In my article Amazon Kindle 3G-The Perfect Travel Companion, I talked about how useful I found my 3G Kindle while travelling overseas.  One of the comments left on that article pointed to a blog that said that Vietnam was one of the only places that the author couldn’t get any 3G signal.  This confused the heck out of me, as I had full coverage (and also full web access) from North to South for the 3 weeks I was over there. What was going on?

US Kindle 3 3G Coverage

I went to Amazon.com to look at the 3G coverage map. Huh? No 3G coverage in Vietnam? Had I slurped back too much Pho, or had the sun addled my brain, or was it just like an episode of Dallas and it was all a dream?

Then I remembered there’s actually two versions of the 3G Kindle , a US one that is only available in the US and uses an ATT sim card and also an International model that uses a Vodafone sim card.  Now, Australia being NOT being part of the US meant I had an international model. So I went to Amazon.co.uk and check the Vodaphone 3G coverage map there.

Intl Kindle 3 3G Coverage

So you can see while the US (ATT) Kindle 3 offers ZERO 3G coverage in Vietnam, the International version (Voda) gives almost full 3G coverage. The same applies for Cambodia.

US Kindle 3 3G Coverage

Intl Kindle 3 3G Coverage

Tasmania US v Intl 3G Coverage

For interest sake I then had a look at Australian coverage.  I live in Tasmania, that little island just underneath Victoria, but couldn’t get my screenshot to include in the map above, so I added separately. (We hate being left off the map of Australia ).  You can see  that there’s dramatically different coverage between the International and the US Kindle 3 3G . Looking at the maps above, in reality I’d be much better off with a US Kindle 3 3G than the International model. Vodafone has notoriously bad coverage in Australia, and it’s a bit ironic that a US Kindle would give me better coverage than an “International” version.  But of course if I had a US model, I’d have NO coverage while in Vietnam.

A quick comparison of the maps shows some obvious areas where coverage is different, Morocco (I), Namibia(I), Cote D’Ivoire(I), Belarus(I), Malawi(I),Ecuador(U), Tanzania(U) and Bolivia(U) amongst others, and the degree of difference in coverage varies.

I’m guessing that this “anomoly”  has to do with the partners that the respective Telcos have in the different countries. The long and short, if you’re intending to use your Kindle while travelling, it’s worth checking out if the US or International will give you the best coverage in the countries that you’re going to visit. Be aware though that it’s not possible to get a US Kindle 3G directly from Amazon internationally and conversely an International Kindle 3G in the US, but there are ways of doing it.

Happy travelling

Filed in categories: Articles, eBook Readers and Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: 3G, Kindle, Travel gear

Amazon Kindle 3 3G International Coverage – US vs International model originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 3, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Cuppow is a silicone drinking lid that converts any wide-mouthed canning jar into a travel mug.  Canning jars are sturdy, heat-resistant, easy to clean, and cheap, but their wide openings don’t make them a travel-friendly mug.  Simply replace the seal with the Cuppow, screw the ring back on, and you have a eco-friendly cup that you can take in the car without worrying about spills.  The Cuppow is $7.99.  (Hopefully they’ll come out with jar sleeves to protect your hands from hot coffee and tea burns.)

Filed in categories: Kitchen Gadgets, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Travel Mug

Turn a Canning Jar into a Travel Mug with Cuppow originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 28, 2012 at 8:00 am.

Wondering what to get for the stylish gadget guy this coming Valentine’s Day?  It would be difficult for him not to love these Polished Silver Oval Wifi and 2GB USB Cufflinks from Brookstone.  On the surface, they’re a regular pair of classy polished silver cufflinks, but there’s more than what meets the eye.

Each cap can be detached from its base revealing a 2GB USB flash drive on one side and a WiFi hotspot on the other.  Once the corresponding software is installed on a (hard-wired) laptop or desktop, simply plug the WiFi end into the computer and start using your iPhone, iPad, etc from your new mobile hotspot.

These are a bit pricey, but how many other guys can be wearing their very own hotspot?  The WiFi/USB cufflinks are available through Brookstone for $250.

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: cufflinks, USB flash drive, wifi hot spot

A Set of Cufflinks Fit for MI6 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 27, 2012 at 9:00 am.

Power, storage and access are the holy trinity of the geek. We cannot have too much access to the Internet, too much storage (digital or physical, for our gadgets) or too many different ways to get powered up. While USB seems to be well on its way to powering everything from GPS units to phones to wrist watches, it’s still difficult to carry enough battery power around to recharge your gear if you’ve left the grid or your laptop behind. Choiix has a line of power devices that are designed to this exact market: small, light, nicely priced, and, most important, very powerful. As a test item, Coolermaster sent me the Choiix Power Fort 5600 in white, which is a rechargeable 5600 mAh brick a little smaller than a deck of cards or a pack of smokes, yet able to recharge your iPhone, iPod, Droid, GPS, flip phone, or just about anything else that you’d usually charge through your computer’s USB port. It’s even capable of charging the iPad, which takes 10 watts, rather than the usual 5 watts most standard USB ports deliver.

Tiny, but powerful, the Choiix Power Fort can fit into almost any small space in your gear bag.

On one side edge of the device is a micro-USB port, and on the opposite edge, a full USB port. The top is a glossy plastic (white or black is available) with a brushed metallic button in the center. Off to one side from this button is a band in the same brushed finish with 4 blue LEDs. All sides except the glossy top are clad with a grippy material. This is helpful if you’re fumbling around in your bag for it, because once you get into your mind where the top is, you’ll know where the power port is, even in the dark.

Full-sized USB port accepts just about anything that can be powered from USB. Note the rubbery texture of the back and sides.

Four LEDs show status when charged, or when charging.

When you press the button for a few seconds, It will display your available power. When charging (through the micro-USB port) the buttons blink as the battery fills up, with the “full” amount staying lit and the next blinking. To go from one, single blinking LED to four solid ones takes about an hour using my iPad charger. I never noticed any loss of charge unless I actually used it to charge something. This is important in this type device, because the usual use case is filling it up, tossing it into your bag or pocket, and only pulling it out if you need to charge something. If you had to continually monitor it’s power level, even if you never used it, that would seriously impact the convienence factor, or it being ready when you need it.

During testing, I invited many friends to “power up” while at lunch or out after work. I saw every phone go from being “in the red” to completely or nearly full in every case. Usual time for, say, an iPhone 4 at 20% was 40-50 minutes to get into the 80% range. That’s a nice bump when you’re facing the prospect of a long drive home and have forgotten to top-off during the day.

Take a look at the above chart I grabbed from the Choiix web page to get an idea of the extended use time this little box can deliver: 6 extra hours for a tablet, 28 more for your smartphone, and 172 more on your MP3 player. They may be a little on the high side (all those times are listed as “up to”, remember), but they are not far from reality, at least from my experience thus far.

As I’m writing this (on my iPad in Evernote), I’m in a park on a biking weekend in Savannah, GA, with my iPhone charging in my saddlebag. The iPad power adapter, iPad, iPhone, and Power Fort are all I brought with me for the 2.5 days I’ll be gone, and between wifi in the motel and cafes, and great 3G coverage on my phone, I’ve not felt cut off in the least. I’ve done other trips with similar equipment, and always felt a little fearful that I’ll not be close to power and will thus run shy somewhere. With the Power Fort, I think that’s behind me. I hope so, anyway.

