Topping up your iGadget’s battery when
you’re on the road is another handy option for getting through the day, but
once again the iPhone 5’s new Lightning connector makes life more complicated.
Tight-fitting car kits such as TomTom’s
original iPhone car kit have no chance of working with the iPhone 5, due to
both the larger screen and the changed connector.
Power
boost – The 100W Cupholder Style Autro Power Inverter from Targus puts a
powerpoint in your car for charging laptops and other gear.
This year’s new-model TomTom Hands Free Car
Kit is little help, because the iPHone version features a 30-pin connector and
the Android version features micro-USB. This new model also ditches the GPS
booster and 3,5mm audio output.
You’ll run into similar problems with most
car kits designed to clamp onto the ends of a 3.5in iPhone and utilize the
30-pin connector.
Once again, as this story went to print
there was no sign of Lightning-compatible car kits. Your best bet is to look
for an iPhone car cradle which simply clamps onto the phone’s sides, as the
iPhone 5 is no wider than the previous models. Look for a basic kit which
doesn’t feature a 30-pin connector or limit the height of the phone.
Kensington’s Soundware or Belkin’s Window
Mount for iPhone and iPod could do the trick, or at least be a stop-gap measure
until we see Lightning-compatible car kits. You’d need to supply your own
Lightning cable and cigarette lighter adaptor, and you’ll still be missing an
external speaker and 3.5mm audio output.
If you’re looking you charge mobile gadgets
in the car, your best option is a cigarette lighter connector with USB ports
rather than built-on cables, so you can switch between 30-pin, Lightning,
Mini-USB and Micro-USB cables depending on what you’re charging.
Small
but powerful – The Just Mobile Gum 2200mAh battery is thumb-sized for easy
portability, and can be used with the new Apple Lightning cable
Belkin’s Dual Auto Charger for iPhone and
iPod is one to consider, as well as Kensington’s Power Bolt Duo and Scosche’s
revolt c2. It’s important to check the voltage and amperage rating on every
gadget you’re charging. Most handheld gadgets want 5 volts, but if you’re
charging an iPad you’ll want a charger which offers 2 amps, bot just 1 amp.
It’s also possible to charge your notebook
from your car’s lighter socket. The Targus Laptop Car Charger comes with a
range of connectors to support different notebooks, but obviously not the
MacBook’s MagSafe connector. You might be able to use Apple’s MagSafe Airline
Adaptor with a car charge, but Apple doesn’t recommend it and the Airline
adaptor is only designed to power MacBooks, not charge them.
All is not lost, as you can opt for a
‘power inverter’, which basically puts a power point in your car. Options
include Belkin’s AC Anywhere (available in 140-watt and 300-watt models) or
Targus’ 100W Cupholder Style Auto Power Inverter.
The rating on your notebook’s power supply
will tell you how many watts it requires, and you don’t want to undercater. For
example many MacBook Pros demand 85watts but a cheap inverter might only offer
75 watts of ‘continuous power’, and ‘peak’ at 100 watts.
Judge them by the continuous power rating.
A 75 watt inverter would take longer to charge an 85 watt notebook, or perhaps
not charge at all, plus it would put extra strain on the inverter and your
notebook which could cause damage.
Also look for an inverter which
automatically switches off at certain voltages to ensure you don’t drain the
car battery or damage the electrics. Avoid using an inverter when the car’s
engine isn’t running, as you can flatten the battery.
We can’t stress enough the importance of
paying attention to the voltage, amperage and wattage ratings. The Made for
iPod, iPhone or iPad symbol is a good starting point, but still check the fine
print. Get it wrong and you could fry gear.
In the bag
Another option for topping up your gadgets
during the day is to throw a portable charger in your bag.
A portable charger is basically an extra
battery for topping up your gadgets. You’ll find a wide range of them – some
only offer a 30-pin connector for iGadgets while other support an assortment of
connectors for charging all kinds of devices.
Thankfully many also have a built-in USB
port, so you can charge your iPhone 5 using the supplied USB-to-Lightning
cable.
When a gadget is running low on power you
simply plug it into your gadget charger to top it up. When the charger is
running low, you can plug it into a power point or perhaps a USB socket to
recharge it.
When you’re looking at gadget chargers
you’ll want to consider the size of the battery, measured in milliamp-hours
(mAh). The higher the number, the more times it can recharge your gadgets
before the portable charger goes flat and needs a recharge.
Environmentally
friendly – It takes about four to five hours in the sun for the Voltaic Switch
Solar Bag to fully charge an iPhone
Portable chargers also have voltage and
amperage ratings to describe how much power they provide when charging your
gadgets. Once again, ensure the voltage and amperage of your portable charge
and devices match to avoid damaging them. Using a portable charger with a lower
amperage rating than your gadget takes longer to charge your gadget and puts
extra strain on your portable charger.
If you’re only looking to charge iGadgets
with 30-pin connectors you might consider the Kensington Travel Battery Pack
and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch. It features a 1500 mAh battery but only
supplies 1 amp so it’s not designed for the iPad. Other brands to consider
include Targus, iWalk and Mophie.
In terms of value for money it’s hard to go
past the Droidax PortaCharge, which you’ll also find as the PADACS UltraCharge
Mini. It packs a 5400 mAh battery, 10-in-1 adaptor and two USB ports – one
supplying 1 amp and the other 2 amps.
If you’re looking to get off the beaten
track, consider Powertraveller’s Powermonkey eXtreme, which packs a hefty 9000
mAh battery and even comes with a solar panel for when you’re in the middle of
nowhere. The eXtreme offers 5 volts at a choice of 700 milliamps or 2.1 amps,
unlike the original Powermonkey eXplorer which only offered 700 milliamps.
Powermonkey also offers larger portable
chargers designed for notebooks, such as the Gorilla, Solargorilla and
Minigorilla. Other brands designed for notebooks include HyperJuice and
Voltaic. Once again, they often recommend using Apple’s MagSafe Airline Adaptor
with MacBooks, although it’s only designed to power laptops and not charge
them.
You’ll find a range of solar-compatible
chargers on the market, but you’re generally paying a lot extra for this
feature so it’s not worth it unless you’re sure you’ll use it. Charging via
solar panels is a lot slower than charging from a USB port or power point.
