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PBL by EVOTech Labs is a wireless charger and wireless backup battery

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Now that I’ve switched from the Pixel 2 XL to the Huawei P30 Pro, I’m able to enjoy wireless charging again. Yay me! I’ve been trying several different Qi chargers and recently was introduced to the EVOTech Labs PBL which is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.

What is it?

The EVOTech Labs PBL is a Qi wireless charger AND a portable backup battery that can be used to charge your phone wirelessly or with a USB cable.

Why do I like it?

I like the EVOTech Labs PBL because it’s a wireless charger for your desk and you can remove the charger/backup battery from the magnetic base and take it with you to charge your devices while you’re on the go.

EVOTech Labs sent me a pre-production demo of the PBL to test while I was on vacation this week. I found it to be really handy while we were hiking in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky where there are obviously no electrical outlets!

Where can I find more info?

The PBL campaign ends on 4/3/19 they have already met their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a PBL starting at $39. After the PBL campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in May 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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PBL by EVOTech Labs is a wireless charger and wireless backup battery originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 30, 2019 at 6:06 pm.

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Scrubba Wash Bag Mini – clean jocks and socks!

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – We previously reviewed the Scrubba Wash Bag, a mobile washing device that allows you to clean your clothes easily and environmentally in many situations where washing wouldn’t be an option but let’s face it if you’re traveling light you can put up with a few stains or dirty spots on your T-Shirt or pants. Or if you’re doing a multi-day bushwalk everyone is pretty much smelling the same bad way as you are (which you only really realize till you get back to civilization) so washing most of your clothes isn’t really that important. One thing that is nice however is putting on clean jocks (Australian slang for underwear) and socks every day. Scrubba has addressed this by releasing a Kickstarter campaign for the Scrubba Wash Bag Mini, a smaller, lighter version of their original bag. The original funding target of AU$7500 was surpassed in just 2 hours with over AU$55,800 pledged to date.

My original Scrubba has just spent the last year and a half doing duty in Vietnam.  I’ve used it both as a washing bag and also as a dry bag during diving trips and during tropical downpours.  Yes laundry can be found generally pretty cheaply in SE Asia (sometimes you’ve got to walk down that little, dark alley ) however with one of our experiences being losing half our underwear (and other clothes) and the stuff that did come back smelling horribly of cigarette smoke, it can definitely be a risky proposition.

At just 70g (3 oz.), this is a handy, dandy gadget for any traveller, from 5 star hoteller to a minimalist bushwalker, to keep their “personals” clean. Kickstarter pledges start at AU$40 (~US$28)

 

 

 

 

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Scrubba Wash Bag Mini – clean jocks and socks! originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 22, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Party Blinks LED lights, Portal Cord, Orb Drop, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

NEWS – This week I’m bringing you 5 Kickstarter projects that I think are worthy of your consideration. I’ve got two EDC products, a home product, and two other products that are just for fun. Check them out.

Party Blinks

What is it?

Party Blinks are LED multi-colored water-resistant string lights for indoor and outdoor use.

Why do I like it?

I like the Party Blinks because they can either run on 3 AA batteries or micro USB and they have 9 different blink modes including a mode that uses a built-in microphone or sensor that flashes the LEDs in time with the music. They are a fun and easy way to add some extra pizazz to a party, decorate for holidays, or just brighten up your home.

Where can I find more info?

The Party Blinks campaign ends on 6/22/19 they are working towards their funding goal of $25,000. You can pre-order a set of Party Blinks starting at $35. After the Party Blinks campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Narwal: World’s First Self-Cleaning Robot Mop & Vacuum

What is it?

Narwal is a self-cleaning robot vacuum and mop.

Why do I like it?

I’ve been using robot vacuums in my home for several years now and can’t imagine going back to pushing an upright vacuum myself. Yes, I’m totally spoiled. We’re in the process of replacing all of our carpeted floors and I’ve yet to find a robot vac that can vacuum carpets, hard surfaces AND is also good at mopping floors. Narwal is a robot vac AND a mop that, can refill its water reservoir and clean its microfiber mopping pads when it returns to its charging base.

