Product review : HooToo® HT-CR002 External USB 3.0 Multi-in-One Card Reader (4 Memory slots)

HT-CR002 Multi-in-One Card Reader combines three USB slots and four memory card readers. The unit itself is fairly small 3.25" x 2.5" x 0.25". It needs to be plugged into AC power as well as USB slot on the computer. USB cord is 32" long. The power cord is 58". The card reader weighs 2 oz, the cords are 5 oz (most of the weight is in the power plug).



I tested the card reader on Windows XP, Windows 7, and Linux. I tested with USB 2.0 memory stick, USB 1.0 memory stick, 133x CompactFlash memory card, microSDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card, and Class 10 SD card. The only slot I was not able to test is Sony's MS memory stick as I don't have any devices that use it.



Each operating system I tested saw USB memory sticks and cards plugged into all slot in the card read without problems. USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0. I tested with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1, and it is backwards compatible with both.



To evaluate the card reader I tested each port by copying a large set of mp3 files totalling 638916 Megabytes. I measured CPU time and clock time. I wanted to test that all ports and slots worked and measure their performance. To test various USB devices I run the same set of tests so I can compare them to each other in "apples to apples" comparison. If some unit does not perform well I notice it by comparing it to the other devices I have tested. I ran a total of 18 tests and the results of these tests are presented in the tables below.



✔ First, I tested each of the three USB ports and three of the memory cards. I ran each test twice and the tables below show the average of two results for each port.



✔ Second, I tested copying files onto two 2.0 USB memory sticks at the same time.



✔ Third, I used USB 1.0 memory stick for comparison in speed and to verify that 1.0 USB memory stick works.



✔ Finally, For comparison I plugged the same memory sticks directly into the computer without the card reader.



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

TEST SET#1 (single USB 2.0 stick)

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



Port1:_______1.060s (cpu) 1:23.83 (clock time)

Port2:_______0.584s (cpu) 1:15.84 (clock time)

Port3:_______0.559s (cpu) 1:15.30 (clock time)



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

TEST SET#2 (two USB 2.0 stick)

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



Port1:_______0.883s (cpu) 0:57.01 (clock time)

Port2:_______0.566s (cpu) 1:24.53 (clock time)



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

TEST SET#3 (memory card slots)

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



CF card:___________1.234s (cpu) 1:27.81 (clock time)

Micro SD card:_____1.523s (cpu) 1:09.36 (clock time)

SD card:___________1.241s (cpu) 1:46.49 (clock time)



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

TEST#4 (single USB 2.0 stick plugged directly into the computer)

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

CPU time: 0.851s

Clock time: 1:54.24



I received this card reader for testing and review from the manufacture. I ran a large number of tests on this unit to provide an unbiased performance evaluation. Overall, the card reader performed well and based on these tests earned a 5 star rating. I particularly like that it has microSD port that I can use without an SD card sleeve.



I am attaching a photo of the unit that shows everything that came in the package including the card reader in a position where you can see all of its slots. The photo can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Transcend 8 GB microSDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card

Transcend 8GB card and the sleeve worked well. I used the card for a video camera and it worked well. The card in the sleeve was recognized in my PC without problems.



To test the speed of the card I tested Transcend 8 GB microSDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card by copying a large set of mp3 files totalling 638916 Megabytes. I measured CPU time and clock time. For comparison I including numbers for copying the same set of files from and to hard disk of my computer, and to USB2 memory stick.



I ran each test twice, and the numbers you see is the average of the two tests.



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



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



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



Good price, card works well, I would buy it again.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Polaroid XS100 Extreme Edition HD 1080p 16MP Waterproof Sports Action Video Camera

This 6 oz video camera is fun to use and produced pretty good video. I am attaching a video taken with the camera and 6 photos of the camera itself to illustrate my review.



I took Polaroid XS100 camera with me on a weekend trip and recorded video snippets through the entire day. I made about 2 hours of recording (on a single charge battery charge). The attached video contains four clips took during this trip in various lighting conditions.



✔ Driving in the car

Note when the sun hits the camera you can see a bit of a halo from the dome that covers the lens. The anti-vibration feature of the camera is very effective in the car.



✔ In bright day light

Excellent color and sharpness especially when the sun is behind



✔ Inside a store

Worked well in a small quarters and fairly dim lighting



✔ At night

Very good low-light performance. The anti-vibration feature of the camera is not effective for larger scale shakes which is the results of the bobbing camera during a walk.



The camera has 170 degree wide angle lens. I used Class 6 MicroSD card. F2.8 Fixed Focus Lens focused well and performed well in low light. My video was shot as 960p.



Video options are:

1080p: 1920x1080p / 30FPS / 16:9

960p: 1280X960P / 30FPS / 4:3

720p:1280x720 / 60FPS (Slow Motion) / 16:9

720p: 1280x720 / 30FPS/ 16:9



Photo options are:

Resolutions 16MP, 5MP, 3MP, VGA

Photo Mode: Single / Burst (x10) / Time Lapse (5,10,30,60)



The camera records two formats of files at once - full size and low-resolution "thumbnail" video, which is useful for sharing.

My full size video was generated in .mov format. I converted it to .mp4 for editing with my Linux-based video editing tools.





   

The first photo shows everything that comes in the package: the camera, the pouch, HDMI cable, and a large number of mounts and sticky pads.



