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Tech tips for visitors to Hong Kong and Singapore

Tech tips for visitors to Hong Kong and Singapore

Old Mar 15, 2019, 8:06 pm
  #1  
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Tech tips for visitors to Hong Kong and Singapore

5 insights from others and from my experience of 1 extended trip just completed:

1) From StuckInYYZ in the thread about my new 1.5lb Surface Go that supports LTE

>> Just some advice for next time you're in Singapore (and likely in HK), head to the nearest 7/11 and purchase a tourist sim card to insert into your Surface. I find that the LTE support is Singapore is pretty good to stream off of. It saved me quite a few times when I had to remote back into the office

>> 7-11's in Asia are generally better equipped than in North America (and usually for more reasonable prices). When I am there, I usually pick up a sim card (Singtel in case you're wondering) at the nearest store after I get settled in. Same thing for Hong Kong although you can pick one up at the airport of either city as well.


2) I am really glad I bought 2 3-packs of the UK style plug adapters

In a different thread Best brand of international power adapters?,
someone recommended this brand
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080R95XI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080R95XI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In hotel room, I kept 1 at bedside + 1 at desk + 1 in bathroom for hair tech
In airplane carry on zipper bag I kept 1
In conference zipper bag I kept 2 and used both.

3) The United coach seats for the 14+ hour SFO --> HKG only had 1 power plug shared between 2 seats. However mine was so loose it was totally unreliable for charging.

​​​​​​Also, my seat USB port didn't provide power. Thank goodness the seat back movie selection was excellent or my flight would have been truly awful. I actually enjoyed the flight despite a bunch of challenges
(being in a coach seat with limited recline seat directly in front of the bathroom, blood everywhere in the bathroom from a guy who tried to catheter himself, etc...)

When I take this flight again, I will bring a portable duct tape roll to tape the loose plug to the United power outlet.
Given that "power banks are prohibited", if I really want to listen or watch something on my cell phone, but also find it unacceptable to arrive with a dead phone, I need that outlet to work.

I have several power banks of this kind
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFG57BH/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFG57BH/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But they seem to be now forbidden:



Any ideas for a better Plan B for a loose outlet situation than duct tape?

Another irritation about this outlet - it's in a terrible location - low and between the 2 seats in a great place to give anyone's calf a bruise if not careful.

United needs to study Emirates coach seatback with a beautiful layout and 1 easily accessible power plug per seat.


4) Hair tech

A happy moment - finding my hair straightening brush worked with dual voltage even though it doesn't mention this on the website.

https://www.bibibeautyproducts.com/p...brush-3-0-aqua
Purchased at an Austin Home Show last year after a convincing demo on my hair.
As per email from [email protected]:
" Bibi hair brush is dual voltage so no issue to use it anywhere "


5) Hotel Airplay + Hotel WiFi is aspirational at best

I applaud the Langham Hotel (Hong Kong) for it's excellent WIFi speeds (27Mbps) and for trying to provide Airplay to its guests so they can use the room TV to display phone content.
However, the Airplay would work well for 10 min after connecting. Then it would become flaky...




So I was really glad I brought the Apple adapter dongle and HDMI cable.

I appreciated having something on in the background while doing tedious work, when packing / unpacking, decompressing from the day, or just to hear something familiar in English again, but with no hateful commercials. This works 100% of the time for me. No latency issues of wireless.



Last edited by MareLuce; Mar 16, 2019 at 12:26 pm
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Old Mar 15, 2019, 8:45 pm
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Power banks are forbidden from checked luggage, but are ok to carry and use in the cabin.
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Old Mar 16, 2019, 5:56 am
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I use the UK power cord to my /computer/tablet/USB charger. It is the most solid plug that fits into these multiple pin configuration international outlets.
The worse is the Utwo-bladeded plug
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Old Mar 16, 2019, 12:51 pm
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Not HKG or SIN, but Nite Ize makes a cord collar cord bend protector https://www.niteize.com/product/Cord...Protection.asp It is a little slow and fiddly to put on but is doing wonders for one of my Apple USB-C charger cables that had a kink in it. I noticed your cable & dongle modifications
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Old Mar 17, 2019, 8:39 am
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At SIN, there are various "Changi Recommends" booths at each of the terminals once you exit baggage claim. They'll sell you SIM cards (from the 3 major telcos - you choose what you need) and have wifi routers for rent etc.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 5:53 am
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Originally Posted by MareLuce
5 insights from others and from my experience of 1 extended trip just completed:

1) From StuckInYYZ in the thread about my new 1.5lb Surface Go that supports LTE

>> Just some advice for next time you're in Singapore (and likely in HK), head to the nearest 7/11 and purchase a tourist sim card to insert into your Surface. I find that the LTE support is Singapore is pretty good to stream off of. It saved me quite a few times when I had to remote back into the office

>> 7-11's in Asia are generally better equipped than in North America (and usually for more reasonable prices). When I am there, I usually pick up a sim card (Singtel in case you're wondering) at the nearest store after I get settled in. Same thing for Hong Kong although you can pick one up at the airport of either city as well.


2) I am really glad I bought 2 3-packs of the UK style plug adapters

In a different thread Best brand of international power adapters?,
someone recommended this brand
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080R95XI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In hotel room, I kept 1 at bedside + 1 at desk + 1 in bathroom for hair tech
In airplane carry on zipper bag I kept 1
In conference zipper bag I kept 2 and used both.

3) The United coach seats for the 14+ hour SFO --> HKG only had 1 power plug shared between 2 seats. However mine was so loose it was totally unreliable for charging.

​​​​​​Also, my seat USB port didn't provide power. Thank goodness the seat back movie selection was excellent or my flight would have been truly awful. I actually enjoyed the flight despite a bunch of challenges
(being in a coach seat with limited recline seat directly in front of the bathroom, blood everywhere in the bathroom from a guy who tried to catheter himself, etc...)

When I take this flight again, I will bring a portable duct tape roll to tape the loose plug to the United power outlet.
Given that "power banks are prohibited", if I really want to listen or watch something on my cell phone, but also find it unacceptable to arrive with a dead phone, I need that outlet to work.

I have several power banks of this kind
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFG57BH/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But they seem to be now forbidden:



Any ideas for a better Plan B for a loose outlet situation than duct tape?

Another irritation about this outlet - it's in a terrible location - low and between the 2 seats in a great place to give anyone's calf a bruise if not careful.

United needs to study Emirates coach seatback with a beautiful layout and 1 easily accessible power plug per seat.


5) Hotel Airplay + Hotel WiFi is aspirational at best

I applaud the Langham Hotel (Hong Kong) for it's excellent WIFi speeds (27Mbps) and for trying to provide Airplay to its guests so they can use the room TV to display phone content.
However, the Airplay would work well for 10 min after connecting. Then it would become flaky...

So I was really glad I brought the Apple adapter dongle and HDMI cable.

I appreciated having something on in the background while doing tedious work, when packing / unpacking, decompressing from the day, or just to hear something familiar in English again, but with no hateful commercials. This works 100% of the time for me. No latency issues of wireless.
Just wanted to add some commentary...

Pro-Tip for #3 ...

If you are using a North American plug (2 or 3 prong) on an airplane and the plug seems loose, try inserting a UK style adapter (the 3 rectanguar pins) and then inserting your NA based plug into the adapter. Generally you get a bit more stability.

As for power banks... 2-3 8-10k mAH power banks are more effective than a single 20+k mAH power bank. Power banks in general charge VERY slowly. There are some fast charging ones out there, but they tend to cost more. Depending on how much you drain from them, they can take more than 8-12 hours to charge up (and this is at 10k...at 20k, good luck) You could easily end up with a partially drained power bank moving around. I use 2-3 of the 10k power banks (depending on situation) when I travel. Sure during transit it weighs a bit more, but then I can often leave one charging at all times during travel so I have a fully charged one with me at all times.

One other thing. I usually have one of those cheap ikea or dollar store power bars in my luggage. Depending on the hotel, some of the rooms are REALLY poorly designed for accessing power for multiple devices. If I'm likely to encounter limited numbers of sockets, I'll plug in a power bar into the local adapter so I can charge multiple devices. I use the cheap ones because they often do not have a circuit breaker. The power bars that do often are not designed for 240v systems (even if your device does). The circuit breakers on those power bars will trip.

