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QUICK LOOK: Ventev portable power solutions

AndroidGuys
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0

20150919_141330In the market for some new accessories to enhance your mobile experience? You’ve got a really sweet Android phone and now it’s time to add a few goodies.

There are a ton of companies out there offering up portable batteries, external power sources, cords, and other general smartphone accessories. We’ve played with a bunch of ’em over the years and have come to appreciate a handful of brands. One such company, Ventev, has been putting out one solid product after another; we have always been impressed with its offerings.

We recently had the chance to check out a number of newer items from the Ventev and think you’d enjoy learning a little bit about each.  Let’s get to it!

wall charginghub 200 The Ventev wall charginghub 200 plugs into your existing outlet and adds a 2.4A output as well. Essentially, you’re adding a USB output to an existing outlet without giving up that existing plug in the wall. It takes up about twice as much space (width) as a normal plug however it’s practical and provides a convenient place to plug in your phone or tablet.

powercell 3015cIf you need to charge up on the go there are two options we reviewed: The powercell 3015c battery charger with micro usb cable and the powercell 10000+ battery charger. As the names likely tip you off, the former provides 3000mAh of juice that can be taken with you on the go.

Not much thicker than, say, a small stack of credit cards, this guy comes with an integrated Micro USB port, on/off button, and an LED battery level indicator. You can push the power button to find out how much do you have left based on four indicator lights. We particularly liked how shiny and sleek this one was, and appreciated the orange accents found in the sides.

powercell 10000+ battery charger For those who need more, the powercell 10000+ gives you 10,000mAh battery and features built in cords (a few inches) for both micro USB as well as lightning ports.  Simply peel out the one you want or need and plug it in. This capacity is enough to charge a typical phone up 2-4 times.

The top of the unit has an LED power display which tells you how much juice is left using a scale of 0-100%. There’s a battery check button sitting directly next to it that can be pressed to pull up the current read out. A nice, albeit handy feature that we appreciate is that you can plug this one directly into the wall. No dock, no extra cords.

Note, you do have to push the power button to get this one enact charging. Don’t forget – when you plug your phone in, it wont start charging until you literally turn it on.

usbcharginghub 400If you are like me, then you tend to charge two or three devices at a time, perhaps on the nightstand or office table. The usbcharginghub 400 takes an existing outlet and turns it into four USB ports. The cord is 5 feet long so there’s plenty of length to tuck this one behind the desk or in a moderately hard to reach place.

One of the four outlets is 2.4A while the other three are your standard USB outlets. If you need to charge a tablet or a quick charge-capable device, you will want to use the 2.4A port, however overnight charges work just fine on all four.

chargesync micro usb cables6inchWhen it comes to charging devices at the wall, on the desk, or out and about,  we need to make sure we have the right cables. To that end Ventev offers a variety of options. On the absolute short end of things is a Universal 6-inch USB cable. On one end you have the standard USB port, on the other hand you have your micro USB port. Indeed, it’s 2.1A compatible so you can use it to charge up or sync your information to and from a laptop and a phone.

chargesync micro usb cables6ftOn the other end of the spectrum, we have a six foot cable that is also tangle-free. Not quite ribbon-like, it is still a flat cable that is offered in a variety of colors. We’ve played with gray, blue, and the traditional orange from Ventev. These are stylish and easy to identify. If you plug in a variety of devices, my recommendation is to choose different colors for different devices.

Head over to Ventev’s website and you’ll find a whole host of products that work with general smartphones and iPhones. Some are device-specific while others cast a wider net and work for just about anything you’ll use.

You can buy a OnePlus 2 without an invite for one hour on October 12th

Matt Adams
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0

OnePlus announced in an apology last month that consumers would get a chance to buy the OnePlus 2, their second flagship killer, without an invite at some point. Now we know when.

On October 12th, invite or not, you’ll be able to grab a OnePlus 2. The only model currently available is the 4gb/64gb variant and will run you a cool $389. OnePlus is still going full steam ahead with their invite system, but as an apology for “screwing up” the launch of the OnePlus 2, they’re giving everyone a chance to pick two up for a limited time.

