Skinomi TechSkin Xbox One Brushed Aluminum Skin Protector Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Skinomi TechSkin Microsoft Xbox One Brushed Aluminum Skin Protector for a product review.  The product came in a plastic tube which had the skin itself, some papework and a few items for installation.

Product came in a tube

Everything that was in the tube

Xbox One pre-isntallation

The installation wasn't really difficult, just follow the directions.  Here are a few tips that I would pass along:

• Read the directions before doing anything
• Make sure you have what you need (hair dryer etc)
• Take your time and be patient, if you rush it you will make mistakes
• Mistakes aren't the end of the world, use the hair dryer (or other heat source) to try again.
• When you heat it, it can stretch - this can be bad if you aren't careful, but also good if you need to adjust the alignment a bit

Close up of the skin, it looks great and has a rough texture

Close up of the skin

Back of the console

Side of the console

Close up of the side

Top of the console

Overall, it came out looking pretty good.  I didn't get everything perfect but you can remove / re-apply if necessary.  I did run into an issue that the piece that would cover the power button doesn't have a proper cutout for the power button, but even without that piece it looks pretty good.  I reached out to Skinomi to see if I got the wrong piece - they advised it was a rare issue and they offered to resolve the issue by sending me a replacement skin with the correct piece.

When I consider a product, I not only consider the quality of the product but I also consider the customer service -- of course in an ideal world everything is perfect and there are no problems, but in the real world sometimes things happen and how a company handles it is important.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to install: You need to have some patience, and having another person can be useful but if you are careful you can do this yourself without any problems.

Design: The option I tested looked great, and they have a range of designs available.  Something like a wood skin could look perfect with a wooden entertainment center.

Protection: The skin seems thick enough to prevent damage, in theory something like a game console shouldn't see much wear and tear but if you have kids or pets in the house you never know what will happen.  With the lifetime warranty, even if the skin does take damage you can get it replaced.

Bottom line: I really like this console skin, not only does it give you a chance to personalize the look of your console but it also protects the console.  They have skins for a wide range of products, so even if you don't have a console check out the other options.  From what I can tell, they have good customer service and the lifetime warranty is a great aspect of this product.

Skinomi Product Page: http://www.skinomi.com/microsoft-xbox-one.html

iXCC 4 Port USB Travel Wall Charger Review ( Model DCI-4U )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received an iXCC 4 Port USB Travel Wall Charger ( Model DCI-4U ) for a review.  I recently did a review of a similar product, so this review will include some comparisons.  The first thing I noticed was that this charger did not have a power cable - it plugged directly into the wall.  The power cable allowed for flexible placement, but also would require a traveler to carry more items so really there is no better option - just depends on how you will use it.

iXCC 4 port USB charger

The wall plug to power the unit can fold in for storage / transport

For my day to day test, I set it up to power the devices on my nightstand - every night I charge a Moto X phone, LG G Watch and Nexus 7 (via wireless charger).  Sometimes I also charge a 4th device - normally one of my USB battery packs.  I have been using it for over a week nightly with no problems.

Size Comparison

Left - RAVPower 2 Port charger
Middle - iXCC 4 port charger
Right - Nexus 7 single port charger

The charger is rated at a total output of 4A so I used my USB voltage testers and two USB loads to put a total of 4A load across two of the ports (2A each) and the charger was able to support it.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Compact: The charger itself was smaller than another 4 port I recently tested, and was only a bit larger than a 2-port wall charger that I have.  In addition to the small size, the wall socket folds in which makes this perfect for travel.

Capable: This charger can handle up to 4 devices, with a total output of 4A which isn't too bad and should be able to handle multiple devices with no problem.  Each port is rated just above 2A, so if you need to charge one or two power hungry tablets it should be up for the task.

Bottom line: If you are the type of person who has many gadgets you need to keep charged up, especially if you travel, this is a great charger to consider.  You can replace 4 separate single port adapters with this one charger.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00PTAWGZS

Arkon 18" Seat Rail and 22" Floor Smartphone / Tablet Mount Review ( Model SM688 and SM688L22 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these products for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received two Arkon smartphone / tablet mounts ( Model SM688 and SM688L22 ) for a product review.  The two units came with the exact same hardware, and the only difference was the length of the gooseneck (one was 18" the other 22").  The kit includes everything you need - the gooseneck, the smartphone mount, two sets of support legs and mounting hardware (either under the seat rail bolt or another mount that you use 4 included screws to secure).

