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myCharge RazorUltra 12,000 mAh portable charger review

Extra power in your hands, right when you need it?  Yes, please!  This myCharge RazorUltra 12,000 mAh portable charger delivers.  Not only is it tough, sturdy and reliable, but it looks great, too.  There are a lot of portable chargers out there, but I found that this device really delivered for me.  And it has a TON of great features!

I really thought the top and bottom form-fitted plastic packaging this item came in was outstanding.  It firmly holds all of the components in their place.  There’s no chance of the items moving around in the packaging during shipping, so there’s little chance of damage.  The box it comes in, too, is very sturdy and well built.  (See feature picture.)

This picture shows that the unit is a pretty standard size for a 12,000 mAh portable charger.  Fits well in the hand, feels solid, and fits easily in your pants pocket.  The smaller picture shows some of the specs on the back of the unit.  And check out this outstanding list of features – straight from the manufacturer’s website:

TECHNOLOGY

Smart-sense: ensures complete device compatibility

Hyper-charge: ultra-fast charging of your devices; up to 65% faster than competitors 

Power-stay: maintains battery power for up to 1 year

Max-power: maximum power transfer from powerbank to device

High-density battery: the smallest and lightest powerbank

Safe-cell: provides the highest level of battery safety

Rapid-recharge: powerbank recharges up to 50% faster than competitors

Pass Through Charging: will charge the powerbank and connected device simultaneously

The plug to charge the unit comes with handy fold-out pins that fit into any standard USA power outlet.

Something I really like about this portable charger are the “Power Remaining” indicators.  There are four of them.  Very intuitive, so four lights indicate 75-100% power remaining, three means 50-74%, two means 25-49%,  and one light means 24% or less power remaining.  They don’t stay on constantly, either; thus draining the battery for no reason.  How do you get them to light up, then?  You shake it!  (But don’t “shake it light a Polaroid picture”!  Unless you’re dancing… or you just can’t help yourself.)  Just give it a jostle, and they’ll light right up for you, then fade after about 3 seconds.  Pretty cool.

As you can see, the RazorUltra unit comes with a USB 2.0 micro Type B jack (cord included) for charging, and two USB 2.0 Type A ports to charge your devices.*

*myCharge sells a variety of chargers, each with different ports, options, and styles to meet your needs, including one that uses the latest USB-C technology, which can charge and run a laptop!

So let’s talk about practical application.  I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.1″ tablet. Starting with the RazorUltra fully charged, and my Galaxy S5 phone at 6% remaining power, the portable charger totally recharged my phone in exactly 1 hour, 11 minutes, and 17 seconds.  Now, AFTER the phone had been fully charged, I just attached the charger to my Galaxy Tab S and started charging it without recharging the RazorUltra.  The Tab S was also at 6% power remaining when I started.  The portable charger got my Tab S up to 96% after 5 hours, 24, minutes, and 16 seconds, and then it ran out of juice.  But the juice was pretty sweet. (Ha! See what I did there?)

All-in-all, I really like this unit, especially for the price of $59.99.  It holds its charge well and definitely stands up to other 12,000 mAh portable chargers out there.  I usually go for larger capacity chargers, but this is a really solid piece of equipment to have in your arsenal.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by myCharge. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $59.99
Manufacturer: myCharge
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Tough, anodized aluminum
  • 12000 mAh storage
  • Various models, options and colors
  • See ALL the features under the TECHNOLOGY section in the article, including:
  • Smart-sense
  • Hyper-charge
  • Power-stay
  • Max-power
  • High-density battery
  • Safe-cell
  • Rapid-recharge
  • Pass Through Charging
Cons:
  • Limited power storage.
  • Will only charge your device 1-3 time(s), depending on the device

Filed in categories: Cables, Batteries and Chargers, Reviews

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myCharge RazorUltra 12,000 mAh portable charger review originally appeared on on March 29, 2017 at 7:43 am.