[df-gallery url=”https://www.androidguys.com/gallery/oneplus-two/”%5D

Here are the times you’ll be able to buy one:

  • North America: 3:00-4:00 pm EDT
  • Asia: 12:00-13:00 HKT
  • India: 12:00-1:00 pm IST*
  • Europe: 12:00-13:00 CEST

*India’s sale will take place on Amazon so add your phone to your cart now and you’ll be able to check out during the sale.

You’ll only be able to order two phones per order, but you can make more than one order if you are interested in picking up more than two phones. In my experience, shipping times will take anywhere from one to two weeks, but with the glut of orders, it make take a bit longer. If you don’t want to wait on the sale or long shipping times, check out swappa where you can get a new OnePlus 2 for as low as $390.

CEO Carl Pei also made a post on Weibo with a teaser for upcoming OnePlus X. The OnePlus X has been leaked fairly heavily recently. It looks like the X will be a smaller, cheaper little brother to the OnePlus 2. It has been suggested that it will be powered by a Snapdragon 801, which was the powerhouse behind the OnePlus One and feature a smaller 5″ screen, USB Type-C and a dual camera set up.

oneplus-x-teaser

Are you going to buy a OnePlus 2 during the one hour window? What do you think of the “2015 Flagship Killer” and the rumored OnePlus X? Let us know in the comments

[graphiq id=”5qMdopXBXhP” title=”OnePlus 2″ width=”600″ height=”400″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/5qMdopXBXhP” link=”http://smartphones.specout.com/l/2685/OnePlus-2″ link_text=”OnePlus 2 | SpecOut”]

Source: Phandroid

Heat and your phone: Experiment time!

Jason Botha
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3

[dropcaps]A[/dropcaps]t long last, the generation of the problematic Snapdragon 810 powered devices seems to be drifting off on the horizon. We’ve already heard multiple rumors about the 820 and what devices it could end up powering, but today we’re going to be focusing on what’s already here, namely the 810 and 808.

As overheating is one of the characteristics so prominent in these chipsets, we decided to set up an experiment to see just how heat really affects the performance of a phone. This is obviously not a very scientific experiment, but it nevertheless paints an accurate picture of what happens when the CPU is a bit too hard at work. This is also not focused on the 810: It is tested on the G4 with the Snapdragon 808, giving a better overall picture on what happens with a device under heat.

Firstly, we began heating up the G4. With the screen brightness on 100%, we gave it the hairdryer treatment. No, this is not cheating: We want to see what happens with extreme heat, not how the chipset handles strenuous tasks, remember? (Albeit a bit exaggerated). The phone hit 133°F (56°C) in a few minutes, and was a too hot to comfortably handle.

IMG_2717

Now, to get some idea of the performance, we ran the Antutu benchmark. For those of you that aren’t sure what that is, it is an application designed to measure your device’s speed, and gives you a total score based on the test outcome.

A few minutes passed, and we were given a score of 24,246.

Considering that the score of a G4 at normal temperature is around 49,000 (and the G2 comes in at 33,300), the heat had a massive visible impact on how well the phone performed. The device was slower and was dropping frame rates heavily. In other words, the heat totally ruined not only the synthetic benchmark, but also real life performance.

It should be mentioned that thermal throttling most likely also took a knock to the CPU. While heat can naturally stymie performance, software would’ve kicked in that told the phone to switch off some cores (the G4 has 6 cores) and limited the speed of the remaining cores. This was all the fuss about the 810 as well: OEMs were forced to deliberately slow down your phone.

Heat also degrades and damages components within your device, which is the reason throttling happens. This happens with all electronics.

During this time, the battery had 11% swiped off (in less than seven minutes) and the camera was only showing a black screen, a testament of the other side effects that can plague your phone under extreme temperatures. While it’s likely that your phone won’t reach 133°F by itself (at least, we hope), this does give an overall impression of what happens inside your beloved Android.

Then, I let it cool down itself for twenty minutes. As I was intending to send it to the freezer, I didn’t want to experience a case of spontaneous glass breakage which occurs when glass (the screen, in this case) shatters due to sudden temperature changes. Fortunately this was unlikely, and I placed it in a plastic bag before situating it in the depths of my freezer.

Another twenty-five minutes had passed before I promptly removed it and began testing again. Trying not to touch it with my warm hands, the temperature registered at 35ºF (1.6ºC). Running the application resulted in a score of 51,707, more than double the previous score, and slightly higher than the average score which was not stipulated as an exact number.

