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Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station review

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There’s no such thing as being over-prepared for life. Life gets ugly and it can happen quickly. Whether it’s a raging fire, hurricane, tornado, or some other natural disaster, Mother Nature has been known to deal us a bad hand from time to time.

One of the worst parts about natural disasters is that they often take out power or force us to flee from our homes. When that happens we run the risk of falling off of the proverbial grid.

In today’s age that can simply mean running out of cell phone battery. That’s why we love portable power banks so much. They’re a great way to ensure our phones can last at least a few more hours (or days) while things calm down.

What happens, though, when a storm takes power out in the middle of the summer? What happens to all of that food in your fridge and/or standalone freezer? What about your laptop or CPAP machine?

Switching things up, how do you handle things when you want to spend some time in the great outdoors? Are you the “rough it” type or do you prefer a little glamping? You know, such as taking a mini fridge, coffee maker, and blender with you?

Jackery, a brand who specializes in portable power solutions for outdoor, has a range of products available for all of the aforementioned situations, plus more. If you’re a tailgate party type of person or someone who likes to spend the weekend hunting and fishing, you’ll appreciate items like the Explorer 1000.

Available for about $999, this cooler-sized unit is all the power you’d need to spend a few days off the grid. It’s a massive battery that lets you charge it in a variety of manners. Moreover, it provides output in a number of ways, too.

You’ll find three main ports sitting from and center with 110V output which pretty much covers all the small appliances you’d plug in. Additionally, there are a pair of USB-A ports and two USB-C ports for your portable gadgets. And then there’s also a 12V car outlet which means an air pump or something else, too.

Considering the number of plugs available we posit that you’d have a tough time using them all at the same time. By day it may be used for a pellet smoker and pressure cooker and by night it’s your power supply for a projector and computer.

When it comes to charging up the Jackery Explorer 1000 there are four methods of input, most of which takes about seven or eight hours. Included are an electric generator, wall outlet, and solar panel. There’s also a car outlet which takes about twice as long, or 14 hours.

We’re fond of the SolarSaga panels from Jackery as they provide a nearly endless supply of energy. If you’re a regular camper, we’d definitely recommend picking them up. Simply place them on the ground and angle them toward the sun and you’ve got power coming in as efficiently as it’s going out. Oh, and they have their own USB-C and USB-A outputs, too.

For what it’s worth, it takes around 17 hours to fully charge the Explorer 1000 when using one SolarSaga panel. Should that be something you’re considering, we suggest picking up two of them because the power block allows for twin inputs and it takes half as long to charge.

Standout Features

  • Large capacity 1002Wh (46.4Ah) lithium battery
  • Multiple input and output ports
  • MPPT built-in for solar power charging
  • Portable at only 22lbs
  • Easy to read LCD screen with battery life status

Bottom Line

Although it seems like an expensive product, the Jackery Explorer 1000 is a great investment for outdoorsy types. The unit itself isn’t built to withstand the elements, but it’s small enough to keep tucked away in the bed of a truck or tent, or under a canopy.

via Jackery

Your needs may vary based on what sort of outdoors experience you plan on having. If you’re the kind of person to pack laptops, TV’s and other gadgets, you’ll want all the juice you can buy. But, if you’re more of a minimalist or someone who wants an emergency unit on hand for outages, there are other, less expensive options.

We’ve now had the privilege of testing out two Jackery units and simply love what they do and how they do it.

Where to Buy the Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station

As of the time of publishing this review, the Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station can be purchased for about $1,000.

Boost your career and become certified in AWS with this online training bundle

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Cloud computing is growing at an incredible rate and many businesses are embracing the technology. The ever-changing structure of how work is done creates huge opportunities, particularly for aspiring IT professionals and developers. Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the key player in the space, offering its leading cloud computing platform with reliable and scalable services.

So big is AWS, in fact, that it owns around one-third of the cloud market share and shows no signs of slowing. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry; Amazon reported $11.6 billion for Q3 2020, up 29% in the quarter.

The AG Deals Store has a set of training and practice exams centered around AWS architecture and development. Valued at around $2,500, we’re offering it for just $60. Yeah, seriously.