So, are there any drawbacks? Maybe a few. The microUSB port that is used for charging is one of those that make it difficult to tell which way you plug it in. Over time, I’m wondering if it will become worn out from me trying to plug in, realizing that it’s at the wrong orientation, and then putting it in correctly. Once you’re in the right orientation, it fits fine, but those connectors are so easy to get wrong, I wish companies would stop supporting it. The miniUSB connector is more obviously trapezoidal, so less prone to this issue, but that’s not the fault of Choiix, except in using what I feel is a poor standard. There are worse ones on the market. (Regular USB, I’m looking at you!)

I hate these tiny micro-USB ports. They are easy to plug in wrong.

Another drawback is the lack of a clear “charging” mode. When you plug something in the full-sized USB port, you then have to hold down the button on top, next to the level LEDs, and then it will start charging your device. And it will keep on feeding power at that rate, until you either unplug it or hit the button again. It would be nice if you could plug it in and it would auto-charge until the device was full, then stop charging. On more than one occasion during initial testing, I accidentally just left it plugged in, and ran the Power Fort down, while the device had been fully charged for hours. Once you learn that it’s manual, you know to keep checking, but it’s irritating. Maybe the lack of auto detect power metering is one of the things that keeps the price reasonable.

Something I’d like to see: a ”play-through” feature, where you can power another device through the USB port while you’re charging the Power Fort. It doesn’t do it right now, but it would sure be nice to recharge both the Power Fort and your iPad or whatever at the same time. Otherwise, you have to have more than one adapter, and more than one available outlet.

All things considered, the Choiix Power Fort is much more asset than liability. At $40, it’s half the price of many of the similar devices on the market. I’ve not tested any other USB chargers, but have loads of friends and customers who have, and I’ve not heard good things from many of them. Mophie’s Juice Pack series gets good reviews for an integrated case/battery charger (I reviewed one for my iPhone 3G and loved it!), but their power units that would compare with the Power Fort are nowhere as cheap or powerful.

Included in the package is the Power Fort, a USB cable that will work for recharging, a miniUSB cable, and a velveteen drawstring bag that will hold all items. Also included is a whale of a lot of peace of mind for the roaming gadget user. Four and a half stars.

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: External battery

Choiix Power Fort 5600 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 23, 2012 at 11:00 am.

The tiny Data Traveler 109 USB drive from Kingston comes preloaded with urDrive software “that gives you a new and exciting way to look at your data“, according to the maker. I am always interested in new and exciting ways to look at my data, so let’s take a look!

Kingston makes good stuff and the Data Traveler 109 thumbdrive is a nice piece of work:

• 2 capacities (8 and 16gb) and 7 colors
• 1.535″ x 0.486″ x 0.179″ (39.00mm x 12.35mm x 4.55mm)
• A bit more than a gram
• Compatible with any USB 2 system (urDrive is for Windows XP or newer)
• Convenient lanyard hole (that is pretty dang close to being bigger than the drive itself!)

The unit is very small in a plastic housing that would not be very tough in a larger unit, but is OK in the smaller package. The large lanyard hole makes it easy to slip on a keyring or, just maybe, a lanyard! In fact, I found I needed to thread a large rubber band in it during the review period just to keep it from getting lost in the detritus on my desk. No instructions are included in the packaging.

"Just how small IS it?"

I was sent an 8MG black and white unit to review, and it works perfectly as a thumb drive alone. It is pre-loaded with the 122MB URDrive software and applications suite which is designed to elevate the thumb drive experience. The site claims “Most USB Flash drives offer passive storage, which simply allows users to store and retrieve their data. urDrive offers engaged, active storage that allows you to easily access and organize your files, photos, videos and music.”

The urDrive is not bootable – it is not an operating system, more like a shell program that allows you to better use and view the files you choose to store on it. When launched from the screen icon or with autoplay, it displays several apps in the main screen, icons on the bottom, and some other scattered buttons or bars like ‘back’ and ‘search’.

The Home Screen

The large app buttons bring up several pre-loaded applications-

• Norton PC Checkup, which needs to be loaded onto your PC.
• Maxthon Browser, which needs an internet connection and can download data straight to the thumb drive.
• vDrive Backup, offering 6GB of free back-up. Needs to install on your PC and requires an internet connection.
• FoozKids Basic, a ‘kid-safe’ zone with educational activities and apps. Installs on the PC and offers a subscription service for more options.
• Games, similar to many on-line games sites, offering a selection of free and ‘for pay’ games.
• A store for apps and music, and apps for YouTube, Facebook and Twitter round out the offerings.

These programs are easily available on-line if you want them and there does not seem to be any benefit to getting them from the drive as opposed to loading them yourself – other than the portability of those that do not load onto your computer. You can also find reviews of each of these apps on-line to help you decide if they might interest you.

The ‘thumb drive shell programs’ are more interesting. Icons take you home, or to your files, photos, music, videos, (Kingston) news, settings, and help. You can use the ‘Import to USB’ button or just drag and drop files into the folder system. One small quirk is that you cannot drag to the Home screen with the apps, but you can to the ‘My Files’ screen. Note that if you drag and drop something like an MP3 there, it will not automatically go to your music file, but if you click on it, it will open with the included player.

The Maxthon Browser

The included players – photo, music, and video – are simple and work great. They seem to be based on Windows Media Player. They are nice enough that I would not mind using them on my laptop since they do such a nice job with such small footprints, but I suspect they actually use your computer’s copy of Media Player to do the job. When playing music or looking at photos, you can click on an icon for ‘Library View’, which taps into the entire media library on your computer – not just that on the thumb drive. This almost feels like a ‘back door’ since you cannot do this elsewhere in the urDrive, and I didn’t find a comment about it in the help.

The Music Player

The urDrive suite is nicely done – attractive, flexible, intuitive, and does everything it does nicely. I am not convinced it is helping me see my data in an new and exciting way, but it is sort of nice to have an on-board set of tools… even though I still have access to the needed tools on the main computer since this is not a bootable system. I suspect most Gadgeteers who are interested in this already have a thumb drive loaded with tools from places like PortableApps.com, which offers a wider range of customization, security, privacy, etc. (Just FYI- there does not seem to be anything in the urDrive that offers more security or privacy than what the Norton or other apps offer.) Regardless, the Data Traveler 109 is a pretty sweet drive!

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Flash Drive, Flash Memory, Security, USB Drive

Kingston Data Traveler 109 with urDrive Software Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 17, 2011 at 5:09 pm.

Sick of having to carry multiple “standard” USB cables to charge and sync your devices?  Innergie has you covered with their Magic Cable Trio .  A single cable gives you access to Mini USB, Micro USB and Apple 40 pin.  Each connector uses a hinge mechanism so you won’t lose the connectors that you’re not using. Just the thing to throw into your gadget bag for that emergency charge.

Available for $20 from Innergie.

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: USB cable

Innergie Magic Cable Trio – Pure Magic originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 8, 2011 at 9:00 am.

