Product review: VonHaus Compact Portable 2L Dehumidifier

VonHaus Dehumidifier is 13" tall and 8.5" wide. Its best feature is that it very quiet because it does not have a compressor, the worst feature is that it is not as effective in removing humidity as a humidifier with a compressor. Both are not surprising and stem from the technology used in this unit.



To see how effective VonHaus dehumidifier is I tested in our basement, where we use a standard 50 Pint dehumidifier which fills its entire bucket in several days. I turned off the large dehumidifier and left VonHaus Dehumidifier there for 60 hours. After 60 hours the reservoir of the unit had a couple of inches of water (see video). I can fill the 67 oz reservoir in 1 week. So it works but removes modest amount of humidity. However it is wisper quiet compared to our large dehumidifier.



VonHaus dehumidifier is quiet and light because it uses thermoelectric method called Peltier. In 1834 Jean Peltier noticed that when electrical current is applied to the junction of two different metals the heat is removed from one of the metals and transferred to the other. This is the main principal of thermoelectric cooling (and known as Peltier effect). The dehumidifier has cooling unit which is constructed from tiny metal cubes made from different metals. As electricity passes through the junctions between the cubes the heat is transferred and a fan vents the heat outside, a small amount of moisture is removed from the air in this process and condensed and this is the water we see in the reservoir of the unit.



For this unit to work, it has to be turn on continuously and it removes a fairly small amount of moisture from the air. It is very quiet, and if you need to remove only a small amount of humidity in a small space it will do the job. If don't expect the same performance as from a humidifier with a compressor you will not have an unpleasant surprise. For a Peltier humidifier to become effective it needs to work for a while, so you might be disappointed if you are looking to use it for short periods of time (like using in a bathroom during showers).



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Lelec 7" Car GPS Navigation

As I write this review I have been using Lelec GPS for three weeks. It has many weaknesses (details below) and one key strength (the maps and the navigation itself). As I used it I found a way to solve the problem with the poor screen visibility in the sun which raised my overall experience to good. Note: the seller offers two products in this listing, I am reviewing the one without the rear camera.



As a background for this review I am a very experienced GPS user. We purchased our first GPS in 1999 and between my husband and I had chance to use a large number GPS units over the last 16 years. How does this GPS stack up? It is NOT the best navigation system out there, but it has several features that I do like. I hope the pluses and minuses I describe will help you in your decision of this GPS unit is a good match for your needs.



The best feature of this GPS unit are the good maps (provided by TomTom and dated June 2014). The weakest points are the user interface, which is uses the old technology for resistive touch screen and the screen visibility in the sun. The unit also includes several very outdated and primitive apps which decrease the overall impression of the unit, but they are optional so one can just ignore them.



THINGS I LIKE:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



1. The maps are fairly current (June 2014). The display shows 3-D like rending of the turns which helps to orient yourself in a complex intersections.



2. A 7" screen is large and easy to see even for someone with imperfect vision. The screen looks washed in the sun, good in the shade, and is superb during the night. My video shows the display as we drive under different conditions. I found a work around for the poor screen visibility in the sun by changing where I mount the screen. Instead of using the mount that comes with the GPS I mounted it using a Command hook and "TABI-Stretch it on!" mount over the screen of my car's built-in GPS. The maps on the built-in GPS are now out of date and TomTom maps are significantly better. Mounting GPS in this position puts the screen in the shade, gives me a great angle and does not block visibility out of the window (but does block the car's radio as well the old GPS screen). At the end of the video I have several shots of how Lelec GPS is mounted in my car.



3. The navigation system does not require cell coverage. Our favorite navigation system at this time is Google Navigation but it requires cell coverage, which means it does not work in some rural areas where we like to travel on weekend. There is no such restriction using Lelec system. Google navigation has a street view which allows you to see the actual street and buildings this feature is not available through TomTom maps used by Lelec.



4. The speaker is good. It has a good volume level and has a large selection of male and female voices to choose from. All of them sound natural, not like a robot. I include voice directions in my video with the volume set to MAX.



5. Destination can be saved to "Favorites". It is easy to do with just a few keystrokes (my video clip includes an example).



6. You can change units from metric (default) to miles. By default the GPS is set to metric measures.



THINGS I DO NOT LIKE:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



1. The touch screen uses the old resistive touch technology, where you need to press the screen very hard. If you are used to touch screens on the smart phone this type of the touch screen feels unresponsive.

