Charge A MacBook and iPad With TwelveSouth's PlugBug

[garylapointe]

Originally Posted by mrsir2009

Good idea, however the plugs seem a little close... How about this? (excuse my terrible cutting & pasting)

If you search eBay they have some for 240 outlets but I didn't see any 120 ones. Odd...

Gary

[SvP]

Buttplug?

[Mike Oxard]

It would be great if the PlugBug fitted onto Apple's AirPort Expresses. It could be used to power USB powered speakers for AirPlay. The USB on the AE isn't enough to run even low power speakers unfotunately.

[devinci99]

OMG, I just came back from a vacation to Cancun, and while I was carrying charger for my laptop, ipod, and ipad, I was thinking of this idea!

I wish there was TWO usb charging ports instead of 1, so I can charge both my ipad and ipod/iphone at the same time. THREE if they can fit it in.

Originally Posted by Ricky Smith

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've got a solution that saves you $35 plug the iPad into the USB port on the laptop you're charging.

Last I check (I have a 2009 Mac Pro & 2007 Macbook), the USB port on the PC/Mac doesn't provide enough power to charge an iPad. I plugged my ipad2 the other day, and it doesn't even charge. -- I'll try a direct connect again (was using a powered usb HUB recently -- so don't remember the result of direct plugin).

[RMo]

Originally Posted by guzhogi

Don't the wall outlets provide more power than the regular USB ports on laptops? Not sure if that's true. If it is, your iDevice would charge faster on the wall outlet than the port in your laptop.

Regular USB ports, yes. Recent Apple USB ports, only sort of.

Apple has slightly altered their implementation to allow devices to request a "high-power" mode, which I assume was intended so you can both use and charge an iPad at the same time when it's connected to a Mac. (Try it on almost any PC, and you can only do one or the other at a given time.)

Apple's high-power USB ports still won't be able to provide the 10 W that the iPad wall charger (or the PlugBug) will, but should max out around 5.5 (their spec says 1100 mA at 5 V). For comparison, an ordinary powered USB port will do about 2.5 W (500 mA at 5 V). Ones farther from the host may do worse (e.g., an Apple wired keyboard port might do 0.5 W).

Really, either of the top two are fast enough for me--and the lowest directly-connected option still isn't bad unless I want to use the iPad at the same time as it's charging.

This product seems a little expensive (and does the iPad charger consume extra power compared to just the Magsafe adapter when it's not in use? someone with a Kill-A-Watt should check) and inconvenient if you keep your charger in a hard-to-reach place, but I suppose there might be market for it.

Me, I'm fine with the USB ports on my Mac. I've never even used the external charger. I wouldn't be surprised if slower charging is actually better for the battery, to boot (less heat?).

[danahn17]

Man... I wish I thought of this. Such a simple solution!

As for plugging it into a computer, if I plug in my iPad to my MBP, it will charge... but reaaaaalllllyyyyy slowly (at least compared to using the wall charger). I'll usually keep it charging overnight. If I'm using my Lenovo ThinkPad (need it for work), the iPad won't even charge via USB.

It's a nice, elegant solution but like what others posted, there are other items that would essentially accomplish the same thing for cheaper... it just won't be as "tidy" as it won't attach to Apple's power supply.

[SuperSnake2012]

Originally Posted by Consultant

Nope. Unless you got an iPad and an old mac, but new Mac charges iPad at wall charger speed.
iPhone + iPod touch charges fine on most computers.

When did Apple start making computers that do this? I have a late 2008 Macbook and it might only charge my iPad 10% in an hour.

[Lukeyy19]

deleted

[RMo]

Originally Posted by SuperSnake2012

When did Apple start making computers that do this? I have a late 2008 Macbook and it might only charge my iPad 10% in an hour.

See my post above. The OP isn't entirely correct, but it's faster than an ordinary USB port.

[Berk Thomas]

Originally Posted by jowie

Nice design but I think they missed a trick here (being from the UK)... Why didn't they have the same interchangeable connector on the end of the PlugBug, so it worked fully internationally? Pull the UK plug off the end, attach the PlugBug and then attach the UK plug from the Apple charger onto the PlugBug... That would've been awesome.

As it is, I can only use the PlugBug if I'm travelling in the US... I love how they make this a 'feature'...

I bought the $39 Apple World Travel Kit. For $4 more, I get a USB wall socket charger, and extra 32 pin/USB cable and about 6 interchangeable plugs that can be used along with the mag-safe charger in pretty much any country of the world. That includes an extra US plug so I can keep a spare in my other bag.

This was golden when I went to South America earlier in the year.

[Berk Thomas]

Originally Posted by garylapointe

Just for the record, this is HUGE since it's a surge suppressor too. But I love mine. I take it on trips (lots of brownouts in Costa Rica), but I don't keep it in my normal laptop bag.

And it's only $11.60 and qualifies for free super saver shipping. Get 3 for $34.80

And it gives me 2 additional outlets (the MacBook would take one) plus $25,000 of insurance on your products too. And the outlet swivels 360-ish degrees (270?).

But I just went to find mine (to give you the output amperage) and can't find it, so it's clearly not that huge. Someone's on-line review says "5V / 500mA at each port"...

Gary

I've often wondered why people pay extra for travel surge suppressors. The extra outlets are great, but the surge suppression is an unnecessary expense. The transformer in the cord does exactly what a surge suppressor would do so having another is excessive. The manufacturers seem to know this. If you compare the surge suppression in these things to others, you'll find that they are usually going with the least amount of components that would legally allow them to say that they have surge suppression.

