There is definitely an Altoids DIY underground. I bumped into an article on how to make an iPod charger from an Altoids Tin yesterday at Chris DiClerico’s website. After doing a little research I see there is a big following for Altoids Tin do-it-yourself projects. So, to service my reader group, herezzz the how to:

It’s a very easy project and a great one for beginners looking to tweak something. The goal is to make a charger from two 9V batteries and two AA batteries which should juice your iPod for another 10 hours. Then house that charger in a clean looking Altoids Tin. Couple things you’ll need: (more…)

China might be setting the standard for cell phone charger connections to become USB. The Chinese government will impliment a single national standard on mobile phone chargers sold in the country to avoid waste and to lower manufacturing costs. Under the new standard, all mobile phones, regardless of the brand, will be able to share one charger via USB access, allowing users to charge handsets through any USB port.The unified standard will cut the cost of a new handset and reduce electronic waste and consumption of resources, a Ministry of Information Industry (MII)official said. China has almost 450 million cell phone subscribers, with up to 100 million replacing their phones (more…)

Powerstick from Ecosol just received a “best of” award from CES. It’s a USB shaped power adaptor with a fuel gauge. Although the Powerstick website only has a photoshop version pic the concept is great. Plug in the Powerstick and juice up via any computer. Tote it around for a while. When needed, plug in the Powerstick - juice up that USB powered gadget. (more…)

A USB Mobile Device Charger is always a nice resource for the gadget endowed. Proporta introduces an impressive 3400mAH mobile charger to juice up even the most power-hungry portable devices. With 5v, 700mA output it’s one of the best charges GetUSB.info has seen. Standard USB input and USB output and comes with a retractable cable and inter-changeable connector heads for (more…)

Camping out with your laptop always improves the experience, after all watching The Ring while hearing the howl of coyotes is just too good. Well if things get too scary, flip on this USB powered camping lamp. Sporting a flashlight beam, lantern glow, FM radio with antenna, and headphone jacks, this multi-function device can be powered from any open USB port — if your laptop is running out of juice, (more…)

No matter which direction you are heading the iPod USB Car Charger from Sonnet has got your juice. The sleek looking charger works with any 12Volt or 24Volt accessory jack from cars, trucks, vans or boats. Couple of points worth mentioning: (more…)

For international travel the #1 item on most people’s list would be their iPod. Afterall spending 15 hours on a flight to Japan is an absolute drag without some tunes. Well, to insure there’s juice for the trip home Griffin introduces their PowerBlock Travel charger pack. The PowerBlock Travel is an international power pack which covers every location you could possibly visit. (more…)