Hasta La Gadget!

We don’t know what charlatanism is afoot here, but word is that Australian company Digital Works has come up with a way to recharge non-rechargeable batteries. We’d usually scoff at such blasphemy, but the tech has been convincing enough to at least get PC Treasures (who?) to distribute the ReZap Battery Engineer on the North American continent. This little do-it-all device will juice up rechargeable and standard batteries alike — allowing up to 10 recharges for the latter type — and is also capable of electrifying up to four cells of varying sizes at the same time. You can expect the ReZap to arrive in May with an SRP of $59.95, which we’d consider cheap if it does everything it promises, or extortionate in the somewhat more likely event that it doesn’t. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Digital Works’ ReZap recharges disposable batteries, coming to North America in May

Digital Works’ ReZap recharges disposable batteries, coming to North America in May originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Universal Wrist Charger is not, tragically, a motion-powered generator which tops up its battery from the movements of your wrist. That would make my job way too easy, and would pretty much write its own rather juvenile jokes.

Instead, the Universal Wrist Charger is simply a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack with a mini-USB output and 1,500mAh capacity. The wrist-mounting is merely for convenience, but the simple addition of the wrist strap appears to make this a whole lot better than the usual re-juicer. The use-case that the seller ThinkGeek pushes is that of charging a Nintendo DS as you play, but any handheld device that can be charged with 5.5v will work, from cellphones to cameras to media-players. To this end, the charger comes bundled with nine chargers, from the PSP and the DSi to the iPhone and both Nokia adapters.

At $35, it is similarly-priced to other device-specific solutions. That is looks a little like the teleport bracelets from 1970s kitsch-fi Brit series Blake’s 7 doesn’t hurt, either.

Universal Wrist Charger [ThinkGeek]

Heads-up, iPad owners (or to-be owners, as it were) — the same devices you currently use to juice up your iPod touch or iPhone may not work on your fancy new tablet. Consumer Reports, TUAW and our own Chris Ziegler have confirmed that their powered USB hubs wouldn’t charge the iPad, and we’re even seeing reports that some Wintel rigs won’t either. The only sure bets right now are Apple computers and your nearby AC outlet, leaving iPad owners with fewer options when it comes to topping off that battery when away from your abode. We’re pretty certain this all boils down to the iPad requiring more power than most powered USB ports are designed to give, but it’s still something to keep in mind. So, any of you early adopters finding that your own powered USB hub or non-Mac does rejuvenate the iPad? Let us know in comments below.

Update: Macworld has a nice explaination of the whole situation. Looks like tablets just require more power to charge than smartphones — who woulda thunk it?

Update 2: And now Apple has come right out with a support article — head on over to see what it recommends.

Apple iPad charging woes: USB hubs, non-Macs and weak ports not rejuvenating originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile myTouch 3G users just got a new way to wirelessly charge their phones. PureEnergy Solutions and T-Mobile have teamed up to create the myTouch Drop and Go Charging Pad, which allows for wireless charging after you install a replacement back on the phone. The new charging pad should be introduced in the next few weeks at select T-Mobile stores, according to a release.

Wireless charging technology appears to be getting more popular as the months roll on. This is the first kind of pad and replacement back that we’ve heard of that will work with the myTouch 3G. No word if PureEnergy will be releasing more charging skins specifically for T-Mobile phones, but chances are fairly good.

PureEnergy also carries a line of charging pads and skins for the iPhone, several models of BlackBerry, and the Motorola RAZR V3. PureEnergy has some real competition in Powermat and Duracell’s myGrid, both of which are also recent examples that showcase similar technology.

AT&T’s Zero Charger will save the world and help trees to grow. Just kidding, but that’s just what the promo shot of the new cellphone charger would have you believe. The charger is a significant announcement though, as it solves an environmental problem most people don’t know exists: Vampire draw.

Vampire draw is the trickle of power that a charger pulls when left in the wall, even if there is no device plugged in. While small, if you add up all the chargers in the world, the numbers quickly get big. AT&T’s new Zero Charger fixes this by switching itself off completely as soon as the phone is fully charged. This would be great for my dad who inexplicably leaves his cellphones plugged in all the time except when he leaves the house.

The Zero Charger is in fact a USB charger, so it’s good for iPods and other devices, too. It should really come with every one of AT&T’s cellphones, but it appears that you’ll have to buy one (big surprise. Thanks AT&T). Given that anyone savvy enough to buy the Zero Charger is also likely to already unplug their chargers, it seems more like a rather pointless PR exercise.

Save Your Planet AT&T ZERO Charger – Coming Soon! [AT&T via DVICE]