Our top ten travel hacks for frequent travellers
Although it may be a rare and exciting occasion for some, for others, travel is just a part of their day to day life. Many business people are often required to travel long distances to get to important meetings, present at trade shows, or attend conferences etc, and there’s no denying it can sometimes take its toll.
Travel is stressful, and while there’s no real way of preventing the inevitable, we’re always looking to make things easier for you! We’ve put together ten awesome travel hacks to try and make your next journey miles easier…
Small and fiddly, the Micro USB charger is without a doubt one of the most annoying cables out there. We all know the struggle of constantly swapping and changing to fit the connector in correctly – especially as this little cable is used for charging the majority of smartphones, power banks, tablets, and more!
The team at tizi had had enough of battling with this chaotic cable, and so they created: The brand new tizi flip USB-A to Micro-USB cable! Reversible and flexible, this awesome new charger works both ways – not only on the USB end, but on the Micro USB end too! Simply plug in and enjoy top charging speeds for all of your gadgets.
tizi flip Micro-USB
› Flip connectors at each end – works both ways
› Available in 15cm and 50cm lengths
› Choose your color: Red and black available
› Syncs and charges all Micro USB devices
Want to grab yours while you can? tizi flip Micro USB is available now for just 9.99€ (was 14,99€) on Amazon!
The iPhone 8 has finally arrived in all of its high-tech glory. While Apple is touting the new processor and camera features, there’s one hidden gem they have kept on the down-low. The tizi equinux team investigates:
Older iPhones were equipped with “regular” charging. But in the iPhone 8, Apple has quietly added completely new charging circuits.
The iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 6 charge with 5V and slightly above 1A. The iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPhone 6 Plus can charge with 5V and just over 2A maximum. The charging circuit can supply about 6W for an iPhone and about 11W for an iPhone Plus.
The resulting charging times at maximum charging speed were just under two hours for a normal iPhone and just over 3 hours for an iPhone Plus.
What makes the iPhone 8 extra special?
As soon as we got our hands on the new iPhone 8, our equinux tizi hardware team took a closer look in our hardware lab.
We discovered that both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus have a USB Power Delivery charging circuit. Simply put, it is now possible to charge the iPhones faster. Much faster.
The first high-speed charging iPhones
- The new iPhone 8 can charge with up to 14.8V and 0.9A, for a total of 13.3W
- The new iPhone 8 Plus can charge with up to 14.8V and 1.3A – a total 19.2W
This is more than twice the charging speed of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, with the potential to cut your charging times in half.
We were surprised to find that Apple still only includes the same old Apple USB charger with 5V and 1A with both brand new iPhone 8 models. To take advantage of its full fast-charging potential, you will need to use another charger and the Apple USB-C to Lightning cable.
Fully charged in under an hour!
With the right USB-C PD charger, the iPhone 8 will charge in about 1 hour – roughly twice as fast as previous models. But: you need the right charger to double your charging speed.
Chargers that support USB-C PD include:
- tizi Tankstelle 29W
- Apple 29W MacBook charger
- Apple 61W MacBook Pro charger
- Apple 87W MacBook Pro charger
Beware of cheap third-party chargers. The market is crowded with products that do not work with the Apple USB-C to Lightning cables. In our tests, only Apple’s USB-C to Lightning cable was capable of fast-charging the latest iPhones and iPads.
Important to know: If you use a USB-C to USB-A adapter, it interrupts the USB PD power delivery profile, which means that your iPhone will not charge at its fast potential speed or it may not charge at all.
So why did Apple only include a 5W charger?
So why has Apple included their old 5W charger when the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus can charge at up to 18W? The included charger only offers 27% of the potential charging speed?
This could be a strategic move for Apple: Get Customers used to the slow 27% charging speed, then Apple can introduce the Apple AirPower charging pad – a fast wireless charger that everyone will want to get their hands on. Let’s face it – anyone who pays for a premium AirPower pad will want it to offer something special – faster speeds.
How to cut your iPhone 8 charging times in half
We recommend all iPhone 8 and 8 Plus customers get a USB-C Power Delivery charger like tizi Tankstelle 29W. Other tizi chargers with Power Delivery capabilities will follow shortly.
Visit the tizi Tankstelle page and we’ll let you know when new tizi high-speed chargers are available!
Fast, slim, smart: The tizi Flachmann Express, is a thin and elegant portable battery. Thanks to the Auto Max Power™ technology inside, the speed and performance even surpasses many smartphone chargers. Make sure to reserve a space in your pocket for this one.
#jeansgate: Finally, a portable powerbar that doesn’t leave a bulge in your pants. The glossy tizi Flachmann Express easily fits into tight jeans or a shirt pocket.
