Develop Bugs

Review of Anker Astro Pro 14400 mAh external battery w/pics!!!

This is a review of Anker Astro Pro 14400 mAh external battery: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NGLTZQ/
I think when you get into capacity of 14400 mAh you are no longer in external battery territory but rather "portable power bank" section. I have reviewed a number of different external batteries before, but this one offers something different. In addition to your standard usb outputs you also get a selectable 9V/12V DC output to power up your other devices.requiring voltage other than 5V.
Obviously with a higher capacity you will also see a heavier weight and bigger dimensions of the external battery. This Astro Pro clocks at about 385 grams and dimensions of 150 mm x 82 mm x 21 mm. It will not be pocket friendly, but surprisingly it still feels portable enough to throw into your backpack or just a bag on a go. As a matter of fact, the battery feels very rugged and solid, something that might give you a piece of mind when you are traveling. The whole body of the battery has a rubberized non slim finish, similar to Thinkpad laptops. The top has a reflective design which opens up to 4 vertical blue LED indicators (each one corresponding to 25% of battery capacity) and a power button.
The charging input comes from AC wall adapter which charges your battery relatively fast considering 12V/1.2A input. This is not your typical 5V input because this battery is designed to provide 12V/9V output in addition to 5V, so you need a higher voltage to begin with; 9V and 5V are derived from 12V internally. As I mentioned you can select either 12V or 9V DC output with a switch on a side. That output will provide 2A of output current. The same with both 5V USB outputs, each one will be able to supply 2A of current and can be used simultaneously. According to Anker, Output 1 is designated for Apple products and can charge even iPad 4 w/retina. Output 2 should be able to accommodate any Samsung tablet/phone or any other smart phone/tablet. For Note 2 - you can use either of the ports. For other smartphones or tables - you are covered with either one of these ports.
And speaking of full coverage. You get a lot of different connector types to cover most of your needs. The coiled heavy duty USB cable with it's selection of tips should cover most of the common micro-usb, mini-usb, apple, and cheaper tablets, while DC output cable has plenty of tips to cover laptop, netbook, camcoders, digital cameras, and other devices. Yes keep in mind - this will come VERY handy when you want to charge your Digital camera or DV recorder when you are outside and run out of juice. You also get a stretchable storage pouch which fits Astro Pro and cables. Keep in mind, 14400 mAh rating will have to be de-rated 30% down which is typical for EVERY external battery because of conversion through 5V usb connector going to your smartphone or other device.
Overall, if you are a looking for a more universal and versatile external battery to charge your phone and other digital devices (camera, dv, etc.) on the go - this will be a great solution to consolidate everything in one piece which is still portable. As usual, Anker offers 18-months warranty they really stand behind, a big plus!
Here are the pictures of this beast:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

pretty cool however i think the Astro E4 is better as it can charge faster and i realize this has two 2.0amp ports however for price over performance i think for 15$ less you can have slightly less mAh. I know this is aesthetically better but here you go
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-13000mA...F8&qid=1369337456&sr=8-1&keywords=anker+13000

Absolutely agree, if you are looking for smart phone only charger E4 is the best value right now. But in situation when you need more than just usb charging port - this one is great with it's extra 9V/12V output. I know most of the people abandon their regular cameras and digital video cameras in favor of phones, but we still use our dv camera at home and it needs 9V to charge it. So in that situation when you are running low on battery you can both charge the dv camera and phone on the go away from power outlet.

vectron said:
Absolutely agree, if you are looking for smart phone only charger E4 is the best value right now. But in situation when you need more than just usb charging port - this one is great with it's extra 9V/12V output. I know most of the people abandon their regular cameras and digital video cameras in favor of phones, but we still use our dv camera at home and it needs 9V to charge it. So in that situation when you are running low on battery you can both charge the dv camera and phone on the go away from power outlet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just use the battery charger from my camera. Its a nice product for some people I just see it as an over peiced option when youcan use something for less with an adapter if you felt like it is all.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app

