Ask Gadling – how can I reduce the number of chargers I carry on a trip?

by Scott Carmichael on

This week’s “Ask Gadling” question comes from Tim, who reached out on Twitter for some help on how to reduce the number of chargers he carries when he travels. Thankfully, I’m a bit of a charger nut, so I’ve been on a similar quest for many years.

Of course, the increase in the number of chargers we carry is related to the number of gadgets we travel with. Ten years ago, most people probably carried a mobile phone and a portable CD player. Nowadays, it isn’t unthinkable to travel with a mobile phone, game console, Bluetooth headset, portable DVD player, MP3 player, digital camera and more. And thanks to the efforts of consumer electronics producers, almost every gadget comes with its own specific charger plug.

Thankfully, there are products out there that can lighten your load and turn you into a single charger traveler.Step 1 – Identify your needs

View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.

Check all your chargers for duplicates – as more gadgets switch to similar connectors, you may be able to reduce the number you carry just by sharing between products. In some cases, your mobile phone may use the same charger as your headset.

When you go over your chargers, pay close attention to more than just the plug – the voltage settings are also important, and some devices may have special requirements, so be sure your replacement charger matches the requirements of both devices.

Make the move to USB

Most gadgets are relatively lower power devices – making them perfect for charging using USB cables. Everything from your Nintendo DS to your mobile phone can be charged using a simple (and lightweight) USB cable. When searching for a USB cable, find one as short as possible – just keep in mind that your gadget may have to hang from a charger in the wall.

Your final objective is to have a USB charging cable for each of your gadgets – and be able to leave dedicated chargers at home. Every charger that can only charge one product is something you don’t want to carry.

A good example of a simple short cable set is the Griffin kit pictured above, and mentioned here on Gadling earlier this month.

Replace your laptop charger with a lighter version that offers USB charging

When identifying your chargers, don’t forget to find a better alternative for your laptop charger. Many of these chargers are bulky, and can be replaced by much smaller versions. Best of all, some of these new lighter laptop chargers also offer USB charger ports – with this, you can turn two chargers into just one. In addition to be being much lighter, these chargers also work with interchangeable tips – so if you switch laptop brand in a few years, you just swap out the tip and it’ll be good to go on your new machine.

Some reliable smaller laptop chargers come from Innergie, Targus, Kensington and Igo. Another important feature of these chargers is that some come delivered with car/air plugs as well as AC/wall.

Find a 4-in-1 USB charger

OK – so not everyone travels with four mobile phones, but a 4-in-1 USB charger can of course charge more than just phones. When I travel, I carry a Kensington 4-port USB charger. Each port is capable of charging up to 500mAh, so my devices charge in about the same speed as their original. If I need a speedier charge, I’ll plug two devices in at the same time, instead of four.

When four ports is not enough…

Alright, so you already know you are a bit of a freak – you need to charge six devices at the same time, and would prefer to do so without carrying six different chargers? For you my friend, there is the Chargepod by Callpod.

The Chargepod is a single charge capable of charging six devices at the same time. Best of all, the Chargepod offers charging tips for almost every mobile gadget every designed – and it starts at just $39.95 for a kit.

To make the kit even better, the power tips that fit the Chargepod also fit the Callpod Fueltank battery packs – which means you only need to invest in power adapters once to get yourself a power system that works with or without outlets.

If you already know that your power needs will continue to grow, the investment in a Chargepod and Fueltank won’t cost more than $100, and will have you set for years to come.

Callpod announces the Fueltank Uno emergency device charger

by Scott Carmichael on

This morning, Callpod announced the newest addition to their product lineup. If you haven’t been paying attention to my product reviews, you’ll have missed that Callpod make some of the best portable charging gear on the market.

Their Chargepod can charge six of your devices at the same time. The Chargepod V2 takes that to the next level by adding laptop charging. And back in November of last year, they announced the Fueltank, a portable battery pack that can charge 2 devices simultaneously.

Today, they are adding the Fueltank Uno to that lineup. The Uno is an emergency device charger with more than 4 times the battery capacity of your mobile phone battery. The device supports the power adapter tips used on the other Callpod products, which means it supports over 3,000 different phones, game consoles, PDA’s and more.

It’ll be on shelves starting this Sunday at Best Buy stores nationwide and retails for $39.95. Included with your purchase is a voucher for a free device tip, which can be ordered on the Callpod site. Click here to learn more about this handy product.

