With wireless charging being the current crazy, its no surprise to see GEAR4 putting forward a solution for the iPhone.

The unit consists for two elements, the first is the inductive charging pad, on which you'll have to place you iPhone. The second element is a case into which you'll have to place your iPhone. Put one on the other and you have wireless charging.

The case is needed because the iPhone doesn't contain the necessary technology to support wireless charging. The case has a rubberised effect on what is otherwise a plastic body, which splits into two pieces. The top removes so you can slide your iPhone into the case, connecting with a dock connector at the bottom, which is how it makes contact with the battery.

Adding the dock connector does extend the length of your phone, with the rest of the case adding bulk – although you do have the added benefit of the protection that the case brings. The case measures approx 127mm in length (compared to 115.5mm) and is 19mm thick (compared to the iPhone's 12.3mm).

It doesn't contain a battery of its own, so it won't extend the battery life of your iPhone.

The PowerPad itself is constructed from plastic with a depressed matte area where you place the phone. It is otherwise finished in black gloss and looks minimalist enough. The power pack plugs in around the side and four rubber feet on the bottom stop it from sliding around.

GEAR4 claim that the PowerPad will charge your iPhone at the same rate as a regular charger and we found this to be true. You simply place your iPhone onto the correct place on the pad and off it goes.

A blue LED illuminates showing that the charger is working, but you won't necessarily need that LED, because of the noise. Yes, the PowerPad might be wireless, but it isn't silent.

Place your iPhone on the PowerPad and you'll hear and excited chirping coming from the pad, which then slows down into a regular chirping about 4 times a second. If you have the PowerPad on your desk in a quiet office it may well drive you mad.

We tested the PowerPad initially in the kitchen and it could be heard over the sound of the fridge. Then set on a desk next to a Mac and it was a distraction. If you was going to put this in the hallway and not spend much time near it, then fair enough, but for us, the noise was irritating.

And that's not all. We also found it clicking away, albeit faintly, whilst there was nothing on the pad. A handy reminder to turn it off at the wall.

Verdict:

The PowerPad is an effective wireless charge if you happy with the increased size that the case brings to your iPhone. The case will also give you a degree of protection, but it would have been nice to see options over the standard black plastic.

But the noise that comes with this charging solution might be too much to bear. In a noisy environment, like an office with aircon, heaps of computers, phones ringing, or even music, it won't be much of a problem. But in a quiet home office, or next to the bed a night, and it might just be too irritating.

Tags: Gadgets Phones Chargers iPhone Apple GEAR4 Gear4 PowerPad

GEAR4 PowerPad wireless iPhone charger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Dyson's Air Multiplier made waves upon its release in October, promising a highly-efficient non-buffeting fan replacement, complete with the product design that Dyson has made its name on. But with that promise came a hefty price tag. Does the Air Multiplier live up to its lofty goals? Read on to find out.

Firstly, let's go through briefly how it works. A turbine pulls in air through the base, which is then ejected at a speed of 55mph through a tiny slit around the edge of the ring. That air pulls more air with it thanks to friction, resulting in approximately 15 times more energy efficiency.

That bit of engineering isn't new - it's used in cabin air conditioning systems on planes and to dry water-based paint, according to Pocket-lint readers - but Dyson has certainly reimagined the fan as a considerably more efficient device than its contemporaries.

The noise level is about equivalent to a regular fan - maybe a smidge quieter, but not vast in difference. The lack of "buffeting" (caused by a regular fan's blades) is noticeable when it's pointed out, but it isn't really a game changer. There's still a bit of exhaustion on your skin after using it for a while.

The safety aspects shouldn't be neglected, though - no blades means no sliced young pinkies. Speaking as a reviewer who bears a scar from nearly losing a finger by stretching out in the night and colliding with a running metal fan, that's not something you should overlook - particularly if you have young children in your home.

It's hard to say whether the Air Multiplier looks good. It looks distinctive - its magnifying glass shape will attract "what's that?" comments from dinner party guests - but it won't fit into anything but the most modernist, minimalist, interiors. It does, however, look nicer than a normal fan. There's a lot to be said for that.

But the most impressive feature of the Air Multiplier isn't the design or the engineering - it's the price tag. The device will set you back a whopping ?200, compared to less than a tenner for a traditional desk fan. Is it worth that kind of cash? Most certainly not.

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Verdict:

The Air Multiplier is a clever bit of engineering that solves a few problems that no-one really had. It's a luxury product, almost a concept product, and carries a price tag that's representative of that status. It's sorta pretty, and has some nice features, but at the end of the day it's just a fan. It's not going to change your life.