Review of UNU SuperPak 10,000 mAh ext battery with SuperX input w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of UNU SuperPak 10,000 mAh external battery. http://www.myunu.com/unu-superpak-battery-pack-for-smartphones-and-tablets.html , also available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/UNU-Superpak-10000mAh-Lightning-compatible/dp/B00LXL6L9E/
External battery market is saturated, and it’s very sad to see hundreds of different models where the only innovation is a different color casing or shape of buttons or some other cosmetic changes trying to differentiate themselves from the rest. Luckily there are still a few companies that trying to innovate in this sector of electronic gadgets, and I found UNU to be one of them. Their UltraPak Go and Tour, reviewed not too long ago, demonstrated a new fast charging technology and a built in digital display to monitor battery status. Today I’m going to look into their latest SuperPak battery which has some unique features while keeping it at a budget friendly price.
Arrived in a small packaging box, you get a nice cover graphics with a picture of SuperPak and a detailed listing of features on the back and the sides. Out of the box you will find the battery packed inside of a plastic storage tray with user manual and USB charging cable. Typically I don’t spend too much time in further description of the cable since everybody includes a typical usb to micro-usb cable with their products. Well, this is not your typical cable because in addition to micro-usb connector it has a removable adapter (attached by a cable string so it doesn’t get lost) with Apple Lightning connector for use with iPhone 5/6. Though I personally don’t have any Apple products, I think it’s a fantastic idea to provide a universal cable to accommodate charging of any device. Obviously, the same cable could be used to charge battery itself.
Now about the battery, it has a sturdy quality build and a durable metal case. The footprint of the battery was relatively small for its 10,000 mAh capacity, but also a little bit thicker in comparison to other batteries. Either way, it should be pocket friendly and easy to carry with you in the bag on the go. The design itself is very simple. The top of the battery has a typical 4 led indicator with 25% charging/capacity increments. Nothing special here except in comparison to led display of UltraPak this was one of the “corners” UNU had to cut in order to reduce the price of the unit. The rest of the ports and controls are clustered and clearly labeled on the side of the battery. In there you have a large round power button, can’t miss that, which you have to push in order to start charging. In comparison to most of the other batteries charging usually starts automatically as soon as you connect the cable, while here UNU gives you a control – just have to remember to push that button.
You also have 2 full size usb charging ports labeled uSmart 5V/2.1A and 5V/1A. They use a new charge sensing technology to supply charging current at the max speed of the connected device. UNU is not the first one to introduce this technology, but still it’s a great feature which I only found available with two other manufacturers. Also, in my test I found my Note 4 charging at exactly the same speed from either of the ports. So I’m just going to consider this as a dual output 5V power supply with a total capacity of 3.1A shared current which gets distributed and optimized according to the max charging speed of your device.
Of course, I saved the best for last – SuperX micro-usb input port to charge the UNU battery. While only a few companies focus on faster charging of the devices connected to the battery, nobody focuses on fast charging of the battery itself. UltraPak introduced super fast charging but at an expense of a bulky AC wall proprietary charger which is not very convenient when you are traveling. SuperPak uses a regular standard micro-usb input charging port which is capable of 2.4A charging speed!!! For a comparison, all the currently available external batteries have a charging input of 1A or lower. With increasing capacity of batteries, that’s roughly speaking 1 hour of charge per each 1000 mAh of capacity. So a typical 10,000 mAh battery will take about 10 hours to charge, while SuperPak with its 2.4A input will fully charge its battery in under 5 hours. You also have to keep in mind, that you will not have the actual 10k mAh of available capacity to charge your phone since conversion of internal SuperPack battery of 3.7V to 5V and back to your phone’s 3.7V battery will result in about 20% of efficiency losses.
Overall, I found SuperPak to be a great battery with a decent build, high capacity, flexibility of micro-usb and apple lightning connector, smart device charging outputs, and a unique feature of super fast 2.4A input recharging. Only a few currently available ext batteries offer smart charging outputs, and universal micro-usb / lightning connector high quality cable is definitely a bonus. But SuperX input charging feature of SuperPak is the first one I have seen. This means that you no longer have to wait to charge your ext battery overnight or keep it on the charger half of the day to get those 4 leds lit up. In half of the time you can have your SuperPak battery full and ready to go!
Here are the pictures.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Review of Choetech 40W Smart desktop USB/AC surge protector and charger w/pics!!!

