Bill Loguidice's Blog, page 122

Coosh 2-in-1 Lightning Cable and micro-USB Car Charger Review

Coosh’s 2-in-1 Lightning Cable and micro-USB Car Charger is a car charger for all Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad models with a lightning connector, as well as any devices that use a micro-USB connector, which includes most Android-based phones and tablets (and really most other non-Apple mobile devices). As an added bonus, thanks to the bell-like design of the power dongle, there are two extra USB input ports, meaning you can have up to three devices connected at once.

As usual, there’s nothing to complain about with Coosh’s packaging or build quality.

Input is 12V-24V, output is a maximum of 5A/5V, and maximum current protection is 5.5-6.2A with support for OVP, OCP, OTP, and SCP. As with all previous Coosh products I reviewed, I found the build quality to be excellent with a very Apple-like design aesthetic.

With a simple pull or push, the Coosh 2-in-1 Lightning Cable and micro-USB Car Charger makes it easy to switch between lightning and micro-USB connections.

If you’re like me and in a family with both iOS- and Android-based devices, you’ll appreciate the versatility that this charger provides. In our example, it not only works with my iPhone 6 Plus, as well and my wife’s, but also our two oldest daughters’ Motorola Moto G’s. That type of versatility is always appreciated.

Special thanks to Coosh for the review unit.

Coosh Lightning Cable Car Charger Review

Coosh’s Lightning Cable Car Charger (Model number: CLGTC02) is a car charger for all Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad models with a lightning connector. That means iPhone 5 or later, iPod touch 5th generation of later, iPod nano 7th generation or later, iPad 4th generation or later, iPad Air, and iPad mini.

The nice thing about Coosh’s high speed charger is that it automatically stops charging when the battery is full. Input is 12V-24V, Output is 5V/2.4A, Power is rated at 12W, and the cord length is approximately 39 inches (100 centimeters). As with previous Coosh products I reviewed, I found the build quality to be excellent with a very Apple-like design aesthetic.

Like other Coosh products, the Lightning Cable Car Charger is well packaged and well designed.

If you want a purpose built car charger for your compatible iOS device, you can’t go wrong with Coosh’s offering.

Special thanks to Coosh for the review unit.

HC Gamerlife Xbox One Thumbstick Grip Upgrades Review

Whether the analog thumbsticks on your Microsoft Xbox One controller are worn, or you’re just looking for a different feel, Hardcore (HC) GamerLife offers a choice of four different pairs of silicone grips that just might be the solution you probably didn’t even know was available. No matter what grip selection you make, they all slip on easily over one or both of the analog sticks.

The HC Gamerlife Xbox One Thumbstick Grip packaging is consistent across all models.

The four grip types, which I’ll explain in more detail below, are:

Gripmax Close Combat
Gripmax Sniper Combat
No Sweat Close Combat
No Sweat Sniper Combat

 

Gripmax Close Combat

These grips are said to be tuned for games where quick snap aiming and fast reaction times are needed. Examples cited include: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Madden NFL 15, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. The design is concave (curves inward) with four precision texture points (raised dots).

The Gripmax Close Combat.

Gripmax Sniper Combat

These grips are taller and are said to increase sensitivity and accuracy. Example games cited include: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Sniper Elite III, and Forza Motorsport 5. The design is concave (curves inward) with four precision texture points (raised dots).

The Gripmax Sniper Combat.

No Sweat Close Combat

Like the regular model of Close Combat, these are meant for games that favor snap aiming and quick reactions. The design is convex (curves outward) with many texture points (raised dots), which are meant to prevent sweaty thumbs from creating a slick surface.

The No Sweat Close Combat.

No Sweat Sniper Combat

Like the regular model of Sniper Combat, these taller grips are meant for games that need increased sensitivity and accuracy. Like the other No Sweat model, the design is convex (curves outward) with many texture points (raised dots).

The No Sweat Sniper Combat.

Each grip is priced on Amazon from $12.99 – $13.99.

If you buy more than one model, mixing and matching then becomes an interesting option.

So what do I think? These all more or less do exactly what they say they do. However, controller feel is intensely personal, so some will find that one or more of these pairs of grips will help their game(s), while others will simply find them a hindrance. If you think you may be in the former group, these are definitely worth a try, with quality construction and design, as well as reasonable pricing. I know I’ll be strategically working the use of these into my own game library, because with my elder statesman status, i.e., 40+, I can use all the gaming help I can get. In fact, I’ll probably even experiment with mixing and matching the grips.

Thanks to HC GamerLife for the review units.

