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Use the power of the sun to charge your gadgets with this ultra thin solar charger

Paying your electric bill every month is a real drag when you can get as much power as you want from the sun – for free. Ok, it’s not totally free because you need a solar panel to collect the power and they aren’t free. But if you are interested in going green, consider starting out with a small solar charger like Solar Paper from Yolk Station.

No, the Yolk Solar Paper doesn’t use eggs or chickens and it’s not made from paper. Solar Paper is a thin lightweight dual solar panel that will charge all of your USB gadgets.

It’s 3.5 x 7.5 x .43 inches when it’s folded and outputs 5V, 500mA per panel. Need more power? No problem, you can add additional solar panels which connect to the array using magnets.

The only downside to this product is the price. It starts at $148 for a 5W Solar Paper and goes up to $348 for the 15W version. Want more info? Head over to yolkstation.com and be sure to check Amazon where you can order a Solar Paper at a discounted price.

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Use the power of the sun to charge your gadgets with this ultra thin solar charger originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2017 at 12:44 pm.

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Dear diary, charge my phone

Stationary devotees will love their paper notebook will also love the Moleskine Power Bank because it looks just like a small classic Moleskine journal from the rounded corners to the iconic elastic band. Cute and functional.

The Moleskine Power Bank features 4 LEDs that indicate charging status but information on the capacity of this power bank is not known at this time.

The Moleskine Power Bank will be available in black or red and is priced at $39.95. You can find out more at moleskine.com and you can order one from Amazon.

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Dear diary, charge my phone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 6, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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OLALA 7800mAh Power Bank review

I really like portable chargers that have built-in cables so that I can eliminate having to carry additional charging cables with me when I’m away from home. I have Android devices (that use only micro-USB charging cables) and iOS devices that may need a charge when traveling, so the OLALA 7800mAh Power Bank with its built-in micro-USB cable and built-in Lightning cable attracted my attention when it was offered to the Gadgeteer for review. I found this charger to be a wonderful compact size (it fits well in my hand) and that it worked well charging my devices.

Package Contents

  • OLALA 7800 mAh Power Bank
  • Micro-USB charging cable
  • User Manual

Technical Specifications

Basic  Spec Capacity 7800mAh
Dimension 110.5 x 66 x 22 mm/4.35 x 2.60 x 0.87 inches
Weight 223 g/7.87 ounces
Battery Type Lithium-ion battery
Performance Input 5V / 2.0A
USB Port Output 5V / 2.4A max
Built-in Lightning Connector Output 5V / 2.4A max
Built-in Micro USB Connector Output 5V / 2.4A max
Fully Charged by 2A Adapter 5hrs
Cycle Life >500 times
Conversion Efficiency 85%
LED Battery Indicator 1LED 0~25%
2LED 25%~50%
3LED 50%~75%
4LED 75%~100%
LED Charging Indicator Blue Light Flashing Charging
4 Blue Lights On Charged
Environment Condition Operation Environment -10 to 55℃
Operation Humidity 10%~85% RH
Storage Environment -20 to 70℃
Storage Humidity 5%~90% RH
Package List Power Bank 1pcs
Micro USB (for charge) 1pcs
User Manual 1pcs
Warranty 1 year

Design & Build Quality

The OLALA 7800mAh Power Bank is enclosed in a matte black metal case and measures 4.35″ x 2.6″ x 0.87″ and weighs 7.87 oz. The metal casing makes the battery feel well made and it is small enough to fit in my purse. The rounded sides also make it comfortable while carrying it around. However, it does NOT come with a carrying case.

There are four LEDs that illuminate to indicate the amount of charge left in the battery:

  • 0-25% – 1 blue LED
  • 25-50% – 2 blue LEDs
  • 50-75% – 3 blue LEDs
  • 75-100% – 4 blue LEDs

This charger comes with built-in micro-USB and Apple MFi certified Lightning cables, thus allowing you to eliminate having to carry around additional charging cables (unless you want to charge a third device or charge the battery itself while traveling).

The lengths of the built-in cables (which are about 3.75″ long) tuck neatly into the side of the charger.