When you fly, you want to lock up your luggage to prevent theft and loss, but you’ll run the risk of having your lock cut off if you don’t use a TSA-approved lock.  Safe Skies already offers the industry’s largest selection of TSA-approved locks, and they are expanding their line with 50 new designs.  Instead of a generic silver lock, you can make your luggage instantly identifiable with a basketball, golf ball, or one of the Olympic Series locks from Safe Skies.  These padlocks comes with two keys, and they are marked with the Safe Skies torch design.  They are accepted and recognized by both the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs of the United Kingdom, so they’ll know how to open the lock for inspection without cutting it off.  All Safe Skies locks come with a life-time warranty and a replacement policy in case your lock is accidentally clipped.  The new designs will be available in February, 2012.  You’ll find the new and current locks at the Safe Skies lock store.

Filed in categories: News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Locks, luggage

Protect Your Luggage With Safe Skies’ TSA-Approved Locks originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Those travel-savvy folks at Tom Bihn are at it again, having not long ago introduced their new Cadet minimalist laptop bag and now three more new travel items.  The Travel Tray is a container to keep track of your loose pocket-sized items during your journey.  It collapses flat and closes with a drawstring.  One size, four different colors, $22 each.  The Travel Money Belt is made of nylon webbing with plastic buckle and can hold some cash, IDs or other small items in a concealed inside compartment accessible via plastic zipper opening on the belt’s inside.  Black only, five different sizes, $20 each.  The Citizen Canine is a small bag designed to help organize the stuff you tote on a walk with your furry friend.  Topside: treat/ball holder with drawstring top; bottom: poop bag dispenser (with side zipper access to replace the roll of bags); front: zipper phone/key/ID/etc accessory pouch.  Shoulder strap and loads more features.  One size, seven color combinations, $55 each.  Check ‘em out and let us know what you think.

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets, Travel Gear

Tagged: belt, Pet, Travel

Tom Bihn’s New Travel Tray, Travel Money Belt & Citizen Canine originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

Kensington Computer Products Group is one of the old-timers in the computerperipheral business having launched their first product (Apple II System Saver) back in 1981. Kensington’s most ubiquitous product is the K-Lock security slot that is found on many laptops. As Kensington is an established company with a history of quality products I felt relatively safe in trusting my high-priced electronics to the AbsolutePower Charger. A bad/incorrect charger can ruin a battery or worse very quickly so it’s always a good idea to double check the power supply you’re going to use before plugging in your expensive gadgets.

While not the only device to have this issue, the Apple iPad introduced many people to the concept that not all USB ports are equal especially when it comes to providing charging power. Rather than go into a discussion on electrical theory and USB standards those interested may want to check out this article in MacWorld.

For the rest of us, just because your charging cable has a USB plug at one end doesn’t mean that all USB ports will be capable of providing sufficient power to charge your device. However, the Kensington AbsolutePower charger provides enough power to its two USB ports (one micro, one standard) to handle most power hungry devices like tablets (but not all).

What's in the box...

Kensington includes 10 charging tips with the charger that work with many laptops by Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba among others. For a list of compatible devices check Kensington’s website. Most notably absent from the list are Apple’s MacBooks that use a proprietary connector (MagSafe) which is kept away from other companies by a slew of lawyers.

The AbsolutePower, like most quality chargers works with AC power of 50 or 60 cycles and from 100 to 240 VAC making it capable of handling most “wall” power available throughout the world. There are no international adapters in the box so I can only assume that when purchased in countries outside of the US either an adapter or different power cord is included.

Kensington claims that the charger is the smallest, lightest, most powerful charger in its class (when compared with similar in-class power adapters). The box lists the weight at 8 ounces (225g) and the dimensions at 4.3” long, 2.75” wide, and .73” high (110mm x 70mm x 18.5mm) or roughly the size (but thicker) than an iPhone 4s. Be aware though that Kensington didn’t include the weight of the power cable in that measurement (you gotta love those “marketing” specs). With both cables connected and an adapter tip in place, the charger weighs 10.8 ounces (306g). That’s still not a bad size or weight for a 90-watt charger.

A relatively small and lightweight charger that comes with a slew of adapter tips that cover laptops by almost every major manufacturer and two high-power USB ports…that sounds great…well, almost.

So, what’s not to like?

Just a few things really, but they’re pretty darn annoying.

The first issue I have is with the lack of a suitable case for the device. The AbsolutePower charger is marketed as being small and light and without a doubt it’s meant for use by travelers. Since it comes with 10 easy-to-lose power tips, a separate power cable, and a micro-USB to USB adapter it would have been nice if they had included a case for storage and transport. I ended up tossing it all in a ZipLoc bag…far from an elegant solution.

Exacerbating the storage issue is the fixed power cable on one side. The input power cable (one that plugs into an outlet) is not attached permanently to the charger making it easy to remove and store, however the cable that connects between the AbsolutePower and the laptop is permanently attached. This means that while the charger is small, the cable must always be wrapped next to it for storage. At $120 Kensington could include a case/pouch that holds all the parts compactly making it easy for customers to toss it into their briefcase or laptop bag.

Size matters!

I have another problem with that fixed power cord: it’s too darn short! It’s just 24 inches long forcing you to keep the charger on the table or desk close to your computer rather than on the floor. The charger has a hard plastic shell and no rubber feet so it’s all too easy for it to fall or be pushed off your work surface. This could cause it to come unplugged or even damage the laptop’s charging port. I would much prefer a cable that was long enough to allow it to drape off the work surface and have the charging unit on the floor. I realize that might make it a little harder to get to the USB ports, but USB cables are available in lengths more than long enough to make that a non-issue.

Nothing good can come of this.

Also be aware that the adapter tips are made with a 90-degree angle to the cable. While this wasn’t a problem with my laptop it’s possible that this type of connection could block access to a port or ventilation. Check your specific laptop and make sure you have at least 1.5” of clearance on one side of the power input.

Most people assume that setting up a laptop charger involves nothing more than plugging one end into an outlet and the other end into their computer. The AbsolutePower adds another level of complexity into the mix that some manufacturers (Targus and iGo) of similar devices seem to have done away with, and that’s a voltage switch. On the end of the charger is a small switch that sets output voltage at either 16 volts or 19 volts. The unit’s Instruction sheet states that the end user must find out the input voltage for their laptop and then set the switch accordingly. When I checked my ThinkPad I found a small sticker with typical micro-font that listed the input voltage at 20 volts. Fortunately, I looked at the side of the AbsolutePower box and realized that the 16 volt setting was actually good for 14 – 17VDC (at 5.0 Amps) and the 19 volt setting handled 17 – 21VDC (at 4.72 Amps). This information was not included on the rather sparse instruction sheet.

Power output, 2 x USB and voltage switch/power LED

The switch also doubles as a power LED and is inset (requiring a small screwdriver to move it) and with the voltage settings engraved by the switch as black on black many people will never know that it is a switch or a setting that needs to be selected. While you can clearly see the switch settings in my picture in anything other than direct light from a few inches away the settings are all but invisible. Requiring users to find their laptop’s voltage requirements is an inconvenience; not marking the switch clearly could potentially cause problems. Whether having the wrong setting would cause serious damage to someone’s laptop is questionable, but I’d argue if it’s important to make the choice it’s important to make the necessity and method for doing so a whole lot more evident than Kensington has done.

Finally, I was a bit surprised that Kensington didn’t include an Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad charging cable in the kit. Since the iPad is a primary reason people are looking for high-powered USB ports nowadays a cable would have been nice. Even better make the fixed power cord 48 inches long and include an Apple compatible cable to match!

