Review of Nomad ChargeCard and ChargeKey w/lots of pics!!! - General Accessories

This is a review of Nomad ChargeCard (http://www.hellonomad.com/products/chargecard-micro-usb) and ChargeKey (http://www.hellonomad.com/products/chargekey-micro-usb)
It's very rare nowadays to see Kickstarter project blossomed into a mature product after the crowdsourcing campaign is over. But there are pleasant exceptions with Nomad being one of them. I was intrigued by this project since last year, even before they changed their name officially to Nomad, and had a chance to test their early sample. Now I received their finished mature product which in addition to ChargeCard also spanned a variation in a form of ChargeKey, and I was very impressed with improvements. Let me share with you what I found.
Our lives became a lot easier when all the new gadgets converged to use micro-usb port with common usb to micro-usb cable. We all have at least half a dozen of usb cables at home, varying in colors and length, to charge our gadgets and to transfer the data. But what about when we are on a go? How many times did you realize that your laptop and smartphone is there, but you forgot your cable? Or you got the external backup battery, but there is no way to connect it to your phone? Why does this happen? Simply because these cables are bulky and PITA to drag around when we are traveling. Even if you attempt to get a shorter cable, there is a chance you will loose it. So how do we get around this problem? Nomad guys came up with a very clever solution to package this "short cable" into a shape that will conveniently fit with our everyday lifestyle.
We all carry a wallet with credit cards and a set of keys. Taking that into account, they came up with two very simple products: ChargeCard and ChargeKey. Each one arrived in a similarly packaged envelope with only a company name on top of it. Pulling up to open the cover reveals a product inside with a greeting of "Say hello to your little friend!" that would put a smile even on Scarface! Starting with ChargeCard, it actually has a footprint slightly smaller than a regular credit card and a thickness of a few credit cards stacked together. In comparison to their early samples, I really appreciated how they tapered down the edges of ChargeCard to make it easier to insert into the credit card pocket of your wallet. Micro-usb cable is in the corner pointing out with easy access to connect the card to your smart device or accessory, while full usb port is placed on the attached flexible short cable inside of a rubber coating stored in the middle of the card. ChargeKey is a variation of ChargeCard where only the flexible cable part is used, and the product itself is shaped in a form of a key which can be attached to your keychain.
I found the build and the material to be of a very high quality. The actual usb and micro usb connectors are made out of hard plastic molded to a rubbery coating of flat cable hosting the wires. Without a doubt it looks really cool, but the main purpose of these cables is to charge and to transfer the data. Let me tell you, it works as good as it looks!!! Data transfer was flawless connecting my Note 2 to the laptop, and I especially appreciated the tight fit of the connectors where I didn't have to worry about cable pulling out of the laptop or my phone. Next was a charging test. Note 2 comes with 2A charger and a cable capable to charge at full speed. The performance of ChargeCard and ChargeKey was identical to my OEM usb cables, providing charging at full speed!
Overall, I was very impressed with a build quality, with a design, and with a performance of this product. Some might argue that at $29 this is pricey. I do agree, it would be pricey for a regular usb to micro-usb cable. But if you take into consideration the convenience of the design, cool look to make you stand out from a crowd, and quality of the wires to provide full speed charging even at 2A - the price actually starts to sound more friendly. And there are even ways by referring others to get free ChargeKey and ChargeCard.
Here are the pictures.
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Related

Review of Smiley and Mini-strap usb cables w/lots of pics!

