Something to get all charged up about - The Chargepod

It's back to school time and there are a number of pieces of technology the current college student shouldn't be traveling back to school without. One ideal piece of technology now addresses the notorious lack of outlets in the dorm.

The Chargepod from Callpod to the rescue

Ok, who hasn’t envied the octopus, with all those extra arms? Why settle for two when you can have multiples. That’s the same thought process that must have been at work when they designed the Chargepod. Why settle for charging two devices per duplex outlet when you could charge 12?

The Chargepod is simply a disk about three inches in diameter with seven jacks, evenly spaced around the outside edge. Less than a half inch thick, it easily slips in a backpack or suitcase. It weighs only one ounce.

One of the jacks is the connection to the 110 or 12v outlet that powers the unit. In the other six jacks, you are free to put in any of dozens of charging device adapters. Whatever your device, chances are they have an adapter for it. They already claim to have 3,000 devices covered.

In my first test, I equipped the unit with:

• a USB micro adapter for a Mophie Juice Air pack for my iPhone
• a USB mini adapter for my Jabra Bluetooth device
• an Apple adapter for an iPod
• an Apple adapter for an iPhone
• a universal USB adapter for a rechargeable backup hard drive

That enabled all five devices to charge simultaneously from one half a standard duplex outlet and I still have one more port I can add another adapter to in the future.

According to the manufacturer, “Charging up to six devices with interchangeable adaptors, each power hub on the Chargepod automatically adjusts to the specific device to supply the correct amount of power needed - and more rapidly. It has the power to charge from 110-240 volts, and will charge your device twice as fast as the charger that came with the device due to its powerful lithium-ion battery.

With the car adaptor, travel pouch and international adaptors you are able to use the Chargepod anywhere - even while studying abroad!” You can view a video demo of the Chargepod here: http://callpod.com/products/chargepod?tab=demo.

If you’ve got a lot of USB rechargeable devices, the Chargepod will do wonders for simplifying your life and your wire management.

Doug Bardwell, based in Cleveland, OH, writes about interesting new travel technology topics, across the country and around the world. Feel free to drop him a line at travel.dougbardwell@gmail.com with suggestions for future products to be reviewed. If you've ever used one of the products he's reviewed, please leave your thoughts in the comment box below. To get his stories delivered to your inbox, click the RSS feed or the "Subscribe" button above.