Review: Griffin PowerBlock Dual Universal AC Charger

For the last few years, Griffin Technology’s car and home iPod chargers have been some of the most popular accessories on the market; thanks to more favorable pricing, its PowerBlock series of home chargers have sometimes surpassed even Apple’s own USB chargers in sales. This year, Griffin has overhauled its entire lineup of car and home chargers, including two-charger combination packs, resulting in an array of options that may be a little…

Review: Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone

I have a tendency to be a bit long-winded in my reviews, so I am rather excited to be reviewing the Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone, an accessory so simple, even I can’t go on too long (I think). The Juice Pack is essentially an extra battery pack for your iPhone which promises to drastically [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Review: Mophie Juice Pack for iPhone", url: "http://macenstein.com/default/archives/1314" });

Review: Griffin’s SmartTalk HeadPhone Adapter for iPhone

Replacing the headset on an iPhone is a little trickier than on an iPod. While an iPod will accept any headset you may be partial to, the iPhone’s recessed jack and microphone/remote limit replacement choices. While more and more companies are beginning to offer replacement iPhone headsets, in general these are high-quality (and high [...]

Review: Griffin Technology PowerJolt for iPhone (2008)

For the last few years, Griffin Technology’s car and home iPod chargers have been some of the most popular accessories on the market; thanks to more favorable pricing, its PowerBlock series of home chargers have sometimes surpassed even Apple’s own USB chargers in sales. This year, Griffin has overhauled its entire lineup of car and home chargers, including two-charger combination packs, resulting in an array of options that may be a little…

Review: Griffin PowerBlock for iPod and iPhone (2008)

For the last few years, Griffin Technology’s car and home iPod chargers have been some of the most popular accessories on the market; thanks to more favorable pricing, its PowerBlock series of home chargers have sometimes surpassed even Apple’s own USB chargers in sales. This year, Griffin has overhauled its entire lineup of car and home chargers, including two-charger combination packs, resulting in an array of options that may be a little…

Battery calibration recommended by Apple, why no utility?

Like virtually all mobile computer manufacturers, Apple recommends that users calibrate their laptop batteries every few months, as Scott pointed out a couple of years ago. Unlike many manufacturers, however, Apple does not include a utility to automatically perform a calibration. Given Apple's uncanny ability to make things user-friendly, this seems like a bit of a glaring oversight. What are the benefits of calibration? Primarily the goal is to ensure that the microprocessor in your battery provides an accurate estimate of how much time you have left on the battery. Over time it can lose track of just how much juice your battery has in it, and calibration gives it a very accurate reading on the battery's health. Older battery technologies also benefited from a process called conditioning, which was typically performed the same way as a current battery's calibration process. In a nutshell, you fully charge the battery, fully discharge it, then fully charge it again. It's unclear whether modern lithium batteries gain anything in an actual capacity perspective from this process, or if it is simply a calibration of the microprocessor for the purpose of providing accurate time estimates.Continue reading Battery calibration recommended by Apple, why no utility?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments