Can I charge USB devices from a powered hub that isn't connected to a PC?

"Check: Transform a USB hub into the ultimate DIY gadget charger

I'm talking about a standard USB hub--those little accessories that multiply one of your PC's USB ports by a factor of four, five, six, or even seven. I took a spare seven-porter--the Belkin F5U701 ($20)--plugged its included AC adapter into a nearby wall outlet, and started loading it up with devices. A few minutes later, I was charging six devices via USB with no apparent problems--and I still had a free port available for yet another device."

"TruePower UCS Power Outlet with USB ports from FastMac:



Our custom TruePower power outlet
solution includes two Universal Serial
Bus (USB) charge ports in addition to
the two standard three prong power
outlet ports.

Perfect for charging any USB powered
device including- mobile, iPod,
iPhone, PDA, MP3, PSP, MP4 player &
digital camera.

Installation: This item can be
installed on any existing wall outlet.

We will have an installation video
available shortly so that you can see
exactly what is involved and if this
is something you feel comfortable
doing on your own or if you will need
assistance.

Please also note that the USB ports
only draw power when something is
physically connected to the port. We
didn't want a vampire port that
continually sucks and wastes power
when not in use so this was one of the
features on the top of our priority
list during the design phase.

Although it says ""any USB-powered device including ... iPhone"", I'm waiting for my pre-order to ship before finding out whether the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be able to charge through this outlet. The 3G and 3GS have special requirements involving an authentication chip from Apple, which are only in Apple-approved products. I guess I'll just have to wait and see!"

"The solution I eventually went for was this:

Kensington 4-Port USB Charger for Mobile Devices (Europe)

There's also a US version here:

Kensington 4-Port USB Charger for Mobile Devices (USA)

It's basically a mains plug with 4 USB ports. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'll update here when I've tried it, along with information about the devices it works (and doesn't work) with."

"Just checked and find out that it may depend both on hub and on device.

So, I checked 2 hubs:

ORICO P10-U3 10 Port USB 3.0 HUB
Sipolar 10 Port Multi USB 3.0 Hub

with 2 devices - phone and tablet.

They both were charging phone, but Orico hub couldn't charge tablet (current was 0, but with computer it's higher then 1A). Sipolar hub successfully charged both devices.

Also note that hubs can give higher current (up to 2A for these hubs), but the voltage is always 5V, so no fast charge with 9V.

But if you know, that you don't want to use it with computer, you can buy some device for charging only - like this one (haven't used such - just an example). Seems like it's 5V only too."

"ThinkGeek: AC to USB Power Adapter -- for a portable solution.

Charge and power your USB devices without a computer
Intelligent IC chip inside recognizes a fully charged battery and automatically switches to a saver mode to prevent overcharging and short circuit
While plugged into an AC outlet, your device powers and charges simultaneously
Works with any kind of USB device that needs power
Small and compact size; easy to carry anywhere
LED indicates charging status: Red for Charging, Green for Charging Complete

Update: You'll get a decent 1-Amp (or more?) adapter from your nearest Apple store.

Keeping a 1-Amp charger handy is useful for many gadgets that can charge faster with more available current; also, with multiple devices being charged together, you are better of with a higher rating (current does get shared across them, giving each a lower charging rate in the end)
Apple stores are usually quite accessible (but depending on your country, this might be a costlier deal)

Whatever you do, get a good quality adapter or you might burn off your gadgets!"