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AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand review

REVIEW – Since Apple (finally) threw its hat into the wireless charging ring with its latest iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone X models, wireless charging products have been multiplying in the market like rabbits.  One of the latest that we’ve had the opportunity to evaluate here at The Gadgeteer is the AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand.  Let’s check it out!  Gadget on!

What is it?

The AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand is a wireless charger for Qi-enabled devices that has two charging coils and allows vertical or horizontal orientation while charging.  It also includes a Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter.

Hardware specs

  • Qi-certified charging
  • Input: 5V/2.0A; 9.0V/1.8A
  • Frequency: 110-250 kHz
  • Output:
    • 5W Output: Samsung S6/S6 edge, Google Nexus 7 (2013) / 6 / 5 / 4, LG G2 / G3 / G6 Plus / Lucid 2 / Lucid 3 / Optimus F5 / Optimus G Pro / Optimus it L-05E / Spectrum 2 / Vu 2 / Vu 3 / V30 / V30.
    • 7.5W Output: iPhone X / iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus (iOS 11.2 or later versions required).
    • 10W Output: Samsung Galaxy S9 / S9+ / S8 / S8+ / S7 / S7 edge / S6 edge+ / Note
  • Sleep Charging mode
  • Horizontal Charging
  • Non-Slip Rubber Coating
  • AC Adapter: Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter (input 110-240V, 50/60 Hz)

What’s in the package?

Curiously, “AIKO” does not appear anywhere on this product that I could find.

  • Wireless Charger Pad Stand
  • Qualcomm 3.0 AC Adapter
  • 3.3 foot Micro USB Cable
  • User Manual

Design and features

First impression: The charger stand had a style that appeared would aesthetically complement many smartphones, and it had an overall solid feel and construction.

This charging stand includes a Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter, which is actually a really nice inclusion for the price of this product ($24.99).

The Qualcomm AC adapter is connected to the charging stand via a flat, ribbon-type USB-to-Micro USB cable that plugs into the back of the charging stand’s base, as depicted in the image above.

The underside of the charging stand’s base has four small, soft rubber pads, one at each corner, to act as non-skid feet.  In addition, the center of the charger stand’s base has a panel with rows of small holes to help in venting heat during charging.

 

This idea of venting heat from the interior of the charger stand was carried throughout the product, as seen in the image above where light can be seen through the small holes on either side of the upright portion of the charger stand.  These are through-holes that again help to vent heat and keep the innards of the device cooler.

One of the touted features of this charger stand is that it actually includes two charging coils, one above the other, which are oriented such that they form the shape of the number “8.”  Due to having two coils instead of a single coil, and their orientation, this charging stand can be used to charge a phone in either a vertical or horizontal orientation (more on this below).

One additional feature of note: the surfaces of the charging stand that come in contact with the phone to be charged have a soft, rubber-like coating to help prevent scratching of the phone that is being charged.

I evaluated this charger stand with my wife’s Apple iPhone X, which had no problem with charging in the vertical orientation.

As seen above, the phone sits down in a bit of a groove to help prevent it from falling over while being placed in the charger stand.

Above, the series of small head-venting holes in the rear of the upright portion of the charging stand are visible.

In addition to vertical orientation, I also rotated the iPhone 90 degrees from vertical and placed it onto the charging stand in a horizontal orientation.  Again, no issues with charging in this position.

Finally, I tried the charging stand with the iPhone X while it was placed inside the Tech 21 Evo Check protective case that my wife typically uses.  This is a relatively thick case, probably several millimeters thick, but the charging stand did not have any issues charging the phone while in this case.

Keep in mind that your experience may differ if you use a different protective case; one that is thicker or uses different materials may affect the charging performance of the stand.

Once a Qi-enabled phone is placed in the charging stand, an LED bar on the front of the base illuminates green to indicate that charging has begun, as seen in the image above.

One thing my wife noticed while using this charger for her iPhone X was that it emitted a relatively quiet but noticeable clicking sound, almost like the ticking of an analog watch, when plugged into a power source.  When the iPhone was placed on it, the frequency of the clicking/ticking increased.  This sound was almost imperceptible under normal, daytime ambient sound conditions, but in a quiet bedroom at night, it was quite annoying.

What I like

  • Minimalist, cool-looking design (IMO)
  • Simple to use
  • Includes an AC adapter

What needs to be improved

  • Faint but annoying clinking/ticking sound

Final thoughts

The AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand is a wireless charger for any Qi-enabled wireless charging capable devices.  This charging stand has two charging coils that help enable vertical or horizontal orientation while charging.  The upright portion of the charging stand has a soft material to help protect the phone being charged from scratches and also includes many tiny holes to help vent heat from the inside of the device while charging.  It also includes a Qualcomm 3.0 AC adapter.  This charger stand has a stylish, minimalist design and is simple to operate and can even charge phones that are inside of protective cases (though the case thickness may affect charging performance).  I found this to be a good value for its price.

Price: $25.01
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The product sample for this review was provided by Amazon.

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AIKO 10W Fast Wireless Charger Stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Aeiusny Portable Power Station might be your best companion during a storm


NEWS – I have spent quite a lot of time searching the internet for such devices that would possibly meet my needs for a portable power solution. My main uses for such a device would be to power photography/videography related equipment and accessories while at locations where power is unavailable, and also for use at home during a power outage which is usually an issue during storms and hurricanes. Also, a CPAP machine is used in my household, so being able to power it during the night, during a power outage would be great.