The camera is water tight up to 30 feet. The lens is covered with a dome (see photo #5), the back has a water tight lock (see photo #4). Photo #3 shows the back of the camera with the cover off. The top slot is for micro sd card, below is HDMI port, below it the charging port, to the left the selection for video format, on the right the reset hole.



Note: I had trouble turning on the camera for the first time after charging, but pushing the reset button fixed the problem and the camera turned on.



The video camera is operated by two buttons on the top of the camera (see photo 4). The long button with dots control video recording. And the smaller button in front is used to turn on the video camera on and off (with a slight hold) or take still pictures (with a light press without any hold).



Photo #6 shows the bottom of the camera where various mounts attach. The mounting screw is plastic and one has to be careful not to strip it with a metal mount.



Photo#2 shows the camera on 1 inch gridded mat for size reference. The camera weights 6 oz. It is 4 inches long, and the lens portion is 1 3/8 inches in diameter. The pouch has a Velcro closing, and it is possible to put the camera into the pouch even when it is attached to a mount.



Other starting and setting, the only setting you can change directly from the camera is the format (HD or FHD). To change other settings you need to connect the camera to the PC (Mac or Windows) and use the Polaroid software. For example, if you wanted to set the camera to take pictures on a certain interval. This requires you to pre-plan what you will do on each trip unless you can take a laptop with you. I wish I could control more things directly from the camera, but that would probably have made the camera larger.



If you have Windows-based PC Polaroid.exe is automatically installed from the camera into the micro sd card when you connect PC for the computer for the first time. If ou have a Mac you need to down load the software by from the web site (note that web site name is polaroidaction-dot-com (not polaroid-dot-com). Because my primary operating system is Linux the software did not get installed automatically and I needed to download Windows executable from the web site. The file name you download from the website is called setting_win.exe (not polaroid.exe as the file that is automatically installed).



The camera comes with HDMI cable that allows you to view and manage the content of your MicroSD card on your TV. However, I found that for me it easier to remove the MicroSD card and place manage it from the computer.



Polaroid camera comes with gravity sensor G-Sensor, which auto rotates the image even if you mount to the camera upside down. It is not totally fool proof as one of my video was recorded side ways. I must have rotated it after I turn the camera on but did not realize it. But the rest of around 30 videos were perfectly oriented.



Audio recording worked, but recorded audio sounds fairly low compared to my other video camera.



I was provided a sample for a review be it positive or negative, and I tried to cover both the positives and negatives of my experience.



Overall, I thought it was a fun camera to use and I thought it produced pretty good results.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Intocircuit Power Castle Series PC11200 11200mAh Heavy Duty 5V 2A/1A Dual USB Ports External Battery Pack Charger

I tested Intocircuit Power Castle Series PC11200 11200mAh Heavy Duty 5V 2A/1A Dual USB Ports External Battery Pack with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2).



I own several external battery packs. To test their performance I run the same set on tests on each of them in order to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of each unit.



To test Intocircuit power pack I ran my 10 minute test for each of my 3 devices on each of the 2 ports for a total of 6 tests. In addition I charged both Nexus phone and Nexus Tablet at the same time, one in each port. The results of these 7 tests are included in the tables below.



I am attaching a collage of 2 photos.



Photo #1 shows the power brick on the digital scale, its weight is 9.9 oz. The size of the power pack is 2.625" by 4.375" by 0.875".



Photo #2 shows the top of the unit which has an LED screen showing the level of charge. Next to the screen there is a small lack button which turns on the LED light. The light is pretty dim. Some other power bricks I have have a much brighter light, however this is not a key feature of the battery pack and the underpowered light did not effect my rating of this unit.



This power pack has two outlets, they are not labelled.



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.



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. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test.



The key findings:

(1) Both Nexus phone and Nexus 7 tablet (both running Jelly Bean 4.21) charged at AC rate on both ports.

(2) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 works, but shows different behaviors on the two ports



The table below summarizes my findings:



Nexus 7 Tablet

--------------

right port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase

left port........AC rate.....2% charge increase



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

--------------------------

right port.......AC rate.....5% charge increase (among the best rates in my tests)

left port........AC rate.....5% charge increase (among the best rates in my tests)



Nexus 7 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone at the same time

--------------------------------------------------------------

Tablet...........AC rate.....1% charge increase

Phone............AC rate.....5% charge increase (among the best rates in my tests)



Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

--------------------------

right port.......AC rate..... 1% charge increase

left port........AC rate..... discharging if screen is on, 1% charge increase if screen is off



In addition to the tests above we used Nexus 7 Tablet to navigate during a several hour trip while plugged into Intocircuit Power Castle Series PC11200 11200mAh external battery (rather than the car charger). Nexus 7 remained charged at 100% at the end of the trip.



I received this battery pack from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. Running the same set of test on all my external batteries allows me to provide an unbiased review. By comparing the results of the tests for this battery to the other external batteries I tested, this power pack earned a 5 star rating.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Bolse® 3.1 Amp Dual USB Port High Output Car Charger 15w

I tested Bolse 3.1 Amp Dual USB Car Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2).



I own several car chargers and ran the same set on tests on each of them to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of the unit.