As to your entertainment/english in the background, I usually load up my laptop with sufficient entertainment to last my trip. Wifi might not be available (or affordable) depending on where you stay. In your case, with the Surface/LTE, I'd stream audio at the very least. (I have one other suggestion, but I will put it in the other thread).

Also, most large hotels I know of (especially in Singapore or HK) would have some english channels at the very least that you can tune into.... whether it is BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, MSNBC or Channel News Asia. Or if you are using LTE, you can also stream stations over the internet if you don't have Wifi.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 2:28 pm
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Originally Posted by StuckInYYZ
Just wanted to add some commentary...
As for power banks... 2-3 8-10k mAH power banks are more effective than a single 20+k mAH power bank. Power banks in general charge VERY slowly. There are some fast charging ones out there, but they tend to cost more. Depending on how much you drain from them, they can take more than 8-12 hours to charge up (and this is at 10k...at 20k, good luck) You could easily end up with a partially drained power bank moving around. I use 2-3 of the 10k power banks (depending on situation) when I travel. Sure during transit it weighs a bit more, but then I can often leave one charging at all times during travel so I have a fully charged one with me at all times.
That largely depends on the quality of the power bank and the quality/size of the charger you're using. My Anker 20k mAh pack charges fully in around 8 hours, my Anker 6.7k mAh pocket charger will charge fully in about 4ish. Though I now need to go and verify that, but in general, my 20K is good to charge my ipad and iphone BOTH at least 1 to 1.5 times on a long-haul where I'm in the air for upwards of 20 hours (spread over multiple legs, the longest being the typical 14h US -> Asia leg).

That said, I've had smaller, much cheaper packs (2000 mAh range) take upwares of 4 hours as well. Quality of the components makes a real big difference, as does using a 2.4 or 3.1 Amp rated charger as opposed to a 1.1A cheap charger. I've not measured it, I never take my little USB meter with me, but I have a suspicion that on most aircraft, the USB port, IF it provides power at all, doesn't provide enough charge to speed charge anything, only enough to offset usage).

For me, the loadout tends to look a bit like this:

20k mAh pack fully charged
6.7k mAh pack fully charged
1x micro usb and lightning cable rated for high current
1x 2 port 3.1A USB charger
1x plug adapter for which ever countries I'll be transiting through and arriving in.

if I have a long layover, I'll recharge in a lounge or in the terminal using AC or a USB charging station and save the batteries for in-flight where necessary. And I've yet to find a trip where I ever needed to dig into the 6.7K pack because between seat power (even with loose/flaky outlets) and charging during layovers I've never had a device go dark, and my phone is always at least 75% charged by the time I reach my destination. YMMV with usage though, I don't use BT or Wifi onboard which both will add to drain, I watch downloaded Netflix movies on my iPad and use a Bose QC-20i headset (the battery on that for ANR will last me up to 16 hours on a single charge) directly connected.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 5:53 pm
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Where do you get a USB meter ?
does it measure output of the charger ?
Or how much power your devise uses to charge up ?

Thanks for the info
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 9:19 pm
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Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
That largely depends on the quality of the power bank and the quality/size of the charger you're using. My Anker 20k mAh pack charges fully in around 8 hours, my Anker 6.7k mAh pocket charger will charge fully in about 4ish. Though I now need to go and verify that, but in general, my 20K is good to charge my ipad and iphone BOTH at least 1 to 1.5 times on a long-haul where I'm in the air for upwards of 20 hours (spread over multiple legs, the longest being the typical 14h US -> Asia leg).
Hence why I said most power banks. Anker is a decent brand and the newer generations are pretty solid (I have one myself). But still, I carry 2x 10k Genius brand ones for the most part (although I carry a 3rd one sometimes... usually if I am anticipating heavy drain while moving around). I have yet to drain most of the second one, but yeah, I've drained one full one before on days where I am on the move.

Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
That said, I've had smaller, much cheaper packs (2000 mAh range) take upwares of 4 hours as well. Quality of the components makes a real big difference, as does using a 2.4 or 3.1 Amp rated charger as opposed to a 1.1A cheap charger. I've not measured it, I never take my little USB meter with me, but I have a suspicion that on most aircraft, the USB port, IF it provides power at all, doesn't provide enough charge to speed charge anything, only enough to offset usage).

For me, the loadout tends to look a bit like this:

20k mAh pack fully charged
6.7k mAh pack fully charged
1x micro usb and lightning cable rated for high current
1x 2 port 3.1A USB charger
1x plug adapter for which ever countries I'll be transiting through and arriving in.
So not much different from me...

On the plane:
2x 10k mAH packs fully charged (1x in my backpack and one in my wires pouch)
1x charging cable for each device I am carrying (right now, 1x USB-C and 1x micro-USB)
1x QC2.0 USB charger
2x Plug adapters (one for the USB charger, one for my laptop) -- See note above why I have the plug adapters.

On the ground at the destination:
1x 10k mAH pack fully charged (one is left in my room to charge up if needed)
1x charging cable for each device I am carrying (right now, 1x USB-C and 1x micro-USB)
1x QC2.0 USB charger
1x Plug adapters

Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
if I have a long layover, I'll recharge in a lounge or in the terminal using AC or a USB charging station and save the batteries for in-flight where necessary. And I've yet to find a trip where I ever needed to dig into the 6.7K pack because between seat power (even with loose/flaky outlets) and charging during layovers I've never had a device go dark, and my phone is always at least 75% charged by the time I reach my destination. YMMV with usage though, I don't use BT or Wifi onboard which both will add to drain, I watch downloaded Netflix movies on my iPad and use a Bose QC-20i headset (the battery on that for ANR will last me up to 16 hours on a single charge) directly connected.
Those are good SOPs. But for some notes:

1) Generally if possible, use your own AC adapter to charge your power banks and devices. Do not use a USB port if presented to you (either on the plane OR on the ground). While our devices do have screen/access locks (at least I hope you have yours turned on), if you happen to unlock the device while plugged in, you could be granting someone or something access to the device (and before you say I'm paranoid, a proof of concept has been done on a plane mockup...). And those free charging stations you find at malls and at the airport.... do you really want to have your phone out of your sight? Especially if you get an urgent call to the gate?
2) If you insist on using the USB plug at your seat, please keep in mind that they are the equivalent of USB 1.0.... meaning a 5v output.... you'll likely be there for quite a while... Also, if possible, use a USB condom (
Example Example
) Using a power bank or AC power while onboard is preferable.
3) As mentioned above, turn the device on airplane mode (and don't turn back on wifi if you're not streaming). Also putting unused apps to sleep can help extend the life of the charge...

I use a QC-25 myself... 30+ hours on a single AAA battery IME. I find I get a better experience (the QC-20 and earbud in general for me don't work very well) I also like that with the 25, if I'm not playing anything, the ANC is still functional and blocks out an amazing amount of noise. I have no idea what I'm going to do yet once they completely remove the 3.5mm port from all phones and tablets and laptops.

Originally Posted by LAXlocal
Where do you get a USB meter ?
does it measure output of the charger ?
Or how much power your devise uses to charge up ?

Thanks for the info
A quick search on any of your favourite sites (eg, Amazon) will pull something up for you. They usually measure voltage and amperage. It depends on what you're looking to do with it as it can interfere with some of the faster charging technologies (at least the ones I had in the past). Also it's additional weight (even if it's just a little) for you to carry a device you may or may not use.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:31 pm
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Originally Posted by StuckInYYZ
Hence why I said most power banks. Anker is a decent brand and the newer generations are pretty solid (I have one myself). But still, I carry 2x 10k Genius brand ones for the most part (although I carry a 3rd one sometimes... usually if I am anticipating heavy drain while moving around). I have yet to drain most of the second one, but yeah, I've drained one full one before on days where I am on the move.
FWIW the biggest exception for me is China because I've had to replace larger ones TWICE when leaving out of PEK. Doesn't matter that they're clearly labeled as being under the IATA size limits, they just really like taking my battery packs. So when I go to China, I only take a single 10K pack or a pair of dollar store 6700mAh packs so I'm not out any real money... In fact, China is the ONLY place where I have ever had issues with taking things out with me.

