My hero!
I've often use my posts on here to dote on about something personal concerning me, or go on about a political issue near and dear to my heart. And every once in awhile I talk about a piece of technology that I've recently become enamored with. This is one of those latter posts.
I had recently bought the new iPod Video. (My old Shuffle went flying somewhere onto I-280 when I rode into work on my motorcycle and left the back pocket of my messenger bag open. Another story.) I got the 30 GB version, mostly because of it's form factor. It's significantly thinner and lighter than the 80 GB, and even if I put every single MP3 on my iPod, it would only be 15 GB.
So I think the Nano is amazingly cool, and if you don't do Video, definitely get it. Go to an Apple store (or CompUSA or what have you) and check it out, and you'll see why. But ultimately, I said, hey, I can download shows off my Replay (yes, it's 4 years old, which is about 120 in tech years, but man, it's automatically skips over commercials!), put them on my iPod and watch them when I'm on Muni. Or an airplane. Or on a trip to Germany.
So I did. And I love it. There was only one problem, and it's a problem that vexes a lot of mobile technology. You gotta charge 'em. And when you're doing something powerful (like watching videos), it sucks a lot of juice.
Now most of the time, it's not a problem. You can get probably 3 hours or so of watching videos (or by another measure, about 3 episodes of Desperate Housewives) before an iPod is dead or near dead. That's fine for a flight from San Francisco to Seattle, but for an 11 hour flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco, that just simply will not do. How am I expected to get caught up from the entire first half season of Desperate Housewives, when cattle class doesn't have power outlets?
Well, I found the solution. There's a company called Mobility Electronics that has a product line called iGo. They make a very slick series of products. Basically, it comes with one thing to supply the power. It could be for a wall, for a car or airplane outlet, and could be used with a laptop, a cell phone, an iPod, or all of the above. The beautiful of it is it's universality. I bought it explicitly so I could power my laptop (and any laptop) with one travel adapter. No need to bring a different adapter for a wall, car or plane, and a different adapter for my cell phone, iPod and Palm. One adapter does it all. Buy something new? Just get a new tip, only $10. And it'll work with your wall adapter, your car adapter, your travel adapter, everything. It even uses 110V or 230V, so it works here and abroad. Just use an plug adapter.
So I was thrilled when they came out with the PowerXtender+. It's a battery operated charger. Basically, you stick 4 AA batteries in it, put one of those same low-voltage tips used in the car or wall version (8 watts or less, plenty for a cell phone, iPod and so on), and hook it up. How long does it last? Well, it was enough to watch Video on my iPod for that 11 hour flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco, plus the train from Cologne to Frankfurt, and taking BART home from SFO. (I did indeed get caught up on Desperate Housewives.) It was put again to the test on my trip to New York. In one weekend, it lasted the trip to and from Long Island to Manhattan (got caught up on this season's Doctor Who), and several trips between Hoboken and Manhattan (each way, the length of one episode of Arrested Development), even allowed me to recharge my cell phone, headset and PDA (meeting my Parisian friends, I had to look up "dizzy" au Frances... étourdir). It's also nice to have when your flight is 2.5 hours late, and the airport seems to be might short on power outlets, as what happened to me on the way home.
But I only just started to find it's benefits. One main benefit is that AA batteries charge much faster than most anything else. 4 AA batteries in my charger take less than an hour to charge from dead empty. A dead iPod can take 4 hours to fully charge, and those 4 AA batteries can be used to charge the iPod a number of times. Also, in an emergency, AA batteries are widely available.
