PlugBug adds an iPad / iPod / iPhone USB charging port to your MacBook power adapter

Twelve South, the same South Carolina-based outfit that's been keeping the Bass(Jump) coming, has just outed the best MacBook power adapter accessory... ever. Almost. The PlugBug is an iPad / iPhone / iPod / USB-based-whatever charger that snaps right on top of your existing MacBook or MacBook Pro AC adapter, allowing you to charge your Mac laptop as well as a single USB-based device at the same time. It's a ten-watt adapter, so your iPad and those other high-powered gizmos should take take to it just fine, and it's actually capable of acting on its own should you ever need to dismount it. Unfortunately, those in need of a non-US adapter will be out of luck, but on the upside, this converts international adapters for US use should you head over this way. It's on sale now for $34.99 at the source link below, and if it only had more than one USB port, we'd recommend it without hesitation. Ah well -- there's always version 2.0, right? Promo vid's after the break. %Gallery-138088%

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Meet PlugBug, the iPad/iPhone travel charger that snaps onto your MacBook Power Adapter

Charleston, SC, November 1, 2011 - Twelve South is pleased to unveil PlugBug, an iPad/iPhone wall charger that piggybacks onto a MacBook Power Adapter, allowing you to charge a MacBook and an iPad/iPhone simultaneously from one power outlet. Made to fit all MacBook Power Adapters, PlugBug is available now at twelvesouth.com for $34.99.

The ingenious PlugBug connects to all MacBook Power Adapters. Simply snap PlugBug onto a MacBook Power Adapter, in place of the adapter's AC plug, and you now have one handy device that charges MacBook and iPad or iPhone at the same time, using only one wall outlet. This can be a real lifesaver when you need to charge both before a meeting or – even more stressful – between connecting flights with only one outlet available.

Along with a beautiful design, PlugBug packs 10 powerful watts, charging iPad as fast as technically possible. In fact, many public USB charging stations, like those found in airports, lack the power to charge an iPad. Not only will PlugBug provide the proper charge, it will charge your iPad up to twice as fast as many competing chargers.

Now you can carry just one compact PlugBug to charge your iPad or iPhone and leave the other chargers at home, reducing the clutter in your computer bag. Forget about worrying whether or not you remembered your iPad charger – with PlugBug it's always connected to your MacBook charger. For those times when you only need an iPad charger, you can disconnect PlugBug from your MacBook Power Adapter and still use it as a stand alone device.

Andrew Green, Creative Director at Twelve South, said, "PlugBug is a dream product for us. It improves on MacBook's own Power Adapter, adds a completely new idea to iPad/iPhone chargers, and it simplifies the lives of die-hard Apple fans – like me – who carry multiple Apple devices wherever they go."

So why is PlugBug red? Noted author and original Mac Evangelist Guy Kawasaki gets credit for the color. When shown an early prototype, Kawasaki insisted PlugBug should carry a show-stopping hue viewable from across the room – or airport. The "Kawasaki Red" PlugBug was born.

Those outside the U.S. and Canada can use PlugBug as the perfect U.S. adapter and iPad/iPhone charger. Not only does PlugBug convert any non-U.S. MacBook Power Adapter into a North American-compatible adapter, it also serves as a bonus USB charger for iPad and iPhone.