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Charge it up: Power Tower, McDonald’s team up in NYC 0

Those living the mobile life at the Super Bowl, you’re in luck.

Chicago-based tech company Power Tower is partnering with McDonald’s to provide free mobile device charging stations at five Manhattan locations in the days leading up to the big game. The Super Bowl is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., this year, and the New York metropolitan area is awash in football festivities.

The charging locations will be only blocks away from the NFL-sponsored Super Bowl Boulevard Engineered by GMC. Ten blocks of Times Square and parts of Broadway will be closed off to offer fans the ultimate football experience.

Now, you’ll have the means to power up the smartphone to document all the fun.

Power Tower markets and manufactures state of the art power charging stations and kiosks compatible with nearly all mobile devices, including iPhones and Blackberry and Android devices. Each station has the ability to charge up to 18 devices at once.

Here’s the company talking about it.

The charging stations will be at the following McDonald’s restaurants from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1:

  • 341 5th Ave.
  • 490 8th Ave.
  • 556 7th Ave.
  • 220 West 42nd St.
  • 1560 Broadway

The Mighty Purse: One chic phone charger 0

So, ladies, what’s in your purse?

Makeup? Check. Sunglasses? Ditto. Smartphone?  Gotta have it.

How about a smartphone charger?

Definitely, if you have a Mighty Purse.

The Mighty Purse is made of quality leather, comes in a number of colors and — this the functional, mobile-tech part — has a hidden self-contained battery source attached to a USB cable. The rechargeable high-capacity battery can charge your smartphone up to two times. mightypurse_art

It is compatible with all smartphones with a micro-USB port. It is also compatible with the iPhone, though adapters must be purchased separately.

The Mighty Purse is a product of Handbag Butler, an Australian company founded in 2008 by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Ana Slavka and Stephan Kljajic. Since launching in June 2013, the Mighty Purse is selling in more than 1,000 stores worldwide.

 

 

 

 

Crowdfunding powers the ARK launch 0

Los Angeles-based startup Bezalel is turning to the crowd for help in its launch of a portable, compact cordless charging device.

The ARK is poised to enter the growing market of consumers tired of having to find a place to plug in their smartphone, iPad or tablet when it runs out of juice. Bezalel’s charging device is compatible with Qi-certified devices, including the iPhone 4 and later, the Nokia Lumia series, and Samsung Galaxy S3/S4, and Nexus 4.

The company is raising money through Kickstarter, Techcrunch reports, and with 39 days to go its goal of $35,000 is in sight.

What Extent Will You Go To Charge Your Device? 0

If you’re a regular mobile device user then you’re familiar with that sinking feeling when you look down at your phone and see it’s at 20 percent and dwindling. As our use of mobile devices continues to rise, this problem will only get worse.

So, here are some tips to stay charged and connected:

1. Buy an extended battery case.

The Mophie Pack is a great case for the iPhone. It’s a little heavy, but it’ll get you through a full day of using your phone.

2. Find a charging station.

There are a lot of charging stations in public places, like Bright Box and the Charge All universal mobile phone charging stations. These options, when available, can be a great way for panicky smartphone users to top off their battery while having a coffee or a drink at the same time.

3. Use the USB connectivity in your car.

Many new cars have this built right into the dashboard, and you can usually play your music through the car too. Just remember to plug your phone in when you go for a drive to avoid getting to your location with a drained battery.

 

4. Buy a complete mobile battery charging station.

One product we like for the mobile user who needs a lot of power while on the go is the Power Bag. This is a charging station in a backpack that can charge multiple devices at once through the use of an onboard battery. You can even charge different device brands, such as an Android phone, your iPad and your iPhone all at once. Just make sure the backpack battery is charged!

 

5. Go green.

There are a number of solar powered charging gadgets for mobile phones like the EnerPlex from Ascent Solar Technologies. The EnerPlex has a solar panel built into a protective case for the phone which, according to the company’s claims, will greatly increase the phone’s battery life.

Charging Stations: A Massive Data Threat? 0

blurred charging stationCharging stations are popping up all over the place, and there’s no doubt that they’re convenient. But are they safe?

We’re all connected to our phones and use them as an integral part of our everyday lives. But have we been so eager to keep our devices charged that we overlooked some basic safety concerns?

Every time we plug our phone into a USB at a charging station, we may be exposing our data to being stolen and downloaded. Think about all the important, sensitive data stored in your phone.

If we weren’t so hungry for a quick charge, and blinded by the fear of our devices dying, would this have raised red flags to us?

This article raises some really great points about potential security threats we may be exposing ourselves to by plugging our phones into these charging stations.