Want to win one? Enter this contest:

Coosh 60W Rapid Car Charger for Apple MacBook Review

While car chargers for smartphones, tablets, and other USB-powered devices are common, car chargers for laptops are not. Generic power inverters sometimes work with larger, AC-powered devices like laptops, but they’re almost always bulky and it’s often difficult to tell if you’re going to draw too much – or not enough – power with your laptop’s power brick. One of the advantages of owning an Apple MacBook is that even though market share is quite small compared to Windows-powered laptops, a sizable percentage of those who do own one have a model with the same basic power specifications as everyone else, which allows a product like Coosh’s 60W Rapid Car Charger for Apple MacBook (Power: 85W, Input: DC12V, Output: DC14.5-18.5V; 4.6A) to exist.

The packaging for the Coosh 60W Rapid Car Charger.

Instead of using your MacBook’s existing power brick to plug into a power inverter, the Coosh 60W Rapid Car Charger for Apple MacBook plugs directly into your laptop’s MagSafe2 port. Compatibility is across a broad range of Apple MacBook laptops and includes: MacBook Pro 15″ with Retina Display, MacBook Pro 13″ with Retina Display, MacBook Air 11″ Mid 2012, and MacBook Air 13″ Mid 2012. It’s with the latter that the charger was tested with.

Because the MacBooks are a known quantity, overcharge protection (keeping both your laptop and car safe) and reliable charge estimates (about 75 minutes from a very low battery) are a given. The MagSafe2 end of the charger has an orange light indicator that turns green when the MacBook’s battery is fully charged. Once it detects a full charge, it stops charging.

The Coosh 60W Rapid Car Charger.

The Coosh charger’s cable is a simple, tangle-free design and measures 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) in length, which should allow you to place your MacBook just about anywhere convenient in your vehicle. The knurling on the plug end that secures to your vehicle’s 12v power receptacle allows for easy insertion and removal of the charger, and of course enhances the already sleek looks and overall product design, the latter of which wouldn’t make it seem out of place as an official Apple product. It’s a quality charger with a decidedly premium feel for only $13.99 on Amazon and is absolutely worth picking up for the additional peace of mind that having mobile power from your vehicle can bring.

The Coosh 60W Rapid Car Charger works great.

Special thanks to Coosh for providing the review unit.

Mpow iSnap X One-piece U-shape Self-portrait Monopod Extendable Selfie Stick Review

The Mpow iSnap X takes a different approach from other selfie sticks. Instead of offering the monopod portion and two or more separate attachments of varying size and function to secure devices to, Mpow offers a one-piece solution. While this limits this particular selfie stick to securing only iOS- or Android-based smartphones to the end of it, this also greatly enhances its stability and portability. And it really is portable too at only 7.08 inches (18 centimeters) fully collapsed, so it can fit in large pockets while still extending all the way to a useful 31.88 inches (81 centimeters).

The Mpow iSnap X box.

Amazon presently offers the Mpow iSnap X for only $15.99 – $19.99 depending upon color choice, but as a special offer to Armchair Arcade readers, you can get an additional $4 off by using coupon code LK35FSFH at checkout. That kind of deal combined with free lifetime customer service support, an 18 month warranty, and an impressive 45 day money back guarantee makes this a no-brainer if you’re in the market for this type of selfie stick. You also have a choice of black, blue, or pink (my review unit) metal accents, so there’s an element of personalization with it as well.

The Mpow iSnap X box contents.

The Mpow iSnap X package includes the monopod itself, wrist strap, standard microUSB charging cable, and instructions. As is usually the case with selfie sticks, setup is straightforward, i.e., you follow the same basic steps as any other device in this category.

The Mpow iSnap X is highly adjustable.

The Mpow iSnap X is highly adjustable.

After charging the selfie stick, press the power/shutter button (the M button), go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings until you see Mpow iSnap X listed, then connect. Now, when the selfie stick is powered on, simply press the monopod’s shutter button when you’re in your phone’s camera app to take a photo (hold and press the power/shutter button to power off).

My cased Apple iPhone 6 Plus still fit.

As for the extensible U-shaped clamp, despite a tight fit, it was no problem securing my 5.5 inch Apple iPhone 6 Plus in its Spigen Tough Armor case. With the way this clamp is designed, securing similarly large (and of course, smaller) – though not wider – phones should also prove problem free. Naturally, you’ll also want to use the included wrist strap to secure the monopod itself to your wrist for better overall peace of mind from accidental drops.

A selfie with just me.