SEE ALSO


There are approximately 40 hours of education awaiting you across some four different categories. Make your way through each course at your own pace, and rest assured knowing you’ll be prepared to ace various AWS exam. Use your newfound knowledge to impress potential employers when you’re on the hunt for a new career.

Your full bundle includes:

AWS Technical Essentials Certification Training

  • Know the fundamentals of Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform
  • Identify AWS terminologies, concepts, benefits & deployment options proficiently

AWS Solution Architect Certification Training

  • Become a certified AWS solutions architect
  • Master AWS architectural principles
  • Elevate your career to the cloud & beyond

AWS Sysops Associate Certification Training

  • Get exposed to highly scalable AWS cloud platform
  • Attain valuable technical expertise in deploying, managing & operating fault-tolerant systems

Puppet Training Certification course

  • Handle Puppet, a tool that automates IT infrastructure across the entire network, proficiently
  • Learn to install Puppet, manage Puppet infrastructure & more
  • Know how to architect Puppet for scalability, redundancy, performance & more

Where to buy

You can purchase the 2021 Amazon Web Services Certification Training Bundle for just $60 in the AG Deals Store. Hurry, as this incredible deal will not last forever.

Best Sellers

Save even more!

For every $25 you spend in the AG Deals Store you get $1 credit added to your account. And, if you refer the deal via social media or an email that results in a purchase, you’ll earn $10 credit in your account.

First Time Buying?

If this is your first time buying, you are also eligible for 10% discount! Just be sure to subscribe for email updates.

Free Stuff

Not looking to spend any money today? No worries. You can still visit the AndroidGuys section for freebies and pick something anyhow.

Amazon Echo Show 10 pre-orders go live for February 25 arrival

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Amazon’s new motorized Echo Show 10, first announced back in the fall, officially has a launch date. Indeed, the smart display with a motorized base, will arrive on February 25. Pre-orders are available immediately with pricing set at $250.

Whereas most smart displays simply sit still, the new Echo Show 10 has a base that lets the 10.1-inch screen rotate to face users. Coupled with digital zooming and panning, it helps ensure that the person using it stays front and center for video calls or moving about.

Similarly, the Echo Show 10 can rotate around the base to keep the display where you can see it. Think of watching videos like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, or interacting with Alexa while working on dinner and you’ll understand how cool it is to have one in the center island of the kitchen.

  • All New Look and Feel: Echo Show 10 has a 10.1-inch HD display with adaptive brightness and color, and is designed to move with you.
  • Improved Audio: Built-in dual, front-firing tweeters for crisp, clear vocals, coupled with a powerful woofer that provides premium, directional sound that automatically adapts to your space.
  • Stay Entertained and Connected: Echo Show 10 moves with you as you watch your favorite shows on Prime Video or Netflix, or cook along with Food Network Kitchen. In addition, the 13MP camera has a 110° field-of-view which pans, zooms, and auto-frames to keep you centered during video calls, or while taking photos.
  • Smarter and Secure Home: Securely access, and remotely move, Echo Show 10’s built-in camera to monitor your home anytime with the Alexa app or other Echo Show devices. In addition, with its built-in Zigbee hub, Echo Show 10 lets you set up compatible devices or smart products without the need for additional hubs.

The third generation Amazon Echo Show 10 is available in Charcoal and Glacier White color options for $250. A limited time promotion sees customers saving $100 on a purchase of two.

Visible adds ZTE Blade X1 5G to lineup

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ZTE and Visible on Tuesday announced that the ZTE Blade X1 5G, is available for purchase from the carrier for $384. As the first ZTE phone to offer 5G in the US, it’s an mid-range handset that’s priced a little closer to the entry level.

Powered by Android 10, the ZTE Blade X1 5G provides users with a 6.5-inch FHD+ (2,340 x 1,080 pixels), with a quad-camera setup. Details there include 48-megapixel, 8-megapixel (wide angle), 2-megapixel, and 2-megapixel cameras. Around front is a 16-megapixel shooter.

Internally, the ZTE Blade X1 5G houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. A microSD expansion card slot allows for up to 2TB external media.

Rounding out the details are a 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0, NFC, fingerprint reader, and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Starting January 28 Visible will offer the ZTE Blade X1 5G for $384, or as low as $16 per month for 24 months. The device will also be sold through Yahoo Mobile. Both carriers operate using Verizon’s network for coverage.