Settings and power cord issues aside the charger does its job without getting very warm. After several hours of use the charger was barely over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The AbsolutePower charged my Lenovo ThinkPad x220 laptop, Apple iPad and TMobile G2 phone simultaneously. Although, it did seem that with both devices plugged into the charger’s USB ports and the laptop running the rate of charging was a bit slower than if they were all on their individual chargers there didn’t appear to be a dramatic difference.

The HP TouchPad was the only device that wouldn’t charge from the AbsolutePower. Using the USB cable that came with the TouchPad the device warned that it might not charge when connected to the AbsolutePower’s micro USB port. When I connected the TouchPad to the standard USB port on the AbsolutePower there was no warning or indication of charging at all (swapping USB cables made no difference). The TouchPad’s own charger lists output at 5.3 volts at 2.0 amps which is slightly higher than the 5.0 volt/2.0 amp rating for the AbsolutePower and is higher than the iPad’s requirements.

I like the concept of the Kensington Absolute Power charger. Dual high-power USB ports in a reasonably sized package are a definite plus. After spending some time with the charger though the short power cable would probably make me look at competitors. I just like my power “bricks” to live on the floor. If that doesn’t bother you and you can figure out the voltage requirement for your laptop this unit is certainly worth comparing to the other top brands in the marketplace as either a replacement power supply or second unit to keep in your travel bag.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Charger, power adapter, USB

Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 21, 2011 at 11:00 am.

The Jet Roller bag from STM Bags has a large compartment for packing your clothes for a 1-3 day trip, just as you’d expect from luggage.  The unexpected is that the Jet Roller can also act as your laptop bag.  The front of the bag has room for your computer (up to 17″) in the padded compartment.  The front panel unzips to reveal storage for cables, chargers, even a tablet.  The outermost compartment has room for your keys, some pens, and a ticket.  There’s a back slip-in pocket for files or a magazine.  It has an extendable handle and smooth rolling wheels to save your back and two padded grab handles to help you stow it in the overhead compartment.  STM says the bag is 22 x 12.6 x 13.4 in, so you should compare the dimensions of this bag to the maximum carry-on size allowed by the airline you most frequently travel.  The bag sells for about $180; check the STM Bags site for authorized online dealers.

Filed in categories: News, Travel Gear

Tagged: gear bag, luggage

STM Jet Roller is Luggage and Laptop Bag in One originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 4, 2011 at 9:15 am.

The PlugBug Charger from TwelveSouth is a different kind of powered USB charger.  Pop the cover off the PlugBug, pop the power prongs off the Mac charger, and then plug them together.  US power prongs fold out of the PlugBug.  The other end of the PlugBug has a USB port that delivers 5V at 2.1A, so it can charge an iPad, iPhone, or iPod.  If you are traveling in the US from another country, you’ll find that the PlugBug also acts as an adapter for US outlets.  It’s a convenient way to maximize use of a single power outlet, and it can lighten the load in your gear bag because you won’t need to carry separate power adapters for all your iOS devices.  The PlugBug is $34.99 at TwelveSouth.

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Apple, USB charger

Add a USB Charging Port to Your MacBook Charger originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2011 at 8:51 am.

The iSurge from Energizer is a compact 3-outlet surge protector with a couple of extra bonuses.  On the top of the unit is a 30-pin Apple dock connector to charge your iPhone or iPod.  On the side is a USB port.  And you’ll be able to charge your laptop, iPad, or any other gadget from the 3 AC outlets in the front.  It’s great to throw in your gear bag when traveling.  You’ll have a couple of extra outlets in those hotel rooms that never seem to have enough where you need them, you’ll protect your electronics from power surges without having to carry one of those giant strips in your bag, and you’ll be able to lighten your load by removing some of those AC adapters used to charge your USB-chargeable devices.  The Energizer iSurge is available now at Amazon for $59.99.

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Surge protector with USB power outlets

Energizer iSurge Portable Charging Station and Surge Protector originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

About a year ago, we told you about the Scosche flipSYNC charging cables.  Now, Scosche has updated their compact cables and converted them to carabiner clips, so they’ll be even easier to keep on a keychain or clipped to your gear bag.  The clipSYNC gear features full-sized charging cables with a spring-loaded carabiner built in.  Each clipSYNC is less than 2.5″ when closed, and they are made with a rugged aluminum exterior for durability.  The Keychain Charge & Sync Cable for Mini & Micro USB Devices (left) has a USB plug on one end, and a double-ended plug with miniUSB and microUSB plugs on the other end.  This cable can be used to charge a variety of devices, including gaming consoles, Android phones or other smartphones, ebook readers, Bluetooth headsets, and more.  The Charge & Sync Cable for iPod and iPhone (bottom right) works with iPods and iPhones that use the Apple docking connector.  Each clipSYNC cable is $19.99 from Scosche.

Filed in categories: News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Apple cable, charging cables, Spotlight Gadgets, USB cable

Keep Your Charging Cables Close at Hand with the Scosche clipSYNC Carabiner Cables originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Regular Gadgeteers will know that Timbuk2 products are very popular on the site.  Those in Australia however have had to order from overseas with sometimes high shipping costs ( I should know I’ve done it 5 times ) .

Ship no longer Anaconda , an Australia wide outdoors gear store is now distributing a limited line of Timbuk2 products including the Maverick, D-Lux, and Amnesia ranges.

As is usual for Australia, the normal RRP price of the products actually still  make it attractive to ship directly from the US however currently Anaconda has some of the lines on sale which at least brings them back almost on par with US pricing without the pain of overseas shipping or the waiting time. Sale pricing is over.

Anaconda will start offering a wider range of  Timbuk2 product in 2012.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: australia, gear bag

Timbuk2 and Anaconda Team up for Timbuk2 Down Under originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 14, 2011 at 10:00 am.

Traveling with a lot of gadgets means traveling with a lot of chargers and cables.  All those chargers can add up to a bulky, heavy load to add to your already bulging gadget bag.  And being sure you take all of them – and bring them back home – can be difficult when you have a tangled pile to sort through.  Aviiq has the solution for that tangled mess.  Their Portable Charging Station allows you to charge four devices at once, and you can even sync one of them with your computer.  Everything you’ll need fits into a compact, organized case.  I was selected to try out the Aviiq Portable Charging Station.

Some images can be clicked for a larger view.

The Aviiq Portable Charging Station comes in a very nice, heavy cardboard box that closes with a magnetic flap.  You don’t need it for carrying the charging station in your gear bag, but it’s far too nice to throw out.  My house is full of the beautiful packaging so many products come in.  I think I’d prefer a cheap cardboard box that I can recycle without feeling that I’ve somehow wasted part of the purchase price.

The charging station is housed in a medium-gray nylon bag.  There’s a pink Aviiq logo badge on the front right corner.  The bag zips around three sides and opens flat like a book.  Closed, the bag measures 10.2” long X 4.75” high X 1.25” thick.  It weighs 12 ounces on my digital kitchen scale.  Of course, any cables and accessories you add to the bag will add to its total weight.

The spine of the case has a grab handle that seems to be made of the same material as the case.  The back of the bag has a full-length open slip-in pocket.

