Archive for RollingSquare

What’s In My Tech Sling – The 2024 Edition

Posted in Products with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on November 17, 2024 by itnerd

When I get a phone call from a client from a client to assist them with some sort of tech issue, I need to grab a handful of things that I know that I will usually need on a job and go. For years, I’ve sort of scrambled to find what I need on a moment’s notice. To make my life easier, I have built up a tech sling bag that has my commonly used items that I need when I go to see a client. By doing this, I simply have to do a “grab and go” and I can add it to my backpack if I need to as it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Let’s start with the bag itself:

The is the tomtoc Explorer-H02 EDC Sling Bag in the 8 inch size which has an outer compartment that holds miscellaneous items, a compartment in the back that holds one item that I will get to in a moment, and a middle compartment that holds the majority of my gear. Because it is a sling bag, it goes over my shoulder which is handy if I am just using it by itself. But it will also fit inside my laptop bag or backpack.

Inside the sling bag is this OWC Envoy 1 TB SSD which recently was added to the sling bag. It doesn’t take up a lot of space, but it is quick. That makes it ideal to travel with and use with my clients.

 The Victorinox Cyber Tool on the right the next item in my sling bag I find this to be extremely handy to do everything from open boxes to disassembling computers. Attached to that is Olight i3E EOS flashlight which makes life easier for me when I need light in a dark corner of a computer case or a room as it gets pretty bright.

I usually have a few random USB sticks with utilities on them. Such as malware scanning or unlocking utilities. But I also have a SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO flash drive which occasionally comes in handy with clients. Though with the 1TB OWC drive, I have to admit that I am rethinking whether I need to have that in my tech sling.

I’ve got an Apple AirTag in it so that if I misplace the tech sling, I can find it easily. Because I have left a customer’s site a few times without it, and then had an alert pop up on my iPhone telling me so. It’s inside a Belkin AirTag holder which makes sure that I can attach it to a loop inside the sling bag.

I have a plastic bag with batteries. Specifically some AA, AAA, CR1632, and CR2032 batteries. Because there have been numerous times where a customer had an issue that was solved by a battery, and the customer didn’t have any spare ones. Thus I cover myself for that eventuality.

I also carry a bag with some Woosh Screen shine and a microfibre cloth as I never know when I might need to clean a computer’s screen or keyboard. Be it mine or somebody else’s. This stuff works really well and it’s currently my go to for my computer cleaning needs. I also have some Q-Tips in the bag to get to those hard to reach places.

I have a small bag with a bunch of USB-A to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A adapters as they come in handy for customers who need to plug something into a computer and don’t have the right adapter.

Another recent addition to my tech sling is this Anker Ethernet to USB-C adapter that runs at 2.5 Gbps. Ideally, I would want to have a 10 Gbps adapter in my sling, but those are still pretty pricy. Thus this will work for me until prices drop.

To cover off any charging needs that I or others might have, I have a UGREEN Nexode 100W charger that has three USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. I can charge anything from phones to my MacBook Pro to my iPhone. Most of the time, I’ve used it to charge my client’s stuff quickly.

I have a variety of cables in my tech sling, starting with this Anker 100W USB-C power delivery cable for charging purposes only.

I also have an HDMI cable that comes in handy when I have a MacBook Pro and I need to plug into a projector or TV at a client’s site.

I also have a flat Ethernet cable which comes in handy when I need to plug into something using the Anker Ethernet adapter that I spoke of earlier.

The key cable that I carry is a RollingSquare InCharge XL which is my one cable to rule them all. I say that because it will cover any use case that I may need when at a client’s location as it is good for data transfer and for charging.

I also have that cable’s little brother the RollingSquare InCharge X as it it sometimes is handy to have a second cable that doesn’t take up a lot of real estate. It’s beaten up as it once was on my keychain. But it works just fine.

