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Posts Tagged ‘technology’

Powerbank backup battery & USB noodle chargers review

laelene Posted in reviews，Tags: accessories, chargers, iphone 5, nomorerack, pictures, products, reviews, technology, website

19 June 2013

I’ve been using these two sets of products for the past two weeks or so and I can finally go out for the day without a single worry about how long my phone might last and when (not even if) it will die on me. You see, whenever I went out and needed to use navigation, the camera, and some other apps, my iPhone battery would quickly drain. At best I’d get about 4 hours of use out of it. Certainly not enough for a full day out, where I’m trying to get places and take pictures/videos and maybe play some games too.

When Panda showed me a deal on this site called nomorerack*, I was intrigued. The site looked legit enough and the prices were excellent. I figured for about $30 it was worth the risk to order them to try out. I decided on the Powerbank 5600mAh Cell Phone Battery Backup Emergency Power Source to recharge my battery on the go and the 3-pack 8-pin to USB noodle cable set for iPhone 5 to connect to a car or building’s power source. This way I could charge up in the car while driving, but I could also have an external battery source when I couldn’t just plug in somewhere. It has freed up my phone usage so much and I can now wear out my phone however I please! I never have to worry whether my phone can last the day anymore.

Powerbank 5600mAh Cell Phone Battery Backup Emergency Power Source

The external battery was something I had been considering, so when Panda saw a deal for it, he sent me the link and I began to explore what nomorerack had to offer. At first I was looking at the 2600mAh models, which are about the size of a tube of lipstick. Upon doing some research, I found that 2600mAh is about enough to charge up my phone once over, but when you factor in some of the energy lost in conversion, I feared I’d only get a 75% charge out of it. Better than nothing, but not good enough. So, I opted for the 5600mAh one that could charge my phone twice over, or maybe a little bit less than that. At the least I was sure I could get one full charge out of it. The size is still very compact and really doesn’t make much difference to me compared to a lipstick-sized one.

So far I’ve been able to consistently get 1.5 charges from it, but I’m hoping that a few more uses will help maximize the performance to just about two charges. Even if it doesn’t improve, I am very happy with having that extra charge because it actually extends the time my phone can be used beyond just twice as long. So let’s say I’m out all day and my phone dies after 3 hours of use. Usually, that would have been it for me, unless I could tether myself to a wall outlet for an hour. Well now I can use my Powerbank to charge back up over the course of an hour and a half or so, during which I can be using my phone. Then it can last me another 3-4 hours, totaling 7.5-8.5 hours! At that point, if I’m still out, I can charge it for another 30-45 minutes and use it for maybe one more hour after that. That’s a good 9-10 hours compared to the 3-4 I was getting before. Awesome!

3-pack 8-pin to USB noodle cable set for iPhone 5

Then there’s the 3-piece set of charging accessories I have. I had gotten a very cheap car charger before, only to find that it got rejected by my iPhone. I was afraid that might happen with this one as well, but so far so good. That means that whenever I’m in a car I definitely have a power source to charge up my phone. Also, I absolutely love the flat noodle cable. My original cable was getting kind of beat up and this different design looked like it might be more effective against the bending pressures put upon it when plugged in. I love how it rolls up a lot easier than the round cables and is less likely to tangle. What a great design! And finally, I have an extra USB plug charger head to use for charging my phone and the Powerbank. To top it all off, I got this set in my favorite color!

As you can tell, I am very pleased with both these purchases. If you struggle with the battery power your portable devices, I’d definitely recommend getting either or both of these sets of accessories. It frees you up to spend the entire day out and about as you please! On a similar note, nomorerack offers a ton of awesome products and I would definitely recommend buying from them if you’re in the market! Excellent quality and performance on the products at highly discounted prices. In fact, nomorerack will be making an appearance later as the 365great of the day. 🙂

*referral link – if you’re interested in signing up, send me your email and you can get a $10 credit to use (I believe the order minimum is $30)

365great Day 91: Cloud Magic

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, apps, cloud computing, cloud magic, iphone, pictures, service, social media, technology, the cloud

13 June 2013

Learn more about 365great here.

