July 29 - 10:40pm EDT   China-based OEM manufacturer Better-Power Electric has developed a unique combination speaker and charger for the iPod and iPhone using a 4800mA, 3.7V Lithium-Ion Battery. The company says the device can charge an iPhone in 50-80 minutes and also works with various iPods and other mobile devices via USB. The speaker can play music for more than 12 hours, and iPhone owners can reportedly use it as a speakerphone. [full story]

March 27 - 2:15pm EDT   More than 300 iPhones were stolen from an Apple store in the Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hamshire. The culprits? Two employees: Joshua Garrand, 28, of Methuen, Mass., and Christopher Nashed, 22, of Sandown who have now been brought before the court on felony theft charges of stealing $132,468 worth of iPhones and selling them on the black market. The Eagle-Tribune reports that police wouldn't say whether the men were selling the phones online or how sophisticated their operation wasm but would say that investigators were first contacted by the store in early January. One Salem police sergeant spent three months on the case. One of the suspects, Nashed, is ... [full story]

January 8 - 5:45pm EST   Griffin yesterday unveiled several new products at CES, with the releases centered on home, personal, and automotive audio products, with a few power-related items as well. Griffin’s popular iTrip saw another revision, dubbed the iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan. The updated iTrip FM transceiver displays RDS information on any capable car stereo, while the new SmartScan technology automatically seeks out the three best FM frequencies to broadcast over. The new AutoPilot charger puts music controls within easy reach of the driver; the controls sit on the back of the charging unit. iTrip AutoPilot with SmartScan will ship during the second quarter for $100. [full story]