Satechi 5 Port USB Car Charger 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 Satechi 5 Port USB Car Charger for a product review. In addition to the charger itself, a piece of double sided tape was also included.

The charger has 5 USB ports, one on the front (rated at 2A) and 4 on the back (rated at 1A each).  The four on the back are tied to four switches on the front so you can control the power individually to each port.

Front of charger

Back of charger

I tested the charger in my car.  It worked fine with all my devices, including my smartphone and tablet.

The cigarette lighter plug doesn't stick out much

Some devices don’t really need on/off if you only connect them when they need power ( like a smartphone ) but I could see this adapter being very useful depending on your situation.  The ability to control power to USB devices is useful in situations where the device is installed in the car and you want to control the power for when you need it, or you have a cigarette lighter plug that is always giving power.

Devices such as GPS units, radar detectors, and custom interior LED lights are good examples of when this charger would be useful.  This sort of switch box would be great for a custom car interior project.

Charger mounted using double sided tape

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of Use: The charger is easy to setup and use, just plug it in and it works.  If you want to mount it permanent, double sided tape is included.

Individual On/Off control: Four of the USB ports can be controlled individually using a simple on/off switch.

Bottom line: Great car charger for the gadget geek or custom car projects

Satechi Product Page: http://www.satechi.net/index.php/smartphones-and-tablets/5-port-usb-car-charger
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00KFPXVOW

Ukonnect Keyboard or Hub Giveaway

I am working with Ukonnect to do a giveaway.  The giveaway involves the following products:

Ukonnect Ultra-compact Portable Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00O5CGN2I

Ukonnect USB 3.0 SuperSpeed 7-port Hub including 2 smart charging ports

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00OFEM7MQ

What can you win?

Main Prize (Two winners): Winners choice of UKonnect Keyboard or Hub shown above

Other Prize (Eight winners): 50% Amazon Discount code to purchase either UKonnect product

NOTE: Even if you don't win, you can use the discount code ( bigboy20 ) for a 20% discount for either item ( Valid 7/1 - 7/20 ).

What do you need to do?

- Read up on both products above, when you enter the contest you will be asked which you like better and why you picked it.
- Read the "Notes/ Limits" below
- Enter the giveaway using the form below (not the comments section)

Notes / Limits :

- Shipping is available for US addresses only.
- Once the giveaway is over, winners will be notified via email and will be given 5 days to respond otherwise the win will be revoked and another winner will be chosen.  Keep an eye on your spam/junk email just in case!

Ukonnect Bluetooth Keyboard or USB 3.0 Hub Giveaway

Satechi Bluetooth Media Button Review ( Model SP-01M )

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 Satechi Bluetooth Media Button ( Model SP-01M ) for a product review. The package included the following:

• Bluetooth button
• Button mount for steering wheel
• Keychain attachment
• 3M sticker
• CR2016 battery (it may be installed already as it was on mine)

3M sticker, Bluetooth button and keychain attachment

Size comparison with business card

The button itself looks nice, and is very light and a good size ( small but still usable ).  Pairing to my Nexus 7 tablet was very simple, you just need something small to press the button on the back.

Front

Back

Another picture - it is a nice looking button

As for mounting/using the device you have a few options:

• Use the keychain attachment to carry it around.  If you are going to use the steering wheel mount, having the little keychain loop could be an issue if it catches your hand as you are steering - I wouldn’t use it personally.  If you are going to just hold it and use it, there isn’t really anything on the surface that lets you know which way is “up” so you would have to look down which isn’t safe while driving.
• Use the steering wheel mount.  You will bump it by accident from time to time, but I never felt like it was in an unsafe position.
• Use the 3M sticker to mount it.  I don’t know if I would use this option -- in theory you have to remove it to change battery or pair with a different device.

Keychain attachment

My setup ( Bluetooth button on the steering wheel, Nexus 7 mounted )

Button on the steering wheel

I would recommend using the steering wheel mount.  If you aren’t going to ever use it, and are willing to damage it, you can cut off the little parts that grip around the steering wheel and just stick the mount (using the 3M sticker) to your dash that way you can still remove the button if needed.

The button worked great with Google Play Music, all the functions work as expected.  I tried it with Pandora, but when I would hit controls they would seem to go to the Google Play Music instead.  I think this because it uses a Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) instead of just emulating a keyboard.  So Android seems to send the commands to the default music player instead of the one up front.  I only use Google Play Music so this wasn’t an issue for me.

There is no power button on the device, I am assuming it goes into a low power mode automatically.  After being away from it, when I use it again I just have to press a button once or twice and the Nexus 7 connects quickly.

One other thing to consider -- when you are connected to the button, at least during my tests, I wasn’t able to use the software keyboard on the screen.  This is probably because Android considers this a hardware keyboard.  In theory, while driving you shouldn’t be typing, but I figured I would mention that fact.

If you need to know if a specific program works, I would suggest using the Amazon feature to ask questions to existing owners that way someone can give you a response or check with Satechi support.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to Setup and Use: Pairing was super simple, and after that you just press the button for the function you want.

Versatile Mount Options: The package includes various mounting options so you can pick the option that works best for your setup.