To test Bolse car charger I ran my 10 minute test for each of my 3 devices on each of the 2 ports for a total of 6 tests. I repeated the same tests with a data cable and with a charging cable. The results of these 12 tests are included in the tables below.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos labeled with numbers 1 through 4 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review. You can locate this photo by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



Photo #1 shows the charger on a gridded mat next a pen for size reference. The car charger is 3.5" long. The charger's face is 1.25" by 1".



Photo #2 and #3 show how the charger fits into our two cars. It has a relatively log neck and fits very well in both car configurations. It goes in firmly, forms a good contact, and stays plugged in well even over rough roads. The charger has two outlets labelled 1.0 AMP and 2.1 AMP.



Photo #3 shows one of the tables during the testing. 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.



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. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test



The key findings:

(1) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 cannot be charged with this car charger with either port

(2) Both Nexus phone and Nexus 7 tablet running Jelly Bean 4.21 charged at AC rate on both ports.



The table below summarizes my findings:



Nexus 7 Tablet

--------------

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....1% charge increase (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....2% charge increase (charging cable)



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

--------------------------

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....2% charge increase (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....3% charge increase (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....4% charge increase (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....3% charge increase (charging cable)



Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

--------------------------

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....discharging (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....discharging (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....discharging (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....discharging (charging cable)



I received this car charger from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. Running the same set of test on all the chargers I own allows me to provide an unbiased review. By comparing the results of the tests for chis charger to the other car chargers I tested, this car charger earned a 5 star rating. The only thing this charger did not do well is handle my Samsung tablet. However neither did other generic car chargers, Samsung tablet only works well with the car charger made by Samsung.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Ideative SS1630A-03 Socket Sense 6-Outlet Expandable 1080 Joules Surge Protector

Before I purchased Ideative power strip I had three power strips sitting next to each other charging various batteries and gadgets, it was a mess! The reason I had so many strips is that many of my chargers take up more than one slot, so it took a lot of strips to house them all. I am attaching a photo collage of 2 photos that will illustrate how I use this strip to hold 2 AA battery chargers, one AAA charger, one camera charger, hand held vacuum charger and a two slot USB charger. The photo can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



The first photo shows the empty strip: it has 6 outlets. The strip has 5 movable segments, which can be adjusted to fit your various devices. The 5 segments with outlets are 1.5" wide each and the width of the moving segment can be changed from 0" to 1.25". The plugs holes are oriented on an angle. Ideally another 0.25" of the inch between the segments would have made it possible to fit all my charges next to each other in any order, as it stands now finding the optimal configuration is a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. This is a thick power strip, the raised part of the strip near the cord is 2.25" from the surface. The power cord on this charger is a fairly short, it is 34 inches.



The second photo shows how I plugged in my chargers. Luckily some of my chargers are not polarized, so I could orient them in different ways making the long USB charger hang over the edge where there was room.



Overall, I am very pleased with this strip. It is a space saver!





You can find this 3 foot cord on Amazon by following this link





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review

Plugable 12 Outlet Power Surge Protector with Built-in Dual USB Charging Ports

Plugable 12 Outlet power surge protector provides 12 power outlets and 2 USB ports. 4 of the AC outlets are set away from the others so I could plug in my battery rechargers without covering any other outlets. The power strips measures 12" x 6" x 1", has a 6 foot cord. It claims 4320 Joules of surge protection for all 12 power outlets. The switch on the side of the power strip servers the role of power switch as well as the circuit breaker switch.

  I am attaching a collage of 2 photos : Photo #1 shows a variety of battery chargers, USB chargers, and a regular size small plug in this power strip. I found the outlets well spaced out to fit my needs. Photo #2 shows one minor annoyance I found in this strip. Both sides of the strip glow with green LED lights that cannot be turned on. It seems fashionable for every device to glow in the dark, I wish this was an optional light with a way to turn it off.



To test the USB ports I ran the test I use to test all chargers and power banks. The benefit of running the same test on all devices is that it allows me to compare them to each other in "apples to apples" comparison. 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. 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.



iPad Mini

_________



Port 1................ 2%.....AC

Port 2................ 2%.....AC



Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet

_________________________



Port 1................ 0%.....discharging with data cable

Port 1................ 2%.....AC with charging cable

Port 2................ 0%.....discharging with data cable

Port 2................ 2%.....AC with charging cable



iPad Mini and Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet at the same time

_________________________________________________________

Port 1................ 2%.....AC (iPad Mini)

Port 2................ 3%.....AC with charging cable (Galaxy tab)

Port 1................ 2%.....AC with charging cable (Galaxy tab)

Port 2................ 2%.....AC (iPad Mini)



These charging rates fall in the middle range of my tests, not as good as the fastest chargers but not the slowest. Given that it a bonus functionality on the well spaced power strip I am satisfied with this performance.



Plugable products offers a one year limited warranty against any defects in materials or workmanship. The warranty information can be located on Plugable web site by selecting "Support/Warranty" from the top menu of their website (and the website name is the product name followed by dot com). They state that they will repair or replace products which fail because of any defect in the first year after purchase.



