Archive for the ‘Battery’ Category

ibattz iPhone extended battery case is awesome!!!

Posted: May 31, 2012 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Accessories, Battery, Cases, Cases, Chargers, iOS, iPhone4-ATT, iPhone4-Verizon, iPhone4s-ATT, iPhone4s-Verizon, Phones, Power
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ibattz iPhone extended Battery case, a dropSKIP top pick!
By Troy Saxton-Getty

Regardless of whether you choose iPhone or Android as your optimal mobile device one thing is certain, your battery life will almost always not be enough for your day to day activity.

We have tested countless battery extenders for mobile phones and many for months on end.

Although there are many options, nothing has been quite a sweet as the new ibattz power case for iPhone 4/4s.

It’s the one unit that has a removable battery, better yet, it’s a very common battery, a Nokia BP-4L. A base battery that adds 1500Mah to the back of your iPhone and when it runs low, simply slide the light weight back cover off and replace the battery with the additional second BP-4L which is included.

At first I was impressed with the box stating 3000Mah, but the reality is, thats both additional batteries, disappointing? actually initially yes, but after thinking about it and using it for several weeks to date, it is pretty darn cool that I can quickly swap a second (or third and so on if you purchase a few additional Nokia BP-4L Batteries)

The unit comes with a 4 blue LED charge/level indicator, a micro USB plug and the iPhone slips onto the case like a standard docking effort.  Additionally the case includes a silver and a red anodized sleeve, giving you two color choices.

The size is also one of the smallest and least thick of all of the extended battery cases. Unlike the Mophie Juice case which has a flimsy Micro USB, (we’ve broken 2 so far) the ibattz connector is well protected and solid.

That is 3000Mah of additional power in two small industry standard batteries.

The case is also rather small since they designed around the Nokia BP-4L which is ultra-slim.

If you look on the internet, you can find Nokia BP-4L replacements in higher capacity, such as 1800Mah.

Last, you can swap batteries without the phone needed a reboot or any special consideration. the battery pack keeps the iPhone topped off first, so there is zero issue with adding in your second or third battery.

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What’s in the bag man?

Posted: May 25, 2012 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Accessories, Android, ATT, Audio / Video Gadget, Battery, dropSKIP? What???, GPS Devices, Headphones, iOS, iPad2, iPhone4s-ATT, iPhone4s-Verizon, Operating System, Personal Communicators, Personal HotSpot Devices, Phones, Power, Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung SCH-LC11 4G Hotspot, Tablets, Verizon
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What’s in the bag man?

By Troy Saxton-Getty

Those who know me understand I have a bag & backpack fetish, it’s not some weird OCD thing, and it is based on purpose. (Ok, most of the time!)

20120527-063120.jpgMost friends know me as the always equipped geek that travels fairly regularly, including a long weekly run up and down the west coast as well as some longer multi-week out of the country trips every few months.

I get asked a few times a day “What is in that bag, you always seem to have everything with you…what should I take in my gadget bag?”

I have 3 configurations, regular day to day, Domestic trips and longer international trips. (We will just cover electronics, not the huge set of keys, wallet, passport and other non-tech crap that adds another 10 lbs to my bag)

Let’s start with the favorite bag at the moment, it’s the Tumi black ballistic nylon backpack, their higher end model. It offers a mid-sized backpack format, very strong zippers and plenty of pockets. The bag is laid out nicely with a solid TSA approved back area for the laptop in it’s own quick unzip compartment so you lay the bag open and TSA (and most other countries) accept putting it through the scanner without actually taking it out.

Base configuration (Day to day):

Apple MacBook Air 13” (i7)

Charger for the Macbook with the long stock extended cord (best laptop I’ve ever owned, and yes, you can either boot it to Windows 7 natively or open up Windows while booted to Mac OS if you set it up for it, it’s the best Windows laptop I’ve ever owned as well. This thing is powerful, I use it as a regular gaming machine too, but it has to be the fully loaded i7 version)

Apple iPad3, leather case that can serve as a stand or protective cover and standard 2-amp charger module plus stock cable

Either Bose QC-15 or Dr. Dre Studio Beats over the ear noise cancelling headphones (the Bose are slightly better sounding and a bit better on base, but damn those Red Dre Beats look cool, they take a few years off ya, lol)

Brookstone USB Battery pack (this is the quick and easy pocket-able battery for your mobile should you start running low, plug it in via it’s USB plug and your mobile cable)

Sparq 6000Mah Battery pack (these have flip out power tongs, no cables required, just flip them out and plug them into the wall, OMG these are sweet!)

iPhone4 iBattz extended battery sleeve with two removable batteries (key is quick battery changing since the case used standard Nokia NB-4L 1500Mah batteries, I’ve purchased many of these, this is the best one I’ve used so far)

iPhone4S ATT plus 1-amp stock charger and cable

iPhone4S Verizon plus 1-amp stock charger and cable

Samsung Galaxy Note plus stock charger and cable (My favorite Android phone)

Samsung 4G Hotspot (Verizon) (this is just a great little hotspot for up to 5 devices and the battery works for a few hours without fail)

Western Digital 2TB USB Passport laptop hard disk (Time Machine backup and a second copy of everything, Mac runs the backup automatically, don’t even fool with anything else JUST DO IT!) (Older movie storage as well so you don’t clog the SSD)

Micron 256GB SSD USB (solid state) laptop hard disk (main content storage, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie etc) This thing is fast and it’s perfect for those with a lot of content, specifically photos and music

Spot Tracker II – Personal Sat locator stand alone device (get lost? 911? Or just sending messages to a list of your choosing letting them know you are “OK” with map coordinates

SpotConnect – Personal Sat locator that works with iPhone (same as above, but lets you send special “text” via satellite, regardless of where you are on the globe)

Small Tumi nylon accessory bag (holds all the cables and chargers for the mobiles and iPad)

Tumi International travel adapter and cable kit (this kit is the best I’ve found so far, multi country support is awesome and it works, includes an additional dual USB snap on head for charging two .5 amp USB devices)

Apple international plug adapter kit (this is super cool for Apple users as it snaps onto the various Apple power modules, laptop, iPad etc)

Pel Head light (you have no idea how handy a hands free LED headlamp can be!)

Spare AAA and AA lithum batteries (the sat locators require Litium, but they work well and last a long time if you need them for something else)

Handheld small flashlight (The headlamp is great, but you need a small and powerful handheld too)

Zippo Lighter (I don’t’ smoke but this can come in handy, even when it’s dry on fluid)

I used to always have a Leatherman Multi-tool but TSA thinks you might try to disassemble the aircraft since 9/11 so that is out, so put it in checked baggage, you have no idea how handy this is to have in a country you don’t live in… (I have given so many of them to the TSA for free due to forgetting it in my backpack, they must have a side business running on all the stuff like this they collect thanks to not wanting to try to check it in baggage last minute and wait in security line again)

Domestic trips:

Sparq 6000mah battery (Second one, yea, there is no substitute to having USB Power up to 2-Amps , these units include 2 ports, 1 and 2 amps so iPads charge nicely)

Kindle Fire (battery lasts a really long time and has a second copy of my eBooks and other content just in case)

Galaxy Note extended battery sleeve (It’s nice having an Android phone along, but the power dies quickly on the Note, so the sleeve extends it 1.5x in addition to the included battery)

International multi-week trips:

Mili King 18000 Battery pack (This is the mother of all external battery packs, you can run a small house on this thing, ample USB plug power and it will extend most non-Apple laptops for 2-3x)

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MiLi Power Spring 4 – Another External Power Case

Posted: December 31, 2011 by Gill Haus in Battery, Cases, iOS, iPhone4-ATT, iPhone4-Verizon, iPhone4s-ATT, iPhone4s-Verizon, Power
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Our travel continues and even though we try to find a case for our iPhones that doesn’t take away from its elegance, power eventually becomes an issue.