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Seneo PA046 fast wireless charger 10W Qi wireless charging stand review

When I got my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ I embraced wireless charging.  I had been especially looking forward to that feature when considering the purchase of my phone, so I started looking for wireless chargers right off the bat.  I have reviewed several here on the Gadgeteer, and I now have a good idea of what I like and don’t like about wireless charging in general.  So what makes the Seneo different?  Is it better or worse than other wireless chargers I have?  Let’s find out.

First things first, the specs from the manufacturer:

  • Fast charge modes are ONLY available for the Galaxy devices – S6 Edge+, S7, S7 Edge, Note 5. All other Qi-enabled devices will charge at regular speed. Some devices may require an additional wireless charging power brick (Not Included).
  • Charging time from zero to full (Phone case is strongly suggested to be REMOVED while charging):
    • S7 (3000mAh): 2 Hours + 20minutes
      S7 Edge (3600mAh): 2 Hours + 55minutes
      S6 Edge+ (3000mAh): 2 Hours + 35minutes
      Note 5(3000mAh): 2 Hours + 30minutes
  • Phones can be charged either vertically or horizontally
  • Curved bottom in the cradle helps to accommodate phones with a curved bottom
  • Built-in over-voltage, under voltage, and short-circuit protection
  • In the box:
    1 x SENEO fast wireless charger stand
    1 x USB Power Cable (not including the AC adapter)
    1 x User Manual
  • Warranty: 45 days money back & 18-month warranty.

What I liked

I love wireless charging in general.  The convenience is awesome… just lay it down and it charges.  The Seneo does provide my phone with fast-charging, and just like the manufacturer suggests, removing the phone cover does improve the wireless charging experience slightly.  But honestly, it didn’t improve my charging enough to cause me to want to go through the effort to remove the cover.  So I don’t.

The main thing that I love about the Seneo is that it solves my biggest hassle with all wireless charging devices.  When your device is laid flat on a wireless charging device, you can’t really use it.  At work, I find myself constantly having to pick up my phone to answer text messages, make phone calls, etc.  So I have all but abandoned wireless charging at work during the day.  Until now.  That’s where the Seneo fits in my life.  Now I can wireless charge my phone as it sits up and I can use it while it charges.  Big win.

The one indicator light is across the bottom of the front of the charger, and it glows blue when not being used and glows green while charging your phone.  I tried it at home first and the light wasn’t too bad during the night.

What I didn’t like

Not much.  I don’t like the general trend in gadgets these days of not including a power brick, and there is no power brick with the Seneo, obviously to save cost.  That means I have to use a power brick that can handle fast charging.  I tried using an old power brick from an older device and not only would it not charge fast wireless, the Seneo wouldn’t charge at all.  So I would have been willing to pay $10 more for this charger to include a power brick.

Final thoughts

At $22.95 this charger is a bargain.  And as I mentioned, I would have been willing to pay more if it included a power brick.  Having the ability to charge my phone in the upright position at work has enabled to embrace wireless charging at work again.  I highly recommend this product.

The sample for this review was provided by Seneo. Please visit Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $22.95
Manufacturer: Seneo
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • A cellphone with wireless charging capabilities
Pros:
  • Great price
  • Dual-orientation charging
  • Fast-charging on some models
Cons:
  • No power brick

Filed in categories: Cables, Batteries and Chargers, Reviews

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Seneo PA046 fast wireless charger 10W Qi wireless charging stand review originally appeared on on March 28, 2017 at 12:00 pm.

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Rowkin Pulse wireless Bluetooth headphones review

Seems like just yesterday the world was introduced to wireless headphones, now they’re everywhere. So many models and price points to choose from it can literally make ones head spin. So what makes a good pair of wireless headphones? Well, that can vary from person to person. For me its a few things. Style, comfort, durability and most importantly sound quality. Then there’s the choice between in ear or over the ear styles. Since I LOVE listening to music while I’m at the gym, I prefer the in ear style because they tend to stay in place better while exercising and do a better job of keeping noise out. Do the Rowkin Pulse wireless headphones have what it takes to standout from the crowd? Let’s take a look.

