When I opened my iPhone 3GS, I was surprised to find that the power adapter was nothing but a little 2-prong AC plug (I live in the US) that allowed you to plug in the standard USB to 30-pin connector to charge the phone.

I wanted to get a spare; checking online told me that the Apple Store wanted US$29 for the little plug, which just seemed like too much for too little, so I went shopping.

On eBay I found a bunch of auctions based in Hong Kong selling what looked like the exact same thing for anywhere from under around $2-4, and they often included the USB cable to boot.

I ordered four from a vendor and after a few weeks received them. They looked perfect, right down to the little green dot -- but none of them worked. They might start charging, but after a few minutes the iPhone would beep a few times and I would be informed that "this accessory is not compatible." And so it went for all four pieces. After sending some pictures back and forth and reading a few emails containing a combination of surprise and amazement from the vendor, my money was refunded.

Undaunted, or maybe just dumb, I went back to eBay and found another vendor that claimed to be selling, "100% Brand New Original OEM Charger and Original OEM USB Cable for iPhone/iPod" for around US$4. I just checked eBay and found this same vendor raising the price to US$10 in one auction and lowering it to $US.01 in another.

Sometimes, when I see something new, I have to smack myself in the head and think: "Why didn't I think of that?" Remember the old V8 Juice commercials? I just heard about one of these and It's the X-Power1 USB Rechargeable Battery Backup Cable from Xmultiple.

It looks like a USB charging cable swallowed a AA battery. What's inside is a lithium-ion battery with more capacity than built into any current iPhone or iPod. Using this cable, sync or charge your device while the internal cable battery charges. It will take about 3 hours to fully charge. Then when your device runs out of juice, plug in the cable and get power while you charge your device's battery.

I spoke with Alan Pocrass, the CEO of Xmultiple, and found that the information now circulating around the Internet is wrong. If you've already read something about the product, that information was based on a production prototype that will not be be built. The publicity picture is also inaccurate. The cable will work with iPhones, iPod touches and USB-charging iPods only, so earlier iPod owners (those that charge via Firewire) are out of luck.

Keep reading for more specifications...

Living in a multiple iPhone and iPod household is both fun and annoying.

It's fun to talk about cool apps and play multi-user games, but it's annoying trying to find a place to plug in our iPhones and iPods. Right now we have two iPhone 3GS's, an original iPhone being used as a game device, and an iPod nano that all need charging.

Things have been a lot easier in our household since we got a Dexim Dual Dock Charger. This unit, available for $44.95 from RichardSolo.com or directly from Dexim, is an attractive and functional dock in which you can simultaneously charge two iPhones, two iPods, or any combination imaginable. Since the devices need to be held securely in the dock, Dexim includes a set of plastic insert cradles that fit the bottom of your particular device (no, I'm not using them in the photo above). There are cradles for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G, iPod touch, iPod Classic, iPod nano, and 5G/U2 iPod.

When a device is placed in the dock for charging, a cool blue LED light goes on. That could be irritating if you want to use the Dual Dock Charger in a bedroom, so a switch to turn off the light is thoughtfully provided. We placed ours on a small table located on the way to our garage, so we can just pick up our phones on the way out of the house.

The Dexim Dual Dock Charger allows us to keep our iPhones constantly charged up, and it looks great while doing its job. We've had three-plus months of charging bliss without having to search for our cables, AC adapters, or iPhones. The original Apple chargers and cables are now used for topping off the devices when we're away from home, or for syncing with our Macs (the Dual Dock doesn't provide syncing capability).

If you live in a multi-iPhone family, the Dexim Dual Dock Charger is a must-have gadget.

I have a MacBook Air. Although I can get about 5 hours of mobile use out of it by dimming the screen, turning off all wireless, and only running one app at a time, there are times I'd love to be able to stay unplugged for much longer. I could always get a solar charger, but that won't work well when it's dark out.

QuickerTek has announced the MacBook Air External Battery, a US$350 external box designed to let you run your MBA for up to 16 hours before plugging in. It's relatively small (7" x 3.5" x 1" -- 17.8 cm x 8.9 cm x 2.5 cm) and adds 1.2 pounds to the weight you'll have to lug around.

In order to connect the external battery to your MacBook Air, you'll either have to send your existing MagSafe cable in to be converted for use (US$25) or buy a modified cable from QuickerTek (US$100). The final bill for the MacBook Air External Battery and the cable is almost as pricey as that solar-powered charger, but it's going to give your MacBook Air much longer battery life. Now if QuickerTek could just come out with a battery to let me play Monopoly (click opens iTunes) on my iPhone for 10 hours straight...

If you were wandering the halls of Macworld Expo last week, you might have seen a familiar face -- no, not the everpresent TUAW video crews, but the gadget-loving visage of Richard Thalheimer, founder of The Sharper Image and current head honcho of RichardSolo. The RS booth was a brief walk away from The Sharper Image's floor presence, but I believe maturity prevailed and no miniature helicopters or USB missile launchers were seen to buzz the competition's displays.

The RichardSolo iPhone and iPod extended-life batteries were visible at the show on attendees' iPhones, and most people visiting the booth seemed to be satisfied customers or would-be customers (Steve reviewed the latest model in November). Buyers at the show were eligible for a $30 discount on the original and newer 1800 models, but if you missed that opportunity you can still save: through the end of January, use coupon code 'Macworld' at checkout and get $20 off either product (usually $50US for the lower-capacity model and $70US for the 1800 model).

There's a good list of still-running Macworld Expo discounts at dealmac, but if you know of any that aren't on the list, shout them out.

[via MacObserver]

If there's anything I've learned about the iPhone 3G since July 11th, it's that the battery life is horrible. If I'm just texting and making the occasional call, I can survive for a day, but if I try to play games or use 3G I know it's going to go to the dreaded red battery icon quickly.

That's why there are a growing number of manufacturers who have extended battery packs for the iPhone on the market. For example, I looked at the Kensington Mini Battery Pack and Charger (US$49.99), but the website doesn't show that it works with the iPhone 3G.

My next choice was the Richard | Solo Smart Backup Battery. This US$49.95 lithium-ion battery pack has saved me from running out of juice prematurely more than once!

Read on for more information about this must-have sidekick for the iPhone 3G.

The Solio is a solar-powered iPod charger that you can use to give your iPod (or phone, or PDA) some more juice when an outlet isn't available (we first took at look at the Solio in November of '04). With the iPod connected and the solar fans unfurled, the Solio will give your iPod one hour of life per hour of charge. Plus, if your iPod is completely flatlined, you can run it off of the Solio via a stored charge. It's now available in black for those of you concerned with matching your accessories. It costs $100US.

[Via iLounge]