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XtremeMac shows off new docks and chargers at CES 2011
XtremeMac had a suite at the Bellagio (my favorite hotel on the Strip, I think) for last week's CES conference, and I stopped by to check out their latest lines of accessories and cases for the upcoming year. My favorite product in the booth is pictured above -- it's a speaker dock called the Tango TRX, which features a removable dock that can be unattached from the sleek speaker. It's Bluetooth-enabled for streaming audio directly from your iDevice, and there's a free universal app that will let you control the speaker with a virtual remote. The Tango TRX is shipping soon, and it will be available for US$179.99. The other dock they were showing was the Luna SST, a bedside stand with a detachable speaker that will actually send two alarms out to the two separated speakers (so that a person on one side of the bed can supposedly wake up without bothering the other). The Luna also has an app that can be used as a clock face, or even set alarms or settings on the device while docked. I also saw a new line of InCharge chargers -- there are auto-based chargers coming that will allow you to not only charge your iDevice in the car but also plug in an aux cable or charge another USB device. XtremeMac is also introducing an iPhone case called the InCharge Mobile that serves as both a 2300 milliamp battery and a relatively thin case with a kickstand for just $79.99. Finally, I was walked through some of the cases that XtremeMac offers -- all pretty standard affairs. I was told (not the only time that week) that black is by far the number one color for case sales, and that while customers will say they want different colors and will judge a brand based on many colors, in the end they mostly choose black for their own phones. Cases are mostly a matter of taste, so it turned out that what I learned about case buying was more interesting than any of the actual cases on display there.
Dutch designer creates wind-powered iFan case-charger for iPhone
Tired of having his iPhone run out of juice halfway through the day, Dutch designer Tjeerd Veenhoven has created the iFan charging case. While it's not quite as slick and integrated looking as a Mophie juice pack, the iFan does provide a renewable means of charging an iPhone and a bit of bumper-style protection at the same time. Veenhoven modified a computer's case fan to function as a generator and fashioned it into a wrap-around case with a dock connector. According to him, it takes about 6 hours to charge his iPhone via wind power, but he reckons that could be reduced by reworking the fan blades to make them more efficient. Currently, this appears to be just a one-off with no immediate production plans. The question is, would you be willing to hold your iPhone out the car window as you drive to charge it? [via Engadget]
Some sites still selling third-party Apple accessories
Ok, ok, it's not exactly news that there is Apple gear being sold on the Internet. But given that popular electronic accessory retailer Monoprice recently decided to stop selling Apple accessories, you might be looking for a new place to buy your cords and hookups. That's right -- TUAW contacted Monoprice the other day after a few readers reported that they couldn't buy iPhone and iPod-related gear, and Monoprice confirmed that it has "decided to suspend offering these products as part of our business plan. We will let you know if and when we resume selling these products. Truly sorry for any inconvenience it may cause you." Bummer. Fortunately, we also received word earlier this week that competitor Cable Wholesale is selling unofficial Apple gear, and their prices look to be competitive if not at least equal to the cheap costs that led us to Monoprice in the first place. Even if you don't want to buy from them, but still need an AV cable or a car charger without paying through the nose for official products, there are still sites online selling what you need.
San Francisco Bay Area gets $5 million for EV chargers, Detroit will charge $40 per month
Electric vehicles are inching closer, with several already priced and rearing to go, but so far would-be owners won't have to pay for the devices to charge their cars. Free charging stations are popping up at every red dot on this map, and apparently not satisfied with the 1,600 that Coulomb's installing in California and the three at City Hall, San Francisco and neighboring cities have just approved $5 million for over 5,000 more chargers -- of which only 50 will appear along public highways, for some reason. Meanwhile, the state of Michigan has approved the first standardized rate for EV charger use -- a pilot program by provider DTE Energy will see 2,500 customers paying $40 per vehicle per month (or a variable off-peak rate) through December 2012. Gotta wonder how those grey states are feeling right about now.
Hacker reveals how Apple artificially restricts iPhone chargers (video)
Most cell phone manufacturers have charging standards these days, even if they can't always agree on which version of USB to use, but as the hair-tearing message above shows, third-party renditions of Apple's proprietary dock connector haven't always been universal solutions for iPods and iPhones. Now we know another important reason why -- secret resistors placed on the data lines in connectors for each iDevice. Minty Boost creator ladyada recently reverse-engineered the chargers for a variety of Apple gadgets, and discovered that iPhones in particular don't draw electricity until they detect 2.8V and 2V signals when they attempt to charge. At that voltage, the handsets suck down about one amp, leading to a rapid filling of your device's Li-ion belly, but by adding additional resistance to drop the voltage further, the iPhone can be coerced into accepting 500mA instead -- perfect for the set of AAA batteries you stashed away in that Altoids tin. Video after the break, full explanation at our source link.
