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Mophie’s latest wireless charging station can jumpstart your car
Mophie has been a leader in wireless charging for years. It even beat Apple to the punch. Now, the company is upping the ante. Not only does its new Powerstation Go offer USB-A and wireless charging, it can also jumpstart your car.
OtterBox reveals a portable and stackable wireless charging system
OtterBox has a solution to limited battery life. Today, the company revealed OtterSpot, its Qi wireless charging power bank, and stackable batteries. The OtterSpot Charging Base looks a bit like a thin hockey puck. It's designed to be stackable, meaning you can pile up to three puck-like OtterBox Wireless Charging Batteries and a device on top of it and charge all of them simultaneously. Each battery can then power any Qi-enabled device and support wired charging via a USB-C port. The battery packs come with 5,000 mAh of capacity and up to 10-watt wireless charging speeds.
Nissan's zero-emission ice cream truck uses recycled EV batteries
For some, chasing the neighborhood ice cream truck is a favorite summer tradition. But many ice cream trucks have diesel engines, and older models keep those engines running to power the freezers. That means you get a hefty side of CO2 emissions with your cone. Nissan thinks it can change that. To celebrate the UK's Clean Air Day, Nissan unveiled a zero-emission ice cream van concept, called "Sky to Scoop."
CES 2013: Nectar's fuel cell pack claims to store up to two weeks of extra power
The Nectar mobile power system had its debut earlier this week at CES' Unveiled pre-show, and if nothing else, it's an impressive boast: The system claims to provide up to two weeks of power for your devices (including the iPhone) from a pack that fits very easily in a pocket. It's a pretty wild idea -- obviously, we haven't gotten a chance yet to really run the device through its paces just yet, but if the Nectar can do what the company says it can, it could be a very handy addition to your travel kit. The way it works is that you buy the core base unit for US$299, and then you can pick up extra fuel cell units for just $10 each. Use up the included fuel cell, and you'll have to replace it, but that much power should definitely be handy if you need it all while out and about. Other fuel cell tech like this can be heavy and bulky, but Nectar is designed to be both very portable and very powerful. The units will be available for sale at Brookstone later on this year, and we'll try to grab one then to see just how these claims stack up under trial. In the meantime, Engadget has a nice gallery of the unit showing just what it looks like in person.
IRL: ASUS Transformer Prime, Verbatim Dual USB Power Pack and V-Moda's Crossfade LP headphones
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. You love your gadgets because they're awesome. Or maybe you love them because you spent $500 and decided you'd better learn to like them. Whatever the case, chances are you've learned to forgive their flaws and enjoy them enough as they are, force-quits and all. That about describes this week's IRL, in which three Engadget editors make peace with their imperfect gadgets: an occasionally crash-prone Transformer Prime, the easily scratched V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones and Verbatim's Dual USB Power Pack, with its short little charging cables.
Hands-on with Nyko's Zoom Kinect and extended battery packs for the 3DS
We gave you a glimpse of Nyko's 2011 accessories lineup earlier this week, and today we got some quality time with the company's gear at E3 2011. We tried out Zoom Kinect, a set of lenses for Microsoft's favorite sensor bar that lets those residing in diminutive domiciles be the controller without rearranging their furniture. The add-on worked flawlessly when we gave it a go on Kinect Adventures -- Kinect had no trouble tracking our movements even though we were a few feet closer to the sensor than recommended. Zoom Kinect is slated for an August 16th release and will cost $29.99, a paltry sum compared to the price of buying a bigger living room. But wait, there's more! See our impressions of Nyko's other new products after the break. %Gallery-125855%
Samsung Galaxy S Power Pack: when internal batteries are just too convenient
Somebody at Samsung apparently forgot that its very popular Galaxy S handset (in all its varieties) has -- are you ready for this -- a user-replaceable battery. Now, we don't mean a warranty breaking, two-screws-and-it's-out replaceable battery. No, the battery in the Galaxy S is designed (and promoted) to be switched out by the user. Just pry off the back cover and there it is, ready to swap whenever more juice is required. So why anyone would slap a big, bulky, external slab onto their svelte S is beyond us, regardless of the extra 8.5 hours of talk time listed in the Samsung Germany newsletter. We'd understand if it had a working GPS radio, but like the Galaxy S, it doesn't.