Major pieces with the 18" unit (smaller items like screws not shown)

Closeup of mounting gear

Closeup of the smartphone/ tablet holder and two sets of support legs

22" Top
18" Bottom

Bottoms of both the goosenecks, this is the part that mounts to the seat bolt

Since I have a large car, I decided to install the longer 22" unit.  I will admit, I was a bit nervous about unbolting the seat bolt ( what if the bolt doesn't want to come out etc ) but it was pretty easy to do.  Once I had the bolt out enough ( I didn't remove it completely, no need to ) I installed the mount under it.

First attempt to install, but this would have blocked my passenger seat from sliding forward all the way

The extra holes on the seat mount let you adjust the angle

Re-installed after adjusting the angle

I realized that the placement would end up blocking the seat from being able to slide forward, so I adjusted the mounting screws at the bottom and was able to get the mount at an angle that would avoid issues.  Once it was mounted again, it didn't block the seat from sliding forward fully.

Mount with cup holders and center console out of the way

Nexus 7 installed

Close up of the neck coming up between my front cup holders and the center console

Seat is able to slide fully forward

Once everything was secured, I put my Nexus 7 in and took it for a test drive.  The mount felt secure, it only had a little flex in the neck when the car would go over bumps and things.  Honestly I don't see that as a problem -- it has to flex a little, otherwise if it is too rigid something could break over time.

I didn't test the 18" gooseneck (it would put the tablet too low in my car) so make sure you think about how you are going to use your mount and choose the right product.  If you are using a smaller car, or plan to screw it into a center console or other location (and not use the seat rail) then the 18" gooseneck may work best for your installation.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to install: The directions were pretty clear, and with some basic tools the average person should be able to mount this without any problems.

Flexible install options: The two products have different length goosenecks ( 18" and 22" ) which is the first option you get to consider.  The simple installation is to use your seat bolt, however the mount also includes the ability to mount it with screws if you want that option.  If you do mount it with the screws, make sure you know what you are doing -- you don't want to damage anything or hit any wires.

Quality: The build quality on the components seems sturdy and Arkon has a 2-year warranty to show they stand behind their products.

Bottom line: The Arkon gooseneck mounts are great options if want a permanent / stable mount for your smartphone or tablet.  Arkon has other options ( cup holder, suction cup ) if you aren't comfortable doing the installation but it was fairly simple.  Shops that do custom installs can also consider this option for their customers, since it allows a solid/stable mount without having to rely on suction cups, vent mounts or cup holder mounts.

NOTE: I use this product as one of the options for my Nexus 7 install here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2015/02/nexus-7-in-car-setup-non-permanent-mount.html

18" Gooseneck
Arkon Product Page: http://www.arkon.com/Slim-Grip%20Ultra/slimgrip-ultra-car-floor-mount.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00BJUE8BM

22" Gooseneck
Arkon Product Page: http://www.arkon.com/Slim-Grip%20Ultra/universal_floor_seat_rail_smartphone_tablet_car_mount_SM688L22.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00EHQMZ6K

Arkon Smartphone Sticky Suction Mount Review ( Model MG279 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received an Arkon Smartphone Sticky Suction Mount ( Model MG279 ) for a product review. Assembling the unit was very easy, no tools required just follow the directions.

Phone mounted horizontal, the cable is held in place
by a little rubber thing at the bottom of the holder.

Once it was assembled, I tried two phones ( Motorola Moto X with a case and Samsung Galaxy S5 with a case ) to make sure they both fit, and had no problems.  The side grips of the mount are not too large, and since you can position it anywhere it is easy to avoid buttons on the side of the phone.  The mount also has a little rubber clip thing.  I put my microUSB charging cable there, that way when I mount the phone the cable is in a handy spot.

Phone mounted vertically

To test the mount I placed the mount on my windshield and adjusted it so it was low.  I was able to put the mount near the top of the phone, letting it hang low to avoid being in the way.  While I don't plan to use my camera, I know some people use their phone to record video while driving and if you adjust the mount properly it will not block the camera.

Mounted to the dash

I also mounted it on my dashboard, and it worked fine.  It includes a round plastic disc with adhesive material on the back for surfaces that aren't smooth enough for a suction cup but I didn't use it.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of Use: It was very easy to put this together (no tools needed) and mounting your device is very simple.

Versatility: The device can mount on the dashboard, windshield, and probably other smooth surfaces.  The kit also comes with an adhesive disc for surfaces that wouldn't work with a normal suction cup.

Quality: The build quality does not seem flimsy at all, and Arkon has a 2-year warranty to show they stand behind their products.  The suction cup seemed to have a good hold on various smooth surfaces I tested.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a versatile smartphone mount, this is a great option to consider.