This is a review of Smiley Luminescence usb cable: http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/Smi...I9300-S4-I9500-N7100-HTC-Sony-White-MCH-636B/ and Mini-digital Strap usb cable: http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/3-i...r-Samsung-Sony-HTC-Etc.-Orange-Strap-CR-267A/
Since I'm on a roll with reviews from my recent tvc-mall order, here is another unique one you all might appreciate and enjoy! A typical usb to micro-usb cable is a boring piece of wire, nothing to get excited about. It took me awhile to search and to find something unique and fun to share with everybody. And for about $1 plus change - it's also a great value from tvc-mall.
First one is a Smiley cable. Just one look at it and you realize where the name came from. Both usb and micro-usb connectors have a light-up embedded smiley faces on one side and a round dot on another side. It looks super cool and highly visible in the dark. So once you have usb side connected to wall or car charger, both ends light-up and you will not have any problem finding your phone's micro-usb port to connect the other side of the cable in the dark. Cable itself is a flat noodle design. Feels and looks very durable, and comes in a variety of close to a dozen of different colors. One thing I do have to mention, I checked it with Galaxy Charging current app, and found that you will not be able to get full 2A charging speed. Perhaps there is some loss with current being used to light up smiley faces or wires being thinner, but honestly for $1.19 this is going to be the coolest charging/data cable in your collection.
Here is how it looks.
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The other cable is a very short (a total of 4" end-to-end) multi-functional charging/data transfer cable which is equally unique. When you are traveling or on the go, dragging a spool of long cable often is not preferable. Finding the shortest cable is also a challenge because short cables are not as durable and often will not allow full speed charging. This one hits a mark in every aspect. It has a flat noodle design, dust caps on both of the usb and micro-usb connectors, and I confirmed it can charge your Note 2 at full 2A current!!! As a bonus, it has a unique built-in micro-sd card reader. The full usb connector has pins on both sides with one side supposedly being able to read data from micro-sd. OK, I tried it and even demonstrated in my pictures. I was NOT able to read micro-sd card, that didn't work for me. But who cares! For $1.32 you are getting one of the shortest and coolest looking charging and data cables which can take a full advantage of 2A charging. It even comes in 3 different color combinations. Definitely happy with this one as well, been using it with my extended battery for a few days now - very convenient to eliminate mess of long usb cables.
The pictures are below.
vectron said:
As a bonus, it has a unique built-in micro-sd card reader. The full usb connector has pins on both sides with one side supposedly being able to read data from micro-sd. OK, I tried it and even demonstrated in my pictures. I was NOT able to read micro-sd card, that didn't work for me. But who cares!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too bad that the card reader aspect didn't work for you, perhaps the ones others have received may work. I guess you could use it as a way of storing/transporting additional micro-sd cards with you.
how long does it take to ship from this website?
Optimistic Pessimist said:
Too bad that the card reader aspect didn't work for you, perhaps the ones others have received may work. I guess you could use it as a way of storing/transporting additional micro-sd cards with you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Guess what? I ordered and just received 2 more of these mini-strap cables and actually one reads micro-sd without a problem! So let's see, 1 out of 3 works Listen, for $1.32 it works just as a cable and considering you can put it on your keychain (that lanyard cap part latches on with two little hooks securely). So, I would recommend for anybody if you want to try your luck with it's built-in micro-sd card reader to order 3 of those lol!!!! At least that was my luck...
billymaloney3 said:
how long does it take to ship from this website?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have ordered from them in the past both using standard cheapest method and once with DHL upgrade. DHL upgrade is a bit pricey but will take you 3 days to get from China to US (I'm not kidding). Regular cheapest shipping is the usual 2 weeks you get with any ebay purchase. Because of my order history and my online write ups about their products - I get complimentary DHL upgrades One thing for sure, any time I get something which doesn't work they always credit back the price to my account.
Btw, I got a few tiny speakers from them, one bt and another one just with external aux connection, both have micro-sd card slot to turn it into little mp3 player - just mind blowing sound. Expect reviews soon!

