Hasta La Gadget!

As you’ve certainly discovered, mobile electronics can go through a lot of power and there’s not always an outlet around when you need one. To satisfy the demand for charging on-the-go, Energizer just announced a line of 10 Energi To Go products.

Beginning in July, you’ll be able to buy these large-scale refillable batteries for whatever devices you have. Look for them in Staples, Best Buy, Target, and Apple Stores. The line ranges from a large 18,000 mAh device that can charge three gadgets at once, to a 600 mAh wallet-sized charger just right for giving your cell phone a boost. There will also be solar-powered options and a model just for iPhones.

These power packs come pre-charged, are refillable from wall outlets, and come with a variety of tips for various portable devices. If the model you buy doesn’t have the tip you need, Engergizer is offering a TipFit Guarantee, where you can go online and select the tip you need, then have it mailed to you at no cost.

The line will range in price from $19.99 to $199.99 when it hits stores next month. Visit the Facebook page for more information.

The BenQ Joybee GP1 (http://tinyurl.com/n22fxx) is one portable, powerful projector for people on the go.

Starting today, all Flip video cameras will come with new preloaded software that makes it incredibly easy to share your videos with friends. Called FlipShare, the software arrives on the camera itself and works with Windows and Macintosh computers. Existing Flip camera owners can download the software for free by visiting the Flip site and clicking the FlipShare link.

FlipShare creates a drag-and-drop interface where users can easily upload their clips to MySpace and YouTube, among other sites. They can also create their own video channel with Flip’s new Flip Channels feature.

With a Flip Channel, users can decide who they want to give access to their videos, so they could be open to the world or just to select family and friends. They can even create multiple groups with different videos in each.

While sharing is the main feature, the new software also lets people organize their videos, create video greeting cards, make HD snapshots, and produce custom movies by arranging clips and then adding music. If you want to send your videos to a relative who isn’t plugged in, you can use the software to order a DVD and have it shipped.

iPhone owners will soon gain a new way to view FlipShare videos, as a free FlipShare app will soon appear in the iTunes store. I get the feeling the Flip people were hoping it would be there already, but Apple takes its time with app approvals. The iPhone app will let people access Flip Channels and view videos from anywhere. Flip already made shooting high-quality video easy; now it’s making sharing just as simple.

On Monday, Hillcrest Labs announced that it will begin selling its Loop wireless mouse on Amazon for $99.

What is the Loop, you ask? Well, it’s a circular, bracelet-sized remote mouse designed for a media-center PC, or just any application where a wireless mouse is needed to navigate a display. Think of it as a Wii-style controller for your PC; in fact, last year Hillcrest sued Nintendo, claiming that the Wii’s controller infringed on its patents.

Hillcrest has actually marketed the Loop to OEMs for years; the first time we saw it was back in 2007, when the future of remote controls was being debated. Then, according to Hillcrest, the Loop was just a prototype.

According to Hillcrest, the device uses a USB transceiver, and otherwise works as a standard mouse. Two bonuses of note: the Loop can be used as an alternative controller to surf the Web on the Sony PlayStation 3, and can be used with the Apple TV as well, provided that aTV Flash from Fire Core is installed, according to Hillcrest Labs.

The economy – and the tech industry – is still on track for a recovery in the second half of this year, and while the holiday season will not fully recover in 2009, it will be less dismal than 2008, according to analysts from the Consumer Electronics Association.

The recession could end in the late July, early August timeframe, Shawn Dubravac, an economist and director of research at CEA, said at a conference hosted by the association.

Consumers have cut out excess spending, but the good news is that analysts are seeing the same trends during this recession as they saw during previous recessions, Dubravac said. In those cases, consumer spending usually bottomed out before the economy did, so that this point, it can only get better from here.

Dubravac and his colleague Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis for CEA, have been speaking with tech executives who are part of CEA’s advisory panel. On average, “optimists are leading the pack,” Koenig said.

Panel members predicted a 0.5 percent growth for 2009, but a 2.9 percent growth in 2010, Koenig said. “That’s slightly above the current estimate for GDP, so tech will outpace GDP.”

Back in January, the industry was extremely pessimistic, but that has picked up in recent months, Dubravac said. “That’s a good sign before the holidays.”

Holiday 2009 will be “low by historical standards, but better than 2008,” he said.

What will be driving the growth?

Get the rest of this story on pcmag.com.