QIPLUS: 3-in-1 Global Wireless Charger & Powerbank Review

QIPLUS: 3-in-1 Global Wireless Charger Powerbank Review


I was in the market for a Wireless Charger Powerbank with USB-C Power Delivery, USB-A and passthru charging.



I have the CVIDA Qi Wireless Charger 10000mAh Power Bank https://amzn.to/2LJhvRC that only works with the iPhone 8/X and Samsung Galaxy Phones.  Also, I couldn't get the Passthru charging to work and USB-C Power Delivery didn't work.

Along came the QiPlus on Indiegogo, so I backed and got it shipped unfortunately in 5 weeks.

Had I known it would have taken 5 weeks to get here I would have just ordered from Amazon.

Apparently, it's a white label qi power bank with an extra long power cord.  It's been available on Amazon since June 1st, 2018 (Link).  Amazon is providing fulfillment.

It's nothing special.

It takes Display never gets to 100%

It doesn't have USB-C Power Delivery, so if your laptop has more than a 6700 mAH battery, then it will charge the Qiplus. Both my Pixelbook and Razer Stealth laptops charge the Qiplus.

I think the coil in my Nexus 5 stopped working and it isn't up for wireless charging tricks anymore.

(Update 12/24/2018)

I was plagued with failing usb-c cables and the common source was the Qiplus. 

I emailed their support team and got the following statement:

The Port type C is only used as input port which can only be used to charge the Qiplus product itself. It is not designed as an output port and cannot be used to charge other devices.

I would have not purchased the thing if I'd known that :-(

SHAPL Suitcase & Backpack First Look

SHAPL Suitcase & Backpack First Look

I have more luggage, yeah!   It's not like I need more luggage.  I backed the SHAPL Suitcase & Backpack 3pc. Full Set on Indiegogo back in July.  It came right on time just before Christmas Travel.   I'll have a full review after Christmas.


It comes with the following items:

3 x Bluetooth Tracker
1 x 20" Carry-On Suitcase
1 x 25" Full-Size Suitcase
1 x Backpack
4 x 26-Letter Alphabet Sticker Set


I would have to say just with unboxing and setting up the bluetooth trackers, it's the most well packed piece of luggage that I've purchased.   The box was beaten up from Korea, but the luggage was perfect.

I look benign, but I'm a Matryoshka doll hiding another suitcase and backpack.

Here's the bluetooth tracker.  You'll need new CR2032 3V Litihum batteries.

Compartments, compartments!

Shoe compartment

20" and 25" next to each other

Instructions

Here's the backpack.  It's more like a briefcase with shoulder straps.

Laptop compartment

USB-A Port on the Bottom

Here's the usb-a cable to attach to a battery pack.

Tucking the straps in

Backpack on the handle using the luggage strap.

It has the little rubber feet to lay on its side.


Here's what the app looks like:

Baubax 2.0 Bomber Review

I'm an original Baubax 1.0 Blazer back in 2015 and received the blazer on 4/19/2016.  The blazer was really underwhelming.  The "wrinkle free" fabric wrinkled very easily, the neck pillow was awkward, the gloves made putting on the jacket really hard. The major con was that it required dry cleaning!

Here's a picture of me on a plane wearing the blazer with the inflated neck pillow.

Felt Boa Constrictor Neck Pillow

You can see that the neck pillow looks like a felt boa constrictor choking me and the headphone routing doesn't always work.  I gave up on the internal routing and just kept in my shirt pocket.

ScottyVest noticed the complaints of customers and offered a 30% off coupon on a ScottyVest.  Thanks ScottyVest.

Fast Forward to February 2018 and Bauxbax announces the 2.0 minus the blazer.  I backed on Kickstarter and received on November 1st 2018. I've had 3 full days to wear and decided to give a review.

That's Me

Hood Up, Built-In Gloves Down

Eye Mask Down

Better Packaging (Delayed Delivery by 3 Months)

Jacket, Collapsable Water Bottle, Foot Rest, Blanket

Passive Noise-Reducing Ear Plugs

Retractable Keychain with Whistle-Bottle Opener

Apple AirPod Straps

The built-in gloves are still in the way and are harder to slip your hands thru the open hole, but now the problem is the velcro scratching.

Old Button vs New Velcro Fastener

Eye mask now has a button to hold in place

Overall, 2.0 is much improved. Keep up the good work Baubax. There are still some fit and finish issues, but I'm not embarrassed to wear this one.