New subscribers who port their phone number over from an eligible carrier and activate on Visible can earn a $150 Prepaid Mastercard Virtual Account and an Amazon Fire TV Stick for a limited time.

The top 7 new creative tools added to Instagram Reels and Stories

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Instagram lets you do more than upload photos and videos on the internet. There are also special features on the social media platform that showcase your media content in more creative and exciting ways.

One such feature is called Instagram Stories. It lets users post temporary photos and videos to their channels for 24 hours. Afterwards, the content disappears and forces you to create more new content. People are supposed to use Instagram Stories to tell their stories through daily video and photo posts.

Since the content only stays up for one day, it is supposed to motivate users to create more content. Their audience will have an incentive to keep visiting these stories if they know there will always be new content. As for Instagram Reels, it is a video editing tool that lets you create short and entertaining videos for your followers. These can be 15-second videos with added effects and filters.

New creative tools are being added to Instagram Reels and Stories quite regularly. Below are the top 7 latest creative tools that you should try out.

1) Audio Mix & Voiceover

Instagram Reels lets users get very creative with their short video clips. One of the coolest new features for Reels is the Audio Mix feature. If you have any songs, music clips or instrumental tracks that you want to add to your videos, you can do so with this feature.

Do you want to add voiceover narration to your videos? The voiceover feature lets you record your voice and add it to any part of your video clip. Some people use voiceovers and narrations to tell fast stories in their short Reels videos. You can even mix the music and voiceovers.

2) Multi-Capture

Multi-Capture is a new featured tool available for Instagram Stories. It lets you create several photos and share them all with your followers at the same time. When you log into the Instagram Stories camera feature, you’ll find the Multi-Capture icon located on the left-hand side of your screen. Tap the icon to activate the Multi-Capture tool.

You’ll see a capture button displayed on the bottom of the screen. Tap the button to snap a photograph. The tool lets you snap up to eight photos at a time for your Instagram Stories posts. The neat thing is you don’t need to keep tapping the capture button to take multiple pictures.

After you’re done with the photos, choose “Next” to proceed to the edit screen. It is here you can edit your photos and choose which ones you want to share. Tap the “Share” button after you’ve finished with the edits. It is that simple!

3) AR Filters

Spark AR Studio allows you to add augmented reality effects to your smartphone camera. If you want to make Instagram photos with cool AR effects, you can use the Spark AR Studio tool. It will make your photos look more intriguing and fun to your audience.

In case you’re not familiar with augmented reality, it is a combination of virtual effects with real images. You can add several different kinds of virtual effects to your Instagram images and videos, such as visual shaders, virtual boomboxes with audio, animated face masks, light leaks, floating particles, and skeleton animation. The tool allows you to express your creativity to your audience.

4) Superzoom

Instagram Stories has another fun tool called Superzoom. It causes the camera to automatically zoom in closer to the subject in front of you while various music effects are applied to the picture. You must tap the word “Superzoom” on the camera screen of Instagram Stories to activate the tool.

Some of the music effects that you can choose are “TV Show,” “Bounce,” and “Beats.” When you mix these music effects with the zoom effects on a picture, it creates an entertaining combination. The zoom feature can utilize the rear-facing camera or the front-facing camera of your smartphone. The choice is up to you.

5) Color Filter

Sometimes the photos and videos you create for Instagram Stories might have color inconsistencies or inadequacies. That is why Instagram added a unique color filter tool that let users modify the color tone of their photos and videos. Just swipe the slider left or right to change the color scheme of your media content.

The color filter could be useful for setting the mood of a particular Instagram story. For instance, you can make your imagery look like it’s from the 1980s with the Retro Cam story filter. You can also add vintage visual effects with the Caramel Latte filter option. Other color filters include the 90s Camcorder, Moody Tones, Cream, GrainA4, Vintage Vibes, and Boho Filters.

6) Hootsuite

Here is a tool to help you create more engaging images and videos for Instagram Stories. It also lets you schedule your stories for publication at some point in the future. Each post can have up to 10 videos and photos as a carousel for your stories.