Sun, sand, surf and awesome beach gadgets!

by Scott Carmichael on

In the “old days”, a trip to the beach involved bringing a folding chair and plenty of sunscreen. Nowadays, that same trip means you’ll need even more sunscreen, but also ways to stay in touch with Twitter, Facebook, Email and the latest news in the Gadling RSS feed.

In this lineup, you’ll find 5 gadgets that can make your beach trip a little more fun, and help keep your gadgets safe from the elements.

Otterbox cases

Lets face it, even though the beach is one of the more relaxing places you’ll find yourself, there are plenty of us that insist on taking the Blackberry, iPhone or other email device along with us. And if there is one thing gadgets hate, it is sun, sand and water. Otterbox is here to protect those gadgets with a full lineup of awesome cases.

Their protection varies from basic, to full body armor with waterproof gaskets. Their mid-range lineup of cases will allow you to take your Blackberry or iPhone to the beach, without worrying about sand clogging your ports.

Price: from $19.95
Where: www.otterbox.com


TriSpecs Bluetooth stereo sunglasses

Look cool and listen to music – the TriSpecs do both. These high quality (Carl Zeiss optics) sunglasses house a pair of Bluetooth headphones, a microphone and music controls. Simply pair the headphones to a compatible Bluetooth device. For a full review of the TriSpecs, click here.

Price: From $199.95
Where: www.trispecs.com


Freestyle MP3 player

If you want music on the beach, but also want to be able to take your player for a dip in the ocean, then check out the Freestyle Audio MP3 player. We took a closer look at this fully submersible device last year.

Not only is the player itself waterproof, the headphones can come swimming with you as well! Included in the package is an arm strap, so you can attach the player to your arm and go our surfing while listening to your favorite tunes!

Price: $89.95
Where: www.freestyleaudio.com

Loksak element-proof transport bags

Last year, Tynan wrote about the Loksak product lineup. Their basic bag is called the aLOKSAK and provides a watertight barrier for your most cherished items.

These are not your household Ziplok bag style container – the aLOKSAK is waterproof up to 200 feet, and is perfect for protecting items like the Amazon Kindle or your iPhone when you enjoy the beach.

Price: from $6.39
Where: www.loksak.com

Callpod Fueltank

What’s a beach lover to do when halfway through the day, all your gadgets run out of power? The Callpod Fueltank may be able to help you out – its large internal battery and 2 charging ports can fully charge your gadget(s), and keep them running for the rest of the day. Power tips are available for almost every portable gadget out there, and the unit can be recharged using the included AC adapter or the awesome Chargepod.

Price: $69.95
Where: www.callpod.com

Gadling Gear Review – Callpod Drone Bluetooth adapter

by Scott Carmichael on

In this product review I’m going to introduce you to another product from the clever people at Callpod. Previously, I reviewed their excellent Chargepod charger and the Dragon V2 Bluetooth headset.

The Drone is a USB Bluetooth adapter. At $49.95 it is quite a bit pricier than most other Bluetooth adapters on the market, but the Drone is an adapter with a twist.

In fact, the Drone has several twists that make it well worth the price in my opinion. For starters – the Callpod Drone actually works as an audio adapter when first installed. This may not mean much to you, but if you just need a Bluetooth adapter to use for a (stereo) headset, then why bother installing a large package of software when you only need a tiny portion of it?
Another advantage of not having to deal with software is quite simple – not all computers allow it. Many work laptops are locked down against installations, and most public Internet terminals may have open USB ports, but also have software installs blocked. In many cases, the Drone can simply bypass this.

When you plug the Drone into your computer, it installs in seconds, and shows up in your device manager as a standard USB audio device. USB audio support has been built into all Windows versions since XP, so no drivers or other settings are required.

To use a Bluetooth headset with the Drone, you simply place it in “pairing mode” by pressing its only button, and you instantly have a Bluetooth audio connection with your PC. This is of course ideal for Skype or any other voice application, but it also works very well if you pair it with a stereo headset.

The Drone also offers a much larger range than most other Bluetooth adapters. In my not-so-scientific trials, I was able to reach twice as far in my house using the Drone than I normally can with the built in Bluetooth on my computer. The manufacturer rated range for the Drone is 100 meters, which I can confirm is accurate.

When you pair the Drone with the Callpod Dragon Bluetooth headset, you get to take advantage of the extended range in both devices. This combination let me walk out to the end of my back yard without a single crackle or drop in the Bluetooth connection.

Users who still want to use the adapter as a regular Bluetooth device, can switch it to “software mode” by holding down the button on the device. Of course, this also means you’ll need to install the 60MB software package, offered for free by Callpod on their site. Vista and Windows 7 users won’t need the software – Bluetooth support is built into their operating system.