On the positive side this touch screen user interface is easier to use than a joystick interface, you can enter destination by typing on the keyboard keyboard when entering destinations.



2. The screen is hard to see in the sun. The image looks very washed out and it is hard to read labels. The screen looks much better in the shade or in the dark. I was able to solve this by moving the GPS below the dashboard, but this may not work for some people as it covers the radio.



3. Screen does not rotate, you need to mount one specific way



4. Amazon description says the US maps are current as of 2015. The software says the maps are current as of June 2014.



5. There an option for traffic notification, however when we ran Google Navigation and Lelec at the same time Google was generating traffic warnings and Lelec did not. The overall result was that Lelec route took longer than Google route. In general, Google Navigation calculations of our arrival time were more accurate over a number of different trips we did with both GPS doing the routing.



6. In the navigation software there is information on how to get updates. When I went to that web site I had to enter the brand name of the GPS and Lelec did not match any of the devices for which I could get updates.

To see the web site where you can get updates: Show map - Destination - More - Updates and extras. When I contacted the vendor he told me that updates can be obtained by calling the Chinese company that manufactured the GPS. So I am not counting on getting updates.



7. In addition to the Navigation app this unit has a sreen full of other apps. All of them are very primitive and fall short of expectations for anyone who used similar apps on a smart phone. I don't plan on using them.



The strongest feature of this GPS is the map and the navigation. This is the most important part of the product, so even though it has a number of short comings this is a reasonable option for a GPS system if travel in areas without cell coverage or don't have a cell phone that can do Google navigation.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Koram Multi-function 9.6" LED Clock Countdown Timer

This clock is 9" wide, 3.25" tall and 2.125" thick. Each number is 2.125" tall and each line in number is 0.25" thick. It can be seen from a distance even by someone without perfect vision. The clock takes a back up battery, which saves the time when the clock loses power. The back up battery is a button cell battery (CR2032) which is included.



On the negative side, the instructions are not very clear and it takes some experimenting to figure out how set the clock. One thing that makes documentation confusing is that the documentation describes three different clocks referring them as "first generation", "second generation" and "third generation". I was not sure what I had but since the description of the third generation was the only one that reference the remote control and my clock has a remote control I figured that's what I have.



One thing that really helped me is to figure out how to reset the clock (as my first attempt was wrong). You can reset the clock by pushing a pin into a reset hole in the back. This lets you start over.



When documentation says "turn key "5" to TESET", they refer to the slide control and position labelled "T-SET". In T-set position you can set the time my pressing up or down buttons to set hours, minutes and seconds and use mode button to advance to the next setting.



To set the count down you need to click "mode" button when the slide control is in the "normal". This will allow you to set the count down time which starts with hours, then minutes, then seconds. When you set the duration and hit mode button again the display will display "CD __". If you hit up button it will turn the count down on (down turns the count down off) and then display changes to "CD ON". The final step is to hit the Snooze button, which starts the count down. Note that when the time goes down to zero the clock does not make any sound. I would have liked it to beep to let me know that the time expired.



Snooze button has many functions not just Snooze. In addition to starting the count down, if you touch Snooze while the clock is displayed time of the day it will change to show the temperature reading and then the date. The temperature is shown in Celsius and the date is shown in the European format. I have not found a way to change the temperature or date format.



The remote controls allows to change all settings by using the remote control rather than the buttons on the back of the clock. It is slightly more convenient because you can see the clock face while making the changes. The remote runs on two AAA batteries, which are not included.



Overall, nice big display, but the interface to various functions is not intuitive and not well documented.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Letouch® Bossa 1350mAh Ultra Slim Power Bank

LeTouch 1350 mAh external battery is super slim - the thinnest battery I own and it weights only 1.5 oz. It comes with a short (1") built-in cable and it chargers my phone at a good clip (8% in 10 minutes). I run this the same test on all external batteries with built-on cable (since I cannot use a current monitor on these cables). I run the test with phone battery at the same level running the same apps so I can compare different batteries to each other and it compares well with the other batteries running the same test. Its capacity is only 1350 mAh and some of it wasted towards heat, so it does not have enough capacity to fully charge my phone with extended battery. So for the phone it is just a quick emergency boost when the phone needs it. However it works very well with my MP3 player which is less power hungry and when I have it along on my exercise walks I want a battery that it very small and light and LeTouch works very well.