Inside the bag are several pockets to organize your USB charging cables.  The four pockets on the left are holding my Kindle cable, two Apple cables, and a USB-to-microUSB cable that can charge my Bluetooth headset and a variety of other gadgets.  These pockets have some gusseting on the left side for a little extra room.  They close with Velcro on the right side, so you can open them up to reach the cables easier.  A large pocket made of stretch netting is on the right side; it closes with a small Velcro tab.   There’s a full length slide-in pocket under the net pocket.

The power adapter and a 4-port USB hub are stored above the left-side cable pockets.  The power adapter fits under an elastic band.  The USB hub has a big clip on the bottom that slides onto a band sewn to the inside of the travel bag.  Both can be easily removed for use, but you can leave the hub in place while charging devices.

The AC power adapter  has a spool to wind its cable around.  The plug fits into a snug slot at the bottom of the spool to keep the cable neatly wound.  The cord is 47″ long.  The AC prongs fold into the AC adapter to keep it as compact as possible.  These prongs were a problem for me.  You can see in the picture that they have rounded edges.  When they are folded into the charger, that rounded shape makes it very hard to find an edge that you can catch on and use to flip them out of storage.  Every time I used the charging station, I had to use a pen cap or something similar to pry the prongs out of their silo.  The hinge is very tight, so they are hard to deploy even using something to pry with.  The AC adapter is narrow, so I did find that it fit well between other plugs in my power strip.  The power supply requires 110VAC/60Hz and outputs 5VDC 3A max (15W max).  It has overload and short-circuit protections.

The 3 + 1 USB hub has four ports on the front.  It works with PC and Mac computers.  One end of the hub has a round port to connect the AC charger.  Just above that is a light that indicates when the hub is powered.  A retractable USB connector stores into the back of the hub; its cable is about 5″ long.  The three left-most USB ports are powered by the AC adapter.  They can be used to charge any USB-chargeable device.  The right-most port, marked Data, is powered by the retractable USB cable that you plug into your computer.  This Data port can also sync your device as you charge it.

The non-Data ports are designed to charge any USB 2.0 devices that consume 5 – 10W of power.  The hub provides 15W total of continuous power.  It can be used to charge a tablet, which can take up to 10W of power;  simply plug the tablet into a port before you connect anything else.  The hub will send most of its power to the tablet, but you can still charge two more devices at the same time.  You’ll see that I have an iPad, an iPod touch, and a Kindle all plugged in to the powered ports.  It may not be clear from the picture, but all three of these devices are charging.  Aviiq has pictures showing devices charging while their cables are neatly tucked away in their storage pockets.  It doesn’t make a nice picture, but I found it easier to take my cables out of the pockets to use them.  I keep my cables all wound up with my Strapeez cable wraps from Op/Tech, so I needed to take them out to open the wraps anyway.

I didn’t include a picture, but you can sync and charge any device from the Data port.  It will draw power from the computer’s USB hub.

I like the Aviiq Portable Charging Station.  The organizational pockets make it easy to see when you’ve forgotten to put away a cable.  You can charge three devices using only one power connection, and you can charge and sync a fourth gadget from your computer at the same time.  This is very convenient when you’re staying in a hotel room with limited wall outlets.  Everything fits into a compact bag that you can carry in your gear bag.  You’ll only need one set of charging cables for home and work, because you’ll always have them with you.  At $80, I think the Portable Charging Station is a bit expensive.  At that price, perhaps the hub should contain a rechargeable backup battery that can top off your gadget’s batteries when you’re away from a power outlet.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Travel gear, USB charging station

Aviiq Portable Charging Station Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

Whenever we go away on holidays, as “Head Gadgeteer” in the house I”m responsible for making sure we have all the cords,cables  and power adapters required for the trip.  Now call me anxious or paranoid or OCDish but I don’t like putting these things in check in luggage in case the Airline loses my bag.  I mean if they lose my shirts or undies or toiletries, you can always buy more but where in heck am I going to find a 2A USB charger for my Galaxy Tab or a Panasonic DE-A49 charger for my Pana G2 at short notice ?

My standard travel bag and carry on is my LE Waxed Canvas Timbuk2 Medium Messenger.  Now this bag has heaps and heaps of pockets and pouches ( I count 20 ), but I don’t want to have to spread my gear amongst them and then have to find them. And when I get to my destination I don’t want to have to pull them all out of their various pockets just to reload them when I leave.  I want them all in one place.

Will this Crumpler fit all and sundry ?

Yes, I could just use a plastic zip seal bag a toiletry bag or similar , but that’s not that elegant is it ?  So after a bit of alkehol and a bout of insomnia I ended up ordering a Crumpler All and Sundry ( we all know that alkehol and online shopping/ebay really don’t mix ).

Made out of 300D Rip Stop means that it’ll be  tough, waterproof and should  protect pretty everything pretty well ( though waterproofness isn’t really an issue since it’ll normally be living inside another bag ).  Dimensions are 30/11.8 X 14/5.5 X 5/1.95 mm/in so quite a versatile size.  Construction is good, all stitching is well done and rather than a “standard” zip, it has one of Crumplers chunky plastic zippers.

So what’s the concept behind the All and Sundry? Rather than a big square or rectangular box shape, the bag is more flattish with a zipper in the middle.On the back there’s four press studs, that allow you to clip it together so it doesn’t spread apart by itself and using it this way it creates legs which allows it to stand up by itself.

You can use it as a standard flat  carry bag or you can fold it in half.   This gives you two halves that you can “sort” your cables into, with each side color coded so you can categorize your storage.

Here’s a list of the stuff I took with me for a three week trip around Vietnam:

• Toshiba R700 AC Adapter
• Panasonic G2 Charger
• Panasonic TS1 (FT1 ) Charger
• AC Cable for above Pana Chargers
• Australian Double Adapter
• Universal Power Adapter
• Samsung 2A USB AC Adapter
• Samsung Galaxy Tab Cable
• Micro USB Cable ( 2 X Desire, 2 X Kindle )
• Mini USB Cable ( Iriver MP3 )
• Apple Ipod Cable ( 2 x iPod, 1 x iPhone )

All in all, it does a pretty good job.  I ended up with one bag that fitted all my peripherals in it nicely. I was quite surprise how much I could fit in it, especially when folded.  It kept everything neat in my travel bag  and was easy to just pull out and leave in hotel cupboard.  When the family wanted a cable I’d just point them in the direction of the “cable bag” ( of course if only I could find a way to make them put things back in and zip it back up ). When travelling I used it as a flat bag, it just left more usable and versatile space in the bag for packing all my other carry-on equipment around compared to when it was folded.

I’m currently using it as my everyday work cable management bag and with less in it it’s actually better in it’s folded state.  It’s two “states” give it a little bit of versatility you don’t get with a normal bag. The two ways to use this bag give you a couple of options for packing and give it bit of a unique concept.

An improvement I’d like to see would be to  stitch in some  elastic holders or pockets inside on  each side . Then you could hold some of your cables separately in each loop/pocket rather than have them all mixed up together. When folded in half it does a great job of separating out the cables( at least into two “categories” ) but if you used it flat and put it vertically into your bag, gravity ensures that you’d have a great mix of cables but that’s no different from using any other single compartment cable bag. Some elastic holders/pockets  would go some way to remedy this.

