<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11468" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ultracharger6-1000x10001.jpg" alt="UltraCharge Kit" width="600" height="354" />

Today we’re looking at 3 different accessories from PADACS, an Australian company that specialises in gear just for iPhone, iPod and iPad, including the UltraCharge, Screen Care Kit and AV Cable + USB.<!--more-->
<h1 style="text-align: center;">PADACS PD110 UltraCharge Portable Power Supply</h1>
First up is the UltraCharge Portable Power Supply. Apple have continually improved the battery life of the iPhone &amp; iPod over the years, and the iPad seems to last forever and a day, but there are always going to be times when you need a bit of extra juice and aren’t within reach of an outlet. The UltraCharge is for those times.

The UltraCharge is essentially a big battery, about the size of a Nintendo DS and weighing in at a smudge under 400g. On top is its only control, a button labelled “Switch”, the power button. When on, the Ultracharge will display the remaining charge but lighting up 4 LEDs from 25% to 100%.

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0092.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11450" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0092.jpg" alt="UltraCharge Size Comparison" width="600" height="450" /></a>

Filling up your UltraCharge is as simple as plugging one end of the charging cable into your closest mains outlet and the other into the Input on the UltraCharge. The good news is the charger is universal, happy to take anything from 100v - 240v, perfect while you’re traveling abroad. The other fantastic feature is that UltraCharge continues to charge itself to the brim after 4 or 5 hours (and never more due to its Intelligent Charging circuits) even while you’re not watching it; you don’t even need to be in the same room! The capacity is a whopping 12,000mAh, almost twice the capacity of this 15” MacBook Pro.

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0091.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11449" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0091.jpg" alt="UltraCharge Ports" width="600" height="450" /></a>

There are a few options for getting the precious power from the UltraCharge to your gadget of choice. The vast majority of devices are taken care of by the 2 USB ports (spitting out 2 Amps at 5 Volts per port up to a combined total of 3A, enough even for the hungry iPad). Magically, you can even charge from both USB ports at once. For most of us the USB ports is where it begins and ends because with a USB to 30 pin dock connector cable you’ve got all you need to charge almost every iPod ever, every iPhone and even every single iPad. A 4-in-1 USB to USB, Micro USB, Dock Connector and “other” cable is included, although it’s surprisingly short.

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0087.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11448" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0087.jpg" alt="UltraCharge Display" width="600" height="450" /></a>

The kit also includes a DC cable and adapters for a range of notebooks, but sadly nothing for any MacBooks (another hour or so on my MacBook in an emergency would be fantastic). Lastly, the kit also includes a lovely plush travel pouch.

With a full charge in the UltraCharge I was able to completely recharge my iPad twice, as per the manufacturer’s claims. This roughly equates to an outrageous 30 hours of iPad action. It fit nicely in my iPad bag, with the additional weight a reminder of the extra fun time I was carrying around with me. The last bit of magic is that the UltraCharge turned itself off when it had finished topping off my iPhone 4 in another test.
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This roughly equates to an outrageous 30 hours of iPad action.

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The build quality of the unit and cables is good, although when you shake the UltraCharge itself you can hear and feel the battery moving inside. The black piano finish is a typical fingerprint magnet, but I’ve never been one to worry about fingerprints on my portable batteries.

<strong>Conclusion</strong>

Perfect for high tech travellers, specifically those who find it hard to stay in one place long enough to recharge their iGadgets, the UltraCharge makes running out of juice before the end of the day impossible and is more likely to keep you running on mobile devices for the best part of a week. The only downside is that airlines aren’t particularly fond of people including large lithium batteries in their carry on luggage so you’ll have to check it in when flying.

Checkout the detailed specs and buy it for $119.95 at the PADACS site <a href="https://www.padacs.com/cart/product.php?id=64">here</a>.
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>PADACS PD111 Screen Care Kit</strong></h1>
<strong><a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0059.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11443" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0059.jpg" alt="Screen Cleaning Kit" width="600" height="450" /></a></strong>

After a long day of swiping your dirty digits all over your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or even your 6th gen iPod nano, the screen never looks its best. In many years of Mac notebook ownership, I’ve only ever cleaned the screen a handful of times but I am constantly wiping goo and fingerprints off my iPhone and iPad screen; enter the PADACS Screen Kit.

The PADACS Screen Kit is a duo of soft polishing cloth and tube of micro gel. To clean the screen of your chosen iGadget, turn off your device and let it cool down, squeeze some gel onto the cloth (I could hear my dentist saying “a blob the size of a pea” in my head) then wipe it on your screen in a circular motion until clean and dry.

