You can never have too may power outlets! Instead of the typical outlet strip, I get to try out the APC Essential SurgeArrest 6, which sits over your existing wall outlet, giving you not only 6 AC outlets but 2 USB charging ports, too.
Specifications:
Nominal Operating Voltage: 120VAC, 50-60 Hz
Maximum Amperage: 15A
Joule Rating: 1080 Joules
Dimensions (HxWxD): 1.5 in. x 4 in. x 5.5 in.
As the name implies, the P6WU2 provides 6 AC outlets (three on each side) and two USB charging ports (2.4 amp). Two LEDs on the front indicate if surge protection is working, and another indicating wiring fault. Here you can see either side of the P6WU2 (three outlets each side). Notice the threaded screw in the middle? APC cautions you to use only with a duplex receptacle that has a center screw. Without taking the P6WU2 apart, I am not positive this screw gives a mechanical bond to ground, but it does reduce the chance your plugs get yanked off the wall.
The P6WU2 is plugged in. Green light = everything good!
The configuration of the AC outlets from the side gives your wiring a slightly lower profile. Here’s the P6WU2 living under my desk. I still have two spare AC outlets, and I have still have two USB ports to go.
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Most people may think that a 94 yr old can’t possibly have new ideas, especially when it comes to technology. But John Bannister Goodenough is poised to change the world – again. Goodenough who is a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the University of Texas at Austin invented the lithium-ion battery with his team back in the 1980’s. Without him, the device that you’re probably using to read this article would be a lot bigger and clunkier.
Now he and his team at the University of Texas at Austin are set to shake up the tech industry with a breakthrough battery that is made of glass, has three times the power capacity of a similarly sized lithium-ion battery, charges in minutes and won’t go up in flames.
This can mean that a future of phones that last days instead of hours and all electric vehicles that drive further and charge faster could come much sooner than we hoped.
If you’d like more technical info about this Goodenough’s new battery tech, check out this article a ExtremeTech.com
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I have reviewed (more than) my fair share of dashcams and radar detectors over the past few years. All of these devices require power in a relatively inconvenient place in your car. Typically these devices are installed up near your rearview mirror. Few automobiles have a 12V or USB port anywhere near that location. Running or hanging power cables from your 12V port to your rearview mirror can be a time-consuming hassle or dangling eyesore. I have been searching for a solution for a while now and the SimpleUSB Automotive 12V to USB Adapter seems like a quick and easy DIY project to make this happen.
The SimpleUSB adapter is a pretty simple device, designed to tap into a majority of powered rearview mirrors and provide enough juice to power most automotive-centric USB devices (aka radar detectors and dashcams). The SimpleUSB adapter is meant for those brave enough or those who enjoy DIY projects.
What’s included:
SimpleUSB Automotive 12V to USB Adapter
3″ microUSB cable
Zip-tie
The USB end of the adapter is heat-shrink wrapped to hold and protect the electronics powering/controlling the port.
The prongs are designed and sized to be inserted/slipped into the back of your powered mirror’s wire harness, the red into the switched 12V power and the black into the ground. The prongs, wires, and assembly wrapping is all pretty mediocre quality but do get the job done.
The only difficult part of this whole process was figuring out which wires to tap into. My old truck was pretty top of the line back in its day and the rearview mirror has OnStar, exterior temperature, compass direction, dimming, and various other LED indicators. Which means it has a relatively complex wiring harness that plugs into the back of it. But with a bit of Googling and internet surfing, I found that the switched power was wire 13 and the ground was wire 8.
Being the tech-smart Gadgeteer I am, I test drove the connection points to make sure they provided the power needed to run the VicoVation dashcam I wanted to install. It worked first try…but I was worried the entire time that the fragile metal prongs would snap off as I was getting everything dialed in.
I used better zip-ties, double sided tape, and electrical tape to ensure the SimpleUSB Automotive 12V to USB Adapter was securely installed. I was definitely careful on how tight I synched down the zip-tie due to the very breakable electronics surrounding the USB port. But once everything was anchored down and the mirror angled back in place, there shouldn’t be any real stress on the setup. Though I may add more electrical tape but that is just me being AR. Here you can see the VicoVation Vico-MF3 dashcam installed. The 3-inch microUSB cable included with the adapter was too short, so I used a spare 6-inch one that I had laying in a drawer.
Even though the SimpleUSB Automotive 12V to USB Adapter build quality is less than ideal and the prongs are a bit fragile, it gets the job done. Overall, I am very pleased with my DIY effort. I have been meaning to install something like this in my truck for ages now. Having a power port near my rearview mirror will make setting up devices like dashcams and radar detectors far easier than running wires or putting up with the unsightly tackiness of dangling power cords.
Source: The SimpleUSB automotive adapter used in this review was purchased from Amazon with my own funds.
