Lepow Poki 10,000 mAh power bank review

The Poki 10,000 mAh power bank is a different feel of charger than most with a design made to be pocketable and a capacity that makes your power-starved devices functional for far longer than you’d expect in something this small and light.

The TL;DR version of this review is: surprising light, extremely pocketable, does the job, not my dream charger but at the price it’s well worth it.

We’ve covered a product of Lepow’s before, the Moonstone. Like the Moonstone, the Poki comes with a cloth carrying case that you can stash a USB cable in (it appears to come with a 6″ USB-> MicroUSB,) or chuck your ID and credit card in and use it as a wallet while you’re out. It’s actually the first thing that stood out when I was looking at the device. The Moonstone is still going strong with a friend of mine a year later.

The battery delivers a 90% conversion efficiency rating according to specs on the manufacturer’s website. Most batteries go from the high 70’s to mid 80’s. You want to see a higher number as this is how much power gets delivered with the rest being lost in conversion.

The Poki can charge and recharge at 2.1amps. This means you’re not stuck for 20+ hours charging a 10,000mAh battery at 500mA. At 2.1 amp you should be able to charge this in under five hours and with 90% conversion efficiency you should have around 9000mAh of actual juice to spare. That should be enough for at least three complete charges from dead to full for any smartphone on the market today.

2.1 amp charging also means you’re not going to spend ~7 hours charging a 3000mA phone from dead, more like an hour and a half if your phone supports it.charging that fast.

If you’ve got an M8, that’s about 3.5 charges. iPhone 6 it can charge about five times in a row, a 6 Plus about three times, an iPad Air 2 evidently just over one full charge. It’s a very useful little tool.

As a portable rechargeable battery it fails a couple of my “perfect battery” tests – these are it doesn’t do something else neat (like include a flashlight,) doesn’t have fold-out prongs to charge directly from a wall, and doesn’t have built-in cables. It also blinks when you’re charging it, however you can throw it in the carrying case and avoid nighttime light pollution. That said though it is the perfect size for throwing in my pocket and going somewhere with.

The Poki also includes a touch-sensitive power display. While it’s neat it doesn’t always register my touch, but it does the job. It sort of reminds me of KITT from Knight Rider, or a Cylon, but not quite so cool.

The Poki also has a 10-LED power indicator. While I haven’t paid close enough attention to the battery as it drains, it does appear that it’s calibrated at least somewhat close, unlike other batteries that stay on 4 (full,) and then drop to a blinking 1 about 12 seconds before the battery dies.

Did I mention it’s light? Just under 8 ounces. It’s the lightest bang for the buck I think I’ve played with.

The Poki 10,000 mAh portable charger (as RAVPOWER EXTERNAL BATTERY ) claims to be 100% compatible with all USB-based devices for charging, so as long as you’ve got a charger cable, or can use the MicroUSB cable that’s evidently included, you should be set with any device.

It’s available in a couple of colors on Amazon (white and black,) but there’s a much smaller mAh version of the Poki listed on the same page in different colors for slightly less, so be aware that they’ve linked the two products for some reason. It appears from the Lepow website that you can get a lime green Poki 10,000 but not on the Amazon page, which is where the manufacturer directs you.

IROBOT SCOOBA

Back and January iRobot teased the release of the company’s newest floor washing robot, the Scooba 450. This was the model that would replace the Scooba 390 as iRobot’s full-sized mop-bot and work alongside the Roomba 650. The Scooba 450 is an upgrade to the previous robot — not a full overhaul — with the main features being a revamped 3-cycle cleaning system, more efficient use of the bot’s 750 ml of clean water, and a streamlined design. The Scooba 650 sells for $600, making it a considerable purchase even for the most dedicated of robot owners.

The cleaning process is quite simple: you fill the Scooba’s tank with water plus a squirt of cleaning solution, place your virtual wall if there anywhere the bot shouldn’t go, choose the size of the room being cleaned, and then you set the robot in motion. The Scooba 450 can handle a large room (300 square feet) or small one (15o square feet) in either 40 or 20 minutes. Unlike a Roomba which will understand the size of a space and simply turn itself off or return to a dock when it’s done cleaning, the Scooba is designed to clean for the entire time cycle. Because its dirty water must be removed from the bot after a cycle, the it isn’t designed to return to a dock and it doesn’t work on a schedule. This means the amount of human interaction is much greater with scrubbing compared to vacuuming.

