Apple patent suggests charger for multiple devices

A new patent application filed by Apple suggests the company is working on putting together a device that would charge multiple Apple products at the same time, including an iPhone or iPod and a MacBook at the same time. The patent is for a "multi-output power supply" that would hook up a charger plugged into one outlet into two separate voltage outputs, which means you could charge up whatever devices you have without taking more than one plug in a wall.

This technology isn't new -- the PlugBug has made quite a name for itself this year by doing exactly this, and that product is already out there and purchasable. But what's interesting here is that Apple is presumably working on one of these for itself (and given that the patent is actually dated last year, probably has been for a while). An official Apple charger for multiple devices would undoubtedly sell well.

And it represents an area Apple hasn't really dived into much in the past: Actual hardware that takes advantage of users who have more than one Apple device laying around. With things like AirPlay and iTunes Home Sharing, Apple has definitely supported multiple devices with software. But most Apple users these days definitely do have more than one device laying around, and I'm interested to see if Apple decides to tie those together any more (optionally, of course) in the future.

[via TMO]