NIFTY Mobile Charger review


You have them. I have them. What do we all have? Personal portable devices of course.  Millions of them are out there, and the more feature-rich they become, the more power they require. But because these devices are intended to be portable, we can’t always use them near a power outlet. Hence the boom in portable batteries and chargers to power our devices while on-the-go. The NIFTY Mobile Charger is one such portable battery, and its looks and features piqued my interest. Let’s check it out! Gadget on!

Options

The NIFTY Mobile Charger is available in three colors/finishes:

  • Signature Stone Red – Sandstone finish (reviewed here)
  • Stone Gray – Sandstone finish
  • Suede Black – Soft Tough finish

Specs

Per the NIFTY site, the NIFTY Mobile Charger’s specs are the following:

  • Dimensions – 106x59x25mm / 4.1×2.3x.9in
  • Weight – 156g  / 5.5oz
  • Material – Flame Retardant ABS Thermoplastic
  • Battery – 6800 mAh lithium-ion
  • Input Power – 15 Watts
  • USB-A Output –
    • TriCircuitry:
      • Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0
      • Fast-Charging 2.1A iPhones
      • Fast-Charging 2.4A Android Devices
      • Max 18 Watts
  • Type-C Output –
    • Max 15 Watts
  • Features –
    • Priority Pass-Through Charging
    • Powerloop Technolgy™
    • TouchSense™
    • TriCircutry™
    • Lumi I/O™
    • Intelligent Variable Output Delivery™
    • Dual-C™

Packaging & Contents

The NIFTY folks sent me both a NIFTY Mobile Charger (with cables included) to review as well as a 1-ft Lightning to USB Cable to connect to my iPhone 6 Plus. The packaging for both products is similar: a thin, stiff cardboard sleeve in a primarily white color scheme on the exterior which covers the interior black box that contains the actual product and accessories.

Above are shown the package backs which list features of the enclosed devices.

Above, the 1-ft Lightning to USB Cable’s exterior package is shown on the left, and the interior box is shown on the right.

The interior box is a clamshell-style with a magnetic closure. The 1-foot Lightning to USB Cable is enclosed in a plastic bag inside the box, as shown above.

Shown above are the contents of the separately-packaged 1-foot Lightning to USB Cable: the cable itself (with a Velcro strap) as well as a small instruction booklet.

Above is a photo of the NIFTY Mobile Charger’s interior box, which looks very similar to the 1-ft Lightning to USB Cable’s box, but with a “NIFTY” logo embossed on the front.

The NIFTY Charger’s interior box, which elegantly presents the device nestled into a cavity in a tray, which has a pull-tab to the left for easy lifting of the tray out of the box.

Beneath the tray are found the items shown in the photo above and which are listed below:

  • NIFTY Mobile Charger (show in its own plastic tray)
  • 3-foot Type-C (to USB) cable
  • 1-foot Lightning (to USB) cable
  • Microsuede drawstring cable pouch
  • Quick Start Guide booklet
  • Info card
  • (2) NIFTY decals

Features & Functions

Let’s start with the separately-provided 1-foot Lightning to USB Cable.  This cable, as well as the two cables provided with the NIFTY Mobile Charge itself, are a flat, ribbon-type which helps to greatly reduce or even eliminate tangling. More details on the cables to follow below.  Also included with each cable is an attached Velcro cable wrap, a very handy feature.

Above is the NIFTY Mobile Charger with its accessories, the micro suede accessory pouch (top left), 3-foot Type-C to USB cable (top right) and 1-foot Micro USB to USB cable (center).

The image above depicts both the 3-foot Type-C to USB cable (top)  and the 1-foot Micro USB to USB cable (bottom).  NIFTY calls their flat, ribbon-style cables Flatline cables and claims that they are made with aluminum, are seamless and have oval-shaped connectors with precision-welded internals that make them 240 times more durability than the industry standard and able to withstand 6,000+ bends.  In addition, both are equipped with Velcro straps to keep them secure when they are wound.  These cables both look and feel of very high quality, and I did not experience cable triangulation even once.

 

The micro suede pouch is a really nice added bonus.  It has a rich, luxurious feel and has the NIFTY logo embossed into one side in a very subdued style.  Both the 3-foot Type-C to USB cable and the 1-foot Micro USB to USB cable both easily fit into the pouch, with room to spare for another cable or two, or a few other small items.