I am able to fully recharge a totally discharged LeTouch in less than 2 hours. It comes with a short (2.5") charging micro USB cable, but it works with any standard cable too.



The only negative I can say about this battery that it does not have a charge level indicator, so I am not able to tell when I am about to run out of juice.



When you don't need a power house charger and weight/size matters this battery is just the right thing.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: DUXTOP UltraThin Full Glass Top Touch Induction Cooktop

The best thing about this cooktop for me is that it keeps a steady temperature, this makes it much easier to cook some thing without worrying about burning. When searing steaks or making fried chicken the results come out better than using a conventional stove.



A ran a couple of experiments to help me see if the cooktop temperature is accurate and if it in fact holds the temperature at the point I set.



The temperature can be set in increments of 10, so to keep it just below boiling I set it to 200. I let it heat water for 12 minutes while measuring the water with a temperature probe (calibrated to be accurate within 2 degrees). The cooktop kept the temperature between 192 degrees and 183 degrees. This result was consistent on several tries. So even though there was a difference between the temperature the cooktop held and the specified goal temperature the there is difference between the two was consistent I can adjust for the difference (I use 10 degrees). I guess it is like learning a new oven they are all slightly different.



The second thing I measured is how it compares to my gas stove. I used the high powered gas burner and cooktop at its maximum setting (level of 10 and goal of 460 degrees). I used 1 cup of cold water and the same cast iron pan. The cooktop took 1 minute 50 seconds to bring it to boil. The gas stove took 2 minute 25 seconds before the water began boiling.



Another interesting difference was the distribution of heat. The cooktop began boiling in the center and then spread outwards (but still showed a hot spot in the center). On the gas stove the boiling began on the edges of the pan and then moved to the center of the pan.



The cooking surface is heated only when the pot is present. The control system shuts down the element if a pot is not present or not large enough. The cooktop itself does not get hot at all, so nothing gets burned and baked on it and it is very easy to clean by just wiping with a wet cloth.



Not every cookware works with the induction tops. This is because induction works by electromagnetic induction. This means to work on the induction top the pots must be made out of magnetic metal such as cast iron, stainless steel, and enamelled iron. In addition the bottom of the pan has to flat and make contact with the surface of the cook top and not too small (larger than 4.75" in diameter).



What cookware does not work? Heat-resistant glass, ceramic, copper, aluminium because none of them are magnetic.



I was able to cook pancakes at a constant and lower temperature and I thought they came out better this way. For steak I set the cooktop to the maximum temperature and the highest wattage. I was able to get the cast iron pan very hot which, of course, is the key to searing meat. For fried chicken, I set the temperature to 370 degrees (which translate to 380 degrees on the cooktop display) and cook it on both sides for 5 minutes, then finish it in the baking oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. The chicken comes out very crispy.



The cooktop is not as precise or as accurate as I hoped, but it is consistent so this is not a deal breaker just requires adjustment by the cook to know how their cooktop behaves. Everyone learns what to expect from their oven so this is similar.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Balichun Supreme Collection - High Quality 100% Cotton 4-Piece Bed Sheet

Balichun cotton sheets have a tight weave and a smooth finish. Detracting from the fine fabric is the finish of the seams that has a lot of hanging threads. The seams don't seem to be unrevealing (the sheets have been through two washes as I write this review) but the stitching is little sloppy. I show an example in attached photo.



