Product review: SmartSockets 5-AC Outlet + 2 USB Outputs Round Power Strip

I use a lot of battery chargers (AAA, camera, photo lights) that take up more than one outlet, the round shape of this strip seemed idea for it. And yes, I can fit them all next to each other no problem. However, there is a design flaw that does not make this strip ideal for the larger chargers. The sloped sides of the strip make the prongs pull out under their own weight. If the charger was flat on top this would not have been a problem. Aesthetically sloped edges look better but for practical purposes I wish it was flat on top.



In addition to 5 AC outlets this charger has two USB ports. I tested both USB ports with a current charger and was impressed with their performance, each one delivers 2A and provides optional charging to both Android and Apple devices.



I still like this power strip because I can fit 6 plugs in a smaller place than it would take for a strip. I just could not off load all my battery charger to it as I hoped.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: ROMOSS Sense 6 Plus 20000mAh Portable External Power Bank

' size: 6 1/4" x 3 1/8" x 7/8"

' weight: 16.85 oz

' number of ports: 2 ports

' flashlight: no

' cables: 1 charging cable



This external battery performed very well (1.36A/5.01V) on 2A port with my iPad Mini, the second port is 1A and it showed typical performance for this tablet on 1A drawing 0.93A/5.00V (this is below optimal, but normal for 1A port).

My Nexus phone drew only USB rate on 2A port (0.42A/5.00V), and below average on 1A (0.89A/5.01V).



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 battery 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 neither of my devices can max out the port.



I check if the cable that came with the battery is a charging cable (i.e. capable of charging at full AC rate or if charges at slower USB rate). This is easy to tell by using a current monitor and I happy to report that this package includes a charging cable that works at AC rate.



The best feature of this battery is the large capacity. Given that it is not a fast charger my main use for this battery is to have it power my my MP3 speaker with external speaker. I use it a lot and normally need to switch the external power pack every day, but using this battery I can go for several days without a swap.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: Wavertree & London Limoncello luxury soap

As soon as I opened the box the scent was fantastic! The soap bar is a large bar, its size is 4"W x 2.5"L x 1.375"H. It weighs 7 oz. The bar itself is very plain, but scent is complex and wonderful. It smells nice as it sits on counter and as I wash my hands. It generates a nice amount of suds.



The soap is made in Australia and provided by Simple Scents.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Invtepy Smart Watch Electrocardiogram

The package includes a watch and a charging station. The instructions say that a long push on the home button on the side is supposed to turn on the watch. After charging the watch for 24 hours and trying many different long holds I could not turn this watch on. My husband also gave it a try with the same lack of success.



When the watch is charging I can get the watch to respond with "Welcome" screen and see a battery showing animation, so I know the watch and the battery are communicating and the watch is being charged. However, I never got to watch to work. The home button is the smaller button on the side. The bigger button (where a crown is positioned on other watches) is actually the camera.



I got the black stainless steel band. It looks attractive, but thinner than any other watch I have with a stainless steel band, so they are lighter than a typical watch with stainless bracelet.



I received this watch from Invtepy for testing and review as part of the new product introduction. Getting a free product does not effect what I say, my review is purely based on my experience with the product. And this watch has been a disappointment. I am including the video which shows the watch being charged and my attempts to turn it on. I also included a picture of the watch on my husband's arm to show the relative size.



You can find it by following this link



AshopZones review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Jackery Titan Premium Travel Charger 18000mAh

' size: 5 7/8" x 3 1/4" x 3/4"

' weight: 15.65 oz

' number of ports: 2 ports

' flashlight: no

' cables: 1 charging cable



This external battery performed pretty well for charging both my Android phone and Apple iPadMini tablet. iPad Mini performed in line with the best external batteries I have tried, and Nexus phone did very well on one port and slightly worse on the second port.



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 battery 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 neither of my devices can max out the port.



I check if the cable that came with the battery is a charging cable (i.e. capable of charging at full AC rate or if charges at slower USB rate). This is easy to tell by using a current monitor and I happy to report that this package includes a charging cable that works at AC rate.



Samsung Nexus phone:

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

port 1: 1.00A / 5.05V (excellent comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)

port 2: 0.84A / 5.01V (below the best, but above USB rate)

(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this phone is 1.00A/5V)



As noted above these tests are not designed to test the maximum capacity of the port, so 2A port not showing 2A is not an indication of a problem



iPad Mini tablet:

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

port 1: 0.83A / 5.00V (typical for 1 A port)

port 2: 1.43A / 5.09V (excellent comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)

(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this tablet is 1.70A/5V)



The battery has a nice capacity and fast charging rate for both Android and Apple devices



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: OMEGA 3 FISH OIL by Hamilton Group comparison with Natue Made Triple Omega

I have been taking Nature Made Triple Omega since 2011 on the recommendation of my eye doc for dry eyes. He told me to take two Triple Omega capsules daily (about 1800 mg of omega oil daily). The change has been measurable, my eyes feel much better. When I first started taking Omega three to aid dry eyes I was a sceptic about its effects, but I am not a sceptic any more!



For the past few weeks I have switched from One Nature Made Triple Omega to Hamilton Healthcare Omega.

Here is side by side comparison



One Nature Made Triple Omega softgel contains

' Omega-3 434 mg

' Omega-6 276 mg

' Omega-9 170 mg

total 880 mg

Each capsule is 1200 mg, which means Omega-3 content is 73%



One Hamilton Healthcare recommended daily dose is three softgels, and the labels info is provided for daily dose of three capsules. To make it easier to compare with Triple Omega I am dividing the labels info given for three capsules by three:

' EPA 300 mg (EPA is Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids Eicosapentaenoic acid)

' DHA 200 mg (DHA docosahexaenoic acid)

' Other Omega 50

total 550 mg

Each capsule is 1000 mg, which means Omega-3 content is 55% and the filler ingredient are 45%. This is the reason why the recommended dose is three capsules rather than two capsules.



At the time I write this review Nature Made Triple Omega contains 180 gel caps and is priced at $23.50 (0.13 cents per capsule) with a daily dose cost of 0.25 cents. Hamilton Healthcare Omega contains 180 softgels is priced $29.97 (0.16 cents per capsule) and a daily dose 0.48 cents. The size of the one softgel of Nature Made Triple Omega is the same as one softgel of Hamilton Healthcare Omega.



The need for three capsules puts it below Nature Made Triple Omega for me.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★☆☆

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 ★★★★☆