AT&T zeroes in on energy waste with Zero cellphone charger
Plug your cell phone charger into the wall. Feel it. Is it warm? Then like it or not, you're wasting electricity. AT&T would like to change all that with this new Zero charger, a tiny black brick which automatically cuts power to itself whenever your cell phone is disconnected. While it's not quite as amusing as an ejector seat, it's certainly more practical, and the wall wart's modular USB design means you can charge almost any mobile with interchangeable cables (sold separately, of course) while you wait oh-so-patiently for the cellphone industry to finally stop using proprietary ports. If you've got a vampire draw problem, let AT&T be your garlic this May.
Powermat busts out swappable battery for its updated wireless charging lineup
It was just last year that we first got to know Powermat's line of induction charging products. Well, now it's announced an updated lineup just in time for CES. The Powerpack its unveiled will replace the battery of your mobile phone and dispense with the need for Powermat's previous Receiver sleeves. So far, the new system supports about 10 models of HTC, Blackberry, Nokia, LG, Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson phones. You'll note that the iPhone and iPod touch aren't yet supported so if you've got to charge those, then you'll still have to make do with the sleeves. The Powerpack will run $40, though we don't have a definite release date yet. Full press release is after the break.
World of Warcraft Patch 3.2 Mounts Guide
WoW.com has covered patch 3.2 extensively. Everything from the surprising changes to flying mounts, to the latest and greatest loot, and all the changes in between. In our patch 3.2 class, raiding, and PvP guides we take a look at exactly what changes and how the changes will affect your playing.Patch 3.2 is here, and there is a whole herd of mount changes stampeding into your stables. Here's a quick rundown of just what's changed about all the things you ride in patch 3.2, from updates to when you can buy mounts and for how much, new tweaks to old mounts like the Ulduar Proto-drakes and the TCG items, and brand new mounts like the hippogryphs from the Argent Tournament and the long-awaited Ravasaur.
Farming Chilled Meat and Borean Leather in Northrend
We've already posted about just how useful Chilled Meats are -- they're a staple of the cooking dailies, so chefs and anyone else trying to earn Dalaran cooking awards are after plenty of them. And reader ScytheNoire sent us a good tip on how to pick up not only a ton of Chilled Meats, but stock up on Borean Leather if you're a skinner, too: lowering the Reef Bull population on Scalawag Point, just off the coast of Howling Fjord. Because those guys are needed for the daily quest, the respawn rate is great on them, and within a half hour, says ScytheNoire, he picked up a couple stacks of Chilled Meat and the same of Borean Leather (with a few Arctic Furs in there as well). Just stay away from the folks trying to do their dailies and you can rack up a nice bunch of animal products.As many players will tell you, Sholazar Basin is another great place to get both Chilled Meat and Leather, given that most of the zone is beasts (thanks to the Nesingwary quests around there). I've found that the best place over there is the Hardknuckle Foragers and Chargers near the Frenzyheart Tribe's camp -- the Foragers are neutral and go down fast, and will give Chilled Meat and Leather at a high rate, close to one per kill each.For leather, obviously the Jormungar Cave in Storm Peaks is another good place to pick up skins, not only from the worms, which will also give you scales, but from the worgs they kill as well. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found any mobs that will consistently drop more than one leather (the Black Morass was such a goldmine for Knothide), so it's slow going no matter where you are, but there are a few good spots to hit up if, like me, you're getting Leatherworking and Cooking up to speed.
BBC: Unsafe charging devices 'flooding' UK
As if worrying about Daleks, Slitheen and Cybermen wasn't enough, now the UK has the added threat of dangerous third-party device chargers flooding in from China. The BBC reports a specific warning was issued about the chargers for Nintendo DS, DS Lite and Gameboy machines, but the chargers can also be used on mobile phones and music devices. Identifying the third-party chargers apparently isn't easy, as one version has the code DE62347066 (seen above), while others are just marked "Travel Charger." The units have been shown to overheat or cause electrocution. The easiest way for UK folk to make sure they don't get one of the "hundreds of thousands or even millions" of faulty chargers is to buy first-party devices. The "bad ones" retail for about £6 or less, while the good ones are £15.