The second last item is this GearAid HeroClip. What this is for is to allow me to hook, hang, and carry my gear. I have it because if I have to use a public restroom, there is often no place to hang a jacket, or the sling bag, or a laptop bag. Thus making this piece of kit extremely handy. I got the large size to make sure that I could hang anything that I needed as it has a 100 pound weight limit.

The last item is this pen. Because everyone needs a pen.

So that’s what is inside my tech sling bag. This works for me, but I would be interested in hearing from you in terms of what you think I should add to it or change. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

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What’s In My Tech Sling Bag – The 2023 Edition

Posted in Products with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2023 by itnerd

Often when I get a phone call from a client from a client to assist them with some sort of tech issue, I need to grab a handful of things that I know that I will usually need on a job and go. For years, I’ve sort of scrambled to find what I need on a moment’s notice, and that came to a head when I lost my Victorinox Cyber Tool. Thus I decided that I needed to do something different and have a bag that has the most commonly used items that I need when I go see a client. That way I know where everything is, and I can get out of the house quicker. Not to mention reduce my chances of losing something. I decided on a sling bag as that is compact enough to fit inside a backpack or a laptop bag, but holds everything that I need. This is the sling bag in question:

The is the tomtoc Explorer-H02 EDC Sling Bag in the 8 inch size which has an outer compartment that holds miscellaneous items, a compartment in the back that holds one item that I will get to in a moment, and a middle compartment that holds the majority of my gear. Because it is a sling bag, it goes over my shoulder which is handy if I am just using it by itself. But it will also fit inside my laptop bag or backpack. Another plus is that it will fit some of my EDC should the need arise. Be it my sunglasses, AirPods Pro or anything like that.

As for what’s inside of it, here’s the current list.

I’ve got an Apple AirTag in it so that if I misplace it, I can find it easily. It’s inside a Belkin AirTag holder which makes sure that I can attach it to a loop inside the sling bag.

In the back compartment is this GearAid HeroClip. What this is for is to allow me to hook, hang, and carry my gear. I have it because if I have to use a public restroom, there is often no place to hang a jacket, or the sling bag, or a laptop bag. Thus making this piece of kit extremely handy. I got the large size to make sure that I could hang anything that I needed as it has a 100 pound weight limit.

I also carry some Woosh Screen shine and a microfibre cloth as I never know when I might need to clean a computer’s screen or keyboard. Be it mine or somebody else’s. This stuff works really well and it’s currently my go to for my computer cleaning needs.

I carry two cables with me at all times. The first is an Anker USB-C cable that does power delivery, as well as a RollingSquare InCharge XL which is my one cable to rule them all. I say that because it will cover any use case that I may need when at a client’s location as it is good for data transfer and for charging.

On the right is a replacement Victorinox Cyber Tool as I find this to be extremely handy to do everything from open boxes to disassembling computers. On the left is a 1TB NVMe that I use to transfer data at a customer’s site. This is something that I built myself so let me explain what went into building this. I started with a SABRENT 1TB SSD Rocket NVMe m.2 4.0, Gen4 PCIe M.2 SSD which is one of the fastest drives that the company makes, then I got my hands on this four pack of thermal pads from Amazon as NVMe SSDs tend to get hot, and I wanted to make sure that it didn’t nuke itself while I was using it. I also got my hands on this enclosure from Amazon that did USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps transfer speeds. That’s more than fast enough for my needs. Plus it’s made of metal so it will dissipate heat. Putting it together was a bit tricky as I wrapped the thermal pads around the SSD which made sliding it together a tight fit. But by using the thermal pads, I can be assured that the heat that the SSD generates would be transferred to the case and then dissipated from there. I will say the case does get hot when it is used for extended periods of time, but that does not concern me given the care that I have taken to put this together.

The next thing in my sling bag is this Ugreen Nexode 100W USB charger. This allows me to provide power to my MacBook Pro or customer’s computer, tablet, or phone should the need arise. And you would be surprised how often that happens. Because this adapter is 100W and doesn’t take up a lot of real estate, I am covered for almost any charging related issue.