Once the cleaning has started the Scooba 450 definitely is an improvement on the previous models. The IROBOT SCOOBA is surprisingly loud, given that it’s essentially a mop, but you have to remember it’s more a scrubbing bot that vacuums up the cleaning solution than it is a mop. The Scooba navigates the room as well as any Roomba (which is to say quite well) and lays down a thin layer of water as it goes by. Most of this is vacuumed up and the rest evaporates, which can leave the floor slightly tacky but quite clean.

Interestingly, the robot can be seen to slightly wiggle as it navigates around a room. This is done on purpose: knowing that it will be on wet surfaces, the the robot has to deal with an occassional loss of traction. To compensate for this the Scooba has onboard gyroscope, the reading of which it measures against an expected value in to order to ensure the the wheels have proper traction and that the bot is going where it intends to.


A full cleaning cycle will take 40 minutes and clean 300 square feet. That’s an adequate amount of space for most apartment dwellers, but it’s something to consider if your entire first floor is tile or hardwood, as you might be looking at multiple runs to get your house clean. Also, the robot is nearly 15 inches across which means it’s not overly effective in smaller bathrooms. During testing I was reminded of why the tiny Scooba 230 exists: I put the 450 in my bathroom and shut the door so a) I wouldn’t have to hear it and b) it could clean behind the door. The Scooba ended up jamming itself between the toilet and the door and getting stuck. The door opens inwards so I was locked out of the bathroom. Long story short, I was able to wiggle a metal roasting fork (long, thin, and relatively strong) and unseat the Scooba enough to push it out of the way, but it was not a fun experience.

Once the cleaning is done the robot will stop where it is and go to sleep. There is no charging base to return to, but perhaps one day a Scooba will go back to the sink in the bathroom and wait there to be emptied out? At this point you’ll see just how much cleaning the Scooba 450 has done. When emptying the dirty water you’ll be greeted by a dark liquid that filled with a surprising amount of dust, dirt, and grime. Pouring all this stuff out is a gross but quite satisfying experience.

The only bad part here is that some of the hair and assorted debris doesn’t make it into the reservoir and instead gets stuck between the reservoir component in the bot’s spring-loaded door. This final cleaning task is sort of like clearing out the shower drain — it’s kind of gross but in the scheme of things not too bad.

Once the robot is emptied it’s time to recharge. This can be done by plugging the included charger into a tiny, well-hidden, splash-proof port. The other option is to purchase a DryDock, which is a standing drying/charging stand for the Scooba. $80 is a steep fee for a plastic stand that uses the Scooba’s built-in charger, but it keeps the bot dry and it gives it a nice place to live. Just to be entirely clear, you need to pick up the Scooba and place it in the stand so there is no automatic behavior here, it’s just more convenient than finding the plug and it looks much neater than the bot sitting on your freshly cleaned floor.
Should you buy a Scooba?

The Scooba 450 does a good job of cleaning and navigates your home as well as a current-gen Roomba, but requires a lot of human interaction. It’s thorough and reliable, but can only clean up to 300 square feet, during which you need to hear it doing its job for 40 minutes. Ultimately, this is a product with some serious tradeoffs, so can it justify a $600 price tag?


Before you give a reflexive “no” you should consider this simple thought: mopping is much more of a hassle than sweeping or vacuuming. Many people simply don’t mop their homes very often (or at all) so paying this much for a mopping bot might seems like a dumb idea, but if you actually get out a mop and a bucket and start to clean the floor you might change your mind.

That’s not to say that the Scooba 450 is worth the price for most people, that’s totally up to individual judgement. Mopping 300 square feet won’t take you 40 minutes, but the time you do spend is downright unpleasant and you probably won’t do it, so if you want fully clean floors then this robot is more than happy — and more than capable — of doing the job for you.


The Scooba 450 does the job it was designed to do, but by lacking scheduling and needing frequent human care-taking, the bot doesn’t seem to offer the same level of value as the Roomba. The 450’s performances upgrades are considerable and the new features are useful, in an incremental sort of way. Ultimately, if you want a floor washing robot the Scooba 450 is the best one available, but it’s not as easy a sell as the Roomba.

Review: iXCC 8000mAh Power Bank

Power banks with single charging ports can be very useful and we’re not too surprised if you think they’re more reliable and usable than power banks (like GOAL ZERO SHERPA 50 POWER PACK )

 with lots of charging ports. The usual case with power banks that have a single charging port is that they’re small, which makes them more portable. Best of all, a single charging port means that even though you’re just charging a single device, the power capacity will be focused on the single device that you’re charging.

With that said, there’s a certain range of portable chargers that makes them 1 charging port applicable and not so 1 charging port applicable.

This is the iXCC 8,000mAh power bank and it only has a charging port. There aren’t too many like it so let’s see what it has to offer.

