Home 2018 August

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.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

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

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

The PB-JIFE peanut butter knife means no more peanut butter knuckles

NEWS – I love peanut butter, especially in my protein shakes so I usually buy the big family size jar of natural peanut butter. The problem is getting the last bit of peanut butter out of the jar without getting it all over my knuckles. The PB-JIFE peanut butter knife is here to save me, and you from those sticky knuckles.

The Peanut butter knife has a 7-inch stainless steel blade with a curved tip. Its long blade allows it to reach the bottom of even the biggest of jars.

The curved tip allows it to clean the sides, bottom, and top rim of the jar.

Strength treated stainless steel allows the blade to cut and stir thick spreads and natural peanut butters.

And its ergonomic handle helps give you better leverage.

The extra-broad blade design means you’ll get an ample serving with every spread.

In short, it lets you get every last bit of deliciousness out of your peanut butter jars.

The PB-JIFE Peanut Butter Knife costs $12.99 and is available on Amazon.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

The PB-JIFE peanut butter knife means no more peanut butter knuckles originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2018 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Damascus chef knives, wireless chargers, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

NEWS – This week we are bringing you info about four different crowdfunding campaigns that are currently running on Kickstarter. This week’s campaigns are for people who like flashlights, wireless charging, cooking, and more.

BricksPower, first-ever true wireless charger on the go.

What is it?

BricksPower is a portable wireless charger for Qi enabled phones like the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy smartphones.

Why is it cool?

I like the BricksPower because it’s a modular wireless charger that snaps together like LEGO bricks and uses micro suction to stick to the back of your Qi enabled phone. That means it’s more convenient than a traditional bulky powerbank that requires a cable. You can also use BricksPower as a tabletop wireless charger and there will be different shapes of the snap on battery pack that will turn the charger into a phone stand.

Things to consider before pledging

BricksPower only works with phones that have Qi wireless charging capability and the standard battery only has a capacity of 2400mAh which can recharge an iPhone X up to 50-60%.

Where can I find more info?

The BricksPower campaign ends on 9/13/18 and they have already passed their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a BricksPower module starting at $24. After the BricksPower campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

SHIROI HANA – CHEF KNIFE COLLECTION | JAPANESE STEEL

What is it?

Shiroi Hana is a collection of chef knives made of 67 layers of premium steel that create a striking Damascus pattern over an AUS-10 Japanese steel cutting core.

Why is it cool?

I like the Shiroi Hana collection of knives because they are gorgeous. Most people don’t buy chef knives for the way they look, but for the way they cut. Luckily these knives are both. They sent me a pre-production sample and I was extremely impressed. What I really liked was the ergonomic handle comfort and the blade’s insane sharpness that is actually a little scary for someone like me that does not have chef-worthy knife skills. That said, these knives made me feel like a chef and going back to my generic knives is painful.

Things to consider before pledging

Rewards don’t ship until March of 2019.

Where can I find more info?

The Shiroi Hana campaign ends on 9/8/18 and they have already passed their funding goal of $32,759. You can pre-order a Shiroi Hana knife set starting at $100. After the Shiroi Hana campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in March 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

KLiPT – The Tool With a Bright Fix!

What is it?

KLiPT is a 4 mode LED flashlight that includes a small clip that doubles as an EDC tool/bit driver.

Why is it cool?

I like the KLiPT because it does more than just shine a 300 lumen light on things. It’s made of titanium, is USB rechargeable, and the handle holds a hex bit and the attached clip doubles as a small multi-tool with a bottle opener, bit driver, ruler, wrench, cutter, and more.

Where can I find more info?

The KLiPT campaign ends on 8/39/18 and they are still working towards their funding goal of $7,385. You can pre-order a KLiPT starting at $51. After the KLiPT campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2018. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

EVERYDAY BLADE™ | World’s Smallest Folding Utility Knife

What is it?

The EVERYDAY BLADE is a tiny utility knife that you can put in your pocket or on your keychain.

Why is it cool?

I like the EVERYDAY BLADE because it’s so small and it is compatible with 12 different styles of hobby blades like ones from X-acto. That means that you don’t have to worry about keeping the blade sharp because you can just replace it with a new blade. I also like that the blade locks for safety.

Things to consider before pledging

They sent me a pre-production sample of the Everyday Blade and I love the size of the knife, but the spring loaded opening mechanism pinched my fingertip every time I tried to deploy the blade.

Where can I find more info?

The EVERYDAY BLADE campaign ends on 9/4/18 and they have already met their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order an EVERYDAY BLADE starting at $15. After the EVERYDAY BLADE campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in February 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Damascus chef knives, wireless chargers, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2018 at 1:15 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Travel light and clean; pack a LifeStraw


NEWS – When I was younger, I’d be thrilled to drink my mom’s homemade lemonade with a Silly Straw.

That was exhilarating, but what was truly innovative were those Capri Sun drinks that came with pointy yellow straws to be inserted easily and conveniently into the pouch… now that brings back refreshing memories.

Now, we are “saving the sea turtles” by using metal straws and doing away with plastic products as much as possible, to reduce the amount of litter in our oceans. Bye, cute little Capri Sun straws.

And just when I thought straw-technology couldn’t get much more advanced: the LifeStraw was born.

The LifeStraw is essentially a cylinder shaped, immediate water filter in the form of a lightweight straw. It was first useful for people living in developing nations, and now it’s handy for avid campers, hikers, travelers, or anyone without access to clean drinking water!

Suck filthy water up, consume pure water. Clean. Repeat.

The magic happens in the hollow fiber membrane, where 99.9% of contaminants larger than 0.2 microns, like bacteria, parasites, and microplastics are held up. This leaves behind only what is safe to drink, purified water!

This gadget works best in freshwater rivers and lakes, as it cannot remove salt from oceans or chemicals from water. It is BPA free, but not dishwasher safe.

A LifeStraw can purify up to 1,000 gallons of water. It is 22 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. Best of all, it only weighs 2 oz, so it certainly won’t weigh you down.

You’ll know when the life cycle of your LifeStraw has come to an end when you can no longer suck water through it, meaning you’ll never accidentally drink dirty water. This can be delayed by cleaning your LifeStraw after each use. Clean it by blowing air back into the mouthpiece, and shake. Leave open to dry at room temperature.

With every purchase of a LifeStraw product, the company’s Give Back program provides a student in Kenya with safe drinking water for one school year. According to their website, so far, 1,015,652 students have been given clean water, 1,621 schools have been reached, 10,677 filters have been delivered, and there have been over 4,600 follow up visits.

Practical, fruitful, and charitable too!

It’s available on Amazon for $14.99.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Travel light and clean; pack a LifeStraw originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

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.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

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

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.