Charging Stations & Docks

Good news for everyone who was disappointed 2018 concluded without the announcement of AirPods 2, the AirPower Charging Mat, or a new set of over-ear headphones, potentially called Studio Pods: We may be getting at least one, maybe two of those devices very soon. Via press release, Apple has given us an official release date and specs of the AirPods 2. The rumors of an accompanying wireless charging enabled AirPod case, indicate that Apple may finally be ready to release the promised AirPower Charging Mat as well. In this rumor roundup, we'll cover every update about the new rumored new wireless earbuds and wireless charging case, as well as Studio Pods and AirPower related rumors.  


These days we have a plethora of options when it comes to finding a Qi wireless charger that best suits our needs. While these convenient charging pads have many similarities, no two are the same. In fact, one of the biggest differences I find between charging pads, aside from obvious variances in style and appearance, would have to be the charging wattage that they deliver and therefore how fast they charge. In my testing I found that all of these Qi chargers work well even with iPhones in rugged protective cases.

Once a technology, in this case, backup batteries, becomes a free give away for marketing purposes, it gets harder and harder to find products that warrant a review. MyCharge has managed to create a new backup battery worthy of your attention. The $49.99 MyCharge AdventureMax packs a 10050mAh battery into an attractive but rugged  compact portable charger that weighs just half a pound. The plastic case looks great and the material offers a secure feel when it's being held. The AdventureMax will charge two devices at a time via its 2.4A standard USB ports.

I reviewed the earlier version of Nomad's USB Hub, and I liked it then, but since then, Apple introduced phones with Qi-based wireless charging, so I had to use a third-party charging pad next to my Nomad hub. RECENTLY, I was able to try the USB Hub - Wireless ($79.95) from Nomad, which was announced at CES and will become available to the public soon.

Qi wireless chargers are about to become all the rage with owners of the new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. If you weren't already on the Qi wireless charging bandwagon, you're about to find yourself much more inclined to be, now that Apple is offering Qi wireless charging as a native feature of its new iPhone X and iPhone 8 series. With Qi wireless charging, you simply place your Qi enabled device upon the Qi charging base and that's it, your device begins charging. Easy as can be. Fortunately Qi wireless charging is already an established charging platform, so there are plenty of great Qi wireless charging pads to choose from, with more on the way including Apple’s own AirPower charging plate. Let's learn more about some of the best wireless iPhone charging stations currently available.

If you own an older vehicle, you may be USB port challenged. How will you know? When the posse sits in the back seat of your truck or car, they either end passing phones to the front for a quick power top off, or they struggle up, leaning forward to tap the all too short shared lightning cable plugged into the one charger. If you are lucky, a dual-port charger allows for two devices to charge at the same time. CableJive's Powerportz ($19.95) is a clever solution to the problem. It starts with a typical two-port car charger, the kind that fits into the car's power port, or what people used to call a cigarette lighter. If you are driving a car without a USB port, it may well still be called a cigarette lighter. What it probably doesn’t sport is anything useful in the passenger cabin for charging devices.

"Nailed it!" That's what I imagine it sounds like to work at Twelve South. The folks there seem to repeatedly and reliably come up with accessory after accessory that makes the Apple experience better. I use a MacBook stand from the company, and used to have an iPad BookBook case for my original iPad and a BookBook case for my new iPhone 6s. In fact, the BookBook is probably Twelve South's most notable product. It is an iPad or iPhone case disguised as a leather-bound book, and the iPhone versions have slots for credit cards and ID. You get the best of both worlds: handmade, old-world-book style and modern e-books and apps!  It's very charming and functional, and could protect your iOS devices from unwitting thieves.

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