We reviewed the none flip version of the MiLi power packs a few months back and this time took a swing at the spring/flip top. Here are our thoughts.

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The design is slimmer (it’s only the 1600mAh version) than the last one we reviewed and the back is flat. This makes for easier pocket usage and better resting on tables.

This version still has the power meter led on the side along with a button that lets you start charging or tell you how much juice is left.

For those that read often they’ll know that switching cases needs to be as easy as possible and the MiLi spring pack makes it a breeze. Simply flip back the top, slide in the phone, and lock the top closed. During a fall, it’s possible the case will open (only after initial impact) so will provide some protection but not a tremendous amount.

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For power and looks, this is getting closer (other than a new iPhone that can last 16 hours with real use – we dream) but there are some draw backs. There is no kick stand on this model. If you plan on using this in a plane to watch movies, you’ll need to hold it. That’s not the end of the world but it’s less convenient. In addition, it’s a mini USB charger that is needed so if you already have iPhone chargers in every room of your house (guilty as charged) you’ll need to get some new cables – ones comes in the box, as well.

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All in all, we’ll keep this case (we’re good at quickly liquidating after testing) and use it but understand why it might not be a fit for all. The good news here is that you can pick up one on eBay for about 50 bucks if you’re so inclined…not our used one this time, though. ;)

Brookstone 92-Hour Battery – Small size, Big power, Great choice…

Posted: July 9, 2011 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Accessories, Battery, Chargers, dropSKIP? What???, Phones, Power
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Brookstone 92-Hour Battery – Small size, Big power, Great choice…
By Troy Saxton-Getty

Brookstone has another winner when it comes to mobile battery power/chargers, it’s the  92-hour Rechargeable Battery pack for mobile devices and it packs quite a wallop! 3000 mAh in the size of a compact business card holder. (the box photo makes it look bigger than an iPhone 4, but its quite a bit smaller)

Brookstone 92-Hour Battery Pack

Brookstone 92-Hour Battery Pack

This is now our favorite charger to keep in the light travel backpack, if you aren’t going away from power for weeks (if so, use the MiLi King, reviewed earlier) then this is the unit to carry.

Although this power pack can work with just about any USB chargeable gadget, on your iPhone 4 you can expect 11 hours of additional talk time, 21 hours of video playback and 92 hours of music playback up and above the iPhone internal battery.

The side of the unit has 3 small blue LED lights for charge level, a push button to activate them and a really nice feature we haven’t seen before, a bright LED flashlight, simply hold the button for a few seconds and you have a handy flashlight!

Connectors

Connectors

Included Items as denoted on the box:

Includes everything you need to stay charged.
Battery comes with a DC dual USB cable, AC adapter, car adapter and storage pouch, plus a micro USB cable, mini 5-pin USB cable and USB charger and sync cable for iPod and iPhone devices. Just connect it and power your devices practically anywhere.

We have used this little power pack for nearly a month, charging everything from iPads, Android phones as well as iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. Just for comparison, the Apple iPhone 4 has a 1420 mAh lithium polymer battery, the Brookstone 92-Hour pack has over two times the charge in a lithium polymer battery also, so if you have one in your pack, leave the house with a full charge on both the iPhone and the power pack, you have 3 times the standard iPhone power without needing a wall plug. (of course you can talk while the battery is plugged in and charging)

Size vs. CD

Size vs. CD

You can also ditch the standard iPhone charging cord since the kit includes shorter versions of the 3 most common cables, Mini, Micro USB and iPhone native.

The power pack can be charged from one or two USB ports on a laptop or car USB adapter, or the included dual USB port wall plug. This charger is nice because it gives you a wall plug with two standard USB ports, when you aren’t charging the power pack, you can run/charge any other USB device with it.