The pouch’s locking toggle keeps its drawstring secure and keeps items from falling out.  Sidenote: In a pinch, I was able to use the micro suede pouch to clean some smudges off my glasses.  Bonus!

In fact, the micro suede pouch is just the right size that the NIFTY itself will actually fit into it, as shown above, though I don’t think that is the pouch’s intended purpose.

One of the first things I noticed about the NIFTY Mobile Charger was that it has no buttons or switches.  Instead, the NIFTY is equipped with Powerloop Smart Sensing Technology, which means it is essentially on standby mode until a device is plugged into it, and then it delivers the fastest, safest charge to that device.  I like that because I don’t have to remember to turn it on or off.  What it does have are two ports, a full-sized USB port, and a Type-C port.  The USB port is ringed with a white LED which NIFTY calls Touchsense.  A simple tap or any slight movement of the NIFTY illuminates the LED for a few seconds to improve its visibility and make it a bit easier to connect to the USB port.  In addition, NIFTY has Lumi I/O, a linear, dynamic, multi-function LED indicator on the top with five LED bars.  This LED glows red while being charged and white while charging other devices.  Its five bars indicate the status of the battery life while power is either incoming our outgoing.  It looks very sharp but is also very functional.

Above is an action shot of the NIFTY Mobile Charger doing its thing.  The cable on the right is the Type-C to USB cable.  I have the Type-C end plugged into the NIFTY and the USB end into a wall adapter, which is charging the NIFTY.  The cable on the left is the USB to Apple Lightning cable.  I have its USB end plugged into the USB port on the NIFTY with its Lightning end plugged into my iPhone 6 Plus’s Lightning port.  With NIFTY’s Priority Pass-Through Charging, it always charges devices that are plugged into it first, then charges itself afterward.  The NIFTY’s TriCircuitry enables Qualcomm Quickcharge 3.0. But as far as I’m concerned, the bottom line is that the NIFTY Mobile Charger charges fast.  It was able to completely charge my iPhone 6 Plus from about 20% up to full charge in under 20 minutes.  Crazy fast.  In fact, with its Intelligent Variable Output Delivery, NIFTY will automatically assign priority to each device plugged into it, depending on its charging needs.  Sidenote: I don’t have a MacBook with Type-C charging capability, so I was unfortunately not able to evaluate the NIFTY’s Type-C charging capability.

The first time I picked up the NIFTY Mobile Charger, I would have sworn the exterior was made from anodized aluminum with some type of textured finish.  However, the exterior is not aluminum, but rather a flame retardant ABS thermoplastic that is lightweight yet rigid and with a “sandstone” texture finish (which helps give it some grip).  It allows the NIFTY to be slim, small and lightweight—it is only 5.5oz (156g).  I can tuck it into lots of places with ease.  It also feels very durable.  And it looks cool.

Conclusion

I am a huge fan of the NIFTY Mobile Charger.  It is slim, small and lightweight, so I can stow it and take it just about anywhere.  Plus it looks cool.  It is also packed with tons of features, all of which I found to be useful, like the Lumi I/O LED indicator, its TouchSense port automatic illumination, Priority Pass-Through Charging and Powerloop Technology.  But because this is a mobile charger, probably the most important feature is its power, and it has power in spades.  Its USB-A output TriCircuitry includes Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and it has an 18W output, while its Type-C Output has 15W.  And 2.1A means it will charge a phone and a tablet simultaneously, and prioritize with Intelligent Variable Output Delivery.  So it charged my devices very fast, faster than any other mobile charger I’ve ever used.  If you are in the market for a mobile charging solution, I would strongly encourage you to take a look at the NIFTY Mobile Charger.  While it’s a good price at $79.99, as of this writing it is on sale on the NIFTY site for $49.99, which is an absolute steal.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by NIFTY Electronics. Please visit their website or Amazon for more information or to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $79.99
Manufacturer: NIFTY
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • USB port or adapter to charge the NIFTY Charger
Pros:
  • + Charges multiple devices FAST
  • + Compact, lightweight and durable. And looks cool.
  • + Cables are included
  • + Clever use of LED indicators
  • + Smart detection and prioritization of devices being charged
Cons:
  • – NONE

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NIFTY Mobile Charger review originally appeared on on June 5, 2017 at 7:30 am.

