DC/DC converter for powering USB devices

[Mussels]

Just install maglev. Then we can do away with tyres, pothole repairs and gritting. Or vacuum tubes that you ride in! They've already got vacuum waste systems across whole cities.

Induction charging will be a big thing over the next few years for consumer electronics. dell already have a laptop with an induction charger and I've seen a video where the charger is on the floor and the laptop on the desk.

Induction charger will add to weight a bit because you'll need a coil on the bike.

Or a coil in the battery case otherwise you'd have to charge it on the bike, I can't imagine that the convenience is worth the extra weight, cost and charging time. Plus people who carry their charger with them will have double the extra weight to carry.

 

[garrence]

I've found it's necessary to connect the two data cables together (middle two connectors). This tells the phone that it's on a charger and not connected to another device.

Without them connected, my phone would light up when plugged in but usually wouldn't say it was charging. Now I've connected them together, it does charge properly. I did 40 miles using the Maverick mapping app and cached map tiles, GPS and screen on all the time, and it kept the battery fully topped up.

When the data lines are connected together, the power cables must be able to supply at least 1A at 5V (USB Power Specification)

 

[Haku]

If you're intending to charge any iPod/iPhone then take a look at this site, someone reverse engineered the 'secret' resistor combinations for charging Apple 'fashion accessories' at different amperage rates without needing a computer or an Apple branded USB power adaptor:

MintyBoost - The mysteries of Apple device charging