The Juice Jack is a rather versatile charger for cell phones, PDAs, etc. that is great to have around the home, with you on vacation, in a bar or pub or at the place of work because it is:
Rather universal in that it has jacks for the most popular make of phones, PDAs, MP3s & satellite navigation systems such as TomTom PLUS standard USB & mini USB jacks
It can charge up to three devices at once, so you need fewer plug sockets
It is portable as it has a built in Lithium power source, which means that you can unplug it, take it with you and charge devices anywhere
It is low cost and there are no hidden extras to the price because it comes with 9 jacks including open standard USB
In addition to that it is freestyle which means that you can make it look how you want by print, sticker or insert.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATION
Juice
Output
5.0Vdc-5.8Vdc 1000mA max
Performance
via mains power (adapter supplied): permanent; or
via internal Lithium battery: up to 2 hours charge time
Jacks
Nokia (both standard & mini pin); Apple;
Sony Ericsson; LG; Samsung; plus
Standard, Micro & Mini USB for general compatability
including Blackberry, Palm, Motorola & TomTom
Media Space
Print / Sticker: 88mm diameter disc;
Insert: business card
<><><>
How it all started
Nigel's phone was always running out of juice – usually when he was out and about in the city. Can happen to anybody at any time, I know. I have been there and done it though I was unable to get the T-shirt.
One lunchtime, sat in a pub, it struck him that it would be nice if he could charge his phone whilst he was having a drink. After all, he was recharging his own batteries, so why couldn't he recharge his phone's as well. And so, over that quiet pint, he invented the Juice Jack.
He then got help: Rod, Julie and Gary with design, Chris with branding, James with words, Simon with numbers, Andrew with photos, Malcolm with advice, Tony with technical stuff, Bob with funding, George with production, Jay and Simon with logistics, (another) Gary with sales, and Fiona with everything.
And so the Juice Jack business was born.
Review
This little (well not that little but then it ain't big either) gadget work rather well once you know how to turn it on (see note below) and charging phones is then as simple as plugging it into the proper jack.
The Juice Jack will not, when on internal battery operation, charge phones that have still more than 25% or so of battery power left. So all you get then is the message on your phone that stat “Not Charging”. That does not mean that there is anything wrong with the juice jack or the phone. Being a lithium battery inside the unit means that is cannot “push” power into a phone that still has a high charge and therefore it will not charge it. This is, however, a “problem” only, so I am assured, with cell phones of the “Nokia” range and not with any others, and the Juice Jack will charge Blackberry, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony, etc. with no problem, whether or not the battery still has considerable charge in it.
Once your phone really needs juice the unit works well and this is one of the best things as regards to phone charging, aside from the solar powered charger for travel that work also on the principle of an internal battery that is charged and that then charges your cell phone when you need to, that I have seen and I can, from what I have seen so far, highly recommend the Juice Jack to anyone.
A Little Note: should you, for any reason, end up receiving, like I did on the show, the Juice Jack without user instructions, remember the yellow button on the side of the unit must be turned on by use of the tip of a ballpoint pen (or a pin) prior to charging it. Without it is will not work, as I found out. In fact it will charge your phones but only when the unit is connected to the mains not from its internal battery. It has to have a blue light showing once removed from the mains. If not then the unit has not been turned on.
Review © Michael Smith (Veshengro), April 2008
Juice Jack – Product Review
Seed Newsvine