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Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank review

REVIEW – Voice in your Head: Here we go again, another portable charging solution.  Me: Ah, but this one has a bit of a twist.  The Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank has not only a solar panel for backup charging, but is also water-resistant.  Other products may offer one or the other of those features, but how well did Renogy combine them?  Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The Renogy 10000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank is a water-resistant, shock-resistant and dustproof portable phone charger with a solar panel backup.

Hardware specs

  • Battery = 10,000mAh lithium battery
  • Dual USB output ports, 2.1A for tablets, 1.0A for phones
  • Micro USB input port
  • Water- and shock-resistant
  • Solar panel for backup charging
  • Dimensions = 5.4 x 2.9 x 0.6 inches
  • Weight = 8 ounces

What’s in the package?

The product packaging is shown in the photo above.

The photo above shows the contents of the package, which are as follows:

  • Renogy 10000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank
  • USB to Micro USB cable
  • Instruction booklet

Design and features

The very first thing I noticed above the device was its soft, matte finish, which felt very comfortable to the touch.   Additionally, a solar panel covers most of the top of the device, as seen in the photo above.

Also, despite it having a water-, shock- and dust-resistant case, the device had a nice size and relatively slim profile, and looked rugged.  In addition, each of the corners is built-up to provide additional shock- or drop-resistance.

The device is a nice size and fits well in my hand.  I also like the side notches as well as the scallops on the front and back.  All of these contribute to providing a bit more grip on the device.

The sides of the device have orange silicon panels which not only aid in grip, but also give it a bit of visibility.  Why is this useful?  Because I found myself digging around in the bottom of my EDC bag for this device on a couple of occasions when the lighting was sub-par, and the various orange silicon panels held me locate it.

There is a single push button-style power button along the side corner of the device.  It has the same orange silicone coating as described above, which contributes to the device’s water- and dust-resistance.  This button can be pressed to activate charging if it does not begin automatically when something is plugged into it, as I found occasionally happens.

The device is equipped with a light on the back, which is activated by holding down the Power button for a few seconds (see photo above).  Once illuminated, the light can be made to flash in an emergency strobe mode by holding down the button for another xx seconds.  Another press deactivates the light.  The light is bright enough for nearby, but not bright to light your way through a dark woods on a moonless night (it doesn’t throw light very far).

There is a small plastic clip on the back of the device.  Because it’s plastic, it looks and feels a bit flimsy.  I haven’t broken it (yet), but it feels as if it were flexed too far it would simply snap off.

The device’s power level indicator consists of a row of five tiny LEDs.  During charging, the LEDs illuminate to indicate charging status; when the LEDs turn off, the device is fully charged.

The device has a cover made from the same flexible orange silicone material as described above.  This cover protects all of the ports (see photo below) from dust, water splashes or perhaps even a light rain, but I have my doubts that it would protect the ports against a heavy rain and certainly not against full submersion, at least for very long.

As seen in the photo above, the device has two (2) USB output ports positioned to the left and right a single Micro USB input port. One of the USB output ports provides 2.1A for charging tablets while the other provides 1.0A for charging phones.  I like that it has two output ports to allow charging of two devices simultaneously, but there is no indicator as to which is the 2.1A and which is the 1.0A.  Frustrating.

The instruction booklet recommends that the devices primary charging method is via the micro USB input port (see included cable plugged into the input port in the photo above), which does charge the device faster than the solar panel.

The device’s instruction manual recommends solar charging as a backup/emergency charging method only, because it is slower than wall charging via the micro USB port.  However, I noted that the device basically charges any time the solar panel is exposed to a light source, whether it be direct sunlight or artificial light.  As with USB cable charging, when the device is turned toward a light source, the bank of LED lights illuminate to indicate charging status.

I used the device to charge both my wife’s iPhone X (pictured above) and my iPhone 6 Plus, and it charged both phones at a reasonable rate.  It also charged my Garmin Fenix 3 HR GPS watch without an issue.  However, this device does not include pass-through charging, meaning it cannot be used to charge a device while being charged itself.  This is a big minus for me as when I travel I often take a single portable power bank that has multiple USB ports and use it to charge multiple devices while I charge the power bank itself, rather than take several individual chargers.