All in all a very nice little device that finally makes Bluetooth hassle free. At $49.95 it may seem overpriced when compared to other Bluetooth adapters, but its additional features make it well worth the price if you often find yourself in need of no-fuss Bluetooth audio or an extended range Bluetooth signal.
The Callpod Drone is available directly from Callpod ($49.95) or from Amazon ($33.07).

Consumer Electronics Show 2009 – the news that matters to you

by Scott Carmichael on

The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has come and gone. The show took place during one of the toughest economic climates in years, but that did not stop major companies from making new product announcements for items that could help you on the road.

Our friends at Engadget were the “official blog” of the CES this year, which is both an honor and probably a major hassle, as it means keeping up with the 1000’s of announcements and hand picking the stuff that is worth reporting.

I’ve gone through all of the products they talked about in the past week, and have picked a couple that I feel could benefit travelers (or are simply so cool I had to mention them).
Palm Pre

The Palm Pre (pronounced pree) was without a doubt one of the biggest hits of the show. Palm has been in a bit of a rut for several years, and I’d almost given up hope of them ever recovering.

With just one product announcement, they went from zero to hero. The Palm Pre is an absolutely gorgeous phone, with all the features you’d expect from a high end smartphone. Powering the machine is a brand new operating system, so their dated PalmOS is finally making room for something fresh.

I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Palm, I was carrying the original Palm Pilot when it came out, and it saddened me when they started to go downhill in recent years. With the Palm Pre, they seem to be back with a vengeance, and that really does put a smile on my face.

The Palm Pre will be out later this year, pricing is currently unknown, and it will launch on Sprint (CDMA). A GSM version is currently being developed and should be out several months after the Sprint release.

Sony Vaio P

Rumors of a new and amazing Sony ultra portable computer had been floating around the web for about 2 weeks before the CES. So, when the machine was officially announced it was not much of a surprise. That does not make the new Vaio P that less impressive. Sony have taken a Netbook style machine, and turned it into the kind of ultra portable only they can make. In fact, the Engadget editor was so impressed with the Vaio P, that he featured it in his own uncut video clip with Jimmy Fallon.

Inside the P is a very high resolution screen, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3G and all the usual bells and whistles you’d expect to find on a premium netbook.

The Vaio P is available for pre-order directly from Sony, and prices start at just under $900.

LG Watch Phone

Watch phones are nothing new, Chinese mobile phone makers have been churning them out for several years. In fact, the concept of a watch phone has been around so long, I’m amazed it took a major manufacturer this long to finally bring one to the mainstream.

The LG Watch phone is a quad band GSM phone, and comes with pretty much every feature you’d find in a normal mobile phone. Calls can be made using the integrated speakerphone, or with a Bluetooth headset.

The device is expected to go into production later this year, but pricing is not available yet. Engadget posted a short video review of the LG Watch Phone on their site.

Clickfree Transformer USB cable

The Clickfree Transformer turns any portable USB hard drive into a fully automated backup device. I think we all know that the majority of us absolutely suck at making regular backups. When I travel, I even carry an external hard drive, but I still don’t always make backups when I should.

The Clickfree Transformer cable goes between your PC and your hard drive, and turns the combo into a fully automated backup solution. You just plug, and backup. At $59.99 it’s about the same price as many software backup solutions, so it’s fair to say that the cable gives you great value for money.

The Clickfree Transformer cable is available on the Clickfree site, and costs $59.99.

Novatel Wireless MiFi

The concept behind this gadget is brilliant – take one part Wireless router, add one part 3G mobile broadband card, and combine the 2 into a sleek and portable personal hotspot. We’ve covered a different personal hotspot in the past, but the MiFi is the first to include the 3G modem inside the unit.

The Novatel Wireless MiFi should be available on a currently unnamed CDMA carrier later this year (my guess is Sprint), and as with many other new products, nothing is known about the price just yet.

Callpod Chargepod V2

Have I ever mentioned how much I love it when a company takes an award winning product, and improves it even more? That is what Callpod did with their Chargepod device charger. The current Chargepod is designed to charge only small gadgets, like mobile phones. The new Chargepod V2 adds laptop charging as well as a 3 port USB hub.

What you end up with, is a single charge that powers your laptop, 3 smaller devices and connects 3 USB devices to your computer.

The device seems relatively pricey at $199, but when you can switch from 8 chargers to just one, you’ll probably find it worth the money.

The Chargepod V2 will start shipping in March.