Hootsuite lets new users start with a free trial period. After that, you would have to pay at least $29 per month to continue using the software tool. If you care about scheduling unlimited posts on Instagram Stories, then you might find it worth the money to pay.

7) Over

Over is another content creation tool for Instagram Stories. It lets you use professional backgrounds and templates to create better posts. If you don’t feel like editing your photographs in Photoshop for several hours, you can save time with the Over tool. Besides, why spend so much time editing photos that will disappear after 24 hours?

If you’ve always wanted to create your brand, then you will love the Over app. You can personalize the design of your posts with a library of stylish layouts and templates at your disposal. It won’t take you long to arrange the imagery onto a palette and make your post look unique for your particular story.

Conclusion

Spend some time to learn how to use these tools. Once you start creating better content, you will feel confident enough to buy Instagram likes for it from Stormlikes. The advantage of purchasing Instagram likes is to attract attention to your stories and short video clips. It could translate into more followers and viewers to your Instagram channel.

You can buy Instagram followers too from Stormlikes. However, it is wise to focus on creating high-quality content on Instagram Stories and Reels. That way, you will know that your new followers are genuinely interested in your content. As you experiment with different tools, you will know which one is the best for your content creation needs.


EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

How much money can a phone case save you?

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Some people refrain from getting a phone case. The rest of us know that a phone case can cost anywhere from £10 to £50, while the average Samsung phone costs £450. Putting a mobile cover makes much more sense than purchasing a new one in case you damage it.

According to a study by T-Mobile, nearly 50% of smartphone owners have lost their devices or damaged them. For people who have damaged their smartphones, 37% scratched the screen, 29% dropped it down the stairs and spilled a drink on it, and 20% dropped it in the toilet.

Why is a Phone Case Necessary?

No matter how careful you are, gravity is more powerful than you. You will probably drop your phone at least once or twice during its lifetime. How much protection your phone needs, though, depends on the mobile you use: most Android phones are built a lot durable and are more likely to survive an accidental drop. The Samsung S10, on the other hand, while blessed with extraordinary looks, is a lot less likely to survive the occasional drop. Here, the argument for using a phone case becomes much stronger.

For instance, if you happen to drop your brand new Samsung S10 and break its screen, a screen replacement would cost you at least £219.. This is an unnecessary expense that you can avoid with a phone case that would cost you anywhere between £10 and £50 – whilst looking stylish!

It’s also worth noting that even reasonable phone cases can give you protection against drops by preventing you from dropping the phone in the first place. Besides, a lot of phones have slippery backs, and a good phone case can not only add some grip to it but can also keep it from slipping out of your hand and onto the ground. However, nothing matches a good-quality phone case, and it’s better than having nothing to protect your phone. We highly recommend checking out Samsung phone cases and seeing whether there’s one that suits your style.

Even if you’re not keen on purchasing a phone case, there’s more to a case than just protecting a phone against occasional scratch or shattered back. For instance, Samsung Phones have a camera lens flush with the back, which makes them more prone to scratches and other damages. It can cost you a lot of money if you damage your new Samsung or even the latest Huawei handset. Moreover, it’d be even more difficult if you damage one of the buttons of your phone, which costs more than screen replacement.

That being said, even if you do not care about the little scratches on your phone, the majority of people are. If you drop your phone with a case, your phone won’t break but it will create nicks and scratches that will lower the resale value. Having a phone case is one of the best ways to upgrade your phone at a lower cost — so it is commendable to sell your old gadgets instead of keeping them as a backup.

Alternative Ways Of Protecting Your Device

In case you do not want to use a phone case, there are other measures you can take to keep your phone safe. The best thing, of course, is to get insurance. You can get protection against potential drops, scratches, spills, and other accidents for only £73.53 a year, in addition to £36.33 for any individual repair. However, it is better to get a phone case to protect your smartphone from any damage. And if it gets damaged, it may be more cost-effective to just repair it yourself and save the money for later.

You can also protect your phone without applying a back cover. Screen covers can not only protect the phone screen from scratches but they can also protect the back of your phone. This will protect your phone from shattering completely, along with adding more grip to the back of your phone to keep you from dropping it. And if you want to give your phone some individuality and grip, you can get a skin for the device.