In the box:

  • A pair of Bluetooth Earbuds
  • 1 USB Charging Cable
  • 9 Ear Tips: Small, Medium, Large (3 colors)
  • 6 Ear Hooks (3 colors)
  • 1 User Manual

Pulse comes with a nice variety of replacement ear tips, in 3 different sizes and colors, with corresponding ear hooks. I like that Rowkin gives you so many ear tip choices, it assures that you’ll get the best fit for your ears. I also like the color variety which includes black, cobalt blue and fuchsia pink, giving you up to 18 different possible color combinations. There’s also a USB charging cable and a users manual.

Design and Build:

The design of the Pulse is sleek, with a modern look and matte black finish; or if you prefer they’re also available in bright white. The earbuds are small which gives them a nice low profile when in your ears. Build wise they’re very lightweight,  yet they don’t feel cheap and all the function buttons are well defined and easy to use. Rowkin also uses WaterSafe nano-coating technology, which makes the headphones sweat proof, water resistant and IPX5 compliant. Perfect for running, biking, hiking, exercising, and any other activity.



Charging:


Charging the Pulse is done by plugging the provided USB charging cable into the Micro-USB port which is located on the back of the right earbud. The port is covered by a small plastic piece which is very easy to remove and once put back into place blends in nicely, making it unnoticeable. While charging, the small LED indicator light glows red. Once the headphones are fully charged the LED indicator light turns white. Full charge out of the box took about an hour. The manual states that music listening time on a full charge is 4 hours and I found this to be pretty spot on. They also boast a standby time of 12 hours (power on).

Pairing:


Pairing the Pulse is easy. Press and hold the control button for 6 seconds, and the LED indicator light will blink red and white alternately. This puts the headphones into pairing mode. Select ‘Rowkin Pulse’ on your device and connect, once connected the LED indicator will begin flashing white. Pulse uses Bluetooth 4.1 technology to connect to your smart device giving you a working distance range of up to 25 feet. In my testing, I was able to walk out of my house to my car without losing connection to my iPhone, approximately 30 feet. I like the freedom of being able to set my iPhone down and bebop around the house without having to worry about losing the connection.

Fit & Comfort:

Now that setup was complete it was time to see how the headphones actually felt in my ears. I decided to stay with the ear tips and hooks that originally came on the headphones. I found the Pulse to be very lightweight and comfortable, the earbuds are slightly angled which gives the headphones a more natural fit. The ear hooks, although minimal in size, do a good job of making the fit snug and secure. The cord on the headphones is a nice length too. There’s not a lot of excess cord hanging off the back of your neck. Its so thin and light that you really don’t feel it at all and maybe more importantly, it’s tangle free. Rowkin uses almost invisible grooves to keep the cords In place, so you can toss the Pulse into your gym bag, purse or pocket without worrying about pulling out a tangled mess.

Music & Phone Controls:

Controlling music on the Pulse headphones is done using the control and volume up (+) volume down (-) buttons. Press the control button once to play music and once to pause. The volume up and volume down buttons are used to control next and previous tracks. Hold volume up 1 second for next track and volume down 1 second for previous track. Pulse also has a built-in microphone for making and receiving phone calls. Answering incoming calls is done by pressing the control button once. Ending the call is done the same way. If you want to reject an incoming call just press and hold the control button for 2 seconds. The built in mic also allows you to access Siri and Google Assistant with just a couple taps of the control button. Giving you a genuine hands-free, wireless stereo experience.

Calling Feature:

I’ll admit I don’t normally use my headphones to make a lot of phone calls, but for the purpose of this review, I used the Pulse to make a phone call while out walking my dog. It was a cold day and I was bundled up pretty good. Hat, gloves and winter coat. My iPhone was inside my coat pocket, so instead of pulling off my gloves and fumbling for it, I decided it would be a perfect time to try out Pulses Siri voice activation. I was able to double-tap the control button thru my hat to trigger Siri and ask her to make a call. She had no problem hearing my command even though I was outside where there was a lot of ambient noise. Once my call was connected the voice of the person I was talking to was crisp and clear, they said my voice sounded clear without any background noise. Like I said, I don’t use my headphones a lot for phone calls, but with spring and summer coming I’ll be spending a lot more time outdoors and its nice to know that the call feature is there if I need it.