Something to consider before pledging

Although the Narwal can vacuum AND mop, it doesn’t do it at the same time. When you want to vacuum, you have to change out a module on the bottom that has a brush. When you want to mop, you replace the module with one that has the mopping pads. Also, Narwal does not automatically clean the dirt bin after a vacuuming session.

Where can I find more info?

The Narwal campaign ends on 5/31/19 they have already surpassed their funding goal of $30,000. You can pre-order a Narwal starting at $549. After the Narwal campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in September 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

TRONEX – A New Generation Of Flashlights

What is it?

Tronex is a wearable flashlight that offers several lighting modes.

Why do I like it?

I like the Tronex flashlight because it’s been designed to be handsfree. It is worn around your back and has two flexible arms with a powerful flashlight head on the end of each arm. The flashlights go from 700 to up to 4900 lumens so you’ll definitely be able to see everything in front of you while keeping your hands free to do other things like walking your dog, jogging, etc. Even the back of the Tronex lights up to make it a great flashlight for bikers and runners.

Where can I find more info?

The Tronex campaign ends on 5/29/19 they have already met their funding goal of $15,000. You can pre-order a Tronex starting at $98. After the Tronex campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Orb Drop

What is it?

orb drop is a marble run track that you build yourself that is made of laser cut wood pieces, stainless steel marbles, magnets, and plastic track.

Why do I like it?

I’ve always had a fondness for marbles and magnets, so the orb drop kits automatically piqued my interest. The fact that you can build the kits yourself and they help with STEM skills, I think it’s a winner.

Where can I find more info?

The orb drop campaign ends on 6/15/19 they have already passed their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a orb drop starting at $49. After the orb drop campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Portal Cord

What is it?

Portal Cord is a phone cable that you can use to sync and charge your phone that also has a built-in backup battery.

Why do I like it?

I like the Portal Cord because it combines two important accessories. It’s a phone charging cable AND it’s an 1800 mAh backup battery. It’s available for iPhone, and phones with micro USB, or USB-C connectors and provides pass-through charging so your phone gets charged first and then the built-in modular batteries. And it’s designed to be tangle free.

Where can I find more info?

The Portal Cord campaign ends on 5/31/19 they have already met their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a Portal Cord starting at $55. After the Portal Cord campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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Party Blinks LED lights, Portal Cord, Orb Drop, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2019 at 10:30 am.

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iMuto S5 Portable Solar Power Station review


REVIEW – Whenever I am out on a photo or video shoot, it is very important that I have a portable power source or power sources for my laptop, USB devices, and for charging and recharging numerous accessories. While there are many USB portable power packs available, many lack the versatility or the charge capacity to handle serving the power and charge needs for multiple devices and for extended periods of time. The iMuto S5 Portable Solar Power Station which just launched on Indiegogo looks like a possible solution and a game changer for me. Let’s see!!

What is it?

The iMuto S5 Portable Solar Power Station is a portable power solution that can power and recharge devices using common methods, such as an AC wall outlet, auto accessory power, or USB-C. It can also be charged and recharged via a solar panel using the power of the sun. It is lightweight and portable enough to be used for outdoor and indoor activities, and as standby emergency power in the case of a power outage or inaccessibility to a power source. Its features include 7 various power outlets for a total of 260W of power, all powered from its 50,000mAh built-in battery. It also has a built-in air cooling system that allows for safe charging, an intelligent Battery Management System to self-monitor, and built-in protection from overheating, overvoltage, and short circuits

What’s in the box


1 x iMuto S5 Portable Solar Power Station
1 x AC Power Supply
1 x USB-C Cable
1 x 12V DC Outlet
1 x 12 Volt Auto Cable
1 x Accessory Cable
1 x User Guide

Design and features

Specifications

On the front of the iMuto, there is the power button that turns on the LED display and all of the ports except for the AC port that has a dedicated switch.

On one side there are 3 ports. From left to right as shown below there is the DC in charging port, and 2 DC out ports.

On the 3rd side of the device, there is a USB-C input/output port and 3 USB output ports.

On the top of the iMuto, there is the AC port, with a switch and blue LED power indicator above it. There is also the carrying handle.

