I'll review anything with a USB-C port. When hardware companies offer to send me a gadget to review, I'll always reply back with "only if it has USB-C". The EBL C9010N has a USB micro socket. *sigh* We live in the future now. Don't buy anything which requires you to have multiple cables and adapters. In terms of what the products does, it is… basically fine. Plug in Ni-MH or Ni-CD batteries and they will slowly charge. The batteries go in at a slight angle, which makes them slightly easier …
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Recap - I want to build an NFC reader expansion card for the FrameWork laptop. So I've bought a couple of components. This is the ACR1251T-E2 - it's a USB pen-drive sized NFC reader with a side-out USB-A plug. Costs about £40. There's a recessed green LED which flashes to let you know that it is working. It doesn't beep or vibrate when it detects an NFC token. It is a little bit tricky finding the antenna as the internal circuitry slides down the plastic housing - as can be seen in these …
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The Framework laptop has several little slots which can be used be used to expand the functionality of the laptop. They convert the internal USB-C ports into a different sort of port. For example, Framework sells an official HDMI card and Ethernet card: But the community have built their own SD card expansion pack as well as 3D printed snack drawers: Brilliant! I have an NFC-only authentication token which I want to use when I log in with my laptop. I currently have a USB-C NFC reader…
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I've moved to s a standing desk. So now, obviously, I need something useful to do with my feet! It's time for a USB powered set of foot pedals! They're between £20 - £40 depending on what the algorithm think you'll pay. The USB cable is about 2 metres long - which is just about adequate for me. The switches have little tactile nubs on them and are well sprung. These aren't Cherry MX quality switches - but they feel decent. There's a bit of a clack as they spring back up again. The OEM is P…
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I've been raving about how magnetic chargers are the future. Paul from SubbyTech offered to send me some of their cables to review: Terence Eden is on Mastodon@edentMagnetic chargers are the future shkspr.mobi/blog/2021/09/m…shkspr.mobiMagnetic chargers are the futureApparently, Apple plans to make a port-less iPhone which only uses wireless charging. This is something I predicted 7 years ago! Qi – the wireless charging standard – is excellent. Put …❤️ 4💬 0🔁 311:35 - Tue 28 September 2021Subby…
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This rather generic USB Floppy Drive has just arrived for me to review. It's sold by Dainty / ChuangZhiJLB - but it has the same internals as every other floppy drive on the market. It worked instantly in Linux and MacOS. Shows up as a USB drive. Shove a disk in there and your OS should automagically mount it. Appears to draw about 500mW in power. The disk read and write speed is pretty good considering the medium. It only takes a few seconds to read the entire disk. Absolutely no bells and…
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The fine folks at Poweradd have sent me one of their gadgets to review. This is their 26800mAh USB-C power bank with Power Delivery. It's pretty similar to most normal portable batteries - but because it has USB-C-PD, it can charge MacBooks, Nintendo Switches, and other high-power devices! Let's take a look: In the box A big black battery. A weird hybrid cable. It is USB-A to Micro-USB and has adapters for USB-C and Apple's Lightning. It isn't a USB-C PD cable. There's also a…
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I've been sent a Flyland USB-C hub to review. It's a small but versatile unit - perfect for people who need to connect legacy equipment to something with USB-C ports. For £21, you get 7 ports: 3x USB 3.0 1x HDMI 4K 1x Micro SD 1x SD 1x USB Power Delivery It worked perfectly on Linux (more below) and Windows. No drivers required. It also worked on Android. Simple plug and play. Exactly the way USB-C should be. Downsides Under heavy use, it does get a bit warm. Not hot to the touch, but …
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The only thing I miss about my old MacBook was its magnetic charging cable. It was just so convenient to be able to hover the plug near my laptop and have it snap into place. If I walked off with my machine, I knew the cable would easily spring out - rather than jerking me back or breaking. So here's a gadget to convert any USB device to magnetic charging! Chinese company TOPK have sent me some of their Magnetic Charging Cables to review. How it works Plug the receiver into your gadget.…
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We're in the age of endless conference calls. So I decided to spruce up my audio hardware. Sadly, I don't have the budget for a professional podcaster's microphone. Luckily, I was sent this cheapo model to review. And, I'm pleased to say, it's pretty good! Comes with a reasonably long USB cord, and a pop-shield. The mic is suspended in a little elastic harness so it doesn't pick up vibrations. It's fully adjustable - which is nice. And a has a removable spoffle. There's no LED to show if …
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My quest to move my entire life to USB-C continue. Headphones, laptops, Switch, phone, eReader - all taking the same power port. Bliss! But that means I need more USB-C chargers. This is the YLpower 87W USB-C Charger. First off, 87? What? The USB-C port is capable of 85 Watts - enough for even the most demanding laptop. The USB-A port supplies the remaining 2 Watts. Perfectly fine for most other uses. £28 gets you a charger, UK plug, and a chunky USB-C Power-Delivery cable. Good It …
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This isn't entirely a rhetorical question. I'm genuinely interested. A few weeks ago, I bought an electric screwdriver. One of the key selling points, for me, was that it charged via micro-USB. My last electric screwdriver had some weird proprietary connector which broke. I've hundreds of USB cables - of various lengths - and dozens of chargers - of various strengths. I will always be able to buy a new charger for this screwdriver - even if the original manufacturer goes bust. In fact, the …
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