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It doesn’t seem that long ago when I had a 4-foot long power strip that I used to charge various gadgets and gizmos. The power strip was that long because I needed that a lot of outlets and I needed them to be far enough apart so that AC adapters could be inserted without touching each other. That was so long ago that it seems like a dream… or more like a nightmare! Today we have compact USB charging hubs like the Xtorm Vigor USB Power Hub which can charge seven devices at once without needing a lot of space. Let’s take a look.
What is it?
The Xtorm Vigor USB Power Hub is a USB charging station that has four 5V 2.4A USB 2.0 ports, one USB QC 3.0 3.6V-12V port, one USB-C 5V 3A port and a Qi wireless charging pad that is 5V 1A.
What’s in the box?
Xtorm Vigor USB Power Hub Power cord
Design and features
The Vigor Power Hub has six ports on the front of the charger. There is one USB QC 3.0 port on the left, 4 regular USB ports and then a USB-C port on the right side.
There are also two status LEDs that glow blue while the device is plugged in and ready to use. The LED on the left side turns pink when the Qi charging pad is being used.
The back of the hub has the main power port. The power cord that shipped with my sample had an EU style plug instead of US style. Luckily, I had a converter that I was able to use and I also found a spare US power cord with the right shaped connector that I was able to use too.
Using the hub
Using this power hub is simple. You connect the power cord, plug it into an outlet and then plug your USB devices into the hub. That’s all there is to it. The end.
Ok, not so fast… Let’s check the quality of the ports using my handy dandy QooPow qualMeter.
I started with the USB QC 3.0 port on the left. According to the qualMeter, the port earned the lowest fair rating.
I used this port with a USB 2.0 to USB-C cable to charge my Nexus 6P without any issues. It charged as quickly as the AC adapter that came with the phone.
I then tested one of the regular USB ports and it was also rated as fair.
I used these ports to charge a Samsung Tablet and a few other gadgets with no issues.
The right most USB port earned the best quality rating, but it also showed as only being 2A when the other three ports showed as 2.5A on the qualMeter.
I tested the Xtorm’s USB-C port with the USB-C cable that ships with the Nexus 6P. It earned the worst rating of all… literally. The label on the qualMeter says “worst”. It also did not show as being a 3A port. It showed as a 2A port.
As far a using the Xtorm Vigor Hub to charge my Qi-enabled devices, I tried it with an LG G3 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Both of these devices are not normally Qi enabled, but I updated them with 3rd party Qi pads which have been working perfectly for years with other Qi charging docks. Charging the same devices using the Xtorm’s Qi charging surface didn’t yield good results with the LG G3. It got VERY hot to the touch after about 30 minutes laying on top of the Xtorm. It seemed to charge, but the heat freaked me out enough that I did not want to leave it unattended.
Charging the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 worked a lot better. It was slightly warm after 30 minutes, but nothing like the LG.
I’ve got one more complaint about the Xtorm Vigor Hub. While I was testing it, I had it next to me on the desk test in a relatively quiet room. I kept hearing a strange noise which I finally realized was coming from the Xtorm. The power hub makes one type of noise when it’s just sitting idle and another noise when a device is charging. It even makes the noise for about 15 seconds after you completely unplug the hub’s power cord. To let you know what it sounds like, I made a quick video.
The video was captured with my Nexus 6P. I just placed it on top of the Xtorm to record the idle sound and then I placed the LG G3 on top of the Xtorm’s Qi pad with the Nexus 6P on top to record the charging sound.
Final thoughts
I really like the physical size and the number of ports that are built into the Xtorm Vigor USB Power Hub, but the fact that it makes strange noises, overheated one of my phones while charging via Qi, and that it doesn’t earn very good ratings with the qualMeter, makes me wonder about the quality of this multi-port USB charging hub. There’s also the issue that it does not come with a US style power cord.
For those reasons, I can not recommend this product.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Xtorm. Please visit their site for more info.
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The Jabees Q9 LED desk lamp is a multi-tasker that no only lights up your desk, but it can also charge your Qi-enabled device through it’s built in charging surface or USB port.
Consolidate your lamp and your charging dock or cables with one device from Jabees. The Q9 LED desk lamp features folding design, high-quality LEDs, a built-in Qi charging pad and a 5V/2A USB charging port.
The Q9 also features touch control that allows you to customize the color temperature of the 800 lux lamp from cold to warm tones.
If you have a device that is Qi enabled, you can set it on top of the lamp’s base to charge wirelessly for an easier cable-free charging setup.
Q9 LED Lamp is priced at $59.99 and is available from Jabees.
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Here you can see either side of the P6WU2 (three outlets each side). Notice the threaded screw in the middle? APC cautions you to use only with a duplex receptacle that has a center screw. Without taking the P6WU2 apart, I am not positive this screw gives a mechanical bond to ground, but it does reduce the chance your plugs get yanked off the wall.