All in all a good solution to my cable and peripheral carrying problem.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: crumpler, Travel gear

Crumpler All and Sundry Accessory Bag Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 8, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

In my last travel article I bemoaned the fact that the single convergence device was still not a reality. Is this one step closer? Panasonic along with Japanese provider Softbank has just announced the 101P in Japan ( due post November ).

Using the 13.2 CMOS Lumix sensor found in their point and shoot cameras, and packing a 4-inch QHD LCD screen with 960X540 resolution, 1Ghz TI OMAP4430 dual-core running Android 2.3 ( Gingerbread ), Panasonic may have hit it on the head.  On top of that it’s waterproof ( IPX5/7 ).

At 9.8 X 123 X 64mm and weighing in at 128 grams it looks pretty pocketable too.

There’s no mention of price yet and worse there’s no mention of battery life ( it sports a 1460 mAh battery ).   Hopefully this gets released in other markets than just Japan.

More info, pictures and videos  ( in Japanese) from Gigazine.

Filed in categories: Android related, Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Digital Camera, Travel gear

Panasonic Lumix Phone 101P – Phone+Camera=Convergence? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 30, 2011 at 10:00 am.

“One Device to rule them all, One Device to find them, One Device to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

( Apologies to JRR Tolkien )

Having  just returned from a three week trip to Vietnam, I was putting away all my gear and was thinking, whatever happened to a single convergence device that was supposed to do it all. Did  I really need to take all this different equipment with me ( and all the associated AC adapters and cables )  ??  Read on….

So here’s a list of all the toys…ummm devices I took away with me.  We’ve all known that everyone is working towards a single device that’ll do it all, mobile/cell phone, internet device, DLNA endpoint, camera……… but to me at least, it’s still not a reality. Let’s tick  off the major pluses and minuses of each device:

Toshiba R700

While I’d really love to not have to take a notebook with me, there’s just some functions where you just can’t beat a notebook.  The large screen ( 13.1″ ), full size keyboard , the ability to have full compatibility with my corporate systems back in Australia ( that being said I actually didn’t even check my work email once while away ) are the prime reasons I still take a notebook with me.

Travelling with 4 other family members, it also gives the rest of the family a platform that they’re familiar with and it’s easy to either set up individual accounts or allow them to chop and change accounts in the browser windows.

I take a lot of photos on holiday  ( about 2000 in 3 weeks this trip, a bit down on my last trip where I took 900 in 3 days  ) and it’s quick and easy to backup your photos to ( I also chucked them up in “the cloud” for the first time ), view and catalogue, and manipulate them if required.

In fact as an example, a WordPress post like this one would be very hard to do using my Galaxy Tab as the layout would be very hard to setup properly without a large screen and decent keyboard.

The downsides, the size, weight and poor battery life. At least the notebook normally just sits in the hotel room and isn’t part of my EDC on holidays.

Samsung Galaxy Tab

With its 7″ screen, contrary to what Mister Jobs says, I think this is a perfect size for a tablet .  Easily held in one hand, it has all the connectivity options you need.  It can be used as a phone though you really need either a wired or bluetooth headset.  It’s perfect for viewing movies on the plane and for checking email, doing some quick Facebook, WordPress or  web browsing on the go. Using Press Reader , I can download my local newspaper and view it exactly as I would at home while eating breakfast, or sitting on a bus. Its small size makes it portable and even ( at a push ) pocketable.

The downsides, viewing  2000 pictures off my cameras SD Card was only just bearable speedwise  and the fact that the unit is so closely tied to a Google account means that it’s hard to share this between family members . Screen size is good for most things but see my comment re WordPress above.  Battery life is good ( third party rom, underclocked processor ) but not good enough to make this my one and only convergence device.

HTC Desire

The Desire was my primary portable  internet device before buying my Tab. While this fulfills all the same criteria as the Tab above, its smaller screen size makes it slightly less useable as a media/web device.  Its small size however means it’s much more portable and its battery life is better than the Tab. These days it’s pretty much just used as a phone or as an “emergency” tablet. Chuck it in my shirt pocket or front jeans pocket  and phone calls, SMS or a quick web browse are just a fingertip away.

Kindle 3G

For my full thoughts on this see my article here. In short, pluses, long battery life, e-ink  ( especially good for reading outdoor in sunlight ), free 3g, lightweight portable. It’s perfect for reading while on the go and “emergency” web browsing.  Its downsides the cumbersome web browser.

Panasonic G2

Digital Camera Manufacturers would have you believe it’s all about pixel count , but it’s not! It’s about glass and sensor size ( amongst other things ). The G2 is my primary camera. With its high degree of flexibility with shutter speed, aperture, exposure it really is a great camera ( though I must admit most of my photos are actually taken in iA ( automatic mode ) ) .  Most of my photos are in the 30mm focal length ( 35mm equivalent )  so the standard 14-42mm lense does me fine. Of course if I need extra reach I can put on a telephoto lens and if I need more flash ( I don’t tend to use a flash much ) I can throw on an external flash. Because of the larger sensor and quality of the lenses you  get much better picture especially in low light conditions. If there’s a negative, it’s the size and it is more fragile than a point and shoot , you need some sort of bag to carry it around in.

G2 - There's no easy way to get a shot like this with a basic point and shoot or mobile phone - Opera House - Ho Chi Minh City

Panasonic FT1

The FT1 is my spare camera. Most of the time I’m shooting with my G2 and the other family members use the FT1. Because of its durability and waterproofness, it’s a great camera for around the pool, on a boat or snorkelling. Picture quality is great in bright light however its biggest shortcoming is in low light. Even though it has the same Megapixel count as the G2, low light will result in very grainy pictures because of the much smaller sensor than the G2.  It also has a limited number of customisable settings though a lot of the manual settings can be fudged using the different modes. Because of its small size and ruggedness  you can just throw it into a pocket without a case if you want to travel light but still need to take photos.

FT1 - There's no way I'd risk my G2 in a ( leaky ) canoe on Ha Long Bay

iRiver T6

For pure music, the iRiver is the device. It’s tiny, fits in the pocket easily and has the bonus of having an FM radio receiver. With its (claimed) 28 hour life, there’s more than enough music to get you through a long plane/train flight. It really is a single purpose device.

So you can see, each device has its own pluses and minuses but to me,  each only excels at one thing, whether it be picture quality, screen size, speed, portability etc.

I think my biggest bugbear with ANY of the above products is battery life.  I’d love one device that I  could get on the plane, listen to some music, watch a couple of movies , take some great pictures and be able to get off at the other end, browse my email, and make a phone call to let the family know I’ve arrived safely.  However current battery technology just doesn’t allow for this. Most Cattle class airplanes don’t give you recharge options, and I’d don’t want to be out and about and miss that important phone call or miss that once in a lifetime picture because I had a flat battery because I watched a movie or listened to music earlier on in the day.

Each device in my arsenal fulfills a single purpose or function.  I put together an interesting table that shows the cross-over between the devices.

You can see that in reality,  I’m carrying 4 cameras, 4 Wifi enabled devices, 4 MP3 players and so on, and yet no one device will completely replace another device. In short I suspect I’ll still be carrying multiple devices with me for quite a while to come.

