The promise of converged devices like the iPhone was, among other things, the ability to travel light. Instead of needing to bring a phone, an address book, a music player, a note pad, a camera, etc., smartphones promised to replace all of that and be the only thing you needed to bring with you. Funny but, at least for many of us, that hasn’t happened. Sure, my iPhone DOES replace all those aforementioned items, but along with my iPhone I now carry an iPad, a Bluetooth headset and, at times, a second phone. And in order to keep them all working I also need to bring wall chargers and cables. That’s NOT converged living. It’s not even close.
That’s exactly why Aviiq developed their new Portable Charging Station. The Portable Charging Station promises to be a one-stop shop for charging AND syncing a host of different devices while, at the very same time, keeping the cables organized and out-of-the-way. Best of all, the Portable Charging Station comes in a nice package that is simple to grab when you are heading out the door.
From Aviiq:
Plug, Charge, Go:Designed to organize cables and provide power to charge your multiple mobile devices.
When you’re on the go, small details can get lost. With a million things running through your mind, sometimes those tiny cables get left behind. The AViiQ Portable Charging Station is designed for the individual who does not want to spend time multi-tasking cables. Taking up only one outlet port, it gives you the ability to charge 3+1 devices. Complete with a zip-up bag, it’s the companion that helps you remember the little things.Four Port Hub: 3+1 USB charging hub can charge all your devices and get pass data through one.
The AViiQ Portable USB Charging Station can charge four USB devices simultaneously, including an iPad, as well as passing data through one specialized port. Rest assured that even your larger power-consuming products such as the Apple® iPad™, which requires a 10v charger, is supplied through one of our four ports.
USB Cables not included.Truly Portable Device Charging Valet: No more collecting cables, just fold, zip and go
This sturdy nylon bag was specially designed to keep all your charging needs in one simple place, whether you are at home, the office or traveling. You’ll save time and money since you won’t need to buy extra cable for different locations. Make this your all-in-one charging station no matter where you are.Integrated Charger: Why bring all your wall plug for every device?
Carry a single wall plug to power all your USB devices with the AViiQ Portable USB Charging Station’s integrated power adapter. This low profile adapter can provide up to 15W which is plenty of power to charge all your devices fast.Retractable USB Port: Syncing your device is a sync.
Sync to your computer with this retractable USB cable. No more unplugging between the wall and your computer just to charge your device, especially those that require more power than your laptop can provide. After you’re done pull and let it zip back into place and you’re ready to go.Clear the Clutter: Simple and easy cable management system
Four pockets are specially designed to fit up to four USB cables each for easy cable organization. Coil them up and put them away. We’ve also highlighted one pocket so you know which one is available for data syncing so you’ll never get confused. USB Cables not included.
The AViiQ Portable Charging Station comes in a simple box. Inside you’ll find the Portable Charging Station and an instruction pamphlet.
The pamphlet explains how to set up the Portable Charging Station properly. Truth be told though the Portable Charging Station is so simple in concept and execution that you really don’t need it. Take that with a grain of salt though, since I never read the manuals when I made model airplanes when I was a kid. I always ended up with a decent end-product but for some reason I seemed to always have some extra pieces when I was done. Go figure!
The Portable Charging Station starts with a simple nylon case. It has a nice, nondescript look, the AViiQ name/logo conservatively placed in the corner and a fairly heavy-duty zipper running along three of the four sides. This serves to keep everything safely tucked inside. That’s really the biggest selling point of the AViiQ Portable Charging Station for me — everything is in one simple package rather than my having all sorts of cables tangled around on another in my bag.
Inside the AViiQ Portable Charging Station you can see how simple, but smart, this accessory is. On the left is the wall adapter. In the middle is a port replicator. On the right side are a series of pockets that are open on two sides but still secured in each corners, even where the two open sides meet. As we will see in a moment this allows cables to get tucked inside but kept in place.
The upper portion of the Portable Charging Station is a mesh pocket that can hold other adapters and accessories. There isn’t a ton of room but there is enough for something like the iPad camera adapter kit. You could also keep a small Bluetooth headset or wired earbuds there without adding too much bulk.
The wall adapter’s cable wraps around the back of the adapter and fits neatly into a grooved section that, in this picture, is hidden from view by the cord. The wall prongs flip down to in order to keep the who thing rather compact and, I suspect, to protect the prongs when they aren’t being used. Because it can provide up to 15W it is able to charge devices quickly. It also puts out enough juice to charge the iPad. (Apple’s iPad charger is 10W.)
The port replicator is fixed in place. It has three slots for charging and one for synching devices with a host computer. You don’t have to use the sync functionality, especially since iOS 5.0 will bring wireless synching to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, but it IS nice to have the functionality available to you if needed.
If you DO need to sync your device you simply pull the USB adapter hidden on the other side of the port replicator. It is on a retractable, spring-loaded cable so it tucks away when not in use.
The AViiQ Portable Charging Station is a BYOC accessory. (That stands for Bring Your Own Cables. And YES, I did just make that up but you get the point – NO CABLES come with this.) As such you’ll need a few extra sync/charge cables if you plan on setting the charging station up and leaving it ready to go. At an MSRP of $79.99 it would have been nice if the company included something but, then again, they don’t know what devices you’ll want to charge so including cables would be potentially wasteful.
To use the AViiQ Portable Charging Station you place the USB end of a cable such as this one from Apple into the port replicator. You then tuck the bulk of the cable into on of the pockets, leaving just enough of the dock connector showing. To keep the cable from slipping out I recommend you pull the loose end out of the side OTHER than the one the cable initially enters. (That’s why the pockets are open on two sides but secured where those sides meet. Again, it is a simple but ingenious design.)
I opted to attach two Apple cables and one micro-USB cable to the port replicator since this is the most common charging situation I end up in during the day.
As you can see, rather than a tangled mess of cables I now have a nice, neat package that is ready to charge up my devices.
Now when I need to charge any or all of my devices I simply pull out the wall charger and plug it into the port reflector. Connect it to a wall outlet and I’m ready to charge one, two or three devices.
The AViiQ Portable Charging Station is a great accessory for any of us who rely on our gear for work and play and often find ourselves needing to charge our devices while we are out and about. That noted, I’m also finding the accessory to be more than a bit useful at home. Now instead of having two or three cables snaking across my desk I simply pull out the AViiQ Portable Charging Station when devices need a charge. In fact, I would love to see the company sell pretty much the same thing, but without the nylon carrying case and for a bit less. I know I wouldn’t hesitate to have one at home and one at work!
At $79.99, the AViiQ Portable Charging Station isn’t inexpensive but if, like me, you are tired of the tangled mess or have ever needed to charge a device only to discover you didn’t have the right cable with you, you’ll find it to be a bargain. You can learn more and order one here on the company web site.
MSRP: $79.99
What I Like: Compact; Well made; Charges 3 devices at one time; Can also sync devices; Enough juice to charge iPads; Set up once and you are good to go
What Needs Improvement: BYOC; Pricey
Tags: Android Device Gear, Apple iPad Gear, Apple iPhone and Touch Gear, Apple iPod Gear, Apple MacBook Laptop Gear, Back to School, Digital Music Player Gear, Gear Bags, Power Gear, Reviews
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