Nevertheless, in the end, it all comes down to individual preferences, how careful you are about accidents, and what phone you have. Not to mention how you’re using your device — if you are someone who regularly goes hiking, swimming, or use it for shooting videos and pictures, you might want to protect it with a phone case. If you’re mostly careful, you might be okay with a simple phone case. In any case, try out a back cover and see how you like it. You can always take it off and try both ways to see which approach you prefer.


EDITOR NOTE: This is a promoted post and should not be viewed as an editorial endorsement.

Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD (2nd Gen) review

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I haven’t purchased a 10” tablet since my 1st generation Apple iPad. I’ll add that I haven’t spent more than $100 on a tablet since buying the aforementioned tablet. Prior to receiving the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD (2nd Gen) with Google Assistant for review, I used, albeit sparingly, an Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet (7th Gen, 2017).

As laptops slimmed down and phones got bigger, the tablet market seemed to be the solution to nobody’s problem. While tablets can be great for content consumption, they just aren’t cut out for content creation in my opinion.

Retailing at only $130, does the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD offer enough to change my mind  about the tablet market in general?

Design

The Smart Tab M10 HD is really an attractive piece of hardware. I would even say it’s on par with an Apple iPad in terms of design and build quality on the surface. The tablet is constructed of aluminum alloy with a glass slab covering most of the 1280×800 10.1” screen.

Overall, the dimensions are 9.5” x 5.88” x 0.32” and weighs .92 lbs. The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD is powered by a MediaTek 8-core processor running at 2.3 Ghz with 2GB of RAM. Onboard, there is 32GB of eMMC storage with the ability to add an additional 1TB using the microSD slot. The tablet is powered by a 5,000mAh LiPo battery rated at 8 hours of video playback or 10 hours of browsing. The tablet runs Android 10.

Included with the Smart Tab M10 HD is a small charging stand that holds the tablet upright. In this position the tablet resembles a large digital assistant or digital photo frame. The charging stand connects to the included 5v 2A adapter via an included microUSB charging cable. The tablet can also be charged directly using the included USB-C cable.

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD’s full specifications can be found here.

Performance

Assuming your primary use cases are web browsing, content consumption (e.g. YouTube, Netflix), general applications (e.g. Amazon, online banking, social media), or casual gaming; you’re going to be happy with the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD. I was actually quite impressed with page rendering speeds out-of-the box.

The tablet boasts Dolby Atmos enabled side-firing speakers and while they weren’t awful, they were a little tinny and I would much rather listen to music through a portable bluetooth speaker. They were adequate for video or movie purposes, although you won’t be getting anywhere near home theater-like audio experience despite support for Dolby Atmos.

My intended primary use for the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD was as a digital assistant similar to the Google Nest Hub or Echo Show line of smart displays. Having the charging dock stand, I assumed incorrectly that the tablet would enter a “Show Mode” as Amazon calls it on their Fire Tablets. Google did in fact add this feature called “Ambient Mode” recently and the Lenovo M10 HD tablet is supposedly one of the supported devices.

Unfortunately, despite finding “How-To’s” on setting up this mode, I was unable to successfully add the M10 Tablet as a Google device. Ambient mode will occasionally show slideshow photos of a selected photo album, but mostly; the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD sits next to my Amazon Echo Show 5 with a black screen. Unfortunate, since my house is automated and secured using mostly Google products including Google WiFi and Nest Cams.

Double-tapping the screen will bring up Ambient Mode allowing you to use voice commands as you would other Google Home Hub devices. Pressing the power button; however, will bring the user to the full tablet application launcher. I am disappointed that despite the name, “Smart Tab M10 HD (2nd Gen) with Google Assistant,” that it requires you tapping or powering on the device in order to launch voice commands. This isn’t necessarily a knock on the Lenovo Smart Tab itself, since Google Android is driving the functionality. That said, Amazon Fire Tablets also run a version of Google Android and they have enabled a simplified way to activate Show Mode allowing their tablet to become a smart display assistant.

Conclusions

If you are a casual user of tablets, I think that you could be completely happy with the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 HD. Its 10.1” high definition screen is great for web browsing, watching movies and shows, or light gaming. Because it runs Android 10, you have full access to countless apps on Google Play store.