This is a review of Choetech 40W Smart desktop USB/AC surge protector and charger.
http://www.choetech.com/CHOETECH-Surge-Protector-USB-Power-Strip-Smart-Charger/ , also available on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/CHOETECH-Protector-USB-Ports-Electrical-Smartphones/dp/B00UUS78IY/
With all the smartphones, tablets, mp3 players, and Bluetooth devices in our household, multi-port usb charger is one of our most used gadgets in the house. I have reviewed a few of them already, and at some point noticed that every other charger started to look almost the same … until I came across Choetech latest 40W smart desktop charger with 2-1 surge protector where they also included two AC power sockets. What a great idea to combine both applications together in one compact design! Here is what I found while looking at this cool new gadget from Choetech.
The product arrived in a nice compact all carton packaging, always a plus in my book when manufacturer is environmentally conscious and uses a recyclable packaging material. I guess cover image just speaks for itself where the unit has a familiar 5-port usb charging front end like you find in a lot of other usb chargers and the back has 2x AC power sockets typically found in surge protectors. I do have to admit, I’ve seen other bulky surge protectors with a few usb power ports, but it always felt like an after-thought add on. Here, I find these two AC sockets as more of add on to usb charger. Typically, in the house AC wall power plugs come in pairs and once you use one socket to plug in your multi-usb port charger – only one other AC socket is remaining. I don’t know about you, but it's a big deal to me because I like to keep my electronic gadgets in one place and often run out of room for my camera battery charger. Now, problem is solved since I have access to both!
This smart charging unit has a nice compact footprint with dimensions of about 235mm x 65mm x 45mm, and a durable ABS shell. The front has 5 full size USB ports with blue led power indicator. Each port has smart sensing capability of up to 2.4A of charging current, depending on your devices. You just have to keep in mind that a combined current draw can’t exceed 8A for a total of 40W maximum power rating of this charger. Following usb charger, you have two standard 3-prong (grounded) AC power sockets. On the back by the chord, you also have a switch to turn power on/off. Surge protection is very comprehensive with 1700 Joules / 1500 A tolerance and 1 ns response time. Also keep in mind, surge protection is not only applicable to AC power sockets but also to usb charging ports since DC is derived from AC through conversion and AC is already under surge protection.
Overall, I can’t speak for everybody, but this is exactly a missing link in my home charging I have been looking for. I already have a few 5-port usb chargers at home covering all my smartphones, tablets, wireless chargers, external batteries, portable audio players, and wireless devices. What I was missing is a way to integrate a charging of my camera battery and my rechargeable flashlight batteries. Now, everything is in one compact spot and with a bonus of surge protection. Plus, it will be convenient to keep it on the nightstand in our bedroom since I can charge my devices at night and still have enough AC power sockets for night light, alarm clock, and one to spare. Also, for $26.99 it’s a great value!
Here are the pictures.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Muller21pr0 said:
yes, I consider surge protector to be a useful thing, however, do you have examples of surge protectors available on amazon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Though, I wrote that review 4 years ago, there is amazon link at the top. But for Amazon US, you might need to look it up on your Amazon UK.

Unfortunately, I upgraded my house with a lot of surge protectors, I put one or two of them in each room. Can I sue the state for losing appliances because of electricity? Two TVs were broken because of that. Although the protectors are very useful, I don't like having a lot of cables in through the rooms, that's their only downside for me. If you guys want to buy and don't know which one, read about them on https://sevensevenreviews.com/best-surge-protector/. I was guided by it when buying mine.

(Review) Archeer 3.4A Dual Wall Charger

Introduction –
We live in an age where power boards have their own integrated USB ports and where 5-port chargers from brands such as Anker and Aukey have become a household stable. But beyond these home based gadgets, nothing beats the compact convenience of a basic wall charger when traveDSC06690.JPGlling.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Archeer 3.4A – Generic 2A – Samsung QC 3.0​These wall chargers are pretty standard with a 5, maybe 10 Watt output delivering 1 to 2 amps to your smart device respectively. Though more tech orientated buyers will probably invest in a 2A dual port charger as a lot of travelers carry both a smartphone and tablet. But this is where the limitations of this charging system are reached. Most manufacturers market these chargers at 2A, but in reality that’s 2A shared over the two ports, equating to just 1A each. Since most tablets require a 2A charger, charging both a tablet and smart device simultaneously is not possible. And that’s where the Archeer charger comes in.
Disclaimer –
I would like to thank Archeer very much for providing me with a charger in exchange for my honest opinion. There is no monetary incentive for a positive review, I will try to be as objective as possible during my evaluation of the product.
Packaging –
Archeer have a pretty typical non-fills approach to packaging that works well but doesn’t flatter the buyer. The dual charger is packaged within a basic cardboard box and nestled within a protective foam inlet that snugly holds the device.
Design & Usage –
Bearing an atypical 3.4A output condensed into a relatively compact frame, the Archeer dual charger produces 50% more output current than a conventional charger. It’s not a small charger by any means but is only slightly larger than a conventional quick charge adapter whilst offering 2 outputs.
A 3.4A max output makes it powerful enough to charge both a tablet and smartphone simultaneously or simply charge one device with quick charge like speed. Here’s what the output looked like after running a few benchmarks on my Nexus 9.
I’m not sure why it’s capped at 1A, but it’s likely due to my Nexus being on 81% rather than the charger itself. I didn’t notice any abnormally slow charge times during my testing.
There’s also a little more method to the design than the average charger. With a grippy matte finish and a black colour scheme, the device looks quite classy without attracting too many fingerprints. Archeer also outfit the charger with a small blue LED to denote power along with dimpled sides that make the charger much easier to remove from tighter outlets.
The charger supports 100-240V which will cover most international outlets and outputs at 5V with 3.4A shared between both ports (both have the ability to charge at the full 3.4A if the other port is free), meaning no quick charge support for Qualcomm devices. Nexus devices should be able to draw the full 3.4A through a single port.
Archeer integrate protection circuits against over-volting, short circuit and overheating. There’s also some smart charging technology similar to that implemented by Anker and Aukey chargers that delivers precise amounts of current to your devices rather than using inbuilt presets for the fastest, safest charge possible.
Brand Archeer Dual USB Wall Charger 17W 3.4A 2 port USB Charger Adapter Home Travel USB Charger For iPhone 6s 6plus
Whilst I lack the electronic expertise to empirically confirm these claims, charging times were similar to my 60W Aukey 5 port charger. Currently the charger is available with US (pictured), UK and European plug configurations. The US model is easily modified using a set of pliers to fit Australian outlets as pictured below, omitting the need for an adapter.
Verdict –
So overall, the Archeer Dual charger is a pretty convincing device. It has a solid feel in the hand and a nice build overall. The addition of a status LED, high power output and dual USB ports make it feel all the more premium. But these impressions have yet to factor in the price, which is perhaps the most compelling aspect of the charger. The Archeer 3.4A dual charger can keep all your devices topped up for $9.99 on Amazon for US customers and just $8 AUD for international buyers on Aliexpress. That makes it about 3X cheaper than the basic 1A iPod charger sold by Apple. The Archeer dual charger is a convenient, cost effective charger that is well suited to travelers and home users alike.