Pros
Better Fit (A medium is a men's medium and not an extra-small)
Much Warmer
Pockets Galore
Eye mask now has a button to hold in place
Improved sunglass pocket and microfiber cloth
Improved detachable hood


Cons
Eye mask now lets in too much light
Built-in glove velco scratches the hand
AirPod Strap rubber is starting to tear on day 3
Hidden Neck Pillow takes some work to use


Update 11-5-2018.


I found the photo of the extremely small gloves that were included in the Bomber 1.0 Order.

Quite Laughable

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Info

Here are the model, build and os Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K out of the Box and after the first update:

Out of the Box:

Model:AFTMM

Android Version:7.1.2

Build: NS6231

First Update:

Model:AFTMM

Android Version:7.1.2

Build: NS6232

Nomatic Messenger Bag Review

Brief Review and How I Pack My Nomatic Messenger Bag



Pros

Stylish

Tons of Mesh Pockets for Organization

Removable Protective Shell For Glasses

Well Padded Strap

Well Padded Body Side Panel (The portion that comes closest to your body)



Cons

The Briefcase Carry Handle Is Not Well Padded

Cord Passthrough could have some guides inside so the cable won't get lost and better markings.  I spent 5 minutes trying to find out how to guide the cable in.

Tight Top Easy Access Pocket (You'll Have Problems With Phones Larger Than 5 Inch Screens)



You can fit a speedlight, dslr (Nikkon D3400 in my case) and 2 lenses in compartments panel.

Lenovo 10" Smart Display In Stock At Costco

Lenovo 10" Smart Displays are in stock at Costco for $199.  Go get 'em.

HyperDrive Wireless Charger USB-C Hub

This thing really works!

Pros
5/7.5/10 Watt Wireless Qi Charger
4K HDMI Out
Gigabit Ethernet
3x USB 3.0 Ports
SD Card Slot
Micro SD Card Slot

Works on Windows 10, Chrome OS, MacOS [Not Personally Tested]


Cons
None So Far


The only thing that I wished that it had was a powerbank.  I'm asking for too much.

Google Podcasts Starting To Show Up In Android Auto

via IFTTT

Google Podcasts Starting To Show Up In Android Auto

Google Podcasts Starting To Show Up In Android Auto

The fragments of Google Podcasts for Android auto are starting to show up in version 8.13.15.21 of the Google App.


There were no Podcasts in the menu, but I expect them to probably start showing up in the next few days.


Here's a video of the new item.

Taskin Kube Review

Pros
Perfect Minimalist Carry On For A 3-4 day trip
Four Small Taskin Duplex/Taskin Simplex Packing Cubes Fit Perfectly Inside (Taskin Packing Cubes Rock)
Lots of Zippered Mesh Pockets for Storage
Divider System
Dedicated Vented Shoe Pocket
Luggage Handle Sleeve on the bottom of the bag

Cons
No laptop compartment
Could use more padding in the zippered pocket area
No locking mechanism

Taskin Kruze Review

Pros:

Clever Hanging Toiletry Mechanism
Built-in 4 Suction Cups
Anti-Germicidal UV Light Emitter
Premium tarpaulin cover
Metallic food grade inside lining
Waterproof zippers

Cons:
Very large (21 cm x 32 cm x 8.5 cm) - you may want to back the Taskin Xpress on Indiegogo (http://igg.me/at/taskinxpress/shre/16425728) - smaller, lower-tech version of Kruze Toiletry Bag

Fitbit Versa Issues

My posts in the Fitbit Forums are getting deleted so I'll post here.

Forums have 3 months worth of posts on incorrect step tracking, bluetooth paring issues, notifications and a really nasty "Connected GPS" issue where the Versa is unable to get the GPS coordinates from the phone and there is no fix or admission of a problem in sight.

I'm going to go to speculate that there are Bluetooth radio, firmware or problems with the antenna on the Versa.  I don't believe they can be fixed via firmware updates and the Versa needs to be recalled.  I'm speculating that with everything crammed in the slim profile (battery, screen, haptic motor, motherboard and chips) and now an aluminum case, there is probably signal loss.

There are bluetooth connectivity problems on many android phones and iOS, so it's not limited to android.

I've worn the Versa simultaneously with an Apple Watch Series 2, LG Watch Sport over the past 3 months to have data to prove the Versa is the problem.

Since day one April 12th, 2018, I noticed within about 2 hours that the Fitbit Versa was not capturing my steps properly and I immediately put my Apple Watch back on to continue to get my steps.

