As everyone prepares for the holidays, one thing that many of us like to do is put lights. Something that would be smart to add to those preparations is a way to help control those lights as well as measure how much energy they take. Well, D-Link aims to make your holiday light display safer and greener with their giveaway.
I’ve got a tendency to leave my phone plugged in when home, and while that isn’t necessarily bad for today’s Li-Ion batteries, it’s kind of wasteful to use a charger that is trying to continuously supply power to a battery that has already been topped off. I was recently sent a Velvetwire Powerslayer Kit, and it solves the problem beautifully.
I seem to have been on a disaster-prep kick lately, and that’s a good thing considering that unforeseen events can happen at any time. It’s smart to plan ahead, be prepared, and keep gear that can power itself and other devices ready for when it’s needed. The latest tool in my arsenal is the Goal Zero Torch 250 Flashlight.
Anker has consistently shown that smartphone and tablet accessories don’t have to be expensive in order to deliver quality. Case in point, the Anker 2nd Generation Astro E4 13,000mAh External Battery. It has an MSRP of $89.99 but, when purchased through our Amazon Affiliate Store it is under $30! That’s an amazing deal!
If you have a mobile phone, then power management is something that just goes with the territory. Even the new iPhones and Sony Xperias with their larger batteries will still have their moments of inexplicable drains; it’s better to be safe than sorry, so just plan ahead and carry an extended battery pack like the TP-LINK 10400mAh Power Bank.
Kev has a small hand-cranked emergency flashlight; I reviewed it years ago, and it has become an inside joke how he won’t travel without it. At least he’s always prepared! It took just one look at the Slive-4U Self-Powered AM/FM/WB Radio with Flashlight & Phone Charger for Kev to say he wanted it if it really works.
I thought upgrading to a 128GB iPhone 6 Plus from a 64GB iPhone 5S would solve my constant struggle to balance music, photos, and apps with my device’s available memory, yet I’ve managed to hit a wall. I’ve actually seen the dreaded out of memory warning already; once I get the Leef iBRIDGE, it will no longer be a problem.
If you have multiple devices to keep charged such as a smartphone or two, a tablet, an eReader and a pair of wireless headphones you will love the CHOETECH 50 Watt 6 Port Desktop Charger. One device will keep you going all day and night and, best of all, it is available on Amazon at an amazingly low price.
The Ventev Powercell 3015 External Battery is not the most powerful external battery we’ve reviewed, but its small size, light weight, and low-price make it a good option if you are looking for something inexpensive that will keep you from running out of juice three-quarters of the way through the day. Here’s our review and a chance to win one. As we have seen with other products from Ventev, the packaging is nothing to get excited about. That’s really not an issue, since this is all about having the practicality of a small, light, inexpensive external battery. Fancy packaging would…
I’m hesitant to describe the Incipio offGRID Portable Backup Battery 4000mAh as “cute” but it’s actually kind of cute… for an external backup battery. The bright colors, soft-touch material and cable-holder come together in a rather attractive way. Add in the accessible price of $49.99 and you have an impressive way to stay charged on the go.
I’ve written about many external battery packs that hold 9,000mAh or more, but I haven’t covered much in the sub-5000mAh area, and that’s a shame. If I’m going out for the evening, I’ll inevitably need a boost, but I won’t want to carry a bulky battery pack; that’s where the lipstick-sized Anker Astro Mini comes in. It’s evening bag friendly.
If you want the smallest iPhone and iPad travel charger possible, and you don’t want to fool with cables, then the TravelBuddy is going to be your perfect solution. This compact wall charger makes it possible for you to plug-in anywhere and charge your iOS device. For as little as $30 you can get in on this Kickstarter project. The makers of TravelBuddy have already made it through one successful Kickstarter charging product, and they will be producing it in an Apple-Certified Chinese factory. Apple has already approved their initial design, so you can back this product with confidence — it’s not some fly-by-night…
Lesson 1: External batteries are a must-have item when traveling. Even if it just for a day. Lesson 2: Pay attention to lesson 1. Each time I disregard Lessons 1 and 2 I have issues. Most recently I DID have an external battery, but it was too small for my needs. The Juno Power Konnect Two 9000 External Battery isn’t.
Can you ever have too many USB ports available? That’s a silly question; of course you can’t, and that applies whether you are at home, at work, or traveling. So here’s something that’ll help take some of the burden off of your laptop’s ports, allowing you to travel with just one power source: the Lumsing 5 Port USB Travel Charger. Measuring approximately 5.3″ long x 2.75″ wide x 1.25″ thick, the Lumsing charger is compact enough to fit into a pocket in your laptop bag, gear bag, larger purse, or briefcase, but it is powerful enough that it can charge up to five devices at once using USB…
I’ve mentioned that Kev recently upgraded his iPhone 4S and moved to an iPhone 6, which ultimately meant a cable upgrading crisis at my house. All of Kev’s 30-pin cables had to be upgraded to Lightning, which brought him nosing around my stockpile, so I was scrambling. Fortunately, I had the JunoPower Kaebo Lightning Cable in my queue. Fancy, right?
Imagine charging your device and when done, automatically turning off power to prevent overcharging and protect battery life. What if the charger looked stylish and wasn’t an ugly block? How would you like an app that allowed you to see and monitor information about the level of charge your device was receiving? With the Velvetwire Powerslayer Blu, it’s possible. At its heart, the Powerslayer is an extremely intelligent charger that rapidly charges both phones and tablets. It is UL certified with built-in surge protection, and continuous temperature monitoring. Built in microprocessor control “protects against overcharging and eliminates wasted power by turning off automatically when charging is…
This is a first for me; we’ve covered plenty of external battery packs on Gear Diary, but never one that was able to serve as both “an emergency vehicle jump-starter and portable power bank”, which is exactly what the Viatek’s new Pocket Jump does. You can back on Kickstarter for as low as $40 or get two for $70.
Here’s a product that seems so brilliantly obvious that I wish I’d thought of it: the new Quirky Pickup Power is a three AC outlet power strip with a built-in external 4000mAh or 6000mAh battery charger that’s always ready to go. Starting at $99.99, you can keep your portable battery charged and ready, then pop it out when needed.
Leaving aside Samsung’s cute commercial bashing iOS Device battery life, external portable battery packs are a reality of modern-day mobile living. Our devices are simply too power-hungry, and recharging on the go is a must. The TYLT ENERGI 2K Travel Charger is a stylish and convenient way to do just that. Best of all it costs under $40.
Do you need a way to keep your phone or tablet powered when you are out and about? Then you should look no further than the Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank External Battery. Able to charge your mobile phone or tablet repeatedly without being plugged in again, the Harmonica Style Power Bank is slim, powerful, and at $21, it’s amazingly CHEAP. For just a smidgen over $20, you might expect some cheaply made hulk of plastic that weighs a ton and is, well, ugly. But the Lumsing 10400mAh Power Bank is actually a very well made and classy looking tool. The battery’s packaging is…
The HooToo TripMate Elite 4-in-1 device is a personal cloud, travel router, external battery pack, and dual USB AC charger all in one. The versatile TripMate Elite can be used on an airplane, in your hotel room, in the airport, or even in the car or train. It’s the perfect travel companion. The TripMate Elite’s price is $89.99.