By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman
As important as your cup holders are in your car, gadget-crazy families will find it easy to give one up for the Energizer 180W Cup Inverter to charge up to five portable devices at once.
After you plug it into your 12V outlet, it transfers the power to the cup, which has a standard AC outlet along with an amazing four USB ports.
With all these plug outlets, it’s more than you should need while on the road but to test it I had my GPS unit, iPhone, iPad and an older cell phone all charging simultaneously from the compact coffee cup-sized (3.3 x 3.3 x 3-inches) device.
A thermal fan built into the device keeps it running quiet. It produces an output of 180W of continuous power so running a refrigerator, microwave or other high power devices won’t be an option.
The Energizer inverter also comes with terminal clamps to run directly off your car battery.
If you need a burst of power on the go, Rayovac has a few new innovative charging solutions with the Portable Power Family.
The pocket-sized 2-Hour Power ($8.99) mobile charger provides a fast burst of power to micro USB and Apple portable devices to give you a few additional hours of talk time.
There’s not a lot to it;, just plug it in and charge away. When the battery itself needs a charge, any USB source will do the trick.
The 7-Hour Power charger ($14.99) is outlet-free since it works with four AA batteries. Obviously they want you to use Rayovac’s, but others will also work fine to give your device a full charge on the go.
Both chargers worked great to power up an assortment of USB gadgets and come with an amazing 10-year warranty from Rayovac.
The Bracketron NanoTek stand can be used with any smartphone for hands-free use or just to get a charge. What makes this stand as handy as any other is an exclusive mounting technology with NanoSuction pads to hold your device in a portrait or landscape position.
When your phone is removed the pads do not leave anything sticky or messy on your device.
The base is made with aircraft-grade aluminum with a matte finish and sits on any flat surface. A cable management system is built into the bottom to let any charging cable run through the stand for easy access.
www.bracketron.com $34.99 in black or silver
The RHA MA350 earphones are a good choice in the very crowded earbud category, which can sometimes cost you as much as a house payment.
The cost-friendly MA 350‘s sound great, delivering a nice crisp sound with the right amount of bass.
A 10mm driver is the root of the great sound, along with a very comfortable fit of a great looking earphone.
They even look good with an aluminum finish and one of my favorite feature for head-phones; a fabric braided cable, which won’t get tangled.
You get three size tips (small, medium and large) for the right fit along with a carrying case.
www.rha-audio.com $39.95
Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @greggellman.
2013, Gregg Ellman.
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