Product review: CrazyOnDigital Bluetooth Keyboard Tablet Stand Leather Case for Google Nexus 7 Tablet

This keyboard was purchased for Google Nexus 7 Tablet. I also used it with Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet. The keyboard works, but has not become a popular item in our house. In this review I will detail the pluses and minuses of this keyboard case.

I am attaching a collage of 4 photos numbered 1 through 4 that I will be referencing in this review.

I LIKED:
------------

1. The keyboard works and the keys have a nice feedback when you type. I have small hands and found it comfortable to use. My husband with his bigger fingers found it somewhat less comfortable.

2. The keyboard worked with both Nexus 7 Tab and Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet. Galaxy 7.7 tab is a bit wider than Nexus 7 and I used it in its own case sitting on top of the keyboard case, as shown in photo #4.

I DID NOT LIKE:
-------------------------

1. Usability
-----> I hoped that when I use the blue-tooth keyboard I would have the entire screen of the tablet as usable area. However, the on-screen keyboard is still displayed when I use the blue-tooth keyboard. So I did not gain any screen real estate, only the convenience of the physical keyboard. Photo #4 show what you see when you use this keyboard: you see two keyboards.

2. The keyboard case has a number of issues.
-----> The tab that holds the tablet in the case has Velcro (see photo #1), which makes it difficult to open and close the case. My other leather case has just a leather tab (no Velcro), it holds the tablet well and is easy to open and close. Using this case the Velcro grabs in the position you don't want it to be in and it takes some fussing to position it correctly.

-----> The case closes by inserting a tab into a loop on the outside of the case. The loop is tight and closing is not easy to do. Because it takes some work to get the tab into the loop it is likely not to last for long a time. My other leather case closes by having magnets built into the cover. It is a much better mechanism - quick and easy to use, and it will not wear out. Photo #3 shows the case closure.

-----> The case stand mechanism is rather warbly and works only in horizontal orientation. This is ok when you use the keyboard, but I often use the vertical orientation without the keyboard and I lose this capability when I use this cover. Photo #3 shows the stand mechanism. You can see that the stand forms a loop when it is opened and that loop gives the mechanism a lot of slack, which causes wobbliness.

----> The case is very thick. Photo #2 shows a measuring tape next to the case, you see that it is 2" thick. The keyboard itself is pretty thin, and the tablet is very thin, it feels like the entire case could have been thinner without giving up protection for the content.

----> The empty case on the digital scale weight in at 11.9 oz. Pretty hefty. By comparison the tablet itself is 12 oz. So the case with keyboard doubles its weight.

We purchased this keyboard case for keeping up with business email when we travel, but because of its thickness and bulk it turned out not to be very portable. My husband totally dislikes it and does not use it with his Nexus 7. I use it occasionally with my Galaxy 7.7, keeping Galaxy tab in its own case using just the keyboard. This keyboard case turned out to be less useful than we hoped.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Cyberpower CP685AVR UPS - 685VA/390W AVR 8-Outlet RJ11/RJ45 Compact Design EMI/RFI USB

I am attaching a collage of 3 photos number 1 through 3, which I will be referencing in this review.
 
This is a fairly small unit and I use it for my electronics other than the main computer: nettop that serves as my home-made DVR, a TV, and a sewing machine. The battery powered outlets are used for the nettop and for the TV. The sewing machine is on the surge protected outlet (not battery powered).

I call this battery a fairly small unit based on how much run time it provides when it runs on battery. How long the unit can run on backup power depends on the device's usage of power. Here are battery backup runtime estimates for this 685va backup battery. Also, keep in mind that as the battery grows old45 you will get less run time from the fully charged battery.

1. All-in-one-computer (i.e. a fairly weak computer with a screen) is estimated to use 50 watts an hour and will run 45 minutes
I expect my nettop and TV to be somewhere in this category.
2. Basic desktop with LCD screen is estimated to consume 100 watts and will run 20 minutes
3. Powerful desktop (such as a gaming system or a development system where you do compiling and linking) is estimated to consume 200 watts and will run 5 minutes

685va unit has 4 full-time battery powered outlets and 4 surge protected outlets (2 of which are spaced far away from each to accommodate 2 transformer sized plugs).
The unit is surprising light and relatively small. Photo #2 shows the view from the top with a pen placed on top of the unit for size reference. The unit can be used flat or upright.

CyberPower has a USB port (see photo #2) so it can commute with the computer to do a graceful shutdown before shutting down. The battery is compatible with Windows and Linux. I have not tried it with a Mac. I am running Linux on the nettop so I did not have to install any software, the support for this functionality is built into Linux. PowerPlanet software is provided for Windows and be downloaded from CPSwww com web site.

CyberPower also has a cable to connect to a phone, FAX, or other network equipment.