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Create your perfect Misfit fitness tracker with M.Y. MISFIT


If you’re anything like me, you want choices when it comes to the style of your gadgets. Black might be a great choice if you’re a Ninja, but for me, it’s too boring. Misfit’s activity trackers have never been considered boring and now they are giving you total control to personalize your next Misfit tracker.

M.Y. MISFIT lets you mix-and-match and truly customize their wearables by selecting the device, device color, strap style, material, and more. Device choice includes the Shine 2, Ray, Phase, and Vapor which is coming soon.

With hundreds of style combinations, it might be a little overwhelming, but more choices are always better than none. Right?

After deciding on a Misfit device, customers have a wide range of colors to choose from, including Jet, Rose Tone, Silver, Midnight and Champagne. Then they can choose a custom strap from a selection of silicone, field, paracord, leather, and more.

M.Y. MISFIT is available now at misfit.com/mymisfit with prices starting at $79.99.

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Create your perfect Misfit fitness tracker with M.Y. MISFIT originally appeared on on June 5, 2017 at 6:29 am.

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JBL E55BT wireless over-ear headphones review


I am on a never ending search, a search to find the perfect set of headphones. I know for most folks that may be a simple proposition, just buy the best headphones on the market. But what qualifies as the best and besides as I have some other qualifications besides sound, I need to be able to travel and wear the headphones for long periods of time. My current top contenders are a set of Polk Hinge wireless Bluetooth headphones, they are pretty good, but they are an on the ear type headphone so they loose some long term comfort points. I now have a chance to review a set of JBL E55BT over the ear headphones. Let’s see if my Polks can be dethroned.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

For those who do not recognize the JBL name, they have been around since 1946 selling audio speakers for home and professional use. The JBL E55BT headphones are a newer offering in a long line of headphones. If I had to guess based upon their other headphone lines I would say the E55BT headphones are an upper-midrange offering from JBL.

The JBL E55BT headphones have the following specs as listed on the JBL website;

  • Dynamic driver: 50mm
  • Plug: 3.5mm
  • Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Impedance: 32Ω
  • Battery lifetime: 20hr
  • BT type: 4
  • Warranty: 1 Years

Besides, the E55BT headphones you also get the following:

  • Detachable cable
  • Charging cable
  • Warning card
  • Warranty card
  • Safety sheet

The top of the E55BT headphones has the JBL logo on it and is covered in cloth.

The right side ear cup has the JBL logo on it and is hinged to allow the headphones to be folded. The hinge mechanism also allows the headphones to rotate about 45 degrees to the rear for wear comfort as well as storage. Both sides of the E55BT headphones have the same hinge setup.

The left side of the JBL E55BT has the same JBL logo and hinge set up as the right side. Both the right and left side ear cups are made of a slick and textured plastic giving the headphones a good look.


The right side rear ear cup has the headphones controls. The first control is the on/off slider switch that also has a LED to let you know the headphones are on. Below the on/off slider switch you have the volume control that also acts as the pause/play, call answer and track forward and back rocker. The left ear cup has no controls.

On the bottom of the E55BT headphones have the headphone jack and Bluetooth connect button on the right ear cup and the charging port on the left. Charging is done via a standard USB to Micro USB cable. The front of the E55BT headphones have no buttons to give them a clean slick look.

The padding on the JBL E55BT ear cups is thick and comfortable. Inside each ear cup, there is a cloth liner with either “L” or “R” inside so you know how to put the headphones on.

The inside of the headband on the E55BT headphones are cloth covered like the top of the headband and have some padding on it.

So, what’s my bottom line here? The JBL E55BT headphones are some nice headphones. The sound is great, not overly bass-boosted. This allows me to listen to all my music from classical to punk and all in between. Form and fit are also to notch, if I have any complaints it would be that I think they could use a little thicker padding on the underside of the headband. The controls are well placed and it is nice that you can control all the music functions from one switch. To be honest, I did not test the 20 hour battery time (not in a row anyway) but I have gone about a week and a half between charges (a couple of hours a day use). Synching the headphones to my iPhone was easy and painless. The E55BT headphones are comfortable for extended use (long flights or bus rides) and they have enough volume to drown out the world. At a price of $149.99 on the JBL website and with five color options (black, blue, red, green, and white) The JBL E55BT headphones will fit just about anyone’s budget and fashion preferences.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by JBL. Visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $149.95
Manufacturer: JBL
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Good sound
  • Comfortable fit
  • Great battery life
Cons:
  • None

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JBL E55BT wireless over-ear headphones review originally appeared on on June 4, 2017 at 4:30 pm.