Brookstone Website link to the 92-Hour Power Pack

Overall I would say this one is the new gold standard to beat, although we really like the Sparq 2 from Zagg (previously reviewed) the Sparq 2 is 6000mAh but over 4 times the size of the 92-Hour Battery Pack. To be fair, the Sparq 2 requires no cables, wall plug or charger pod, it flips out like an Apple Airport Express WiFi brick or Macbook charger) but even with the separate charger pod, battery and cables, the Sparq 2 is still almost twice the size. and roughly twice the weight. We keep it plugged in and topping off the iPhone, two solid days of top-offs before it runs dry.

Addition information for traveling outside the domestic US, the Brookstone 92-Hour Battery Pack charger supports the standard Brookstone world format adapters, it only comes with a US based 110v adapter, but if you are traveling, inquire on which snap-on wall plug tip you will need. (the charger supports 110/220v 50/60Hz) (if you don’t pick one up, you just need to find a US type plug, the charger will still work with the different voltage and freq.

We are really impressed with this little product…it is extremely well made and if you have a power hungry smartphone, take this little guy with you and have two full days of power between wall plug refueling… and a pretty bright flashlight.

MiLi King – Big portable power, 18000 mAh, charge everything without a wall plug

Posted: July 4, 2011 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Accessories, Battery, Chargers, dropSKIP? What???, Power
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MiLi King – Big portable power, 18000 mAh, charge everything without a wall plug
By Troy Saxton-Getty

A few months back we tested the Sparq2 portable battery pack and ever since we’ve been on a mission to find better and better battery packs for recharging portable and mobile gadgets, the MiLi King seems to really be the king and here is why.

The MiLi King has 18000 mAh, the Spark2 has 6000 mAh of capacity. Most of the portable power packs are between 1500-3000 mA in capacity. This means you can actually run a laptop 2-3 time longer then it’s internal battery by having the MiLi King along.

Mili King

Mili King

Additionally, you can recharge your iPhone 12+ times before you have to plug the MiLi King back into a wall outlet.

Of course a quick walk through the airport Brookstone store netted us 2 battery products to test on a two week extended trip around the globe. The MiLi King got a workout charging every product in our travel bags and we still couldn’t run this thing out of power.

It’s funny, personally on trips like this I get wall plug anxiety and when you go international you get wall plug adapter anxiety on top of it, every time you stop somewhere you want to get the mobile phone, laptop and other goodies plugged in so they can soak up the power because you don’t know how long you will have to go until you find power again.

Level Meter

Level Meter

No longer is this an issue for us, one MiLi King power pack in the backpack and you are golden for a week or more of travel and you won’t have to plug in your mobile phone to the wall once. It is kind of tough breaking the power outlet panic, for a bit we kept plugging the MiLi King into every outlet until we began trusting this little baby to tank up our power hungry gadgets… Now it’s more of a game to see how long we can go without plugging it in.

The battery pack is long and slender, its about as large as you would want to carry in a back pack, but for 18000 mAh, it’s worth it.

MiLi King next to a CD for Size

MiLi King next to a CD for Size

The MiLi King comes with just about every power adapter you could imagine, it covers just about every standard notebook and portable connector, 20+ adapters and the usual mobile connectors for iPhone, Mini and Micro USB etc.

Although it comes with a nice little draw string tote, once you have the power brick, the standard computer power cord and the MiLi King it’s a bit of a commitment to carry it in a light weight back pack. If you know you are coming back to the power brick in a day or two you can ditch the heavy cord and charging brick.

Something that we found cool is you can charge something while the MiLi King itself is being charged. there is a LED power display, you press a button on the side and the icon and power percentage light up, while it’s charging from the wall this stays on and the icon is animated so you know the MiLi King is taking the charge.

One of the challenges with these types of units is they have to support multiple output or charging voltage and amperage levels, for example, USB, 9-12V and 16-20V for certain notebooks, so its tough to design into the product. The MiLi King design supports this well. with a native USB outlet, you can simply plug your mobile in using it’s normal power cord.