From build quality to comfort to price, Mpow has come up with a winner of a selfie stick and one worth seriously considering in an extremely crowded product category. With the firm, rubberized grip, the metal accents, and the easy-to-press shutter button, I can’t think of any way this product could be improved. In fact, there’s even further incentive to go with the iSnap; check out the Amazon product page for the list of other special offers when purchasing this selfie stick, e.g., an additional discount when also purchasing Mpow’s Fisheye Lens.

A selfie with me and one of my daughters.

Special thanks to Mpow for the review unit and discount code.

Lifeguard 2.1A Dual USB Car Charger review

After reviewing the Lifeguard MINI 1 Portable Charger Power Bank, I was happy to receive the company’s 2.1A Dual USB Car Charger. I expected the same attention paid to build quality and features, and was not disappointed. At only $10.97 on Amazon, it’s also a great value, and is available in either black or silver (I received black).

Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger comes in a small package.

The top USB port of the Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger is what the company refers to as an +IQ USB jack. It automatically detects the power requirements of your smartphone, tablet, MP3 player, digital camera, etc., and safely “fast” charges the connected device with up to 2.1A. The bottom USB port forgoes the extra smarts and simply outputs 1A, which is suitable for smaller smartphones and other modestly sized USB-powered devices, or trickle charging larger devices.

The specs for the Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger.

I’m happy to say that the Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger has replaced the less feature rich charger (1A max, single USB port) I was using in my car (a Toyota Prius) with my Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Using the Lifeguard charger’s top port, I can say that my iPhone 6 Plus definitely charges noticeably faster, plus there’s the added convenience of the second port being free for when a passenger needs a charge as well. (On a side note, you may ask why I don’t use the car’s USB port. It’s because it’s in a somewhat inconvenient position and I prefer to use my phone over Bluetooth rather than in iPod connectivity mode.)

The 1A, single USB charger I was using was adequate.

The Lifeguard Dual USB Car Charger outperforms what I was using while only being marginally larger.

Special thanks to Lifeguard for the review unit.

Liztek HDDT1BSB USB 3.0 Super Speed to SATA Single Bay External Hard Drive Docking Station for 2.5 and 3.5 inch Hard Drives Review

In my earlier review for the Liztek HDDS1BS, I marveled at its low price and unique sled-like design, where the 2.5″ or 3.5″ hard drive, which you could hot swap, remained in a horizontal position. Despite the positives of such a design, for some people, the traditional upright docking station is more in line with what they want, either because of the slightly reduced usage of desktop real estate, the fact that it’s a proven form factor, or simply personal preference. That’s where the Liztek HDDT1BSB comes in.

The Liztek HDDT1BS dock.

The Liztek HDDT1BSB offers the same high performance as its sled-like sibling, but does so with a traditional top-slot loading (vertical) design. At only $22.95 on Amazon, it provides a similarly great value.

Liztek HDDT1BS package contents.

The package contents include the main Liztek USB 3.0 Single Bay HDD Docking Station, a USB 3.0 data cable, a power adapter, and documentation. Packaging and hardware build quality were again excellent.

I tested the docking station using the same 1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm hard drive as before on my Windows 7 desktop PC. Using USB 3.0, you can expect transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps, which obviously varies based on drive and computer performance. Naturally, using this device with USB 2.0 will result in a more dramatic performance reduction.

While Liztek claims the docking station will support Windows XP or higher, as well as Mac OS X-based computers, this should work with most other operating systems or devices that can normally access hard drives over USB connections, particularly since setup is driver free.

The Liztek HDDT1BS dock supports both 2.5″ (left) and 3.5″ (right) hard drives.

As stated earlier, hot swapping is an option, so quickly switching out hard drives even when the device is powered on is about as hassle free as it gets. As with the other Liztek docking station, you get a generous 18 month warranty, which is the perfect way to cap off yet another unequivocal recommendation from me.

Special thanks again to Gurin for the review unit. Be sure to also check out Liztek’s other products at www.liztek.com.

Selfie Stick Professional 2-in-1 Bluetooth Monopod Review

L&Z Inc.’s Selfie Stick Professional 2-in-1 Bluetooth Monopod is as generic of a device as it gets. It comes packaged as just the pieces in what would typically be a plastic insert placed inside a slick outer box. There are no instructions either, which would be an obvious help for those who don’t typically know how to set up even relatively simple electronics like selfie sticks, or try to figure out how to make their camera, GoPro, or smartphone fit in one of the holders.

This is how the Selfie Stick Professional 2-in-1 Bluetooth Monopod comes.

Now, with the above in mind, given the $13.99 retail price on Amazon, some of those oddities could be overlooked as long as the product works as intended. Fortunately, it does.