Listening Experience:

Most of my music listening is done while I’m working out, so I thought the gym would be the perfect place to put the Pulse to the test. There were two things I was looking for specifically. How well the noise reduction and echo cancellation handled the ambient noise inside the gym and how well they stayed in my ears while I worked out. The first thing I noticed is that the Pulse didn’t get quite as loud as other wireless headphones I have used, however, the music sounded very crisp and clear with a surround sound like quality. Pair that with the noise reduction / echo cancellation and it made for a very pleasant listening experience. I didn’t hear any of the ambient noise that is always present in my gym (music from the sound system or the clanking of weight machines) while music was playing on the headphones. As far as comfort while working out is concerned, the Pulse passed with flying colors. The fit was very natural and comfortable. I never felt like the earbuds were going to pop out and I never had to readjust them or fuss with the cord. Something I was constantly doing with other headphones. My experience with the Pulse was so good that they’ve become my go to workout headphones.

Wrapping it up:

There’s not a lot of bells and whistles with the Rowkin Pulse wireless headphones, but sometimes more isn’t always better. In my opinion, that’s the case with the Pulse. They’re very user-friendly. Both music and phone calls sound crisp and clear. They check all of the boxes when it comes to what I’m looking for in a pair of wireless headphones. Modern style, lightweight comfortable fit, durability and very good sound quality. Are there better sounding headphones out there?  Sure, but in most cases, in order to get premium sound you’re going to pay a premium price and even then there are no guarantees. I think the Rowkin Pulse wireless headphones do a very good job of living up to their $49.99 price tag. So if you’re in the market for a pair of wireless headphones do yourself a favor and check out the Rowkin Pulse wireless headphones. I think you’ll be glad you did.

Source: The sample in this review was provided by Rowkin. Please visit their website or Amazon to purchase them.

 

Product Information

Price: $49.99
Manufacturer: Rowkin
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Lightweight
  • Durable
  • Sweat proof and water resistant
  • Comfortable
  • Very good sound quality
Cons:
  • Bass could be deeper

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

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Rowkin Pulse wireless Bluetooth headphones review originally appeared on on March 28, 2017 at 7:36 am.

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LapLite Bamboo Workstation review

Every evening between 6 pm to 9 pm and later on the weekends, I turn from a mild-mannered Gadgeteer into a couch potato. If Jeanne and I are not watching our favorite TV shows and movies, we’re surfing on our MacBook Pros. Jeanne uses a larger version of the Lapinator laptop desk that I reviewed many years ago with her MacBook Pro, but I’ve always just used MacBook without a lap desk. That changed recently when I was sent a LapLite Bamboo Workstation to review.

What is it?

The LapLite Bamboo Workstation is a lap desk made of bamboo and featuring a mouse pad and a slot for a phone or tablet.

Design and features

The LapLite lap desk looks and feels like just like wood, but it’s actually made of bamboo. Bamboo is a fast-growing fibrous grass that has been pressed together to create a wood-like eco-friendly material.

Overall, the LapLite is 22 x 11 x .5 inches. The laptop area has oval cutouts to help keep the laptop and your lap cool. It can accommodate up to a 17″ laptop.

Next to the laptop area is a 7 x 9.5-inch aluminum mouse pad with a 7.5-inch slot for your phone or tablet above it.  The slot has a pass thru cutout that will allow a charging cable to pass through the lap desk.

The sides and edges of the LapLite are rounded and smooth. I didn’t find any splinters or rough edges.

Using the LapLite

After using the LapLite for a few days, I noticed that it kept my lap cooler than when I put my MacBook Pro directly on my lap.

