Kensignton powers up iPods

Kensington on Monday unveiled a Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod, along with a Mini version. The portable battery packs plug into the Apple devices' dock connectors and power and recharge them, and are themselves rechargeable. The lithium-ion polymer battery packs feature a USB connector that allows them to be charged via either the AC adapter or a PC, whether or not they are also plugged into an Apple device, charging it as well.

Kensington claims the full-size pack extends music playing time by 100 hours, adds 21 hours to video playback on current iPods and iPod Nanos and six hours of talk on the iPhone. The mini pack is rated to extend the iPhone's talk time by three hours, or a 3rd-generation iPod Nano's video playback by six hours and music by 30. A series of LED lights act as a battery meter to display remaining power level.

The batteries are available for pre-order now on Kensington's web store as well as on Amazon.com, and will reach retailers by month's end. The Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod retails for $70 while the Mini is $50.

by MacNN Staff