On one end of the charger, you can see that the micro-USB and Lightning cable connectors fit flush with the charger when inserted into the battery. You can also see the technical details of the battery in the above photo. 

The other end of the charger contains the power button (which MUST be pressed to start charging), the micro-USB port to charge the battery, a USB port to charge a third device and an LED flashlight.

Use

In order to start charging any device using this battery, it is necessary to press the power button. I found that this battery successfully charged my Nexus 6 phone (3220mAh battery) 2.5 times on one charge of the OLALA battery and about 2.75 times in another test (each time my phone was below 10% when the battery was used to charge it). It was able to charge my iPod Touch 6G (1043mAh battery) 5.75 times in another test (each time my iPod was at or below 16% charge when the battery was used to charge it). And, it was able to charge an HTC One M9 (2840mAh battery), a Nexus 6, and an iPod Touch 6G completely before needing to be charged. Since the battery has an output of 5V/2.4A max per each of the three outputs (which makes this portable charger better than my RAVPower Savior external battery with built-in micro-USB cable), it charged each device as quickly as their OEM chargers did (e.g. Nexus 6 was fully charged in one hour and 43 minutes or less).

Another attractive feature of this battery is that it only took about four to 4.5 hours to charge it after being completely depleted in my tests. When the battery is depleted, the first of the four LED lights flashes blue when the power button is pressed. When the battery is charging, the first LED light flashes blue until the battery reaches 25% charge and then remains lit, after which the second LED light flashes blue until it reaches about 50% charge and then remains lit, etc. When all four LEDs remain lit, the battery is fully charged.

This battery also has an LED flashlight as an added feature. In order to turn it on, you need to long press the power button for about three seconds and repeat the process to turn it off. My phone’s flashlight is about twice as bright as the flashlight on the OLALA battery, so I’m not so sure how useful this feature is.

Final Thoughts

I am impressed with the OLALA 7800mAh Power Bank – it is a well-made, compact portable battery. Its primary benefit is that it has a built-in micro-USB and Apple MFi certified Lightning cable so that you don’t have to carry around additional charging cables when traveling. It charged my Nexus 6 phone about 2.5 times on one charge of the OLALA battery and my iPod Touch 6G 5.75 times. It only took about four to 4.5 hours to charge the battery itself. The only drawbacks are that you have to press the power button to start charging a device and I would love to have the ability to directly plug the charger into an outlet so that I don’t have to carry ANY additional cables around to use it. Also, as time goes by and you upgrade your Android devices to USB-C devices, the micro-USB built-in charging cable will become obsolete. But until then, this charger works like a charm and you’ll be able to eliminate having to carry additional charging cables.

Source: The sample used in this review was provided by OLALA. Please visit their website for more information or Amazon to purchase one.

 

Product Information

Price: $29.99
Manufacturer: OLALA
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • -The charger has a built-in micro-USB and Lightning cables to eliminate having to carry extra cables
  • -The charger charges three devices at a time; each output is 5V/2.4A max thus it charged my devices as quickly as their OEM chargers
  • -The charger charges my phone about 2.5 times on one charge of the OLALA battery
  • -The battery itself charges in about 4-4.5 hours
Cons:
  • -The power button must be pressed first to start charging

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OLALA 7800mAh Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 4, 2017 at 11:00 am.

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Bezalel Latitute case & Omnia wireless car charger review

I love my iPhone, but the one thing that it has been lacking in is wireless charging. You can get a case with a battery inside that will wirelessly charge, but it adds bulk, and I enjoy the small form factor of the iPhone. I noticed Bezalel had a case solely for wireless charging called the Latitude, so I had to try it out. They also included their Omnia wireless car charger so I could wirelessly charge in the car. Nifty!


The Latitude case comes with the case and instruction manual, while the Omnia car charger comes with the charging base, 12-24V USB car adapter, USB-C cord, and of course, an instruction manual.