What I like

  • Backup solar charging
  • Water-resistant
  • Light with emergency flash mode

What needs to be improved

  • No pass-through charging
  • No way to identify the 2.1A vs. 1.0A USB output ports

Final thoughts

The Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank is overall a well-built and useful piece of gear.  I like that I can toss it into my EDC ruck and have not only a backup power source for my devices, but the solar panel means I have an emergency source if necessary and also I don’t have to be as concerned about getting it wet or dropping it as I would be with devices that are less rugged. Overall, for its fairly unique feature set, its price of $20.99 seems like a pretty good deal.

Price: $20.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by Renogy.

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Renogy 10,000mAh Solar Panel Water Resistant Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 26, 2018 at 10:57 am.

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Turn your MacBook charger into a Supercharger with the PlugBug Duo

NEWS – I love my MacBook Pro, but because it uses USB-C, it doesn’t charge any of my other gear, like my iPhone X, iPad Pro or wireless headphones. That’s where something like the new PlugBug Duo from Twelve South could come in handy.

The PlugBug adds back two traditional USB charging ports. This little red charging wonder snaps right onto your MacBook power adapter, no more carrying around extra chargers or buying some crazy dongle.

Now you can charge two USB devices, and your MacBook, simultaneously, with one device. And you get the benefit of 2.1A  rapid-charging for all iPhones & iPads.

PlugBug will even fit onto your iPad Pro power adaptor.

The PlugBug Duo is perfect for dorm rooms, coffee shops, and busy airports where available outlets are usually pretty scarce. Now you can charge all your devices before boarding your flight, all from one outlet.

As an added bonus Twelve South has included five plug adapters so you can convert your MacBook power supply to fit outlets in over 150 countries. PlugBug includes adapters for US/Canada/Japan, UK/HongKong/Singapore, Continental Europe, Australia/New Zealand and China.

https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-South-PlugBug-MacBook-adapter/dp/B07GN6Z5KV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535061976&sr=8-1&keywords=plugbug&th=1

The Twelve South PlugBug Duo costs $49.99 and is available on Amazon.

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Turn your MacBook charger into a Supercharger with the PlugBug Duo originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 24, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K Fast Wireless Powerbank review

REVIEW – Powerbanks, external batteries, portable chargers, no matter what you call them, they are useful accessories to have in your gear bag for those times when you have no access to a wall outlet and your smartphone or other gadget has run out of juice. Powerbanks aren’t the most glamorous gadget and pretty much only do one thing and that’s charge a device. But today I’m going to show the myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K fast wireless powerbank that has an extra feature that increases the convenience of an already convenient product.

What is it?

The myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K fast wireless powerbank is a 10,000mAh 10W backup battery that has 2 built-in USB ports and built-in Qi wireless charging so you can charge three devices at once.

What’s in the box?

myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K powerbank
micro USB cable

Specs

Battery: 10,000mAh Lithium Ion
Product Dimensions: 2.8 in x 0.8 in x 5.8 in
Product Weight: 0.4 lbs.
Wireless Output: 10 Watts
USB port delivers 2.4A output

Design and features

The UNPLUGGED 10K is a powerbank with a soft-touch white shell and a power button that turns on the wireless charger and is used to see the battery capacity by lighting up the row of status LEDs on the top.

On one end are 2 USB-A 2.4A ports and a micro USB port that is used to recharge the powerbank itself. Note that this powerbank has pass-through charging which means that you can charge the myCharge at the same time the myCharge is charging up to 3 devices.

The UNPLUGGED 10K powerbank comes pre-charged and ready to use. But when it needs to be topped off, you just plug in a micro USB cable and let it juice up until the 4 white LEDs light up.

My first test of the myCharge was to see how quick it could re-charge a Sony Xperia XZ2 from flat to full. Here are the results.

Started with battery at 0%
30 mins battery 11% charged
60 mins battery 24% charged
1 hr 30 mins battery 38% charged
2 hrs battery 50% charged
2 hrs 30 mins battery 62% charged
3 hrs battery 71% charged
3 hrs 30 mins battery 81% charged
4hrs battery 92% charged
Test end

In another test, I connected my Pixel 2 XL and my drained Rowkin micro Touch Bluetooth earbuds to the myCharge the next day after my Sony test.