NOTE: I used this product as one of the options for my Nexus 7 install here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2015/02/nexus-7-in-car-setup-non-permanent-mount.html

Arkon Product Page: http://www.arkon.com/mobile-grip/iphone-smartphone-windshield-dashboard-car-mount-holder-MG279.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00I58VAZS

Nexus 7 in car setup ( non-permanent mount )

Disclosure of Material Connection: The products from DROK, Inateck, EasyAcc, TaoTronics, Arkon and Anker were provided for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review.

My Setup

I have been playing around with using a Nexus 7 tablet in my car for various reasons (navigation, music) but still haven't finalized everything so it is a work in progress.  I wanted to share what I have setup now, and I will update either this blog entry or post a new entry as I make changes.

NOTE: I have posted an updated main setup picture below, but some of the pictures in the rest of the post show older setup pics also.  Last update 2/8/2015.

For my setup, it was important to avoid any solution that permanently mounted the tablet into the car or made software changes (custom ROM for example) that would limit functionality just to an "in car" device.  I wanted to still have my tablet as a normal tablet.

Updated picture of my setup.  I finally have a tablet mount

Picture of a prior setup

Below are the major components and software I am using for my setup.

Hardware

- Nexus 7 LTE (T-Mobile): I think this the perfect device for in-car use.  T-Mobile does not charge anything or cut you off if you go over your data limit, they simply throttle you.  Even throttled, there is still enough speed to still use apps for things like navigation.  They also have "Music Freedom" where many music services do not count against your data usage.

Head Unit (Top) and Nexus 7 (Bottom)

Notice the large icons for in-car use.

- Pioneer Head Unit: Since this was an older unit, it did not have Bluetooth or Aux-in capability but I was able to buy a special adapter from Amazon to add an aux-in cable.

Pioneer radio and TaoTronics vent mount smartphone holder

- Smartphone Mount: I have been testing a TaoTronic vent mount (in the picture above) and also have been using a Breffo mount.  Right now the DROK bluetooth receiver is in the vent mount, and I have an Arkon mount for my smartphone.

1) TaoTronics vent mount
2) Breffo Spiderpodium
3) Arkon sticky suction mount - You can read up on it more on my blog post.

- Bluetooth Audio Adapter: I have been testing two options:

1) DROK NFC Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver - You can read up on it more on my blog post.
2) Inateck Bluetooth Audio Receiver - You can read up on it more on my blog post.

I don't have a preference yet, but the Inateck is smaller so I may mount it on the dash using some sort of double sided tape.  Right now I am using the DROK.

Top: Nexus 7
Bottom Left: Anker 5-port power
Bottom Right: DROK Bluetooth audio receiever

The small white device (top/center) is the Inateck Bluetooth audio receiver for size comparison

- Power Adapter: I have two options I have been using (haven't picked a favorite yet)

1) Anker 8A 5-Port USB Car Charger
2) EasyAcc 4.8A 3-Port USB Car Charger (not pictured)

- OBD-II Bluetooth adapter: I purchased the unit I have back in May of 2012 and it still works.

- Tablet Mount: I have tested a few options from Arkon, including a cupholder mount and a gooseneck mount.  I currently have the gooseneck mount installed, and I might stick with it.

1) Arkon Smartphone & Tablet Cup Holder Mount - You can read up on it more on my blog post.
2) Arkon 22" gooseneck smartphone mount  - You can read up on it more on my blog post.

Android Software

- Torque Pro: Uses the Bluetooth OBD-II adapter to pull all sorts of interesting information ( engine RPM, various temperatures, error codes ).

- Google Maps: Navigation

- Waze: Another Navigation option, I feel like this one gets traffic updates quicker

- Car Widget Pro: I use this to make the large icons for the Nexus 7, it is just a widget on one of the home screens so I don't have to use a custom "car only" launcher.

- Digital Car for Android: Beta interface I have tested, pretty nice even has many of the manuf. logos so you can pick the one for your car.

- Car dashdroid: Interface I have tested, pretty clean/simple interface not fancy looking but functional.

- Google Play Music: I have a subscription so I get access to a large amount of music, and you can also have offline playlists just in case you don't have a tablet with cellular data.

Overall, I enjoy using the Nexus 7 as an in-car device in a removable setup so I can still take the device into the house with me and use it as a normal tablet.  This same approach can be used with other devices, and may work well with smartphones.

Arkon Smartphone and Tablet Cup Holder Mount Review ( Model SM623-G )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received an Arkon Smartphone and Tablet Cup Holder Mount ( Model SM623-G ) for a product review.  The assembly of the mount was fairly easy, just follow the instructions.

