31 posts tagged “charger”

Back in 2000, Targus introduced this portable charger, the Universal AC Adapter PA160U, a similar idea to the Charge4All in Episode 883 this week, only 9 years earlier.  It was half an inch thick, and weighed only 7.5 ounces, which in those days was pretty light-weight.  It also came with power tips for charging your notebook and other accessories.  This model is no longer available, but Targus is still making other newer models.

Edison, Ford and Firestone
Aaron Martina has been listening to the Daily Giz Wiz since Episode 1, and is an avid consumer of Leo's other podcasts.  Back in Episode 870, Dick and Leo talked about Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.  Aaron lives in Fort Myers, Florida, whose claim to fame is having been the winter home of not only Edison and Ford, but also Harvey Firestone (founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company), who were all friends.  The 3 houses and their workshops are now museums - precursors to Dick's Gadget Warehouse.


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The Charge4All Charging Tube rolls out into the Portable Charging Mat, which can charge up to 4 devices, from a single AC source (110-240V).  It comes with 5 charging tips: iPhone/iPod, microUSB, miniUSB for Blackberry and Motorola, Samsung SCH phones and LG Chocolate.  Other tips are available for sale on the website.

For other charging mats covered by Dick, see Episode 748 (the Powermat and the Wildcharger Pad).

The Bengal Lancer
When asked what the Charge4All might be, Leo guesses that it's a cavalry bugle.  This reminds Dick of his hero Sid Ceasar in the Sid Caesar Show, where he played a Bengal Lancer.

Another Lost Reader
Leo has taken his evangelisation of the E-Book Reader to new heights.  Not only has he been spreading word of them, he's positively seeding them around on airplanes.  His latest Kindle was the second E-Reader he left behind on a flight.

Another Dead Musician, Another Jingle?
With the recent surmise of Michael Jackson, Leo is wondering if he will join the ranks of the dead Letters Jingle Singers.  Calling Dan Lueders ...

Terracotta Chia Pets
Talk of China's Terracotta Warriors has prompted another letter from Alessandro Abate.  The Chinese invented paper currency (and paper itself), gunpowder, noodles and the compass, but among the less well-known of their inventions was the Chia Pet (see Episode 752 for the Chia Obama).  The Terracotta Soldiers were actually the Emperor's private collection of Chia Pets, but the Chinese forgot to water them.  Terracotta, Alessandro adds, is Italian for "baked earth".  It was the ancient Romans' first failed attempts on making pizza.  Thankfully they switched to baking dough in time.

The Man Who Loved China ...
... and it's not Leo.  Recommended by Alessandro, this book by Simon Winchester is about Joseph Needham, the British scientist who, starting in the 1940's, became fascinated with China and its scientific achievements.  It was the Audible Pick of the Week on MacBreak Weekly 135, but Leo has not got round to reading it yet.  The Man Who Loved China is available on Audible.


Leo's Gallery on China Tour
Leo is still enthusing about his tour of China, and was much impressed by the 8,000 odd Terracotta Warriors, each about 6-foot tall and every soldier is different.  Check out his photos on Smugmug or Flickr.


Listen to Episode 883
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Energizer has partnered with XPAL Power to introduce their new lines of Energi To Go portable power supply products (quite different from the existing Energi To Go cellphone and iPod chargers).  All chargers use Lithium Polymer rechargeable batteries which are lighter, more stable and non-inflammable.  Most importantly, they can be shaped into any forms which accounts for the shapes of the AP line of chargers.  The 3 lines are:

• AP series (AP1000 & AP1500) - each charger is just like an ordinary iPhone case with a dock connector into which the phone is slotted.
• SP series (SP 1000 & SP2000) - they contain solar cells for using light energy to charge the batteries (which can also take AC).
• XP series (from XP600 to XP18000) - the standard line of chargers, with power capacity ratings from 600mAh to a whopping 18000mAh, weighing from 1.2 oz to 7.9 oz.

All models come with the appropriate charging cables and tips.  Dick has also been told that Energizer will offer Free Tips For Life - allowing 2 new charging tips every year for owners, during the lifetime of the chargers.



Comedy for a Wedding
Bill Gaines liked Henny Youngman so much that he hired Youngman to perform at his wedding.

