adapter

Peripherals

UN Approves MicroUSB Universal Phone Charger Standard

12:00AM Chris Jacob | The International Telecommunication Union, a branch of the UN, has decided on a standard for phone chargers that should finally cut down on a huge chunk of unnecessary e-waste. It’s about time. More »
Gadgets

TV Tricklesaver Makes Sure Standby Consoles Don’t Cost You Money

8:40AM Jason Chen | The Tricklesaver does two things: detect when your TV is off, and cuts off power to whatever console is plugged in so it doesn’t waste power when “off”. This is good, in theory. More »
Phones

Why Can’t We Get A Standard Phone Charger Like Europe?

4:39AM Jason Chen | Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, RIM, Samsung and Apple have all agreed to use the microUSB standard in their phones made for the European market. Why can’t we have that? More »
Computers

Apple’s Latest MacBooks Still Have Distortion Issues

7:20AM Jason Chen | Remember those distortion issues people (like me) were having with the unibody MacBook Pros while using the Mini DisplayPort Dual-Link DVI adapter? We can confirm that they’re still there in the new machines. More »
Peripherals

The PlayStation-Branded Double AC Adaptor, Booyah!

3:00AM Mark Wilson | While we’d love the PS3 to charge all of our PlayStation gear, there are odd exceptions, like the PSP. Plus, running the PS3 just to charge peripherals makes about just as much energy sense as turning on your car just to light your cigarette. So this December, Sony is introducing their $US25 double AC Adaptor, charging two mini USB PlayStation-branded (and non PlayStation-branded) items at once. And like most Sony power solutions, the design is unnecessarily cordy. [PlayStation Blog via PS3Fanboy] More »
Phones

T-Mobile G1 Now Shipping with 3.5mm Headphone Adaptor

10:50PM Mark Wilson | I know, it’s just salt in the wound for those of you with G1s in the audience. But for all you procrastinators out there, today is your day. The G1, with its solitary mini USB port, hasn’t been the most headphone-friendly device. Now it’s prepackaged with a 3.5mm headphone adaptor and everything is rainbows and sunshine. [TmoNews via CrunchGear] More »
Gadgets

Netgear Powerline Adapters Available Now

7:20AM Mark Wilson | While we’ve already seen older iterations Netgear’s powerline-based networking products, it’s just today that the new Powerline HD Plus Ethernet Adaptor Kit ($US170) and Powerline AV Ethernet Adaptor Kit ($US150) have become widely available. Both systems transfer data at 200 Mbps over your home’s electrical wiring, but the big difference is that the Powerline HD Plus system includes a socket so you don’t miss out on the plug space. Now if only my apartment’s electrical were as reliable as its airspace, I might consider the purchase. [Netgear] More »