Product review: Bolse® AON4 10000mAh Multi-voltage External Battery

I tested Bolse® AON4 10000mAh External Battery Pack with Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4) and iPad Mini.

I received this power bank from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. One of the benefits of being requested to test different power banks is that it gives me an opportunity to compare them to each other using the same charging test, so I can compare them using "apples to apples" comparison. This set of tests allows me to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of each unit. They can also help to do comparison shopping when selecting a power pack that works best your device.

My methodology is to charge each mobile device on each port of the unit for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charged in that 10 minute period. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test.

I use Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. '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.

➨ Key finding:
======================
✔ I found that this power pack worked much better with my Samsung Galaxy tablet than it did with iPad Mini.
✔ If your laptop takes a large power plug (3/8") there is no tip to fit it.

➨ General features:
======================

Bolse® AON4 10000mAh external battery weighs 10.9 oz. Its size is 3" x 4.875" 0.875". It has two ports labelled Out S and Out I.

The external battery comes with 6 connector tips for laptops, and 10 connectors for mobile devices. Neither my iPad Mini nor Samsung Galaxy had a connector that fit and I use my own charging cords.
None of the laptop tips fit either of our two laptops, which require a larger diameter plug (3/8"). So I was not able to test how this external battery works with them. Note that I have tested other external battery packs aimed at laptops that did include the large tip, for example Intocircuit® Power Castle Intocircuit® Power Castle Series.

The package also includes a 7" coiled charging cable, which can be stretched up to 18 inches. The charging cable for laptops is 28 inches. The package also include AC wall charger which has a cord that measures 51 inches. AC adapter has both UL and EC seals (means it passed both US and European certification). It is rated for inputs 100-240V which means it could be used when you travel abroad.

It comes with a nice nylon carrying pouch, which fits the battery and tips. However it does not fit the AC adapter. It would be nice if everything could be kept together in one carrying bag.

The unit has a switch for 9V and 12V, this switch has no effect on charging tablets as the tablet regulates how much power it needs. I tested with the switch in both positions to verify and compare.

This power pack looks good - slick black package with pretty blue LEDs indicating the charge level of the external battery. I am attaching a photo of the Bolse pack during one of the test next to my tablet for size reference. You can find this photo by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo in this listing.

➨ Test Results:
======================

✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet, switch on 12V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out I ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes
Out S ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet, switch on 9V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out I ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes
Out S ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ iPad Mini tablet, switch on 12V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out I ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes
Out S ~~ AC ~~~~~ 0% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ iPad Mini tablet, switch on 9V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out I ~~ AC ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes
Out S ~~ AC ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 and iPad Mini at the same time, switch on 9V
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Out I ~~ AC ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes (iPad Mini)
Out S ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes (Galaxy 7.7)

➨ Key finding:
======================
✔ This power pack performed above average for Galaxy 7.7 Tablet and below average for iPadMini.
✔ If your laptop takes a large power plug (3/8") there is no tip to fit it.

My Samsung tablet is my workhorse tablet, so I rank this tablet 5 star for the Galaxy tablet on both ports. The iPadMini did not do as well on either of the ports. So if you are looking for a power battery pack for iPadMini and speed of charging is important to you you might want to look at Bolse® AON2 (ASIN B00CXAD9WG), which showed 5%-6% charge for iPadMini in a 10 minutes test.

Ali Julia review This power pack performed above average for Galaxy 7.7 Tablet and below average for iPadMini.

My Samsung tablet is my workhorse tablet, so I rank this tablet 5 star for the Galaxy tablet on both ports. The iPadMini did not do as well on either of the ports. I am docking 1 star for iPadMini performance and lack of a large laptop tip. If you are looking for a power battery pack for iPadMini and speed of charging is important to you might want to look at Bolse® AON2 (ASIN B00D8LOAEA), which showed 5%-6% charge for iPadMini in a 10 minutes test.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Bolse® AON3 11200mAh External Battery Pack for Cellphones and Tablets

I tested Bolse® AON3 11200mAh External Battery Pack with Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4) iPad Mini, Pyle 9" Tablet (ICS 4.0.4) and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player.

