Turbo Charge TC Portable Charger for iPod and iPhone

The trouble with this product is that it is one of a kind; to my knowledge there are no other products that offer this kind of portability.I have been using this product for months in a variety of ways, and it has SUBSTANCIALLY increased my quality of life, providing iPod recharging in locations (like Iraq) where I do not have reliable places to recharge. And while, initially, I thought it was ridiculous and useless to include a mini-flashlight on the top of it (like including a car adapter for a blender), I have found that I've needed it CONSTANTLY. You will not always be in a well lit location, and while I can't think of many people that carry flashlights/booklights with them, this iPod charger goes with me almost wherever I go, and can be used when I need to read, write, or look for something in my bag. Turbo Charge was actually ingenious to add this to their product.For that alone it should get FIVE STARS.However, I have had two significant conflicts with this product:1) Many users complain about the ease in which this product switches on in your bag and drains the battery completely. I have also experienced this problem plenty of times, and though other electronics far more notorious for eating batteries while my back is turned, TC2's problem is significant enough to register in a review. To specify: I don't have a problem with it turning on in my bag, but when I stick it in my pockets I can almost guarantee that it's going to turn on at least once while I'm walking around.2) The cable is a piece of garbage. I have repurchased this product once already because the cable attaching the batteries to the iPod is flimsy and poorly made. As a result the inside wire rips/tears/disconnects/whatever and once it does, - unless you angle it a certain way - it's done for. You CANNOT be rough with this product (i.e. carrying it - plugged in - in your pocket) Poney up the dough for another one.This product gets four stars because it could use modifications and a quality makeover. However, much like some products/services (e.g. Comcast) it is the only legitimate solution to portable iPod charging. Suffer the inconveniences because it's better to have it than to be without it.

I got this for a trip to London to mare sure my iPod Touch 1st gen. It worked well on the plane.I more recently got an iPhone 4 and used it again on a vacation to give supplemental power. During a 2 hour drive this little guy brought my phone from almost dead to about 70% before the AA batteries were drained. It saved the day!The switch is a little strange, one way the two LEDs on the top light up, the other way the lights in the body light up. You must put it at one of these positions in order to charge. I didn't like this because it drained the batteries faster. I found that if I put the switch in the middle there was a sweet spot where the light would stay off but the phone would charge. This was a little unstable, it would get bumped and turn off or turn the light on.The wire that connects to the phone is also a bit strange, it unplugs from the body of the charger in a little 1/16" audio style plug but it's slightly loose so it will come out if tugged slightly. This plug sticks down from the body so you can't easily put the charger and phone into your pocket. I found that I could put the charger and phone back-to-back and hold them in my hand while walking or using the phone.4 stars because of the strange switch with lights.

I bought this in 2008 and used it with my original iPhone, then my 3G, now 4S. A pair of Eneloops brings my 4S from dead to around halfway full.The only thing I don't like: the retaining ring on the female connector gets loose. I just tighten the ring once in a while. One time the ring completely unscrewed itself and the connector nearly fell into the housing. It doesn't look like it is easy to open the housing itself so maybe that's how my friends broke theirs?I heard others say the switch is easy to trip inside a bag. I simply put one of the AAs in backwards and flip it back when I need to use it, so it's never bothered me.It's the best charger on the market that is powered by 2xAAs.If I could manufacture this myself I would:- recess the power button, and make it (off | charge | charge + LED) instead of the current (charge + LED | off | charge)- use a through-hole solder jack directly on the PCB (eliminate retaining ring without compromising ruggedness)- use a 90 degree male plug to relieve stress on the connector and facilitate its use in a pocket- it is extremely compact as it is. Would it be possible to shrink it further? Bring down the length (direct on board connector), reduce thickness (shrink DC-DC board, perhaps orient it 45 degrees and use a cell as a heat sink), etc.?- it fits very nicely in the hand (the rubberized surface is NICE) and orients itself naturally for use as a flashlight. If there is a way to reduce the size further (eliminate the lengthwise outer curve) without sacrificing the hand feel I would try that.Love this product. My detailed critique comes from carrying this product with me at all times in my backpack and getting myself out of a jam plenty of times!

I bought this device last summer for my iPod classic and it worked like a charm, enabling me to recharge midway through a long, overseas flight. However, I recently upgraded to the iPhone 3gs. I had heard complaints that the 3gs doesn't have long-enough battery life (which is true, by the way), but I thought if I ever got into a bind I could always plug in the Turbo Charge. To my great disappointment, when I plugged it into my phone, it popped up a yellow triangle with the message, "Charging is not supported with this device." So it's kind of useless to me now. It think it's a great device for iPod Nano or Classic, but DO NOT buy this product if you have an iPhone.