Today we’re going to take a look at two handy Micro USB gadgets.
The first is the JouleCell, the world’s first AAA battery that you recharge using… Micro USB. The design is pretty clever actually, with a Micro USB slot cut at an angle into the battery to allow for (relatively) easy connections. You get two AAA batteries and a useful double-ended Micro USB cable, capable of charging both batteries from a single USB port or AC adapter.
Everything works as you’d expect — plug in the Micro USB cable to charge, remove it when the batteries are full (as indicated by a tiny LED), and put them into whatever gadget requires AAA batteries. I tried them in a noise-cancelling headset, and they worked just the same as normal batteries. JouleCell’s box says that they’re good for 500 recharges, a process that takes 5.5 hours (so probably overnight, then).
Next up is the AnyLink. This is a 2-in-1 charging and data cable, which acts like a regular Micro USB to USB cable most of the time, but can also transform into a Micro USB to Micro USB cable, allowing you to charge one phone from another. This also works with other Micro USB gadgets, like tablets, smartwatches and other accessories, so you can recharge anything you like. You can even add a Lightning adapter if you want to charge an iPhone from your Android tablet (for instance).
To effect the transformation, you pull out the smaller Micro USB plug from within the USB one, then press a little button to release it so that it can be pushed back in. This button keeps the Micro USB port securely locked in position, so there’s no worry about it falling out of your phone.
So there we have it – a pair of cool Micro USB gadgets, maybe coming soon to Mobile Fun. What do you think of them? Let us know in the comments below, or write to us on Twitter @mobilefun.