Griffin PowerBlock Charges Your iPad Faster

Posted by jailbreaknews on May 11, 2010 in Accessories, Apple, Reviews, iPad | 1 comment

There’s a lot of ways to recharge an iPad—thank you, USB—but the iPad is finicky. For a portable, it has high power requirements, high enough to cause problems for some people. (It even has its own support document.)

Apple iPad’s battery life is nothing short of amazing. But, the time it takes to charge it seems to be another story.

You can charge your iPad with the standard 10W iPad Apple charger or hook it up to your MacBook Pro or use a 3rd party power charger. But, which battery charging is going to make your Apple iPad the happiest?

Gizmodo has taken this upon themselves to compare the battery chargin time with Apple standard iPad charger, Griffin PowerBlock, standard iPhone charger and MacBook Pro’s USB charger.

The results are interesting for the time it takes to get upto 80% charge.  The reason for it is the first 80% is a quick charge and the last 20% goes very slowly to preserve battery life. Hence the 80% baseline.

While the standard iPad charger fared well in the test compared to others, Griffin’s PowerBlock (the newer iPad friendly 2.1 amps) seems to perform better than the standard iPad charger.

So, if you are looking for a spare charger PowerBlock could be a better option.

While charging with MacBook Pro’s USB or standard iPhone charger will do the job overnight, the straight power options win it for being quick.

Verdict

Fastest: Griffin PowerBlock (new)

Slowest: MacBook Pro USB

[via Gizmodo]

JustMobile Xtand for iPhone 3G/3GS Review

Posted by jailbreaknews on Apr 18, 2010 in Accessories, Apple, Reviews | 0 comments

Just Mobile brings us the Xtand. A sleek, simple iPhone 3G/3GS stand that takes on the qualities of the iMac, transforming its elegant design and simplicity into an essential accessory for videos, music and iPhone comfort.

This mini iMac stand comes in two pieces: the actual stand and the holder for the iPhone 3G/3GS. With a quick turn of a small knob, you can connect the two pieces. Simple. From there, I was able to fit my iPhone in – case and all – into the holster where it sat comfortably in place. In the pictures below you can get an idea of the different angles that can be achieved.

The all aluminum stand rotates 360 for optimum viewing, and the minimalistic design leaves openings for the 12-pin data connector, volume controls, standby, home-key and auxiliary output. If you flip the stand upside down, there is rubber, non-slip coating which is perfect for all surfaces.

The Xstand retails for $39.99, and can be found on amazon.com for $34.99, a steal considering the quality parts, unique aesthetic and minimalistic design.

Photographs brought to you by: Christopher Tooley -http://WWW.TOPHERPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Miccus ChargeBlock for iPhone and iPod

Posted by jailbreaknews on Apr 11, 2010 in Accessories | 0 comments

Newegg has a small rechargeable power supply that works with all versions of iPhone and all iPods with the 30-pin dock connectors.

The Miccus ChargeBlock CBFI-01 has an 800 mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery that lasts 500+ charges. It charges with the included mini-USB cord, and outputs 5V/+/-0.25V.

It has automatic on/off charging that prevents overcharging your device battery. The Miccus ChargeBlock has LEDs that indicate charging status and shows the amount of power it has remaining. The Miccus ChargeBlock CBFI-01 is $19.99, with free shipping in the continental US.