Tag: gadgets

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Mophie Juice Pack Pro

I love rugged cases and, because of the iPhone 4S’ dismal battery performance, I’ve been looking around for a battery case. So I was just thinking that ruggedized cases are bulky, battery cases are bulky, why not bring the two together? And then someone comes out with something exactly that: the Mophie Juice Pack Pro. I’m just wondering what’s up with the scrimping on the plastic bits up the front.

Here’s something else that’s bulky: an inductive charger. Can I give all you case makers a month for that? :P

 

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Lifetrons Worldwide Travel Adapter

Got this from the in-flight duty free shop ($36) because it was more expensive at the airport duty free shop (NT$1400 or around $48). And then I find out that similar travel adapters are just around $20-$30 from Amazon.

Still, it’s not so bad. It’s your normal travel adapter with 4 different types of retractable prongs and as many sockets. It’s a bit chunky (see photo comparing it to standard iPhone charger) and not easily pocketable but with a gadget bag should be no problem. It has a smooth satin finish that looks pretty and resists fingerprints. But it is not scratch-resistant and can easily get marred or rubbed off.

The best thing about it is that it has two USB charging ports. And they’re not just ordinary ports, they are iPad-compatible (1000mA). The USB ports are actually the primary reason why I got this adapter. You’re supposed to be able to fast-charge two iPads but since I have only one, I wasn’t able to verify this. But being able to charge a phone, a tablet, and a laptop at the same time? That’s good enough for me!

Rating: 4/5

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Energizer XP1000

My usage pattern (heavy mobile browsing, moderate SMS, and some calls) coupled with Smart’s poor 3G network coverage results in dismal battery performance of my iPhone 4S. Despite my best efforts, standby is at only 20 hours with usage of around 4 hours and that already includes my sleeping time. Fully charged in the morning, I get up to12-14 hours of standby before I need to recharge. Usually, I’m back home by then. But that means I have a problem when I’m away for more than half the day.

My solution is the Energizer XP1000. It is a small (about the size of 1/3 a deck of cards) and light emergency charger and backup battery. It has a “universal” charging cable that allows you to charge the XP1000 via a USB port and charge different devices by attaching different tips  or connectors for different standards/devices. The package includes tips for mini-USB, micro-USB, iPhone/iPod, and Nokia.

The XP1000 specifications claims it stores a charge for a year, can be recharged up to 500 times, and is rated at 1000mAh. It charges my iPhone 4S from almost empty to just over 50% in around 2 hours. Not bad. That should give me an extra 6-7 hours of standby and a corresponding amount of usage. My only quibble is that the universal charging cable makes carrying the XP1000 around in your pocket a bit less convenient. But it’s not a problem if you have a gadget bag.

Rating: 4/5

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LG Optimus Black Blues

I was really bored and couldn’t sleep so I figured, why not try the recently released Temple Run for Android on  my test Android phone, a SIM-less LG Optimus Black. So I booted up, joined my home WiFi network, opened Android Market Google Play, and searched for “Temple Run”. No connection. I retried. Still no connection. I checked the browser and other network apps and they seemed to be working fine. Only Google Play was not working. It seems it requires a data connection even if I’m already on WiFi.

I figured, maybe it’s an Android 2.2 Frozen Yogurt problem. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread update has supposedly been made available by LG so I figured maybe it’s time I should upgrade. I went to the LG website and found out that there is an unspecified, hopefully Android 2.3, update available. But I needed to download a Windows USB driver and a Windows update manager. Unfortunately, I have no Windows machine. Dead end. I guess I shouldn’t be complaining about the iPhone being reliant on iTunes :P

UPDATE: Turns out it’s the time and date. I just set it to current and Google Play worked. Go figure.

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Buffalo MiniStation Stealth

For file transport duties, far I was able to make do with my not-so-portable Buffalo DriveStation. However, I recently hooked up the Drivestation to my LinkStation Live as storage expansion so I need another portable drive for file transport duties. But I don’t usually transport files much since the advent of, you know, the Internet. But it so happened that Michelle also needed to backup her files since she’s going to be getting a new laptop. So we got a Buffalo MiniStation Stealth. It’s nothing unusual, just your run-of-the-mill 1TB USB 3.0 portable hard drive. The interesting thing, at least to me, is that this is my 4th (5th if you count the now-replaced LinkStation Pro) Buffalo product to date. I even jokingly asked the sales clerk if they have a loyalty card for Buffalo.