a standard model. What’s cooler, though, is that they all feature extra USB ports in addition to the built-in micro-USB cord, allowing you to plug in and charge a second device of your choice, and the cord’s never going to get too messed up thanks to an integrated spool that lets you keep everything wound up when it’s not in use. If you’re feeling green, take heart — both the wall and 2-in-1 models have the best possible Energy Star rating. They’re available now for between $30 and $40 online and in “select” stores, with a nationwide roll-out following on July 19. Follow the break for T-Mobile’s press release.

Continue reading T-Mobile’s new charger line is surprisingly interesting: fast, extra port, integrated cord management

T-Mobile’s new charger line is surprisingly interesting: fast, extra port, integrated cord management originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 May 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Say you’ve got an iPhone and a BlackBerry, or an iPod and a laptop. Now imagine they both have dead batteries at the same time. A real horror show, right? A geek nightmare. But here comes the hero to save the day: Targus has released the Premium Laptop Charger, a sleek and sexy device that lets you charge two gadgets at the same time.

This clever charger can rotate 180 degrees vertically, so it won’t block outlets on a power strip. For convenience, it comes with 9 laptop tips, one miniUSB tip, and an iPod/iPhone tip. At $139.99, it the most expensive charger you’ll ever buy, but you can’t beat the convenience.