The next day I noticed that the bluetooth notifications were not working for hours at a time, then connected gps issues and then later in the week, my alarms were not going off.

After a firmware update 32.32.10.15 in early May that did not address the main issues, I realize that it was something else going on.

The week of July 8th, 2018, I performed a little experiment with the older, cheaper Pebble 2 with Heart Rate this week.

Step Tracking

It tracks steps accurately without the need for exaggerated arm movements. One step forward, back, side up or down counts as a step. 

Location Tracking

The Pebble App is able to use the phone's GPS to track walks and runs without issue everytime.  

Notifications

Notifications just work.  For some android apps, I can even perform some actions from the Pebble.

Music Playback

Works everytime

No need for a weird Versa Classic bluetooth device being paired.

Alarms

Every alarm this week has gone off correctly

Added plus of smart alarms to wake you up during the appropriate sleep phase within a specified range of your wakeup time

Text Messages

I can actually send text messages from the Pebble 2 via voice transcription, canned responses or emoji.

Anyone else experiencing major issues with their Fitbit Versa that are not being addressed?

The Marlon Carry-On Review

I’m reviewing the Marlon Carry-On


I recently purchased this from their website during their flash sale. It’s still ongoing and is 50%.   - https://www.marlontravel.co/products/marlon-carry-onhttps://www.marlontravel.co/products/marlon-carry-on

I’ve been following the Carry-On and Backpack for a little over a year since they started the Kickstarter and Indiegogo and the price was right.

You can see The Marlon Backpack Review here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtisVpvHApw&t=2s

Pros

A Minimalist's Dream

Dedicated Suit Pocket

Integrated USB-A Ports for Charging

Removable 10400 mAH Powerbank

Large Wheels for easy maneuvering and uneven surfaces

Can expand an additional 15 liters for 60 liters of capacity. This is about 5 more liters of space when expanded that you would be missing in other carry-ons with the same dimensions

Dedicated Suit/Dress Pocket

Cons

No Side Carry Handle

Bulky laptops can make it difficult for the suitcase to close. A 15in laptop will not fit in the sleeve.

Finicky Assisted compression systems.  Doesn’t always open or close with one touch.

Laptop sleeve some more padding

Items In Video

Taskin Simplex XL Packing Cube - https://amzn.to/2Civzyc

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

TicWatch Pro Coming

The TicWatch Pro is coming.

Mobvoi's next iteration of the TicWatch, called the TicWatch Pro will be announced in thenext few days.

From the images above and below, it appears to be a hybrid E-ink  and AMOLED screen that a user can select from and possibly a heartrate sensor.

Let's hope the watch has the following features:

Standard Qi Charging
NFC that is capable of using Google Pay
Heartrate Sensor
LTE

If the watch packs the above features then it will be a hot until Google releases it's own Pixel watches in fall 2018 .

The Marlon Backpack Review

I’m reviewing the Marlon Backpack (Rucksack) I recently purchased this from their website during their flash sale. It’s still ongoing and is 50%. - https://www.marlontravel.co/products/... I’ve been following the Carry-On and Backpack for a little over a year since they started the Kickstarter and Indiegogo and the price was right. Towards the end you’ll see the carry on - https://www.noahswint.com/2018/07/the-marlon-carry-on-review.html Pros Fleece Lined Sunglass and Tablet Sleeve Lots of pockets Collapsable & Expanding Water Bottle Pocket Stow-able Attachment Straps Side Carry Handle Comfortable Memory Foam Padding Can expand an additional 8 liters for 34 Liters of capacity Cons Hidden Zipper Pocket zippers can become separated with a bulky laptop. Bulky laptops can make it difficult for the suitcase connector to go over the handle of a suitcase. A 15in laptop will not fit in the sleeve Shoe compartment takes up a lot of space inside. Flimsy magnetic key holder. It easily comes off Items In Video Cvida 1000 maH Qi Wireless Power Bank - https://amzn.to/2lL5hNq iClever USB-C to USB-C Cable - https://amzn.to/2IDSQf2 ivvi Multi Charging Cable - https://amzn.to/2IF0OVo

2018 Firetv Cube Info

Some initial information on the identifier and build of the 2018 Amazon Firetv Cube Generation 1 at time of launch.

Out of the box

Identifier: AFTA
Build: NS6220
OS: Android 7.1.2


After Initial Software Update

Identifier: AFTA
Build: NS6221
OS: Android 7.1.2

Pixelbook Pen Loop

I got my free Pixelbook Pen Loop and it's meh.

That's all.