Cloud Magic is a wonderful little app that I found a few months ago. It’s basically like a global search of your digital footprint, which means that one search term brings up results across your email, social media, calendars, contacts, and online storage accounts. What a convenient way to find something when you can’t remember where the information might be stored. Or, in my case, I love using it to see if I got any emails with “congrats” or “congratulations” so I can make sure I know when I’ve won something. I use different emails depending on what type of site I’m entering a giveaway on and sometimes those accounts have filters so it’d be tedious to go through each to see if I got a relevant message. One search in Cloud Magic and *boom* it’s all right there for me to browse. You can even reply to emails right in the app! Of course, there are plenty of other ways to use it as well and you should totally give it a try! It’s so handy and absolutely great.

365great Day 75: screen cleaners

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, pictures, products, technology

28 May 2013

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Learn more about 365great here.

I just had to highlight these fun little things after getting some at the Gogobot West LA event tonight. They’re sticky little patches that you can adhere to any non-porous surface (like the back of your smartphone), then peel off whenever your screens need some cleaning! Aren’t they just adorable?! What a great way to not only add some flair to your device, but also have a cleaning cloth with you at all times. Never fear those grease marks or fingerprints again! These are great not just for smartphones, but cameras, glasses (and sunglasses), and really any glass or plastic surface that you may want to keep sparkling. When they get dirty, you can just wash with a little soap and water, let it dry, and you’re good as new! That’s pretty great.

365great Day 42: the interwebs

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, experiences, internet, pictures, technology

25 April 2013

2

Learn more about 365great here.

Since about 11:30 am, our house has been internetless. This was not a big deal until the AT&T technician came in at 7:30 pm to say that while he had done all he could, a different tech had to come fix an issue out in the street. So tonight we have no internet for our laptops and it makes me appreciate all the time I spend on there and everything it allows me to accomplish. Luckily, I’ve still got my phone, but it’s more of a “skeleton crew” kinda thing where I’m only doing the basics and nothing else. So here’s to the internet! It connects in ways we sometimes forget and is a great tool.

AT&T Uverse Upgrade

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: daily life, experiences, installation, internet, service, technology, upgrade

25 April 2013

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A little while back, I was trying to print a coupon when somehow I got tricked into enrolling for some texting service. Before I even knew it, they were charging me $9.99 and sending me texts I did not want! I had no idea that I could subscribe for something without inputting my credit card info. I quickly got on the phone and called AT&T to get the charge removed. Of course, they also took the time to try to get me to upgrade my service.

This time, the deal sounded pretty good: a free Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire or XBOX something or other. I’d the Uverse internet, TV, and home phone bundle for only $5 more than the current cost for home phone and DSL. The contract term was only a year, though I could lock in that pricing for another year if I stayed with them. I set up the appointment to get installation today, with the technician arriving between 11 and 1.

Farewell DSL.

Well, he arrived by 11:30 and has been here on and off ever since. First there were issues outside with the telephone box and what cables connected and were live. Then there was the issue indoors of not having a centralized place that our phone, TV, and internet would plug into. At one point we discussing drilling a hole in the wall to get the necessary cables in the right place. There were mysterious cables running in and out of walls and no signal where there should have been. It was a hot mess!

For awhile, he had to leave to get more equipment (and hopefully grab some lunch). Then he was back at it, setting up and fixing a lot of the odd wiring in our house. Maybe that’s why we always had trouble with the phone and internet signals. Could our troubles finally be over? Once everything inside the house was set up, we spent over an hour waiting for a different technician to come fix something interfering with the signal outside. I think we’re finally near the finish line though*. Hooray!!

Yay new internet!

*Definitely was not – ultimately the issue couldn’t get fixed today so tonight we are home internetless.

365great Day 38: 1 Second Everyday

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 1 second everyday, 365great, accomplishments, apps, experiences, fun, iphone, photo a day, project, technology, video a day, video recording, videos

21 April 2013

2

Learn more about 365great here.

I’ve officially completed a full month’s worth of 1SE clips! I found out about this fun project through Kickstarter, where I backed it and got to download it from the App Store when it launched. I was a bit late to the game (oops) and didn’t redeem my copy for quite awhile, but I finally got around to it and I’ve been having a blast! It’s so entertaining to watch little 1-second clips of days gone by and remember what was happening in that moment. For the most part, it only holds meaning for me, but it’s so meaningful.