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Link -?How Dyson's Air Multiplier works

Photos -?Dyson's Air Multiplier

Tags: Gadgets Dyson Dyson Air Multiplier Home And Kitchen Office gadgets

Dyson Air Multiplier fan originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

The ebook reader market seems to be gaining momentum if you take an increasing diversity of devices as an indicator. The idea of an ebook replacing your collection of dusty novels is still in its infancy, but with the PRS-300, the "Pocket Edition", we see Sony expanding its offerings, alongside the PRS-600, the "Touch Edition".

We liked the PRS-505, the original Reader that we reviewed last year and we've been using one ever since. There is as much a need to understand the limitation of an ebook reader as there is any features it offers: these devices are primarily designed for reading and the real issues are about content delivery and accessibility and how the device performs its core function. In some cases, like the PRS-300, less can be more.

The PRS-300, then, fits well into that convenient slot. The format is largely the same as Sony's other Readers. We reviewed the brushed silver version, which we prefer over the red/rose version, but if you feel the need to make a statement that's the one to go for. It's also worth mentioning that we are a fan of the accessory cover. Sure, it costs ?30 extra, but it does make prolonged use more like reading a book and you can close the cover to protect the Reader when it is in your bag. A neoprene slip cover is supplied in the box.

The device itself features a 5-inch screen, which gives you an 800 x 600 pixel resolution display. Like other ebooks, this is an E Ink display, meaning it doesn't have a backlight and it uses very little power, essentially only when changing the contents of the page. Some criticise E Ink displays, but it fits the purpose perfectly: it doesn't cause eye strain when reading, you aren't left feeling drained from staring at it whilst reading in bed, plus you get a battery life of weeks, rather than hours.

The front and the spine of the PRS-300 are metal, the back and edges are plastic. The back has a slight tactile feel to it, so it is a pleasure to hold in the hand. The plastic edge perhaps looks a little cheaper than the rest of the device, but it doesn’t matter. Overall, it looks good, and feels good in the hand.

Although the screen is only 5-inches on the diagonal, the PRS-300 is approx 7.3-inches overall on the diagonal (107 x 157.5 x 10.2mm). It weighs in at 220, heavier than most mobile phones. It will fit into an average suit inside pocket, whilst the larger PRS-505 was a bit of a squeeze.

The extra real estate on the front is where all the controls live. Below the screen are Home and Back buttons and Bookmark and a Zoom button, flanking a central four-way controller, and "ok" button. Running down the right-hand side of the screen are number buttons, which can be used to enter page numbers directly, or select options from the menu.

In terms of size and weight, the PRS-300 is comfortable to read in the hand. It is lighter than most paperbacks. Given the overall size, we found accessing the main control, the one to turn the pages, fell into easy reach of the thumb, which is an important point.

Around the edges of the PRS-300 you have the contact points. On the bottom is the Mini-USB and the 5.2V DC input. This uses the same charger as the (now old) PSP, so it is worth shopping around as you'll find one for a fraction of the ?25 that Sony would ask of you for the Reader charger.

The top of the device gives you a power slider and small LED indicator that lets you know when it is connected to the power and receiving juice (it takes 2 hours to charge using the charger, 4 hours via USB). Using the charger is preferable, as you can read at the same time, whereas once connect to your PC, the Reader enters USB mode and you can't get to your content.

Connect the PRS-300 to your PC and you'll find that the software – Sony's eBook Library for both PC and Mac – is onboard. It is basic and but allows you to organise your collection of eBooks, provides links to online stores (Waterstones, WHSmith and Borders) so you can buy titles, and move content over to your device or set folders to sync. You can also use it to read ebooks on your PC if you wish.

If you plan on buying content, for example from Waterstones online, you'll need Adobe Digital Editions to handle the DRM, effectively granting you a license to the title. This is free software, which you can download direct from Adobe, or you'll be prompted to when you come to purchase an ebook online. Again, it's simple, but essential for the process and once you have your verified file, you can move it over to the Reader.

You don't have to use Sony's software for the process and some users have reported problems with eBook Library, but we found it worked with no problems on the Mac (we already had Adobe Digital Editions in place).

File support on the PRS-300 is good, letting you read EPUB (the mainstay of purchased content), PDF, TXT, RTF, DOC and BBeB formats. We found it had some difficulty with Word documents, but it copes with PDFs rather well, allowing you to resize text in multiple page documents, although don't then trust the page count you are given. For the most part, however, you'll be using the EPUB format.

Reading feels natural on the PRS-300. The quality of the device in your hand combines with the E Ink screen that just works. It is comfortable reading it in the same situations that you would a book. Some criticise the lack of its own illumination, but that's exactly the same as a real book and that's exactly the point. What you can do is sit next to a window on a train and still read it.

The menu system is easy to navigate. The bookmark button will let you mark a page so you can dive straight back into that point and keep reading. It encourages you to explore multiple texts at the same time. Perhaps you have a biography and a novel on the go at the same time – here you can easily jump to something different as your mood changes.