The frame rate was also significantly higher, coming in with an average of 32 fps as compared to the overheating 17 fps. This was displayed on Antutu while testing graphics.

Screenshot_2015-10-08-15-34-43

However, there was very little gain with colder temperatures if you can recognize that the score was a bit more than that of standard room temperature. I suppose if we really want to see a boost, some liquid Nitrogen will be required, but we don’t quite want a shattered phone.

And that concludes our test, at least with the G4. We can clearly see that heat made a huge impact on the total performance, while coldness of the same extent only made marginal differences. We can only hope that this is not again the subject of topic as the new chipsets await their entrance.

 

SwiftKey debuts Neural Alpha- the first keyboard that thinks for you

Matt Adams
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0

Today, SwiftKey took the first step in the next generation of keyboards. The keyboard giant released Neural Alpha, the first version of their newest keyboard that will change the way predictive text works. SwiftKey is installed on about a billion devices worldwide, and using what they’ve learned, SwiftKey has developed the first “neural net” that will think along with you as you type to provide you with text suggestions that fit the context of your conversation.

swiftkey neural alpha comparison

SwiftKey’s current text prediction technology called “n-gram” suggests words based on common phrases and previous examples of your writing. This has its limitations because it can never truly think outside the box and predict something it hasn’t seen before. The current prediction technology never captures what the words you’re using truly mean. The Neural Alpha keyboard aims to change that by understanding sentence context and structure for “a more human touch”, the company states.

The technology behind SwiftKey’s new advancement is essentially machine learning. We see these types of technologies every day. Google’s Knowledge graph is one of the biggest examples. The Knowledge Graph understands the relationships between people, places, and things. In Google’s case, this helps them not only deliver targeted ads, but also improve things like meaningful search results. This is the reason two people using the same search terms will see different results.

[blockquote author=”SwiftKey”]Through machine learning based on enormous amounts of language data, SwiftKey’s neural model is able to meaningfully capture the relationship between words. It understands word similarity, allowing it to compare words on the fly. Within the neural model, words can be visualized in ‘clusters’, located at varying degrees of proximity to one another.[/blockquote]

Machine learning and technologies like SwiftKey’s Neural system have generally been reserved for huge server farms and networks that have the computing power to spare. The launch of a keyboard that employs this technology on a phone is a huge step forward since it’s a mobile computing platform instead of a server farm where things like battery life and processing power aren’t a concern. This is, in fact, the first time a language model technology has been engineered and launched on a smartphone platform.

Future-of-typing-SwiftKey1 Neural Alpha

SwiftKey has no problem making history. They were the first to release a keyboard with a 3 word bar to predict your next word, and the first keyboard to reach this level of popularity. But, while SwiftKey isn’t leaving the past in the past, they are looking toward the future. “Rather than solely predicting your next word, we’re working hard on building a framework for the keyboard of tomorrow.” according to the company’s blog post. It’s not hard to imagine a keyboard soon that will be able to predict entire replies due to the context of the message received and the information SwiftKey has gained from its Neural net.

What do you think about SwiftKey’s newest advancement? Do you want machine learning to predict your next word or are do you prefer to do it yourself? What implications do you think this has for the future of mobile? Let us known down in the comments.

swiftkey neural alpha neural-net-infographic

Source: SwiftKey

Is Android fragmentation really a problem?

Austin Hyde
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11

Android Fragmentation

Ever since the early days of Android, one of the biggest arguments against it has been fragmentation. I don’t think anyone can argue that fragmentation doesn’t exist, but the question that I’m posing is, Is Android fragmentation really that big of a problem? Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer.

First let’s talk about why fragmentation exists. Fragmentation exists for a few different reasons. The first is manufacturer customizations. The first manufacturer to do this was HTC with their Sense. Later, you would see many manufacturers following suit. Everyone from Samsung to Motorola was jumping on the custom skin bandwagon. These customizations brought unique looks and features to the devices and made it possible for the various manufacturers to differentiate their phones in the market.

android_os_distribution

The second reason that fragmentation exists is software updates. Unfortunately, many phone manufacturers will stop supporting their devices after a year or two. What this means, is that the new features that debut every year with the new versions of Android simply do not get updated on older devices. Updates come from the phone’s manufacturer but get rolled out by the carriers. Most of the time, the manufacturer and the carrier share responsibility in getting the update pushed out.

samsung-note-II-large

In the case of my Galaxy Note II, I waited and waited for my KitKat update and it never came. Sprint released KitKat for their Note II, but T-Mobile never did. I learned first hand how frustrating it can be to wait on the carrier. I had my Note II over two years. By the time I got rid of it, the Note 4 had already hit the market and been updated to Lollipop.