Tronsmart Edge 20000mAh Quick Charge 3.0 Power Bank - Unboxing & Review

Tronsmart Edge 20000mAh Quick Charge 3.0 Power Bank
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Unboxing
The Power Bank comes in a rather premium packaging (not eco-friendly unfortunately) with a basic set of accessories: 1x Micro-USB Cable, 1x Manual plus two other cards, 1x Pouch (with a pretty strong paint/plastic smell, a bit disappointing) and the Power Bank (of course).
It's a pity that there is no Type-C cable included in the box, but the Pouch Quality is what worries me most. Can't recommend to use it (the pouch) unfortunately, even though it is quite well-made.
As regards the power bank materials instead, its chassis is made of Plastic, probably to keep its weight low considering the big capacity, with a nice rubberized surface. Usually, i don't like this kind of surface, but here it is quite pleasant to the touch, feels high quality, and also protects the plastic from drops slightly better. Just be careful to not scratch it.
On the front, there are 4x White LEDs to show the charge level and the Tronsmart logo. Pretty minimalistic.
The Power/Status Button is located on one of the sides.
Unlike the Presto Series from Tronsmart, this Edge uses a Micro-USB Port for quick charging, while the Type-C port, that also works as an output port, is capped to 5V/3A. This is how it should have been in order to be compliant with the USB standards, but it is still a, sort of, downgrade.
There are 2 USB-A ports available, one of which is Quick Charge 3 compatible (up to 12V/1.5V), while the other supports up to 5V/2.4A with the Tronsmart's VoltIQ technology that provides the correct charging protocol based on the connected device and regulate the voltage based on that.
Considering the 20000mAh battery capacity, it is as bulky and big as you would expect, with a size of 15.13x7.92x2.54mm, and a weight of 386g. Its design slightly impacts the dimensions, but the weight is just fine.
Efficiency
All tests have been done using my semi-professional USB Tester for maximum accuracy and hardware stress. Picture of it below.
Starting from the standard 5V/2.4A USB port, the voltage is quite accurate even at 2.4A load. It rare to get such a stable voltage from a power bank. Only at 3A load, over its declared specs, it goes just slightly under 5V. Excellent result.
As regards the Quick Charge 3 USB port, it goes up to 5V/3A with a voltage of ~5.03V, while in Quick Charge mode it gets up to 12V properly with no issues. Unfortunately i cannot test the Huawei FCP compatibility since i do not own any device featuring this charging technology.
Nothing to complain about the battery capacity, it isn't 100% accurate but i accept it for power banks with such high capacity since it isn't easy to charge each cell with the same amount of power. 20000mAh (declared) vs ~19100mAh (measured).
Conclusions
Tronsmart is quite a solid company when it comes to accessories, and this one is no exception. I am aware that this is not a perfect product, since one of the drawbacks is the lack of a real Type-C Quick Charge port, but in the same time it is well-made and features an excellent power output.
For those Huawei/Honor users that are in search for a quick charge capable power bank, i can recommend it. Other users might have a wider range of available products so the choice of this particular model is highly dependent on the price, since nowadays the market is full of similar products.
Pros:
- Power Output
- Huawei FCP compatibility
- Build Quality
Cons:
- No USB-PD support
- No Quick Charge via Type-C (but necessary to comply with USB standards)
- Suspicious included pouch quality
Rating: 8.8
Packaging and Accessories: 7.5
Design and Materials: 9
Performance and Efficiency: 10
Price: 8.5 (based on Amazon price)
Official Product page: http://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-edge-20000mah-quick-charge-3-0-power-bank
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: https://imgur.com/a/HR2Ld​