Power

Power Capacity:

One of the main reasons why this power bank is able to be slim is because it uses Lithium Polymer batteries, and even though that’s quite a good thing in a design sense, it’ll make the Output power capacity lower than Ion batteries would. Also, the charging speed that you’re using will also dictate what the Output power capacity will be. Since the iXCC power bank has a Max charging of 2.4A, using the full power will result in the conversion rate during be less stable.

Power Capacity for Smartphones

With that said, the charger actually has quite a poor conversion rate and this makes the power capacity that you’re actually receiving 6,000mAh. It’s with this power capacity that you’ll be able to charge most smartphones 3 times or more. Charging tablets can be done too, but the power capacity won’t be able to accommodate them nearly as well.

Power Capacity for Tablets

Charging tablets will make the power bank use its max charging speed of 5V/2.4A, and that can result in lower Output power. As a result, a Mini tablet might be able to charge near its full power capacity. However, charging Full-Sized tablets will have them charge about halfway through.

We do have more reasons on why the Output power capacity is so low, take a look at Build section for more of an explanation as well.

So there’s only a single charging port, and it actually has enough to offer.

This is because the single charging port is able to Output 5V/2.4A. That’s a Max standard charging speed and it’s going to be able to charge most of the devices that you own, like your smartphone and your tablet at their max charging speeds.

The only devices that it won’t charge at their max charging speed are devices that are compatible with Quick Charge and USB-C; since those devices are able to charge faster when they use compatible tech, and this power bank doesn’t use Quick Charge, nor are the charging port capable of outputting 3 Amps.

Input Charging:

It’s recharged through a Micro-USB Input port and the max recharge rate is 5V/1.5A. Quite an awkward recharge rate since most power banks either stick with a number of either 1 Amp or 2 Amps. However, if you’re using a 2 Amp wall charger or higher to recharge it, then it’ll be fully recharged within 6 hours.

Design

Size and Weight

For its power capacity, the power bank is really small and even slim. This makes it easy to either hold it or you can place it into your pocket because the dimensions allow it.

It has a length of 4.4 inches, a width of 2.8 inches and a thickness of 0.6 inches. The weight of the portable charger is 7.5 ounces. It might be a little on the weighing side, but it’s nothing that’s unmanageable and you’ll have no problems holding it in a single hand.

Functional Components

It’s very easy to use, mainly because all the functional parts of the power bank are on a single side.

On the side panel is where you’ll find the Output USB charging port, the Micro-USB Input port, 4 LED power capacity indicators and the power button. Charging automatically starts when you plug a device into the power bank and it stops when there isn’t a device connected to the charger.

So the power button is mainly used to check the power capacity.

Build

Structure and Material

It has an Aluminum body that is 0.4 inches and overall it does a pretty good job at keeping the portable safe for those times when you’re on-the-go and accidentally, drop, bump or hit your powering buddy power bank.

Tech

This is where the 8,000mAh iXCC power bank falls a little short because it has problems with heating up quite a lot during charging. However, it’s what comes with the heat that’s the main problem because when the batteries heat up that damages them and in the long-term, they’ll lose a lot of their original power capacity.

During charging, the conversion of power will be poorer and as a result, you’ll get less Output power capacity. With that said, the iXCC power bank does make use of Over-Charging, Surge, and Shor-Circuit Protections that are useful when those things arise. Although, it would be helpful if the temperature control, if any, were to work better because that’s useful for when you’re actually using the power bank.

Reliability

It’s a reliable portable charger but you should be prepared for a lower power capacity than what it promises and that can mostly be attributed to its rise in temperature during charging.

All those things aside, for its size being able to be able to go into your pocket or be placed easily into your hand, we really like the design. Also, despite having just a single charging port, the charging speed of 2.4 Amps is very helpful because the power bank is able to charge most devices at their max charging speeds.

CAMPING TIPS TO ELEVATE ANY CAMPSITE

Select a campsite

• Be aware of widow makers. Dead trees can fall at any time and ruin a perfect camping trip. Downed limbs and debris around the site can be a good indicator of what’s to come.
• If you’re a walk-in (meaning that you arrive at the campground without a reserved site), be sure to survey the landscape. Nothing ruins a great camping weekend like loud neighbors. Know camping etiquette and expect it from your campground neighbors. Don’t be the one that pisses off their campmates.
• Many campgrounds have picnic tables and firepits. Look for campsites with a bit of tree cover (healthy trees of course – see previous bullet) which could be beneficial in a light rain.
• Know the general wind direction. Nobody wants to be sucking down the neighbor’s campfire smoke all night. Look for sites that are upwind whenever possible.
• Determine where the sun will rise and set. A site with tree cover may block some of the early morning sun. A nice sunset view could be equally rewarding so think it through.

