Category Archives: electronics

KeySmart Nano Torch Twist

keysmart nanotorch twist 2

Keysmart, originally known for their compact keyholders, have begun to branch out into other everyday carry (EDC) type products. The Nano Torch Twist is one of those. Taking cues from the old 90-degree military flashlights of old, they’ve incorporated a twisting top, allowing for 90° or straight use.

keysmart nanotorch twist

The Nano Torch Twist is a solidly-built flashlight, maybe a little bit heavy for pocket carry, though, it has a handy belt clip. The ignition trigger is located on the body (instead of the cap), making it much easier to switch in the 90° configuration. The cap has another use, though, as it houses a powerful magnet for when your hands aren’t free to hold the light.

There are multiple modes of light output for the Nano Torch Twist: low (100 lumens), medium (250 lumens) and high (600 lumens). In addition, you can trigger strobe and SOS modes, too, which shine at the 600 lumen mode.

keysmart nanotorch twist 2

Now, it may appear that the Twist uses a standard AA battery, which it can, though at a greatly-reduced lumen output. Instead it comes with a rechargeable AA-sized lithium ion battery and the charging cable. Battery life should be 1-7 hours, depending on the lumen output you use.

Nano Torch Twist is a handy and solidly-built EDC light, and having the option of using backup AA batteries when it’s not charged is handy. The cap magnet will be put to good use, too, as it’ll save me from having to use head lamps when working in the car. The Nano Torch Twist is available in silver or black for $69.99 from Amazon.

Anker PowerPort Chargers for USB-C

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anker usbc pd chargers

Anker has really become well-known for their quality and innovative products. A brand that’s exclusively sold through Amazon, I’ve owned a variety of their accessories from USB batteries to charging cables.

Since several cell phone and computer manufacturers have moved to USB-C ports on their devices, Anker has developed charging products for that specific port, and I tested out 2 of their newest.

anker usbc pd chargers

The PowerPort Atom III Slim is an extremely compact charger that hugs the wall and includes a 30W port on the bottom to retain its slim-ness. the plug folds flat for traveling. This wattage is capable of charging phones with fast charge, but also matches the pack-in chargers that come with Apple’s older Macbook and new Macbook Air, plus gives you a better option for fast-charging iPhones and iPad Pros.

I tested it out with the 12″ Macbook and charging was as speedy as with the standard Apple charger. Since PowerPort Slim is less expensive ($35 vs Apple’s $50), more compact, and just as reliable, it’s a good replacement to pick up.

anker usbc pd chargers

The PowerPort Atom III 60W is a big deal. Until very recently, Apple was the only place you could purchase a brick that had the wattage to charge the 13″ Macbook Pro. On top of that, the PowerPro 60W will charge everything mentioned above as well: Pro tablets, fast charge phones and smaller laptops.

anker usbc pd chargers

Above, you can see the PowerPort 60W and Apple’s Macbook Pro 60W charger. The size difference is significant, especially if you travel often, and the weight of the PowerPort is significantly less than Apple’s as well.

Finally, there’s the contrast in price. These PowerPort 60W is $40, while a replacement from Apple is $70. At a lower price, less weight, and less bulk, there’s really no reason to choose one of these as a replacement or extra charger for your USB-C gear.

Nomad Battery Cable (Lightning)

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I have to confess that I’m about 2 weeks overdue in posting the review of the Nomad Battery Cable. The problem was that this cable went straight into my EDC bag and I haven’t stopped using it long enough to photograph it.

Nomad Battery Cable

The Battery Cable is a great concept: a Lightning cable for charging your Apple products with a built in “battery barrel” (as I call it) that maintains a charge and acts as a backup/emergency battery for your gear as well. It’s built on a rugged ballistic nylon, moisture-proof cable that’s reinforced throughout and on both ends of the cable. I suspect this will last 10 times longer than my EDC charging cables usually last.

Cable length is 10″ from the wall to the battery pack, then another 44″ of cabling thereafter. Nomad includes a built-in silicone cable keeper to prevent tangles while it jostles around in your bag.

Nomad Battery Cable

At $50, this is a cable that will provide you with the value of saved space in your everyday bag, as portable battery packs become unnecessary. I normally keep my AirPods plugged into the cable while it’s in my bag, which keeps them topped-off and I can forget about charging them. This cable is a well-built, useful cable that gives you the bonus of portable charging outside of electrical outlets, too.

As they always do, Nomad has scored a home run with a truly premium, useful product in the Battery Cable.

