You’ll never lose Twelve South’s PlugBug charger with built-in Find My tracking
You’ll never lose Twelve South’s new PlugBug charger as it supports Find My tracking, allowing you to beep it if nearby or locate it on a map.
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Twelve South is out with a new PlugBug travel charger based on GaN tech that sports an ultra-slim profile and folding prongs. It fits tight spaces behind furniture and can juice up multiple devices simultaneously, but that’s not its flagship feature.
To our knowledge, this is the world’s first USB-C power adapter with built-in Find My support. In the unfortunate case of losing your PlugBug on your travels, you’ll be able to locate it in the Find My app like you would your iPhone or AirPods.
The 50W PlugBug with two USB-C ports costs $70, and the 100W 4-port edition is $120, with international versions also available on the Twelve South web store.
The new PlugBug is the world’s first Find My charger
Find My integration lets you manage this charger through the Items tab in the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Just put your charger in Lost Mode to beep it or locate it on a map! It works because the new PlugBug participates in Apple’s Find My network, a system that relies on Bluetooth crowdsourcing.
An integrated coin battery powers built-in Bluetooth for up to a year before needing replacing. “Due to specific electrical regulations, the power for the Find My portion of PlugBug is completely separate and isolated from the AC charger,” Twelve South notes. Better yet, enable separation alerts in the Find My app to get notified on your iPhone if you mistakenly leave your PlugBug behind.
The previous PlugBugs are no longer offered
Twelve South no longer offers the original PlugBug, which debuted in 2011. It was succeeded by PlugBug World, launched in 2013, and PlugBug Slim, released in 2021, but they’re both now discontinued. We were impressed in our review of the PlugBug World by the device’s smart design which enables it to easily piggyback on any MacBook or Apple USB charger, turning it into a multi-port charger.
Rather than slide onto a MacBook charger, the new Plugbug plugs directly into a wall outlet, and then you connect USB-C devices like your iPhone and MacBook Air into it to be charged simultaneously. It works like any multi-power USB-C power adapter.
The USB Power Delivery protocol ensures safety features like overheating and overcharging protection, while support fast-charging that brings your iPhone from dead to fifty percent charger in about thirty minutes.
As you connect each new device, the PlugBug redistributes the available charging wattage across ports based on each device’s power needs. A handy chart on Twelve South’s website visualizes how this works (included right ahead).
The new PlugBug is thinner (0.86 inches or 2.2 cm) than three stacked iPhone 15 Pro Max and weighs (110g or 3.9oz) half as much as a single one. Its creamy shell with red accents should be easy to spot in a crowded airport charging bank.
Pricing and availability
The 50W two-port PlugBug is priced at $70, and the 120W four-port version is $120 a pop. If you plan on using your PlugBug on your journeys, the PlugBug Travel bundles switchable adapter plugs (US, UK, EU, AU, KR and CN) along with a travel case. The 50W PlugBug Travel is $80, and the 120W PlugBug Travel is $130. You can pre-order the new PlugBug via the Twelve South web store, with shipments expected to commence the week of September 16.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2024/09/09/twelve-south-plugbug-charger-find-my-tracking/
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