Those are good SOPs. But for some notes:

1) Generally if possible, use your own AC adapter to charge your power banks and devices. Do not use a USB port if presented to you (either on the plane OR on the ground). While our devices do have screen/access locks (at least I hope you have yours turned on), if you happen to unlock the device while plugged in, you could be granting someone or something access to the device (and before you say I'm paranoid, a proof of concept has been done on a plane mockup...). And those free charging stations you find at malls and at the airport.... do you really want to have your phone out of your sight? Especially if you get an urgent call to the gate?
2) If you insist on using the USB plug at your seat, please keep in mind that they are the equivalent of USB 1.0.... meaning a 5v output.... you'll likely be there for quite a while... Also, if possible, use a USB condom (Example) Using a power bank or AC power while onboard is preferable.
3) As mentioned above, turn the device on airplane mode (and don't turn back on wifi if you're not streaming). Also putting unused apps to sleep can help extend the life of the charge...
Good points, thanks for mentioning them. I never really use USB ports, only my AC chargers from the seat outlets or in the airport. Though on the rare occasion I do use one of those "free" charging stations, I never leave my stuff there. I'll settle in around one once I've gotten my snacks or lunch or whatever and then sit and wait. Heh, there's no way I'd ever leave my $1200 phone laying around in public, or even in one of those with the allegedly secure lock boxes.

I use a QC-25 myself... 30+ hours on a single AAA battery IME. I find I get a better experience (the QC-20 and earbud in general for me don't work very well) I also like that with the 25, if I'm not playing anything, the ANC is still functional and blocks out an amazing amount of noise. I have no idea what I'm going to do yet once they completely remove the 3.5mm port from all phones and tablets and laptops.
Yeah, I started with the QC-15 but I can't wear cans for that long, they get too hot, sweaty and I can't sleep wearing them when I am lucky enough to score a layflat seat (and in some cases I couldn't sleep in them while trying to sleep sitting up in cattle class either. The buds just work better for me, personally, but of course YMMV. The 20's don't have to be playing for ANC, and don't have to be plugged in either, FWIW.

I still say, either way, that pricey as they are, the Bose sets I've used (I'm on my third now, QC-15, QC-20 (first gen) and QC-20i (second gen)) are still the best money I've ever spent on a travel gadget.

As an aside, I really like transiting through YYZ, and always play the Rush song of the same name as I walk off the jetway into the terminal. Heh...

Last edited by Dread Pirate Jeff; Mar 21, 2019 at 3:37 pm
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:36 pm
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Originally Posted by LAXlocal
Where do you get a USB meter ?
does it measure output of the charger ?
Or how much power your devise uses to charge up ?

Thanks for the info
As StuckInYYZ said, do an Amazon search and you'll find plenty of them. (search for "usb power meter" or "usb multimeter" for examples).

In fact I just ordered a new one in USB-C to use to check on charging my MacBook. I just got an Anker Atom PD-1 (30W USB charger the size of the old Apple USB 2.1A charger) that is strong enough to charge my MBP, so I also want to measure its output when charging the laptop and smaller devices.

FYI, the meters will tell you how much voltage and wattage and amperage is being used, and the new ones are bi-directional and will tell you which direction power is flowing. So, for example, I'll use the new one I orderedt to show me power flowing in to my Mac, and then I can unplug the charger and plug in my iPhone cable and measure the power flowing out from the MBP to my iPhone to charge it and can compare that to my iPad too.

I've used my older one a couple times to diagnose failing USB chargers, and also a couple times to determine that the issue was a failing cable, not a failing charger.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 9:27 pm
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Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
FWIW the biggest exception for me is China because I've had to replace larger ones TWICE when leaving out of PEK. Doesn't matter that they're clearly labeled as being under the IATA size limits, they just really like taking my battery packs. So when I go to China, I only take a single 10K pack or a pair of dollar store 6700mAh packs so I'm not out any real money... In fact, China is the ONLY place where I have ever had issues with taking things out with me.
Ah, I see you've hit the fun bits. When I go to China, I usually take my older PBs and pick up one at the next Miniso I pass by (or the nearest electronics market if convenient). The security guards are usually looking for a serial number on the power banks. If they don't have it, then they usually object and want to confiscate and toss into a bin. And it's usually the older PBs that they object to. If I pick one up at Miniso, I'll keep the receipt and show it to the guards that it's legit and relatively new (at which point they usually relent). YMMV, but I haven't lost the last few PBs that I care about (I usually sacrifice my old PBs).