Surge suppression was necessary for notebooks when you plugged the computer directly into the wall with no transformer in the middle (think Toshibas circa 1998) but not now when everything has a transformer in the middle. Oh, and try collecting on that $25K insurance policy (actually a connected-equipment warranty). There are lots of caveats in the fine print.

However, if it makes you feel better, by all means pay the extra $11.60. You do get 2 extra outlets and 2 USB charging ports, and that alone is certainly worth the money if you get stuck in airports regularly. ("Hey, mind if I plug this into that outlet you're using so we can share? Thanks!!")

[justperry]

Originally Posted by Berk Thomas

I've often wondered why people pay extra for travel surge suppressors. The extra outlets are great, but the surge suppression is an unnecessary expense. The transformer in the cord does exactly what a surge suppressor would do so having another is excessive. The manufacturers seem to know this. If you compare the surge suppression in these things to others, you'll find that they are usually going with the least amount of components that would legally allow them to say that they have surge suppression.

Surge suppression was necessary for notebooks when you plugged the computer directly into the wall with no transformer in the middle (think Toshibas circa 1998) but not now when everything has a transformer in the middle. Oh, and try collecting on that $25K insurance policy (actually a connected-equipment warranty). There are lots of caveats in the fine print.

However, if it makes you feel better, by all means pay the extra $11.60. You do get 2 extra outlets and 2 USB charging ports, and that alone is certainly worth the money if you get stuck in airports regularly. ("Hey, mind if I plug this into that outlet you're using so we can share? Thanks!!")

Exactly.
But these are not transformers as you say they are, they are switched power supplies and work differently than a plain transformer.
Most of them can go from a very low voltage smaller than 100 Volts up to 240 Volts and the output remains more or less the same.
They are switched regulated and the output will be very constant, mostly less then a few Percent higher or lower than it should be.

When there is a real surge in the output level of the mains as happens when there is a very high Voltage on the mains due to a thunder storm it won't help at all and will still damage your gear.

Plugbug, nice try but there are cheaper ones and I just use My laptop USB, saves Me money.

[RedReplicant]

This is a ****ing genius idea.

[fo0bar]

Originally Posted by BrentD

Or...you can still be portable and 1/3 the price of this "BugPlug" with one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Mini-Su...0172209&sr=8-2

Image

IIRC, when you try to plug into an iPad into the USB ports on that, it refuses to charge due to the iPad amperage draw well beyond USB specs. iPhones will work though.

Otherwise, I love that device. I got it from, I believe, Woot for $10 earlier this year, and have had about 10 business trips with it being a lifesaver. Many hotels tend to have very few (if any) open outlets, so it's useful to attach between the outlet and a lamp, while providing for 2 more outlets. The plug swivels and locks into place in 4 directions, and includes a cover that turns into a wall standoff so weight from the cords doesn't dislodge it. I still have to carry my iPad charger, but it's still an awesome device.

[ajns23]

anyone got an idea were i could get one of those ipad stands from?

Thanks.

[sclawis300]

Originally Posted by Berk Thomas

However, if it makes you feel better, by all means pay the extra $11.60. You do get 2 extra outlets and 2 USB charging ports, and that alone is certainly worth the money if you get stuck in airports regularly. ("Hey, mind if I plug this into that outlet you're using so we can share? Thanks!!")

It is not "extra" it is cheaper.

[Evangelion]

Originally Posted by Ricky Smith

Maybe I'm missing something, but I've got a solution that saves you $35 plug the iPad into the USB port on the laptop you're charging.

And what if the laptop is not there? This thing can charge the laptop and the iPad, together or separately. Your solution only works if the laptop is there.

[ftaok]

This is a nice solution to reducing clutter in my travel bag. However, it would be solved much more cleanly if Apple were to put the USB plug right onto the power pack itself. Or, they could license out the mag-safe plug and let 3rd party manufacturers make power adapters for Macbooks.

[floatingspirit]

Originally Posted by ArtOfWarfare

Am I the only one who thinks $35 is a kind of high price for such a product? Wouldn't $20 be more reasonable?

I agree.

[daxomni]

Originally Posted by Menopause

What you're missing are: (1) you lose one USB port, (2) charging your iPad via your notebook's USB is *dead* slow, and (3) this device works as a standalone charger as well, so your $35 is worth it.

This funky $35 USB charger would only be worth the $30 premium over Monoprice USB chargers it if was made in the US and putting my fellow Americans to work. Maybe I'm blind but I couldn't find a listing for the country of origin, which is something I'd like to see MacRumors pay more attention to in the future.

[shaown]

Originally Posted by heffeque

Your MacBook Air provides 1.1 Amps at the most, not 2.1 Amps.

My 2011 MBA provides 2.1 Amps - 500 MA + 1600MA over

I still bought a plug bug though - I am not always willing to power up/pull out my mac in hotel rooms, etc so this lets me drop on charge from my bag.

(The 2010s didn't - I think they did iike up to 1.1? amps? I had screenshots - u can see the info in the sys info when charging)

-Shaown

[Mactastic21]

Originally Posted by Fazzy

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-gb) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Would they make a uk plug version?

They just did. Twelve South just announced their PlugBug World edition....quite a wait, wasn't it? Looks good though

[AstroKeith]

For those of us who do not live in the US, no problem!
It comes with a whole suite of international adapters -

http://www.twelvesouth.com/

That said, I hate the colour, but still want one!

[Squilly]

It's just the same thing as a ZaggSparq...

[Payroll]

anyone get this and tried it out ....what ur reviews?