The LapLite weighs 3 pounds by itself which sounds heavy when you add the laptop and mouse, but I really didn’t notice the extra weight on my lap.

With a width of 22 inches, the LapLite Bamboo Workstation is pretty wide. But when you need to use a mouse on the couch it’s great having that extra space for the built-in mouse pad. The only problem with using a mouse and the LapLite is that my lap isn’t completely flat and whenever I’d let go of the mouse, it would slide down and off the mouse pad.

Speaking of the mouse pad, it’s important to note that the LapLite is designed for right handed users because the phone / tablet slot is above the mouse pad on the right side of the lap desk. I’m left handed, but I use the mouse with my right hand, so this was a non-issue.

For people who use a mouse with their left hand, they can flip the LapLite around and use it just fine… except for the device slot which will be below the mouse pad when it’s flipped around for left hand use.

Final thoughts

Although the LapLite is really nice, I don’t think I’m a lap desk type of user. I don’t like having extra “stuff” when I’m working and playing with my MacBook. If I need to do serious work, I take the MacBook to my office and sit at a desk with a mouse and a larger monitor. So the LapLite is overkill for me. I think Jeanne might like it though since she’s already a lap desk user and she might enjoy using a mouse with her MacBook because she’s always having trouble when she needs to do a right mouse click with the touch pad.

The LapLite Bamboo Workstation is the nicest lap desk that I’ve used and reviewed. It’s well made, looks nice and has extra features (mouse pad and device slot) that set it apart from other lap desks that I’ve seen and tried.  If you don’t mind the size and price, it’s sure to not disappoint.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by LapLite. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $57.49
Manufacturer: LapLite
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Holds up to a 17" laptop
  • Slot for phone or tablet
  • Built-in mouse pad
Cons:
  • No left-hand version
  • Mouse will slide off the mouse pad if lap desk isn't on a flat surface

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, Reviews

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LapLite Bamboo Workstation review originally appeared on on March 27, 2017 at 6:04 pm.

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Cover-Up MacBook and iPhone stone cases review

“That’s the coolest MacBook cover I have ever seen! Is that real stone?” This was the comment I received in my first meeting after setting up my new Cover-Up laptop Stone Skin. Yes, it is cool. And yes, it’s real stone. Cover-up sent me two covers for this evaluation, they are unlike anything I have seen before. They are real, all natural stone cases that have been crafted for your iPhone and MacBook. But how do they hold up to practical use? Let’s dig deeper into these beauties…

First Impressions

Cover-Up is a company based out of South Wales, UK that produces elegant covers and skins for mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. All covers are made from natural materials such as wood, stone and wool felt. Hand cut and finished, each cover is a unique product that highlights the natural grains & textures of the material. I received a MacBook skin and an iPhone 6s cover from the Stone collection, in different color schemes that use natural slate as the base.

MacBook skin in Burnt Copper, iPhone case in Aztec Gold.

The real stone finishes are stunning. This is not a composite material or some sort of synthetic. Running your hand across the surfaces reveals all the contours & textures of the natural stone. Turn them in your hands and you see the colors shift and shimmer, highlighting the unique grains and patterns in the material as the light plays across them. They are just delightful to look at, and definitely get attention. I just can’t figure out how they make them!

The MacBook Skin

When I pulled the skin out of the package, I was a bit surprised at how simple it is. It’s a single-cut piece of stone backed to a thin rubberized base layer that’s been precisely cut to the device specifications (I have a 13″ MacBook Air). There’s a peel-off plastic backing that you remove to reveal the 3M adhesive material to apply it to your device.

Top view of the skin in place. Shimmery!

The instructions state that you should run your MacBook for 10 minutes to ensure optimal adhesion. Application is pretty straightforward: peel off the plastic, line it up, and stick it on. The adhesive material is forgiving, so you can pull it up and reposition it if you feel like you are not aligned quite right. I found it took a couple of attempts to get it right where I wanted it.

Side view of the skin in place.