That New Great Invention
A warm welcome back, to Phillip White from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who last wrote in Episode 406.  Phillip heard in Episode 798 about the Digivina, the ultimate in retro style, and snapped it up in no time.  The CD-to-vinyl press certainly impressed Phillip, who has been converting his huge CD collection to vinyls.  Check it out at digi-vina.com, and look out for Digivina Portable.

Flashlight-er

Car Accesory/USB charger adapter

Link: theflashlighter.com

The cigarette lighter in the motor-car is now more useful as a power charger than lighter.  The Flashlight-er, apart from being a 3-LED flashlight, acts as an adapter that connects to the cigarette lighter and gives you a USB port for charging your USB devices.  There is also a Dual-Function model available which gives you both connections.

Do not confuse the Flashlight-er's website (which is www.theflashlighter.com) with another website www.flashlighter.com.  The album art embedded in the mp3 file for this episode's download has been taken from the wrong site, and is NOT the Flashlight-er (it's just a Kingston DataTraveler thumb drive).

Dick saw the Japanese Game Show Brain Wall (the North American version of which is called Hole In The Wall) and wondered how anyone could make a game show out of that idea.  Why not, if Leo can make a show out of pumping air into his fitness ball?  Dick thinks that Leo needs the Duracell Powerpack 450 (Episode 693) which includes an air compressor.  Leo remarks that he's got an air mattress in the TWiT Cottage that comes with its own pump, all ready for Dick when he next visits Petaluma.

In Episode 799 Leo joked about writing out cheques in crayon.  It turns out that it wasn't so absurd after all.  David from Durham, North Carolina, used to deliver pizzas in the 1990's, and one of the styles of cheques you could order from banks in those days had all the blanks printed out as if they had been drawn by a child in crayons.

Dick tells the story of a big row he had with Bill Gaines over one of Dick's smaller Christmas bonuses, which got Duck Edwing really worried.  He also fought with Sergio Aragones over a beach chair during a MAD vacation.  Just snippets of Dick's practical jokes.

Inside the Medis 24/7 Fuel Cell is a fuel cartridge which, when activated, the chemical energy stored in the liquid fuel is converted into electrical engery.  After activating the fuel cell by squeezing the fuel cell box, you first connect the supplied power cable connector to the fuel cell, then connect the cable to the appropriate power tip for your device to start charging.  After use, you can send the fuel cell box back to Medis, instructions for which are included in the packaging.

There are different starter kits available.  The most basic is the Power Pack, which includes one fuel cell, the power cable connector, and 4 hot tips (mini USB, LG, Palm Treo and Nokia).  Hot tips are available for other devices, including Samsung, Motorola and Sony Ericsson phones.  Check out the Medis Compatibility List.

Infrastructure Development at TWiT Cottage
Leo is planning on kick-starting the economy with more infrastructure development at TWiT Cottage: air-conditioning and more velvet drapes.  Dick wonders why Leo wants the funeral home look.

Country Jingle
After listening to the Dan Lueders Celebrity versions of the Letters Jingle, George Wood's original version sounds new to Dick.  Leo promises but forgets to play Paul Minshall's Country Jingle.  You can hear it towards the end of Episode 732, or go to Paul's website to get the link to the MP3 file: http://paulminshall.com/themes.

A Boon to Data Entry
Since Taylor D from Arkansas found the Daily Giz Wiz on iTunes, he's been listening to it for 6 months.  He's tried out the Gunnar Optiks Computer Glasses (Episode 692), which have come as a great relief for his eyes, when he has to do 8 to 10 hours of data entry in front of the computer every day.  No more double vision for Taylor.

GizWizBiz and Mad Stuff
Don't forget the GizWizBiz Cap is still available, and so is the USB Smart Button (only 4 left).  Here's Mad In Your Eye is sold out, but you can get Dick's Good Days and Mad.  Check out GizWiz Shopping and Buy Mad Stuff.


Listen to Episode 763
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Yet another green gadget from CES 2009, the nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) is an electrical generator, a 9" tall baton, 1.5" diameter in the centre, and 1" in diameter at the top and bottom, and weighing 9 ounces.  You place it vertically in your backpack or briefcase, or hang it from your bicycle or even your belt if you don't mind looking like a dork, and the kinetic energy in the vibrations caused by your walking movements is harvested by the PEG and converted into electrical energy for charging your mobile electronic devices, such as an iPod, iPhone, Blackberry and other cellphones via USB.  There is no built-in rechargeable battery, and you charge the mobile device directly from the PEG.

nPower claims that the PEG can produce up to 4 Watts of power (i.e. 4 Joules per second), and can give you an 80% battery charge within one hour (though not specifying what type of battery).