Turn it on, plug it in and boom! It doesn’t matter if it’s an iPhone, a Nexus, a Galaxy or a One, thanks to Auto Power On, the tizi Flachmann Express automatically starts charging. The cool blue status LEDs display how much power reserve you still have.
Express yourself! Last longer and enjoy more freedom. Somehow every smartphone always seems to be running on empty. With a whopping 4000 mAh, you can completely re-charge your smartphone up 2x! Now that’s performance.
The super portable tizi Flachmann Express is available now at a special to-go price of only 19.99 Euros. You’ll also get a 12 month tizi/club membership as welcome bonus. Who doesn’t need power in their pocket?
With the introduction of new USB-C peripherals for the iPad Pro, our engineers took a closer look at the charging capabilities of the latest iPads. And since we know a lot of you are eager to know what the iPad Pro is capable of, here’s a sneak peek of what we’ve discovered.
iPad Pro 12.9″: Charge twice as fast
The larger iPad Pro supports the very latest USB-C charging technology, also known as USB-C Power Delivery. This means a device can request more voltage from a power supply, allowing it to be charged faster.
The big iPad Pro initially starts charging with at 5 volts and then switches to Power Delivery mode, drawing a massive 12 volts and allowing to to be charged twice as fast as previous iPads.
Interesting note: It looks as though the iPad Pro 12.9″ will charge with 12 volts up to about 90-95%, then it switches back to 5 volts to top off the battery.
If you try to charge the iPad Pro through the new USB 3 camera adapter, it will not charge at 12 volts.
Our tizi hardware engineering team is working on new tizi charging products for the new iPad Pro and other USB 3-capable charging devices – sign up to be the first to know when they’re available.
iPad Pro 12.9″ charging with 12 volts
iPad Pro 9.7″: Charge at full speed
The smaller iPad Pro does not support USB 3 Power Delivery, so with the right power adapter, it’ll charge at 5 volts like previous iPad generations. Given the smaller battery size, that’s still fast enough to charge it pretty quickly.
iPad Pro 9.7″ charging at 5 volts
The future
Fast USB 3 Power Delivery is coming to the tizi lineup soon and will let you charge your giant iPad Pro about twice as fast. Sign up to be the first to know when they’re available.
Apple sells a USB adapter as well as an SD card reader for iOS devices. The SD card reader isn’t quite as flexible, but has the advantage that it, well – reads SD cards.
The USB adapter can read photos from a camera, but if you plug in a USB card reader, you’ll usually get an error message that the device needs too much power.
But if you have Apple’s new USB 3 adapter, you can get it to work anyway. Here’s how:
- Plug your SD card reader into the USB adapter
- Connect a Lightning cable to the USB adapter’s lightning port (like our hot pink tizi Flip reversible lightning cable)
- Plug in a power adapter, or high-power capable battery (e.g. a tizi Tankstation or tizi Kraftprotz)
Now you can plug the USB adapter into the iPad and it will import your photos just fine.
Happy importing!
Your tizi team
tizi USB 3 ethernet adapter using a tizi Tankstation 5x MEGA for power supply
Internal corporate and networks in educational institutions are often restricted to devices with ethernet access and in many hotels you can often get much faster internet speeds over a wired network connection. But what if you’ve got an iPad or iPad Pro – how can you get on a wired network with that?
Luckily, we’ve been working on a solution to make that possible, here’s how it works: There’s a new Apple USB adapter that supports USB accessories as well as an additional power source. Combine that with our upcoming tizi ethernet adapter, and you’re all set:
- Connect the USB adapter to the Lightning port on your iPad or iPhone
- Plug a Lightning cable into the adapter and connect it to a charger
- Connect a tizi USB ethernet adapter to Apple adapter
That’s it. Now you just plug in a network cable and you’re ready to go.
Details for the technically inclined :
- The USB adapter plus ethernet adapter need 1.5A of power – so you’ll need a decent, reliable power source
- The iPad doesn’t give you any sign or icon to let you know that you’re connected over ethernet – it just magically starts working
- The tizi USB 3 ethernet adapter supports USB 3 and Gigabit Ethernet speeds – and so does the big iPad Pro
- This setup works with all iPhones and iPads that have a lightning port – the big 12.9″ iPad Pro will support Gigabit ethernet speeds, all others will support up to 100 mbit
Travel tips: For a more mobile setup, you can also use a tizi Flachmann powerbank as your power source.
The tizi USB 3 ethernet adapter is coming soon and will be available in two versions:
tizi USB 3 ethernet adapter: Suitable for iPad, iPhone and all Macs with a regular USB port
tizi USB C ethernet hub: Designed for the new 12″ MacBook and all devices with a USB-C port.
Sign up and we’ll let you know when it’s available.