Pixel 2 XL battery at 29%, Rowkin earbuds 0% (or what appears to be 0%)
30 min Pixel 2 XL battery 47% charged, one Rowin earbud fully charged, the other still charging
1 hr 10 mins Pixel 2 XL battery 75% charged, Rowkin earbuds fully charged
2 hrs Pixel 2 XL battery 86% charged
2 hrs 30 mins Pixel 2 XL battery % charged
Test end

At the end of my 2 tests, the battery level of the myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K was down to just one lit LED.

What I like

  • Can charge 2 USB devices and 1 wireless device at the same time
  • Meets Apple and Samsung fast charge standard
  • Pass through charging – Can charge the myCharge AND charge 3 devices at the same time

What needs to be improved

  • Wireless charging is slow

Final thoughts

If you’re in the market for a powerbank and you have a Qi enabled device like a newer iPhone, Sony Xperia or Samsung Galaxy, the myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K is a nice option because it offers the ability to charge those devices wirelessly and also charge 2 other devices at the same time. Even if wireless charging is slower than plugging in a cable, the fact that this one powerbank can charge more than one device simultaneously gives it an extra check mark for usefulness.

Price: $69.99
Where to buy: myCharge and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by myCharge.

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myCharge UNPLUGGED 10K Fast Wireless Powerbank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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Charge your iPhone and Apple Watch in half the space with Twelve South

NEWS – Nightstands are usually small, so you need to maximize the usefulness of anything you keep on them.  The Twelve South HiRise Duet packs a lot of utility in a small footprint to earn its place there.  It charges your iPhone, charges your Apple Watch, and puts the Watch in Nightstand mode to serve as your alarm clock – all in a 3.5″ x 3.75″ footprint.

The HiRise Duet is made of metal with a Napa leather accent.  The Lightning charging cable and Apple Watch charging puck are integrated into the stand, so you won’t need to provide your own cables.  Up to 15W of power is provided to the chargers from a single AC power cable.  Twelve South says: “With 15-watts of Lightning Power, HiRise Duet charges your iPhone 40% faster than standard USB, and almost *twice* as fast as wireless.”

The height of the Lightning connector can be adjusted to accommodate most thin iPhone cases.  The Duet works with all iPhones all the way back to the iPhone 5; it can even charge Apple remotes and the Pencil, too.  The watch charger works with all generations and sizes of the Apple Watch.  Since it weighs about a pound, you won’t have to worry the stand will tip over when you try to interact with your iPhone as it charges or fumble to snooze the alarm.

Normally priced at $119.99, the HiRise Duet is currently only $99.99 at Twelve South.

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Charge your iPhone and Apple Watch in half the space with Twelve South originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 16, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip review


REVIEW – Most people would look at the numerous surge protectors and USB wall warts that I have plugged in at home, and readily suggest that I may have created a fire hazard. Since they would likely be correct, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to test this surge protector with multiple USB charging ports built in.

What is it?

BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip is an 8 outlet AC surge protector with an additional 4 USB charging ports built-in.

What’s in the box


1 x BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

Specifications:

AC Input: 100-125V
USB Output: 5V/7.5A Auto 0~2.4A*3
Qualcomm Quick Charge TM 2.0: 5V/2.4A, 9V/1.6A, 12V/1.1A

The surge protector has 4 grounded AC outlets on each side for a total of 8 AC outlets.

On the top of the surge protector, there are 4 USB charging ports which provide a great ability to charge multiple devices that normally use a USB cable with a wall wart. The ports have convenient covers.


On one of the slim sides of the device, there is an on/off switch.


At the bottom, there is a spring-loaded stand that swings outwards perpendicular to the surge protector so that it can stand flat on a surface. There are also 4 screw holes in the stand that allow you to permanently mount the device to any surface, with the 4 supplied screws.



I now use this surge protector every day to power several devices simultaneously including a desk lamp, a laptop, a Bluetooth speaker and a Photography Lightbox, and it works flawlessly.

What I like

I really like the quality of the build of this surge protector and the very convenient 4 USB charging ports. I also like the 6ft power cord.

What can be improved

The one issue that this surge protector has is the closeness of the AC outlets that become less convenient if the AC cords have a larger sized wall wart.

Final thoughts

This BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip is a very convenient surge protector that includes the great convenience of 4 USB charging ports. I would have liked to see rotating AC outlets so that they could be arranged to fit the maximum number of wall warts. However, given the relatively small footprint of this power strip and the overall convenience, flexibility, and cost, I give it a thumbs up.

Price: $33.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Bestek.

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BESTEK 8 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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