If you are wondering why the sewing machine is protected, let me share my expensive lesson with you. Two years ago I was painfully reminded that a modern sewing machine is a computer and its main board can be fried by a power surge. After a power glitch my sewing machine stopped working. When I took it to a repair shop they told me that the main board in the sewing machine was fried and needed replacement. To replace the mother board my sewing machine had to be sent back to the factory, and not only was it expensive I also lost the use of my sewing machine for over a month. My sewing machine was plugged into surge protected power strip but it did not protect it. The surge protector of the battery backup provides more protection that the power strip so when my sewing machine came back from repairs it was immediately placed on a power backup just like the rest of my computers.

Photo #3 contains a schematic for battery.
1. Battery and Surge protected outlets
2. Surge protected outlets
3. Power switch
4. Power on indicator
5. Electrical wiring fault indicator (e.g. bad ground) if this light is on, you need to disconnect the unit
6. Communication ports (fax, phone, etc)
7. Circuit breaker (can be used to reset after overload)
8. USB port to PC
9. Widely spaced outlets that can be used for recharges and other wide plugs

This battery backup replaced an older unit: it is lighter, smaller in size, has more features, and fairly inexpensive. If used for devices that don't consume a lot of watts it provides a reasonable amount of backup power. I am quite pleased with it so far.

I purchased CyperPower battery Backup 685va at a local CostCo as the price there was better by a considerable amount.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Food review: So Delicious Creamy Cultured Coconut Milk Yougurt

I love yogurt, I love coconut, I love trying unusual foods - when I saw this on the shelve of a local supermarket I had to try it. I was surprised that I did not like the taste all that much. It did not have much of coconut flavor, it was a bit sweeter than I expected, it did not taste creamy. The yogurt is light peach in color. It was not terrible, but did not taste great to my palate. I am not planning to buy it again.

Nutritional Facts:

1 container size is 179 g
Calories 140, fat calories 60
Total fat 6g 9%
Saturated fat 6g 30%
Trans dat 0g
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carb 22g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 19g
Protein 1g

If you have medical reason such as lactose intolerant or allergies, I can see how it might be a reasonable substitute for the milk-based yogurt. But without those extra reasons I don't think I will be buying coconut milk yogurt again after my curiosity about it has been satisfied.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Food review: Poland Spring Sparking Lemon water / Poland Spring Direct

I find the taste of Poland Spring Sparking Lemon water refreshing. It really satisfies my third on hot days. I hear that some people take time to grow to like the taste but I liked it right away. Poland Spring Sparking Lemon water has no sugar or sweetener of any kind, it has slightly bitter lemony flavor which is pretty subtle, and it is bubbly. 

I found that Poland Direct offers 24 bottle cases of the half liter bottles (16.9 oz) for $11.49 a case along with free delivery to your home.  The water is delivered to my house once a month.  I don't have to be home when they deliver.  I asked them to delivery the water to the back of the house and place it next to the basement entrance.  I store the cases in the basement and this way I need to carry them just a short distance. The only minor thing I don't like about the home delivery is that they deliver on a specific date every month, rather on the same day of the week.  I can be home early on certain days of the week, so if I could have arranged that the cases would not have to sit outside for too long.

Zero calories and a taste I like - thumbs up!

You can find this case on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: IHOME iHM79SC Rechargeable Mini Speakers

I am attaching a collage of four photos number 1 through 4 under  that I will be referencing in this review.

My husband originally bought these speakers to amplify sound on Nexus 7 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone in the car, when the tablet or phone are used for Navigation.  The sound was clear and loud, but the wires were in the way and he replace them with a blue-tooth speakers that worked better for us in the car, while I took over these speaker to use with my kitchen TV. This Samsung TV has very weak built-in speakers and even at the highest setting I cannot hear this TV well over the sounds of running water and other kitchen noises.   These little speakers totally solved the problem.  I now have the TV volume half way down and sound is much louder and better than it was before.  I am very pleased!

* The speakers are fairly small. Photo #1 shows them next to a ruler and photo #2 shows them next to a pen for size reference.
Their width is 2 inches, their height is 3 inches.

* Each speaker is 4.2 ounces (photo #3 shows one of the speakers on a digital scale)

* When the power is low these speakers distort sound.  Since I use them in a permanent spot the speakers are permanently plugged in and the sound quality is always very good.  However, the speakers came without an AC plug, only with USB plug. I purchased a dedicated USB plug for these speakers for under $10.

* The speakers have three sets of wires: the wire from the speaker to the TV is 27 inches, the wire between the two speakers is 27" inches, and the wire to the power outlet is 27".

* At the bottom of each speaker there is a very bright LED light. It is blue when the speaker is fully charged, and red when the speaker is charging.  Since the speakers are permanently plugged in the LED light turns red almost as soon as the TV is turned on.  Photos #1 and #2 show one the lights turned red, while the other one was still blue.  I found these bright lights distracting when watching TV.  I positioned them slightly turned and somewhat behind the TV to minimizes the glair from the lights. 