External Battery Review: Lepow ADD

Having previously reviewed the LePow Moonstone, I'm glad to post this very delayed review of the ADD, another in a lineup of great backup power sources from LePow.
I would first like to apologize to our friends at LePow for the very long delay. I suffered a hand injury a few months ago that prevented me from typing effectively until just now. Though I have pictures of the 'accident', they would only be suitable for medical journals, so I'll spare you all the discomfort of having to see what happens when fingers have an unfortunate encounter with a power tool.
The LePow ADD continues in their tradition of environmentally friendly packaging, being shipped in a plain cardboard box which houses a container of... CORK! Yes, cork. Very clever, and very trendy.
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Unpackaging the ADD leaves you with rectangular bodies, the main unit and an expansion pack, along with a gray felt pouch and silicone holder which contained a color-matched USB cable. This unit does not have as many 'tchotchkes' as the Moonstone, which is fine by me. I don't need stickers or any more USB drives, I'd prefer that money go into enhancing quality and features.
I'd first like to say that I much prefer this form factor over the Moonstone, because for a business traveler such as myself, it is far easier to pack in a briefcase or even jacket pocket being flat and squared off. The Moonstone, while highly capable, is shaped in such a way that its rounded edges while very fashionable and exhibiting an excellent aesthetic design sense, make it somewhat less suited for business use.
Usage is fairly straightforward. The expansion pack 'docks' onto the main unit much in the way a Lego is stacked on top of another, and is held into place with a magnet. It's easily removable and a bump or drop will dislodge the expansion pack, but the engineering approach is so clever and the probability that the unit will become dislodged in use is so remote, that I overlook that possibility in favor of appreciating the ease-of-use. I mean, really... who doesn't like magnets? How cool is that???
To activate the ADD-on pack, a twist of the aluminum switch block 90 degrees from the main unit brings two embedded spring-loaded pins into contact, activating the secondary unit when the primary unit has expired. Recharging is likewise accomplished the same way.
There are some very cool features built into LePow units, one of which is the ability to tell when your power source needs a recharge itself. In the case of the ADD, an accelerometer (?) will trigger four LEDs to display with a bit of a shake on the unit. Very subtle, and very classy. A nice touch. I don't like a lot of 'bling' on my equipment, and this fits in very well.
Regretfully I'm not an electronics engineer, so I can't comment on the particulars of efficiency, but here is an illustration of recharging an HTC One M7:
10:30AM – 15% charge on phone
11:30AM – 49% charge
1:00PM – 85% charge
1:45PM – 100% charge
So, roughly 3 hours for a full charge from nearly dead. That might seem a long time compared to a USB or AC charger, but when the chips are down, and you're miles away from a power source, this unit can be a lifesaver. For those of you who are 'preppers', I'd suggest keeping a LePow unit in your bug-out bag. Y'never know...
CONCLUSION:
I think anyone would be very happy with any LePow backup power source. Their products have "all the right stuff"... high capacity cells, overcharge protection, ease of use features and solid build quality. A great value all around. However I'm particularly fond of the ADD for the reason stated above. Go get one!

[Review] Poweradd Slim 2 - 5,000mAh Powerbank

Hi all,
Continuing on my new found hobby of tech reviewing I wanted to share with you my thoughts on some Poweradd products I've recently got my hands on. This review is about the Slim 2 powerbank with a 5,000mAh capacity.
Unboxing
The powerbank comes in a fairly well packed black box with a few product details on the front and back. On the font it lists
Quick Charge with no memory effect
USB charge
High capacity
easy operation
safety protection system
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The last one - safety protection system - is really key for me seeing as im planing on plugging in my £500 smart phone and my tablets and camera into this thing so im putting a lot of trust in it and that makes me feel a bit more at ease!
Not wanting to go on too much about the packing, but it does feel like a really well made packet that the powerbank comes in that really just added to the feel of high quality, it didnt arrive in just a plastic bag with no instructions so i do feel safe trusting my valuables to it!
On the back of the packet it lists a few more details, it uses a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 5,000mAh (18.5Wh)!. The weight is listed as 4.41 ounces with a +/- 0.35 ounce variance. I was a bit disappointed not to see any promises of how many recharge cycles this thing would last for written onto the box.
Ok so lets open this thing up finally!!
Inside the box is just the powerbank, a Microusb lead and a small set of instructions. As with the other powerbank (Pilot C), the Micro USB lead felt excessively long at about 1m I use these things in my pocket to charge my phone in my pocket so the extra cable felt a little excessive but on the plus point it does reach the outlet on the floor so not too worried about that.
The powerbank its self feels nice and sturdy and is a nice feel in your hand. It isnt too heavy and has a nice matt plastic finish around the sides and top. The shape is a slight hexagon with gentle corners making it easier to hold. The thing felt very well put together, and from the weight it feels like the battery is in the bottom section and the USB circuit is in the top. I kinda have an urge to twist the top off, i've given it a bit of a twist and there is no movement so its pretty well glued in there but I guess this is how it comes apart. Not having a death wish or wanting to be covered in Lithium I didnt try to take this apart...
On the top of the powerbank there is 1 USB outlet and a Micro USB inlet. The USB outlet is rated at 5V, 1A as it the Micro USB input, so if you get one of these do be careful not to plug it into a high amp charger and damage the battery.
As with most powerbanks, there is a single button which can be used to show the amount of power in the device. There are 4 blue LEDs on the top to signify levels of charge. A little disappointed that there is no LED light option as you get on some of the powerbanks which can be handy when fumbling in the dark as I often find myself when camping!
So thats the product!
In summary:
Positive points
+Good capacity at 5,000mAh and fairly good weight
+Feels well put together
+uses micro USB (long live the standard cable!)
+LEDs to show battery capacity
+small enough to slip in a pocket
+matt finish doesnt feel like it will show any scratches
Negative points
-USB lead supplied is a little long
-No supplied storage pouch! Feels like PowerAdd missed a trick with supplying a cheap little bag to make this feel like even more of a premium product.
-The USB cable supplied is charge only so cant be used for data, feels a little mean
Overall im fairly happy with this and it feel rugged enough for my camping trips away or to be slung in a backpack and not worry about it coming apart or breaking.
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good::good:
For the price it feels like a good buy.
Hope everyone found this useful. I'll upload a video review shortly when i get my camera working. Feel free to ask me any questions.
update please
I got one of these 3 months ago and love it, I plan to pick some more up as stocking stuffers,. You have had yours a lot longer than me. Can you give an update to the product ? Still holding charge working well? thanks
Do the last led stop flashing when the powerbank is fully charged?
It's confusing. Mine flashes forever, as long as it's charging.
Another point is that they claim they can charge up a smartphone twice. I charged my HTC M9 and the charge fell from 4 leds to ONE. It's just mine or you guys experience the same thing?
Thanks!

