By David Ponce

As we increasingly untether our computing tasks from the desktop we start to rely more and more on battery power, and that in turn means chargers and cable spaghetti hell. Any solution that helps tidy things up even a bit is always welcome. The PlugBug elegantly attaches to your MacBook charger and introduces an additional USB outlet; you can then charge both the MacBook and any iDevice simultaneously. It’s rated at 10W which means your iPhone or iPad will charge much faster than if it’s charging from the MacBook USB port. Plus, at $35, it sure beats using a $2,400 laptop to juice back up.

[ PlugBug Product Page ] VIA [ CoolHunting ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got more gadgets than you can keep track of. Unfortunately, almost all of them require a battery of some sort to function. This means you need a lot of free outlets to keep them all full of juice. Thankfully the people at IDAPT have a great solution.

Updating their Universal Desktop Charger, the company has released the i4. This time around you can charge up to four devices, instead of three. You still only have the three docks, but they have added on a USB port to the side for charging another gadget. The three docks have interchangeable tips, which can be used to charge everything from your digital camera, to your portable gaming device or even your phone. If you’re looking to cut down on the clutter while keeping your gadgets in one place, this definitely looks worth the $60 price.

[ IDAPT ]

By Evan Ackerman

While we’re still (apparently) a long way away from the mythical standardization of cell phone chargers, more and more phones (and other gadgets like portable music players and digital cameras) have come to rely on (or at least accept) USB connections for recharging. The current supplied by most USB connections probably won’t charge your gadget as fast as whatever proprietary wall plug that came with it, but the epic level of convenience of only needing one plug and one cable more than makes up for it.

Unless you need to charge two things at the same time, in which case multiple powered USB ports are a necessity. Your laptop probably has multiple powered USB ports, but sometimes leaving your laptop plugged in and turned on just to charge some stuff isn’t especially convenient, sometimes you don’t want to carry around your laptop at all, and sometimes you just don’t want to deal with all the crap that happens when you plug something in that also uses USB to transfer data.

So after all that ranting, you’re probably expecting some kind of fantabulous thing that will solve all of your USB charging needs. Sorry. All I’ve got is this wall jack that has TWO USB charging plugs instead of ONE. And it’s small and black and has foldy plugs. And it only costs $7. Find it at USB Geek.

VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Evan Ackerman

I don’t know what it is with car chargers and their tendency to look bulgy and phallic. Why would anyone want something like that sticking out of their dashboard? Belkin’s new Micro Auto Charger, on the other hand, fits snugly into your cigarette adapter, and makes it look like you have a factory installed USB charging port in your car. It doesn’t get much more seamless than this.

The Micro Auto Charger outputs 1 amp, which is twice as much as a standard USB port, meaning your gadgetry will charge omgextraüberfast. It costs just $15, or you can get it with an iPod/iPhone charging cable for $5 more. Look for it starting next month.

[ Belkin ] VIA [ iLounge ]

By David Ponce

Primitive though it may be, walking is an endeavor still enjoyed by a few. And these sprightly urbanites will soon be able to get something in return for their efforts (you know, aside from good health): gadget-recharging electricity. The nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) is a device that harvests the kinetic energy of your walking and turns it into electricity, charging most devices up to 80% with just one hour’s worth of walking. Toss it into a bag along with any USB 2.0 powered device, and it’ll charge as you walk. The rep did not mention whether jumping around spastically would make things go faster.

The nPower PEG in being pre-sold on their website, and will be available in six months for $149. The company hopes that as it gets manufactured in increasingly larger quantities, the price will drop accordingly.

Full press release after the jump.

The power is in you! With the nPower™ PEG, you create power for charging your cell phone, iPod,
and other handheld devices. Just place the lightweight nPower™ PEG in your bag or on your hip,
attach it to your device, and you’ll create energy any time you need it. The PEG works when you are
in motion, so you don’t have to worry about being near a power outlet or running out of a charge
while on the go ever again.
The up and down movement from your walking or running creates kinetic energy. The nPower™
PEG:
 harvests kinetic energy to charge handheld electronic devices at the
same rate as a wall charger, which means most devices reach an 80%
charge with just an hour of walking throughout the day.
 is a green technology that literally allows you to create renewable
energy by walking, thus reducing your personal carbon footprint.
 is compatible with over 90% of handheld electronic devices, including
cell phones, MP3 players, handheld gaming devices, handheld GPS,
digital cameras, and more.
 appeals to consumers as 12% of the general population and 33% of ecofriendly
consumers would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ purchase according
to recent independent consumer research.
The nPower™ PEG addresses the problem of the world’s increased demand for electricity, and
consumers’ lack of an effective alternative energy option. The initial potential market for the
nPower™ PEG is composed of the 23.2 million Americans who carry handheld mobile electronic
devices and walk for approximately one hour per day. The nPower™ PEG could remove 25.4 million
kilowatts of power from the grid — the collective annual electricity needed to charge 23.2 million cell
phones at 3 watts for one hour per day (approximate amount of power needed annually for 21,000
households).