I like:

~~~~~~~~~



1. Tight weave

2. Smooth sateen finish, very nice to touch

3. The fitted sheet has an elastic all the way around (not just two sides like some sheets) this results in a very good fit regardless of the size of the mattress. The pocket size is 14". Our mattress is 11". However because of the good elastic I get a very nice tight fit which is not always the case with 14" pocket and a thinner mattress.

4. Simple but elegant edge decoration. It appears on the pillow cases and on the flat sheet. I show a close-up in my photos



I don't like:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Not wrinkle free straight out of the dryer

2. Workmahip of the seams, they have a lot of dangling threads



Overall, even though not perfect this is a very nice sheet set and after sleeping on it for a couple of weeks I give it thumbs up.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: BlueDriver - Bluetooth OBDII Scan Tool

I give 5 stars to the hardware and 2 stars to the BlueDriver app. Luckily, there is an excellent free app called Torque that works very well so I am only deducting 1 star from the rating because there is another option to replace the app that comes with BlueDriver. In attached video I show both apps, including Torque running while the car is being driven.



The Bluedriver app even though it initially connected constantly lost connectivity so I could never get past the first screen. I have spent quite a bit of time on testing it on two different cars (Honda CRV and Chrysler 300C) and never got past that first screen. Torque app, however, connected instantly and had a lot of information about the car as you see in the video.



The scanner is simple to install and simple to use. A lot simpler than I expected, frankly. All cars and light trucks built and sold in the United States after January 1, 1996 were required to be OBD II equipped. Once I looked up what the OBD-II connector looked like it was easy to locate it. The connector is very distinctive looking, I am including a picture of it in my video for reference. In my car the connector was located under my dash, slightly to the right of the steering wheel.



The OBD II scanner is fairly small: 1.75" wide, 1.74" tall, and 0.875" wide.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Apexel 2 in 1 Clip-on 180 Degree Fisheye Lens + 20x Macro Lens

Left without the lens, right with the macro lens

With fisheye lens

This lens fits any phone as long as it is possible to position the clip over the camera lens. In order to fit the distance between the center of the phone camera lens and the shorter edge of the phone should be less 30mm (1.18"). If the camera lens is lower them it is also possible to mount the lens from the long edge pf the phone as long the distance between the camera photo lens and the phone edge is less than 30 mm.



The kit contains two lenses a macro lens (which is good for taking close up photos of small objects) and a fisheye lens (good for super wide angle). The lenses in this kit hold on to the camera by a compression clip. I have another lens kit which attaches by tightening a brass screw and that mechanism stays on the phone better without moving. With a compression clip you need to be a lot more careful not to push the lens of the camera lens.



I am attaching  photos taken with the lenses in this kit. The fisheye is easier to use as it is easier to take sharp pictures without a lot of adjustments. 20X macro requires quite a bit of work to get crisp photos. Macro photography is difficult to focus even in 35 mm photography, holding the phone steady is even more difficult. The focus area is very shallow and very small, so it takes a lot of patience to get sharp photos. However, even when the photos were not shart I got many visually pleasing abstract color shots. I thought some of them will make beautiful backgrounds, so there is a way to turn mistakes into something useful.



These lenses definitely push my phone's capability beyond of what it was capable of before. I enjoy photography so this made my phone photos much more fun.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: portable flexible keyboard

When it comes to keyboards I am a throw back that likes the feel of a mechanical keyboard. It took me a little time to get used to how this keyboard feels with its buzzy feedback to my touch. I would not use it instead of my regular keyboard, however on the road when I travel I am able to use it productively for serious typing. The keys are spaced out very well and the keyboard is quite sensitive to my light tough (I don't pound).



The keyboard is extremely thin and very flexible. It weighs on 3.2 oz and is easy to pack no matter how stuffed my luggage is. Because it so flexible to use the keyboard you have to have something under it - a table or a large book. The keyboard size is 12.25" x 4.375", its thickness is 1/16".



I can type with fewer typos and faster than using on screen keyboard. In the video I am using iPad Mini, but it also paired without problems with my other devices. I had to enter the code a few times as I was getting used to the keyboard, but I got "trained" to do better as I got more practice.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product reveiw: DUXTOP UltraThin Full Glass Induction Cooktop

The best thing about this cooktop for me is that it keeps a steady temperature, this makes it much easier to cook some thing without worrying about burning. When searing steaks or making fried chicken the results come out better than using a conventional stove.



A ran a couple of experiments to help me see if the cooktop temperature is accurate and if it in fact holds the temperature at the point I set.