Plugable provided this unit to me for testing, evaluation and review be it positive or negative. I am very pleased with the layout of the outlets. The USB ports provided reasonable speed of charging even though they were not as fast as the best rapid chargers I own. Overall, I recommend it.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Bolse® 5Gbps SuperSpeed 7-Port USB 3.0 HUB

The Bolse USB hub is 4.25" x 1.75" x 1". It has 7 USB slots are located on three sides of the unit. The back panel take the power code and USB plug that plugs into your computer. The top contains a light for each USB slots, and lights up when something is plugged in. The USB cord is 39". Its power cord cord is 47" long. The USB unit weights 5.7 oz, the power plug and cord weigh 4.5 oz.



The documentation states that this hub USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0. I tested with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1, and it is backwards compatible with both.



I tested he hub on Windows XP, Windows 7, and Linux. Each operating system I tested saw the memory stick plugged into the hub without problems.



I tested each port by copying a large set of mp3 files totalling 638916 Megabytes. I measured CPU time and clock time. I wanted to test that all ports worked, I wanted to test if there was a significant difference in performance between ports, and I wanted to see if copying to multiple memory sticks at the same time would slow down the copying.



✔ First, I tested each port using 2.0 USB memory stick. I ran the same test on each of the 7 ports. All ports worked with a normal small variations in performances.



✔ Second, I tested copying files onto two 2.0 USB memory sticks at the same time, to see of the copying slows down compared to working with one stick at a time. The performance was somewhat slower compared to test 1.



✔ Third, For comparison I plugged the same memory stick directly into the computer without the USB hub.



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

TEST#1 (one USB 2.0 stick)

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

Here are clock times:

-------------------------------

Port1:_______1:23.65

Port2:_______1:55.40

Port3:_______1:15.83

Port4:_______1:16.92

Port5:_______1:24.54

Port6:_______1:55.10

Port7:_______1:50.21



Here are the CPU times:

-------------------------------

Port1:_______0.791s

Port2:_______0.887s

Port3:_______0.543s

Port4:_______0.696s

Port5:_______1.003s

Port6:_______0.880s

Port7:_______0.851s



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

TEST#2 (two USB 2.0 sticks at the same time)

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

Clock times for two devices at the same time:

-------------------------------

Memory stick #1: 2:01.58

Memory stick #2: 2:27.68



CPU times for two devices at the same time:

-------------------------------

Memory stick #1: 0.954s

Memory stick #2: 1.234s



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

TEST#3 (one USB 2.0 stick plugged directly into the computer)

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

CPU time: 0.851s

Clock time: 1:54.24



I am attaching a collage of 3 photos of this unit. They can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo. The first photo shows the USB unit, and its two cords. The second photo shows the back of the unit. The third photo shows the unit while I was doing one of the test. This photo gives you a good idea of the relative size of this unit. You can also see the lights on the top of the unit: the left most light indicates that the unit is plugged in and the the second light shows that port 5 contains a device.



I was provided a sample for evaluation and I ran it through 16 tests in order to provide unbiased and honest review. The unit performed well and met my expectations for a 5 star rating.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Pyle PFA400U 100-Watt Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amplifier with USB SD Reader and AC Adapter

This is a very compact (7" x 4" x 1.75") digital amplifier that produced good sound when used with small (12") high quality speakers. I am attaching a video which demonstrates Pyle PFA400U amplifier in action. The music source in the video is the Logitech bluetooth adapter connected to Nexus 7 Tablet.

Overall, the amplifier did a nice job. This amplifier is a Class T switching digital amplifier rated at 100W. However, 100W ratings is some what misleading, it refers to instantaneous burst of 100W. The power adapter of the amplifier is rated at 24W, the efficiency of Class T amplifier is 80%, this means the continuous power of this unit is approximately 20W. When both the tablet and the amplifier were both turned to their maximum volume, the sound was loud but did not blast. In the video I used the remote control to turn on the audio to its maximum volume.



If you want to turn on or turn off the amplifier you can do it either from the remote control, or by a long push on the "mode" button on the unit itself (left most button). You can also turn off the amplifier by twisting the volume button. Note that the remote control overrides the volume set by the knob (i.e. if you turned down the sound using the remote, using the knob will not make it loud).



The remote control is small (7" x 4" x 1.33"), and can be used for on/off, controlling volume and changing tracks.



USB/SD inputs worked without problems but what is being played is not shown on the little digital display on the unit. The remote control can be used to change the tracks forward and backwards, but there is no fast forward or reverse, and I was not able to change the display to show the tracks numbers or titles. The play from the USB/SD does NOT resume where you left off (it starts from the beginning) if you turn off the unit or if you hit mode button to switch between RCA and USB/SD inputs.



Setting up the unit was simple, and I did not need the instructions. However, it should be noted that the documentation that comes with this unit is poor. The description specifies that this unit has 3.5mm (1/8") front input. Neither the front nor the back have 3.5mm input. The documentation refers to RCA connections on the back as outputs rather than inputs (the unit itself is labelled correctly). It does not mention that "Mode" button or "Volume" button can be used to turn the unit on and off.



I am enclosing a collage of 3 of photos which show the unit. Photo #1 and Photo #2 show different angles of the back of the unit. Photo #3 shows the front of the unit.



I received this amplifier for an honest review (be it positive or negative) from the manufacture. I described both positives and negatives of this unit, and I hope the video gives a good idea of what to expect from this amp.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

FRIEQ® Universal Waterproof Case With Waterproof External Earphone

My husband uses his Nexus Galaxy phone with Hyperion Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus 3800mAh. In the past we have tried several waterproof cases that do not fit this phone as the extended battery makes it significantly fatter than a typical smart phone. This waterproof case fits!



