Well, that winter blast last week was fun, wasn't it?
Yeah, I didn't think so, either.
where it’s @
PowerSkin PowerStand Boost requires a USB-charging smartphone or similar device and charges via a computer port or USB wall adapter. The product retails for $24.99. More information is available at power-skin.com. RadarScope app requires an iOS or Android smartphone or a Mac computer with OS 10.7 or later. The product retails for $9.99. A yearly subscription of $9.99 adds data frames and lightning data. More information is available at radarscope.tv.
Ice and snowstorms aren't fun, particularly if the power goes out. Back in the olden days, a loss of power didn't mean a loss of communication, because the phones still worked. Now, that only lasts as long as the cellphone battery.
With the approach of the storm, I grabbed every backup battery I own and started charging it. That way, if I lost power for hours or even days, I wouldn't lose my only form of communication, as well.
As it happens, it was a perfect time to put the PowerSkin PowerStand Boost to the test.
The Boost is a rechargeable battery that doubles as a charging stand. It's made to work with smartphones and other USB-charged devices.
The Boost is a cylindrical device that comes in either black or white. A small LED near one end lets you know if the battery is ready to charge or needs to be charged itself. One end has a USB port and a micro-USB port.
The unique feature to this device is the little rubber mat on the side. The mat pops into its own little alcove in the side of the Boost. This rubber mat serves two purposes. It keeps the Boost from rolling away and it serves to help prop the smartphone so you can see the screen while it's charging.
The Boost is really lightweight for a portable battery, one of the lightest I've tried. It's also fairly small, about 4 inches long and about an inch in diameter. It makes it very easy to slip into a pocket or purse. The cord that comes with it is very short, as well. The cord is meant to charge the Boost through its micro-USB port, but it also can be used to charge most Android smartphones, at least the ones that charge via micro-USB ports. The cord is about 4 inches, as well, and includes a micro-USB port on one end and a USB port on the other.
The user manual recommends the Boost be charged with a wall adapter, rather than through a computer port. Unfortunately, it doesn't include the wall charger, though you easily can use the wall charger from your smartphone. I also did charge it from a computer port, though it took longer because the port doesn't offer as much energy as quickly.
The Boost does a nice job charging the smartphones. It will give most phones a full charge, such as the iPhone 6 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It charges at a decent pace, though it takes several hours to fully recharge itself.
My only issue with the Boost is that little rubber mat. Honestly, it's nearly useless. It will keep the Boost from rolling across a smooth surface, but that's about it. I repeatedly tried to prop both an iPhone and a Samsung phone on the mat horizontally, as it's designed to do. The phones just wouldn't stay put, especially with the short charging cord included with the Boost. The other problem is in the storage of the mat. It stayed put in its little alcove for about a week. After that, it kept popping out. I expect it to be damaged or torn off within a few months.
So the mat isn't much help, but the Boost does provide a nice little backup battery if needed. It isn't a ton of power, but it should be about a full charge -- enough to get you through an emergency.
There is another product I want to mention in regard to weather emergencies, one that was a huge help last week. A recent update has led to a bit of confusion about it, so I'm hoping to clear things up.
The product is the app RadarScope. This app is available for iOS, Android and Mac computers.
I've discussed RadarScope in the past. I have several buddies who happen to be meteorologists, and they all raved on this app. Being a total weather nerd myself (not to mention a storm spotter), I gave this app a shot, despite the $9.99 price tag.
Believe me, it was well worth the price, and now it has even more features.
RadarScope includes all those radars you see on the weather forecasts -- precipitation type, storm velocity, accumulation totals, even all those new, fancy dual-polarization radar images that can better track tornadoes.
The confusion arose when RadarScope introduced a new subscription Pro version last year. The annual subscription costs $9.99 a year. Basically, it provides lightning data and 20 extra frames on the Weather Data Technologies (WDT) data feeds. Regular users won't really need the Pro version, so no need to worry about the subscription. The initial $9.99 for the app itself will be enough. The Pro version really should only be necessary for serious storm chasers.
Either way, I can't recommend this app enough for the coming storm season. It's very easy to use, it's powerful, it has tools like storm tracks and watch and warning alerts, and it's a great tool for tracking those dangerous storms Arkansas inevitably gets in the spring. It also works well with winter weather, as it demonstrated last week. The standard version is plenty. The Pro version just offers some nice bonuses for $9.99 a year.
Both products are good to have should another storm head our way. Hopefully, though, the next storm won't be a winter one. I think we all prefer to be done with the ice for the season.
Melissa L. Jones can be reached via email at mljones72@me.com.
SundayMonday Business on 03/09/2015