[Review] Inateck USB / Lightning Adapter

Inateck USB / Lightning Adapter Review (EC2001L)
Overview
Hi all. So i’ve got my hands on another product from Inateck, one of the new up and coming tech firms that seem to do a little bit of everything. Today I'm reviewing their answer to a problem for households that use both Android and Apple devices - a USB cable that had both adaptors!
Unboxing
The cable arrived in a plastic bag, labelled up with all the specs. Its 120cm long and has USB A Male to USB micro B and Lightning port for Apple products. There isn't much else on the packet so I guess its time to open it up!
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Honestly I wasn't really very excited about reviewing a cable. Its a cable, something I have hundreds of that has come with every smart device and all seems to be the same to me. How wrong I felt when I first opened this up, the cable looks and feels really premium, I was actually planning on giving it to a friend and now i'm going to keep it for myself, honest truth!
Hands on
Holding the cable, the wire is flat, about 6mm wide covered in a soft rubber similar to the back of a Nexus 7 or a Kobo e-reader, feels quite nice to the touch. The cable doesn't really have much memory, so you can lie it flat without it coiling itself up again too much.
The USB connector housing is covered in a soft feeling gray plastic type material that feels really premium. On the end of the USB A Male connector is a tinted brown dust cover which fits tightly and im not worried about it falling off any time soon.
On the other end is a USB micro B connector plugged into a Lightning connector adaptor, on the end of the Lightning adaptor there is another tinted brown dust cover. The Lightning adaptor unplugs to reveal the micro USB B connector. As I don't own any Apple products I do like that the lightning adaptor can be removed and basically go in a draw until I do take the plunge into the Apple universe, what did upset me was that the little dust cover won’t also fit over the micro USB connector which feels like a bit of an oversight and would have rounded things off nicely for me.
Im a little confused as to its purpose, the little dust caps suggest to me that this is a travel cable but the length is 120cm (1.2m) so its pretty long and more suited to a desktop PC being permanently cabled in.
Testing
There isn't much I can actually do to test a cable other than plug it in and it works! When i plugged it into my trusty Samsung Galaxy S4 the micro USB connector clicked in very firmly and it was immediately detected as a media device so all works fine, I gave it a little wiggle and no issues! I’ve never had a flat cable before and i noticed it sat quite nicely and was easier to orientate the connector to the right orientation without too much guessing.
If you do use Apple products the Lightning adaptor has a little arrow on it to light up the correct orientation to the micro USB connector which felt like a nice touch.
Positive points
Really premium feel
Dust covers for USB A and Lightning adaptor
Flat cable with little cable memory
Decent length, I wouldn't want it any longer
Well made micro USB connector, feel very secure when connected.
Alignment arrows for the Lightning adaptor.
Negative points
The cable ties used to pack the product seem to have eaten a bit into the cable sheath, hopefully the dents will work themselves out but takes away a bit from the premium feel.
The little cable cap only fits on the Lightening adaptor and won't work to cover the USB Micro B adaptor if im not interested in carrying round the Lightning adaptor end or I lose it.
Because its a flat cable it does mean it doesnt ball up very small
A bit long for travel use.
Conclusions
Overall a very nice little product at a reasonable price. I feel like I can trust this to be left alone to charge my expensive products without any problems.
Score
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good::good:
5 out of 5 - it didn't feel like any points should be knocked of for my minor annoyances.
Bottom Line
I’ve never been impressed by a cable before, this feels very nice and maybe I’m starting to realise the value in buying premium cables.
Links
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KV80WYA
Manufacturer Website
http://www.inateck.com/inateck-ec20...-including-adapter-with-lightning-plug-white/
Thanks
Thanks for your review :good::good:

[Mega Review] Anker PowerCore External Battery Charger 10400, 15600, 20100 (Pics!)

Hi all,
I have a lot of external battery packs. If you're familiar with Anker or even follow them on social media, you'll know they recently had a sale on their new chargers. I was able to get the 15600 and 20100 units for half price. They previously offered Power Users the 10400 unit for $9.99 which I gladly accepted. This review is in no way an obligation to these deals, but I wanted to share my impressions of these. Mostly, this will serve to compare to some of their other (older) products.
My favorite external battery charger to date is the Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5 16000. It's long and slim and fits in my front pants pocket really nicely. It's got a fabulous piano black plastic chassis, and blue indicator LEDs.
The PowerCore chargers all have a soft matte finish that slightly more of a charcoal black. The matte finish is advertised to not leave fingerprints or smudges, but I can assure you, it does pick up the oils off of your fingers. It does have a better grip than the glossy finished units.
A look at the specifications states that the new units have 4.8A output current, which is up from the 3A max that the Astro was capable of. This is awesome if you need to charge two devices simultaneously. I have a Legion USB Multimeter that I can verify that with but haven't done so yet. These chargers also boast PowerIQ tech, which is supposed to deliver the best charge type for your device. There's also protection and VoltageBoost features.
I've always admired Anker's relatively simplistic packaging and graphics design. They certainly do a nice job making you feel comfortable with your purchase decision, with reassurance that if you're not happy, they will make things right. I haven't had a negative experience yet.
Each unit includes a mesh carry bag and a USB cable (3' I think). The 10400's carry bag is a nice fit, but I think the bag included with the 15600 and 20100 is a bit too large for the size of the charger. I imagine this bag was sized to one of the larger chargers and they haven't updated the bags for the new product. I LOVE how perfect the bag fit is for the Astro 16000.
The USB cables are a great inclusion, although I wish they would include their heavier duty 28 / 21 AWG cables that you can purchase separately. I've noticed HUGE charging speed improvements using those heavier cables, especially with the longer lengths. Another point would be that if you're using these chargers with Apple devices (or anything other than Micro USB), you're going to have to source your own cable.
Charging the batteries is a matter of reversing a USB and plugging it into a charger just as you would your phone. LEDs light up with one LED flashing to indicate charge level.
Now, one difference I should point out compared to the Astro is that when these finish charging, ALL LEDs turn off. On the Astro, all LEDs stay on when the unit is fully charged. I prefer the Astro's behavior so you can see it is done charging at quick glance.
Since I've had the PowerCore 10400 longer, I've actually been using it since I got it. It performs just as you'd expect. That said, I find the wider design harder to keep in my pocket. I like the longer narrow build better.
And on size, the PowerCore 15600 and 20100 units appear to be exactly the same. The specifications say that the 15600 should weigh 341g, but according to my non-scientific OXO scale, both weigh 356g, which is what the specs say for the 20100. And the two being exactly the same size, I can't really tell them apart from each other without reading the very fine print labeling. This could be a problem of sorts should I keep them both around... I could easily grab the wrong one. Now, I'm only trading off maybe 2 charges for my Galaxy S6, but I do like to know what I am carrying. Also for reference, that Astro weighs in at 308g, so it is lighter, smaller, and has more capacity than the PowerCore 15600. I'll certainly use these newer units, but that Astro might remain my favorite.
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Thanka for the review.
I would like to know howmuch mah does they really have?
For example xiaomi 16000 mah powerbank has 10000 mah (the rest get lost at the conversion.
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