Nomad Leather Cases for iPhone X

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nomad leather case iphone x

I haven’t been shy here at Simple Guy Stuff about my love for Nomad’s gear for the Apple Watch, which ranges from the fashionable to the technologically helpful. Nomad’s Modern Strap is my favorite Apple Watch band.

That said, when Nomad offered to let me check out some of their brand-new leather cases for the iPhone X, I jumped at the chance. Here are the cases I tried, pictured left to right above:

nomad leather case iphone x nomad leather strap apple watch

Since the iPhone X was just released yesterday, I’ve had just a bit of time to try the cases out. Right now, I’m using the Rugged Leather case on my phone, which I chose for 2 reasons: the way it looks with my Nomad Apple Watch band (pictured) and because I wanted to use a Qi charger with my iPhone X (more on that below).

nomad leather case iphone x

Here’s the flipside of the Rugged Case. A simple, tight black edge with functional, covered buttons. Because of the design of the iPhone X, you can’t really tell if you’re rocking the silver or black model until you get to the back of the device, so either one will look mostly the same with this case.

nomad leather case iphone x

Internally in both the Rugged and the Wallet case is a nice, thin layer of foam for added drop protection. Of the 3 cases here, the Wallet and Clear case are rated for 6-foot drops, while the Rugged case is good up to 10 ft.

Since one of the new features of iPhone 8s and the X is Qi wireless charging, I wanted to put that to the test with these. Each case enabled me to use a Qi charger and my phone charged great without interruption. If you are considering using the Nomad Wallet Case with a Qi charger: don’t do it if you’re putting credit cards in it (business cards are ok). Qi chargers can potentially damage RF chips and magnetic stripes in credit cards.

nomad leather case iphone x

Depending on your iPhone X’s hardware color, that may be where the Clear Case really shines. With the same type of Horween leather as the other 2 cases, this one is a little less rigid (TPE is used for the clear part) and a “patch” of leather where it rests in your hand. We tried this on both a black and silver iPhone X, and objectively, I’d say the silver model looks cooler in this case. It’s easier to see the Apple logo.

Overall, Nomad’s line of iPhone X leather cases are well built and great-looking. One minor complaint I have is that the vibrate/ring switch is buried a little deep in the Rugged and Wallet cases for a guy like me with short fingernails and fat fingertips. Outside of that small quibble, these are definitely the cases I’ll be using on my iPhone X for quite some time.

Sengled Bluetooth Speaker Bulbs

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sengled bluetooth speaker bulbs

On my quest to find better-quality music on the patio, I ran across this pair of bluetooth LED speakers from Sengled: Pulse by JBL Audio. Pulse offers a matched set of stereo speakers cleverly disguised as lightbulbs that you install into a light fixture and can then connect to their internal JBL speakers via bluetooth.

sengled bluetooth speaker bulbs

Available in pewter (the option I chose), red or white, it’s a simple setup with thoughtful inclusions of stem extenders (the white things pictured above) that help if your fixture is a little too narrow for the wide base of the speaker bulbs (as mine is).

Sengled says these are not safe for outdoor use, but I’ve been using them all summer on the back patio, and because they mostly live in the light fixture we have there, and they point downward, I’ve not had any malfunctions or leaks.

sengled bluetooth speaker bulbs

When you install the speakers and turn them on, the first thing you should do is to download the Sengled app [iOS Store link], pictured above, which allows you to control the brightness of the LED bulbs (or turn them off entirely) and the overall speaker volume, which I always just control with my iPhone volume rockers.

sengled bluetooth speaker bulbs

At $100, a stereo bluetooth speaker set with this much power (it’s 13 watts and can be expanded out to a total of 8 speakers) is a value. It’s unobtrusive and handy for a space that you don’t want to install unsightly stereos and it’s especially handy when you’ve got the fixtures in place already. I imagine a garage or man cave would benefit from a set of these as well. Get your from Amazon here.

Nomad USB Charging Hub

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Nomad Goods has introduced a new device that it seems we need more and more these days: a multi-port USB charger. I’ve been pretty happy with many of Nomad’s products in the past (like watch accessories and leather goods), so I was excited to try out their “hub.”

Here’s the thing that I’ll get out of the way from the start: this isn’t a USB charging hub, it’s a USB charging hub. Did you catch the subtle difference there? I mean that this is not a USB hub in the sense that you connect it to your computer and plug in multiple devices into a single port. Instead it’s the hub of your digital life in that it provides 5 ports (some that are high speed), which’ll charge your multiple phones and tablets.