Below is a detailed picture of the device and its functional parts.

Performance

The first thing that I did when I took the iMuto out of the box was to plug it in to fully charge. While it did arrive with some amount of charge, I wanted it fully charged before I started my testing. Once it was fully charged, for my first test I decided to use it to power my Nebra AnyBeam portable projector which is another device that I am testing, along with a 4K Roku Stick with its power adapter plugged into the AC port. I also plugged in my smartphone to charge while binge-watching NCIS: Los Angeles via the projector. After about 6 hours of the three devices being connected to the iMuto, it seemed to have barely moved off of 100% charge. While it is easily noted that these devices do not require much power, it is exactly these types of devices that I would use this power supply for. I do not own a portable fridge nor would I likely use it for such a device. Rather, my use involves keeping 3 to 4 tablets charged, along with a couple of smartphones, a couple of camera batteries via their respective battery chargers, while powering things like my projector and Roku/Amazon sticks, etc. Occasionally, I would also need to plug in a laptop for extended use for editing or as a slideshow video source either directly connected to a TV or a projector. It may take me some time to really add a formidable stress load to “push” the capabilities of this power supply, but from initial impressions, this device is great.

The iMuto S5 is also very solidly built and is likely to withstand life inside of one of my gear bags. For my use, it is not the device that I would carry in my backpack unless I really had to. It does have some weight to it and would add too much more weight to my already heavy backpack. For this reason, a home in my gear bag will work better for me.

The picture below shows the LED display when the iMuto is fully charged and without any load plugged in. The second picture below shows all of the information that would be displayed depending on what is plugged into the iMuto.


On top of the power station, there is the AC plug and the switch that allows you to control power to it independently. There is also a Blue LED that lights when the switch is turned on.

The chart below provides some information on the approximated/expected charging/powering capabilities of this iMuto Power Station.

At the time when I received this device for testing, iMuto was not yet able to provide the complimentary solar panel for review and testing.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The built-in battery capacity
  • The Solar Panel charging option
  • The types and number of outlets
  • The size

What can be improved

  • The solar panel should be included

Final thoughts

I have been lucky enough to test a few portable battery packs/devices like this one, and so far, this one is my favorite. The capacity of the built-in battery along with the types of power ports make it a really useful addition to my gear bag. I also love that I am able to plug in my small portable projector and my Roku or Amazon Stick and head outdoors or anywhere else without worrying about power or more importantly the longevity of my power source. The overall build quality is very solid and unlike others that I own that feel like plastic toys. I am giving this one two thumbs up!!

Price: Pledges start at $229 with rewards estimated to ship in August.
Where to buy: Indiegogo
Source: The sample for this review was provided by iMuto

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iMuto S5 Portable Solar Power Station review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 16, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Chameleon Fineliners will take your drawings to the next level

CROWDFUNDING NEWS – Doodlers and artists will be interested in this new Kickstarter project for Chameleon Fineliners color blending pens that just launched earlier today.

What is it?

Chameleon Fineliners are pens that blend 2 or more colors instantly just by placing the cap from one color on another pen’s tip for a few seconds.

Why do I like it?

First of all, the color blending is quick and easy. The way it works is that there is water-safe ink in the pen AND in the cap. So you take the cap off one color and place that cap over another pen’s tip for 1 – 10 seconds. When you remove the cap, you can start drawing. First, the color will be the color from the cap that was placed over the pen’s tip. But after several strokes (depending on how long you left the cap on) the color will start blending into the original color for a very cool and seamless effect.

If you leave the cap off even for several hours, the pen won’t dry up. And besides being a very cool way to easily add unique color to your journals, artwork, etc, the pens are available in 48 different colors, can write more than 32,000 inches each, and have a Japanese 0.3mm metal clad tip so your doodles and artwork will look sharp and crisp.

Where can I find more info?

The Chameleon Fineliners campaign ends on 6/11/19 they have already surpassed their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a set of 12 Chameleon Fineliners starting at $14. After the Chameleon campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in July 2019. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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Chameleon Fineliners will take your drawings to the next level originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 7, 2019 at 5:50 pm.

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