The temperature can be set in increments of 10, so to keep it just below boiling I set it to 200. I let it heat water for 12 minutes while measuring the water with a temperature probe (calibrated to be accurate within 2 degrees). The cooktop kept the temperature between 192 degrees and 183 degrees. This result was consistent on several tries. So even though there was a difference between the temperature the cooktop held and the specified goal temperature the there is difference between the two was consistent I can adjust for the difference (I use 10 degrees). I guess it is like learning a new oven they are all slightly different.



The second thing I measured is how it compares to my gas stove. I used the high powered gas burner and cooktop at its maximum setting (level of 10 and goal of 460 degrees). I used 1 cup of cold water and the same cast iron pan. The cooktop took 1 minute 50 seconds to bring it to boil. The gas stove took 2 minute 25 seconds before the water began boiling.



Another interesting difference was the distribution of heat. The cooktop began boiling in the center and then spread outwards (but still showed a hot spot in the center). On the gas stove the boiling began on the edges of the pan and then moved to the center of the pan.



The cooking surface is heated only when the pot is present. The control system shuts down the element if a pot is not present or not large enough. The cooktop itself does not get hot at all, so nothing gets burned and baked on it and it is very easy to clean by just wiping with a wet cloth.



Not every cookware works with the induction tops. This is because induction works by electromagnetic induction. This means to work on the induction top the pots must be made out of magnetic metal such as cast iron, stainless steel, and enamelled iron. In addition the bottom of the pan has to flat and make contact with the surface of the cook top and not too small (larger than 4.75" in diameter).



What cookware does not work? Heat-resistant glass, ceramic, copper, aluminium because none of them are magnetic.



I was able to cook pancakes at a constant and lower temperature and I thought they came out better this way. For steak I set the cooktop to the maximum temperature and the highest wattage. I was able to get the cast iron pan very hot which, of course, is the key to searing meat. For fried chicken, I set the temperature to 370 degrees (which translate to 380 degrees on the cooktop display) and cook it on both sides for 5 minutes, then finish it in the baking oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. The chicken comes out very crispy.



The cooktop is not as precise or as accurate as I hoped, but it is consistent so this is not a deal breaker just requires adjustment by the cook to know how their cooktop behaves. Everyone learns what to expect from their oven so this is similar.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Floor Robot Sweeping Robot Loomin A325

Who haven't dreamed of having a robot that does all the cleaning? I have. Loomin Robot is neat, does a nice job cleaning, but not perfect. It cleans fairly well but it was not able to handle all the challenges of my house.



Having a cleaning robot feels a bit like having a pet. Cute, does its own thing, sometimes does not behave perfectly. But you still like it. That's how I feel about my Loomin Robot.



Loomin Robot is 14" in diameter and 3" tall, which means if it cannot get into areas which are more narrow than 14". On auto-clean it meanders around the house in what seems like a random pattern (unless you select a mode where it does spot cleaning or edges). The first few times it cleaned I observed it very carefully. It got most of the dust but I did find some accessible to it areas which still had dusty spots after 1 hour progress check. Given enough time it does get those areas eventually. In a zig-zag mode it seems to cover more areas consistently. The edge mode is very good for getting dust from under the baseboards. Loomin Robot has long thin whiskers-like brushes (in addition to the regular brushes under the unit) that get things from corners very well. The spot cleaning mode works well for small areas. In the spot cleaning mode the cleaning stops as soon as it bumps into two obstacles.



The biggest problem I ran into is that I need to prep the house for the cleaning. It means I cannot just have Loomin Robot clean on a schedule (which it has a capability for) and forget it.



Why do I need to prep?



➀ I have hard wood floors with some area rugs. These area rugs have tussles (see video). Every single time Loomin went over the tussles it got trapped or the rug got trapped and dragged. I was able to easily disengage the brushes. However, I need to roll up my long runner and remove all small rugs (like the door mat) for Loomin Robot to clean without me needing to rescue it.



➁ I have a couple of leather chairs with metal bases. The metal bases are about 1 inch high. Loomin managed to climb into the metal base and clean within it (I was very impressed) but as it climbed in and out Loomin heavy metal body was hitting the floor and created small moonlike indentations on my oak floor. Unfortunately I did not notice them right away, so there are areas with small indentations around the base of my leather chairs.



Loomin comes with one virtual wall dome, which creates a 4 foot barrier which Loomin avoids, this way you can keep Loomin from entering certain rooms or keep it away from cleaning certain areas. I wish the package included several virtual walls. I could have used at least 3 of them: one to close off the room Loomin is cleaning and 2 to close off a corner I don't want Loomin to get into like the area with the leather chairs.