Now let’s discuss what Google can do to solve fragmentation. I think the first step is to make Android more like Windows. I’m not painting with a broad stroke here. When I say “make Android more like Windows”, what I’m specifically referring to is their updates. If you have a Windows PC, then you get updates when Microsoft releases them, regardless of who makes your PC. Not only that, but you can very easily build your own PC and install Windows without having to be a developer, manufacturer, or likewise. Windows comes in a one size fits all package. Android, however, has to be tailor made for your device. Sure a developer can port features from one ROM to the next, but he/she still has to go through a process to do so. If you’re not a developer, then it’s outside of your reach.

Now let’s discuss what the manufacturers can do to solve fragmentation. First of all, they can take the carriers out of the equation. I’m not sure why it has to go through the carriers in the first place, but Motorola recently did do just that, although not completely. When they announced their new Moto X, G, and E models, they stated that they would not be available from the carrier, or at least not under those names. In doing so, Motorola circumvented the carriers. Now, Motorola can choose how and when to roll out updates, not the carrier. At least that’s how it works in theory. We’ll have to see how it actually works in the long run.

Another thing they can do is support their phones for a longer period of time. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is for a techy guy, like myself, to see new Android versions pop up only to find out that you’ll never see them. I reference back to my statement about my Galaxy Note II.

Ok, so after all this I pose the original question. Is fragmentation really a problem? I don’t think the answer is quite so cut and dry. On one hand, I think manufacturer customizations are great. They are one of the reasons that Android is so amazing. They give you choice. They give you options. If you don’t like stock Android, then you can choose a Samsung phone with Touchwiz, or an HTC phone with Sense, or any other phone you like. On top of that, many features end up getting added to later versions of Android, but some customizations are overkill and add useless bloat to an already great device. For example, Samsung’s eye tracking features caused more headaches than anything. Most people kept the feature turned off.

On the other hand, when a vulnerability like Stagefright is exposed, Google is completely reliant on the manufacturers to patch the OS and push out the patch via the carriers.

Fragmentation also becomes a problem when your hardware becomes outdated. However, this is not just unique to Android. Apple also runs into this, when their older iPhones can’t run the latest and greatest version of iOS. Windows machines also run into this when the machines no longer meet the minimum requirements to run the OS. Of course, one major difference in at least this regard is that the PC can be upgraded with a newer CPU, GPU, more RAM, additional storage, newer motherboard, etc…

In the end, I personally think that fragmentation is a minor problem. If you don’t like that your manufacturer doesn’t update your phone, then stop patroning them. There are several options for you, and that is why I believe that fragmentation is not that big of a deal. You can switch your phone, and you can switch your carrier if you’re not happy. Is it ideal? No, but it isn’t a big problem either.

What do you think? Do you believe that fragmentation is a problem? Sound off in the comments below.

xSpelled: A casual, school-themed word game (App Review)

AndroidGuys
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0

Growing up, I was never expelled from school. In fact, it was not until I was well beyond high school that I ended up getting xSpelled. Ok, let me be clear. xSpelled is a word puzzle game that calls to mind Scrabble and Boggle. If you those types of casual board games, then you will appreciate this one.

xSpelled overview

The premise is not all that difficult in that you are given seven letters and 60 seconds to create or find as many words you can. Every time you get a word wrong, you get a strike. Enter a word you have already used and you will get a strike. Additionally, each round will have a required word you must find. Fail to do so and you will get a strike.  If you get three strikes, you are xSpelled! The gameplay is not overly complicated: play until you are xSpelled.

Players tap on letters to spell a word whereupon the tiles turn green. At this point you can confirm the word and add it to your board. If the tiles are not green, and you hit confirm, you will receive a strike.

