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EE recalls every free Power Bar it ever gave out over fire risks
If you own one of EE's free Power Bar chargers, we have some bad news. After issuing a partial recall on selected units in August, the company announced today that it's asking for every single portable charging unit to be handed back. Tests reveal more models may be susceptible to overheating and could pose a fire risk.
Tesla is putting chargers in garages around Manhattan
Drivers commuting into Manhattan will soon have more options for charging up their Model S. Tesla plans to put charging units in two dozen garages around the borough through an upcoming partnership. The units will offer quicker 240-volt charging, besting the speeds of regular ol' household outlet. Of course, scattering the stations around Manhattan also means the stress of pre-planning the route home is reduced a bit. The list of participating garages includes the parking decks at hotels like the Waldorf Astoria, too. This latest effort follows the installation of charging stations along major highways as part of Tesla's plan to offer more places for drivers to replenish those batteries and cure the so-called range anxiety. "We wanted to move to an urban charging network that meets the needs of those who live in apartments or commute into a big city," Tesla's Alexis Georgeson told The New York Times. "Naturally, Manhattan was the place to try this for the first time." [Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images]
ChargePoint wants to put a $500 electric car charger in your garage
If you have an electric car, you're probably familiar with ChargePoint: it's the largest electric vehicle charging network out there. It has chargers all over the world, and a lot of them are free to use. Later this summer, you'll be able to install one of the chargers in your own garage -- but that'll cost you $500.
EE's free Power Bar chargers are back in stock
Mobile operators aren't often recognised for their benevolence, but EE caught everyone's attention when it started handing out free portable mobile chargers to customers. In fact, it received over a million requests in just four days, forcing it to "power pause" signups and tell people to try again in a couple of months. If you were one of the unlucky ones, the good news is that EE's self-imposed embargo is now up, meaning you can again claim a free 2,600mAh Power Bar via a 35p text message. As long as you're an EE, Orange or T-Mobile customer, all you have to do is send "POWER" to 365 and wait for your unique code. Once you have that, it's a simple case of popping in to your local EE store to pick it up. Those very same stores will also swap a dead Power Bar out for a fully charged one whenever you want.
Experiment charges your Tesla with footsteps
Eventually, you might not have to find a charging station when you park your electric car downtown -- pedestrians could do the work instead. Pavegen has teamed up with Tesla to show off an experimental charger that tops up your EV through kinetic energy from footsteps. You'd need "several hundred thousand" steps just to drive a Model S for 20 minutes in a downtown area, the company tells PSFK, so you won't power your vehicle just by running in place. However, this isn't as daunting a challenge as it sounds. Many urban hubs are chock-full of foot traffic, and a sufficiently long stretch of sidewalk could speed up the charging time. It'll be a long while before you see this in action. Pavegen is crowdfunding the technology, and it'll depend on adoption from cities and corporate offices after that. If all goes well, though, people power might be all you need to complete your commute home.
The best multiport USB wall charger
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the full article below at TheWirecutter.com. After surveying more than 1,100 Wirecutter readers and using six iPads to test 18 top models, we can safely say that Anker's 36W 4-Port USB Wall Charger is the best USB wall charger for most people. At only $20, it's essentially the same price as Apple's single-port 12W USB Power Adapter, but the Anker model can push out three times as much power and charge four devices at once. In fact, it can simultaneously charge three full-size iPads at full speed while also charging a smartphone. Our readers said they prefer chargers that plug directly into an outlet, and this is the most powerful one we tested to do so. Additionally, Anker's charger allows connected devices to draw the advertised amount of power; some of the competition does not.
Quick Charge 2.0 is coming to USB charging stations
Isn't it annoying when some smartphones boast Quick Charge 2.0 but only come with a regular USB charger? Given the option, we'd rather spend the money on something more practical, like a multi-port USB charging station that supports Quick Charge. And yes, we managed to stumble upon one at Computex, courtesy of Hong Kong's Magic-Pro. The Power Station Super 4 comes with -- you guessed it -- four USB ports, two of which can automatically switch to either 9V or 12V for faster charging on compatible devices, while the third port offers the common 5V/2.4A output, and the last one does 5V/3A as the company anticipates a new wave of tablets that can take the higher current. Better yet, the hub comes with a car charger and a Quick Charge 2.0-friendly micro-USB data cable, so not bad at all for a $65 package. Expect this to hit the markets at around the end of this month.
