By Gregg Ellman
McClatchy-Tribune
As important as your car cup holders are, 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, power is transferred to the cup, which has a standard AC outlet along with four USB ports.
With multiple outlets, it’s more than you should need while on the road. When I tested it, I had my GPS unit, iPhone, iPad and an older cell phone all charging simultaneously from the compact coffee cup-sized (3.3-by-3.3-by 3 inches) device.
A thermal fan is also built into the device and keeps it running quiet. It produces an output of 180W of continuous power, so running a refrigerator, microwave or other high-power device won’t be an option.
The device also comes with terminal clamps to run directly off your car battery.
Details: $36, www.energizerpower.com
Portable chargers
If your smartphone or tablet needs a burst of power while on the go, Rayovac has a few new innovative charging solutions with the Portable Power Family.
The pocket-sized 2-Hour Power mobile charger ($8.99) 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 batteries, 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 a 10-year warranty from Rayovac.
Details: www.rayovac.com
Charging, on display
The Bracketron NanoTek Stand can be used with any smartphone for hands-free use or just to get a quick charge in.
What makes this stand as handy as any other is the 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.
Details: $34.99 in black or silver, www.bracketron.com
Reasonably-priced earbuds
The RHA MA350 earphones stand out among the abundance of earbuds, which can sometimes be on the pricey side.
The cost-friendly MA350s sound great, delivering a nice, crisp sound with the right amount of bass.
The product has a very comfortable fit and produces great quality sound thanks to the 10mm driver.
It’s also easy on the eyes with an aluminum finish and — one of my favorite features for headphones — a fabric braided cable, which won’t get tangled.
The earphones come with three size tips (small, medium and large) for the right fit along with a carrying case.
Details: $39.95, www.rha-audio.com
