charger

After Christmas gifts were exchanged this season, I set out to get what I really wanted from Santa: a solar panel kit that could power up my household electronics.

Options for buying these things are growing fast (see photo gallery below). Solar chargers can be had from several suppliers that juice up cameras, digital music players, phones, or game machines. And at the Consumer Electronics Show, a few companies showed off solar chargers, in tune with the "green theme" of the conference.

I originally set out for a single charger for gadgets and batteries. As I surfed from … Read more

Jay LeBoff was sick of being left incommunicado when the power went out in his neighborhood in Westchester County, N.Y. So he set out to build a backup power supply that relies on the sun.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, his company, NRG Dock, showed off solar chargers that are designed to run a range of electronics, including cell phones, Blackberrys, gaming machines, and music players. A high-end version will power laptops.

The products have a couple of pieces. In the Home version, there is a weatherproof battery and a solar panel that charges up and connects to a … Read more

This post isn't about digital audio, but rather about a topic that pertains to the entire consumer technology industry. When I got to CES, I realized that I'd brought the wrong USB connector for my digital camera, a Kodak EasyShare DX4530. (Guilty: I didn't read the CNET review, but I've liked it better than the 6.8 rating might suggest. Although I'm not a fan of the integrated EasyShare software, which tries to hide the file system and in the process makes it really hard to use anything but EasyShare!) It's about four years … Read more

It may be getting easier and cheaper to harness the sun's energy, but all too often the equipment needed to do so isn't the most portable. At least one manufacturer has figured this out, however, and is apparently responding to that inconvenience.

Brunton started shrinking its solar chargers a year ago with its "SolarPort" and is continuing its weight-loss program now with the "SolarRoll," according to Newlaunches. As its name indicates, the latter is basically a mat of solar panels that can be rolled up and carried around in a bag or even a … Read more

Don't let anyone tell you that phone straps are only for sissies and those with challenged motor skills. Even though they're not for us--not that we have anything against them--Gear Diary makes a compelling case for one that's both unusual and affordable.

The $12 strap they advocate has a small cube that slides along its 7.5-inch length that opens up to reveal mini-USB connectors. Those can then be used to charge your mobile phone, media player, or other handheld device by connecting it to the computer's USB port. It's also made of black leather, … Read more

If you give an item like this any kind of consideration at all, it's probably a sign that you're spending more time playing games than with your loved ones. Actually, it may mean that you don't have any loved ones at all, or won't for very long.

Thanko's "Charger Bracelet" is designed for addicts who just can't put down their handhelds when the batteries run dry, supposedly providing another 4.5 hours for a PSP and 28 hours for a DS Lite with a recharger strapped to the wrist, according to Engadget. … Read more

Most of the ways to harness wind power that we've seen involve some type of large and unwieldy apparatus, whether it be a windmill or a giant kite. But why can't a hand-sized device be used to charge a single gadget? Apparently, this one can.

The "HYmini" is a small charger that can power equally small gadgets, such as mobile phones and MP3 players, by using the energy of wind it absorbs while attached to a car, bicycle or even a jogger. A HYmini attached to a bike's handlebars can add 15 minutes of power … Read more

Recently, I highlighted the Belkin Dual USB Power Adapter as a great option for anyone with two USB-powered devices. But what if you have three, four, or more--say, an iPod, a Blackberry, and a Bluetooth headset? With its ability to charge six devices, the CallPod ChargePod caught my eye--but the need to buy a host of proprietary adapters turned me off. If all my devices already have charging cables with standard USB plugs, wouldn't it make a lot more sense for a charger to use corresponding standard USB ports instead? Of course it would. So, I was looking for a charger with as many standard USB ports on it as possible.

And then I realized it was already sitting on my desk. And it's probably sitting on yours, too. … Read more

Could it be that cell phone manufacturers are actually listening to their customers? Could it be that they're actually taking our deepest hopes and turning them into reality? Yes, Virginia, it appears they are.

As CNET'S News.com reports, leading cell phone manufacturers finally are moving toward a standard cell phone charger and peripheral connector. This week the Open Mobile Terminal Platform agreed to standardize the use of micro USB connectors for all phone cables. The group said it hopes to make life easier for consumers and cut down on the the number of chargers and cables that … Read more