The Aeiusny Portable Power Station is a powerful 500W (peak 1000w), 288Wh portable battery that can power small appliances and equipment including a CPAP machine. The company claims that it can power a PC and display for 3 hours, a 12 volt LED for 96 hours, a 13” laptop for 8 hours, a 50 Watt fan for 6 hours, a 32” LCD TV for 4 hours, etc. It has 3 AC outlets, $ DC ports, and 4 USB ports. It can be charged via the AC adapter or solar panels. It measures 12.7” x 5.9” x 8.6” and weighs approximately 7lbs.

The Aeiusny Portable Power Station is available for purchase on Eco Sweet Home for $269.99.

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The Aeiusny Portable Power Station might be your best companion during a storm originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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The Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Pack is another compact solution for all of your on-the-go charging and power needs


NEWS – I am hoping that by now, that those of you that have been following my quest for the most compact and convenient, feature-packed portable power stations, are as curious as I am about what is available on the market to fit my needs or the needs of anyone looking for such a solution.

Goal Zero is another company that offers the power station type of solutions, and the company does this with several devices of different, sizes, capacities and features. The Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Pack is one of their most recent products. It is a portable power pack with a capacity of 25,600mAh or 94.7Wh, and it is powered by Lithium-Ion NMC cells. According to Goal Zero, “the Sherpa 100AC features an interactive OLED screen that displays power in/out alerts for individual ports, battery level, and gives the consumer the ability to customize their charging and recharging options”. They claim that it will power/charge a laptop twice, a tablet 4 times and a Smartphone 8 times. It includes a 100W AC port, 2 USB-C power delivery ports that offer 60W each, and its surface provides wireless charging. It can be recharged in 3 hours via the wall charger or 2.5 hours via USB-C PD. The power station weighs only 2 lbs, and the company provides all of the necessary charging cables including a lightning cable, micro USB, USB-C and USB-C to USB-C cables.

The Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Pack will be available in September 2018 for $299.99. You will be able to purchase one at GoalZero.com, Amazon.com, or select retailers.

For more information and to learn more about portable power solutions, you can head over to the Goal Zero website.

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The Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Pack is another compact solution for all of your on-the-go charging and power needs originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 28, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Zanflare LCD Display Speedy Universal Battery Charger with Car Adapter review


REVIEW – Whenever I am out of my home studio and shooting on location, I usually have at least a dozen or more batteries for my flashes, recorders, etc. Having a charger that is adaptable for the studio and for the car while on the road, is very convenient. The Zanflare C4 Battery Charger promises to provide just that along with some bells and whistles.

What is it?

The Zanflare is a universal battery charger that can charge Lithium Ion and NiMH – Nickel-Metal Hydride rechargeable batteries at various current ratings.

What’s in the box

 

1 x Zanflare C4 Battery Charger
1 x AC Adapter
1 x 12V DC Car Adapter
1 x Instruction Booklet

Design and features

This battery charger has charging slots for 4 batteries simultaneously. It can charge rechargeable batteries Ni-MH, Ni-Cd, A, AA, AAA, SC, Li-ion, 18650, 26650, 26500, 22650, 18490, 17670, 17500, and 17355. It is almost twice the size of my existing battery charger as seen below.

The LCD display provides information for each of the four charging slots. The information includes voltage (V), current (mA), time (h), capacity (mAh), internal resistance (mR), and you can cycle through the selections for each battery by pressing the relevant button.


The versatility of this battery charger includes four different charge current options to choose from (300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA), and each slot works independently. There are 3 modes for each slot: CHARGE, FAST TEST and NOR TEST.

At the back of the battery charger, there is a 5V / 2A USB output that allows this device to function as a USB power bank. (Note: TheUSB output capability is only functional when you disconnect the external power and insert a battery; this does not apply to Ni-MH batteries).

What I like

I like the build quality of this charger and I really like the flexibility of being able to select a separate current rating for each battery and to charge up to 4 different batteries at once.

What can be improved

The LCD display on the charger could have a better contrast between the backlight and the display information so that it is easier to see.


When shooting on location, there can be numerous challenges with ambient lighting. Being able to glance at the display and easily and clearly see all of the battery information would be a nice improvement.

Final thoughts

The Zanflare LCD Display Speedy Universal Battery Charger is a well built versatile charger that is a great asset for those of us that need to recharge various types of batteries both at home and while on the go. It is well built and quite sturdy. It has now earned a place in my gear bag for on-location shoots and at home during downtime when I just need to recharge all of my batteries. In my opinion, it is well worth the investment.

Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Zanflare.

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Zanflare LCD Display Speedy Universal Battery Charger with Car Adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 27, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Allsees Portable Power Station provide portable and convenient power on the go

NEWS – Those of you that have been following my news stories know that I have been looking for a portable power/charging solution that will work for me during power outages or otherwise for my charging/power needs. This is especially necessary during the hurricane season and/or for my photography and videography gigs when I am at locations that do not offer any power sources.

I recently came across the Allsees Portable Power Station that seems to have the specifications that may just do the trick. This portable generator (I would say inverter), offers 300W maximum power and 64800mAh that can provide relatively adequate continuous power for a wide variety of equipment including lamps, phones, laptops, TVs, cameras, battery chargers, CPAP machines, etc. It includes dual 110V AC outlets, dual DC ports, and 4 USB ports. It measures just 7.8” x 3.15” x 7.8”, and weighs only 4.5lbs. It can also be recharged via solar panels.

If you would like to learn more about the Allsees Portable Power Station or you would like to purchase one, you head over to Amazon and grab one for $185.99.

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The Allsees Portable Power Station provide portable and convenient power on the go originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 26, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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