Product review: VonHaus Corded Oscillating Multi Tool Kit

This is a nice tool for cutting, scraping and sanding. I used to remove peeling paint and it was a lot faster and easier than using a rotating sander attached to my drill.

The oscillating tools comes in a nice plastic case. It includes the following attachments:
1. Sandpaper pads with different coarse level (total of 9)
2. Scraping attachment
3. Half Moon Saw
4. Cutting blade

The tool with the sand paper attachment attached weights just under 3 pounds. Even though the handle is fairly thick I did not find it to be uncomfortable to hold even though my hands are fairly small. I felt the vibration but always felt that I was in total control of the tool and my grip on it. On/off switch is comfortably located right on top of the tool.

The heads securely attach with a washer. It is tightened by a hex key which comes as part of the kit. The heads can be attached in one of 12 positions - which ever angle feels most comfortable for a particular job. I thought the triangular shape of the sanding pads worked really well and let me sand even in tight corners I could not reach with my circular sander.

What can be better? It comes with a 6 foot cord. I found it to be too short and had to use an extension cord. It would have been nice if the cord was longer.

I liked working with it and looked to see if replacement sandpaper pads are available on Amazon. I found an accessory kit which includes more pads VonHaus 38 Piece Multi-Tool Accessory Kit but no sanding pads by themselves. I contacted the manufacturer to ask if a product with just the pads is available, and was told that pads by other manufacturer fit this unit as long as the size of the pads is the same, for example these pads fit Bosch SDTR120 Triangle 5-Pack. This 5 pack is $3 at the time I am writing this review.

Overall, I like it! It will make this spring time clean up a lot easier.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Trackimo trk12m Universal Personal GPS Tracker

This GPS tracker is 2"L x 1.75"W and 7.8" thick )including the magnet plate or clip). It weighs 1 oz. The size might work for a large dog when using a clip, but mostly it is meant for sticking to a metal surface like a car or having it in backpack/pocket.

Some GPS devices only work when they are in the open and see the sky. This is not the case with Trakimo. I tested it indoors, hidden under the seat of the car, inside of my purse, under the car chassis. It was able to track in all those situations. It must be doing triangulation by determining its location from the position of the near by cell towers. When I initially turned on the unit for the first time I intentionally kept it inside the house for a couple of hours before taking it outside, at first it was about 7 miles off (the display noted it was an estimate) and in about 2 hour it got my location exactly right without even being outside.

You can track the device either from the website or from the phone. I am using an Android app, and I thought it was pretty nice. The app gives you an option to track every minute, every 5 minutes, and so forth up to every 2 hours. You can also see the history - last hour, last day, last week, or a range of dates. The tracking information is shown on Google maps so it is very clear, you can zoom in, see the satellite view and so forth.

The setup of the unit was pretty simple with one "gotcha" step. Once the device is charged all you need to do is turn it on and activate on the web site. As you register the device on the web site you need to enter the device id number. The image shown on the screen looked like the back of the unit, however my unit had no 7 digit id on the back. By the time I thought of looking at the box the device came in the box was already in the trash... but luckily the trash was not taken out. The id number was on the back of the box which was not mentioned anywhere in the documentation or the web site. I provided my feedback on this setup step to the manufacturer, hopefully it will be noted in the future. So don't through out the box until you register the device!

What can be better?
One of the likely uses for this device is "stealth" (for example, a cheating significant other). It would be better if the unit did not have a logo which says "Trackimo". If it was a plain black box without any markings it would reduce the likelihood that the cheating spouse would discover the box and know immediately what it does.

I did not find SOS function all that useful. When button is pressed it sends a message that the button was pressed. You know where the button was pressed but you don't know why.

This tracking device is provided by Trackimo. I am impressed by how well it functions both the hardware and the app/web site. I hope my video gives you a better idea on what to expect.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Ukonnect 48w 4-port Family-sized Desktop USB Charger

What I like about this wall charger is that it has an extra long cord. The charger has a large power supply, however this allows the charge to be light and compact: 4.25" x 1.75" x 7/8". The power cord from ac outlet to the power brick is 45" and from the power brink to the charger is 58". This long cord allows me to plug the cord into the wall, let the brick lay on the floor, and put the small charger on my desk.