I received this power bank from the manufacture for an honest review be it positive or negative. One of the benefits of being requested to test different power banks is that it gives me an opportunity to compare them to each other using the same charging test, so I can compare them using "apples to apples" comparison. This set of tests allows me to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of each unit. They can also help to do comparison shopping when selecting a power pack that works best with your device.

My methodology is to charge each mobile device on each port of the unit for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charged in that 10 minute period. In addition I tested charging two mobile devices at the same time. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test.

I use Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. '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.

➨ Key finding:
======================
✔ I found that this power pack worked much better with my Samsung Galaxy tablet than it did with iPad Mini.
✔ Be very careful when peeling the protective plastic cover, it peeled off the lettering on the face of the power pack (see attached photo)

➨ General features:
======================

Bolse® AON3 11200mAh external battery weighs 8.8 oz. Its size is 6.75" x 3" 0.75". It has two ports labelled out1 (5V/1A) and out2 (5V/2.1A).
It has a built in LED light. To turn it on you need to press on/off button twice in quickly. The light is not super bright, but could be handy in an emergency. It comes with a really nice nylon carrying pouch.

The external battery comes with 5 connector tips. Neither my iPad Mini nor Samsung Galaxy had a connector that fit and I had to provide my own. Pyle tablet takes a standard micro USB which was included in the set. The package also includes a 19" charging cable.

➨ Test Results:
======================

✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 tablet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1A port ~~ AC ~~~~~ 3% change in charge in 10 minutes
2A port ~~ AC ~~~~~ 5% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ iPad Mini tablet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1A port ~~ AC ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes
2A port ~~ AC ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ Samsung Galaxy 7.7 and iPad Mini at the same time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1A port ~~ AC ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes (iPad Mini)
2A port ~~ AC ~~~~~ 4% change in charge in 10 minutes (Galaxy 7.7)

✔ Pyle 7.7 tablet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1A port ~~ USB ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes
2A port ~~ USB ~~~~~ 1% change in charge in 10 minutes

✔ SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1A port ~~ worked
2A port ~~ worked

➨ Key finding:
======================

✔ This power pack performed above average for Galaxy 7.7 Tablet and below average for iPadMini. It performed average for Pyle tablet.

✔ The plastic covering that was supposed to protect the power pack caused damage to the finish. When I removed it some of the white lettering transferred to the plastic leaving the power pack with lettering and on/off button partially rubbed off.

Galaxy 7.7 is my work horse tablet, I give this power pack 5 stars for how well it did with the Galaxy Tab. I am docking 1 star for iPadMini performance and the plastic packaging that was not tested not to cause cosmetic defects.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: XBOOM Ceramic Mini Portable Capsule Speaker

XBOOM CERAMIC Mini speaker is 3.5" tall when extended, and can be collapsed into a 2" ball when not in use. It weighs in at 3.5 oz. Its small size makes a perfect companion.

I am attaching a video which has several short snippets of music to demonstrate the speaker's sound. As one of the top reviewers I get asked to test and review a fairly large number of speakers. This allows me to compare a large number of speakers to each other. To help me make this comparison I always use the same two pieces of music, so I can compare speakers using "apples-to-apples" comparison. As a stress test for the bass I use Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The second piece of music (Tchaikovsky) does not have a lot bass and allows me to test the mid-range. XBOOM CERAMIC speaker did well on the mid-tone test, it did break up a bit in a bass range, but it did better than a number of other small speaker which could not handle Toccata's bass at all.

In the video I switch between the tablet's built-in speaker and XBOOM CERAMIC speaker so you can compare the sound. You can hear that the speaker produce the sound that is richer, fuller, and louder sound the the built-in speaker.

The speaker comes with split cable - one part of it is a charging cable (6.5 inches long) the other part is an audio cable (23.5 inches). The charging cable is quite short, but it does not have to be attached when the speaker is playing. This speaker can be daisy changed to another speaker, it has a built in audio cable to connect multiple speakers to each other.

The package also includes is a cloth pouch we can be used the keep the speaker in its cable together so they don't get separated.