Inherently E Ink pages do take some time to change the content, down to the mechanics of how it works. So when changing page there is something of a pause, as there is when navigating the menus but we’ve never found this to be intrusive. It's not that often you are in a hurry to jump to a particular book; no, the Reader is designed for when you are about to sit down and relax and enjoy a little time to yourself.

The Zoom button is really useful. Given the size of the display, you might want to see what text size works best for you and each will have a different preference of the small, medium or large on offer. We usually stick to small, which reduces the number of page turns, but when tired, might move up to medium. If you have trouble seeing smaller characters, large might do you justice, but then you'll be "turning" pages with increased frequency.

And therein lies the shortcoming of the PRS-300. The overall screen size doesn't give you that much text on the page, so you'll be turning pages more often than you would with a bigger device. It's a trade-off that has to be made: if you want a smaller, pocketable, device, you are looking at a smaller screen.

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Verdict:

Some might see the PRS-300 as something of a step back. It doesn't have the features that the PRS-505 offers or the more advanced offering of the PRS-600. There is no memory expansion, so you are limited to the 512MB onboard, but still good for over 300 books. You also don't get to play music at the same time, but then we've never really wanted to do that anyway. If there is anything we'd change then it would be to expand the screen size whilst maintaining the dimensions of the device, so you get a few more paragraphs to each page, but we don't miss those features that have been removed.

Getting access to the content you want is a separate issue and it isn't fair to criticise the device because of the immature market. If you are considering investing for the first time, it is worth checking out what you will have access to by browsing the various bookstores online.

The PRS-300 isn't cheap, but it looks and feels like a quality device and does what it is supposed to do, which is let you comfortably read your books, without having to lug around a bag of paper copies.

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Tags: Gadgets ebooks eBook readers Sony Sony Reader Pocket Edition

Sony PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition ebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:42:06 +0000

If you are a regular reader of Pocket-lint this gadget probably isn’t for you. You've already mounted the convergence pony and are riding it hard into the future. Your phone is more than just a device that makes calls: it is the gateway to your digital world.

For us convergence has its place and we can see why you would want it. We want a dedicated camera but a phone should do everything. Your phone lets you check email, surf the web, check Twitter, control your home music system and TV, play games, check your business figures and get you home when lost.

However what if you aren't that way inclined? What if you just want a phone that is a phone? So the idea of a dedicated device that lets you just see and read Twitter is an interesting one, isn't it?

Created by Peek, the TwitterPeek is a follow-on device from the company's dedicated email-only handset that emulates the BlackBerry from almost a decade ago. At the time RIM, the makers of the BlackBerry, were criticised and lambasted for making a device that could "only" do email. Why would you want that many asked? Now the BlackBerry is common place around the world, and widely regarded for the email service it does provide.

The TwitterPeek is a slim-line gadget the size of a small notepad with a colour screen (you've got to get that Twitter blue in somehow) and a QWERTY keyboard.

There are two payment options. The first is $99 down with access to your tweets for the first 6 months before having to pay $7.95 a month thereafter. The second is $199.99 down and never having to worry about data costs for the lifetime of the device.

The design is simple, quaint and straightforward to use with a focus on shortcuts for getting you around the system quickly. For the old school BlackBerry fans there is a jog wheel on the right-hand side that can be used by your thumb and a further "back" button beneath this.

The keyboard itself is on the stiff side, but well spaced out and we found easy to use. The hardware is identical to the email Peek. There is also a flashing "envelope" for when you get new tweets and this can be custom set to either tweets from your friends or your DMs and @ mentions.

Connect the device to your Twitter account - as easy as typing your Twitter name and password - and minutes later your Twitter messages will start downloading to your device. Tweets are displayed on the screen just like email in your inbox and you get the author, the first 24 of characters and the time it was received.

The jog wheel allows you to scroll through the list and because the device is always on it makes for a more "all inclusive feed" rather than dipping in and out.

Annoyingly the software is slow in use. Overly slow in fact for what it is and without the shortcuts the process is painstakingly over-designed, but luckily the Peek does offer most of the commands you need as shortcuts. There are shortcuts for looking at tweets, seeing the next, previous, first, or last tweets as well as retweeting or DM'ing.

Frustrations though include the DM forcing you to re-type the persons twitter name again, and the system not just displaying the Tweet in full on the home screen in the first place.

Then there are links. With no browser you aren't going to be able to whizz off onto the Internet to read what's what. However, so you aren't completely in the dark, you can pull the text from the website. It's basic, but it will get you the information you want (just probably not the way Murdoch would want you to).

You can of course see your followers and your following, but can't add more. Search is also limited, to what is on the device rather than Twitter as a whole and features found in applications like Tweetie 2 on the iPhone like translate, location, add pictures, video, search, and trends aren't here either.