Apple’s new iPhone SE will be out April 14th, so we asked our tizi engineers to analyze the specs and give us the lowdown on the battery life in Apple’s new affordable iPhone:
Source: via AppleInsider.com
How much capacity does the battery have?
Apple’s official specs lists are almost the same as the iPhone 6s, but with a slightly better average browsing time of 13h (compared to the iPhone 6s with up to 11h and the iPhone 6s Plus with up to 12h). Apple has improved its battery chemistry in newer iPhone generations, and it’s safe to assume they will be making full use of the economies of scale they get from using the same production line.
How long will it last?
We won’t be able to say exactly until we’ve been able to run some tests, but assuming the battery and chips inside the new iPhone have a similar power profile as the iPhone 6, you should see around 10 hours of battery life with typical usage.
How long will it take to charge?
Assuming a similar charging profile, it should take around 2.5 hours to fully charge an iPhone SE. You should be able to get an 80% charge after just 1 hour.
And since all recent iOS devices support faster 2A charging, you’ll be able to get a full charge in just 1.5 hours with any tizi charger that provides Auto Max Power technology or High Power charging.
Which iPhone should I buy?
If battery life is your primary concern, the iPhone 6s Plus is your best bet. But it really all comes down to size: if you prefer a smaller phone, the iPhone SE looks like it’ll be a great device. And with tizi charging accessories for your car, your home and for on the go, the smaller battery isn’t a problem either.
Interview with CEO Till Schadde about the new tizi Kraftprotz Powerstart
equinux introduces the tizi Kraftprotz Powerstart, with a so called “refreshing” function for weak car batteries.
Till Schadde: The normal jump start function stresses the external battery so much that cells “die”. Therefore, on average, external jumper batteries only last for between 20 and 30 jumps before the battery cells become so strongly degenerated that the battery is no longer useable for this purpose. You can compare a jumper battery to an ink cartridge from a printer. At some point, the ink is simply all used up and the cartridge no longer works.
For a long time, we have been studying user commentaries from competing products in order to comprehend the market. Many users don’t understand how the external battery works and expect that it will maintain a similar operating life as a regular battery. We took this opportunity to find an alternative way to “refresh” the car battery without having to jump start. We basically decided on a similar approach to charging iPhones. We gently recharge the car battery with the tizi Kraftprotz in order to preserve the battery. That means, you’ll need to wait 10-15 minutes to give the the car battery enough juice to start. This “refreshing” is very effective and is gentle to the Kraftprotz. This way, it’s also possible to charge a diesel which could not be jump started.
Does the Kraftprotz fully charge my car battery in 10 to 15 minutes?
Till Schadde: No, the car battery clearly can’t completely charge in such a short time. We’re talking about “refreshing”. The Kraftprotz charges the car battery enough that it has a chance to start.
Does this mean that the tizi Kraftprotz Powerstart doesn’t support the “stressful” jump start you mentioned before?
Till Schadde: On the contrary. It does, and degenerates each time it is used to jump start a car. As I said before, any jumper battery can only be used somewhere from 20 to 30 times to jump start a car. So if you jump a car 5 times in a row, the external battery degenerates by 5 jump start possibilities. Both methods of battery help are clearly explained in the included manual. Those who are in a rush and need to leave immediately, use the jump start. Those who can wait 10 to 15 minutes, use the “refresh” function and recharge their car’s battery.
Can I use the “refresh” function with a diesel car as well as an unleaded?
Till Schadde: Yes. The “refresh” function can be used for all car types. For diesels, we suggest at least 20 minutes.
There are already similar batteries on the market for jump starting cars. Why should someone choose the tizi Kraftprotz Powerstart over others?
Till Schadde: The Kraftprotz is versatile and can be used for multiple purposes. For example, to charge an iPad: we have a lawyer on his way to to the courthouse. While exiting his vehicle, he reales he forgot to charge his iPad, where all of his files are located. What should he do? With the Powerstart in his glovebox, he can easily charge his iPad. The Kraftprotz has a high quality aluminium design instead of the typical boxy, electrician’s cube look. Because of its stylish look, you can take the Kraftprotz with you without having to hide it.This was really important to us ;-)
How do I re-charge my Kraftprotz and how long does it take?
Till Schadde: It’s best to charge the Kraftprotz overnight for at least 10 hours. If you plan on storing the Kraftprotz for a longer period of time, we suggest withdrawing a bit of capacity by possibly hooking up and charging your iPhone for 10 minutes. This is good for the Kraftprotz since batteries don’t like to be stored on a full stomach.
Find out more power facts regarding the brand new mobile battery “mothership” tizi Kraftprotz Powerstart and the mighty brother tizi Kraftprotz on tizi.tv.
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