Drive Safer: A device like this helps keep your eyes on the road, and off your tablet / smartphone.  Of course doing anything while driving is technically a distraction, this is similar to fiddling with the volume/controls of your car radio.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a way to control music on your device, especially while in a vehicle, this is a great option to consider.

Satechi Product Page: http://www.satechi.net/index.php/satechi-bluetooth-button-series-media-button
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00RM75NL0

ZeroLemon SolarJuice Solar Charger 6000mAh USB Power Bank Review ( Model SJ-6000 )

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 ZeroLemon SolarJuice Solar Charger 6000mAh USB Power Bank (Model SJ-6000) for a product review. In addition to the battery pack itself, a USB to microUSB cable was included.

Cable and charger

The powerbank is rated to handle an output of 2.1A, so I use a 2A load and a USB tester to confirm it was working.  The fully charged battery put out 3530 mAh which is just under 60% of the 6000 mAh listed.  Based on tests I have been doing with battery packs, they were between 53% and 65% so this powerbank was basically in the middle of that range.

Size comparison - next to a business card

The instruction manual states that the solar panel can support 100 mA ( or 0.1A ), which means it would (in theory) take 60 hours to fully charge the 6000 mAh pack.  From a usage point of view, you will not be able to fully charge this powerbank only using solar power if you plan to actually use it on a weekly basis.  If this is a minimal use or emergency use only type of powerbank, then the solar panel could do a good job of keeping it topped off assuming you can keep it in a location with sunlight (but not where it will get too hot).  The solar panel also gives that “geek factor” which makes it good for gifts.

For real world tests, I was able to charge my Nexus 7 without any problems.  It did take a small drop onto the ground without any visible damage, and seems sturdy but don’t forget to protect the solar panel if you are going to pack this in a backpack or luggage just in case.

Back of unit

Close-up of front

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Specs: The 2.1A rated output is good for power hungry devices, and the capacity should let you charge your phone more than once.

Ease of Use: Charging the battery pack is pretty simple (just plug it in) and charging other devices is just as simple.  If you have other similar battery packs and don’t read the directions, you may be surprised that you have to hold the power button down longer than just a quick press.  This shouldn't’ be an issue, I always suggest reading the manual first.

Other Factors: Of course the solar panel is just neat, and depending on your situation it may actually be very useful.  One other thing I noticed - this product comes with a 36 month warranty, which I believe is longer than I have seen with any similar battery pack.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a solid, slightly geeky, USB battery pack with a long warranty this is a great option to consider.

ZeroLemon Product Page: http://zerolemon.com/product/zerolemon-solarjuice-6000mah-solar-charge-external-battery-backup-charger-with-total-3a-output-dual-usb-output/
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00NIOGKLS

Satechi Bluetooth Multi-Media Remote Control 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 Satechi Bluetooth Multi-Media Remote Control for a product review. In addition to the remote itself, it also came with two CR2025 batteries which was nice since I didn’t have to worry about buying / finding them.

Remote - Notice the sliding cover is closed

For my first test, I paired the remote with my Samsung Galaxy S5.  The pairing completed without any issues, the remote has tiny keys so you can enter in a multiple digit PIN during the pairing process.  I was able to control music volume, track selection and play/pause using the remote.

Under the sliding cover - close up of keys used to enter pairing code

Next, I tried to pair with my Nexus 7 tablet and again it paired without any problems and I was able to control the music.  I also tested using the remote to trigger the camera, and that worked without any problems.

The directions do not mention Windows compatibility, but I did test it with a Windows 7 system.  The volume controls worked, and hitting the “Home” button at the desktop would open Internet Explorer and hitting the same button in Chrome would make the current tab go to whatever was defined as your home page.  I did test Google Slides, and during presentation mode the forward/back keys did nothing but pressing the “Enter” button did make the slide advance so you could use it for presentations.

As for actually using the remote, the first chance I had was when I was outside.  I used my phone, the Satechi remote and a Bluetooth speaker to play music.  Instead of having to use the phone to switch tracks, I just used the remote.  This was very useful since we were outside grilling.

For my next real world test, I used the remote in my car.  I use my Nexus 7 tablet for music, but of course trying to mess with a touch screen while driving isn’t smart or safe.  The remote worked perfectly, changing volume / tracks and pausing was very easy and you don’t have to worry about looking at the remote to see which key you are pressing because it is fairly easy to feel the layout of the buttons.

Remote next to a business card for size comparison

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to Setup: All you have to do is hit one button to put it into pairing mode, use your device (smartphone / tablet / computer) to connect then use the tiny keys to enter in the pairing code.

Versatile: For a smartphone / tablet, you can use the remote to control music and the camera.  On a computer, you can even use the remote during presentations.  These are just the ideas I came up with, I am sure there are other neat things you can do with this remote.

Easy to Use: The buttons you use often are clearly labeled, and once you learn the layout you don’t even have to look at the remote to use them.  The keys you use less often just for pairing are under a sliding cover, and I like the fact there is a on/off switch.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a Bluetooth remote to control music on your smartphone or tablet, this is a great option to consider.  It also can do other tricks, but for me the music control is the main feature I plan to use.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00DY9UFB8
Satechi Product Page: http://www.satechi.net/index.php/smartphones-and-tablets/accessories/remotes/satechi-bluetooth-multi-media-remote-control-white-for-bluetooth-enabled-android-devices