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Nyko is ready to give your PS4 controller the battery life it deserves
Although the PlayStation 4 is a fine gaming console, it has a definite Achilles' heel -- the very, very short battery life of the bundled DualShock 4 controller. It's a good thing, then, that Nyko has at last shipped the PowerPak add-on that it promised back in January. Shelling out $20 gives you a 1,000mAh lithium-ion battery that roughly doubles the longevity of Sony's official gamepad. That's not saying much when the DualShock normally gets just a few hours of play time per charge, but the extra capacity should be good enough to handle a marathon Destiny session.
Nyko unveils PS4 Intercooler, double-capacity DualShock 4 battery pack
In an effort to address gaps left by Sony when designing the PlayStation 4, accessories manufacturer Nyko has unveiled two new peripherals for the console which should keep it running cooler, longer. One of the most salient gripes against the PS4 is that the DualShock 4 controller runs out of juice very rapidly, especially when compared to the Xbox One's controllers. To combat this, Nyko has revealed a new version of its PowerPak replacement battery that boasts a 1,000mAh cell. While independent tests of the as yet unreleased battery are still a ways off, that much stored charge should provide about twice as much power as the DualShock 4's native battery. For those worried about their new machine overheating, Nyko also unveiled a new generation of its Intercooler accessory. Like earlier models, the Intercooler automatically senses temperature changes in the PlayStation 4 and ramps up the speed of its fans to compensate for the increased heat. Helpfully, Nyko has designed the Intercooler (pictured above) to be as sleek as possible, so while it will add a bit more bulk to the back end of your PS4, the system's stark aesthetic remains uncompromised. Both the Intercooler and the PowerPak are slated for release later this year. The former will feature a $25 price tag, while the latter is priced at $20.
Nyko unveils Qi wireless charging dock, Intercooler for PS4 and a DualShock 4 controller extended battery (update: prices)
It's CES time, folks, and that means that Nyko's got a slew of gaming peripherals to show us all. Naturally, next-gen is the order of the day, with the reveal of an Intercooler device that attaches to the rear of your PlayStation 4 to keep it cool. Nyko's also rolling out a PowerPak replacement battery for Sony's DualShock 4 controller that doubles up the standard battery pack with a 1,000mAh cell. Additionally, and perhaps puzzlingly, the company is also announcing a Qi wireless charging dock, called the Power Base, built to fit Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Nexus 5 handsets. You can get a glimpse at pictures of all the products in the gallery below, but alas, renders are all we can give you for now -- the real products, prices and arrival dates won't be available until long after CES 2014 is over. Update: Nyko just relased pricing for all its new gear: the Power Base is $40, Intercooler is $25, and the PowerPak is $20, and all three can be had this spring.
Technocel's $70 PowerPak Duo battery pack doubles up on USB ports, ships April 1st
Technocel's original PowerPak (and Battery Boost) were both among our stash of gadgets used at this year's CES, and they proved incredibly useful for juicing up a dead MiFi or smartphone without having to remain tethered to an AC outlet. As you well know, we're pretty big fans of external battery packs, and it seems as if Technocel has addressed the one major gripe we had with the first-generation PowerPak. The Duo is essentially the same kind of gizmo, but with a lot more oomph and double the ports. It's a squared power brick with an internal 2500mAh lithium-ion battery (compared to 1600mAh in the earlier build), and rather than having a single USB port, this guy's got two; moreover, it's far easier to look at, and is said to provide up to 7.5 extra hours of talk time to the average phone. The company also throws in a half-million interchangeable tips that are compatible with around 95 percent of handheld USB devices, and based on word directly from Technocel, it'll go on sale April 1st for $69.99. %Gallery-115637%
Technocel PowerPak pulls double duty as portable battery and home charger
Wouldn't it be nice if your home phone charger could double as a charging device itself when taken on the road? Yes, yes it would. Technocel undoubtedly agrees, as its PowerPak does just that. When plugged into a standard wall outlet, it can simultaneously charge whatever USB device is plugged into it (amongst others, considering the bundle of tips that are included) and juice up its internal cell; once unplugged, the integrated battery can provide enough power to a dead mobile to let you yap for around three hours, or just enough to make it through whatever sobfest your ill-willed SO has planned for you next week. It's expected to go on sale in around a fortnight at various retail locations and Sprint stores.%Gallery-75660%
Play NES ROMs through official hardware with PowerPak
You young whippersnappers today have it so easy. Hard drives... downloadable content... power buttons right on your the wireless controller! Back in my day you actually had to get up and put a cartridge in the system when you wanted a new game. Of course, that's not so easy for me anymore, what with the rheumatism and all. And don't get me started on blowing in the dang things ...What's that? You say there's a new flash cart that lets you store multiple NES games on a single cartridge? You say you can put hundreds of ROMs on a standard CompactFlash card and play them through the standard NES hardware? You say my days of getting up to put in Clu Clu Land are over?We'll see about that. I'll just adjust the old InterWeb browser and ... $135! Do ya think, I'm made of money? Back in my day $135 would buy you a brand new Cadillac sedan with enough left over for a fancy dinner at Roxy's. Why even today I could use that money to buy 57 27 [update: us old folks make typos too] legally downloaded NES games for my Wii. Stop wasting my time.[Via insertcredit]
This is how NOT to extend battery life
Hmm... I guess I should've saved my Frankenstein homage for this beast of a device. Mad Catz's Power Pak "doubles" the battery life of the PSP ... by having it protrude oh-so [sarcasm] inconspicuously [/sarcasm]. Mad Catz: let's not forget that the PSP is a portable device too: I want it to manage to fit in pants that aren't prefixed by the word "parachute."At least it comes with one good feature: USB charging. When you're traveling, you may not always have access to your PSP charger ... but most everyone has a USB cable you can steal![Via PSP GadgetZ]