Uncovering select words results in unlocking apples. Said fruit can be spent on items that can help you obtain a better score. You can also use stars for certain items, but it wasn’t very clear if you can obtain these in-game, or through in-app purchasing only. To make in-app purchases, you can click on the shopping cart, from the main menu, to select what items you want. The price of these items will range from 99 cents to $2.99, depending on the type and quantity.

xSpelled gameplay

The graphics of this game are smooth, but not top notch, 3D quality stuff as in other games you may have played. The background is designed to look like a chalk board, and the pictures can best be described as cartoonish, so you should feel like you’re right back in school. You have basic buttons that will allow you to easily navigate through the game, make in-app purchases, check your scores, and even post to Facebook. Players are automatically signed into Google Play games upon opening the app. This will help you track your achievements and see how you’re doing compared others.

To start a game, all you have to do is select solo mode, then press the start button. However, the game does not provide any sort of clear objective or instructions to guide upon the first time(s) playing, nor does it tell you what each of the items can do for you. When you first start, I recommend pressing the question mark, to the right of the chalkboard. This will pause the timer and allow you to touch each of the other items and learn what they can do.

To play vs mode, select vs, from the main menu, and then start. You will then be paired with someone online. The gameplay will be the same as solo. Once the round has ended, your scores will be compared and the winner pronounced.

What we liked

  • Gets players thinking; it’s not a mindless game
  • Boosters and items increase odds of winning
  • Potentially endless gameplay

What could be better

  • Introductory tutorial would have helped getting started
  • More clarification on stars

xSpelled summary 

This is a great game for anyone who loves word puzzles. You will be challenged and you will be entertained. Just be quick or you’ll end up xSpelled!

xspelled3 xspelled1 xspelled xspelled 2

[pb-app-box pname=’com.robco.xspelled’ name=’xSpelled’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]

 

18.6 inch Samsung Galaxy View may be AT&T exclusive

Jack McNenny
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0

A while back, Samsung teased us with a new product bigger than most of us have ever used. It’s a tablet called the Galaxy View, aimed at people who want a much bigger screen to hold, one that measures 18.6 inches according to a new FCC leak.

The filing shows that the Galaxy View with the model name SM-T677A will be heading to the US and possibly being held exclusively by AT&T according to the logo on it’s back. The filing shows the device has two rather large speakers on the back of the device for some promising sound, and the dimensions show the tablet measuring 513mm diagonally and 447mm wide.

Specifications for the Galaxy View appear to show low to mid-ranged hardware, with a 1920x1080p screen, 2GB of RAM storage, 32GB internal storage and a 5,700mAh battery. These specs would be impressive for a phone, but for a tablet measuring 18.6 inches, this battery is barely going to hold. The specifications may change on official announcement, but it appears this tablet will be a low-cost device.

Samsung might ship three Galaxy S7 variants, all with different processors

Matt Adams
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1

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have been out for more than six months now so rumors are heating up over their successors, the Samsung Galaxy S7. The rumor spreading around the web today is that Samsung could possibly release three different variants of the Galaxy S7, all with different processors.

In the past, Samsung has released two variants of their Galaxy S line with different processors focused on different areas of the world. Normally we’d see a version with an Exynos chip for Asia and Europe and a Snapdragon chip for China and the United States. The rumor is now that the US and China will see the S7 with a Snapdragon 820, India will see a version with the Exynos 7422 chip that was rumored for the Note 5, and Korea, Japan, and European markets will see Samsung’s new Exynos 8890 (also referred to as the Exynos M-1).

[df-gallery url=”https://www.androidguys.com/gallery/samsung-galaxy-s6/”%5D

We recently learned that Qualcomm is nearing the finish of their in-depth testing of the Snapdragon 820 which points to phones launching with it in early 2016. After the massive debacle that was the Snapdragon 810, they need a win, or competitors like Intel are going to start eating into their market share. The Snapdragon 820 is rumored to have a new X12 LTE Modem that will boast the fastest WiFi and LTE speeds available on any mobile chip. The quad-core 64-bit chip will be clocked at 2.2GHz, have a next generation Adreno GPU, and QuickCharge 3.0, which will allow customers to charge their phones from 0 to 85% in 30 minutes.

[df-gallery url=”https://www.androidguys.com/gallery/samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-2/”%5D

The Exynos 8890, or M-1, has been using the codename Mongoose, and it looks like Samsung is using an entirely new CPU architecture. Pictures and benchmarks have been leaking out on Weibo, and even though they aren’t the most reliable of sources, there is smoke so there could be fire. According to the leaks, the Exynos 8890 is being clocked at 2.3GHz and scored an impressive 2,294 points in single core and 6,908 points in multi-core tests using the GeekBench benchmark test.