The Selfie Stick Professional 2-in-1 Bluetooth Monopod package consists of the selfie stick, a small device mount, a large device mount (for larger phones like my iPhone 6 Plus), a GoPro mount (unusual among selfie sticks), and a Micro-USB to USB cord for charging (any other similar cord can also be used for charging).

My Apple iPhone 6 Plus in the large mount.

After my usual struggles with figuring out how to mount my iPhone 6 Plus on one of these things, I charged the stick for a few hours (since there’s no manual, I have no idea how long to charge for or how long the charge will last!). I then turned on the stick via the switch at the bottom of the device, causing its associated blue light to flash. I then went to the Bluetooth settings on my iPhone 6 Plus and paired it with “DSQX.” I was then able to use the shutter button on the stick to take my selfie once I extended the shaft to the desired length (it extends up to 39″).

The selfie stick at full extension (top) and collapsed (bottom).

So, while it’s clear this device barely passes muster in terms of packaging (and product information in general), it does in fact work like it’s supposed to. Paired with the aggressive pricing, it’s not hard to recommend the Selfie Stick Professional 2-in-1 Bluetooth for those in the market for one.

A very quick (and tired) selfie with my oldest daughter.

Thanks to L&Z Inc., who backs their product with a one year warranty, for the review unit.

Sentey Kairos Pro Professional Gamer Series mouse pad review

There is lots of competition in gaming/high quality mouse pads. I myself own a wide variety, using products from Razer and other major companies. Besides their quality construction, what separates gaming mouse pads from the norm is the types of surfaces they offer. Some have more drag, some less, some are smooth, some are textured, some are fabric, some are plastic, etc. In short, it’s all about catering to user choice and preference, with gamers being among the most discriminating.

Sentey makes a clear statement with their Kairos Pro (GS-2800)–they’re here to compete with the big boys of gaming mouse pads. The 12.1 x 10″ (310 x 254mm) mouse pad, which is considered medium size, comes sealed in cello-wrap inside a fitted carboard box, complete with interior padding and slick mini-catalog highlighting Sentey’s other gaming-centric products.

The Kairos Pro design means (gaming) business.

The Kairos Pro is nice and substantial at 5mm thick, consisting of a natural eco rubber non-slip base, with an edge-to-edge hard plastic (PVC) surface, providing moderate friction levels. Sentey’s marketing speak refers to the surface as low friction GLIDETECH, which “enhances the tracking speed of virtually any gaming mouse.” Whatever the description, my Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T. 5 gaming mouse did indeed feel great on it, making a satisfying shooshing sound as it moved and tracking smoothly and accurately.

The bottom of the Kairos Pro provides great grip, while the surface provides a smooth and slightly textured mousing surface.

The one negative that I’ll mention is that the extreme left and right edges of the mouse pad don’t lay perfectly flat, which some may find bothersome. However, even if you think something like that has the potential to bother you, at only $10.99 on Amazon, the Kairos Pro still represents an incredible value more than worth taking a chance on, particularly with that nifty smooth, slightly textured surface.

Thanks to Sentey for the review product.

 

Sentey Curve On-Ear Youth Headphones Review

Unlike my previous review for Sentey’s Flow youth headphones, where I went over the many selling points of the product before wrapping up, I’ll just cut to the chase here for Sentey’s Curve youth headphones (Model LS-4124). Much like that previous review, these are incredibly high quality wired headphones for an unbelievably low price. Right now on Amazon, both the black, which is the unit I’m reviewing, and the white, are priced at just $12.99 each.

So what’s different from Sentey’s Flow youth headphones? Well, for starters, there are the cosmetic differences. While the Flow featured a sleek, modern design, the Curve features what Sentey refers to as an urban design. This is particularly noticeable with how you adjust the band, which is not surprising considering the Flow is meant to fold up, while the Curve is not.

Sentey describes the Curve’s aesthetic as “urban.” Whatever you want to call it, it looks good.

Another major difference is that the Curve headphones feature a braided hard-wired, rather than removable, gold plated 3.5mm plug. It still features an in-line control and in-line omnidirectional microphone, so it too can be used for music and voice control with most smartphones.

All of the other features are more or less the same. They both feature comfortable leatherette ear-pads, and both have the same surprisingly good audio quality. They are also both designed for child or teen heads/ears. As before, these passed the tests of my two oldest daughters, ages 10 and 8, with flying colors.

The Curve’s feature-set is robust.

There’s really not much more to say. Sentey has once again delivered high quality youth headphones at a superior price point. Frankly, the only negative is that they don’t offer these models in adult sizes.

Special thanks to Sentey for the review unit.