But one of the coolest benefits I've found is the ability to charge on the go. As I mentioned, when I was in New York for the weekend, I didn't want to lug all over Manhattan a bunch of stuff to keep everything charged. I just brought the powerXtender and 8 charged AA batteries (plus 4 alkalines, just in case, but didn't use; and I only needed the extra 4 rechargeables for the train ride back out to Long Island), a few small tips and I was good to go. Even in San Francisco, I'm out and about and away from power sources (neither Muni nor BART have such an option). I've woken up to head out for the day, only to find I didn't charge my iPod or cell phone or Palm Pilot or whatever I have. I just bring the powerXtender with me and charge on the go. I can even run home, swap the AA batteries in the charger for another set, bring the charger with me, charge on the go and never have to leave a device in the charger at home again. When I return home, a full charged set awaits me anew.
The one draw back is that you need a separate battery charger, especially when travelling. Some other solutions such as the APC Mobile Power Pack can be recharged by plugging into any USB port (basically charging in the reverse way they were discharged), but they're much more expensive ($70 versus $25, plus cost of batteries for the latter), and once the battery is past its time, you'll have to buy a whole new pack. When batteries are no longer useful on the powerXtender, just buy new AA batteries, and they're cheap at about $10 for 4 high capacity NiMHs, and roughly the same capacity as the APC Mobile Power Pack, not to mention widely available. Also, with the powerXtender, you can carry as many batteries as you need. For example, for a transatlantic flight, I just brought 4 AA's. For a weekend in the city, I brought 8. Alas, iGo does not yet make a AA battery charger that works with their adapters, so you'll have to lug the battery charger and accompanying brick with you too. (Some chargers will work generically with USB ports, which you can use the iPod Shuffle tip for or your laptop or someone's computer's USB port, but because of the lower amperage, they take much longer to charge, about 4 hours for 4 AA's.) The APC does have a small advantage of size and weight, as it's about 40% smaller and lighter than the powerXtender+, and slightly smaller and lighter than the powerXtender (but also twice the capacity). But we're talking ounces here, not pounds. That's not including the size and weight of the battery charger, but because of the low amperage USB port, the APC will also take about 3.5 hours to charge from dead.
One small problem I have with the powerXtender is that it has only an on light (which is the signature cool blue iGo LED). But without any gradiance (how many bars), you could be at 10% or 90% and never know the difference.
For shorter trips, I do have a specialized iRecharge from Cellboost (the same company that makes disposable cell phone batteries) that will just recharge from the sync cable, eliminating the need to bring a battery charger and accompanying brick, that I just happened to buy before finding out about the powerXtender. (Retail is $79.99, but I managed to get it for $25 at CompUSA.) It works fine for most domestic trips, roughly doubling the iPod's battery capacity.
iGo also makes a smaller and cheaper 2 cell version for $15.99 (it was not available when I got mine) that works exactly the same as its 4-celled brother (uses the same tips, has the same limitations), except it uses only 2 AA batteries and is much smaller and lighter, but of course it only lasts half as long. I also like the fact on the 4 cell that it has a nice 24" flexible cable between the cell and the connector, so you can put it in a bag or out of the way while it's connected. I also fear the inflexible connector between the cell and the tip on the 2-cell model could bend and break something both on the device and the cell (especially if you've got it charging in a bag). Not something you want to do to your $250 iPod! (Note: I haven't actually seen or used the 2-cell model, so I could be wrong.)
I've also since found out about a cheaper, more generic USB battery box for $5.99 (plus batteries), which works similar to the APC model, but powers off of 4 AA batteries (or, in another smaller and less powerful version, 4 AAAs). However, it'll only work on devices that can be powered from a USB port, including iPods, PDAs (such as the Palm or Treo), but not from all, including my RAZR (damned Motorola!). (Standard USB ports don't deliver enough amps for the RAZR to recognize it's being charged.) On top of that, it has the limitation of the powerXtender in that you need to have a charger for the batteries. But if it's just extra iPod or Treo power you need, it could be just for you.
All in all, I haven't had a problem with a dead device at all since getting the powerXtender. It's generic enough to power any low voltage device I have. Basically if it's small enough to easily carry with me without a carrying case, I can charge or power it with me. And I've never faced that awkward moment of actually having to converse with that weirdo on Muni who suddenly wants to become my new best friend again, because my iPod is all powered up and ready to go.