The case itself is pretty basic with a cover/insert for the Lightning port that keeps dust from getting inside as well as attaching the case to the phone for charging. It can be easily removed to use a regular Lightning cable or headphones with. There is a nice soft layer inside to protect your phone from the plastic as well. It was very easy to slide the case on and remove it if necessary, but it was still plenty secure on the phone.

Now, I say the case is basic, but that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes simplicity is better. The case has a nice feel to it and felt nice in my hand, and the logo on the back gives just enough design to keep it from looking boring. The front has a lip to protect the screen… unless you drop it on a rock driveway. It did well at protecting my phone from every drop but that one, but that’s not the case’s fault. It did a good job protecting my phone.

There are no buttons on the case, but the cutouts for accessing them on the phone are cut well and provide good access. The bottom is cut out completely except for the Lightning port insert, and that was a little rough around the edges, but still worked out fine.

So that’s the case, now let’s talk about the Omnia wireless car charger. This is one solid but well made unit. The only part that was not well made was the USB car adapter. I ended up having to use another one because it would not stay in the socket. Hopefully, it was just bad luck.

The most difficult part was putting it on the vent. It is difficult to press the button down to open the ‘jaws’ that clamp onto the vent, but it needs to be due to the weight of the charger itself. I really liked how it allowed the phone to be viewed at different angles. I placed it on the vent towards the passenger side of the center console and angled it towards me. This allowed me full use of the touch screen display my car has.

The magnet used to attach the case to the Omnia is strong and it did not detach due to bumps and normal driving. It was very easy to attach and remove the phone from the charger and it took only a second or two for the phone to start charging. It was very easy to keep my phone charged while I drove, especially when I used the GPS.


Unfortunately, though, the Omnia is very heavy with the phone attached and after a few days would nearly be falling off of the vent itself, despite the firm grip it had. A couple of times each week I would need to remove it and adjust it again, which was annoying when I happened to be in a hurry that day! If they could lighten the charging base up a little bit, or find a way to keep it firmly in place, this would be an excellent product. As a reference, I have a magnetic base that I used before that stays in the same vent location with no problem at all.

I absolutely loved the idea of allowing wireless charging to come to the iPhone (and yes, I know the newest generation will have it built-in) and I think that Bezalel has done a good job with making a protective case that allows for wireless charging without the bulk. The Omnia car charger could stand to lose a little weight to keep it from falling out of thin vents, but it would be a solid product if it stays put in your car. There is a chance the iPhone 6/7 (non Plus) version of the case could work better with the Omnia, as that would be less weight overall.

Overall, if I looked seriously into wireless charging, I would be tempted with the Bezalel Latitude case. Would I buy the Omnia to go with it? Probably not, though only because it kept falling out of the vent, not because it didn’t charge the phone.

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

 

Product Information

Price: Latitude (iPhone 7 Plus): $59.90 – Omnia $59.90
Manufacturer: Bezalel
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • – Easy to charge your phone while driving
  • – Can have your phone in various viewing angles
Cons:
  • – Falls out of the vent due to weight

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Bezalel Latitute case & Omnia wireless car charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 2, 2017 at 8:05 am.

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Ninety7 LOFT adds stand alone power to the Google Home assistant

Ninety7, the same company who created the VAUX speaker for the Amazon Echo Dot which Joe reviewed earlier this summer, now has two new products. The LOFT and the DOX that have been designed for the Google Home and latest generation of the Echo Dot.

The LOFT is a battery base for the Google Home that makes your Google Home assistant portable. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the base provides up to 8 hours of unplugged freedom.

The LOFT is available in three colors that include the copper color you see above, carbon, and snow. The battery base is priced at $39.95. Shipping for the carbon version of the LOFT will start shipping mid-October and the other two colors will ship at the end of October.

If you have the 2nd generation version of the Amazon Echo Dot, the new DOX will turn this small Alexa device into a cord-free assistant. The DOX has a built-in rechargeable battery the provides up to 10 hours untethered portable use.

The DOX is available in carbon and ash and is priced at $29.95 with shipping to start mid-October.

Visit ninety7life.com for all the details.

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Ninety7 LOFT adds stand alone power to the Google Home assistant originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 25, 2017 at 3:55 pm.

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