One of the best features though is being able to set up a buzzing alert for when you get tweets, @ mentions or DMs. Simple, but lets you know you've got a personal message.

This is for those who want to tweet and check their tweets in the rawest form.

Verdict:

So who is the TwitterPeek aimed at? As we said at the beginning, it's not for anyone who has a smartphone. After all why would you spend up to $200 on a device that an app could do for free? No, the TwitterPeek is for those who've got a basic mobile phone, want in on the Twitter experience, and don't want a regular $30 a month data plan to go with it.

With more and more people using Twitter as a communications and information tool, the idea is certainly interesting. However while the concept (for non-smartphone users) is sound, the realisation of those ideas isn't fully achieved here.

While the TwitterPeek isn't for us (we currently have 12 devices on the desk capable of checking Twitter) I can see why people might want it.

Tags: Gadgets Twitter Twitterpeek peek Phones Mobile phones

TwitterPeek originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:58:50 +0000

It you take a lot of photographs then you know that workflows are all-important. Wireless transfer of your files is nothing new: some DSLR systems will let you shoot with a wireless connection to your computer - many will let you shoot with a wired connection, stepping around the need to plug-in and download files. Eye-Fi brings this sort of sophistication to any camera that takes an SD card, using Wi-Fi.

The system has finally made its way to the UK having enjoyed successes in the US and we've always been keen to take a look, as on paper, it sounds like a crazy concept. Open the packaging and you have the 4GB SD card and a USB card reader.

To get started, all you do is plug the card reader and Eye-Fi card into your PC or Mac for configuration. All the software is on-board for both Windows and Mac users, meaning there is no fiddling around finding the right software. Configuration is simply a case of setting your network details and defining your preferences.

Once done, you can remove your Eye-Fi SD card from the reader, replace it in your camera and you are ready to start shooting. You don't need to make any changes to the camera – essentially, the camera has no idea what the SD card is doing, it just writes the data as usual. We didn't find any slowdown in camera performance over a regular card using a Canon PowerShot S90.

The system works by sending the image files from the SD card via your Wi-Fi network to a PC or online, or both. The software interface is browser-based and lets you look at your file transfer history, as well as tinkering with all the settings. The Eye-Fi servers online sit behind the operation and move the image files from one place to another.

The important part of the operation is your camera, as this needs to be on long enough to send the files out via the Wi-Fi network. If you snap a full resolution picture and then turn it off, it won't arrive at your PC. Generally we found that the images were sent before our test camera went into power saving mode and turned off, so as long as you are aware of what you are doing, it isn't a problem.

The Eye-Fi Manager offers a Relay option, which lets you send the images to the Eye-Fi servers whilst your computer is turned off, so they will be delivered when you turn your PC back on again, and/or delivered straight to your online sharing site of choice. It's has great potential, as you don't need your PC sitting around turned on, in fact you don't need your PC after configuration of the card. You could simply arrive at a friend's party, configure the card to send your photos to Flickr via their Wi-Fi network and off you go. Of course, you need to establish general rules for the card via your computer: once set, they stay the same.

The online sharing options include most of the big name sites – Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and so on – and you simply have to plug in your details through the browser and set any permissions that are needed.

The Eye-Fi card could also be useful for the sort of person who takes lots of pictures in a studio environment, without having to return to the computer to transfer files, or who has someone else working on image processing.

The system also works with video, so you can transfer video files and have them uploaded directly again to Facebook or to your YouTube account, as well as others. It's incredibly simple and it just works simply and easily.

The biggest stumbling block might be figuring out how you want to use this new freedom? Given the range of Wi-Fi networks, you could very well be able to roam around a particular venue taking pictures and have them remotely collected at your PC. It might be that you have a studio in a different part of the office building, or you want to take pictures around the school site, or of a particular event.

You can configure numerous locations on a card so if your venue is covered by a number of networks, you can set them all up. In the software setup, the detection of wireless networks is done by the Eye-Fi card, so you can see the contrast to those that your PC finds. From this you'll quickly deduce that the Eye-Fi card is somewhat limited in range compared to say you mobile phone or PC. You'll also find that it takes some time to register on a network and start sending - so if moving around a lot you need to be mindful of this.

For those working in real time with images, it takes a step out of the equation. For some others, it might just mean you don't need to use a USB cable when you return from a day out with a camera. Because it contains and stores the 4GB of photos as normal, the card can work in both ways.

But the potential here is still slightly locked away. Those in the US can also use Wi-Fi hotspots from Wayport to upload images as they go, but you need the Eye-Fi Explore card which gives you a year free Wayport access, but thereafter it will be $14.99 a year. For some it will work, for others, you'll want to guarantee that you'll have convenient access before you part with your cash. For those in the UK, you'll have to wait to see what happens.