I had recently bought the new iPod Video. (My old Shuffle went flying somewhere onto I-280 when I rode into work on my motorcycle and left the back pocket of my messenger bag open. Another story.) I got the 30 GB version, mostly because of it's form factor. It's significantly thinner and lighter than the 80 GB, and even if I put every single MP3 on my iPod, it would only be 15 GB.
So I think the Nano is amazingly cool, and if you don't do Video, definitely get it. Go to an Apple store (or CompUSA or what have you) and check it out, and you'll see why. But ultimately, I said, hey, I can download shows off my Replay (yes, it's 4 years old, which is about 120 in tech years, but man, it's automatically skips over commercials!), put them on my iPod and watch them when I'm on Muni. Or an airplane. Or on a trip to Germany.
So I did. And I love it. There was only one problem, and it's a problem that vexes a lot of mobile technology. You gotta charge 'em. And when you're doing something powerful (like watching videos), it sucks a lot of juice.
Now most of the time, it's not a problem. You can get probably 3 hours or so of watching videos (or by another measure, about 3 episodes of Desperate Housewives) before an iPod is dead or near dead. That's fine for a flight from San Francisco to Seattle, but for an 11 hour flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco, that just simply will not do. How am I expected to get caught up from the entire first half season of Desperate Housewives, when cattle class doesn't have power outlets?
Well, I found the solution. There's a company called Mobility Electronics that has a product line called iGo. They make a very slick series of products. Basically, it comes with one thing to supply the power. It could be for a wall, for a car or airplane outlet, and could be used with a laptop, a cell phone, an iPod, or all of the above. The beautiful of it is it's universality. I bought it explicitly so I could power my laptop (and any laptop) with one travel adapter. No need to bring a different adapter for a wall, car or plane, and a different adapter for my cell phone, iPod and Palm. One adapter does it all. Buy something new? Just get a new tip, only $10. And it'll work with your wall adapter, your car adapter, your travel adapter, everything. It even uses 110V or 230V, so it works here and abroad. Just use an plug adapter.
So I was thrilled when they came out with the PowerXtender+. It's a battery operated charger. Basically, you stick 4 AA batteries in it, put one of those same low-voltage tips used in the car or wall version (8 watts or less, plenty for a cell phone, iPod and so on), and hook it up. How long does it last? Well, it was enough to watch Video on my iPod for that 11 hour flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco, plus the train from Cologne to Frankfurt, and taking BART home from SFO. (I did indeed get caught up on Desperate Housewives.) It was put again to the test on my trip to New York. In one weekend, it lasted the trip to and from Long Island to Manhattan (got caught up on this season's Doctor Who), and several trips between Hoboken and Manhattan (each way, the length of one episode of Arrested Development), even allowed me to recharge my cell phone, headset and PDA (meeting my Parisian friends, I had to look up "dizzy" au Frances... étourdir). It's also nice to have when your flight is 2.5 hours late, and the airport seems to be might short on power outlets, as what happened to me on the way home.
But I only just started to find it's benefits. One main benefit is that AA batteries charge much faster than most anything else. 4 AA batteries in my charger take less than an hour to charge from dead empty. A dead iPod can take 4 hours to fully charge, and those 4 AA batteries can be used to charge the iPod a number of times. Also, in an emergency, AA batteries are widely available.
But one of the coolest benefits I've found is the ability to charge on the go. As I mentioned, when I was in New York for the weekend, I didn't want to lug all over Manhattan a bunch of stuff to keep everything charged. I just brought the powerXtender and 8 charged AA batteries (plus 4 alkalines, just in case, but didn't use; and I only needed the extra 4 rechargeables for the train ride back out to Long Island), a few small tips and I was good to go. Even in San Francisco, I'm out and about and away from power sources (neither Muni nor BART have such an option). I've woken up to head out for the day, only to find I didn't charge my iPod or cell phone or Palm Pilot or whatever I have. I just bring the powerXtender with me and charge on the go. I can even run home, swap the AA batteries in the charger for another set, bring the charger with me, charge on the go and never have to leave a device in the charger at home again. When I return home, a full charged set awaits me anew.
The one draw back is that you need a separate battery charger, especially when travelling. Some other solutions such as the APC Mobile Power Pack can be recharged by plugging into any USB port (basically charging in the reverse way they were discharged), but they're much more expensive ($70 versus $25, plus cost of batteries for the latter), and once the battery is past its time, you'll have to buy a whole new pack. When batteries are no longer useful on the powerXtender, just buy new AA batteries, and they're cheap at about $10 for 4 high capacity NiMHs, and roughly the same capacity as the APC Mobile Power Pack, not to mention widely available. Also, with the powerXtender, you can carry as many batteries as you need. For example, for a transatlantic flight, I just brought 4 AA's. For a weekend in the city, I brought 8. Alas, iGo does not yet make a AA battery charger that works with their adapters, so you'll have to lug the battery charger and accompanying brick with you too. (Some chargers will work generically with USB ports, which you can use the iPod Shuffle tip for or your laptop or someone's computer's USB port, but because of the lower amperage, they take much longer to charge, about 4 hours for 4 AA's.) The APC does have a small advantage of size and weight, as it's about 40% smaller and lighter than the powerXtender+, and slightly smaller and lighter than the powerXtender (but also twice the capacity). But we're talking ounces here, not pounds. That's not including the size and weight of the battery charger, but because of the low amperage USB port, the APC will also take about 3.5 hours to charge from dead.
One small problem I have with the powerXtender is that it has only an on light (which is the signature cool blue iGo LED). But without any gradiance (how many bars), you could be at 10% or 90% and never know the difference.
For shorter trips, I do have a specialized iRecharge from Cellboost (the same company that makes disposable cell phone batteries) that will just recharge from the sync cable, eliminating the need to bring a battery charger and accompanying brick, that I just happened to buy before finding out about the powerXtender. (Retail is $79.99, but I managed to get it for $25 at CompUSA.) It works fine for most domestic trips, roughly doubling the iPod's battery capacity.
iGo also makes a smaller and cheaper 2 cell version for $15.99 (it was not available when I got mine) that works exactly the same as its 4-celled brother (uses the same tips, has the same limitations), except it uses only 2 AA batteries and is much smaller and lighter, but of course it only lasts half as long. I also like the fact on the 4 cell that it has a nice 24" flexible cable between the cell and the connector, so you can put it in a bag or out of the way while it's connected. I also fear the inflexible connector between the cell and the tip on the 2-cell model could bend and break something both on the device and the cell (especially if you've got it charging in a bag). Not something you want to do to your $250 iPod! (Note: I haven't actually seen or used the 2-cell model, so I could be wrong.)
I've also since found out about a cheaper, more generic USB battery box for $5.99 (plus batteries), which works similar to the APC model, but powers off of 4 AA batteries (or, in another smaller and less powerful version, 4 AAAs). However, it'll only work on devices that can be powered from a USB port, including iPods, PDAs (such as the Palm or Treo), but not from all, including my RAZR (damned Motorola!). (Standard USB ports don't deliver enough amps for the RAZR to recognize it's being charged.) On top of that, it has the limitation of the powerXtender in that you need to have a charger for the batteries. But if it's just extra iPod or Treo power you need, it could be just for you.
All in all, I haven't had a problem with a dead device at all since getting the powerXtender. It's generic enough to power any low voltage device I have. Basically if it's small enough to easily carry with me without a carrying case, I can charge or power it with me. And I've never faced that awkward moment of actually having to converse with that weirdo on Muni who suddenly wants to become my new best friend again, because my iPod is all powered up and ready to go.
posted by Joe Carlin at 11:13 PM
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