Thursday, May 19, 2016

Insignia 5200mAh power bank

This is actually my 2nd Insignia power bank. I bought one of their smaller capacity power banks (NS-MB2600B-C) last year when my Nexus 4's battery started to shorten. Late last year, after retiring the Nexus, I got a Sony Z3 which has a rather large battery, larger than what the previous Insignia power bank could charge. I'll be going for a 3-week vacation shortly, so I thought it was a great excuse to "upgrade" in case I needed power on the road.

What can I say about it. It's actually much nicer in person than what's shown in photos or on bestbuy's website. The power bank is mostly covered in a matte finish that has a smooth rubbery feel, and the top and bottom are well rounded matte pieces. I really like how it looks, unlike the shiny plastic you'd commonly find for sale. There's one micro usb for charging the bank up, and another for charging our toys. A button on the side turns on the leds on the front of the case. 4 lit leds indicate a full charge. That's another thing about this design I really like - the LEDs are not actually visible when not in use, only when you press the button. Definitely makes it much sleeker and understated.

One other excuse I used to get this power bank was that it was capable of a 2A charge. Thus far, all the chargers I've had were just 1A, maybe a tad over. This guy charges my Z3 much faster than the crappy mains charger I got.

I've already recycled the packaging, boo hoo, but I really thought the packaging could be further minimized from the large plastic enclosure that is filled with mostly air. The packaging _does_ give it a bit more of a premium feel but I'd honestly feel better with recycled cardboard with a small window to show what we're getting. A small instruction guide and a short usb cable is what you'd get alongside the charger.


Thought I'd write this little blurb as this guys haven't failed me yet.

Daytona USA laptimes!


Yes, I'm still playing a game over 2 decades old. I've managed to hang on to the top spot for Advanced, but on the Expert track, there was one person who had a 2+ second lead on my best time!

Somehow, yesterday I found this line that shaved off those seconds in the first lap. On the 2nd lap, I made some minor mistakes but still did pretty well, and was very pleasantly surprised to see that I took first on the leaderboards! WOO!





Pretty sure it was the stretch after the Jeffrey corner that I gained time - that's one of the corners I always drift through with no power. That day, on the first lap, I somehow found a line that allowed me to accelerate through it. Pretty sure the 2nd lap was a bog-standard drift that cost some time.

Woo :)