[graphiq id=”hnsCbeMifad” title=”Samsung Galaxy S6″ width=”600″ height=”400″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/hnsCbeMifad” link=”http://smartphones.specout.com/l/2488/Samsung-Galaxy-S6″ link_text=”Samsung Galaxy S6 | SpecOut”]

[graphiq id=”TrTZIXax01″ title=”Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge” width=”600″ height=”400″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/TrTZIXax01″ link=”http://smartphones.specout.com/l/2816/Samsung-Galaxy-S6-Edge” link_text=”Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge | SpecOut”]

Source: SamMobile

How beefy is the IntoCircuit Power Castle Power Bank?

Andrew Myrick
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0

We all know and understand the struggle of trying to keep your devices charged throughout the day. Some of us have the luxury of being close to a charger all day long. Whether it’s at your desk at work, in the car, or when you get home, you never really have to worry about charging your devices.

When we hit those desperate moments where we need to make sure we are going to have a charge because we know that we won’t be near a charger, is when things get hairy. At AndroidGuys we look at and review a wide variety of portable chargers. Something we haven’t really looked at before is a portable charger designed for mobile phones that can also charge your laptop.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the IntoCircuit Power Castle Power Bank. This bad boy has a 26000mAh battery packed into it, and can literally charge anything that needs a charge.

[toggles title=”Features”]

  • 26000mAh capacity, provides one full charge to most laptops, or approximately 12 charging cycles for most smartphones.
  • AAAA Li-Polymer battery ensures reliability and safety and will last over 1000 recharge cycles over the life of the battery.
  • If the output ports are not connected to any device, or the device is already fully charged, the Power Castle will shut down automatically and will go into a sleep mode to conserve power.
  • Output ports:
    • 1 – USB Port; rated at 5V/2.1A
    • 1 – DC port; rated at 12V/4A, 16V/3.5A or 19V/3A
  • Stylish quality design with aluminum alloy body, safer and more sturdy than plastic
  • Package includes:
    • Intocircuit PC26000 Battery
    • 12 connectors for most laptops
    • 10 connectors for phones and other devices
    • 1 DC power wire/ 1 USB spring power wire
    • 1 – 18.5V 2A AC Adapter (A full charger only takes 5-6 hours using the provided charger)[/toggles]

Design

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In the box you get the Power Castle, a carrying case, and 22 different adapters for your wide variety of devices. There are twelve different connectors, depending upon what your laptop/Chromebook requires, and the rest are for those random charging options for your devices.

IMG_0022

Upon first inspection of the Power Castle, you will notice how heavy this bad boy is. Weighing in at almost 1.5 pounds, this is heavier than some Chromebooks and laptops that can be found nowadays. Granted, none of those devices have a battery that nears 26000mAh but it’s still worth noting nonetheless.

The Power Castle features a brushed aluminum alloy finish that contributes to the heavy weight. On the top there are three LED lights which let you know what voltage the battery is using to charge your devices. To the right of those three are five other LED lights which serve as a battery life indicator and a single button to turn the device on and off.

Charging Capabilities

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The switch on the side serves to change the voltage output on the battery. The voltage required to charge your laptop is not the same as the voltage required to charge your smartphone – laptops require more power output as they have larger screens and processors. The different voltage outputs are 12V, 16V, or 19V. Normally, you’ll use either 12V or 16V when charging your mobile devices, depending on if you need a fast charge. The 19V option is primarily for charging your laptops and your higher powered tablets.

On either side of the voltage switch, there is a USB 2.0 port, and two round non-standard ports. The USB port is used for what you would expect, plugging in your USB cable to charge your lesser powered mobile devices. The two round ports on the opposite side are for charging the Power Castle and for charging your higher powered laptops or Chromebooks for which Intocircuit provides you with the proper adapters as seen in the pictures above.