If you’ve ever done a photo a day sort of project, you sort of know what I’m talking about. But the added dimensions of video make it even more powerful and it’s a fabulous way to look back on your life. You’ve seriously got to try it! Now you don’t have to rely on still visuals solely to share your story and record those memories. You can incorporate motion and sound, which are very enriching. I’ve had video clips that I chose purely for the sound that it had captured. What a fun, simple way to capture snippets of your life. And the app makes it super easy to clip and compile. It’s great!!

365great Day 9: touchscreen gloves

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, gadgets, gloves, pictures, products, technology, touchscreen

23 March 2013

1

Learn more about 365great here.

Or more accurately, touchscreen compatible gloves. These are awesome because you can keep them on when you need to use your smartphone or tablet. There’s a ton of variety in the style of gloves that come with these special fingertips, from knit ones to more weatherproof ones. Whether you prefer funky ones like mine or more professional ones, these can be a freezing-finger-saver!

Touchscreen-capable gloves often use a special type of conductive thread to imitate to conductivity of our skin. It’s a simple and elegant solution that is excellent for anyone who has to be out in chilly weather. I love that it helps solve an uncomfortable (and sometimes painful) situation. What a practical and fun way to solve a pretty common problem! That’s why they’re great.

Geeky cute

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: earbuds, earphones, gadgets, geeky, iphone, pictures, products, shopping, techie, technology, techy

20 March 2013

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365great Day 1: Fleksy

laelene Posted in 365great，Tags: 365great, apps, eyes-free, fleksy, pictures, smartphone, tablet, technology, touchscreen, typing

15 March 2013

2

Learn more about 365great here.

A great future for thumb-typing!

It all started with Fleksy, a service that lets you type on a touchscreen without looking. I was so inspired by this great idea that I wanted a forum where I could share finds like this, hence 365great. Fleksy is one of those things you hear about and think, “What a great idea!” I mean, you’d think that smartphone and tablet designers would have tried to tackle the typing issue better than they have. Yet, here we are in a day and age where built-in signatures for emails sent via mobile apologize ahead of time for any and all typos (of which there are usually many).

Check out their site to learn more about how the technology works, then take a moment to marvel at how cool it is. It can figure out that why I typed “yiutdrkg” what I really meant was “yourself” – brilliant! For me, trying out the app was a pure joy that literally made me giggle and wish I could keep typing on my phone forever. What a complete turnaround from my normal dread of typing on my phone. Now we just need to hope it gets integrated into the OS’s of our devices. Not only does Fleksy serve a very practical purpose, it has addressed an emotional and psychological aspect to the keyless typing experience. Now that is truly great.

Intense Gogobotting

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: behavior, goals, hobby, products, social media, technology, travel

25 February 2013

0

Whenever I find a new site that offers something I like, I tend to throw myself into it and get obsessive about building up my profile. This happened with Yelp, then Foodspotting, then Schemer, and now Gogobot. With Yelp I reviewed and checked-in like my life depended on it (then happily achieved Yelp Elite status). I’m still obsessively checking in but reviews come sporadically. With Foodspotting, I went through ALL my pictures from the last couple of years, picked out the food ones, figured out where they were, and started adding them. After awhile, I got overwhelmed so I’ve taken a break from that but I have an arsenal of pictures yet to post. With Schemer, I meticulously thought of all the things I wanted to do, see, and experience and added those schemes. I also browsed popular schemes and continually update this master bucket list as I come across interesting things.

With Gogobot, which I just discovered yesterday through a friend and started adding to my profile today, I’ve been going through old photos to remind me of all the places I’ve been. I started with the cities I’ve been to and now I’m working through restaurants, sites of interest, hotels, and other notable (and reviewable) establishments. I’ll be reviewing and adding pictures as I go. My goal with this is to reach Pro status the next time they choose them! Plus, Panda and I are actually planning a trip for later in the year, so this will be a great way to keep track of all the places we might want to visit and discover places we haven’t thought of.

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