Charger

Keep your iPhone charged while driving with AmazonBasic’s Lightning Car Charger

You may have noticed how much juice it takes to run Google Maps or the Maps app on iOS. If you are driving for a long distance, you aren’t going to want to keep your Maps app open the entire time, unless you can charge while driving.

AmazonBasics has an MFi certified Lightning Car Charger allowing you to stay juiced up, even if you are on a long road trip with Spotify playing in the background the entire time.

Charge up to six devices at the same time with the Rapid Charge USB Wall Charger

It is highly likely that you have three, four, or even six rechargeable mobile devices in your home (possibly more). Whether you are using a smartphone, tablet, e-reader, wireless speaker, or some other device that uses a USB cable to recharge, there are probably a lot more gadgets lying around than you realize.

Choetech makes a six port Rapid Charge USB Wall Charger that, not only supports charging of six devices at the same time, but also provides fast charging with up to 10-amp output.

Charge your iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously with these dual USB chargers

The first night I took off my Apple Watch, I ran into a problem. I went to plug the charger into the outlet behind my nightstand, and I realized both spots were taken—1 by my iPhone alarm dock and the other by my lamp. So I started looking into dual USB chargers.

Figuring I wasn't the only one coming up a plug short, I decided to share my findings here on iDB. I've compiled a list of 8 dual USB chargers that I feel are worth checking out. They vary in price and design, and as usual, I've only included those with high ratings, making sure they are some of the best dual USB chargers you can use with your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Athlete shows off Apple Watch with custom red Sport Band and folding charging plug

With such a high-profile launch of a new-category (fashionable) gadget on its hands, little wonder Apple is admittedly enlisting help of the world's top fashion editors, celebrities and athletes in an unprecedented attempt to position the gizmo in the public's consciousness.

The latest in celebrity Watch signings came via British professional rugby player and captain turned cyclist, Will Carling.

Earlier today, Carling on Twitter showed off his stainless steel Apple Watch sporting what appears to be a bespoke red Sport band.

NomadClip adds carabiner-style charging to your pocket

I travel a lot. Not necessarily on vacations mind you. I just mean, I'm out and about on a daily basis, gone for side family visits on the weekend, and fly on a somewhat regular basis. Consequently, my daypack is always stuffed with cables for my gadgets, iPhone, iPad, backup battery charger, Bluetooth headphones and the like.

Naturally, there is some overlap there with the Lightning cable, but sometimes you need to charge the iPhone and iPad simultaneously. More importantly, my daypack is made for lightweight daily stuff and every time I cram one more even small item, it gets filled. Thankfully, I've added Nomad's NomadClip to the mix and I can store my charging cable on my belt clip, outside of the bag, and many other non-backpack locations.

Review: PlugBug World by Twelve South, the versatile little charger Apple should have made

Aren't you sick and tired of those unsightly, clunky wall chargers lying underneath your desk? I'm all for simplification so solutions that cut down the number of power adapters needed to juice up my devices are bound to win my attention.

Twelve South's PlugBug World is a cute hybrid charger which connects to any MacBook brick or Apple USB wall charger.

By integrating an additional 2.1-Amp USB port, this compact accessory can quickly recharge any iOS device, or a lower-powered USB device, while feeding power to a MacBook at the same time.

Continue reading as I let you in on the PlugBug's little secrets, such as its cunning adaptability, versatility and smart design choices that make it stand out from other products and turn it into an indispensable companion in your mobile arsenal.

CES 2015: a true wireless charging system beams power to gadgets from 20 feet away

At CES, Energous presented a true wireless charging system that beams power to devices through the air, from 20 feet away, Engadget reported.

They're calling it WattUp and it uses a proprietary solution that got demoed at CES yesterday.

The technology is ready for seamless integration into a common residential setting, providing the ability to charge a multitude of devices free of any wired connection or charging pad.

Trusted analyst doesn’t expect reversible Lightning cable and redesigned charger to ship with iPhone 6

KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo in a note to clients issued Monday postulated that Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 is “not likely” to ship with a more powerful power adapter.

Furthermore, he made the same assertion regarding the rumored Lightning cable which recently leaked out with reversible design on the USB side.

According to the analyst note obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo thinks the fully reversible Lightning cable would not be viable, citing “cost concerns” and ”limited improvements to overall user experience” that such changes would bring.

Apple awarded new patent on wireless charging

We don't know if the upcoming iPhone 6 is going to feature wireless charging technology or not, but we do know that Apple is working on it. The Cupertino company has been awarded multiple patents on wire-free charging tech over the years, and today we're adding a new one to the stack.

The USPTO granted Apple the rights to a new invention this week based on NFMR (or near-field magnetic resonance) technology. NFMR is different from the inductive charging tech used by most manufacturers these days, as it's capable of wirelessly charging devices up to one meter away...

NomadPlus turns your iPhone charger into a 1,500 mAh backup battery

Boy, that new anti-iPhone Samsung ad titled "Wall Huggers" really struck a nerve, didn't it? Blame it on Apple: the iPhone is frequently criticized for its battery life which isn't abysmal at all though you'd be hard-pressed to argue that its ~1,560 mAh battery is a match for high-end Android devices that go beyond 3,000 mAh, such as LG's G3 or Samsung's Galaxy Note 3.

Feeling your pain, lo and behold, Nomad has created a nice solution to your battery woes. Their new NomadPlus accessory transforms your iPhone's charger into a portable 1,500 mAh battery for backup power...

Duracell installing wireless Powermat chargers in Starbucks stores

Duracell and Starbucks announced today that they have reached a partnership that will see wireless chargers installed into several Starbucks stores. The chargers will use Duracell's Powermat technology, which works with a number of devices—including iPhones.

Stores will be equipped with 'Powermat Spots,' which are designated areas on tables and counters where customers can place their devices to charge wirelessly. Starbucks believes this will be far more convenient for its customers than having to hunt down outlets...

Review: the iQi wireless iPhone charger

Wireless charging has long been one of technology's Holy Grails. Being able to charge your devices without them having to be tethered to a power outlet would undoubtedly change the way we work, but seeing as we're still quite some ways away from having electricity beamed to our smartphones and tablets, we'll have to make do with the next best thing - charging plates.

Many phones support what they like to call wireless charging, but as the pedantic amongst us would point point out, that's not strictly accurate. After all,  that charging plate still needs a wire! Get beyond that hangup though, and wireless charging is actually pretty cool even in its current state. Putting your tablet or smartphone on a pad and having it start charging is impressive enough, but unfortunately Apple still isn't up for it. Neither the iPad nor iPhone support wireless charging out of the box, and existing third-party solutions need big cases that come with the required technology built-in, which is far from ideal. Wireless charging should get out of the way, not make itself unmissable.

Enter the iQi wireless charging adapter...