Showing posts with label mobile gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobile gear. Show all posts

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Kensington 33234 70 Watt AC/DC Power Adapter for Notebook Computers, iPods, Cell Phones, DVD Players, PDAs Review

Kensington 33234 70 Watt AC/DC Power Adapter for Notebook Computers, iPods, Cell Phones, DVD Players, PDAs
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Every once in a while you find a product that really makes your life easier. I travel all the time and I used to carry all sorts of power adapters. I tried the Targus AC/DC adapter but it was far too heavy, did not work with my Dell work computer, and did not have all the tips I needed. I finally found this product. I power my Dell laptop, Toshiba laptop, blackberry, cell phone, dvd player, and psp now with this one device (not at the same time of course), on plane, from the wall, or in the car. Two of my co-workers have purchased this since they saw mine. My only wish is that they would make an elbow tip adapter to make the tips take a right angle leaving the device being powered. I don't mind the short wall cable because it saves weight, but yes it does make it hang out of the wall plug sometimes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kensington 33234 70 Watt AC/DC Power Adapter for Notebook Computers, iPods, Cell Phones, DVD Players, PDAs

The Kensington 33234 70-Watt Notebook AC/DC Power Adapter uses patented technology to deliver all the power you need in a size that is 40-percent smaller and lighter than other power supplies, for easy portability. With its AC and DC power options, you always have the right adapter, whether you are in the office, on the road, or on a plane. This Kensington 33234 is able to power or charge virtually all notebook computers from any AC or DC source, as well as providing the right power for iPods, cell phones, DVD players, and PDAs. The ideal replacement for, or upgrade to, your existing power supply, this power adapter works on most HP, Compaq, Sony, IBM, Gateway, and Averatec notebooks, includes multiple tips for use with these major brands, and is backed by Kensington's one-year warranty.

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Saturday, March 24, 2012

Kensington Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger 33346 Review

Kensington Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger 33346
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This product includes:
1 male plug adapter, which fits in any of the 4 types of supported outlet types (European, British/Asian, American/Japanese/Chinese, and Australian)
1 female outlet adapter, which accepts any of the 4 types of supported plugs
1 USB charger adapter, which can be swapped with the outlet adapter
This was the best of all the adapters I looked at, it has a simple compact design, and only three parts, two of which will usually be firmly attached to each other, so there's less to lose. Contrary to what some of the other reviews say, the USB charger WILL work with an iPod. As I write this I'm charging my 2nd gen iPod Nano with it. It's also not a voltage converter, but I think that would have added a lot of bulk, and all of the electronics I travel with are dual voltage anyway.
I would have given this 5 stars, but I've had a few minor issues with it:
1. It takes much too much force to plug in a grounded 3-prong US plug into the adapter, so much that I'm afraid I'll break it when I remove the plug. It works, but you have to force the round US ground pin into the rectangular UK ground hole, which is just slightly too small for it to fit easily. If the UK ground hole was slightly rounded or half a millimeter larger, it wouldn't have this problem.
2. You sometimes have to pull out the pins on the plug end with your fingers to get them to lock correctly. Otherwise they'll retract back into the adapter when you try to plug it in.
3. You can only awkwardly connect all three pieces together for transport, and you can't do it at all while you're using it. It would have been better if there was a slot or something where you could attach the unused part during use.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kensington Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger 33346

Kensington Travel Plug Adapter with USB Charger 33346 Camera Battery Chargers

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Targus Premium Laptop Charger (AC/DC) with Limited Two Year Warranty APM69US (Piano Black) Review