Dial in your sleep system

• Go traditional and choose a good sleeping bag and pad system that fits your body and the conditions. A combo like the Big Agnes down sleeping bag with an integrated pad sleeve is perfect for side sleepers. Learning how to camp using your lightweight backpacking system can save you some hard earned duckets.
• Many camping families prefer to use inflatable mattresses instead of pads. In warmer weather, an inflatable mattress is a perfect compliment to a Teton Sports double sleeping bag or for families that still have little campers that are more comfortable sleeping with mom or dad.
• Like to sleep above the ground? Then consider a cot system and a larger tent. Though they require more room, cots paired with pads and a sleeping bag can make for a wonderful night’s sleep. Cots typically breakdown and stow in a small 3 foot long carrying case.
• Hammock camping can be bliss if you can dial in your sleep system with the right top quilt an insulating pador bottom quilt.
• Consider sleeping bags designed specifically for children. The science is simple and your kids will be more comfortable in a children’s bag than in your old spare bag.

Camping tips for creating the perfect campsite and shelter:

• Do a quick campground audit at the end of each trip to make notes about the campsite you used, list the ones that might be better for next trip, and document the campsites to avoid. This is especially useful for campgrounds that you plan to revisit later in the season.
• An old area rug is a great way to add a bit of comfort to your tent. It helps to manage dirt and feels great on the feet at bedtime.
• Spice up the tent with rope lights. Simply wrap them through the pole structure on the outside of the tent but under the fly. A small power pack will do the trick and the ambient light is perfect for putting the kids down before adult time commences.
• Water bottles filled with either cold or hot water are a great way to boost comfort in your sleeping bag. Fill your favorite Nalgene bottle with hot water right before you turn in. Place it in the bag with you near your feet or snuggled in where you need it. You can even drop it in your bag 15 minutes before you climb in. Never slide into a cold bag again!
• If you’re using a smaller backpacking tent for a solo outing, consider taking a cot anyway. Many 2 person tents will fit nicely on top of the cot. No one ever said the cot had to go inside!

Use these 5 essential tools

• A folding military inspired shovel is great for moving coals, adjusting logs in the pit, and covering the smoldering fire with dirt when you leave
• A poker – a handy branch makes a good poker and who can resist making necessary “adjustments” to the fire all evening long
• Rocks make a great decorative surround for the standard issue rolled steel firepit ring. It can also be built as a buffer to keep inquisitive little ones away from the fire. The bonus – kids love to help gather the rocks!
• For those that enjoy dutch oven cooking, a steel grate with 4-5 inch legs is a perfect tool. Place it inside the firepit ring directly over the coals. It can support a dutch oven or coffee pot and can even be used to sear steaks if that’s your thing!
• Fire resistant gloves (I use a pair of Ove Gloves – an infomercial special!) come in handy when moving grates or cast iron
• SunJack CampLight is a super portable and useful gadget that is available on the market now for everyone at a relatively reasonable price. This gadget is clearly different from others with its design and features. It is definitely designed to be very small and ultra-portable.

Should Josh Powell have had the right to be with his children at home?

SALT LAKE CITY — The plot Josh Powell used to kill himself and his children was so off the charts that players in Utah's child-protection arena had to recover from their own state of shock before thinking clinically about what happened or what could have been done to protect the children.

"I've dealt with hundreds of cases of (child) abuse and neglect, but this was just completely a shock," said Jini Roby, a lawyer and associate professor in Brigham Young University's Social Work department.

The shock and anger felt Sunday continued to resonate throughout Utah and Washington a day later as the same question kept being asked in homes and offices: Why did Josh Powell, a person suspected in the disappearance of his wife, facing a pyschosexual evaluation, have rights to be with his children at home?

The answer: Josh Powell did not fit easily into any legal box that would have kept him away from his children.

In the Powell case, "I'm not sure anything would have made a difference," psychologist and clinical director Carol Gageshe said. "There just isn't a law that can second-guess every human behavior."

Roby said the legal pendulum is continually in motion when it comes to the balance between parents' rights and the court's ability to intervene. "It's just a very, very delicate balance," she said.

In the Powell case, Josh Powell was a "person of interest" in the criminal investigation into the disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox Powell, who vanished more than two years ago. He was neither charged in the case nor publicly named a suspect.

Josh Powell lost custody of his two boys, Charlie and Braden, ages 7 and 5, because of child pornography found in his father's house, where Josh Powell and the boys were living. Father Steven Powell remains in jail facing charges, but Josh Powell was not implicated in that case.

