The iPhone 3G may be as powerful as a netbook or a Sega Dreamcast, but that doesn’t help improve the device’s battery life. For those who are displeased with this fact, there are already plenty of battery extenders which may alleviate the problem as long as you remember to bring them with you. It does seem somewhat inconvenient to carry an extra accessory around, so Mophie has made Juice Pack Air – an add-on battery pack that doubles duty as an iPhone case.

Encased in the Juice Pack Air is a 1,200mAh Li-polymer battery that is rechargeable through its micro-USB jack – the de facto interface for cellphone charging. The Juice Pack Air does add bulk to the phone, but the tradeoff is worth the additional 5.4 hours of Wi-Fi, 4.5 hours 3G data transfer and an equal amount of talk time. Everything USB recently reviewed the battery extender case hybrid, and found it to be a lifesaver for serious iPhone 3G and 3GS users alike. It can take a 20% remaining iPhone 3G back up to nearly 100% in one short hour. The reviewer was impressed by the build quality as well as the glossy finish which is only about as scratch resistant as the curved back of iPhone 3G. He did however point out the Juice Pack Air’s inability to power the iPhone without recharging it. This means your iPhone 3G couldn’t draw on the Juice Pack Air’s external power directly to save some of its internal battery charging cycles.

[ Mophie Juice Pack Air Battery Extender for iPhone Review @ Everything USB ]

By Shane McGlaun

Yeah the battery life on my first gen iPhone sucks. Every time we stop somewhere, my kids want to play games on my phone and if I get bored while my wife drones on about whatever it is that wives talk about streaming YouTube videos kills the battery too.

There are already some iPhone batteries on the market and FSP Group is bringing another one to the U.S. in July via Newegg. The battery pack will carry an MSRP of $29.99 and offers 1500mAh of power. The device includes a universal USB adapter for any device charging from USB and includes a specific adapter for the iPhone and iPod.

The battery can be recharged up to 500 times and has an output voltage of 5W. The battery pack measures 3.39″ W x 0.35″ H x 2.24″L and weighs 0.05 pounds. That makes the device about the size of a credit card. The outside of the battery is rubber coated for better grip and it ships with a carry case.

[ FSP Group ]

By Shane McGlaun

Most of the gadgets we use today have batteries of some sort inside them as do a growing number of cars. Battery tech is an area of intense research and development as an alternative power source for all sorts of products.

The world’s first air-powered battery has been unveiled and is called the STAIR (St Andrews Air) battery. The battery is charged just like any other battery directly from an AC outlet, but when power is discharged from the battery, it draws more energy form the air around it.

The cells of the battery are able to generate more power by drawing air in through an open mesh section of the battery and using the oxygen in the air. The oxygen reacts with a porous carbon component inside the battery and helps to continually charge the cells. The developers of the battery say that the STAIR battery is able to discharge power about ten times longer than traditional batteries and weighs less as well.

[ Telegraph.co.uk ]