charger

No, it's not the first thing people gravitate toward when tearing open their brand-new iPhone or iPad. Heck, it's probably not even the second or third thing (the USB cable and the Apple sticker are more popular I'm sure).

But, hidden deep within that pretty box is a cube that makes the whole thing work. It's an AC wall-charging unit, and it's as technically impressive as any other component in that box.

Ken Shirriff, a technology buff and blogger, has a complete teardown of Apple's tiny technical wonder on his blog, detailing (exhaustively, I might add) why exactly Apple can charge $29 for it.… Read more

Who hasn't left their various mobile devices plugged in long after they're fully charged?

A new product -- still a prototype but expected to go on sale soon -- aims to solve the problem of so-called vampire power. Plug your device into the Mushroom GreenZero charger, and when your device is fully charged, the charger will turn off automatically. SmartPlanet's Sumi Das takes a closer look at the handy device.

This video originally appeared on SmartPlanet with the headline "Charging devices eliminate vampire power."

More SmartPlanet links

The Kickstarter project called JuiceTank that promises to combine a mobile phone charger and a case in one tidy package will be ready sooner than originally estimated, according to its creators.

Today, Detached -- the company behind the JuiceTank -- said it was "in the final stages of development" and that the tooling segment of production was ahead of schedule.

The peculiar hybrid, which was unveiled last month on idea incubator Kickstarter, differs from the bevy of cases with built-in charging features. Instead of including a built-in battery to augment runtime, it has an integrated wall plug that lets you plug your iPhone 4/4S directly into an outlet, eliminating the need to use a USB-based charger. … Read more

Some say they do their best thinking in the bathroom, so it's no surprise so many of you text, tweet, and talk while on the throne. But here's the stinker: research shows that 16 percent of cell phones have fecal matter on them. Eww.

Even so, sanitizing our germ-riddled smartphones probably isn't something we do regularly (in fact, this writer has never done it), unless you're germaphobe. But what if were as easy as charging your phone?

Enter the PhoneSoap. Created by four germaphobic entrepreneurs, it's essentially an enclosed box that blasts your phone with harmless UV-C rays. UV-C light is able to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses by penetrating cell walls and disrupting their DNA. The light is switched on for three to five minutes at a time, and there's no heat generated, according to the PhoneSoap's makers. … Read more

It's been a rough week for the Cheapskate. The blog, I mean, not the man. (I'm doing fine.) First that super-cheap powerline Ethernet kit sold out in what seemed like minutes, then yesterday's free DVD ripper caused all kinds of confusion (as these things always seem to do, despite my best efforts at making the instructions clear).

But do I buckle? Do I bend? Hell, no! I come roaring back with a week's worth of goodies in a single post! Because no way can five deals sell out. Bring it on, universe!

1. This is probably … Read more

Chrysler Group announced the recall of 9,688 Dodge Charger police vehicles built between 2011 and 2012, to change and relocate the ABS/ESC fuse and replace the headlamp jumper harness.

Some police vehicles were built with front headlamps that could experience a loss of low-beam operation as a result of an overheated bulb harness connector. Other vehicles may experience a loss of ABS/ESC as a result of an overheated power distribution module, Chrysler Group said in a press release.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site, "this could lead to loss of visibility and/… Read more

Charging gadgets out in the wilderness is a challenge, but the BioLite CampStove could change that for the power-hungry. This 2-pound portable device features a USB port that can power or charge devices while you burn biomass.

So how does it work? Well, the thermal energy of the fire delivers power to fans inside the stove through a thermoelectric module. These fans blow air on the fire to improve combustion, which in turn creates excess energy. A USB port delivers the extra energy generated by the fire for charging devices such as smartphones, LED lights, or GPS units.… Read more

Most battery chargers today are like leaky faucets dripping out a tiny flow of electricity even when not charging your electronic gadget.

The California Energy Commission yesterday voted in favor of efficiency standards aimed at cutting wasted energy from battery chargers for small electronics, including cell phones and electric toothbrushes, to larger battery-powered machines such as power tools and forklifts.

Once enacted, the measures should improve the efficiency of chargers by at least 40 percent and save over $300 million a year in utility costs, according to the Commission. The energy savings would be about 2,200 gigawatt hours per … Read more

With the help of Cobra's newest charger, your Android phone can automatically reconfigure for driving when connected to your car.

The Cobra JoyRide is no ordinary car charger. This 12-volt plug utilizes the Android Open Accessory framework to automatically trigger the launch of a companion app on an Android phone when connected via its micro USB port.

The Cobra JoyRide app features a car-specific interface that presents the user with large buttons to trigger functions such as voice command, hands-free calling, or launching a GPS navigation app. The JoyRide app can also automatically trigger the changing of phone settings--for … Read more