Gadgets: 'Drop-and-go' Duracell pad makes charging some gadgets easier

People who regularly visit my house often want to see what's the latest and greatest new cool electronic item on the market today.

While the term latest and greatest generally lasts only a day or two, the Duracell myGrid charging pad is something that will be in the "cool" category for a while.

The desktop charger is part of the Smart Power initiative designed for today's portable electronic gadget user. This includes most everyone who has a cell phone, iPod or anything else which needs a daily charge.

To use the charger simply follow Duracell's advice of drop-and-go. Once your device is enclosed in one of the company's Power Sleeves or Power Clip, you simply place it on the charging mat -- no need to directly connect any plug or port.

In addition to it charging with ease, myGrid eliminates the never-ending mess of multiple charges and messy cords.

The myGrid system includes the charging pad, Power Clip adapter, Power Clip tips for BlackBerry, Motorola and Nokia phones. Adapters or sleeves are sold separately for other selected BlackBerry models.

Before ordering, please check Duracell's Web site to make sure the charger is compatible with your device.

Details: Duracell.com
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SanDisk Corp. has launched yet another line of high performance CompactFlash memory cards.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash memory cards are designed with several things in mind; high-performance, reliability and a simplified designed.

This enables both amateur and professional photographers to capture enormous volumes of JPG and Raw images or high-definition video without worrying about running out of card space.

The card performed well with the first use. While using a Canon 1D Mark III, the card kept up with me on every burst of photos.

For downloading, SanDisk rates the new memory at read and write speeds up to 90MB per second. I used a Firewire 800 reader that showed me those speeds, which are rated at double the previous cards from the company.

Users can get the new memory in sizes ranging from 16 up to 64GB. SanDisk cards are known for durability and the new ones carry on the tradition of working in temperatures ranging from minus 13 F up to 185 F. They also have a lifetime limited warranty and can withstand accidental drops of up to nine feet.

Since the new cards have the faster download speeds, in order to achieve those speeds users much uses a reader, which supports UDMA Mode 6. This is the fastest available in the CompactFlash current specifications.

Included with the card is a coupon for a free download of SanDisk Extreme RescuePRO recovery software. This is a must have for anyone since it can recover images, video or just about any file on the card, which might have been deleted by accident.

Prices range from $300 to $800 for the cards, depending on the capacity.

Details: SanDisk.com
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Klipsch has updated is iGroove desktop speaker system with better sound and the ability to dock all new iPods and iPhones.

The improvements include WWi certification; bi-amplification and rapid 100mA recharge circuit, according to a recent press release. That doesn't mean much to the average user, but it translates into a great sounding unit for a very affordable price.

"The iGroove SXT has always been our smallest, most affordable dock speaker," said Don Inmon, Klipsch director of marketing and product development for personal audio in a recent e-mail. "And even with all its new updates, we're keeping the original system price of $149.99. I think consumers will be really pleased with the results."

The new amplification system has dual 2.5-inch woofers and dual }-inch horn loaded tweeters. This allows the sound to be pretty much distortion free; I didn't hear any.

While docked, the unit has a new 1000mA rapid charge circuit to help the portable players recharge quicker than in previous models. Klipsch claims this is the first iPod speaker system with this feature.

I used the system with my iPod classic, but it takes any with the standard Apple 30-pin connector. Other iPods, such as a shuffle, or any other brand can be connected with the rear auxiliary input. It's also equipped with an S-video output to help users view videos on a TV.

An IR remote is also included and works well to control most every feature including music or video choices, playlists and volume levels.

Details: Klipsch.com
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(c) 2009, Gregg Ellman.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.