I am including a collage of 4 photos that I will be referencing in this review.

 Photo #1 is showing the thickness of the phone with its extended battery for size reference.



The waterproof case is 7" by 4" (not counting the hard closure mechanism) in size. Photo #3 shows the Nexus phone being inserted into the case.



Photo #2 shows the audio plug built into the case.



Photo #4 shows ear buds attached to the audio port playing music. My husband was able to turn on the phone and start Pandora app through the plastic case without any problems. The audio port worked very well.

The case is also has a clear section in the back, so it is possible to take photos while the camera is in the case.



This case is rated for 100 feet submersion. However, we are more likely to use this case in the rain. My husband has damaged one of his previous smart phones by using it in a downpour, having a case like this would have prevented the damage. I tested the case by putting it under the faucet first without the phone and then with the phone in the case. The content remained dry.



I was provided a sample case for testing and for writing a fair and unbiased review. Thumbs up! Finally a case that fits even this fat phone.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

i-Ecko 'Ecko Stylz' Aqua Zen Mousepad with Gel Wrist Rest

This mousepad is very bright and pretty. The mousepad is 10" top to bottom, 8.5" wide. The area above the wrist rest is 7", the wrist rest is 3" wide and 1" high. The wrist rest is made out of gel, which is firm yet has some give so it fits the wrist well.

I am attaching a photo collage of three photos for reference. Photo #3 has the mousepad on 1" gridded mat if you are interested in dimensions I have not mentioned. Photo #1 shows it on my desk. Photo #2 shows how my hand fits the mousepad. I found the mousepad to be comfortable, and it fits my hand well.



However, the mousepad straight out of the package had a very strong ordor. It was so strong that after using the mousepad for several hours the odor transferred to my hand and it took several washings to remove the scent from my wrist.



I really liked how the mousepad felt and looked so I decided to air it out in the basement.  I am writing this review after airing  out the mousepad for 2 months.  The ordor became lighter, but I can still smell it and it still transfers to my wrist when I attempted to use it for a short period of time.  It went back to the basement, I am not quite ready to toss it but I can't recommend it.



I received this mousepad from the manufacturer for testing and a fair and honest review.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.









AshopZones review ★★☆☆☆

Expandable Ideative power strip

 

Before I purchased Ideative power strip I had three power strips sitting next to each other charging various batteries and gadgets, it was a mess! The reason I had so many strips is that many of my chargers take up more than one slot, so it took a lot of strips to house them all. I am attaching a photo collage of 2 photos that will illustrate how I use this strip to hold 2 AA battery chargers, one AAA charger, one camera charger, hand held vacuum charge and a two slot USB charger. The photo can be located by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



The first photo shows the empty strip: it has 6 outlets. The strip has 5 movable segments, which can be adjusted to fit your various devices. The 5 segments with outlets are 1.5" wide each and the width of the moving segment can be changed from 0" to 1.25". The plugs holes are oriented on an angle. Ideally another 0.25" of the inch between the segments would have made it possible to fit all my charges next to each other in any order, as it stands now finding the optimal configuration is a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. This is a thick power strip, the raised part of the strip near the cord is 2.25" from the surface. The power cord on this charger is a fairly short, it is 34 inches.



The second photo shows how I plugged in my chargers. Luckily some of my chargers are not polarized, so I could orient them in different ways making the long USB charger hang over the edge where there was room.



Overall, I am very pleased with this strip. It is a space saver!





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Cielux LUNE Touch Controlled Color Changing RGB LED Mood Light

How many different things can a light do? Quite a few! I am attaching a video which shows Lune light doing five different tasks.

 

✔ The first segment shows Lune light lighting wall art. The top of the light can be rotated and aimed at many different angles. The color changes totally change how the artwork looks. As the color changes it almost looks like the sail boat is moving.



✔ The second segment shows Lune light by itself as a modern shape sculpture. It would fit nicely in a modern style decor.



✔ The third segment positions the lamp to reflect from the wall silhouetting the pottery on top of by book case.



✔ In the fourth segment I put Lune light inside the china cabinet so it can highlight my holiday dishes.



✔ The final segment show this light as ... a burglar deterrent. As I was trying to find a perfect place for the light in my house it occurred to me that the color changes observed from the outside look like TV is on. I have been considering buying a [[ASIN:B00BTKGHDE FakeTV FTV-11 Extra Bright Burglar Deterrent]] which makes the house look occupied when you are away. The Lune light performs the same function but looks a lot prettier. When I am home the light decorates. When I am away it protects! The video shows what the light looks like from the outside. I aimed it at the wall near the window. Note that for burglar deterrent purpose I am using the light on a separately purchased timer so it comes on every evening like a real TV would.



I am also attaching a collage of 6 photos which you can find by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.

   

✔ The first photo shows how the Lune light arrived - it is very well protected by its packaging.



✔ The second photo shows the light and its power cord. The top section containing the light rotates 50 degrees in one direction and 240 degrees in the other direction. This allows you to select the angle of the light - whether you want to light something on the wall, have the light reflect from the wall or the ceiling, etc. The cord is fairly short (56 inches), I really could not reach any of the location I wanted to place the light without using an extension cord. The plug is not polarized. The light is 7.5 inches tall, 8.5 inches wide, 3 1/8 inches thick.



