Archive for InvisQi

My Desk Setup – The 2021 Edition

Posted in Products with tags , , , , , , , , on December 17, 2021 by itnerd

Last week, I reviewed the FlexiSpot Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk which is a great desk and a serious upgrade to my work from home game. Now I’ve fully set up my desk and I want to show you what that looks like as it really helps me to be productive:

I’m going to start with the FlexiSpot Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk. I was able to dial in my ideal position so that I can work in comfort with ease. I highly recommend this desk for that reason alone. But if you want more reasons, I would suggest reading my review on the desk. Let’s go underneath the desk.

With the exception of the desk which is plugged straight into the wall, all the electronics are powered from the APC BackUPS 600. In my condo, I have UPS units all over to protect my various electronics as a UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply will keep your gear running if there is a blackout thanks to the built in battery. Plus it will protect you from power surges and sags thanks to said battery. It also has a USB-A cable that connects to your computer so that if the UPS needs to shut down your computer due to a power event, it can use that cable to send that command to your computer. I highly recommend these to any computer users to make sure that their equipment is protected from any electrical issues.

I have a monitor on my desk which is the Dell E2210Hc monitor. It’s ten years old but still works fine as it does 1920×1080 resolution without a problem. I do plan on upgrading this monitor at some point. But I want to find a monitor that matches the quality of the display on my 16″ MacBook Pro as that display destroys pretty much any monitor including Apple’s own Pro Display XDR. The monitor sits on top of an old Fellowes monitor stand that I am experimenting with and may remove at some point.

The monitor and the UPS connect to my 16″ MacBook Pro via the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter from Apple. This adapter has a USB-C port, USB-A port, and a HDMI port. So I plugged the monitor into the HDMI port and the UPS into the USB-A port. Then I just plug it into my Mac via a single USB-C cable. It’s a simple solution and works for me. On the other side, I have the USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable that is plugged into the Apple 140W power adapter to keep the MacBook Pro charged.

In front of the monitor is the InvisQi wireless charger that is placed under the desk so that I can charge my iPhone 12 Pro or AirPods Pro. Beside it an Asus mousepad that I got at an Asus event along with a Logitech V470 Bluetooth mouse. It’s a simple mouse powered by two AA batteries that works well for me.

One thing that I needed is storage for things like cables, portable hard drives, tools and the like. That’s where these multi-coloured slide out bins from Really Useful Boxes which I got at Staples comes in. They allow me to keep my stuff such as cables and tools organized so that I can find it when I need it with ease.

Below that, I have a old Rubbermaid clear storage bin which holds more cables. And at the bottom is a Gry Mattr Three Drawer Cabinet that I got at Staples. This holds my files, pens, and assorted stuff. It also can be locked which is a big plus for me.

You’ll also note that I have the usual pens, pencil, stapler, and a cordless phone on my desk. Because people still call me even in 2021.

That’s my desk setup for 2021. In 2022, I can see myself doing a monitor upgrade like I mentioned earlier. And I may alter how that monitor sits on the desk. But what do you think? Do you think I am missing any anything that would up my desk setup game? Please leave a comment and let me know.

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Review: InvisQi

Posted in Products with tags on March 23, 2021 by itnerd

This week I got my hands on something really cool that I’d like to share with you. Meet the InvisQi wireless charger:

Inside this box is a 10W wireless charger that is different than pretty much any other wireless charger that I have tested. I say that because it is designed to be added to a table or desk so that you can charge your phone through said table or desk. So in effect, you can charge your phone without taking up any desk space with a wireless charger sitting on said desk simply by dropping your phone in the right place.

Here’s a close look at the charger:

It looks and feels like a well constructed piece kit. Here’s what comes in the box:

Going from the top left to right:

  • InvisQi wireless charger
  • Bracket to hold the InvisQi
  • Sticker to indicate where to place your phone once the install is complete
  • Green wireless sensor to indicate that everything is installed properly
  • Double sided 3M stickers to mount it to your table
  • Documentation
  • Power adapter
  • Measuring card

Not pictured is a pack of screws. Two to mount the charger to the bracket. Four to screw the bracket into the table or desk.

Now you can find instructions to install this charger here [Warning: PDF]. But let me walk through what I had to do to get it installed. The InvisQi charges through surfaces between 18-30mm (0.7″-1.18″). That’s kind of important because if you have it too close, I would imagine that you will fry your phone. Or if you have it too far away, it won’t charge anything. Thus measuring the thickness of the desk or table is important. To make that easy, there’s a card that allows you to measure the distance:

The purple part is 30mm. And the light wood part of the table which is the top of the table that I installed it on is 18mm. So in my case, this table fits the minimum specifications for this charger. For the record, it works through glass, wood, plastic, marble, quarts, granite. It will not work through metal.

The next thing I had to do is mount the charger in the charger using the two screws. Then I use the double sided 3M tape on the top portion of the bracket so that I could stick it to the underside of my table.

I then mounted the charger underneath the table. I chose the corner to make it an easy location to change my phone. You can see the screw holes in the bracket and the InvisQi comes with four self tapping screws that allow you to screw it into place. I didn’t end up using them as the 3M tape held everything in place securely.

I then plugged everything in and then I used the green wireless sensor to indicate where the charger was and to confirm that it was working properly.

The flashing light in the middle of the green wireless sensor indicates that the sensor is dead center with the charger underneath the table. So clearly I have this installed correctly.

To make it easy to find the the spot that you need to place your phone on the table, the InvisQi comes with this sticker to help you with that. It’s textured which means your phone won’t slip and slide all over the place.

The total install took about 15 minutes. And I was able to charge my iPhone 12 Pro without issue. And that was with my Spigen Tough Armor Case on it. But to make sure that everything worked properly, I tested my wife’s iPhone XR with her Otterbox case on it.

You can see in the top right corner of my wife’s iPhone that it’s charging. I also was able to charge my Jabra Elite 85T earbuds as pictured here (the green light on the front is indicates it is charging):

I have to admit the InvisQi is very cool. It is easy to install and easy get up and running. My only gripe is the power cable. In some use cases it is going to be too short. Thus if I had to change anything, I would make that cable longer. But other than that, the InvisQi was easy to install, and works flawlessly from my testing. It goes for $99 USD and if you want to reduce the clutter on your desk, but give it some extra functionality, the InvisQi is definitely worth a good hard look.

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