The performance of the wall charger is very good for both my Android phone and iPad mini tablet. I use these two devices to test all wall chargers so I can compare them to each. I test each with a current monitor with the devices charged to the same level, running the same apps, using the same charging cables - this allows me to compare how the chargers perform under the same conditions. This means I can quickly weed out poor performers. Note that my test does not test the maximum capacity of each port, because what the port draws depends on the device being used and other factors such apps being run and the level of charge. The test determine how the charger performs relative to its peers which can be generalized in my experience testing additional devices beyond the specific phone and tablet I am using.

Samsung Nexus phone:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
using cable that came in the package
port 1: 1.00/5.10V (excellent rate relative to wall chargers with this phone)
port 2: 1.02/5.09V (excellent rate relative to wall chargers with this phone)
port 3: 1.02A/5.10V (excellent rate relative to wall chargers with this phone)
port 4: 1.03A/5.08V (excellent rate relative to wall chargers with this phone)

(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this phone is 1.00A/5V)
Note: these tests are not designed to test the maximum capacity of the ports

iPad Mini tablet:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
port 1: 1.18/5.06V (pretty good relative performance for the same device with other chargers)
port 2: 1.27A/5.05V (pretty good relative performance for the same device with other chargers)
port 3: 1.42A/5.05V (pretty good relative performance for the same device with other chargers)
port 4: 1.27/5.05V (pretty good relative performance for the same device with other chargers)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this tablet is 1.70A/5V)

I have been using this wall on daily basis for over a week. It works well without getting warm. I like that it takes up only one on my power strip.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: AFENDO® 3000mAh Mini Alluminum Power Bank Ultra-Compact Portable Charger Lipstick-Sized External Battery Charger

   

I like "lipstick" size power banks, I always have one in my purse and one charging so I can rotate them. It is nice to have a bit of emergency power if the phone runs out of power. My second favorite use for this lipstick battery is to use them with my Sansa Clip MP3 which has non-removable rechargeable batteries. If I have it constantly charging from a small battery I don't have to stop listening while it recharges.

Afendo 3000mAh external pack is 3.75" long, 7/8" in diameter, and weights 2.6 oz. The charging indicator is not as tiny as some of the other lipstick batteries I have, I can easily see if it is still working. The light is red when the battery is charging, and blue when it is charging on a device. The battery turns on instantly when I plug something in.

Even though its capacity is not huge, it charges my phone reasonably fast. It is a 1A charger so it did not charge iPad Mini at the optimal rate, however it did as well as any 1A charger can charge the tablet.

The battery does not support charge through charging (i.e. it can not charge while it is being charged).

If you are interested in the details of the tests I am including them below. Summarizing the results I can say that it measured up well against batteries of similar size and capacity.

➨ Test Results:
======================
✔ Galaxy Nexus Phone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current monitor: ~~~ 0.87A, 5.04V

✔ iPad Mini
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current monitor: ~~~ 0.93A, 5.04V

Bottom line: I found this charger to perform well and I like its size.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product reviews: AFENDO® 15000mAh Ultra-Slim Dual USB (3A/3A Output) External Portable Rechargeable Compact Emergency Backup Power Bank

♦ size: 4.25" x 7.125" x 0.375"
♦ weight: 11.3 oz
♦ number of ports: 2
♦ flashlight: no
♦ pass through charging: yes (i.e. the battery can charge while being charged itself)
♦ cables: 1 charging cable
♦ Special note: to turn on this power bank you need to swipe your finger from left to right over the two lock icons

This a nice looking battery, its finish makes it look like a leather bound notebook. To turn it on you need to swipe a finger left to right over the charger level indicator. This battery's capacity is 15000 mAh. I charged a totally discharged Hyperion 3800mAh Extended Battery to 100% in less than 3 hours and the charge indicator went from 4 lights to 3 lights.

To see how well different chargers and external batteries charge my mobile devices I use a Nexus phone and an iPadMini to test each of them. The current drawn from the battery depends on each device using the battery. I always use the same two devices and I do my tests with the devices charged to the same level, running the same applications and using the same cables to keep everything the same. This allows me to do a relative comparison of each battery and identify the one that do not perform well. Note that these tests are not testing for the maximum current each device can draw on each port.

I also tested to see if the battery supports pass-through charging (i.e. whether the battery can charge mobile devices while it is being charged). This battery supports charge through charging. It can not charge while being charged.

