IDAPT i4 – The last device charger you’ll ever need to buy

If you own a few mobile devices, it’s likely that you’re flipping cords out on your desk or nightstand on a regular basis. A company called IDAPT is looking to change that annoyance by offering a couple of interesting products that you’re going to dig.

The first, that we’ll talk about in this post, is the i4 Universal Charging Station . It’s a device that’s made to sit on your desk and charge up to 4 devices simultaneously. It comes with 6 interchangeable charging tips that include everything from a miniUSB to a Sony Ericsson charger. If you need more than one of any tip, you can just buy them individually.

The tips are modular, and plug into the i4 charging station so you can arrange them as needed. The included tips should allow you to charge any of over 4,000 devices, but it would be nice to have a couple of microUSB included, as so many mobile devices are going to this standard. On the side of the i4 there’s another USB port, perfect for keeping your iPad charged. It’s worth noting, though, that if you buy your i4 on the IDAPT site, you can customize which tips you need.

There’s no sync capability, but I’m told that it should be coming sometime in a later model. IDAPT thinks of this particular model less as a desktop charger and more as something that you might keep in the kitchen or another part of the house.

I’m going to give it a full review, on TNW Gadgets. For now, you can check out the IDAPT site if you’re ready to make the jump.

HTC To Launch Android 2.3 “Flyer” Tablet In March

According to Digitimes , HTC is to launch three tablet devices in the first six months of 2011, its first device, the Flyer, shipping in the US as soon as March, if component manufacturers close to the company are to be believed.

The Flyer is said to be very similar to the HTC Desire and will run Android 2.3, with an update to Android 3.0, a more tablet-centric version of the Android operating system, coming soon after release.

The news comes after reports that HTC will look to launch the HTC Scribe , a 7-inch Android 3.0 powered tablet, in February at the Mobile World Congress, becoming the second of the three devices expected to launch in the first half of 2011.

It looks as if HTC missed CES for a good reason, it wasn’t looking to enter the tablet market with a rushed product or devices similar to those offered by Samsung, instead using the time to develop at least three tablets that the coming feels would appeal to customers with different needs from a portable device. We will be attending Mobile World Congress, we are hoping to get a proper look at the new tablets from HTC.

The Flyer will launch in other parts of the world in the second quarter, with the HTC Scribe expected to become available in June.

Testing Kyocera’s funky, fun, dual-screen Echo [Video]

I have to admit, I wasn’t convinced. The Echo’s announcement gave me more of a “what the heck” face than one of excitement. To me, already not a fan of touchscreen keyboards, having dual touch screens just seemed like a grave oversight.

Then I played with the Echo.

Kyocera has actually put a lot of thought into this phone. While it’s running Android 2.2 , a few of the apps (most notably, the Gallery) have been tweaked to take advantage of what the Echo can do. For instance, as you’ll see in the video, the Echo allows you to watch a video on one screen, while working on another. Alternately, you can view full-screen images up top, and browse through your collection on the bottom. These are just a couple of things that it can do, but they’re really impressive.

When you have the Echo open, it’s an interesting change on your Android home screen. Both screens are used, essentially turning the phone into a miniature tablet. Viewing maps, especially, is handy with the wider angle that the Echo allows. Documents, too, become much easier to digest in the dual-screen format.

I had to question a couple of things about the Echo. The first one, of course, being battery life. If the Echo is running two screens so often, it’s going to drain some major power. Notably, the representative from Kyocera states that the Echo has done 7 hours of talk-time in real-world testing. Of course, that also means that it likely wasn’t open with both screens in use. Chances are though that talk time is equate pretty equally with using both screens, as long as you’re not doing intensive gaming.

Kyocera ships the Echo with a second battery. Take that as you will, but I’m just going to say that you might want to keep it charged. There’s a reason that it comes with a “free” second power source. There is a charger included, of course, but the rest of the box is all phone.

Speaking of which, the Echo is predictably thicker than most phones on the market right now. Though it also appears to be aimed toward the female mobile population, where a pocket might play second fiddle to a purse for toting around your device.

It’s also worth noting that the Echo uses a z-style hinge to move into its various positions. While it didn’t feel flimsy in the least, it’s a moving part that you’ll need to pay attention to.

The Echo won’t be my next Android phone, but it certainly has enough fun factor to make it one for you to consider. It will be in Sprint stores around the middle of April, so keep an eye out. The price? A frugal $199.