Posts Tagged power adapter
Power Everywhere: Kensington International Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger
Going to a foreign country and not being able to charge or power your gadgets—well, that’s just not acceptable.
Kensington’s International Travel Plug Adapter with USB charger is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to adapting to the many different types of plugs you’ll encounter on international trips. And it saves space since you won’t have to carry a bag full of adapters. This one adapter will fit plugs in more than 150 countries and can be used as a wall adapter or for USB power.
Choosing the right plug is as easy as pushing a button and sliding it out. It works from China to Mozambique—the list is long.
The USB converter makes this gadget even handier as more devices can be charged with USB cables. A Kensington power adapter I reviewed earlier doesn’t have the USB feature, so this one will be my new go-to adapter for international trips.
This travel adapter won’t break the budget, either. The retail price is $29.99, with a significant discount at Amazon and
Buy.com.
One note—this adapter is made for consumer and electronic equipment such as a laptop, MP3 player, a smartphone or alarm clock. It’s not designed for high-powered devices such as hair dryers.
If you travel internationally, the Kensington 33346 International Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger should be along for the ride. It will keep your gadgets going just about anywhere.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on August 10th, 2010
Power for the Road: Innergie mCube Pro
I’m a huge fan of universal power supplies. Anything that can replace several different power adapters for my gadgets—and that can lighten my load—earns a place in my suitcase.
One of the latest (and sleekest) entries in the field, the mCube Pro from Innergie, debuted at the recent 2010 International CES. This next-generation adapter fills the bill for powering and charging a wide range of devices on the ground, in the car and in the air.
Innergie gave me a chance to preview the mCube Pro, which can easily replace the power supply of most laptop computers. Tips to fit most laptops, including my Dell 12″ and 15″, are included. If you need a different one, Innergie will send it out for the cost of shipping.
The mCube Pro power supply also includes a USB port that, with the right cable, will power and charge a whole host of other devices, including cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units, e-readers and more. A small part of the mCube Pro detaches for use on airplanes and in cars. Adapters are included for lighter plugs (for cars and in some planes) as well as EmPower connections used by other airlines.
The mCube Pro provides up to 65 watts of continuous power, 90 watts peak, which should power most newer laptops with up to 17″ screens. It will accept 120- or 240-volt inputs, a plus for international travelers. There’s built-in protection for voltage and current fluctuations and short circuits.
All this in a well-built unit that’s light and compact, weighing seven ounces (199 g) and measuring just under four inches (128.8 mm) long.
For those interested in saving the planet, Innergie also has a green side. The all-in-one power supply is very energy efficient, earning the Energy Star certification.
“Innergie’s adapters are more energy efficient than the chargers that come packaged with devices,” says PS Tang, Innergie’s co-founder and vice president. “Ideally, universal adapters will become an industry standard that will help eliminate the millions of obsolete power cords and chargers that end in landfills each year.”
Look for the mCube Pro—the sucessor to the award-winning, $99.99 mCube 90—to be available soon on Innergie’s website. The company is also expanding its distribution through Amazon.com, Futuretronics retail stores and other stores in the next few months.
The Innergie mCube Pro works well and looks just as good as it works. For travelers (like me) who would be lost without power for our gear, it’s well worth packing.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on February 2nd, 2010
Callpod Fueltank Charger – Juice to Go
I’ve long been a fan of the Callpod Chargepod, a device that allows me to leave a whole collection of chargers and cords at home. (God forbid the electronics companies can manufacture standardized connectors for the simple task of delivering A/C power to a battery.) You just pack the mini hockey puck, one cord, and the little adapters for each device. Then you can recharge everything simultaneously with just one plug.
This new Fueltank item from Callpod is similarly cool, but it solves a different problem: not having the time or the ability to recharge your devices while you’re on the go. For business travelers moving from place to place, it provides a round of charges when and where they need them: on a plane, in a foreign country, in the back seat of a car—whatever.
It’s essentially a battery pack that you charge up from your wall socket, then you take it along with you, armed only with the connector tips for your particular devices. You you can get charged back up several times over without ever plugging in or crawling around an airport floor searching for an outlet. For a trip that’s only going to last a few days to a week, this is all you need to take and you can even charge two devices at once.
It took less than three hours to charge up the device itself, then I got seven total charges out of it for a hodge-podge of cell phones and two different iPods before the Fueltank ran out of juice. The charging time was about the same as the phones/iPods take from a direct source, so there was no “slow trickle” effect.
The Callpod Fueltank is a bit larger and thicker than an iPhone, but weighs less than 8 ounces and comes with its own soft carrying case for the device and the adapters. There’s a fair bit of up-front expense since you have to lay out 10 bucks for every adapter you need and every phone seems to need something different—even two different adapters for two Nokias we have! On some gadgets you can double up though, as in one adapter for most Apple devices and a USB or mini USB will work for more than one kind of phone/device if you’re lucky.You get one mini USB and a voucher for the adapter of your choice when you make your inital purchase for $70 list.
This is a pretty basic gadget that does what it does without a bunch of frivolous extras, but there are a few nice touches. Voltage regulator technology senses the amount of power required to charge your devices and stops pumping out electricity when you don’t need it anymore. Then LED fuel capacity indicators display when charging indicator button is pressed, so you know how much power is remaining. You can check out a video demo on their site to see how it all works.
Get the Fueltank direct from Callpod.
Posted by Tim in Business Gear, Travel Light on June 23rd, 2009
Road Test: Kensington Wall/Auto/Air Power Adapter
This travel adapter is not the flashiest piece of gear in my travel bag, but certainly one of the most practical. And, after all, this website is practicaltravelgear.com, right?
Kensington’s Wall/Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook Power Adapter (K33197US) is like a quick-change artist, capable of powering and charging a notebook computer, iPod and cell phone on airplanes, in cars or at the hotel.
With changeable tips for different devices, it can replace several power supplies if you’re carrying multiple gadgets on the road, lightening the load and taking up less space.
And it’s lighter than the brick-like power adapter that came with my Dell notebook. When you’re schlepping gear around an airport, every ounce and pound you can leave behind makes a difference.
The Kensington power kit comes with plugs and adapters to use the power ports on planes. This airplane power feature will become even more essential for business travelers as more airlines add in-flight wi-fi access.
One note here—I do just about all of my flying on American Airlines, which is generous with power ports but they are limited to 75 watts. The Kensington adapter will handle up to 120 watts, but your notebook may not work in the air if it draws more than 70 or 75 watts because of the limitations of the plane’s power system. Check the power supply that came with your notebook to see the rated power. Smaller notebooks are the ones most likely to work—some of the larger ones are very power hungry and may not work with airplane ports.
This adapter will also power gear from a 12-volt power supply in a car or from AC plugs—either 120 or 240 volts, an added bonus for international travel.
Kensington makes a wide variety of tips to power different devices, so check for compatibility with your gear.
The Kensington power adapter comes with several built-in safety features, including protection from drawing too much current, short circuits and overheating. In my experience, Kensington is a quality manufacturer and I’ve heard many reports from other users about how strongly they stand behind their products.
The list price for the adapter is $149.99, but refurbished models (Kensington 33197RR) can be found for $25-$30. The new models have a two-year warranty, while the refurbs are covered for one year.
I’ve carried a refurbished model around for way over 100,000 miles and never had a problem. Wait, there was the time the dog chewed up one of the cables, but I can’t blame that on Kensington.
This adapter has been a reliable, solid piece of equipment that meets the most important test of all. It just works.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, Travel Light on May 11th, 2009
