Month: March 2016

Apple provides a power adapter with each iPhone and iPad.  For the more power-hungry iPads, you get Apple’s 12W USB Power Adapter, which has an output of 2.4 Amps.  Apple’s power adapters work well, but you need a separate power adapter for each device.  iClever’s BoostCube power adapters let you charge multiple devices with a single power adapter.  The company sent me free review samples of two of its BoostCube devices, one with two USB ports and one with three USB ports.  I have been trying them out for the last few weeks, and they both work well.

The 2-port model has a 24W capacity and the 3-port model has a 36W capacity.  Both models output 2.4 Amps, the same that you get with Apple’s current 12W USB Power Adapter.  So a BoostCube should charge your devices just as fast as the Apple power adapter does.  (If there is any difference in speed, I didn’t notice it in my use.)

Like the Apple power adapter, each BoostCube has an outlet plug that folds up or down, perfect for carrying it with you in a purse or briefcase without scratching something else.

To accommodate the additional ports, these BoostCube devices are slightly larger in width and height than the Apple’s power adapter, although they are all the same depth.  I measure the Apple adapter at about 1 3/4″ x 1 3/4″.  The 2-port BoostCube is about 2 1/8″ x 2 1/8″.  The 3-port BoosCube is about 2 1/8″ x 2 5/8″. 

There is a slight difference in weight versus the Apple power adapter.  I measure the Apple adapter at 2.35 oz., the 2-power BoostCube at 2.95 oz., and the 3-port BoostCube at 3.9 oz.  In normal use, however, I barely noticed the increased weight.

For that very small increase in size and weight, you get a power adapter that is 2x or 3x as useful.  It is nice to not have to carry multiple adapters to simultaneously charge an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.  (The devices use what iClever calls SmartID technology to deliver the right output to your device — so an iPhone would get the 1 Amp it needs while a larger iPad will get the full 2.4 Amps that it can use to charge.)

It is also nice to have multiple USB outlets to share with others.  I was in a meeting last week in which another attorney was already using the only available power outlet to charge his iPad, but once I swapped out his Apple adapter for the iClever BoostCube 3-power adapter, he and I were both able to charge our iPads with an extra port available for someone else to charge their iPhone.

The BoostCube also has one feature that the Apple adapter doesn’t have.  There is a small blue LED light inside of the adapter.  When it is plugged in to a working power outlet, you can see a small amount of blue light coming out of the outlets.  This gives you a confirmation that the adapter is indeed getting power, so you know that it is plugged in correctly.  This can also be useful in a hotel room when you think that you have plugged in to a working power outlet, only to discover later that the outlet was controlled by a wall switch that was in the “off” position so you were not charging at all.

You should already have the Apple power adapter that came with your device, so to that extent it is “free,” but if you do need to buy a second adapter, another advantage of the BoostCubes is that they are cheaper.  Apple sells its 12W power adapter for $19, but you can get the 2-port BoostCube on Amazon for $11, and the 3-port model for $17.

The iClever BoostCube multi-port chargers are useful accessories for anyone who uses an iPhone or iPad.

Click here to get iClever BoostCube 2-port from Amazon ($10.99)

Click here to get the iClever BoostCube 3-port from Amazon ($16.99)

An Apple Watch needs to be charged every night.  It comes with an inductive charger:  a circle at the end of the cord that attaches magnetically to the back of the watch.  I suspect that many folks (like me) use the charger with the Apple Watch on a nightstand next to a bed.  This lets you use the Nightstand mode so that your watch can show the time in bright, large numbers while it is charging at night (tap the screen or move the Apple Watch, even just a little, to see the time displayed) and wake you up in the morning with an alarm.  This is a good design, but it has some minor drawbacks.  First, while the magnet is strong enough to do the job, it is possible to accidentally disconnect the watch from the charger.  You might not discover this until the next morning, which could mean that you don’t have a full charge to get you through the next day.  Second, the watch connected to the charger cord can easily move around on a nightstand and could fall to the floor.  Ten One Design created the Timeframe to address both of these problems.  The company sent me a free sample to review and I’ve been trying it out for a few weeks.  I don’t like it as much as the Spigen Apple Watch Night Stand, which I reviewed last year, but the Timeframe does have a few advantages such as being good for travel because it is portable.