Dick and Leo are sceptical about its prospects of success, and Leo would like to see how it works.  The idea of swinging a 9" baton from under your belt is too dorky even for Leo, and the projected price of $150 is perhaps too much to pay.

The Late Show Tonight
After Johnny Carson retired from the Tonight Show on NBC, David Letterman hoped that he would be given the spot but it was given to Jay Leno instead.  When CBS offered to give him his own nightly show, to be filmed in the renovated Ed Sullivan Theater, he decided to move over to CBS, hosting the Late Show to compete with NBC's Tonight Show.

The Powermat


One of products that caught a lot of attention at CES this year was the Powermat, a mat that charges up your devices using magnetic induction.  No more wires and umpteen different chargers and bricks involved.  The system consists of a mat (5 models: for Home, Bedside, Desk, Travel and PC+) and a receiver (3 types: Case, Power Disk and Dock - see image above at top right hand corner).


The mat itself is connected to an AC source as the power supply, and various mobile devices are either placed or connected to the appropriate types of receivers which are placed on the mat.  The mat first identifies the receiver and only then will the transmission of power begin, by magnetic induction.  When the device is charged, the transmission will stop.  You can charge multiple devices at the same time, all at the same rate.  The website says that Powermat products will be available in Fall 2009.


WildCharge
The Powermat reminds Dick of the WildCharger Pad which has been around for a couple of years.  Although it uses a different technology for the transmission of power, it is a similar idea, in that you give your mobile device a WildCharge Skin, place it on the WildCharger Pad, to charge up the device.  Dick has seen a lot of new products in his time and is not too excited about the Powermat, which may take a few years to find its place.  In the meantime, Dick will stick to his Callpod Chargepod (Episode 368)  for charging multiple devices at the same time from one power source.

A Librarian Enjoys a Book
Tom Angelo from Brooklyn found a copy of Good Days and Mad in the libarary he works at.  He thinks that for someone who doesn't read books, Dick has written a very entertaining one.  He promises to buy a copy if he sees one in a book store.  Or, he can get a copy directly from Dick, details on Dick's page BuyMadStuff.


Listen to Episode 748
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From CES 2009, this All-In-One Charger from Hottips is designed for charging your cellphone, with a car charger, an AC wall charger, a removable USB cord, and even an emergency charger for connecting to a 9V battery.  You can order the hot tip for your own model of cellphone, available for the major brands such as Blackberry, Motorola, Nokia, LG and Sony Ericsson.  There is even a charger for iPods and iPhones.

Surviving CES and MacWorld
Dick survived a less crowded but still very busy CES, and Leo fooled them again with his keynote at MacWorld Expo.

Lose It!
Kathleen sends her best wishes to Dick for his downsizing of the Gadget Warehouse, and for Leo's downsizing, she recommends an iPhone app called Lose It.  It uses the same database for creating nutrition labels for food packaging.  Dick doesn't need it, as he exercises for 20 minutes a day, walks a lot and goes to the gym.


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Today we go from a replica of Gene Simmons's Axe to a replica of your favourite car.  Four Door Media makes the Road Mice, which are wireless (RF) optical mice (800 dpi resolution), using USB wireless receivers.  There is a scroll wheel on the hood, and left/right click buttons on either side.  The headlights are LED-lit, which naturally grabs Dick's attention.  There are a lot of models and colours to choose from, Ford Mustangs, Chevy Camaros, Dodge Chargers, and even Highway Patrol/Police Cars.


To complete the experience, a Road Mouse comes with all the usual perks of car ownership: a Certificate of Title, a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number on the bottom of the car), and you can register your car ownership online, and even buy an Insurance Plan for the car.

All Right, How About Petaluma Then?
Scott Murray thinks that the 50th anniversary of NASA and Leo's natural pride in his town Petaluma make it worth mentioning that Petaluma was featured in a famous series of Peanuts in the 60's in which Snoopy went to the moon, called out to Houston, got no response, and finally said, "All right, how about Petaluma then?"  Just because of this strip, Scott's father took him on a special trip from Muncie, Indiana to Petaluma, California.