A couple of words about the virtual wall: It runs on two "C" batteries which are not included. The expected polarity of the batteries are specified on the cap. I have a house full of AA rechargeable batteries and I am happy to report that the virtual wall works fine with AA batteries in a "C" battery jacket. The virtual wall should be turned off when not in use otherwise it will use up the batteries quickly.



Loomin Robot is very easy to use. No assembly or set up is needed. All I had to do was hold down the charge button on remote and then turn on the unit. The remote immediately paired with the device. The remote allows me to turn the robot on and off as well as control its movements via a joystick like control. The remote runs on two AAA batteries which were not included. The home base re-charger plugs into the AC outlet with a pretty big adapter that takes up two slots. Loomin can do 2 hours of cleaning on one charge. If it can detect the charging station it will return to it on its own to recharge. It can locate the charging station from a few feet away, otherwise it continues to meander looking for it. Of course, if it is cleaning on another floor from the home base then it will just eventually stop.



The user manual included in the package is quite good, the instructions were clear and it has a lot of pictures.



Loomin Robot is definitely doing cleaning. I have been using it for 2 weeks now, each day I pick a room for the robot to clean and its dust pan gets filled up with dust every time. If Loomin has it that means it is not on the floor! I like it! Does it do a perfect job? No. In attached video I go over the area where Loomin Robot did spot cleaning with a swiffer cleaner and show the results. The swiffer did pick up some stuff left on the floor but visually it looked quite clean.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: FAVOLCANO 20000mAh High Capacity Ultra-thin Dual USB Port External Battery

A lot of capacity comes in a fairly compact package, this battery is 6" x 3" x 3/8" and is 20000mAh. It has two USB outlets and one (fairly dim) flashlight.



I tested each USB port with current monitor with an Android phone and iPad Mini tablet. The battery charged iPadMini as well as the best power banks I have tested on 2A port. On 1A port did not provide optimal results because Apple products require more than 1A, but it provided a typical charge for a 1A port. For Android phone results were not as good. It underperformed on both ports, charging at USB rate on 2A port and below optimal on 1A port. I started running these tests when my Android devices had HoneyComb operating system. The charging rate is controlled by protocols between the devices and the battery. When they can't negotiate they get the default non-optimal rate. I was able to observe the improvements in Android OS as they adapted to handle Apple protocol on 2A ports. Before 4.21 I could only get fast charging on 1A ports, and would get bad performance on 2.1A port on my Android devices. After upgrade to Jelly Bean 4.21 I saw the same performance on 2A and 1A ports as it is controlled by the device negotiating the protocol with the charger. Now my Android devices typically charge similar in speed on both ports. So these results surprised me. This battery us using a protocol that Android is not able to handle well. If you are interested in the specific numbers, my video includes screen shots of the results.



Based on my test this power bank is better suited for Apple devices. It works with Android but not as well as with other power banks.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: ORICO Mini Size 2 Outlet Surge Protector with 4 USB Charger

The Orico charging station combines two AC outlets and four USB ports. This charging station has a 54" cord and its size is 6.5" x 2.5" x 1.5". The AC outlets are spaced in such a way that I can put a battery charger and a regular plug next to each other (but not two battery chargers side by side).



I tested each USB outlet with current monitor with an Android phone and iPad Mini tablet. Both performed as well as any other charger, however the strip got pretty warm when I get both the phone and the tablet charging at the same time. If you are interested in the test results I am including the readings in my video.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: AVANTEK In-Car Universal Wireless FM Transmitter Radio Adapter Car Kit

I have been using FM transmitters in my car for many years as I like listening to audio books in my car. I have used several FM transmitters in the past and this one falls in the middle of the pack.



First thing you need to know that this transmitter is not bluetooth enabled. You can use either with an audio cable to connect to the phone or MP3 player or by streaming audio from a USB memory stick. So this transmitter is ideal for MP3 players that are not bluetooth enabled and my favorite method USB stick, but I don't see it being particularly useful with a phone that is bluetooth enabled.



As you see in the video it works the memory stick well. The sound is as good as your car speakers, of course. The main job of the transmitter is to stay in contact with an empty FM station for a clear sound, and this transmitter allows you to select any station you want - no limited number of pre-sets as some of the other FM transmitters I encountered.



To find vacant FM stations in my area I used a web site "radio-locator (dot) com/cgi-bin/vacant" where you can enter your zip code and get a list of stations to try.