Like many other tablets not called iPad, you won’t find many custom accessories such as fitted cases and keyboards. There are some available for the Smart Tab M10, but there are going to be limited options unless you go with “generic” accessories. One review for the tablet I came across complained of not being able to find a case that works with the included stand.  Additionally, the Smart Tab M10 does not have native support for pen or stylus input such as the iPad Pro, Windows Surface or even some of the Samsung Galaxy Tab devices.

Again, with a retail price of only $130, you can’t complain too much when an entry level Apple device starts at almost 3x more. Personally, I just don’t have a good use case scenario for a tablet device. My hopes of using it as a smart display ultimately let me down and for a similar price; I think I would be better going with a Google Home Hub or Amazon Echo display device with their “always on” displays.

Inspired by The Queen’s Gambit? Check out these chess training courses

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Have you checked out the hot trending Netflix miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit” yet? If the first part of 2020 was all about Tiger King, the end of the year was all about the drama based on the 1983 novel.

If you found yourself having been inspired or interested in chess, but don’t know anything about the classic game, you’re in luck. The AG Deals Store has a number of online training courses designed to help you get a better understanding of the game.

Whether you’re brand new to the game or if you’re looking to take your skills from good to great, we’ve got you covered. Behold, a roundup of four training courses for players of all skill levels.

The Complete Chess Bundle for Beginners to Advanced Players – $99.99

Basic Chess Theory to Advanced Defenses! International & Grandmasters Provide You with 121+ Hours of Content to Help You Go from 0 Elo to a Competitive Club Player

  • 14 Courses
  • 262 Lessons
  • 120+ Hours

Mastering Chess for Advanced Players Course Bundle – $49.99

International & Grand Chess Masters Provide You with 44 Hours of Content on Advanced Endgames, Schematic Thinking, and Crystal Clear Positional Vision

  • 4 Courses
  • 91 Lessons
  • 44+ Hours

How to Play Chess for Beginners Course Bundle – $49.99

Enter the World of Chess & Learn from 32 Hours of Content from International Chess Masters — Master the Board, Pieces, Rules, Basic Tactics, and More

  • 6 Courses
  • 84 Lessons
  • 32+ Hours

Advanced Chess Strategies & Tactics for Intermediate Players Course Bundle – $49.99

Get 37 Hours of Content on Decision Making, Pawn Structures & More Straight From Chess Masters Davorin Kuljasevic, Solano Cuya and Yuriy Krykun

  • 4 Courses
  • 70 Lessons
  • 37+ Hours

Tronsmart’s latest Q10 wireless headphones are currently on a huge discount

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Tronsmart makes some great smartphone accessories and audio devices. The company has gained more and more users as a budget alternative to the big brands over the last few years. Tronsmart’s latest offering is the Q10 wireless headphones.

While we have yet to fully review these new active noise-canceling headphones, Tronsmart wants to share with our readers that the Q10 is currently deeply discounted for its big launch. (but stay tuned for more on that review in the next few weeks) Retail partner AliExpress has the Q10 headphones a whopping 53% off if you act quickly.

This $52.99 cutback is good for the next two days. From January 25 thru the 27th, you can snag these over-ear headphones for more than half the price. This is a pretty great deal for headphones that pack a pretty decent spec sheet.

The Tronsmart Q10 will get you Bluetooth 5.0, touch controls, active noise-cancellation, and an estimated 100 hours of playtime. The headset also has Google Voice support and USB-C charging to round out the bullet points.

So, what are you waiting for? Get over to AliExpress using this link: http://bit.ly/TSQ10JANae to enjoy this limited time offer from Tronsmart.

Aukey Basix Pro Wireless Chargers review

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It’s ironic that portable chargers are required in 2021 considering we never leave the house due to COVID-19 restrictions, yet every morning I find myself checking the charge status of myriad power banks which range from 2500mAh to most recently 20,000mAh. Until I received the Aukey Basix Pro Wireless Powerbanks, the largest pack I owned was a Mophie 15,000mAh model.

The Aukey Basix Pro Wireless Chargers also happen to be the first wireless, Qi enabled, chargers I have used. How does the Aukey stack up to the others I’ve owned? Let’s find out.