A geotagging option is also available at extra cost too, but is a more common feature in modern cameras. The geotagging feature works by identifying Wi-Fi networks (if you opt for this feature) which isn't going to give you the same result as using a camera with a GPS module for a true position, so we probably wouldn't make it a priority.

You can also opt for notification messages so you know the status of a file transfer, so if you are on location and relying on the Eye-Fi to transfer images back to a central controlling computer, you'll know if things are interrupted, as the camera has no way of indicating this. However, after setup, we didn't get these working.

Is it a flawless system? No, it doesn't seem to be. Used with the PC on, we found that images dropped in quickly with no problems, but using the relay to instantly upload, we found that some photos never arrived at our chosen sharing site. They did arrive on the PC when it reconnected to the network, as well as being stored on the memory card, but we're guessing the Eye-Fi server didn't pass it on, or encountered some unreported problem.

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Verdict:

There is oodles of convenience that comes with the Eye-Fi card, but it doesn't come cheap. The basic 4GB card will set you back ?49.99, compared with about ?6 for a standard SDHC card, so you are paying a lot for novelty. If it is going to take a chunk of time or effort out of your workflow, then you might see this as a justifiable cost.

Of course the other consideration is that the card needs power to send, and that power is going to come from your camera battery and reduce the number of shots you can take before you need to swap out or recharge.

We love the technology offered by Eye-Fi and despite a few quirks in the system, we found it cut out lots of connections we'd normally have to make. It may be expensive, but it's impressive none the less.

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Tags: Gadgets Cameras Memory cards Wi-Fi Eye-Fi

Eye-Fi Share Video wireless SD card originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Gadgets are great, but giving over half the sockets in your house to keep you digital life on track does start to grate. When you have to add the family's gadget's too, it gets a little overwhelming, and a little wirey. There are a burgeoning number of solutions out there, but Messless wins out with a catchy name and an even catchier design.

The principle here is no different to other charging stations we have seen, but the Messless will look much more elegant in your house. It looks more like a miniature designer coffee table than a gadget charger.

It is constructed from plastic with a round base and a round top with a clear overhang that edges things beautifully. You could mistake it for glass, although it's obviously not. The top has the tips protruding through, looking like the shoots of a really techy plant pot.

The top is actually spring loaded, designed so you can push it down so it clicks, then swap the tips around to the configuration you want. The tips unplug and when you remove them, you'll find they are simply connected using USB connections plugged in to the circuit board inside.

Pressing the top once again will see it spring back into the original position, giving you that seamless look around your charging tips. Having the top moving does mean that you aren't pulling the charging tips out by grasping their vital parts, but it does mean the whole device is slightly less sturdy than you want to it be.

Plug it in and connect the power cable to the base of the unit and it sits neatly waiting to receive your favourite gadgets. The selection of tips is perhaps a point of contention. The selection that you receive includes: Nokia large, Nokia small, Sony Ericsson (wide one), iPod/iPhone, Mini-USB, Sony's PSP/Reader.

The glaring omission here is Micro-USB, of course, the standard for smartphones and many other portable gadgets. The PSPGo now uses a new connector, but you can charge one of Sony's Readers on the Messless standing straight up. Before you dismiss the Messless as providing obsolete connections, you can also buy Micro-USB, Sony Ericsson (narrow one), Samsung and Nintendo DS tips; each costs €9.50 from the Messless website. http://onlineshop.yourmessless.com/init

You could, technically, remove the tip and plug in your own cable if you want to charge anything else, but that sort of defies the "messless" idea here.

The Messless is sold "as is" in the pack. We'd have liked to see an order-what-you-need approach, but we guess that wouldn't be cost effective, as each unit would have to be made up individually, so expecting you to buy extra tips is forgivable: not including the now industry standard mobile phone tip is not and we hope that they make an exchange in the future from the current defaults.

In use it all works as you'd expect, you plug in your gadget and it charges, with a blue LED indicating that a connected device is getting its juice. The PSP tip has been designed to accept the PSP on its side so is slightly raised to fit the sculpting of the handheld gaming console, so if you do use it for a Sony Reader for example, it won't be the most stable.

Verdict:

The proof of the pudding, they say, is in the eating, and for us the Messless did more than it deserved. Once it was setup at the end of the desk, it was all too easy to leave it in place to charge various gadgets as and when we needed it. You can realistically fit four devices on the surface of the Messless, and because they mostly stand up, they are easy to grab and go, without disturbing everything else that is charging.

Overall what we love about the Messless is that you can leave it sitting somewhere in your house without it making the place look messy, it can be easily moved around and easily customised to your needs too. It's just a shame about that Micro-USB, which for us, would have made this a winner.