"The judge was already on the verge of imposing on the rights of the parent" when Josh Powell lost custody of his children, who were temporarily placed in the custody of their mother's parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, Roby said. Such a decision is "a function of the court. It's not something we can establish through a scientific test or some kind of factual quantification."

There has been no legal argument that Josh Powell had neglected or abused the children, so his parental rights were firmly intact, Roby said.

There is usually a significant track record of neglect or abuse when the courts weigh in to strip a parent of the custody of their children.

"We have about half a million children in foster care on any given day. Of all of those cases, most of them have had some time period of concern, some indications of harm," Roby said. "For this to happen absolutely out of the blue like this is very, very unusual."

Salt Lake City-based Renaissance Child Visitation Services has facilitated court-ordered visits with non-custodial parents. Psychologist and clinical director Carol Gage said parents are usually on their best behavior during supervised visits because they know the supervisor's notes will get back to a judge overseeing custody issues.

"It's kind of like the way you drive when a policeman is behind you. You're extra cautious," Gage said, adding that the only harm that has come to any of her supervisors over the past 15 years was a broken tail bone when a supervisor fell while accompanying a child to a roller skating rink. "It had nothing to do with a threat or the parent."

Gage said court protective orders are in place in 80 percent to 90 percent of the visitation cases that come to her.

Sherry Hill, a spokeswoman for Washington's Child Visitation Services Seattle at the Department of Social and Health Services, said state authorities work closely with courts to determine whether supervised visits should be allowed and whether they should be held at a parent's home or at a neutral site.

"If there had been any indication of suicidal thoughts, or anything that we would have thought there was an intent to harm the children, we would have taken immediate action," she said. "If we had thought that, we would have done what we could. I don't think there's anything else we could have done."

Elisabeth Sollis, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Human Services, said, "We all end up with some sort of emotional attachment," in cases. She said judges, the attorney general's office, guardian ad litem, law enforcement, mental health officials and education officials are drawn into cases that involve children and issues that arise within their family circles.

"You've got a lot of people" weighing into an arena where decisions are made regarding children's interests and safety, she said.

3 Solid Tips to Write a Successful Business Plan

Both successful businesspersons and inexperienced MBA students need to know how to create a well-organized business plan. This document is supposed to demonstrate the current condition of the definite firm and its future possibilities. The main idea of an academic business plan is to make your enterprise logically and professionally. It should contain the methods and strategies that will be utilized for the development of your company. In addition, this document requires broad knowledge about the financial condition of the market whereas your firm exists within the other companies that can offer the same goods and services. Your task is to brainstorm the best way to compete with them and win. So, how a good business plan should be made?

Tip #1 – Prepare for Writing

• Study the Market. Before you start writing your business plan, you ought to think about the type of your enterprise. What are you going to produce? Will it be demanded by your potential customers? Therefore, you should study the market attentively. What do modern consumers need? Can you provide them with this product? The best way to study the market is to use the Internet. Most often, both satisfied and frustrated customers share their points of view about various companies and their products in the social networking websites. You can read their feedback and get to know about the goods and services that require improvement. Moreover, you will learn about the products that do not exist at all but they are required passionately. As you see, the Internet provides you with the unlimited opportunities. Bear in mind that corporations pay billions to study the market. You can conduct this primary research yourself.
• Describe Your Business. Your following action is to describe the concept of your own firm. If you already know the approximate situation on the market, you can imagine the idea of your business. Make a scheme of the major goods and services that will be offered by your company. Think about its finance, staff, investors, marketing, etc. Of course, you should take into account the fact whether your firm is already active or not. If you need to reorganize your business, your business plan will be a bit different. For instance, you will need to imagine new products that will improve the condition of your firm or focus on the new strategies that will contribute into its development...

Boost Business Performance by Using These Brilliant Strategies

The performance of your business is very important and plays a big role in developing a successful future. That’s why you have to do whatever you can to think about your business performance. What can you do to improve this? What is business performance, and why is it so vital to the future of the company. You’ll find some ideas and suggestions on here that will help you with that.

Use Software Programs

When you are developing your brand, you need to think hard about efficiency. This is something that a lot of people don’t pay too much attention to, and their companies can often struggle as a result. You’ve got to make sure you focus on what makes a company tick, and what helps businesses run better. Software programs should be an integral part of the day to day running of your company. They can make things so much easier and help the company perform at a higher level. You have to check out Wonderment Apps and see the sorts of things they have on offer. Improving your web development and business intelligence is crucial for boosting your importance as a company.