Design

I was sent both the 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh models for the purpose of this review. They are both similar in size despite twice the capacity featured in the PB-WL03 model. The 10,000mAh (PB-WL02) measures 6.10″ x 2.95″ x 0.61″ versus the 6.2” x 2.9”  x 0.74” dimensions for the 20,000mAh pack. Weight wise, they weigh 8.5oz and 12.5oz respectively.

Both feature USB-C (for recharging and output) as well as USB-A plug (output only) along the tops. The 10,000mAh pack uses 4 LED lights to indicate remaining capacity while the 20,000mAh features a digital display that tells you remaining capacity in 0-100% format. Each features a button along the side to turn on wireless charging and display battery pack charge status.

Bonus design features for these packs is a kickstand on the back and a device rest on the front. This allows you to wirelessly charge your phone while watching video in landscape mode. Super convenient for binge watching.

Input/Output ratings for both chargers is as follows:

  • USB-C Input: (Power Delivery 3.0) DC 5V 3A, 9V 2A
  • USB-C Output: (Power Delivery 3.0) DC 5V 3A, 9V 2A, 12V 1.5A
  • USB Output: (Quick Charge 3.0) DC 5V 2.4A, 9V 2A, 12V 1.5A
  • Wireless Output: 5W, 7.5W, 10W
  • Max Power Output: 18W

Performance

For this test, I used only the 20,000mAh pack, assuming that the 10,000mAh pack will yield similar results except delivering around ½ the number of recharges. I charged my iPhone 11 (3,110mAh) using both the wireless and wired charging methods in order to determine charge efficiency.

Keep in mind that wireless charging efficiency varies depending on well the coils are aligned between the phone and the charger. Neither of the Aukey chargers feature indicators or guides to align the coils to be directly over each other.

Wired Charging – Using a USB-C to Lightning Fast Charge Cable

  • iPhone 11 at 6% (~187mAh remaining)
  • 30 minutes – iPhone 66% charged, Aukey 85% remaining capacity
  • 60 minutes – iPhone 91% charged, Aukey 81% remaining capacity
  • 85 minutes – iPhone 100% charged, Aukey 79% remaining capacity
  • Based on these results, the Aukey drained 4,200mAh to charge 2,923mAh. That’s just over 70% efficient.

Wireless Charging

  • iPhone 11 at 6% (~187mAh remaining)
  • 30 minutes – iPhone 51% charged, Aukey 87% remaining capacity
  • 60 minutes – iPhone 69% charged, Aukey 85% remaining capacity
  • 90 minutes – iPhone 81% charged, Aukey 81% remaining capacity
  • 120 minutes – iPhone 100% charged, Aukey 78% remaining capacity

Based on these results, the Aukey drained 4,400mAh to charge 2,923mAh. That’s just over 66% efficient.

Conclusions

I was honestly expecting wired charging to be significantly more efficient than wireless charging in both speed and consumed capacity of the Aukey power banks. While the time to charge was significantly faster using a USB-C rapid charge cable, the efficiency of delivering the charge was only slightly better with a hard wired connection.

Whether you choose to charge your phone wired or wirelessly, you can expect at least 4 charges from the Aukey 20,000mAh Basix Pro charger assuming your phone has approximately 3,100mAh battery pack. For most people, this may be the perfect companion for that weekend camping trip.

While I wasn’t able to test charge speed or efficiency using Quick Charge, I was able to confirm it delivers QC compatible voltages by testing the 10,000mAh pack in my heated coat. Using that pack on high power for roughly 40 minutes kept me cozy warm during a brisk morning walk. Upon returning home, the pack showed 3 remaining LEDs or approximately 75% remaining.

Both packs are available at Amazon through the Aukey Store. The 10,000mAh (PB-WL02) retails for about $43.00 at the time of writing this review. The 20,000mAh (PB-WL03) retails for $45.99 with a 10% off coupon available.

Given the slightly larger dimensions and weight and roughly $10 difference in cost, I would definitely choose the PBWL03 over its smaller capacity sibling. Not only will you get twice as many charges, you’ll have a better idea of remaining capacity due to its digital display. Only time will tell how these battery packs degrade over time but I’ve been quite happy with their performance over the past couple of weeks.