Related links:

• Buy it! - HMV.com

Tags: Gadgets Chargers USB gadgets Messless

Messless charging station originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Charging must be this year's buzzword. We've seen increasing numbers of charging stations, docks and wireless solutions as the accessories manufacturers realise we are all walking around with a number of gadgets that need charging, and have a house full of chargers and cables.

The BlueLounge Refresh looks to keep things clean, by bringing all this charging under control. The premise is simple: combine all your device charging into one unit and power it from a single plug socket.

To achieve this, the Refresh has two major parts. The base is a hollow wedge-shaped box, with a DC input on the back and six cables on the inside. These internal cables give you 2x iPod/iPhone, Micro-USB, Mini-USB and two standard female USB connections.

The base itself is constructed from plastic, but feels solid enough. It has rubber feet to give you a reasonably secure setting once it is sited on a desk. Inside a single green LED will confirm that it is connected to the power supply.

The second component of the Refresh is a rubberised black plastic plate that sits in the top of the base. This provides the platform on which your charging devices will sit, with the tactile finish providing enough friction to stop them sliding around. A cut-out section at the bottom of this plate allows the relevant cables to come through from the base to charge your selected devices.

It really is as simple as that. You plug it all in, select the correct cables for your chosen devices, place the top plate back on and connect your gadgets. Voila! You are charging without the usual tangle of wires.

The two female USB connections give you scope for selecting any other bespoke connections you need, for example if you have a phone that needs something different, you can simply connect the cable you'd normally use with your PC, bearing in mind that unless you have spare cables, you'll have to disconnect it to sync with your PC. It is also worth checking that your device will charge from USB and not just exchange data.

We tried a number of different devices, with three being a comfortable number given the space to rest them on the top plate. All the devices we tried charged without any problems, although potentially there is the chance that if you draw too much (by connecting too many devices) then some might not charge.

Once setup and sitting securely on a desk or table, the BlueLounge Refresh looks tidy enough. Pick it up and the spare cables inside will rattle around a bit and the top plate isn't held in place by anything other than gravity.

Verdict:

There is little to dislike about the BlueLounge Refresh. It looks smart enough and does the job it sets out to do. Once you have a charger of this type, you'll probably wonder how you lived with the mess beforehand.

It is expensive though, coming in at ?70, which sounds like a lot for a plastic box with six wires inside.

Tags: Gadgets Bluelounge Refresh Bluelounge Chargers USB gadgets

BlueLounge Refresh charging station originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:12:03 +0000

The Wildcharge comes in the form of a slim black pad with silver conductive strips running along its surface and can either be picked up by itself or bundled with an optional adaptor depending on which device you’re primarily looking to use with it.

Skins are available for the Apple iPhone/touch and Blackberry Curve/Pearl and a range of additional adaptors are available for various other devices, along with a "PowerDisc" multi-adaptor solution that includes Mini- and Micro-USB along with attachments for most popular mobile phones.

You’ll need one of these skins/adaptors before you can use the Wildcharge, since there still needs to be a bridge between the power supplied by the pad and the power port on a handheld. In essence then, this is not so much a truly "wireless" charger as a way to bypass a simple cable.

With this in mind we can see the compartmentalised solutions on offer to Apple and BlackBerry owners as being far more appealing than connecting using a multi-adapter, and even though you can charge multiple devices at once using the pad we wonder how eager people will be to shell out for the necessary hardware in order to avoid plugging a phone in at the wall.

Setup and operation is very straightforward however, and a phone or other gadget is charged in the same way as it would be conventionally, and in about the same time. It really is as easy as placing a device down on the mat if you’re using a skin-solution, though the PowerDisc does involve fishing out the right adaptor and plugging this in manually.

The Wildcharge pad itself comes in at just under ?50, a multi-charger will set you back ?14.99 and dedicated "skins" start at ?22.99, though bundles are available for a significant saving. Still, it’ll be a simple assessment of cost versus benefit for most consumers and while gadget aficionados will no doubt laud the convenience of the WildCharge we’d question its appeal to the mass-market in its current guise.

Verdict:

The Wildcharge works well in an optimum environment and to an extent does what it says on the tin. There are conditions however, such as the fact that you have to employ a dedicated skin for Apple and BlackBerry devices or plugging a gadget in manually using a multi-charger, which kind of defeats the point. Those willing to shell out for what is ultimately a mild convenience should enjoy the benefits, but we can’t see it taking off quite yet.

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Tags: Gadgets Wildcharge Chargers Wireless Phones BlackBerry iPhone Phone chargers

Wildcharge wireless charger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:34:40 +0000

Gadgets are great aren't they? The problem is, is that the current batch of latest and greatest last about 12 hours before you need to find a power socket. If that sounds familiar then you need to look at alternative power solutions. In steps the Energizer range of power of the go options and in this case the Xpal XP2000.

