Charge Anything, Anywhere With the Omni Off-Grid

A new product on Indiegogo I was recently made aware of is the Omni Off Grid charger. It’s a portable power station great for camping and emergency situations. It features an LED display, four USB-C ports, 12V/12A cart port, dimmable light with an SOS alert, four USB-A ports, XT60 and Anderson 400W int put port, Aviation 300W input/output port, and four AC outlets at 1500W output with 3000W surge. You can power it with an optional solar panel (US$299). The Off Grid charger starts at US$1,649 and the team has already surpassed their financial goal.

How Worried Should You Be About Public USB Charging Stations?

Today DuckDuckGo published a post about the risks of using public charging stations. Technology exists that lets hackers install malware via these chargers. While I personally think the risk is a bit overblown, this is an argument I think can be added in favor of a portless iPhone.

Although it has become synonymous with charging, USB technology was initially developed with the aim of transmitting data. Thus, hackers can use these public charging stations to install malware on your smartphone or tablet through a compromised USB cable. This process, called “juice jacking”, allows hackers to read and export your data, including your passwords. They can even lock your device this way, rendering it unusable.

PlugBug Duo Adds 2 USB Power Ports to Your MacBook Charger

Twelve South just expanded its PlugBug lineup with the new PlugBug Duo. It’s a replacement for the outlet plug on your MacBook and MacBook Pro MagSafe or USB C charger that includes two USB-A ports for powering up other devices like your iPhone and iPad. The USB ports offer 12 W for charging, and the PlugBug includes five adapters so you can use it in more than 150 countries. The PlugBug Duo is available on the Twelve South website for US$49.99.

iPhone USB-C Charger Photos Leaked

There’s a good chance Apple will include an 18 W USB-C charger with the next generation iPhone, and now photos showing up online seem to back that up. The photos popped up on Chongdiantou  and show what appear to be an Apple charger that could work with both iPhones and iPads. If so, it’s likely a prototype. If not, it’s a clever attempt to trick people into thinking this is an Apple charger. Considering Apple is moving Macs to USB-C from USB A, it’s likely that change is coming to iPhone and iPad chargers, too, and could come as soon as this fall.