If I am away from a AC outlet and I need to top off my iPhone, or a phone belonging to someone else, I have this Jackery Mini charger along with the RollingSquare InCharge X which between the two of them allow me to charge any smartphone to past 50% at the very least.

Finally, I have the Bic 2 in 1 Pen. This is a lightweight pen plus stylus for any capacitive touch screen device which is handy for an iPad or iPhone. I have an emergency pen as part of my EDC, but it doesn’t hurt to have another one in my sling bag.

I have a CR2032 battery in this sling bag. Why? I can’t count the number of times that I have come across a PC with a dead clock battery, and then had to find a battery either at a corner store or a local “The Source” store in a panic. Thus I keep one in my possession at all times.

So that’s what is inside my tech sling bag. This works for me, but I would be interested in hearing from you in terms of what you think I should add to it or change. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

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Review: RollingSquare InCharge XL

Posted in Products with tags on December 21, 2022 by itnerd

Fun fact: Before the world started ending, I carried around a small arsenal of cables whenever I travelled or went to see clients. Besides an HDMI cable and a Ethernet cable, I had these in my tech travel bag.

From left to right I have:

  • A USB-A to MicroUSB cable
  • A USB-A to MiniUSB cable
  • A Nomad USB-A to USB-C/MicroUSB/Lightning cable
  • A Native Union USB-A to Lightning cable
  • An Anker USB-C to Lightning cable

On top of that, I also had a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and USB-A to USB-A flexible extension. My rationale for carrying all this stuff was that I never knew when I would need to use a specific cable. Thus I wanted to be ready for any eventuality. Which is to be frank overthinking what I need to carry. Now that travel is opening up again, I am rethinking this and I am moving towards having fewer cables in my tech travel bag. And the best way to do that is to go with this:

What you see here is what comes in the box of the RollingSquare InCharge XL. Staring at the top you get a carrying case, then from the left you get an extra Lightning and MicroUSB connector, the middle has a desk organizer to keep the cable handy on your desk. And finally you get the cable itself which has the following ends on it:

  • Computer end: USB-A and USB-C
  • Device end: USB-C, Lightning, MicroUSB

Here’s what that looks like:

For the record, the Lightning end also doubles as a MicroUSB connector. There’s also a cap to cover up the ends of the cable.

It comes in 1 foot, 6.5 foot and ten foot lengths. Plus there’s a choice of colours. I went with black in my case. It is not only rated for 100W charging which is good for a notebook, but it will do 18W fast charging for those of you on team iPhone. The ends snap together with magnets like this for easy storage:

If all this sounds familiar, it should. This is basically the big brother to the InCharge X that I reviewed a few months ago. Right down to the aramid fibre woven cable that is used. Testing it over the last few days brought me to the conclusion that it will perform no differently than the InCharge X. And my only concern is if it will be prone to scratches like the InCharge X is as it looks to be using the same paint as the InCharge X which isn’t that durable. I guess time will tell on that front. Having said that, one thing that I like with the InCharge XL is the fact that cap is attached to the cable. Which means your odds of losing it are pretty much zero. RollingSquare should consider bringing that feature to the InCharge X.

I got two of them in the 6.5 foot length so that I can make sure that I needed two cables for two different use cases, I have them on hand. All the cables that I had in the picture are now in my cable drawer. That should make life easier when I travel or go to see clients. Prices for the InCharge XL are as follows:

  • 1 foot: $29 USD
  • 6.5 foot: $35 USD
  • ten foot: $39 USD

If you’re always in need of different types of USB cables, the InCharge XL is a great way to cut down on the number of cables that you need to carry, but still have the cables that you need on hand. I’d check them out if you fit that use case.