The new range, called Energizer Energi To Go, range in size and capability with the smallest offering starting at 600mAh for phones to an 18,000mAh charger that can power up to three devices at once, including a notebook.

Each battery will come with a series of power "tips" in the box that lets you connect and charge most devices, with the company going as far as to say that they've got virtually every device built in the last 10 years covered. If you do manage to outsmart them, Energizer says that it will build you one at no extra cost.

So keen is the company to appeal to gadget fans, they are even promising two free tips a year for the life of the Energi To Go product to ensure that as consumers purchase new devices they will have the right tips to charge them.

Back to the XP2000 and you get the main charging unit and six tips including iPod/iPhone 30-pin dock connector, Mini-USB, Micro-USB, as well as tips for Samsung, Nokia and LG phones. The unit itself is also capable of taking a USB as well as a Mini-USB cable directly, so you can get around the lack of a cable/tip for your device.

In use and the battery gadget gets to work charging your gadgets for you. All you have to do it plug them into the main element and away you go. To give you an idea of charge there is a basic blue LED bar system that lights up accordingly. It doesn't tell you how much charge you've got or how much longer it will take to charge your device, just that the unit has charge.

The unit isn't without catches however. Without a power socket in the box you will have to charge the battery via USB and charging on the go is rather cumbersome, as you've got a battery dangling from your phone.

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Verdict:

It's basic in its offering, but then it is just a battery. Where the Energizer Energi To Go range succeeds is that it's not just restricted to one gadget.?However where it all falls down is that you can't really use or travel with your charging gadget effectively. While you can theoretically do it, it's a pain to use your phone and this battery at the same time.

What about at your desk? Well chances are you've got power at your desk so a backup battery isn't really a requirement.?This really is for those who know they are going to be without power access at some point of the day (like the train) or heading out into the wilderness.

Tags: Gadgets Batteries Energizer Energizer Xpal XP2000

Energizer Energi to Go Xpal XP2000 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0100

Keeping your gadgets safe can be a real worry. TenBu Technologies' nio is a Bluetooth security system for your gadgets with the aim of providing you with a Bluetooth "security zone".

Essentially the system works though a Bluetooth tag, which is about 2 and a half inches long and a connection with your mobile phone. The idea is that once the tag moves to a particular distance from the phone an alarm is triggered on both devices to let you know that something is on the move.

We tested the nio with the BlackBerry Curve 8900. A quick install of the software and we were up and running in minutes. The nio tag needs charging up before you start which we found took about 3 hours. The tag has a Mini-USB socket in the bottom and comes supplied with a wall charger and USB cable. The software is easy to use with reasonably clear titles guiding you around the menus. Making a connection to the nio tag took almost no time, a handy Quick Guide in the box detailing the essentials.

The software itself lets you add tags and control your connection to them, so if you have more than one, you'll be able to manage them through your phone. You can rename them and change the icons so you can tell at a glance which one you are dealing with. The Control Panel also lets you set the security zone, which is the mainstay of the nio's operation.

There are three different levels of security (low, medium, high) which basically changes the tolerated range. If you are on a train, you'd want it on high, if you were in your office or at home, you'd probably want it on low. We set the security zone to High which basically limited us to a few metres radius. On Low we made it about 25 metres before the alarm triggered.

Returning to the nio cancels the alarm, or it can be manually silenced through the phone application. Of course, you'll need to leave the application running in the background. When triggered the alarm sounds on both the nio tag and your mobile phone, regardless of which one is moving away from the other. There is a choice of alarms and volumes that can be accessed through the advanced settings, with a vibrate option for your handset as well. There is also a motion sensor in the nio tag, so if you want to ensure that it stays still, then you can activate this option.

The alarm volume will vary depending on the output of the device you are using, but we found that with the BlackBerry it was very loud (embarrassingly loud for public tests). In our tests it was loud enough for a noisy pub, but you'd perhaps not hear it in a pocket in a loud club. The nio tag is not quite loud enough and doesn't match the din coming from the phone. We found that the sound could be easily smothered, something that a thief might easily do, but it wouldn't stop your phone alarm ringing.

There is a "locate" option too, so if you lose your keys (or whatever is attached to your tag) you can trigger the alarm and find them around the house. For those with predictable lives there is a Schedule option which will let you change the security zones on your tags based on the time of day. This will mean you can have it on high for your journey to work, medium in the office and low in the house, for example.?

You can use multiple devices so you could have one in your laptop bag and one on your keys or even one attached to your desk to stop pesky workmates walking off with your stuff. The nio is an interesting idea and in practise it worked well with our BlackBerry. If you are prone to losing things, then this will warn you that something has been left behind before you get too far away from it. As a deterrent to theft, whether a thief would abandon the item emitting the alarm is a different point. It would be easy for a thief to silence the phone alarm or discard the tag, but in terms of an unexpected shock, it certainly delivers that. But more importantly, on the High settings, it would give you just about enough time to react and that might be the deciding factor.

