Unless you are exceedingly lucky, each of your mobile devices will require its own recharging facilities in the form of a lead and a bulky power plug or plugs in the case of those whose travels take them to distant climes.  The clutter this causes increases as you add more devices to the collection that you can not live without.  Managing the logistics necessary to keep the appropriate power lead and plug with the correct device only adds to the problem.

If you knew that Duracell made rechargeable batteries then you probably shop in B&Q or Homebase who seem to be the main stockists of the batteries. They of course also make various rechargers for them some quite innovative. First the batteries that at first glance look quite similar to their non rechargeable cousins however look more closely and you will see a green area that the more famous (advertised) batteries do not have.

There are two styles a solid mat and a collapsible one that folds into three for ease of movement (a zip up case is supplied) either way the mat when open is 30x9x1cm. The names given to them by Powermat are Home & Office Mat or Portable Mat. To give an idea of what can be charged by category you can charge Bluetooth Headsets/Headphones, Mobile Phones, Digital Cameras, Digital Readers, Handheld Game Systems, MP3 Players and even some portable GPS units.

Until very recently of your gadgets will have required their own personal charger, complete with proprietary connector. Travelling with your mobile phone, camera and MP3 player could easily mean three separate mains chargers eating up your luggage space. USB (Universal Serial Bus) was developed as an inexpensive common interconnect system for computers allowing devices as disparate as keyboards, DVD drives and GPS navigation systems to share an interface a connector.

It meets the need of the traveller who wants freedom from hassle and the ability to charge one’s notebook, cellphones, PDAs, and iPods etc. while carrying the minimum number of chargers and mains adapters. This device, from Swiss Travel Products and sold in the UK by PowerTraveller, a specialist in essential travel accessories, consists of a roughly cylindrical base unit into which all the mains connect pins retract when not needed.

A favourite ploy used by script writers to create a situation ripe for all eventualities (horror, comedy, drama, romcom etc) is a dead battery for a mobile device.  I’m sure you can remember at least one story, whether portrayed on film or television, that has made use of this particular gambit.

As our personal complement of mobile devices continue to grow at a pace, the problem can arise as to which leads we take with us in order to recharge the various pieces of kit when on our travels.  The problem can be further exacerbated when these travels take in other countries.

Reviewing kit, of whatever type (software, hardware, toys, kitchen equipment, etc.), can sometimes involve the need for additional resources.  For example to test a printer you will need plenty of paper; a flight simulator product cries out for a joystick as the preferred method of control; while electronic toys often arriving bearing the “Batteries not included” warning.  Generally supplying these resources is well within the scope of this reviewer.

This is a unit from Cenomax. Mine was cream in colour with a reflective surround to the viewable area. It is 9.5x7.5x1.3cm. The actual screen is 7x5.4cm giving the notional 3.5inch diagonal measurement. It has a rechargeable battery but even though the charge method is USB no PC is required as the lead goes to a special 13amp plug so all that is required to recharge it is a mains socket.

MoGo Laptop Compact Bluetooth USB Adapter I would certainly not advise sneezing near this tiny device or it could easily get lost. My electronic kitchen scales failed to register when I put it on them and they happily weigh as little as a single gram. It is 2cm long but only 1cm of this will protrude once inserted into a USB port. It is a maximum of 1.5cm wide and slightly concave so you can grip it should you ever want to remove it.

Uniross are now a very well known brand both for NiMh batteries and for the chargers you need to keep them operating. The range of chargers available from Uniross itself can be fairly bewildering. In this review I'm looking at their latest fast charger. The charger is packaged with 4x2700mAh AA size batteries - the highest capacity we've seen available.