Adapter

The nature of the Apple ecosystem means that many MacBook owners will also carry around an iPhone or iPad - or both. To cut down on the clutter of white Apple chargers vying for an electrical outlet in this situation, TwelveSouth has released its PlugBug accessory that piggybacks on a standard MacBook power adapter to provide an additional USB charge port to charge an aforementioned iDevice and a MacBook at the same time. Read More

To cut down on the amount of mobile phone chargers relegated to the garbage after a phone upgrade, in 2009 the European Commission reached a voluntary agreement with 14 major smartphone manufacturers who committed to providing a standardized charger based on the micro-USB connector that is compatible with all models of data-enabled mobile phones. Apple was one of the manufacturers that signed on to the agreement and has now delivered with the appearance of the Apple iPhone Micro USB Adapter in the company's U.K. online store. Read More

U.S. networking solutions company TRENDnet has launched one of the world’s smallest wireless N USB adapters. The new 150Mbps Micro Wireless N USB (model TEW-648UBM) is uber small, measuring in at 0.59 x 0.74 x 0.28 inches (1.5 x 1.9 x 0.7 cm). I know what you are thinking – how can I possibly not lose a USB adapter so small? Well, when it's plugged into the side of a computer, it only extends out by 0.3 inches (0.8 cm) so you can easily just leave it in there. For laptop users, you can travel with the USB attached to your computer, without the concern of damaging the device. Read More

Power supplies are the bane of the regular business traveler. They're all different, heavy and if you have a few electronic items in your kit, they clutter your baggage and eat heavily into your increasingly stringently-policed baggage allowance. Innergie showed a new addition to its range of mCube universal adapters at IFA today which goes a long way to overcoming all these problems. The mCube slim weighs just 150g, is smaller than an iPhone, can charge two devices simultaneously, fits all common notebooks and will charge almost every other portable device. Read More

Some iPad owners may have had some difficulties charging their device via USB on non-Apple PCs with even some older Apple computers having problems in this area as well. Apple is reportedly working with third party PC manufacturers to address the problem and several PC motherboard manufacturers have released new drivers that will allow iPad charging from a PC. If you’re still having problems though, there’s now a cheap and compact solution in the form of the iXP1-500 iPad adapter. Read More

When the British plug was introduced in 1946 it did not have great ambitions. It did not expect to travel the world, buried in laptop bags, forming awkward acquaintances with travel adapters. When burdened with a jet-setter lifestyle it fought back; peevishly shredding important documents, scarring laptops, and generally making itself a bulky, disagreeable yet indispensable travel companion. But after 50 years of dogged service, finally the old-fashioned plug could be heading for a revamp. The astonishingly simple "Folding Plug" design from British student Min-Kyu Choi, just won product design category of the prestigious Brit Insurance Designs Awards. Read More

SuperSpeed USB devices may have started to trickle onto the market, but it will still be a while before their use becomes widespread. That's simply because most people won't have the USB 3.0 ports required to take advantage of the speed boost the next generation offers. But StarTek.com come up with a low cost way to ensure your current laptop can enjoy the latest and greatest USB 3.0 devices - provided it has a spare ExpressCard 34 slot. Read More

Owners of the new iPod nano 5G will no doubt be racking up hours of video footage by now and looking to inflict - I mean, share - their videos with all and sundry. While the nano’s 2.2-inch display might be ok “on the set”, nothing beats a TV to demand everyone’s attention. If you don’t have Apple TV, or don’t want to waste time turning on your computer to go through iTunes lest your audience disappear, GEAR4 has the perfect solution in the form of the VideoBuddy – a compact Audio Video (AV) kit that connects to the iPod nano dock connector and links to a TV via an RCA cable. Read More

Designed to ease the confusion and frustration encountered by travelers looking for a power source to charge multiple devices, the new “Outlets To Go: USB Worldwide” from Monster offers not only three universal power outlets but a handy USB port to boot. Read More