(Note, I don't kick up a fuss, mainly because for the $20-$30 each of mine cost, it's not worth it to get into an argument with security.... Call it a cost of doing business.

Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
Good points, thanks for mentioning them. I never really use USB ports, only my AC chargers from the seat outlets or in the airport. Though on the rare occasion I do use one of those "free" charging stations, I never leave my stuff there. I'll settle in around one once I've gotten my snacks or lunch or whatever and then sit and wait. Heh, there's no way I'd ever leave my $1200 phone laying around in public, or even in one of those with the allegedly secure lock boxes.
I actually saw something related earlier this week. At one Walmart here I saw a kiosk where you could "borrow" a power bank from to charge your phone/tablet while you shop. Didn't try it, but I don't know if it'd be secure or not (yeah, I admit it, I'm a paranoid geek), Next time I'm there, I'll have to take a closer look.

Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
Yeah, I started with the QC-15 but I can't wear cans for that long, they get too hot, sweaty and I can't sleep wearing them when I am lucky enough to score a layflat seat (and in some cases I couldn't sleep in them while trying to sleep sitting up in cattle class either. The buds just work better for me, personally, but of course YMMV. The 20's don't have to be playing for ANC, and don't have to be plugged in either, FWIW.
The 25's don't need to be plugged in either (when I want to get up for a walk, I just unplug them from their socket). My ears heat up as well, but I usually just take them off for a few seconds and it's all good. For me, they don't get hot for quite a few hours (but it depends on what you're playing... if you just have them as earplugs, then they don't get hot...at least not for me.)


Originally Posted by Dread Pirate Jeff
As an aside, I really like transiting through YYZ, and always play the Rush song of the same name as I walk off the jetway into the terminal. Heh...
My only beef with YYZ (and most North American airports in general) is that they rip you up and down for everything. Except for a few of the chain restaurants (Tims and Subway for example) they charge easily double what I could find randomly in town for food and drink. But the fancier ones.... holy cow.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 9:37 pm
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Originally Posted by MareLuce
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Old Apr 10, 2019, 3:51 am
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Someone in here turned me onto those power meters for USB that you can get on Amazon and I have since picked up a couple What I found super fascinating was measuring how much power an iPhone can pull across different lightening cables. Not all cables are made like my a long stretch. The Apple OEM ones are among the best but among all the brands it's all over the map. Obvious,y the longer the cable the worse the flow but even among identical length cables, sometimes the amount of power the phone can suck down is almost half what another cable can do.

re:China - I too have had a couple of my battery packs taken away. One of the people that took it said that the look for a sticker that says the capacity. If it's over 10k they take it or if its unlabeled, they take it.
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Old Apr 10, 2019, 9:38 am
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Originally Posted by DMSFCA
Someone in here turned me onto those power meters for USB that you can get on Amazon and I have since picked up a couple What I found super fascinating was measuring how much power an iPhone can pull across different lightening cables. Not all cables are made like my a long stretch. The Apple OEM ones are among the best but among all the brands it's all over the map. Obvious,y the longer the cable the worse the flow but even among identical length cables, sometimes the amount of power the phone can suck down is almost half what another cable can do.
That may have been me, or at least I was part of that discussion. I just picked up a new one for USB C as well and verified that my Anker PD1 Atom works very well for charging my MBP at about 1/3 the size of the Apple 65W adapter. I also recently got my kickstarter Piri charger that shows the iPhone pulling 2.4A on it's internal meter, so next is to measure that externally for accuracy. And yeah, it's amazing just how different two seemingly identical cables can be... which is why I usually only buy the Apple ones these days, unless it's one of those things where I simply have no other option and need it ASAP.
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