Targus Premium Laptop Charger (AC/DC) with Limited Two Year Warranty APM69US (Piano Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I was interested to see how well this power supply would work with my Asus laptop, replacing the normal heavy brick power adapter. Nine connections available for many different types of units, including one for an ipod. It charged my laptop, no problem, but I was stunned how hot the charger was during the charge. I decided to bring home a surface temperature measurement gun (a Raytec MiniTemp MT). The Raytec is a handheld non-contact infrared thermometer that you aim at a surface with a laser pointer and it displays a temperature at that point. Starting temp 75F. Temp during charging? On the piano black side, 142F. On the opposite side, 158-162F. That is more than warm. That is very hot. Hot enough to damage a plastic surface that it might rest upon while plugged in. While hot, the rear 158F surface is ribbed so some of that heat is dissipated, and not as hot to your skin as you might expect. The manual says it will get warm, I guess it is a matter of perspective. It is obviously current draw for my laptop requiring a printed output of 19.2V - 6.32 amps. Once the laptop charged, the temperature dropped to 115F and over 10 minutes another 10F to 105F. Charging an ipod the unit did not quite as hot ranging from 106-115F.
Temperature aside, the compact unit can charge two things at once (did not try), and has an car DC adapter with an automatic cut-off if it gets too hot. I have not had a chance to check that particular temperature for charging a laptop in the car, but will update this review if I do. There is no adapter for a mini usb cell phone connection, an increasingly common charger connection for smart phones like Blackberry and Droids. Adapters are cheap, but you may need one to charge your phone. It is a nice looking, light, and sturdy charger that could replace bulkier chargers, especially when traveling. Just be careful where you plug it in and what it might be resting on during charging.
Update: I guess that this charger just does not like my laptop's current draw. It started going on and off in its last charge attempt. It was making an audible buzzing noise each time it would cycle, about once every 5 seconds. The unit was as hot as it was before, 160F. I suspect that the automatic cut-off preventing overheating is kicking on and off. At this point, I would not recommend this charger if you have similar power requirements (19.2V-6.32A). Back to the old brick for my laptop!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Targus Premium Laptop Charger (AC/DC) with Limited Two Year Warranty APM69US (Piano Black)



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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Kensington K33197 120W Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook PC Power Adapter Review

Kensington K33197 120W Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook PC Power Adapter
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is the perfect adapter for me as it powers both my notebook and all of my gadgets from a single brick. I use it for my notebook, DVD player, cell phone, mp3 player, guitar trainer and PDA. The Kensington is simple, compact and lightweight without a lot of fussy extra stuff to deal with. The iGo and Targus systems require a separate dongle for low-power devices like cell phones and CD-players.
"Brick" really isn't a good description though, because the Kensington transformer has a super slim profile and is lightweight. I bought the 120w version because some people reported trouble with the 70w on newer HP Compaq Business notebooks. I figured the 120w is good now and insurance against obsolesence in the future.
The power supply is just part of the picture though, as the real beauty of the system is the "smart tip" feature. I frequently fly on international and long haul domestic trips and like to take along my portable DVD player for entertainment. Instead of hauling heavy auxiliary batteries or having both a DC adapter for the plane/rental car AND the regular power bricks, cables and wall warts for AC, now all I need is a single power supply and the right tips.
It seemed like I was always forgetting to pack the one crucial component I needed, like the USB cable to charge my Tungsten T or the wall wart for my mp3 player. With this system, everything stays in one pouch in my carry-on briefcase and the OEM power supplies stay at home, no more sharing and forgetting....
On the downside, the AC power cord really needs to be longer. Now it hangs down off the wall with the weight of the brick straining the cord. This will eventually lead to failure and an electrical hazard unless replaced. Also on my wish list is a separate European two-prong power cord to eliminate the need to pack a plug adapter.
Technical support is a joke, as the call desk didn't even know that any of the DVD tips were available. Technical spec information is nigh on impossible to get. My DVD player wasn't listed on the website and I wanted to know which tip supplied 9v.
Good luck trying to find that out without a major research project. I wish Kensington would just publish a compatibility chart on the site and keep it current, instead of that goofy query-based tip selector. It is so out of date, that it doesn't list many of the DVD player models that have tips (e.g. Panasonic).
I wanted to find the right tip for my Philips PET1000 DVD player. I finally had to go to the manufacturer websites that Kensington makes tips for to dig out which one uses 9v (it was Panasonic). Bought the tip, works like a charm. This works for other devices that aren't listed too, like my Tascam gutiar trainer. If the tip fits your device without forcing or isn't loose, it is probably the right one. However, ALWAYS check the voltage and amperage first to avoid frying your stuff.
The bottom line is that this is head and shoulders above the other AC/DC systems out there. If Kensington can keep up the product support by making new tips for gadgets as they hit the marketplace, it could be around for a long time.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kensington K33197 120W Auto/Air Ultra Portable Notebook PC Power Adapter

The Kensington 33197 120-Watt Notebook AC/DC Power Adapter uses patented technology to deliver all the power you need in a size that is 40-percent smaller and lighter than other power supplies, for easy portability. With its AC and DC power options, you always have the right adapter, whether you are in the office, on the road, or on a plane. This Kensington 33197 is able to power or charge virtually all notebook computers from any AC or DC source, as well as providing the right power for iPods, cell phones, DVD players, and PDAs. The ideal replacement for, or upgrade to, your existing power supply, this power adapter works on most HP, Compaq, Sony, IBM, Gateway, and Averatec notebooks, includes multiple tips for use with these major brands, and is backed by Kensington's one-year warranty. This unit weighs six ounces, and measures 5.6 x 0.66 x 3.1 inches (WxDxH).

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