Charles Schultz was himself a resident of in the Petaluma area.  For another series of Peanuts in which Snoopy actually went to Petaluma for a wrist wrestling competition, which another listener brought to the attention of Dick and Leo, see Episode 435.


Listen to Episode 698
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Dick covered the original Solio back in Episode 108.  The Magnesium Edition (with magnesium casing) is their top model which outputs a maximum wattage of 9W.  Its 1800mA Li-ion rechargeable battery can be charged using solar energy, or via  AC, with a universal AC adapter.  It comes with a USB connector for charging your USB-enabled devices, and 5 iGo power tips for the Motorola Razor, the LG Chocolate, Nokia, Samsung and Blackberry phones.  Other power tips are available.  Check the list here.


Finally, you get a Solio wooden pencil, to prop up the solar cells to get the optimum angle for receiving sunlight.  There's a review of the gadget at reuk.co.uk, from which the 2 photos above are taken.

TWiS
TWiT should be This Week in Thrift instead, or TWiS, This Week in Scrooge.  The lengths Leo would go to in order not to pay his dues.

Match Game Cards
Walt Hoffman, of Glendora, California, thanks Dick for his set of Match Game Cards.  As a child, Walt used to watch the filming of Match Game.



Spirit and Opportunity
No doubt inspired by Match Game, Walt grew up to work as an engineer at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), NASA, at Pasadena, on the operations team for the Mars Exploration Rover Programme.  Dick and Leo have talked about gadgets' own time scale, the gadget years (Episodes 120, 420).  Walt points out that NASA's 2 Rovers (called Spirit and Opportunity - which could be Dick's and Leo's middle names) have outlived their life expectancies.  Originally thought to last for 90 sols (a sol is the local cycle of light and darkness on a planet, which for Mars is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds), both rovers have lasted more than 1,650 sols.

Walt offers to give Dick and Leo, if they're ever in Southern California, a nickel tour.  Bring a nickel please.  No Visa.

Follow the Phoenix
Leo points out that you can follow the Phoenix Rover on Mars, on Twitter.  Dick points out that you can follow him at twitter.com/thegizwiz, and at TWiT Army (also the gizwiz) - but the TWiT Laconica service is down at the moment after Leo's server problems over the weekend.  Alfred E Neuman (alfredeneuman) is on both services as well.


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Another multi-functional gadget from LifeGear.  The Model LGTF38 has a 4-LED reading light on the handle that lights up when folded up, a flashlight in front, AM/FM radio, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather alert, alarm, 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries, and a hand crank for emergency power.  It even charges your cellphone.

Dick reminds us again to make sure that any hand crank device should have a rechargeable battery that can store up the power.

For a previous LifeGear multi-functional gadget, see the Safety Cross PSD (Episode 249).  For another hand-crank radio, see the Eton FR300 (Episode 16).

The Land of the Rolling Hills
Daniel Bingham from Houston, Texas writes to Dick about the meaning of Petaluma, the Land of the Rolling Hills.  Also the land of the man who rolls on the big ball, according to Dick.  Daniel quoted this blog (for Episode 549) for Leo's previous explanation of the term.  Neither Dick nor Leo could make sense of the blog post, understandably, as it assumed logical consistency and quality on the part of Dick and Leo.

Not on this show, say Dick and Leo, we just ramble far and wide.

Dick and Leo continue to speculate on the identity of InsideDGW.  For their previous discussion, see Episodes 494 and 507.

Match Game on YouTube
Leo thinks that since the Game Show Network started showing Match Game, there have been a lot of past episodes of Match Game on YouTube, going as far back as 1964 (and the show started in 1962).  To hear the original theme with announcer Johnny Olson, with guests Joan Fontaine, Betty White, Peggy Cass, Bennett Cerf, Henry Morgan and Robert Q Lewis, click here.  The theme was taken from an instrumental piece written and recorded by Bert Kaempfert, called Swingin' Safari, though the version which made a hit on the Billboard was the cover version by Billy Vaughn.  The internet cannot decide which version was used on the Match Game.  You can decide for yourself.

For Bert Kaempfert's version, click here.  For Billy Vaughn's version, click here.

Mad Minute
Today's guest on Mad Minute is the world's least informed gossip journalist.


Listen to Episode 584
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