Medis 24-7 Power Pack fuel cell tested and reviewed: not too shabby
We know what you're thinking: "I'm totally not going to buy this." After all, who really wants a kludgy recharger that isn't reusable without buying an extra fill pack? For those still willing to give this idea a chance, you may want to point your attention to smartplanet's review of the Medis 24-7 Power Pack, which utilizes liquid fuel cell technology to output one-watt for charging small handheld devices. In testing, it took around an hour to bring a halfway charged iPod touch to full capacity, which is pretty much right in line with estimates. Unfortunately, we're still not digging the "recycle or refill" approach, though we are appreciative that Medis is pushing the former. Give the linked writeup a look -- maybe you'll fall strangely in love, after all.
Medis 24-7 Power Pack fuel cell available online now, at Best Buy soon
Medis has been making promises about its portable fuel cell for the masses since way back in 2005, but it looks like it's now finally actually available online, and will soon be available at a Best Buy possibly near you (if it isn't already). $30 will get you the basic starter kit, which includes the PowerPack itself, a power cable, a standard mini USB connector, and connectors for LG, Palm Treo, and "New Nokia" phones. According to Medis, a single PowerPack will provide enough juice for about 30 hours of talk time, or 60 to 80 hours of playback from your MP3 player, after which you'll have to ditch (and recycle) the pack and get a replacement for $20. If that sounds like the solution you've been waiting for, you can hit up the link below and get your order in.
GPS, music, power: Nokia busts out slew of accessories
Ear candy aside, Nokia showed a bunch of other goodies today to adorn that special handset in your life, too. First up, the LD-4W GPS Module adds a little style -- "Nseries style," sez Nokia -- to the previously released LD-3W, offering 10 hours of operation on a single charge; it'll be available for about €125 ($170) and promises compatibility with a "wide range" of Nokia hardware. Next, the MD-7W stereo Bluetooth speakers let you share the tuneage with those around you, willingly or not; they're also designed with the Nseries in mind but should work with any device supporting A2DP when they hit for €130 (about $177). Last but certainly not least, the DC-1 Power Pack acknowledges that media-centric phones aren't always the easiest on the battery, offering juice to one or two phones with 2mm Nokia power ports simultaneously. Look for this one to run about €105 ($143). All of 'em should be available "globally" in the fourth quarter of the year.
Medis Technologies unveils portable fuel cell power pack
Yeah, we won't even need fuel cells as soon as EEStor's miracle-working ultracapacitor-based battery system starts powering the world at large, but until then, we're still fielding applications for alternative sources of juice. Medis Technologies has introduced a fuel cell for your pocket, which provides auxiliary power for cellphones, DAPs / PMPs, PDAs, digicams, and pretty much anything else that relies on an internal, rechargeable battery. Touted as being "years ahead of its time," this self-proclaimed must-have gadget works off a Direct Liquid Fuel Cell (DLFC), and can supposedly provide up to 30 hours of talk time to any mobile, and between 60 and 80 hours of playback time for your iPod. Of course, there are no hard details promising us when we'll see this portable power unit, nor any indication of how expensive it'll be when it finally lands, but if lofty life claims turn out to be true, it might not be too shabby.[Via PocketPCThoughts]
Kameo Power Pack announced
Rare has announced that a Power Pack will soon be available for their Xbox 360 adventure Kameo: Elements of Power. This represents the game's fifth downloadable offering via the Xbox Live marketplace. In previous packs, Kameo herself received a closet full of new duds, but this time her monster pals get to play dress up with some modified armor. Regarding gameplay enhancements, the Power Pack ramps up the difficulty for six of the original game's levels with Expert mode, while the Time Attack and Rune Battle modes offer new multiplayer support. Pricing and availability have not been made available, but earlier costume packs sold for 200 Microsoft points ($2.50), and the first co-op pack was free.