* Each speaker can be turned on and off independently. In my TV set up I use both speakers.  When we used them in the car we tried one as well as both speakers, both configurations worked well.

* Photo #4 shows the speakers in their compact form as well as extended. If you plan to use these speakers for travel it is a useful feature to have.

* When the speakers are fully charged the sound quality is very good: crisp, undistorted, and they can be made quite loud.

These speakers really improved my TV! I can wash dishes and do chores and still be able to hear the TV.  Thumbs up!

You can find these speakers on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Monster MP OTG400 WH Outlets To Go Power Strip

I travel with a lot of gadget that require recharging, so the first thing I check out in a hotel room are the outlets. With Outlets to go I don't have to worry if there are enough and if they are positioned conveniently. 

I am attaching a collage of 5 photos that I will be referencing in this review.

This power strip has a dual-side design, each side has two outlets (Photo #1 and Photo #2 show both each side next to a ruler).  The strip if 6 inches long, just under 2 inches wide, and weights 6 oz (photo #5 shows the strip  on postal digital scale).  The cord is 10.8 inches long (see photo #4) and wraps around the the strip length and plugs into itself when not in use (see photo #3).  This makes into small neat bundle without sharp points. All these features make it perfect for taking along when traveling.

The outlet on the strip are very well spaced out. Photo #6 shows two of my Sanyo Eneloop recharges side by side fitting perfectly next to each.  Photo #7 shows my Samsung Galaxy Tablet charging next to the Sanya Eneloop recharger with plenty of room to spare.

This is such a well designed strip that I now use it not only when I travel but also everyday for the rechargers I use every day. I used to do my charging on a circular charging schedule, but with this strip in play I no longer have to worry about the charging schedule.

Excellent product! I highly recommend it, and not just for travel!
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: PowerGen Dual Port USB 2.1A 10W AC Travel Wall Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone, and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player

I tested PowerGen Dual Port USB 2.1A 10W AC Travel Wall Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone, and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player.
I received PowerGen wall and car chargers for testing from the manufacturer to write an honest and unbiased review and you will find both pluses and minuses of my experience in this review.

I am attaching a collage of 5 photos labeled with numbers 1 through 5 that I will be referencing in this review.

The first thing I noticed that this wall charger is fairly small, it takes up only one slot on the extension cord. Photos #1 and #4 show this plug on two different power strips.

The plug has two ports labeled "A" and "NA" which stands for Apple and Non-Apple devices. I own all Android devices but I tested both ports to see their behavior with my devices. The charger comes without a USB cord, so tested it with the USB cords that came with my devices.

I used Battery App to determine how each device recognized the external battery pack. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.

The key findings:
(1) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 cannot be charged with this wall charger with either port
(2) "A" port provides reduced power for some non-Apple devices and does not work for others
*** Update 1/9/2013 ***
I repeated the test with Nexus 7 running Jelly Bean 4.21 and both ports are now charging it at AC rate.  The original test which showed poor performance on Apple port was Nexus 7 running Jelly Bean 4.1.
I also retested Galaxy Nexus Phone running CyanogenMod 10.1 version of Jelly Bean 4.21, but it showed no improvement. It still gets only USB charging rate on Apple port.

The table below summarizes my findings:

Nexus 7 Tablet (photo #4 and #5, note that the left port is labeled "A" and the right port is labeled "NA")
--------------
A port  -- discharging (Nexus 7 running Jelly Bean 4.1.)
A port  -- AC (Nexus 7 running Jelly Bean 4.21)
NA port  -- AC
Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone
--------------------------
A port -- USB
NA port -- AC

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7
--------------------------
A port -- discharging
NA port -- discharging

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player
------------------------------
A port -- charged at USB rate
NA port -- charged at AC rate

The behavior with Nexus devices was consistent and good on "NA" port. Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone gets USB rate on Apple "A" port.  After upgrade to Jelly Bean 4.21 Nexus 7 gets AC rate on both ports.

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7 did not work (was discharging) in both ports.

The MP3 player worked in both ports, but as USB rate in "A" port and at "AC" rate in in "NA" port. When I charge Sansa MP3 with a standard AC charger (photo #3), the MP3 player goes into charging mode, displaying the charging animated icon, the MP3 content is not played. When MP3 was plugged into the PowerGen plug (photo #3) it continued to play the content. I listen to books on my MP3 player so this caused me to move forward in my book and I had to manually reset my position by a few chapters to get back to where I was when I started charging. The positive side of this, is that is possible to continue listening while MP3 is recharging.

To summarize:

I liked:
---------
1. Good behavior with Nexus devices.
2. Solution for MP3 player with built-in battery
3. Can charge two devices (but one at a reduced rate for non-Apple devices)

I did not like:
--------------
1. Did not work with for my Samsung Galaxy tablet
2. For non-Apple devices one port has less power or does not work
3. For non-Apple devices the less useful plug takes up a little extra room

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