Gadget Reviews, Product News, Electronic Gadgets

PlugBug Quick Impressions

I liked the look of Twelve South’s new PlugBug as soon as it was announced last week, and ordered one the same day. Mine arrived last Friday and I’ve been giving it a little test run since then.
As you can see in the photo above it’s certainly a very bright, colorful addition to your mix of cables. If you’re a Mac person this makes it stand out quite a bit of course. It’s also quite compact – not much wider than a coiled up set of standard Apple headphones.
This is an accessory that’s clever, unique, and one of those that leaves you thinking ‘how did nobody think of this before?’. It’s that simple and good an idea.

Here’s a bit of what Twelve South has to say about the PlugBug:

PlugBug is a 10W USB wall charger that piggybacks onto your MacBook Power Adapter, creating a totally unique, all-in-one, dual charger for MacBook + iPad or iPhone. That means you can charge your MacBook + iPad or iPhone at the same time using one wall outlet. Remarkably simple and elegantly designed, this go anywhere power pack means one less charger to carry and one less wall outlet to find. PlugBug simplifies your life in a way you never imagined.

PlugBug is easy to use – you just slot it into your MacBook’s (or in my case MacBook Pro) power adapter and plug it into a power strip or wall outlet. Then you can use its built-in USB port to connect an iPad or iPhone charger cable and start charging your Mac and you iOS device simultaneously.
It works as advertised and charges my iPad just as quickly as the charger that came with it.
I had thought that I might consider swapping to the PlugBug even for at home use – as it saves me one plugin space on a power strip. That isn’t practical for me just now though due to the positioning of my desk / MacBook Pro / iPad stand. The iPad 2’s charge cable alone doesn’t have the length I need. So after a test run, I’m back to my old setup for the time being. If I’m ever hard up for a power strip plugin point I might re-arrange things and make it work.
For now though the PlugBug will be saved for travel and out of the house use – where it should be a stellar companion. It’s small enough to tuck in just abut anywhere in my iPad or laptop bags – or even to chuck into a pocket if I want to pack lighter when taking laptop and iPad out to a coffee shop or similar.
If you’d like more details or want to place an order (these go for $34.99) check out the PlugBug product page.