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0066.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11444" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0066.jpg" alt="Screen Cleaning Micro Gel" width="600" height="450" /></a>

With a good spread of gel, a little elbow grease and a minute of so of polishing, each of my screens came up sparkling clean. The anti-static finish seems to give your finger that little bit of extra slide, maybe even enough to give you the Flight Control edge. Even after a few days the screen was still less likely to pick up finger prints and easy gliding.

[caption id="attachment_11445" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Before"]<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0075.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-11445" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0075.jpg" alt="iPad Before Cleaning" width="600" height="450" /></a>[/caption]

Due to the thick consistency of the gel, it doesn’t spread as easily as a typical liquid spray would, meaning you would need to use quite a bit of gel to clean a larger screen.

[caption id="attachment_11446" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="After"]<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0079.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-11446" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0079.jpg" alt="iPad After Cleaning" width="600" height="450" /></a>[/caption]

<strong>Conclusion</strong>

Got a dirty touchscreen and want it clean? The PADACS Screen Kit will do the job, leaving it silky smooth and less likely to attract to attract dust.

Grab it for $14.95 at the PADACS site <a href="https://www.padacs.com/cart/product.php?id=63">here</a>.
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>PADACS AV Cable + USB</strong></h1>
<strong><a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/AV-Cable_1-1000x1000.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11465" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/AV-Cable_1-1000x1000.jpg" alt="AV Cable Media" width="600" height="340" /></a></strong>

Cables are a necessary evil in today’s digital lifestyle. The trouble is that carrying a cable for every situation might mean dozens of cables in your kit. PADACS are giving you a two-for-one by combining the everyday USB cable with an AV Cable in the aptly named PADACS AV Cable + USB. It’s an Apple White (that’s a colour, right?), 1 metre long cable with a standard dock connector at one end (the old slightly longer type with the release buttons on each side) and a USB A male plug and 3 x RCA (video + 2 x audio) at the other.

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0109.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11453" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0109.jpg" alt="Car Connection (Dock)" width="600" height="450" /></a>

Dock connector USB cables are everywhere. We’ve all probably got hundreds of them. What you probably don’t have a dock connector AV cable. It may not be something that you’ll need every day but being able to connect your iPod, iPhone or even iPad to the nearest TV at a moments notice is very handy. Composite (aka RCA) connectors are one of the oldest interconnect types around in a world of DVI, DisplayConnect, HDMI and even VGA or S-Video, but it’s as close to universal as it comes right now. Even the most modern TVs have the old yellow, red and white sockets, even if it doesn’t deliver the best image quality.

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0147.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11456" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0147.jpg" alt="Photo Out Example" width="600" height="450" /></a>

I tested the AV output of the cable on my big LCD with a few different sources. The image quality was passable - I guess I would call it VHS quality. Photos delivered a much better result than video. Just for fun I also tested it with the display in my car and was suitably impressed. With this cable you’ve not only got slideshows, podcasts, music videos, TV shows and movies, but also streaming video from YouTube and even 3rd party apps like AirVideo, plus video out from apps like iCabMobile and RDP (Remote Desktop).

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0141.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11455" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0141.jpg" alt="Video Out Example" width="600" height="450" /></a>

I really want to like this cable. The idea is great. One cable to rule them all. The problem is that the USB functionality doesn’t work. On an HP notebook I got intermittent charging and notifications that I had a non USB 2.0 device plugeed into a USB 2.0 port. Neither my iPhone, iPod(s) or iPad mounted or synced. On my MacBook, I got nothing. No charging and definitely no syncing. PADACS gracefully sent me a second cable but unfortunately the second cable gave the same result.
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<div style="text-align: left;">I really want to like this cable. The problem is that the USB functionality doesn’t work.</div></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0114.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11454" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0114.jpg" alt="Cable Teardown" width="600" height="450" /></a>

The dock connector was also not perfect. I couldn’t get the dock connector on the second cable seated properly unless I held the release buttons as I connected the cable. The first cable fell apart eventually (just the casing and it was easily glued back together). At the other end, the 4 cables were not perfectly the same length (while within 1cm, this is not what you would expect from an Apple accessory). Lastly, with the cable left connected I would get the “This accessory is not optimised for this iPhone” message every few minutes if I wasn’t playing video or using another app. At $49.95, it’s $20 cheaper than buying a separate Apple Composite AV Cable at $45 and Apple Dock Connector to US Cable at $25. The trouble is that the Apple cables would be much higher quality... and would work.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11466" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_0154.jpg" alt="AV Cable Length" width="600" height="450" />

<strong>Conclusion</strong>

If it worked, the PADACS AV Cable + USB would represent good value. You would be able to carry around one cable to sync your iOS device and connect it to the closest display to share your videos and other content and apps. But sadly, it doesn’t.

If you want to take your chances, you can grab it from the PADACS site <a href="https://www.padacs.com/cart/product.php?id=69">here</a>.