Connections

Connections

You will have to make sure before you leave, pick out the power connectors and cords to support what you are taking. Oh, btw, it does NOT support the Apple MagSafe power connector, so no Mac support. (Apple has a patent on this connector so its not just the MiLi folks that can’t support it, its everyone but Apple and a few rouge folks. A battery pack company went as far as buying replacement Apple power cords, cutting the end off  and wiring them into their product and Apple went after them)

After two solid weeks of pushing the MiLi King, I would highly recommend it for longer trips or times when you could be multiple days without a wall plug, for a day trip, a smaller battery pack or a battery pack case for your mobile is a better option. If you need to power an array of items, laptop, game gadget, phone(s) the MiLi King is perfect.

From a design perspective its built well, We just don’t like lugging around the power cord that is no different than an old desktop and the charging brick is the same as a full sized notebook.

Giant Power Supply

Giant Power Supply

We do like the adapter options, multi-voltage support and the simple and flat design, it fits nicely in the backpack.

If you have a lot of power hungry gadgets in your bag, this is a travel “must have”, if you go long bouts without power for even one device, the MiLi King is the power pack to have.

MiLi iPhone PowerPack 4

Posted: March 15, 2011 by Gill Haus in Accessories, Battery, Cases, Cases, iOS, iPhone4-ATT, iPhone4-Verizon, Stands and Docking Stations
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There are quite a few iPhone battery packs on the market these days. The traditional ones are either cases or external packs. The cases tend to be more convenient, but add bulk to the phone and are often difficult to remove quickly (for those that have docks or don’t need the extra battery life for the moment). The external packs are bulky and harder to transport and often need cables – not quite the best mobile tech.

Enter the case/dock. It’s both an iPhone case that serves as a battery pack/case and also as a dock. The one I picked up is MiLi’s 3000 mAh PowerPack 4.

The case has some bulk, but the majority is on the back making it easier to handle and retaining a good deal of the original form factor. The case is open at the top making for easy phone insertion and removing. This also provides easy access to all buttons. I like this feature for traveling. It won’t do well to protect your phone as it will easily slide out when dropped (not attempted as of this writing).

The case has a fold out stand that allows one to stand the phone vertically for docking or horizontally for movie viewing. A button on the side with a clear LED provides a quick status check on battery life. The button also enables charge mode. Once the phone is charged you’ll need to hit this button. If the phone is inserted (even fully charged) the charging starts.

A mini USB connector and cable are used to charge the case and sync. Most of us have at least a few of these lying around in case the one supplied isn’t long enough. The battery is about 2X that of the iPhone (3000 mAh) greatly extending usage and the case can be easily removed and stored when out of juice.

Retailing at around $99, it’s not a bad accessory for iPhone power users. If you have numerous devices to charge, you will be out of luck and may prefer a power block and cables. For the light traveler, it’s ideal.

ZAGG Sparq 2.0 – Battery / Reserve Power Source

Posted: March 3, 2011 by Troy Saxton-Getty in Accessories, Battery, Power
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ZAGG makes a nifty road warrior tool that is about the same size as an Apple Macbook power supply that can recharge an iPhone4 about 4 times from absolutely dead. This little wonder battery has 6000 mAh of power, it has flip out wall charger prongs, a 4 LED power meter, two USB ports – one standard power and one higher power for iPads etc. I have been using the 1.0 version, which is slightly less powerful, and it is a regular part of my travel tech backpack. Basically just about anything that needs USB power can be used with it.

Zagg Sparq 2.0

Zagg Sparq 2.0

My only complaint is on the wall plug, the internal plastic piece that keeps both wall prongs together broke rather easily, it still works but when you fold the power prongs closed now, they are independent and feel loose. I suspect the maid in the hotel pulled it out with some side load and broke them, when I came back to my room it was unplugged and laying on the desk.  That part seems to have been designed rather cheaply.

Zagg Sparq website photo

Zagg Sparq website photo

www.zagg.com