Samsung Nexus phone:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
port 1: 0.98A/5.05V (excellent comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)
port 2: 1.00A/5.06V (excellent comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this phone is 1.00A/5V)
Note: these tests are not designed to test the maximum capacity of the port

iPad Mini tablet:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
port 1: 0.93/5.08V (average for 1A port for the same device with other chargers)
port 2: 1.23A/5.10V (good comparing the performance of the same device with other chargers)
(for comparison the best charging monitor result for this tablet is 1.70A/5V)

The battery has a nice capacity, some of the battery capacity is always lost to heat, voltage conversion, and operation of the power bank itself. I always estimate that 30% of the capacity will not be available for the charging of the device.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.




Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: iKross Compact Flexible Camera Tripod with Smart Phone Holder

I am a big fan of GorillaPod tripods, I have been using one for a couple years almost all the time. This tripod is similar in its ability to arrange legs to clamp around things and bend to any angle you need.

It comes with two holders: one is a quick release for a regular camera screw mount, another is the the holder for phones. The holders attach the tripod using a quick release plate.

The tripod 10.5" tall and weights 3.8 oz.

The tripod is able to hold my phone (6.7 oz) and my SONY NEX 5N camera, which is 17.1 oz with its 18-55mm lens.

I like the that quick release does not require any special tools to tighten (Gorillapod tripods require to have a penny on hand to tighten the screw).

I am impressed that the tripod's scrawny legs (scrawny by comparison to GorillaPod) are able to hold my 17 oz camera quite steady. I also like this tripod for holding my light panels - this tripod makes it easy for me to place the light exactly where I need it. For my camera and light panels this tripod works extremely well. The telephone holder is very tight and did not fit my 3" wide phone, on a smaller phone it works fine.

What can be better? The quick plate is made out of plastic. It is easy to over tighten it and enlarge the screw hole making the whole thing wobbly. There is only one screw which needs to share between the two holders it would be better to have two so one can quickly switch between the two holders.

Overall, a very handy tripod design.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: GULEEK i8 Quad-Core Windows 8.1 with Bing Smart Mini PC w/2 GB RAM

I was surprised how small the GULEEK box is. In attached video you can see it next to my smartphone, they are just about the same size: 6"L x 3.5"W x 3/8"H. It weighs 7.8 oz.

The set up was very simple. I attached two dongles for a keyboard and mouse, attached HDMI cable to my TV, and finally the power. I pushed a small on/off button on the front and for a minute or two nothing happened. I began flipping through the small leaflet that came with GULEEK to see what I missed and by the time I looked up my TV was displaying the set up menu. I expected the front of the box to light up (it looks like a glass display) but it remained black. The back of the unit has a small red light to indicate that it is turned on. The set up was straightforward. To install apps from the Windows app store you need to have a Microsoft service account, but if you don't have it right away that's okay. The set up will allow you to continue and create the account later. The Windows account is needed to install Windows app. You can download and install regular Windows applications (like another Browser) by downloading and installing them directly.

Once everything is running you are presented with the Windows 8.1 interface. I thought the performance of the OS was snappy, everything rendered on my TV very well, there were no display or sizing issues. I was able to install Firefox and Chrome and use Google for search from these browser, so even though it comes with Internet Explorer and Bing search you are not limited to using them if you don't want to.

Mini PC comes with 10 GB disk. As soon as I setup the box before downloading any apps I looked at the available disk space: 6.34GB is used by the operating system, 4.27GB is free.

I installed OOKLA speedtest and it showed decent WI FI performance: 37 Mbps download and 15 Mbps upload.

Some of the changes I have made
1) To improve performance I changed the performance setting to "adjust for best performance". This removes animation of icons and the overall response time of the user interface improves noticeably.
2) To improve security I changed "allow remove assistance" from default of yes to no. This closes a port that allows someone to access your computer with administrator privileges.
3) I change power saving mode from the default (which turned off mini PC after 10 minutes of inactivity) to always on.
4) I installed TightVNC server. Which allows me to access the mini PC from my desktop, using my main monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Once this was configured, I removed the keyboard, mouse, and HDMI cables from mini PC. Now the mini PC has just one cable attached to it - the power cable. Performance over TightVNC is good. This also freed up two USB slots to be used for any other purpose I might need.

Any limitations? I found two things so far:
1) I was not able to boot in BIOS. Why did I want to get into BIOS? Ability to run Linux from a USB stick a standard "rescue" technique when something goes wrong with Windows. BIOS is needed to change the boot order.
2) I was not able to use a USB hub to increase the number of USB slots - it did not recognize anything plugged into the USB hub (I tried several USB hubs with and without power supplied to the hub, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0).

Despite the two limitations I found so far this is a pretty impressive little box!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★★★★