I've just acquired an iPod Classic 80GB, my first iPod, and I'd like to
be able to power it in the car. To this end, I bought a very cheap
USB power device (http://tinyurl.com/34k6yv), but it doesn't
charge the iPod, despite the LED on the adaptor being lit.

I got definitive proof of that last night, when the iPod battery
went flat while the iPod was plugged in.

At the moment, I'm inclined to blame the USB power device
(it is, after all, a cheap & nasty thing, and it might just be broken),
but are there issues that I don't know about with this kind
of device?

That is: is it actually possible to charge the iPod classic from a generic
powered USB port, or does it need something a bit more intelligent?

Thanks for any advice.