I have been looking for a mounting option for my Nexus 7 tablet, so I was looking forward to testing this option out.  My Nexus 7 has a case on it which adds to the thickness, and when the case is flipped open there is a little latch part that sticks out and makes it even thicker but the mount was still able to hold it.

I first tested it out in my wife's car.  It has cup holders between the two front seats, and the mount fit just fine in the cup holder.  The 5" goose neck put the tablet up high enough to avoid getting in the way of the gear selector and the parking brake.

My next test was to mount it in my car.  I actually had a two options to place it.

The first option was a center console that was sitting in between the two front seats.  It worked very well here, putting the tablet in a good position for me to use it (only while the car was not moving of course) while still allowing me to use the arm rest.  I didn't mess with the flexible neck much yet, but I like knowing I can fine tune the adjustment to how I want it.  There was some movement, but with a 5" goose neck that was sort of expected.  When I used the touch screen, it felt like the mount was solid and in place.

The next option was the factory cup holders.  I didn't expect this to work as well, because it is a slide out tray that already has a bit of movement.  The mount fit fine and worked well, but was a bit more bouncy due to the cup holder itself not being a stable platform.  A lighter phone shouldn't have a problem, but if you are going to use a larger tablet in a cup holder that has play/movement it may be a bit wobbly.

The mount did come with some material you could add to the part that fits into the cup holder in case you have a larger opening, but I didn't have to use it for any of my tests.  There is a little knob on the bottom of the base that you adjust to open the part that sits into the cup holder - as long as you adjust it right, it should hold in place.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of Use: It was very easy to put this together (no tools needed) and mounting your device is very simple.  If you don't want to use your finger nails, have a flat head screw driver or something else to help adjust the base.

Versatility: While I focused on using this mount with my Nexus 7, the arms were also able to hold my Moto X phone with no problem.  The kit includes short and long support legs so you can adjust the fit how you need it.

Quality: The build quality does not seem flimsy at all, and Arkon has a 2-year warranty to show they stand behind their products.

Bottom line: If you are a looking for a smartphone or tablet mount for your cup holder, this is a great option to consider.

NOTE: I used this product as one of the options for my Nexus 7 install here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2015/02/nexus-7-in-car-setup-non-permanent-mount.html

Arkon Product Page http://www.arkon.com/Slim-Grip%20Ultra/slimgrip-ultra-cup-holder-mount.html

Arkon Heavy Duty Tablet Stand Review ( Model TABSTAND4 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received an Arkon Heavy Duty Tablet Stand Review ( Model TABSTAND4 ) for a product review.  In addition to the stand itself, the package also included the instructions, two sets of support legs, and an allen wrench.

The directions were easy to follow, and the only tool required was included.  I was a bit worried because this stand was designed for larger tablets (9" - 12" screen), but I only have a Nexus 7.  The stand comes with two sets of support legs ( each set is a different size ) so I was able to get one of the sets to hold the Nexus 7 sideways without a problem.

The base of the stand is heavy, which is good because you don't have to worry about it moving around when you touch the screen.  The bottom of the stand has a cloth like material, which should help keep it in place and avoid scratching surfaces you put the stand on.  The arm can adjust up and down, and the screen can be positioned many ways ( rotate it any way you want and you can point it at you or up ) which gives many options for placement.

Nexus 7 in portrait mode

As the first test, my wife sometimes uses her tablet (also a Nexus 7) for recipes.  I setup the stand with her Nexus 7 in the kitchen (in portrait mode) and she was able to use it to have the recipe up on the screen.  She found it useful, and I think the biggest benefit is that she can place it anywhere she needs it.  With just the tablet, she has to prop it up against something else.

The tablet is very useful for watching videos, or really any situations where you want to use the tablet but don't really need to hold it in your hand.

Nexus 7 in landscape mode

In addition to using it around the house, I could see this as a useful tool in businesses and teaching environments.  Frankly I am sure there are other uses, but if you are reading up on reviews about this stand you probably already have some ideas in mind.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of Use: It was very easy to put this together ( only one tool was required, and it was included ) and mounting your device is very simple.

Versatility: With the heavy base, you can move this around where you need it.  It has many adjustments - different size support legs, telescoping arm, and the tablet holder can pivot/swivel in many directions.  Although it is designed for larger tablets, it worked with my 7" tablet just fine.

Quality: The build quality does not seem flimsy at all, and Arkon has a 2-year warranty to show they stand behind their products.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a tablet stand, this is definitely a solid option worth considering.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00PW1OFEE