Once the station is selected Aventek remembers it even when I unplug the transmitter and then plug it back in.



Since I listen to audio book having a bookmark capability (i.e. ability to return to exactly where I left of last time) is key. My favorite FM transmitter by Satechi has a bookmark capability, Aventek does not. This feature is most useful to audio book listening, for music it is not all that significant.



Aventek fits my cigarette firmly. It does not move even when I go over bumps. However its neck is pretty short and it is a little awkward to reach in my car as the car port is very close to the floor. Satechi has a remote control so I don't have to bend down and touch the unit, Aventek does not have a remote.



At the time I am writing this review Satechi transmitter is twice as expensive as the Aventek. So for the music lover who does not need bluetooth the feature difference is not significant, if you need bluetooth or you listen to audio books that the bookmarking feature might be worth the extra money.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Gembonics Portable Charger 6000mAh - External Battery Power Bank

This is a very compact external battery for its size. It has one port and based on my current monitor readings it is a 1 Amp port. My Android phone draw a current somewhat below average, and iPad Mini draws a current typical for 1 Amp port (which is below optimal for Apple devices that need a 2A port to charge at the optimal rate). For those who are interested attached images captures the results of each test.



The size of the battery is 3 7/8" x 1 7/8" x 7/8" and it weighs 4.9 oz.



My favorite use for it is with my MP3 player that has a built-in battery which no longer holds a charge well. I keep always plugged into the external pack, this way I never need to worry about the battery running out.



This battery really has the best size to capacity ration among all external packs I own.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Pocket Chain Saw Survival Gear Cool Outdoor Camping Tools

This pocket chain saw is a 25" long chain saw blade attached to two nylon handles. The length of the saw with the handles is 40 inches. It comes in a handy pouch which keeps the package neat and compact. It weighs only 4.7 oz on my digital postal scare.



To test the saw I enlisted the help of my husband to do the sawing while I held the end of the branch he was working on in place. The video shows the cutting of 1/2 inch branch. The entire process took slightly over 5 minutes. The attached video includes two short snippets in the beginning and the end of the sawing session.



Observations:

1. The saw worked but required a lot of energy and a good amount of time

2. The blade did not flip while it was in use, no adjustments were required

3. The blade came out pretty clean and no time consuming cleaning was required



The chain saw is most effective for cutting old trees or stumps still standing upright. Limbs on the ground require stepping on the tree limb to give it enough weight to counter the sawing motion. To cut a horizontal branch on a tree it helps to have two people, as the second person can hold the branch steady.



I received this saw from Stunning Gadgets with a request for an honest review, be it good or bad. This is a useful gadget to have in emergency, its small size and light weight are its biggest assets. Putting it to use does require effort and time, which is not unexpected, of course.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

32 GB sd card

My V7 microSDHC memory card has 8 GB capacity. This capacity allows you to store 1354 photos each one is 12 MegaPixels or 63 minutes of 13 Mpbps HD video. The memory card has a 5 year limited warranty.



I testd both the microSDHC card directly and the microSDHC with SD sleeve.



I measured the performance of V7 micro SDHC memory card with several utilities and found its speed reasonable. It falls in the mid range of various memory cards I have tested in the past, it is neither the slowest nor the fastest.



To test various memory cards I run the same set of tests so I can compare them to each in "apples to apples" comparison, this way if some unit does not perform well I notice it by comparing it to other devices I have tested. My test consist of copying a large set of mp3 files totalling 638916 Megabytes.



V7 microSDHC write performance:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✔ 1.654s (cpu) 2:37.83 (clock time)



V7 microSDHC with sleeve write performance:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✔ 1.437s (cpu) 2:40.11 (clock time)



For comparison I including numbers for copying the same set of files to SanDisk USB2 memory stick, Transcent microSDHC class 6 card, to hard disk of my computer,



✔ Transcent microSDHC : 1.482s (CPU time), 1:33.97 (clock time)

✔ SanDisk USB2: 1.358s (CPU time), 1:23.53 (clock time)

✔ Hard Drive: 0.573s (CPU time), 0:00.58 (clock time)



For read performance test I use Linux Disk Utility Benchmarks.



V7 SDHC Read-only performance:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✔ Minimum read rate 19.1 MB/s

✔ Maximum read rate 22.3 MB/s

✔ Average read rate 21.9 MB/s

✔ Average access time 0.9 ms



V7 SDHC with sleeve Read-only performance:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✔ Minimum read rate 14.9 MB/s

✔ Maximum read rate 22.2 MB/s

✔ Average read rate 19.3 MB/s

✔ Average access time 1.0 ms



The only small negative I have to say that the packaging of the card does not include a plastic case which is included with some other cards. I like having a spare memory card when I travel and find these cases pretty handy.



