Battery technology hasn’t been able to keep up with the power consumption of new gadgets for a while. Mobile gadgets run through batteries in a blink, which is why it’s always nice to have a little backup. A couple weeks back, MiLi released two new peripherals for power hungry gadgets that didn’t get much notice: the MiLi Power Crystal and Power Miracle.

Both the Crystal and the Miracle feature a 2,000mAh lithium ion battery, which approximately doubles the battery life of most mobile devices. Each pack comes with a multi-lead USB cord and 6 attachment tips for the most common mobile devices, including a Mini-USB, Micro-USB, iPod/iPhone, LG, Samsung G Series, Blackberry/HTC/Motorola, and Nokia. The four front facing LED light indicators let you know the battery packs’ current power level at a glance.

The Miracle is the slimmer version of the two, ideal for tossing into a laptop bag or carrying in your pocket in an emergency. The Crystal has an extended carabiner loop built into its casing, allowing you to wear it on a keychain.

The two power packs are the size of a business card or smaller and just over a half-inch thick. Yeah, they’re that tiny. Both units have a suggested retail of $49.95, but you can get them on sale at MiLiDirect.com currently for $39.70.

Check out the language from a support doc Apple just posted. “If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.” That’s right, if you need a new battery for that iPad, you’re getting an entire new unit.

The service will cost $99 with a $6.95 shipping charge. Unfortunately Apple won’t be reloading your data onto the new device. As the support document states, “Before you submit your iPad for service, it is important to sync your iPad with iTunes to back up your contacts, calendars, email account settings, bookmarks, apps, etc. Apple is not responsible for the loss of information when servicing your iPad.”

You might also notice that you aren’t eligible for a replacement if your iPad has been damaged in any way. It’s probably safe to assume that the tablet you’re getting back is a refurb. For a hundred bucks, though, it’s kinda hard to complain.

Source: AppleInsider

I’ve spent some time over the last month playing with my new favorite iPhone accessory, the Mophie Juice Pack Air, which Mophie was kind enough to provide for this review. The concept is simple – provide extra power for your iPhone in as small a form factor as possible – and Mophie’s nailed it. The Juice Pack Air is the perfect case if you need your phone but won’t be able to charge it for some time.

The Juice Pack Air is basically a backpack for your iPhone. The plastic shell is a size increase for every dimension of the phone, as you might expect from an external battery, though the largest increase is just over a quarter-inch on the bottom of the phone. It’s a fully enclosed case with a removable top, a feature that comes in handy if you’ve got an oversized headphone connector. The remaining charge is indicated by four blue LEDs along the lower back of the case, which are activated with a push button. There’s also a power switch on the bottom to toggle between your phone’s battery and that of the case.

As for battery life, which is the big deal for this type of case, the 3GS will get nearly double life out of a single charge. Under heavy use I was getting a 65-70% extended life from the Juice Pack Air, but in most cases it was at or above 80%. The case’s battery has a 1200mAh capacity, which is among the lowest for this style case. As I mentioned, the capacity is a tradeoff for size, which is something I like about the Mophie. If you need something that gets you through two full charges or more, you should definitely look elsewhere.

Though I think Mophie hit the mark on a small, protective battery case, there are a couple things I would change. First, the connection is micro USB, which means carrying an uncommon cable type for charging. That can be frustrating on the road, where I like to pack as light as possible. I also don’t like that the case sits flush with the face of the phone. Just a little lip would mean you could set the iPhone face down without worrying about scratches. If you like to use a screen protector even that will be sitting higher than the edge of the case and without a lip may get peeled back when stuffed repeatedly into a pocket.

On the whole, though, I really like the Juice Pack Air. It’s small enough to still fit into a pocket with enough battery power to get you through most any day. You can get Mophie’s Juice Pack Air from the company website for $79.95.

The iPhone has yet again proven that people will put up with some of the worst wireless service in the world just to have a phone they can love. The iPhone won the 2009 JD Power awards for customer satisfaction in both the consumer and business categories.

If you take a look at the breakdown, no other phone came close. Sure, battery life was the iPhone’s weak point, but for all the other criteria, users scored the phone as high as possible. That’s quite a testament to the fanatical love people show for a phone that struggles most with actually making and holding calls, thanks to AT&T’s network.

In other, much less interesting news, LG was the winner for feature phones. Anyone surprised?

What more proof do you need than the iPhone’s sales figures that at the end of the day, it’s customer satisfaction that really matters. Sure your phone might be able to multi-task, it might have a unique, web-based operating system. It might even have the physical keyboard its competitor lacks. But if the whole world likes that other phone better, those features don’t mean a thing.

Everyone loves battery technology improvements. They mean more juice, less heat, smaller batteries, and hopefully fewer fires in our pants. A new battery technology could bring all of those things by drawing power from the air around us.

STAIR (St. Andrews Air) batteries charge just like your normal battery, holding energy between a pair of Lithium/Carbon electrodes. As the battery discharges, though, it takes in oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere to react with the internal carbon, creating more energy. Essentially the battery recharges itself even as it discharges. Since the battery can take oxygen from the air, there’s no need to strap an oxygen tank to your bank to provide the necessary reagent.

Source: Telegraph