I found that the skin doesn’t quite align edge-to-edge with the MacBook, but I think this is intentional to allow for some tolerance in application. I don’t think anyone has noticed it but me. There is also a slit in each corner which I think is designed to accommodate the rounded corners of the MacBook, but I have not found that it detracts from the overall package once it’s in place. I did find that the edges took some buffing to get them to adhere tightly. Given that it’s real stone, it’s a pretty impressive piece of engineering.

Closeup of the Burnt Copper material.

This cover is called the Burnt Copper pattern and highlights oranges, greens, and browns with shimmering metallics. The textures are more pronounced than I expected, and I was concerned about possible chipping or flaking. After two weeks of work commuting and meeting jumping, however, I’ve seen no signs of wear & tear. It also provides a nice layer of protection for the computer, which is cool.

The edging and cornering could use some refinement.

A couple of minor issues did crop up during testing. First, the edges could be finished cleaner. The edging is rough (you’ll feel it if you run your hand across it), and the adhesive pulls up a bit. It should also be noted that this is a skin. I believe it will protect the MacBook from a direct hit but it doesn’t provide corner protection from accidental drops. It’s also a thick cover compared to some others that I have played with. Other than those minor points, it’s great. It provides a beautiful, distinctive look and presents a unique sense of style.

The iPhone Cover

iPhone 6s case in Aztec Gold.

The iPhone cover design is a pretty straightforward affair. It’s a snap-style cover that snugly fits my iPhone 6s, with the stone glued to an insert in the backing. Application is easy, and there’s no looseness to the cover once it’s on.

 

All port access and rocker buttons are precision cut.

Given the unique stone material that is the highlight, one of the nice surprises here is that Cover-Up didn’t skimp on the cover itself. It’s a well-engineered, rubberized material that provides bumper-style protection including a full rubberized backing under the stone. All the slots are cut precisely for your camera, audio jack, adapter port, ringer switch, etc. and don’t interfere with normal operation. The integrated button stud for the volume rocker & on/off switch work perfectly. There’s a nice ridged texture that runs up each side, which helps grip the phone but doesn’t cause the phone to get stuck in your pocket. Overall, it’s a good cover that matches the quality of the stone surface.

Closeup of the Aztec Gold pattern on the iPhone cover.

For the iPhone, I chose the Stone style called Aztec Gold. It sports a smoother texture than the Tempest MacBook skin. Colors are subtle, highlight greys and blacks with veins of gold running through the stone. It’s really classy and understated.

Overall, I really enjoy using the cover. It’s slim and unobtrusive, so you can comfortably slip it into your pants pocket. I’ve even dropped it once (maybe twice), and it does the job protecting the phone. Like the MacBook skin, I have not seen any signs of chipping or cracking of the stone finish after twin weeks of constant use.

Conclusion

Cover-Up has done a nice job of fulfilling their mission with the Stone Skin MacBook skin and iPhone case. Not only do they add unique style to your gear, but they are beautifully crafted pieces. You should know that they are not inexpensive: prices range between $50 and $60 for the iPhone cases and $60 and $100 for the MacBook skins depending on the size of your device. After playing with them for a few weeks, however, I think the materials and quality are in alignment with the premium pricing. They offer a range of stone styles, each one with its own distinctive personality. If you’re looking to invest in a truly unique look for your gadgets with natural materials, check out cover-up.com for more information!

Source: The sample for this review was provided by cover-up. For more info visit their site and you can check their Amazon store as well.

 

Product Information

Price: $49 – $99 for the MacBook skin, $15 – $55 for the iPhone cases
Manufacturer: Cover Up
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Adds a beautiful, unique look to your iPhone or MacBook.
  • High-quality craftsmanship.
  • The real stone actually works as a protective surface for your devices.
  • iPhone cover doesn't sacrifice looks for solid build and functionality.
Cons:
  • Premium pricing.
  • MacBook cover could use some more refinement around the edges.

Filed in categories: iOS, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: , ,

Cover-Up MacBook and iPhone stone cases review originally appeared on on March 27, 2017 at 12:06 pm.

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