✔ Photos 3 through 5 shows several different colors the light produces and how each shade changes the appearance of the room it is in.



The light has seven preset color options: 5 solid colors (red , yellow, green, teal, blue, purple, white) and 2 changing colors (fast fade 1.5 seconds between colors and slow fade 2.4 seconds between colors). My favorite is the slow fade.



It took a little practice to turn the light off and to change colors reliably every time. I found that capping the base of the light with my open palm works best for me. To turn off the light I hold my palm in place longer, to turn on and change settings hold my palm in place briefly.



I received a sample unit for providing an honest review be it positive or negative. I have no financial interest or business relationship with the manufacturer, and this review represents my independent opinion of the product.



I really like the Lune light not only because it looks good and is a conversation piece but also because it can serve many different functions including making my house look occupied when I am not there.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Tsirtech® Standard Monitor Riser For Printer/Notebook And Most Flat Pannel Moniters Upto 24"

Tsitech Riser is a sturdy riser that can be used for a number of purposes such as to create extra shelve room or to raise the monitor to a more comfortable level. I am using it to raise the scanner and to create an area for charging my tablet and various tablet accessories. The riser is rated to support flat panel monitors up to 24 inches (there is no weight limit specified on the riser or in the documentation).

Photo #1 shows everything in the package: the riser, its legs, and the rubber feet that go on the bottom of the riser legs. Each leg is made out of two sections (2" and 1"), allowing you to have the riser at three different heights: 3", 2", and 1". The rubber feet make the legs non-skid as well as protect the surface that the riser is standing on. The platform is sized 13 1/8" by 13 1/2". The photo shows two cut outs which can be used to hold the cords in place. All pieces fit together very well, it took me about 10 seconds to put it together.



Note that the color of the riser I received is black. The stock photo makes it look grey. I prefer the black color, so I was quite pleased that it was darker than the photo.



Photo #2 shows the riser on my bookcase. The legs of the riser are spaced so that they just fit on 33" shelves, overhanging by 3/4" on each side. In this photo you see the legs being used in their tallest configuration of 3".



I have a few other risers at my house, I like this one better than the others for two reasons: it can be adjusted to different heights and it has rubber feet. The other risers do not have these extra features.



I received this riser for evaluation and for an honest and unbiased review.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Brightech - BT Remote - Bluetooth Multi-Media & Camera Remote Control for iPhone iPad Nexus Samsung Galaxy

I tested this bluetooth remote with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2). All three devices worked very well. According to documentation the remote is also compatible with all iPhone devices and Laptops running Windows XP and Windows 7 if they have bluetooth capabilities.

I am attaching a collage of 4 photos that I will be referencing in this review.



The remote is 3 5/8 inches in length by 1 3/8 inches in width, it is 1/4 inches thick.



The bottom panel of the remote slides down to reveal a keyboard which is used for pairing the device with your mobile device. You can see the keyboard in photos 2,3,4. The keyboard keys are tiny and fairly difficult to press accurately. To activate the pairing mode you need to hit the right most key on the top row. The remote shows up as "UConnect" in the list of Bluetooth devices (see photo #2) for Nexus 7 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone. It shows upas "Bluetooth Media Control" on Samsun Galaxy 7.7 tab. When your mobile device detects the remote it will prompt you to enter the randomly generated security code displayed on the screen on the key pad of the remote (see photo #3 and photo #4). You only have to do this once, the next time you connect the device it remembers the security code.



The remote can control the volume level of of the mobile devices (tested with Pandora and TuneRadio apps). For MP3 players it can perform fast forward, reverse, pause/play operations.



I also tested the remote for activating the Camera/Video recorder and it worked smoothly.



Remote Presenter capability only works for Apple devices (it requires Mac Air, Mac Book Pro, iMac or Mac Mini). Siri capability is available for iPhone 4S and later.



I received this remote from the manufacture to share my experiences with it (positive and negative) with potential future buyers. I have no financial interest or business relationship with the manufacturer, and this review represents my independent opinion of the product.



Overall, I was impressed with this remote control. It looks sleek, it works well. My favorite use for the remote control is for controlling Grace Digital ECOXGEAR waterproof bluetooth speaker that has no volume control. I keep the speaker in the bathroom so I can listen to it while taking the shower. Brightech remote control allows me to change volume and pause the sound something I have not been able to do before.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Hipe Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Shower Speaker

This speaker looks like a toy, but don't let the looks fool you. It sounds really good. I am attaching a video which demonstrates the sound: first with the speaker on and then, for comparison, turning off the speaker so the sounds comes through the tablet speaker. I am also attaching a collage of three photos that I will be referencing in this review.

The speaker is 8 inches wide, 3.25 inches tall, and 1.75" thick. It weight 9.9 inches. It comes in two colors: black and white.



The front of the speaker (see photo #1 for reference) has controls that allow you to to turn the speaker on and off, change volume, skip forward and backwards, go to the end, and use the phone. The little port hole above the command dial is the microphone.



The back of the speaker (see photo #2 for reference) has a watertight seal covering the compartment that has a charging port (5V IN), on/off switch, and Power out DC 5V port. The difference between the front on/off switch and the back on/off switch is that the front switch leaves the unit in stand by mode. The switch in the back can be used when you don't want to drain the battery.