I was supplied a sample for testing and an honest review, be it positive or negative.



AshopZones review

EC Tech Mini 2600mAh external battery power bank lipstick size

The unique feature of EC Tech Mini 2600mAh that it looks like a flash light with a charging port in it. The flashlight is quite bright. Many batteries have a small built in flashlight, but they are normally not very strong where as this one if fairly good.



I tested EC Tech Mini 2600mAh Power Pack with with Nexus 7 Tab (running ICS 4.3), Galaxy Nexus Phone (running ICS 4.2) and Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (running ICS 4.0.4). My tests showed average results for the phone, and below average results for the tablets.



I received this power bank from the manufacturer for an honest review be it positive or negative. Top reviewers are often asked to review new battery packs and one of the benefits of being asked to test different power banks is that it gives me an opportunity to compare them to each other using the same charging test, so I can compare them using "apples to apples" comparison. This set of tests allows me to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of each unit.



My methodology is to charge each mobile device on each port of the unit for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charge in that 10 minute period. In addition I tested charging two mobile devices at the same time. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test.



I use Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.



➨ General features:

======================



EC Tech Mini 2600mAh external battery weighs 1.8 oz. Its size is 4.1" x 1" diameter.



The pack has one USB output port. The package includes 4 tips, among them mini USB, micro USB and iPad. The package also contains a charging USB cable. Galaxy tab connector and lightening cable for iPad Mini are not included.



➨ Test Results:

======================



✔ Galaxy Nexus Phone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AC ~~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet (using my own Galaxy tab connector cable)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AC ~~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Nexus 7 Tab

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AC ~~~~~~ 0% change in charge in 10 minutes



➨ Key findings:

======================

✔ This external battery works well as emergency power a phone or as a rechargeable flash light. This is not the best small factor external battery I have tested, but it has the brightness flash light of all the external batteries that I have tested. I keep in the car as a rechargeable flash light, and just in case I need power for an emergency phone call.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

EC Tech 7800 mAh Power Pack External Battery for Nexus, Samsung, Apple iPad

I tested EC Tech 7800 mAh Power Pack with with Nexus 7 Tab (running ICS 4.3), Galaxy Nexus Phone (running ICS 4.2) and Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (running ICS 4.0.4). Overall, the tests show good results.



I received this power bank from the manufacturer for an honest review be it positive or negative. Top reviewers are often asked to review new battery packs and one of the benefits of being asked to test different power banks is that it gives me an opportunity to compare them to each other using the same charging test, so I can compare them using "apples to apples" comparison. This set of tests allows me to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of each unit.



My methodology is to charge each mobile device on each port of the unit for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charge in that 10 minute period. In addition I tested charging two mobile devices at the same time. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test.



I use Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.



➨ General features:

======================



EC Tech 7800 mAh external battery weighs 6.6 oz. Its size is 2.75" x 3.75" x 0.875".



The pack has 2 USB output ports. The package includes 4 tips: PSP, Mini USB, Micro USB, Apple. It also has two adapter cables. Galaxy tab connector and lightening cable for iPad Mini are not included. The battery pack has a small LED flashlight built into it.



➨ Test Results:

======================



✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet (using my own Galaxy tab connector cable)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Port 1: AC ~~~~~~ 2% change in charge in 10 minutes

Port 2: AC ~~~~~~ 4% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Nexus 7 Tab

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Port 1: AC ~~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes

Port 2: AC ~~~~~~ 4% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Galaxy Nexus Phone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Port 1: AC ~~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes

Port 2: AC ~~~~~~ 4% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Galaxy Nexus Phone and Nexus 7 Tab together

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Port 1: AC ~~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes (Galaxy Nexus Phone)

Port 2: AC ~~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes (Nexus 7 Tab)



➨ Key finding:

======================

✔ This external battery worked equally well for the phone and the tablets. It is not the fastest external battery I have tested, but its performance is very respectable.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