Using a single power brick (pictured above), you get power for your devices in a sleek and handy charging station, which is accented with a rubbery top that’s just perfect for setting your devices on as they charge.

One other cool feature of this Hub is it has a 5-light display on top of the device which shows when a device is charging (the light only shows if something’s drawing power). But: imagine this is in your bedroom at night. Who wants bright lights flashing then? Well, the Hub has a built-in ambient light sensor that will dim those LEDs in a dark room, allowing for an annoyance-free night’s sleep. It’s really thoughtful and cool.

The Hub is available in 5-port and 3-port models in both black and white. The 5-port hub has 2 high-speed (2.4A) ports and 3 regular-speed (1A) ports, while the 3-plug hub has 1 high-speed and 2 regular-speed ports. Both have a nice rubber cord management slot in the back of the device.

The Nomad USB Charging Hub retails for $50 (5-port) or $40 (3-port) and it’s available from Nomad or at Best Buy.

Sensor Push

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Cigar lovers everywhere seem to be locked in a battle of always trying to keep their sticks at just the right temperature and humidity. From humidors to coola-dors to tupper-dors, smokers know that too little or too much humidity will lead to unpleasant smoking or worse, critters like tobacco beetles.

Up until now, I’ve used a digital hygrometer to read the humidity in my humidor, and it’s been very unreliable. Lately, it’s stopped giving me a readout at all for some reason. Hygrometers, both digital and analog, require regular calibration, and ultimately, I’m too lazy to do all that….but I love my cigars to be well cared-for.

sensor push cigars

Now, I’ve discovered a device that does what I need, and allows me to be as paranoid at monitoring my moisture levels as I want: Sensor Push. A small self-enclosed device that is just set-it-and-forget-it, Sensor Push gives you temperature and humidity readings on an app in your smartphone. Each sensor retails for $50 at Amazon and you can use as many as you’d like.

Setting up a Sensor Push device is easy: open their free app, then tap “add device.” Hold your sensor up to the screen, and it conpairs. It connects with bluetooth from the device to your phone, so as long as you’re within 30-50 feet of your sensor, it’ll constantly send data to your phone. If you’re not close enough to the sensor, though, it stores data up to 20 days while it waits for your phone to be back in range.

Sensor Push has also introduced a wifi gateway for $100 that allows you to monitor temperature and humidity from anywhere you have internet. It’s not required, but if you’re away from your sensor a lot, you may want to consider it.

(Click to zoom).

I’ve been using 2 Sensor Push devices for the last 2 weeks, one in my humidor and one in my living room. I’ve been really happy with the data the app provides, especially compared to my old junky hygrometer (which consistently reported the wrong humidity). Above are some screen shots of the Sensor Push app at work, just click to view the image in high-res. Note that on my humidor sensor, I’ve set a range of temperature and humidity I want it to remain at. If my humidor drops below 58% humidity, it warns me with a notification.

As a cigar smoker who lives in a desert climate, Sensor Push is proving to be invaluable in the both accuracy of its data and the long-term outlook of using the device. The company says battery life is 1-2 years and calibration is basically never required.

Nomad Modern Apple Watch Band and Pod Pro

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Nomad Goods continues to produce a nice assortment of accessories for iPhones, Apple Watches and iPads. I had the chance to try out their Leather Charging Wallet (with built in Lightning cable) here recently.

Now I’ve got a few Apple Watch accessories to try out: their Modern Leather Strap and Pod Pro, a charger/backup battery in one.

It’s become critical to me that the hardware on an Apple Watch band actually match my watch, meaning that bands would need to be available with black or silver hardware. As you can see in the image above, Nomad really nailed it with this hardware. Many low-end band manufacturers seem to pay no attention to the fact that lots of people have black Apple Watches, and I’ve very grateful that Nomad takes care of the little details like this.

For many, this may be a minor thing, but the strong, bulky, unique hardware is my favorite part of this band. And it is available in silver, too, to match all watch hardware. There’s one other thing they did right, too: the black hardware buckle will sometimes rub off on a leather band like this one (I have a cheap band like this and that’s happened), but Nomad’s hardware has been colored in a way that prevents this.

Speaking of the leather band, this is the same stuff from the wallet that I reviewed: high-quality, Horween leather. It’s outstanding as well, and together with the thoughtful hardware, this band is well worth its $60 price.