The speaker has built in handle that can be used to hang the speaker in the shower (see photo #3 for reference).

 

 

The speaker's sound is very good, it is very clear and crisp at all ranges. The volume can be made fairly loud (I put it to the max in the video). In a small room like the bathroom it sounded especially good. I was also glad that it had controls right on the speaker. When the reminder alarm went off on my tablet while I was in the shower and unable to turn it off, I was able to switch off the speaker so I did not have to listen to the ding of the reminder for 10 minutes until it would automatically shut off.



To pair the speaker with your device you need to turn the unit on and then hold the on button for a few seconds until the light on the front start flushing red and blue color. While it is flashing red and blue you can scan for bluetooth devices on your phone/tablet and it this speaker will appear as HIP400. Documentation says that if you are prompted for the password enter 1234. I was not prompted for the password.



I received this speaker from the manufacture for evaluation and an honest review. I hope the video will give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of the quality of the sound. I really like this speaker, I like it better than the bluetooth shower speaker I have been using previously. While both have good sound, Hipe speaker has controls right on the speaker and that makes it much more convenient.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Bolse® Dual Desktop Charger Cradle Dock with Spare Battery Charging Slot

The idea of having a dock which can charge the phone as well as an extra battery outside the phone at the same time was very appealing to me, as my husband uses the cell phone for business and it gets a lot of use. He uses Nexus Galaxy phone with Hyperion Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus 3800mAh Extended Battery which makes the phone extra thick.  I tested the dock with both regular slim battery and the extra thick extended battery.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos that I will be referencing in this review.



The first photo shows that the dock did not fit the phone when it had the thick extended battery installed. Photo #2 shows the bottom of the phone and extra thickness this battery forms.  The phone with the regular battery fit without problems.



Photo #3 shows the extended battery in the dock, the contacts of the battery did not line up with the contacts of the charger due to the thickness of the battery.  The green light on the dock indicates that the dock is plugged in, not that the charging is happening.



Photo #4 shows a regular battery in the dock, and it the charging of the regular size battery worked without a problem.



I received this item for an honest review and shared both positives and negatives aspects of my experience with this dock.



Overall, if you have a phone with a regular size battery this device works without problems.  If you use extended battery in your phone this charging dock is not for you. 





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Bolse 3.1 Amp Dual USB Car Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone

Review of Bolse 3.1 Amp Car charger

I tested Bolse 3.1 Amp Dual USB Car Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2).



I own several car chargers and ran the same set on tests on each of them to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of the unit.



To test Bolse car charger I ran my 10 minute test for each of my 3 devices on each of the 2 ports for a total of 6 tests. I repeated the same tests with a data cable and with a charging cable. The results of these 12 tests are included in the tables below.



I am attaching a collage of 4 photos labeled with numbers 1 through 4 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review. You can locate this photo by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.



Photo #1 shows the charger on a gridded mat next a pen for size reference. The car charger is 3.5" long. The charger's face is 1.25" by 1".



Photo #2 and #3 show how the charger fits into our two cars. It has a relatively log neck and fits very well in both car configurations. It goes in firmly, forms a good contact, and stays plugged in well even over rough roads. The charger has two outlets labelled 1.0 AMP and 2.1 AMP.



Photo #3 shows one of the tables during the testing. 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.



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. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test



The key findings:

(1) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 cannot be charged with this car charger with either port

(2) Both Nexus phone and Nexus 7 tablet running Jelly Bean 4.21 charged at AC rate on both ports.



The table below summarizes my findings:



Nexus 7 Tablet

--------------

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....1% charge increase (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....1% charge increase (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....2% charge increase (charging cable)



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone

--------------------------

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....2% charge increase (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....3% charge increase (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....4% charge increase (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....3% charge increase (charging cable)



Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7

--------------------------

1 AMP port.......AC rate.....discharging (data cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....discharging (data cable)



1 AMP port.......AC rate.....discharging (charging cable)

2.1 AMP port.....AC rate.....discharging (charging cable)



I received this car charger from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. Running the same set of test on all the chargers I own allows me to provide an unbiased review. By comparing the results of the tests for chis charger to the other car chargers I tested, this car charger earned a 5 star rating. The only thing this charger did not do well is handle my Samsung tablet. However neither did other generic car chargers, Samsung tablet only works well with the car charger made by Samsung.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Memory Card with SD Adapter

I bought Sandsik 4G MicroSDHC card for LG 800G. The card worked well in the phone. I also tested the card and the SD adapter in my PC and the adapter worked well as well.



The card and adapter came in bulk packaging as mentioned in title of the listing, this means in came in the plastic case enclosed in a plastic zip lock baggy. No blister pack.



Overall, I am pleased with the memory card: good price and it works.



Inserting memory into LG 800G had a couple tricky spots, so for other LG 800G owners I am including steps for inserting the SD Memory card into the phone.



1. SD memory card slot is located under the battery. This means that you first need to remove the cover by sliding it down. The first time I had to remove the cover it was a bit difficult, as the cover is very slippery and has no groves to hang on to. I finally was able to do it by using the grippy material used to open cans. The grippy material generated enough friction that the cover finally slid off. After removing the cover, you need to remove the battery.