Gomadic QuadCharge reviewed, better than sliced bread
Every so often you get to play with a device you haven't used before and suddenly wonder how you ever got by before you had one. The QuadCharge from Gomadic is such a creature and after our extended play date with it -- by play, of course we mean left in place charging stuff -- we can't live without. Click on through the continue link for our thoughts and more pics.%Gallery-9944%
Philips' Power4Life wall adapters spotted at IFA
While Philips didn't have a working model of its new Power4Life modular energy system (including Power2Go and Power2Charge), we did come across this base unit, wall units, and adapters splayed lovingly on a pedestal somewhere deep within the plush company booth. It's not much to see, but supposedly (i.e., according to Philips' press releases) these things are going to change our lives. Take a look at the brief gallery for a taste of things to come.%Gallery-6721%
Intec's Wii Charging Station: decent dock or crap cradle?
We didn't even know that acessories manufacturer Intec was working on a Wii remote charging station until we saw one listed for sale earlier today. Much like Nyko's cradle, Intec's dock comes with two rechargeable battery packs and a base that lights up to signal when it's in use. That's about where the similarities between the two end.Intec's dock does away with the AC plug and allows you to conveniently charge the battery packs via USB instead. Adding onto its appeal, at $25.00, the dock comes in $5.00 cheaper than Nyko's. Sounds like an easy choice between the two, right?Where Intec's dock fails is its inability to charge both battery packs at the same time. You can't even charge the packs while they're in locked in the controllers! Those two slots for the remotes? Just for display! If you want to recharge a battery pack, you have to remove it from the controller and plant it into the dock.This sort of half-assed setup might have flown back in November, but months after competitors have already put out more advanced solutions? Even with the five-dollar savings, you'd be wise to avoid this dock. That said, jump past the post break anyway, and check out the strange blurb we spotted on Intec's packaging. [Via DCEmu]
Chargers' Tomlinson turned down Madden cover; not curse, but cash
It turns out Vince Young might not have been the first choice for the Madden 2008 cover. According to CNBC Sports Business reporter Darren Rovell, multiple industry sources have told him that Electronic Arts asked San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson of his interest and presented him an offer. Tomlinson turned it down.The reason purportedly has nothing to do with the oft-cited "Madden curse," but that Tomlinson was not happy with EA's financial offer. Electronic Arts, according to Rovell, understands their cover to be what he calls the "Wheaties box endorsement," which means that EA will offer the cover athlete less than his market value. Tomlinson opted against it.Young, afraid of no curse, is now the cover athlete. But as Rovell justly observes, Madden titles sell well regardless of who graces the cover.
Nyko's rechargeable PS3 SIXAXIS and Wiimote docking stations
One of the greatest things about the new crop of consoles: wireless controllers standard. The obvious downside: batteries. Nyko has stepped up to deliver solutions for both of the latest consoles. First up is the Charge Base for PlayStation 3. Because the SIXAXIS controllers already come with built-in lithium-ion batteries, this puppy just charges and stores. You'll be able to charge and store up to four controllers by jacking the thing into an ordinary wall outlet. The Charge Station for Wii not only stores and charges two Wiimotes but includes two rechargeable NiMH batteries with rubberized battery covers (to help keep you from throwing it into your plasma we presume). We haven't got prices for either of these offerings but consider the Wii's propensity for gobbling batteries when weighing that product.Update: Joystiq's got prices for the units -- $29.99 for the Wii's Charge Station (with two batteries mind you!) and $39.99 for the PS3's Charge Base (sans batteries). Seems like Nyko's pricing these products to their respective audiences, dunnit?[Via Joystiq]
Chinese government demands all handsets be rechargeable via USB
Following South Korea's lead, the Chinese government is now demanding that future handsets, regardless of brand, be able to recharge via a standard USB port. The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) hopes that the mandate will slash phone costs for users, eliminate proprietary hassles, and more importantly, eliminate waste within the country. Considering nearly "100 million" folks in China alone replace their phone annually, that's a lot of antiquated chargers hitting the junk pile, and this new standard hopes to cure the problem and cut back on waste before it gets too out of hand. While we've no idea when this mandate will actually be enforced, these head honchos sound pretty serious, and considering the estimated $306 million the country will be saving, we wouldn't doubt their earnestness.[Via Techdirt]