So am I too OCD ?  How do you travel ? Do you have a device that does it all?? I’d love to know

Oh, and what do I carry all this gear in?? A Timbuk2 2010 Limited Edition Canvas/Tarp/Canvas Medium Messenger.  More pockets and compartments than you can poke a stick at.  Handles the airline carry on luggage function really well and then makes the perfect gadget bag for carrying around while sight seeing ( just don’t end up being a pack donkey for the wifey’s shopping )  :)

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Travel gear

Travelling with single convergence (divergence) devices – Still poles apart originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2011 at 11:00 am.

We aren’t beer drinkers here at the Cloninger house, but this cute Deluxe Mini Kegerator and Draft Beer Dispenser from EdgeStar makes me wish Sprite Zero came in 5-liter mini kegs.  It may be small, but the Mini Kegerator uses DraughtKeg™ carbonator pressure technology so you’ll get a “pub-quality pour” every time.  It has precise temperature controls so you can keep beer at your preferred temperature (between 38 to 54 degrees).  AC and DC power adapters are included, so you can use the Mini Kegerator at home on a kitchen counter or wet bar, in an RV, or at tailgating parties.  It’s designed for pressurized mini kegs, but it can be used with non-pressurized kegs with an optional adapter.  The Deluxe Mini Kegerator and Draft Beer Dispenser is $299.00 at EdgeStar; the adapter for non-pressurized kegs is $99.00.  You can get the Mini Kegerator for about $160 from Amazon.com; just search for EdgeStar mini kegerator.

Filed in categories: Kitchen Gadgets, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Draft beer, Kegerator

EdgeStar Deluxe Mini Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Star Trek’s Universal Translator is here!  The Vocre iPhone app from myLanguage “listens” to your sentence, translates it into the selected language, then speaks it.  It’s not instantaneous like the Universal Translator, but it’s close.  You can choose a male or female voice to speak the translation.  The speaking voice sounds like a human, not a machine.  Available languages are: English (United States, Australia, or United Kingdom accent), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish.  The Vocre app is free, and it comes with 10 free translations.  You purchase more translations with in-app purchases; 20 translations are $0.99 and 100 are $8.99.  Be aware that each phrase you speak and each your conversational partner speaks will count as one translation, so you won’t be using this to chat your way around the world unless you’re on the Forbes 400. The myLanguage website has a video demonstrating Vocre in action, if you missed the television commercial.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: iPhone App, Language

Language Isn’t a Barrier with Vocre originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2011 at 8:25 am.

I have reviewed many fancy flashlights on The Gadgeteer, most of them relatively small, compact and for their size, pretty bright. Well, this time I am reviewing the Fenix TK70 courtesy of Fenix Outfitters. The TK70 is neither small nor lightweight but is supposed to be brighter than all my other flashlights combined….car light on high beam bright  

Along with the LED head, two body components and end cap, Fenix includes a lanyard, handle strap, and extra o-rings.

The pieces of the TK70 screw together very much like the lightsabers the Gadgeteer Kid and I built/reviewed a few years ago. The finely threaded aluminum tubes easily twist together. The aluminum is aircraft-grade and durable, coated with a Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish.

The Fenix TK70 uses three high powered Cree XM-L LEDs with a (theoretical) lifespan of 50,000 hours. Its digitally regulated output maintains constant brightness. It also has reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery installation and over-discharge protection circuit to protect the rechargeable batteries effectively. To protect the LEDs, Fenix uses a ‘tough’ ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating.

The TK70 measures 405mm (Length) x 40mm (Diameter) x 106mm (Head) and weighs 769-gram (excluding batteries). Its power source is four 1.5V D batteries. Along with being insanely bright, its dual switch system is simple and easy to operate as well. With the right batteries, the TK70 can run up to 7 days (lowest beam setting, I am sure) on a single charge.

As I said, the dual switches are easy to use; the right button turns the flashlight on and off and the left button cycles through the four brightness/power levels.

Without a doubt, the TK70 is huge. It is the biggest, longest, and heaviest flashlight I own and with its 2,200 lumens of brightness, it is by far the most powerful/brightest flashlight as well.

I have pretty large hands and as you can see, the TK70 is not petite. But considering its huge head, is surprisingly well balanced. The handle does look more like a lightsaber hilt than classic flashlight body.  The body of the flashlight has good texture and grip-ability.

The butt of the flashlight has two connection points for the lanyard or handle strap.

The LEDs are so powerful, there are ‘high-efficiency’ heat dissipation fins engineered into the TD70 that effectively radiate heat from the LEDs and electronics within the head. This helps protect the LEDs and electronics, ensuring that they do not overheat.

I was going to do a (relatively) detailed comparison of my various high powered flashlight (and still might), but I thought this photo says it all. We were celebrating the Gadgeteer Kid’s 10th birthday outdoors in our partially finished polebarn/garage. At this point, there are no lights and only temporary power to the building. Well, as the story goes, it was getting dark and to keep the get together going, unbeknownst  to me, my wife had run into the house, grabbed the Fenix TK70 and had it alone, lighting the whole party.  As you can see from the picture, it was Ark of the Covenant bright. Impressively, the TK70 literally illuminated the entire floor of the structure.

Uncommon praise: my wife rarely comments on the tech-items I review. On those few and far between moments when she chooses to comment, let’s just say, it’s often less than positive. Well, she surprised me one day while I was away on travel, when she texted me letting me know ‘that new flashlight is awesome.’ To give you a bit of perspective, I swear, my wife has only used the A-word a half dozen times in the 15 yrs I have known her…..

Due to its size, weight, and brightness, the Fenix TK70 is a somewhat niche flashlight/product. I envision this being used by search and rescue and/or cave explorers, folks who need to throw a huge amount of light. This flashlight is well made and relatively durable. Its aluminum construction, simple controls, and water resistant design makes it a great choice where durability counts. At $233, it is not inexpensive but if you calculate its lumens/dollar ratio, it is decent enough deal .

Filed in categories: Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: Flashlight, LED

Fenix TK70 Flashlight Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 14, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

So I’m sitting on the Reunification Express on my way to Hue from Hanoi in Vietnam.  It’s a 13 hour trip and I need something to while away the time.  This is the third overseas trip I’ve done with my Kindle and figured why not write a quick review of how useful the Amazon Kindle 3G is as a travel companion.

Note 18/1/2011: - We’ve just established that only the UK/International Kindle 3G has any coverage in Vietnam see comments below 

Everyone knows how good it is as an ereader.  The capability to carry multiple books certainly helps relieve those boring plane flights and waits in Airport terminals. In many destinations it’s very hard or expensive to find books and taking books with you isn’t realistic because of the size and weight that this would curtail.

I always used to pack at least a Lonely Planet Guide and often a Frommers as well, these are now readily  available as ebooks and are much easier to carry on the Kindle and leave much more room and less weight in your travel bag. The ability to quickly search and find information quickly is invaluable.

One of the most asked questions I’ve seen on Kindle forums is “Is it worth the extra money to get the 3G version ?” Well I suppose  it’s really a case of YMMV, primarily based on how and where you use.  Now Amazon sells the 3G mainly as a means to instantly download a book wherever you are without needing WiFi but I must admit I don’t see myself sitting on a beach and getting the urge that bad to obtain a book that I must have straight away. For the connected traveller however it’s the “experimental” browser coupled with the 3G that’s the real bonus.