[toggles title=”Compatibility”]

Laptop compatibility requirements(All must be met), Please check to ensure compatibility before purchasing:

1) Voltage input: 11.5-12.5V, 15.5-16.5V or 18.5-19V

2) Current input: 4A max(12V), 3.5A max(16V), 3A max(19V)

3) A laptop connector that fits your device’s power input port, see the below detailed tip size(outer x inner diameter in mm)

A – 6.00×4.25 – Sony VAIO

B – 6.25×3.00 – Toshiba Satellite A105, M35

C – 5.50×2.10 – Toshiba T1950, T4700

D – 4.75×1.70 – ASUS Eee 900, 1000

E – 5.50×1.70 – Acer Aspire One AO722

F – 5.50×2.50 – Toshiba Satellite C650, Asus A52

G – 4.00×1.70 – HP Mini 1000/1100

H – 5.00×3.25 – Samsung R519 RV510 RV511

I – 7.40×5.00 – HP Pavilion DV4 / HP G60 / HP Compaq CQ60 / Dell inspiron PA-12 1525

J – 7.90×5.40 – ThinkPad T60, X60, R60

K – 3.00×1.00 – Samsung Ultrabook: Chromebook Series 5, 7, 9

L – 2.50×0.70 – Asus Eee PC900 PC1000

Compatible Models:

12V /16V Optional Voltage Compatible With:

-Smart Phones/iPhones/iPads/Tablets/Digital Cameras/NDS, PSP and Laptops requires 16V output(65w max)

-Not Compatible with Samsung/Surface Tablets[/toggles]

Don’t OverCharge

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Something pretty awesome about the IntoCircuit Power Castle is the technology built into it to protect your electronics. There are portable chargers that don’t take into account that your device actually stops charging when it is full. This can cause overcharging and cannot only heat up your device, but can also damage the battery. The Power Castle has the ability to recognize when your device has reached 100% and will stop charging even if you leave it plugged in.

Standby Time

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From the day that we got the Power Castle, until the day of this review, the Power Castle has seen little drain. We have put it through its paces, which includes multiple phones, a Samsung laptop, and a Chromebook, and have yet to see any measurable drop in capacity. Also, we have intentionally not touched the Power Castle for about a week, and there was no sign of the Power Castle losing any battery while in standby. So, from what we can tell so far, you’ll be able to keep this bad boy with you for quite awhile before having to recharge it.

Speaking of recharging the Power Castle, we haven’t been able to run this thing down to 0%, so we can’t really speak about how long it will take to recharge the Power Castle back to 100%. According to IntoCircuit, it will take about between five and six hours to recharge the Power Castle using the provided charger.

Testing

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Now after all of that, how does the IntoCircuit Power Castle actually perform? We tested the Power Castle with a Series 5 Samsung laptop, and the Power Castle was able to keep the Samsung laptop at 100% without having to worry about the battery form your laptop draining. 

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Additionally, we tested the Power Castle with our brand new Samsung Galaxy Note5 and were able to charge the 3000mAh battery from 0 – 100% in about an hour and 45 minutes. This is about 15 minutes longer than it takes to charge the Note5 from 0-100% with the OEM charger(Qualcomm Quick charge compatible) that comes with the device. So we were generally happy with the charging capabilities that the Power Castle brings to the table.

Conclusion

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All in all, the IntoCircuit Power Castle is a great option for those who need a lot of portable juice all of the time. Just be mindful of carrying this around in your computer bag due to how heavy it is. If you’re interested in picking one up, you can head over to the device page, and grab it from Amazon on sale right now. Usually, priced at $299.99, you can purchase the Intocircuit Power Castle at a discount of only $99.99 with free shipping.

What do you think about the IntoCircuit Power Castle external battery? Is it overkill, or do you think it can be useful to have a portable charger with this much power under the hood? Drop us a line in the comments below, and let us know what you think.

 

Verizon will bump unlimited data plan by $20

Scott Webster
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[df-subtitle]Unlimited data customers off contract will get the moderate increase[/df-subtitle]

Verizon plans to raise the price of its unlimited data plan to $59.99, an increase of $20 per month. While this sounds likes like a jerk move (and it is), the change allegedly only affects roughly one percent of Verizon’s user base. Verizon no longer offers an unlimited data plan and today only provides buckets in S,M,L, XL and, for a limited time, XXL. The data pools range from 1GB to 18GB of data per month.

According to The Verge, a majority of Verizon’s customers still under the unlimited plan are no longer under contract. Those who are still under contract will be able to finish out the obligation under the current price. But, once fulfilled, the price goes up.

As a token of good will, Verizon will reportedly give those subscribers the option of purchasing a new device under an installment plan.

The Verge

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