Verdict:

The TenBu Technologies nio is so simple to use it is really convenient. Attach the tag to your bag, keep your phone in your pocket and it should have you covered. Set the motion detector and you'll be able to stroll up to the counter of your favourite coffee shop without dragging your bag with you. It might not be the physical deterrent that a cable lock would be, but its wire-free approach means you're much more likely to use it. Just remember to keep the tag charged.

Tags: Gadgets Security gadgets TenBu Technologies Bluetooth nio TenBu Technologies nio

TenBu Technologies nio Bluetooth security system originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

The Suunto t3c Black Arrow edition is a special edition release of its t3c model or heart rate monitor, partnered with the International Triathlon Union. Featuring a standard heart rate monitor when used with the provided chest strap, it takes the fight to Polar, the market leaders for this type of device.

The watch itself is relatively compact, freed from the bloat of devices that also contain a GPS unit. The Black Arrow edition is so named because of the livery it adopts: black bodywork and face is partnered with red numbers around the bezel, giving it an edgy masculine look. The watch itself feels pretty well-built, with a nice solid metal back, but the strap does feel a little soft and flimsy.

The display itself chooses to put white information over a blacked out background, rather than the more common black on white. It's a design decision that makes the Black Arrow look good, but it means that overall it is more difficult to read than a conventional approach.

Given the circular space available for the display, it isn't very well used overall, with plenty of empty corners. Curving the text slightly might have allowed a larger digit display to make it more legible on the run.

The bezel ring that features the red numbers perhaps looks a little cheap and they are rather small to glance at on the move. The bezel is divided into heart rate running clockwise and training zones (which Suunto is calling training effect, more on which later) running anti-clockwise.

The chest strap is comfortable, with a large central transmitter. It perhaps isn't as impressive as Polar's WearLink straps, but is better than some of the plastic and rubber straps out there. The connection, however, was solid and we never found a problem detecting the signal or holding on to it for the duration of the exercise.

The watch features five buttons which are large knurled ends so have plenty of grip for pressing with sweaty fingers.

Essentially there are two modes - clock or training. The clock mode gives you access to your training log, which will present you with a graphical representation of your exercise based on Suunto's Training Effect (TE) scale, and cycling through to give you a breakdown of your stats: average and max heart rates, exercise duration, calories burned and finally the TE level.

Training Effect is the value-added feature here and moves the Black Arrow from a basic heart rate monitor to one that gives you a little pointer as to the results your training will achieve. The 1-5 scale runs from "Minor" to "Over-reaching" (fitting loosely with the science behind 5-point zone training outlined in Joe Friel's The Triathlete's Training Bible).

The idea here is that you can either set yourself a zone yourself (based on what you want to achieve), or just head out and see what you get to. As you set off the zone is low and slowly builds as the overall effect of your training becomes apparent. It gives you good definition over training intensity, although for those training by heart rate may choose to ignore it completely and just watch their average HR.

You also get a more conventional heart rate zone training option. This gives you three zones, with alarms, so you can opt for train in any of the zones depending on whether you want a threshold session, or are on a recovery session.

You can also schedule intervals, with two available where you can define the duration of each interval. There is also a warm-up option, so you can force yourself to do a 5- or 10-minute warm-up on each session, with a neat countdown timer for these options.

This effectively rounds out the features that are available on the core watch, although you can expand the system further by opting for the accessory PODs. This will let you add GPS, cadence for your bike or a foot POD, as well as the PC POD so you can download your training data. Without these, however, extracting your data isn't possible.

Despite the partnership with the ITU, as it is the Suunto t3c Black Arrow doesn't have any special triathlon features, like a multisport mode for example. However triathletes might like the options presented to expand the system to cover their bike training too.

Verdict:
In practice the Suunto 3tc Black Arrow works well, but we'd question the colour scheme here - the screen isn't the clearest, so one of the more conventional displays might be better.

We have no qualms with the range of features available either. If you have an established training programme then there is just about the right amount of flexibility here to help you target the right training intensity. You can also scroll through your display options in training, so you can display exercise duration and the real time, which provides plenty of flexibility to see the information you want.

But at ?120 it comes in above some of the entry-level devices out there, so if you have no plans to take advantage of the POD expansion in the future, you might be able to save some cash by opting for one of the rivals.

Tags: Sports Fitness Heart rate monitors Suunto Suunto t3c Black Arrow Watches Gadgets Suunto t3c Black Arrow

Suunto t3c Black Arrow heart rate monitor originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100