Lets be honest, the browser is slow to  refresh,  only monochrome and it’s very slow to navigate, but for a quick email, a check of Facebook or to keep up with a text based forum it’s pretty good and works just fine. Push it a little bit harder with a more graphic intensive site and it’s not unusable but can be slow to load or refresh graphics. Here’s a picture of  the-gadgeteer site. Apologies for the quality but I’m now in a dark Vietnamese Hotel Room  You can see the zoom section ( with the magnifier ) that you can move around with the cursor, as I say not unusable but not the most efficient way of viewing a web site. 

Now here’s the kewl part, Amazon’s 3G covers a multitude of countries and best of all….. it’s free ! Just be aware that in some countries you will only get the Amazon Store and Wikipedia ( I can’t actually find a full list of access by country ) and not full web access.

You don’t have to be tethered to finding a Wifi hotspot or accumulate big International Data fees. A lot of your basic stuff can be done right on your Kindle.

So here’s some of my hints how to make this free service work for you while overseas.

1. Don’t have 3G turned on all the time.  Only enable it when you’re going to attached to the Internet.  One of the great things about the Kindle is its long battery life.  3G sucks the battery life big time.

2. Use mobile versions of websites.  It’ll display quicker, better and be quicker  to navigate. There are some exceptions though. If I want to just view Facebook then I can use the mobile version but if I want to update my status the cursor won’t find the status input bar. I need to use the full Facebook site.

3. Now Australian telecommunication companies International Roaming fees are horrendous.  A single SMS send back to Australia is three times the normal cost. I have set up an account with an Australian VOIP provider.  Using the service I can use the mobile version of their website on the Kindle  to send SMS at a fraction of the cost back home, in fact I use these guys to sent SMS even at home as they’re so cheap. The service is set up to display my Australian mobile number as the sender so people know its from me and there’s no charge while roaming to receive an SMS back to my mobile.

4. Similarly my VOIP provider allows me to do Webcallback. By using their site I can put in my current hotel phone number, the person I want to calls number and the provider will connect the two all at their much lower cost (especially compared with hotel rates ).

5. Use it to keep up to date with currency exchanges via  www.xe.com

6. Here in Vietnam some ISPs block Facebook.  I’m guessing it’s political but can’t find the exact reason and I’m not sure why it only seems to be some.  Because the Kindle 3G uses Amazon’s proxies access isn’t an issue. Facebook away. I must admit I’m not a big Facebook user but it allows me to put the odd post up so family and friends know where I am and that I’m all right. This should also work in other blocked countries.

7. Store documents like your itinerary, travel insurance, medical notes in either PDF or Mobi format on you Kindle so it’s always available and not subject to paper creasing, ripping or accidental disposal. Being on the Kindle means no connectivity required.

8. Subscribe to a “cloud” service like Evernote or Springpad to keep online copies of documentation accessible via you Kindle.

So is 3G worth the extra money ?  To me it’s a resounding YES!! It allows me anywhere, anytime internet access to quickly check emails, Facebook and all my regular forums. It keeps me up to date with all the latest news from home via newspapers online and stay in contact with the loved ones. It helps fill in those hours waiting or travelling . Sure it’s slow and clunky, but it does the job.  I know I’ve saved more money in a single trip than the extra dollars for the 3G.

Oh and did I mention that 3G access is free all over the world ?

The downsides ? Page loads, screen refresh and navigation is cumbersome. The keyboard is also the same. Its painful to type too much and its handling of numbers (two input methods ) and especially punctuation is atrocious. But let’s not forget that this is meant to be an ebook reader. The experimental browser is really just the cream on the top

Hopefully these hints help someone out there and if you’ve got any more hints please post them.

(Oh and in the interest of full disclosure this article WASN’T written on my Kindle.  The keyboard just isn’t good enough for an article of this length. This was written on my other travel companion,  my Galaxy Tab 7″ using Swype)

(Oh and apology for any spelling, grammatical or other mistakes. Let me tell you, I’m glad we went with the “soft sleepers’ on the train because I’d hate to think what the “hard sleepers” are like !!!  Not a lot of good sleep.  :) )

( Final Oh, I promise. I’ve just edited and amended this article from my 3G Kindle using the WordPress mobile web page in bed, in a hotel in Hoi Anh. For some reason every room I’ve had this trip seems to be a WiFi deadspot )

Available from Amazon for $189

Filed in categories: eBook Readers and Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: ebook, Kindle, Travel

Amazon Kindle 3G – The Perfect Travel Companion originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 11, 2011 at 11:05 am.

You hear the horror stories about taking your gadgets with you traveling…..slash and grabs, cutting holes into your bags, straight theft.  Pacsafe is the brainchild of two Aussie travelers and produce a line of products that help keep your gear safe.  Their range includes adventure backpacks, urban and leisure bags, women’s bags, photography bags, motorcycle bags and travel accessories such as straps, cables and locks.

The Camsafe 200 is part of their range  made to give you peace of mind for your photographic gear. It has  slashproof eXomesh slashguards,  Lockable & slashproof carrysafe™ strap, smart zipper security, rear slip pocket, top handle, 2 waterbottle pockets and is fully padded with a multitude of pockets for you bibs and bobs.

Available from Pacsafe for $119.99

Filed in categories: Digital Cameras and Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Camera bag, dslr

Pacsafe Camsafe 200 – Happy Travels originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2011 at 5:00 pm.

The InCase Origami Workstation is a well-made and thoughtfully designed case.

Carrying a keyboard for long typing sessions on a portable device can be a hassle. There are many keyboards that can connect, cases that contain keyboards, and stands that make the combination more useful. I recently purchased a case from InCase that is custom made for the Apple BlueTooth keyboard, and designed to also serve as a stand for an iOS device in either landscape or portrait mode. It’s called the Origami Workstation, and retails for $30.

Recently, the iPad has come under scrutiny as more than just a “media consumption device”, but as a content creation tool. Those who argue for this use mention that with the simple addition of a physical keyboard, most of the  problems of the virtual keyboard vanish, and there is software available that is sufficient for some serious writing or editing.

As I said, I recently purchased the InCase Origami Workstation to use with my Apple Wireless Keyboard along with my original iPad. I’ve taken this combination on trips locally and for several days out, and have found it extremely functional for writing, note-taking, and general computer use on the go.

The Origami Workstation in use seen from the rear. Note the tabs joining to create a sturdy stand.

Bottom of the InCase Origami Workstation, showing hook-and-loop tabs on closure straps.

Top of the case, showing the "fold" lines. These are very strong and show no sign of weakness or creasing.

Origami case folded back into stand.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear, Travel Gear

Tagged: Bluetooth keyboard, Case, iPad, Stand

InCase Origami Workstation Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

The AViiQ Portable Charging Station in action!

Interesting take on the age-old gadgeteer’s problem of portable power. AViiQ (pronounced “a-VEEK”) has announced their Portable Charging Station, a 3+1 USB charging hub in a zippered carrying bag. Pockets for your cables, pass-through syncing with your laptop on one of the ports, and a single-slot AC adapter all show their attention to the design details that bug travelers. At $80, it’s a tad pricey, but for the problems solved, it looks like a must-have for Road Warriors!

Filed in categories: News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Travel gear, USB charging station, USB device

AViiQ Portable Charging Station Announced originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2011 at 2:13 pm.