EE's free portable chargers prove so popular there aren't any left
Mobile operators very rarely offer something for free, so when they do, you can expect that people will be quick to take advantage. That's exactly what's happened in the case of EE, which has seen over a million of its subscribers sign up for one of its free branded "Power Bars" in just four days. The rush for the 2,600mAh blue and yellow charger helped drive a 300 percent increase in visitors to stores over the weekend, inevitably resulting in a complete wipeout of stock.
This power pack can charge your iPhone 6 in 15 minutes
We lamented the iPhone 6's battery in our review, but the folks at ibattz have a solution for when Apple's handset loses juice when you need it most. The company says its ASAP Charger's 20-volt, two-amp power pack can fully charge an iPhone 6 within 15 minutes. Think about it this way: That's less time than it'd take to watch an episode of 30 Rock on Netflix. Your typical five-volt, one-amp charger, on the other hand, needs an hour or more to do the same task. The ASAP comes in 5,600mAh and 11,200mAh sizes, but, sadly, the company hasn't said anything yet about pricing or availability. Blerg, indeed.
Tesla's next charger will automatically connect to your car, 'for realz'
One of the constant (if minor) hassles of electric car ownership is having to plug in whenever you get home. Wouldn't it be nice if the charger could do that for you? That may just happen. Tesla's Elon Musk has revealed that his company is working on a charger that automatically extends from the wall and attaches to your vehicle like a "solid metal snake." It'll work with both current Model S variants and future cars, too. Tesla isn't providing any more details about the gear at this stage, but it notes that Musk hinted at the P85D event (see the video below at the 9:20 mark) that the company would "probably" do something along these lines -- the key is that this is now "for realz," as the exec puts it. In other words, you may well see this reptilian power outlet in your garage before long.
Upp comes to the UK with the promise of hydrogen-fuelled device charging
If your smartphone dips into the red while you're out of the house, why scrabble for a portable battery when you can recharge with hydrogen? That's the sales pitch being made for the Upp, anyway. Intelligent Energy's first fuel cell charger is now available in Apple Stores across the UK, as well as on the Upp website. It gives power-hungry gadget fans a cleaner way to keep their devices topped up, but inevitably, there are some caveats. For one, the Upp charger will set you back a whopping £149, an amount that far exceeds the asking price for a handful of portable batteries. For another, the device is a little large and cumbersome; this isn't something you can just slide into a handbag or jacket pocket.
Charge your phone with a miniature Flux Capacitor
After surfacing on April Fools' Day, ThinkGeek made its gadget-charging Flux Capacitor into an actual product. Sporting all of the details of the full-sized power plant, this diminutive option leverages your car's cigarette lighter to juice up a pair of devices via two USB ports. Of course, those 1.21 gigawatts of power are reduced to 2.1 amps, and there's an on/off switch for the $25 time-traveling accessory's lights. And yes, they actually pulse just like you hoped. Of course, if you're looking to splurge for the real deal, you'll need to shell out a bit more dough.
Nokia's new wireless charger glows for missed calls or a low battery
Nokia is keen on Qi wireless chargers, and its latest model doesn't just sit there like a lump when not juicing your phone. Instead, the Wireless Charging Plate (DT-903) is a glowing lump, thanks to lights and Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it to your phone when it's off the charger, and it'll glow for missed calls and texts, or a low battery below 30 percent. The lights are tinted to match the green, orange or white color options, and will pulse in different patterns depending on the notification. Of course, it also charges your phone or tablet wirelessly, provided it's a Qi-enabled Lumia model with Windows Phone 8.1.1 and Bluetooth 4.0. If you can tick all those boxes and have $59 to spare, it should arrive next month.