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Review: RollingSquare InCharge Mini

Posted in Products with tags on December 21, 2022 by itnerd

In the interest of providing a last minute stocking stuffer suggestion, I have one in the form of the RollingSquare InCharge Mini. It gives you a charging cable on your keychain. Now some of you who read this blog are going to say, didn’t you review another RollingSquare product that does the same thing? The answer is yes. That would be The InCharge X. But there are two different use cases for them. In the case of the InCharge X, that gives you any cable type that you need on your keychain. As in:

  • From the computer’s end: USB-A and USB-C
  • From the device’s end: USB-C, Lightning, MicroUSB

But the InCharge Mini gives you a single cable to stick on your keychain. Your choices are:

  • USB-A to USB-C
  • USB-C to USB-C
  • USB-A to Ligthning
  • USB-C to Lightning

So if you have a device, say an iPhone, and you never plan on using any other device, this is perfect for you as an emergency cable to charge it or connect it to a computer. Let’s have a look at what comes with the package:

Besides a keyring, you get the InCharge Mini. In my case, it’s USB-A to USB-C. It snaps together using a magnet so that it doesn’t fall off your keychain. And the cable is woven which will make it durable. The Lightning variants are MFi certified as well as they are good for data and power. In short, this is a great “just in case” cable that you can have on you at all times. One plus is that this appears to be anodized. Which implies that it will survive better in your pocket and not get scratched up like the InCharge X did when I tested that.

At $19 USD, it is a great stocking stuffer. Thus if you know what device someone has, you might want to pick one up as it is great for emergency use or for travel.

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Review: RollingSquare InCharge X

Posted in Products with tags on June 15, 2022 by itnerd

Every once in a while, you or someone you’re with will need to recharge a phone. But assuming that you have a cable on you, is it the right cable for the phone in question. Meaning is it Lightning to USB, or USB-C to USB-C or whatever you need. Even though batteries on phones last longer than ever, that’s a real need that people have. Which is why the RollingSquare InCharge X exists. This is a cable that fits on your keychain that covers any use case that you might have when it comes to charging a phone or any other device.

The cable comes in a box that is clearly made of recycled material. And the only thing inside the box is the cable. The cable as you see it is 7 CM long or 2.7 inches. But fully stretched out it’s twice that length. The cable has metal ends and the flexible part of the cable has a TPU outer shell with nylon and aramid fibre for strength. There’s a cap at the end that feels really snug.

Here’s where things get interesting. If you pull one end of the cable apart, you can see that you have the choice of USB or USB-C which means that you can plug this end into any computer.

At the other end of the cable there’s USB-C and Lightning. But if you look closely, there’s another connector:

Inside the Lightning connector is a micro USB connector. Clever. I tested all the connections and they all fit snugly. Though I will note that it is not inherently clear which end is up when it comes to micro-USB unless you look closely at the connector. But that’s a first world problem.

A close look at one of the cable ends shows that it has a N52 magnet that is used to hold the cable together when it is folded up.

Since I spoke of putting this on your keychain, here’s a picture of it on my keychain. In the week or so that I have had it, it has not come off my keychain. And the cap that covers the connectors is solid enough that it hasn’t become detached.

So let’s talk about charging. RollingSquare claims that you can fast charge your device using this cable with support for up to 100W of power. To test this, I took my wife’s iPhone 13 and charged it using this cable from 48% to 92% in an hour using this cable. Then I had her drain it back down to 48% and did the same thing with an Apple USB-C to Lightning cable and got it up to 91% in a hour. In both cases, the phone was plugged into this charger. Thus I can safely say that this will fast charge your phone. The cable also supports data transfer as I was able to use my iPhone 12 Pro to sync to iTunes and to do backups of the phone to my MacBook Pro.

Gripes? I have only one. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve had this cable for a week. But I’ve already have scratches on it as evidenced by this picture:

Now this is the “Lava Black” version of the cable. They have two other versions called “Marble Blue” and “Sapphire Beige”. I don’t know if they would scratch in the same way as this “Lava Black” cable does. But in my opinion, given that this lives in your pocket surrounded by keys, the finish should be more durable than this.

RollingSquare InCharge X is $29 USD and is available from the RollingSquare website. It works as advertised and it will ensure that you always have a cable on hand should you need it. As long as you don’t mind the fact that it will gain some “battle scars” from being in your pocket.

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