Product review: Jackery Crew 5-Port High Speed USB Charging Hub

' size: 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" x 1 1/8"

' weight: 6 oz

' number of ports: 5 ports

' cables: AC port is 54.5"



The best chargers have a smart chip in them which charges all devices to their optimal charge on every port. This charger does not have this chip. This charger performs very well for my Apple iPadMini tablet. For Android phone it works, but does not charge the phone as fast as other chargers. I captured results of the tests in attached photos for those who are interested in the details of the tests.



To see how well different chargers and external batteries charge my mobile devices I use a Nexus phone and an iPadMini to test each of them. The current drawn from the battery depends on each device using the battery. The port rated with maximum capacity of 2A does not always deliver 2A, what is actually delivered is controlled by the device based on many factors such running apps, level of charge, and so forth. I always use the same two devices and I do my tests with the devices charged to the same level, running the same applications and using the same cables to keep everything the same. This allows me to do a relative comparison of each charger and identify the ones that do not perform well. Note that these tests are not testing for the maximum current each device can draw on each port as none of my devices can max out the ports.



In addition to testing the devices individually, I tested to see if the charger is capable of charging 5 devices at the same time (2 phones and 3 tablets). I monitored each device with the current monitor and I saw that each devices was drawing the same amount of current when it was the only device charging as when it was one of 5 devices charging. This is good.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

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: Le Touch 3200mAh Ultra Slim External Battery Bank

LeTouch 3250 mAh external battery is super slim and it weights only 3.5 oz. It comes with a short (3.5") built-in cable and it chargers my phone at a good clip (9% 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 3200 mAh and some of it wasted towards heat, but it is just enough to fully charge my phone with a large battery. It also works very well with my MP3 player. When I have it along on my exercise walks I want a battery that it very small and light and LeTouch works very well.



This battery has a charge level indicator (some slim batteries like Le Touch 1350mAh give up this feature) but to me a charge level indicator is very helpful so I have an idea that the battery is about to run out of juice, so I am glad that Le Touch 3500mAh has it.



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: Rz Guanqin Men Automatic Mechanical Watch

Guanqin watch is a mechanical watch. At the time when I am writing this review the watch is just under $80. Despite the price is looks quite elegant and works well. This watch does not need winding, it auto winds just from the action of the hand. My husband has been wearing for the last two weeks and have not need to wind it. He really likes the looks and the function of the watch.



There is one big gotcha with this watch. The manual covers several watches but the watch that looks most like this one has incorrect information on how to adjust the day of the week and the day of the month (the manual talks about 2 positions of the crown while the crown on this watch has only one position). To adjust these two settings on this watch you need a tool! A small screwdriver works best. I captured how it works in the attached video, you need to poke the indented controls on the side of the watch.



What is really nice is that the package includes a tool that can be used to remove links from the band, no need to take the watch to the watch maker. The wrist band is 8". My husband has a fairly slim wrist and we had to take out 3 links for a perfect fit. The tool worked perfectly and I show this process in the attached video.



The case and the band are made out of stainless steel. The watch weighs 5.3 oz. It is water resistant to rain and splashing, but cannot be submerged under water.



Overall, this is a very attractive classy looking watch. Given the price of many mechanical watches this watch is a good deal. My husband has been wearing it for 2 weeks checking its accuracy against his smart phone - it keeps accurate time. The only negative thing I can say is that needing a tool to adjust the day of the week and the day of the months is not a user friendly interface. Since this is mechanical watch the days of the month need to be adjusted every other month.



The watch comes in attractive box with a pillow and the package also included a gift bag, so this watch works well for gift giving.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★