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Video doorbells, folding photography studios, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns


This week we have two Indiegogo campaigns and two Kickstarter campaigns. I want one of each! Click through to see this week’s list of notable crowdfunding campaigns.

Xchime Doorbell: Watch your home from your phone

What is it?
The Xchime Doorbell is a video doorbell with features not found in other video doorbells that are currently on the market.

Why do I like it?
I like the Xchime Doorbell because it includes additional features not found on other video doorbell systems like the Ring Smart Video Doorbell that I reviewed last year. The Xchime integrates with a smart light to automatically turn on when motion is activated. It can also integrate with a garage door opener.

Where can I find more info?
With a month left in the campaign, The Xchime Doorbell campaign has already met their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order an Xchime Doorbell starting at $129. After the Xchime Doorbell campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

Foldio3 photo studio

What is it?
The Foldio3 is Orangemonkie’s latest portable photography studio. I reviewed and regularly use their Foldio2 photo studio which is listed on my Julie’s favorite gear page.

Why do I like it?
I like the Foldio3 because it takes what I already love about the Foldio2 and makes it bigger and better. At 25″ wide, the Foldio3 is almost twice as large as the Foldio2 so that you can photograph larger objects. The LED light bars have also been updated to be brighter so that there are fewer shadows and they are now offering magnetic halo light bars that can add extra light inside the studio box. I’m very excited about this new larger studio and am looking forward to reviewing it.

Where can I find more info?
With 39 days left in the campaign, The Foldio3 campaign has already blasted past their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order a Foldio3 starting at $109. After the Foldio3 campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Hale Orb: A fun new way to share photos and videos

What is it?
The Hale Orb is a tennis-ball sized device that allows you to share and view your photos & videos on your TV.

Why do I like it?
I like the Hale Orb because it’s a more tactile/natural way to interact with your TV to view photos and videos that have been shared by family members and friends. The orb works like a remote that you can spin and tap. When new photos are uploaded, the device glows to alert family members that new media is available to view. Tapping the Hale Orb turns on the TV so you can see the new photos and videos.

Where can I find more info?
With a month left in the campaign, The Hale Orb campaign has already met their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a Hale Orb starting at $139. After the Hale Orb campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in December 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

Zeki Smart Shorts

What is it?
Zeki shorts are men’s shorts with lots of pockets and a special pocket for a portable wireless charger for your smartphone.

Why do I like it?
I like Zeki shorts because pockets! There’s even a cooler pocket that can keep your drink cold. Bet it keeps your leg cold too!

I hope they succeed with their campaign and make a women’s version of these shorts.

Where can I find more info?
With 25 days left in the campaign, The Zeki shorts campaign has lot of work to do to reach their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order a pair of Zeki shorts starting at $39. After the Zeki shorts campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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Video doorbells, folding photography studios, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on on June 4, 2017 at 3:36 pm.

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Polk headphones, Big Idea Design titanium pens, Magellan dash cam, and more – Review updates


It’s time for a new batch of review updates that give you a real-world idea of how a product stands the test of time. Today we have six updates. Two from Larry and four from me. The oldest review was originally posted back in 2014. Click through to see the list of updated reviews and then scroll to the bottom of the review to read the latest update.

Polk Hinge Wireless Bluetooth headphone review by Larry Geisz

MBI HF flashlight review by Larry Geisz

Snap Power SnapRays Guidelight review by Julie Strietelmeier

Big Idea Design Ti Arto pen review by Julie Strietelmeier

Pearl RearVision wireless rearview camera review by Julie Strietelmeier

Magellan MiVue 658 HD dash cam review by Julie Strietelmeier

 

Product Information

Price:

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Polk headphones, Big Idea Design titanium pens, Magellan dash cam, and more – Review updates originally appeared on on June 4, 2017 at 11:53 am.

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