The Timeframe is a hardened rubber case with strips of velvet inside to protect the Apple Watch.  I’m using the model for the 42mm Apple Watch, but there is also a model for the 38mm Apple Watch.

Remove the back of the Timeframe to insert the charger that comes with the Apple Watch.  You can choose to have the cord run out the left or the right bottom corner, so you can select the setup that works best for your nightstand, whether you sleep on the left side of the bed or the right side of your bed.

You use the Timeframe by just slipping the Apple Watch into the Timeframe from the top into the Timeframe.  It slips in (and removes) easily.  Once in the Timeframe, the watch is perfectly aligned with the inductive side of the charger, so it will start to charge immediately.

There is a blue lever at the bottom of the Timeframe that you can use to eject the Apple Watch.  That feature is unnecessary because you can easily slide the watch out of the Timeframe, but it does work if you want to use it.

Unlike many other Apple Watch stands that hold the device in the same orientation that it would be on your arm (with the Digital Crown on the side), I like that the Timeframe holds the watch so that the Digital Crown is at top, which means that you can use Apple’s Nighstand mode.

Because the Timeframe holds the charger against the back of the Apple Watch, there is no danger of the two becoming disconnected.  Thus, you never need to worry about waking up to discover that your Apple Watch did not charge.  I don’t mean to imply that this happens very often if you charge your Apple Watch without using some sort of stand, but even if it only happens rarely it is still annoying if it occurs.

The Timeframe also provides protection to the Apple Watch in case it falls.  The Timeframe provides excellent protection to three of the sides — protected by the hard rubber — and even the side of the Apple Watch with the Digital Crown has some protection because it is lower than the edge of the Timeframe.

The glass or sapphire face of the Apple Watch is still exposed if it falls, but the Timeframe still provides some protection because the face is set back somewhat, plus the top edge of the Timeframe curves out somewhat.  Thus, if the face of your Apple Watch were to fall on a flat, hard surface, the Timeframe will definitely provide additional protection.  On the other hand, if a sharp pointy object were to stab directly at the face, then the Timeframe is unlikely to help much.  But hopefully you don’t have many sharp pointy objects right next to your bed.

The Timeframe works especially well if you are using a Sport Band.  With something more flexible, especially the Milanese Loop, the Timeframe might not stay upright in the mode necessary for the Nightstand mode to work.  Having said that, it is more likely to stay upright with the Timeframe on than just using an Apple Watch with Milanese Loop without the Timeframe.  But I think a dedicated stand is a better option for most who use the Milanese Loop band — one that stays in place either because of its weight or because it uses microsuction or something else to stick to the top of a table.

After trying out the Timeframe for a few weeks, I still prefer the Spigen Apple Watch Night Stand for every day use.  First, I like that the Spigen device sticks to my nightstand and thus doesn’t move around.  I also like that the Spigen stand holds the watch in position no matter what watch band I’m using.  Also, the Spigen Apple Watch Night Stand only costs $9.99 on Amazon, so it is very inexpensive without seeming cheap. 

But the Timeframe does offer some advantages.  First, the fact that it doesn’t stick to anything on the bottom means that it is very portable.  The Timeframe works great when you are traveling.  Second, the Timeframe does offer some protection.  I’ve never had my Apple Watch fall off of my Spigen stand, and even if it did it would probably be safe if it just hit the carpet in my bedroom.  But I suppose there is always some risk that I would accidentally knock it off while I am asleep and moving around, and were that to happen, it would be better to have the protection of the Timeframe.

I think that most any Apple Watch owner would appreciate having a nice charging stand.  If you are not interested in a stand that stays in one place, the Timeframe is a good choice, especially if you are looking for something to use when traveling.  And if you are concerned about your Apple Watch being damaged when it falls while charging, the Timeframe is a good choice because it provides some protection.

Click here to get the Timeframe from Ten One Design from Amazon ($24.95).