The Pod Pro ($80) is Nomad’s solution to what seems to be an always-short battery life on our devices. Using your current Apple Watch charging cable, the Pro assembles as a 6000 mAh disc that will charge both your Watch and your iPhone. A Lightning cable is built in, so you only really need a USB micro cable to keep both devices charged. For a weekend trip, the Pod Pro is probably the only charger you’ll need.

There are only a few visible parts once the device is closed with its magnetic lid. Pictured from left above, you see the built in Lightning cable, the USB micro charging port, the battery level indicator, and the power button. The top is made from anodized aluminum and the bottom from plastic with a non-slip base.

Nomad has generously offered to give Simple Guy Stuff readers a Modern Leather Strap and a Pod Pro. Enter below to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Luminoodle Bias Lighting

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Several years ago, I heard about the benefits of backlighting your TV screen, in particular, that it’s easier on your eyes and increases the perceived contrast on the screen (Lifehacker link). At the time, I grabbed some cheap Ikea puck lights and wire-tied them to the back of my TV. That did the trick for a while, and until I upgraded the size of my TV.

I began to investigate current options for TV backlighting (“bias” lighting as it’s called) and discovered that several brands now make self-sticking light strips that plug into the USB port on your TV (almost all modern TVs have USB), so they power on and off with your TV.

The Luminoodle by Power Practical consistently showed up in my searches and is well-reviewed online, so I got the 3 meter model (the largest) in the pure white color. Once I tested the lights to make sure they worked, installation was really simple. I wiped down the installation area with alcohol, then peeled and stuck the Luminoodle around the back edge of my TV.

On a 55″ TV, the ‘Noodle had about 12″ of excess light tape, so I cut it off at the proper points (these are clearly marked – see the photo above). I didn’t install the noodle on the bottom of my TV because I didn’t have quite enough tape, but I only wanted the light to be on the top and sides of my screen.

The size of the Luminoodle you get is based on your TV size – they’re available in 1, 2, and 3 meter options for $10, $15 and $20. Power Practical has a guide on their site and on Amazon for the size of noodle you should get for your TV.

Now that it’s installed, the Luminoodle powers on with my TV, and even in the day time, it provides enough backlighting to improve the contrast of my screen. It’s pictured above in a pitch-black room. Since the lighting is installed on the tape, it’s a consistent, quality glow that really makes home-movie-watching a little more fun. Now I want to get a ‘Noodle for every TV in the house…

Just a note: the wall behind my TV is painted green, that’s why you see a green glow in the photo. Luminoodle does make their lights with color options and remote controls, too, and you can get them from Amazon here.

Twelve South Apple Watch Accessories

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Based out of South Carolina, TwelveSouth makes high-quality accessories for Apple devices, including some for the Apple Watch. I got the chance to try their TimePorter and Forté accessories.

twelve south time keeper

When I travel, I rarely bring additional Apple Watch bands with me – I usually just pack my charger. The TimePorter is great for me, then, because it functions as a charger, charging stand and stores several watch bands, too. The charging cable is wrapped inside the case and pressed into the lid, with a little notch to run the USB cord out of the side of the case (see above). The cable storage, band storage, and charge-through functionality makes this a really handy choice for those who travel often with their Apple Watch.

twelve south time keeper

The size of an eyeglasses case, TimePorter easily fits in my carryon when I travel. Some may even consider getting a lipstick USB battery to actually charge their Watch in the case, no AC power required.

I’ll definitely be using the TimePorter for my Watch travel from now on – it’s available in white or black from Amazon here.

There are a plethora of Apple Watch stands on the market and even the TimePorter above is technically a “stand” of sorts. Nearly all available Apple Watch stands require that you use your existing magnetic charger that came with the Watch, and the TwelveSouth Forté is no exception.

On the Forté, your watch can be displayed both vertically (see above) or horizontally (Nightstand Mode). There’s a curved arm that will allow you to charge your watch regardless of the type of watch band you use. Your charger magnet holds it very securely in place.

The Forté is a solid stand, too, with a heavy weighted base and stainless trim with a black leather pad over the base. Your charging cable is pressed into the back of the stand (pictured above) and fits under a plastic ring to secure it into the top. There’s very little movement on your desk or table once you’ve set it down, because of the significant weight.

TwelveSouth’s Forté retails for $59, and once you hold it in your hand, you realize this is a weighty, quality stand, and worth the cost. Even the way the stand is packaged with a red ribbon to remove it from the box says “quality.” This is a good gift idea for the holidays.

Forté is available direct from TwelveSouth here.