2. The memory card slot is on the left side of the white SIM card. The gold bars on the card should face down towards the gold bars on the phone. The memory card goes under a metal holder. You need to lift the metal holder, place the memory card, and then lower the card holder, and push it down until it snaps in place. Note that lifting the holder for the first time requires some force. I used a tiny screwdriver to give me leverage to push it up. I am attaching a photo  which shows the holder in the up position, so you can see what you need to do to insert the memory card.



3. After the memory card is in place, you need to replace the battery and the phone cover, and power up the phone.



4. Now, you need to set your default memory to external, and tell the camera, the video recorder, and the voice recorder to use the external memory rather than the internal memory like before.



5. To set the default memory:

- Tap the following sequence MENU - Settings - Phone - Memory Info - Primary storage settings

- Tap on External memory (red check will appear)

- There will be a FORMAT button at the bottom of the screen, tap on it

- The phone will ask for a security code, enter 0000. Once you enter the security code, OK button will appear on the bottom of the screen. Click ok. Format takes about 1 second.



6. To set the camera:

- Tap Camera icon on the main screen holding the phone vertically, turn the phone to horizontal position, as you turn you will see camera control setting appear on the screen.

- Tap the gear icon which is on the lower left side of the screen.

- The memory setting is on the second screen of camera settings, so you need to tap the slider on the right hand side (it will say 1/3, first page out of three) once you tap it will change to 2/3.

- On the top row you will see a square called 'select storage'. By default it will look like a cell phone, once you tap it will look like a memory card.

- Hit OK to save your change



7. To change the video camera:

- Tap Camera icon on the main screen holding the phone vertically, turn the phone to horizon position, as you turn the camera controls will appear

- Tap the gear looking icon on the bottom left

- Now you need to switch from camera to video, which is done by sliding your finger from camera to video camera icon on the right hand side slider

- If you do it correctly, you will see a red button appear where the video camera is. If you do it incorrectly, you will take a photo. It took me a few tries to get the pressure and location of where my finger slides correctly.

- The storage setting is on the second page of the video camera, so you need to page down on the slider by tapping on 1/2.

- Tap on 'Select storage' icon, and make sure you see a memory card, rather than the cell phone icon.

- Click OK to save your change



8. To change the voice recorder

- Voice recorder is on the second page of Settings. To get there select Menu - slide you finger right to left to page - tap on Voice recorder.

- The top option is 'Storage', tap on it to change cell phone icon to memory card icon.

- Click ok to save your change



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Satechi 4 Port Portable USB 3.0 Hub

The Satechi USB hub 5.5" x 1.25" x 1". Its 4 USB slots are well spaced out  and are located on the top of the strip. I found that this configuration makes it easier to plug and plug USB memory sticks. I like it better than the ports that have slots on the sides. Its power cord cord is 10" long. The unit weights 3 oz.



The documentation states that this hub USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0. I tested with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1, and it is backwards compatible with both. I included the speed results for both below.



I tested he hub on Windows XP, Windows 7, and Linux. Each operating system I tested saw the memory stick plugged into the hub without problems.



I tested each port by copying a directory with mp3 files totalling 638916 Megabytes. I measured CPU time and clock time. I wanted to test that all ports worked, I wanted to test if there was a significant difference in performance between ports, and I wanted to see if copying to multiple memory sticks at the same time would slow down the copying.



✔ First, I tested each port using 2.0 USB memory stick. I ran each test two times on each of the 4 ports. All ports worked with a normal small variations in performances.



✔ Second, I tested copying files onto two 2.0 USB memory sticks at the same time, to see of the copying slows down compared to working with one stick at a time. The performance remained similar to to test 1.



✔ Third, I tested copying files to 1.0 USB memory stick. The hub is backwards compatible to USB 1.0



✔ Fourth, For comparison I plugged the same memory stick directly into the computer without the USB hub.



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

TEST#1 (one USB 2.0 stick)

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

Here are clock times (two columns represet each of two tests):

-------------------------------

Port1:_______2:09:54, 2:12:02

Port2:_______2:09:71, 2:04:81

Port3:_______2:16:36, 2:19:16

Port4:_______2:10:60, 2:07:77



Here are the CPU times:

-------------------------------

Port1:_______1.256s, 2.083s

Port2:_______1.524s, 1.692s

Port3:_______1.538s, 1.562s

Port4:_______1.465s, 1.869s



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

TEST#2 (two USB 2.0 sticks at the same time)

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

Clock times for two devices at the same time:

-------------------------------

Memory stick #1: 2:10:29, 2:22:41

Memory stick #2: 2:10:40, 2:27:58



CPU times for two devices at the same time:

-------------------------------

Memory stick #1: 1.718s, 1.127s

Memory stick #2: 1.781s, 1.459s



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

TEST#3 (one USB 1.0 stick)

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

Clock time:_______5:08:30, 5:06:75

CPU time:_________1.191s, 1.433s



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

TEST#4 (one USB 2.0 stick plugged directly into the computer)

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

Built in Port CPU:____2.873s, 3.325s

Clock time:___________4:03:30, 3:55:16



I was provided a sample for evaluation and I ran it through 32 tests in order to provide unbiased and honest review. The unit performed well and met my expectations for a 5 star rating. If there was anything I wanted to change about this unit, I would have made its cord just a little longer.



I am attaching a photo of this unit during the two memory stick test. The photo gives you a good idea of the relative size of this unit.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★