NomadPlus turns your iPhone's wall plug into an external battery
If you're tired of lugging around both an external battery pack and a power adapter to keep your iPhone running, today's your lucky day. Nomad (the company behind the ChargeCard) has started taking pre-orders for the NomadPlus, a 1,500mAh external battery that takes advantage of the Apple's official power plug to save space. Slide the charger in and you can top up your iPhone (or other low-power USB devices) with one peripheral, whether or not you're anywhere near a wall outlet. Logically, it will also recharge its own battery when plugged in. The gadget doesn't provide much energy on its own -- it will only bring an iPhone up to 70 percent -- but it should be enough to get you through a typical day.
Swich proves a wireless phone charger doesn't have to be an eyesore
Wireless smartphone chargers have been around for quite sometime, but they usually forgo attractive aesthetics and any added functionality. Those who prefer a much more attractive option now have one with Swich: an accessory that lifts that handset off of your desk without a tether, keeping all of its buttons accessible while lending a better viewing angle. The units are constructed with sustainable American walnut and ceramics, adding a mirco-suction grip to keep gadgets from slipping while they recharge. The panel on which that daily driver rests also rotates to accommodate both landscape and portrait orientations. Of course, you'll need a Qi-compatible device or a case that adds the functionality, but those unable to pass up dapper design can snag a unit for $170 via Kickstarter.
IDAPT accessories: Style and substance from Barcelona
IDAPT is a design company in Barcelona, Spain that reflects a lot of the character of the city that's seen in the image above. While some products such as the US$9.99 Sutra channel the quirky and playful side of the architecture of Barcelona, others like the $49.99 Universal Charger i4 are as industrious and flexible as the residents of the city. Today I'm taking a look at three products from the company, all three of which one TUAW reader will win in a giveaway. Universal Holder Sutra Normally I'm skeptical of anything advertising itself as "Universal", but in the case of the Universal Holder Sutra, the name seems to be very appropriate. This is a very inexpensive stand that works with your iPhone or iPad to prop it up in a variety of positions. It's lightweight at 1.3 ounces (36.85 grams), and made of bright white plastic with accents available in six different colors (red, blue, gray, green, orange, magenta). When standing vertically, Sutra props your iPhone or iPad up in either portrait or landscape orientation. For typing on an iPad, simply place the Sutra on its side, put the iPad on top of it, and it's tilted at a slight angle that's perfect for typing. There's one more trick to the Sutra as well: one side of the case opens up to reveal a "storage trunk" inside which a pair of earphones, a connection cable, or whatever you'd like to keep neatly tucked away can reside. Smart design, low cost, multiple uses. A very smart little product! Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible IDAPT Universal Charger i4+ We see a lot of charging docks around here, the majority of which are designed to be used with one or maybe two devices of a certain type. For example, you'll get docks that have a 30-pin Dock connector, others that have a Lightning connector, and some that just provide empty USB ports into which you plug cables for a messy-looking charger. The IDAPT Universal Charger i4+ is indicative of the flexibility that the company builds into its products, as it is compatible with over 5,000 different devices. It does this by offering a variety of tips (some included, some extra) that plug into the base unit. For example, the unit I tested included tips for 30-pin Dock connector, Lightning connector, mini-USB, and two for micro-USB. Three of those tips can be plugged into the base unit at a time, meaning that you could theoretically charge an iPhone in a Mophie Juice Pack case (micro-USB), an iPhone 4S (30-pin Dock connector) and an iPad mini (Lightning connector) simultaneously. Oh, and there's a USB port on the side, so if you happen to have one more device to charge, you're set. There are are a huge number of other tips available for everything from AA/AAA batteries, the iPod shuffle, a Qi wireless charging module, even Palm devices. Just about anything you want to charge can be connected to this truly universal charger. The IDAPT Universal Charger i4+ is a 25 W charger, so every tip is getting full power even when you're charging four different devices. Every device charges just as quickly as if you've connected it to the original manufacturer charging adapter. Design-wise, the i4+ is kind of an inverted truncated pyramid in shape, and comes in a choice of black, white, cyan, magenta, yellow, and green. At $49.99, this is also a very reasonably-priced product compared to some single port units we've tested in the past. Once again, the low cost, design, and flexibility give this IDAPT product a top score from me. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible IDAPT Universal Holder HUG Desk OK, now let's see if we can go for the review trifecta here. The final product I'm looking at is the IDAPT Universal Holder HUG Desk. In comparison to the little IDAPT Sutra, which is designed for portable use, the HUG Desk is designed to take up residence on a desk or table. When IDAPT says that this is a "universal holder", they mean it. It can hold any smartphone or tablet made today. It gains this flexibility by using an elastic double strap to hold onto two diagonally-opposite corners of your device. That strap is affixed to your device through a micro-suction pad, meaning that you can take it off of one device and slap it onto another without any sticky residue staying behind. IDAPT also notes that the HUG Desk works with many smartphone and tablet cases, so you don't even have to remove those protective cases to mount your iPhone or iPad on the HUG Desk. That strap, by the way, is held by a heavy steel base outfitted with non-slip materials. I tried the HUG Desk with two devices; my iPhone 5s in a Mophie Juice Pack Helium case and an iPad Air without a case. Note that while you're attaching the elastic double strap with the micro-suction pad, you'll want to be sure to hold that pad into place as any shearing motion caused by pulling on one of the straps will definitely cause the pad to pop off. The pad is meant to have strong "stickiness" in the vertical direction, holding it into place. The swivel mechanism on the top of the HUG Desk can be placed into just about any position from vertical to completely horizontal, making it one of the more adjustable iPad/iPhone stands I've ever tested. And IDAPT did it again with the pricing -- the Universal Holder HUG Desk has a price tag of $29.99, which is much less than many of the competing stands that aren't have as flexible in terms of use with a number of different devices and in a variety of positions. Once again, the company from Barcelona has pleasantly surprised me with another low-cost accessory that can be used a lot of different ways. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway And now it's time for a TUAW reader to win a package containing all three of these top-rated accessories from IDAPT. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before July 12, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive three IDAPT accessories (Universal Holder HUG Desk, Universal Holder Sutra, Universal Charger i4+) valued at US$89.97 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
The RAVPower wireless hub is a handy jack-of-all-trades for iOS devices
For as much as I love my iPhone and iPad, they never seem to have enough free storage space for all the movies I want to watch. While looking for a good solution, I found the RAVPower RP-WD01 Wireless FileHub. It's an interesting, and useful device that's going for US$44.95 online. It's a little shorter than my iPhone and a bit wider, so it fits in a pocket or a laptop bag easily. The RAVPower is no "uni-tasker." It's a battery backup, a wireless router that works as a WiFi hotspot, a NAS file server (network attached storage), and a media streamer. What it does The RAVPower lets you transfer photos, music or files between iOS devices and an SD Card or a USB HDD. You can also move files between the SD card and an attached USB drive. The RAVPower streams music, or video. The small unit has a 3000 mAh battery for charging smartphones, and using its NAS file server, you can connect multiple devices like a laptop, iPhone, iPad or desktop machine all at the same time (up to five devices). The company provides a free iOS app, or desktop and laptops can connect through a web interface from any browser. Specifications CPU: Ralink RT 5350 MIPS24KEc 350 MHz, 4.65" x 3.11 x 0.55, weight 4.23 oz WiFi Frequency : 2.4 GHZ Speed: 72Mbps at 20Mhz / 150 Mbps at 40MHZ External Battery Pack : 3000 mah 1.5A Max Input 1A Output Power: SD Card Read/Write 2W HDD Sleep Mode 1.5W. SD Cards up to 128 GB are supported, USB HDD disks of up to 2 TB are supported, SD Card Speed : Read: 3MB/S Write: 3.5MB/S, USB Interface: Micro USB 2.0. Using RavPower I charged the small device for a few hours and downloaded the RAV FileHub app to my iPhone and iPad. Next I connected to my wireless network and used provided password I found the RAVPower SSID and connected. Then I ripped some DVDs to my computer and dragged