I received XBOOM speaker and XBOOM CERAMIC speaker from the manufacture for testing. I found that the XBOOM speaker performed somewhat better than XBOOM CERAMIC speaker at the bass range. I am posting reviews for both of these speakers so you can compare the audio clips I posted if you are trying to decide between these two speakers. I hope the video will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Based on other speakers of similar size/price I rated this speaker as good (4 stars). The XBOOM CERAMIC speaker performed well with music without strong base as well as when I listened to spoken human voice (e.g. news), bass did not sound as well but not too terrible.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Soiree Tempour Bottle Pourer

Tempour is an elegant system for serving, chilling and aerating fine wine. It can be used instead of ice buckets for practical purposes or just because it looks cool (no pun intended).

Tempour is made out stainless steel and silicon. It has several components that come apart for cleaning. The package includes a small brush that can be used to clean the narrow parts of the unit. The pourer component is 2.75", the stopper 1.375", the filter/aerator component is 3", and the chiller is 7". The chiller is filled with gel which keeps the chiller cool. Total length of the unit is 12 inches, below the cork line is 10 inches. The chiller portion is detachable and the pourer/aerator can be used without it. Tempour weighs 9.2 oz. I am including a photo of everything included in the package, it can be found by following 'customer photos' link under the main photo.

The first time I tried the chiller I did not think of how much volume it will displace... and as captured on my embarrassing video spilled the wine. As they say "Do not try this at home". Remember not to use the chiller on a full bottle of wine. My second attempt was more graceful.

I received Tempour from the manufacture with a request for an honest review (good or bad) to share how it works for me. Whether you want to impress your guests or looking for a unique gift for a wine connoisseur Tempour will do a nice job.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: DinoTwin T1 Premium Sport Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headphones

I have been wearing these headphones for over a week while gardening and working out while listening to my mp3 player. The headphones have both things I like about them and things I do not like about them. I found that the quality of sound is quite good. I love not having a cord that gets tangled. However the ear pieces are fairly large and the fact that they stick out of my ears so much makes them slip out occasionally either because I catch them on something or from sweat. The bluetooth range is limited (the sound starts breaking up), however in my use of having MP3 in my shirt pocket they work ok. The overall rating of this headset for me is OK - not bad, but I encountered some issues.

DETAILED OBSERVATIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. The headset has a good sound, I tried different music and it performed well at different ranges, including Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor which is a stress test for the bass that I use to test different speakers. Some speakers crackle and can't handle it, but this headset handled it very well.

2. The ear pieces are fairly large, they are 1 3/8" from the tip to the cord, 1" outside the ear. The size is large because they house the battery as well as the audio components. I find they stick out of my ears quite a bit, occasionally catches on thing and slip out. They would not work well with a winter hat on. I find them to be less comfortable than the small ear pieces of my other bluetooth headset (Kinivo).

3. The headset has a flat soft cord that lays on your shoulder. See photo I am attaching as the image might explain this better than words, see photo #2.
The flat cord does not twist or tangle, I like it. However its length catches on my collar and earrings. I have another bluetooth wireless headset which has a rigid headband that I like better because it is shorter and does not catch on anything.

4. Controls are located on the cord, you have to locate them by touch when you are wearing the headset. (see photo #3 which shows close-up of the control)

5. The LED light is fairly small and it is hard to see especially in the bright light (see photo #5)

6. The earphones come with three three sets of ear tips for small, medium and larger ears. I switched the the small tips so I can insert them deeper in my ear canal. (Photo #1 shows all inserts and tabs that come with this headset)

7. The volume of the headset can be made quite loud. The volume at its highest setting is uncomfortably loud for me, so they go pretty high.

8. The range is advertised as 33 feet, but I get some break up at that distance. On the other hand I use these headphone with the device in my shirt pocket, so the distance has not been an issue other than when I tested the range.

CAPABILITIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Low battery indicator (five dong tones every 5 minutes)
2. To do a factory reset (this deletes pairing list): hold volume up ("+") button until red and blue LEDs flash at the same time and you hear 4 dong tones

DinoTwin bluetooth headset supports supports the following profiles
Headset profile (HSP)
Hands-free profile (HFP)
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)

You an use this bluetooth headset with devices that support one of these profiles.
For cellphone or pda that support HSP this headset can
1. answer, end, or reject calls.
2. redial last number
3. voice dial
4. adjust volume
5. transfer between headset and phone
6. mute/cancel mute (Mute mode is indicated by two tones every 10 seconds)

For cellphone or pda that support A2DP this headset can
1. listen to wireless audio
2. adjust volume
3. remotely control pause and play
4. remotely control next/previous track

CHARGING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The headset comes with a special charging clip which clips to the headset to charge it. It takes 2 hours to fully charge the headset, and it can be used for 4 hours to listen to music or talk on the phone on a single charge. It has 150 hours of standby time. The charging clip is unique to this headset, if it breaks or if you loose it it is bad news. I would have been happier with a standard micro USB charger.

There is a small light on the back of the ear piece that indicates the status of the battery.
Red light on- charging
Red light off - charged

BLUETOOTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Keep you device close to the headset
2. Put headset into pairing mode by pressing the multifunction button for 8 seconds. The headset stays in the pairing mode for 2 minutes. When it is in pairing mode the LED status indicator will flash red and blue alternately.
3. Enable Bluetooth on your device and scan for near by bluetooth devices.
4. T1 will appear as a device name. If your device supports Bluetooth 2.1 password is not needed, otherwise enter "0000"
5. When the headset successfully connect BLUE LED on the headset will flash twice every 4 seconds (Note that if the light flashes once every 2 seconds it indicates that there is no connected device)

I received this headset from the manufacture with a request for an honest review, be it positive or negative. This review includes the positives and negatives of my experience with this bluetooth headset. The highlight for me was the sound quality, the weakest point how they fit my ears.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Garden Suncast Edging

This product has a fatal flaw if you are not planning to make a complete square out of the blocks: one one end of each unit has a plastic connector with hole which is designed to connect it to the next unit. I needed to put a border in sections mixed with cape cod railing and real stones. It would have been better if the units were discrete and did not have this ugly looking connectors so you can put the border in small sections if needed. I am attaching several images to illustrate how this edging looks in my garden.

Even if all pieces are connected this borderstone is not a good simulation of a stone border. It looks plastic even from a fairly long distance. In my configuration with connection holes visible it looks even worse.

On the positive side installing Suncast edging was easier than I expected. One of the photos include a photo of the mallet I used to pound the edging in. It went in fairly easily even into grassy area, and none of the pieces cracked or got damaged in the process.

My recommendation is to get this edging only if you plan on making a complete square with the border so there are no tell-tell ends and in some place where you don't mind that it looks plastic.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Magster Magnetic Drop Ceiling Display Hardware

The Magster system was designed to install and hold props and decorations for rooms with drop ceilings. The system consists of hooks and loops that can hold light weight props and a positioning pole which allows to install the hooks without having to climb the ladder. The hanging part has either a hook or a loop at one end and a magnet at another. The magnets attach to any metal surface, including the metal grid that holds up a typical drop ceiling. A position pole makes it possible to stick the magnets to the ceiling without having to climb on a ladder or a desk.

I am attaching a video where the Magster system is used to install a banner at a friend's office with drop ceilings. You can see the flag being installed and then moved to another location. The minimum height requirement for a person to reach the ceiling to install the hooks without a step stool is 5'7". I am 5'2" and could not reach the ceiling. A friend who is 5'8" could reach it without problems, a buddy at 5'7" could reach the ceiling when he stood on his tippy toes.

I found many uses for the Magster hooks in addition to the drop ceiling. I found the hooks to be especially useful, I was able to attach them to metal shelves for holding cords, bags, and other light items. I also found a way to use them to hold the backdrop cloth when I take photos.

I am attaching a collage of 7 photos to illustrate my review.
✔ 5 photos labelled 1A through 1E show the banner being being attached to the ceiling.
✔ The second photo shows the hooks and loops attached to the hanging bracket.
✔ The third shows a hook, a loops, and a swivel.
✔ The fourth shows a close up of the disassembled pole, two connectors, and the hanger arm of the pole.

I received Magster system from the manufacture to test and share my experiences with potential buyers. The system was fairly easy to use as long as you 5'7" or taller. I hope the video helps you see what to expect.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★