them onto the SD card which was plugged into my Mac. Handbrake works fine for this, or you may have your own preferred software. From there, all that was left to do was put the SD card into RAVPower's slot. Within a couple of seconds my movie was playing on my iPad. Even better, both my iPhone and iPad could stream two different movies at the same time. That might be handy while on the road with the family. Although my iOS devices were connected via WiFi to the RAVPower, I still had Internet access as the RAVPower was signed into my home network and acting as a Hot Spot. Conclusion The RAVPower is now an essential piece of kit for travel and media playback. I can load an SD Card up with music, movies, files, whatever. The RAV Filehub app will playback audio and most video formats with no issues. Photos can be viewed, and any file can be emailed directly from the RAV FileHub app. There is even a search function. The RAVPower is a real Swiss Army Knife for travel or even around the house. It can charge my iPhone or iPad, play media files, lets me share media and files from a large storage device that nicely augments my full-to-the-brim iPad and iPhone. I have also liked the AirStash (our review from a few years ago), which looks like a small flash drive that uses an SD card for playing movies or file sharing, but when you connect via WiFi you lose your regular Internet connection. It's mainly a media streamer, but doesn't charge your device or act as a router. The AirStash sells for $89.99 online. I saw no issues with my unit. It can take up to a minute for the network to be up and running before you can connect. Usually it was about a 30 second delay. The RAVPower can talk to either iOS or Android, and the iOS app requires iOS 4.3 or later.
Why a cheap counterfeit iPad charger isn't worth the price
With no shortage of counterfeit iOS accessories on the market, Ken Shirriff recently decided to take a look at a counterfeit iPad charger and compare it to the real deal. While a counterfeit version of anything will undoubtedly save you a few bucks, the tradeoffs aren't always worth the trouble. With respect to iPad chargers specifically, Shirriff found that the tradeoff is safety. Upon tearing open an official iPad charger and a counterfeit charger, Shirriff discovered that the former houses much more insulation. Safety probably isn't something you think about when you plug in your charger, but it's important. Inside the charger is 170 volts or more with very little separating it from your iPad and you. If something goes wrong, the charger can burn up (below), injure you, or even kill you. Devices such as chargers have strict safety standards[14] - if you get a charger from a reputable manufacturer. If you buy a cheap counterfeit charger, these safety standards are ignored. You can't see the safety risks from the outside, but by taking the chargers apart, I can show you the dangers of the counterfeit. On top of that, counterfeit chargers typically house lower quality components and have less than stellar build quality. Make sure to head on over to the full post for a full and in-depth explanation covering all of shortcomings that come with getting a counterfeit iPad charger. And again, keep in mind that using fake chargers can sometimes have deadly repercussions.
Tesla opens 100th Supercharger... in a state where sales are banned
You can't buy a Tesla in New Jersey, but now you can Supercharge one up! Tesla's 100th Supercharger just came online in Hamilton, located just a few miles from the NJ state capital of Trenton. The Garden State's very first Supercharger sports six stalls, and, since it's positioned just a few miles from the New Jersey Turnpike, can accommodate Tesla owners traveling down the East Coast, from Connecticut to Florida. Of course, while you can fuel up your Tesla in Jersey, you can't make a purchase -- direct-to-consumer sales are still banned, following a shady (Jersey-esque) backroom deal between politicians and lobbyists just last month.
The 'world's smallest' laptop adapter debuts on Kickstarter for $79
Back at CES in January, MIT spin-off FINsix unveiled the "world's smallest" 65W laptop adapter, and it even managed to nab a nomination for our Best Startup award. Fast forward to today, the company is launching this nifty device -- now dubbed the Dart -- on Kickstarter for as low as $79 per unit. Here's a quick reminder: this charger is four times smaller and six times lighter than its regular counterparts, and it also comes with a 2.1A USB port. The enabling technology here is a highly efficient VHF (very high frequency) power conversion, as refined and patented by MIT. As you'd expect, the Dart is compatible with most laptops, and there's even a special version for MacBooks that don't need more than 65W of power.
