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Cubot Rainbow
3 44900$68.35

Cubot Rainbow

Cubot Rainbow
3 44900$68.35
A short review of another smartphone. I’d like to say it’s another small one, but in my opinion, 5 inches still doesn’t qualify as “small”—though who knows what tomorrow will bring. As always: inspection, teardown, tests, and conclusions.
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Ulefone U007, a review of yet another smartphone
3 39920$54.23

Ulefone U007, a review of yet another smartphone

Ulefone U007, a review of yet another smartphone
3 39920$54.23
There are lots of phone models, and new ones keep coming out all the time: big and small, fast and slow, good and not so good. But I always want to see how Chinese engineers have put together the latest mobile companion, so that's what I'll be doing in this review. If you're interested, come on in.
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Comprehensive testing of various batteries. 18650, 16650, 18500, 26650, AA, AAA
11 6182+2$2.69 - 15.99

Comprehensive testing of various batteries. 18650, 16650, 18500, 26650, AA, AAA

Comprehensive testing of various batteries. 18650, 16650, 18500, 26650, AA, AAA
11 6182+2$2.69 - 15.99
In this review, I’ll try to compare and test a range of batteries. As it turned out, the review includes not only lithium batteries, but mostly the familiar “18650” cells. There’s also one rather unusual battery. If you’re interested, read on. Warning: this is a very long review and may be a problem for users on metered connections.
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A cute little kitty
4 51300$6.11

A cute little kitty

A cute little kitty
4 51300$6.11
Today I'm reviewing something radically different from my previous subjects. Not only because of its modest size, but also because the item I'm reviewing is completely outside my usual area. But I liked this kitten—and so did others—and I wanted to tell you about it.
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Adjustable Power Supply Kit Board, or a Proper Power Supply Should Be Heavy, Part 2
43 96269+5$ 16.12

Adjustable Power Supply Kit Board, or a Proper Power Supply Should Be Heavy, Part 2

Adjustable Power Supply Kit Board, or a Proper Power Supply Should Be Heavy, Part 2
43 96269+5$ 16.12
I think some readers still remember my review of a kit for building a linear bench power supply. Despite a few shortcomings, the board turned out to be quite interesting. When a friend sent me a link to the kit reviewed here, my first thought was, “That’s the same board.” But in reality, things turned out a little differently. Anyway, if you’re interested in this kind of thing and want to find out how to build a small bench power supply, read on.
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OWON B35, an interesting multimeter for the careful user
7 08200$51.23

OWON B35, an interesting multimeter for the careful user

OWON B35, an interesting multimeter for the careful user
7 08200$51.23
I got my hands on a somewhat unusual instrument—or, more precisely, one with an unusual feature. This multimeter can wirelessly transmit measurement results to remote devices via Bluetooth. There’s already a review of this instrument here, so mine will be more of a brief supplement, where I’ll talk about its strengths and weaknesses.
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ORICO 9558RU3 or five hard drives in one box
9 1440+4$137.70

ORICO 9558RU3 or five hard drives in one box

ORICO 9558RU3 or five hard drives in one box
9 1440+4$137.70
Continuing the saga of moving to a new computer, which began back in May, I ran into a fairly significant problem. The thing is, although the new computer has a couple of SATA ports, its case is too small to fit a pair of 3.5-inch hard drives. I also wanted to make my workspace completely silent, so I decided to move all the drives elsewhere.
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CUBE U27GT, a small Android tablet
3 4560+1$65.02

CUBE U27GT, a small Android tablet

CUBE U27GT, a small Android tablet
3 4560+1$65.02
Today I'm reviewing a small Android tablet. Somehow, I've usually reviewed tablets running either Windows or Windows + Android, but this time I decided to see what a relatively inexpensive Android-only tablet is like.
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2GB DDR2 Kingston KVR800D2N6, or a quick look at another memory module
16 15500$12.41

2GB DDR2 Kingston KVR800D2N6, or a quick look at another memory module

2GB DDR2 Kingston KVR800D2N6, or a quick look at another memory module
16 15500$12.41
As it happened, I got another memory module. A friend of mine ordered it for himself, and I didn't pass up the chance to put together a quick review in case it might be useful to someone. This time it's a relatively old DDR2 module, the kind most often bought to upgrade older computers.
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4GB SO-DIMM DDR3L from Kingston: a comparison review
8 3690-1

4GB SO-DIMM DDR3L from Kingston: a comparison review

4GB SO-DIMM DDR3L from Kingston: a comparison review
8 3690-1
Comments on reviews of memory bought in China often say it's cheaper to buy it locally. And, to be fair, I've said that myself. But then I was offered the chance to review one of the products on AliExpress, and I chose a SO-DIMM DDR3 memory module, the so-called “laptop format,” for this computer. Since I'd already bought exactly the same memory module locally, I decided to do a comparison review—and got some very interesting results.
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Beelink BT7, a small computer based on the Atom X7-Z8700
5 27100$219.00

Beelink BT7, a small computer based on the Atom X7-Z8700

Beelink BT7, a small computer based on the Atom X7-Z8700
5 27100$219.00
Computers based on the Atom Z8x00 have been on the market for almost a year. Somehow, though, most of the devices I’ve had for review were based on the Atom Z8300, with one based on the Atom Z8500. I still hadn’t tested a device with the top-of-the-line (if you can call it that) Atom X7-Z8700. Today, I’m going to fill that gap in my testing: on my operating table is the Beelink BT7, one of the very few computers equipped with the Atom X7-Z8700. A look around, some tests, and the usual teardown and modifications.
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Netac N5M mSATA: a brief review of a small SSD
7 78000$45.99

Netac N5M mSATA: a brief review of a small SSD

Netac N5M mSATA: a brief review of a small SSD
7 78000$45.99
Back in May, I reviewed a small computer that I’m planning to use to replace my old one. To increase the available storage, I decided to buy a 240 GB SSD. So, here’s a brief review of a small SSD.
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FR9888 or a synchronous step-down converter IC
27 5974+3$1.71

FR9888 or a synchronous step-down converter IC

FR9888 or a synchronous step-down converter IC
27 5974+3$1.71
This review continues my experiments with step-down voltage converters. Along the way, I’ll also explain a little about what a synchronous rectifier converter is.
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Vensmile i10, a small but interesting computer based on the Celeron 3755U
4 55100$112.00

Vensmile i10, a small but interesting computer based on the Celeron 3755U

Vensmile i10, a small but interesting computer based on the Celeron 3755U
4 55100$112.00
As part of the “move” project, which I started in these two reviews — 1, 2 — I bought a small computer. The computer itself is basic, but it has a few rather nice features. They won’t be useful to many people, but I’m sure some will appreciate them.
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NEXBOX MXQ PRO, an inexpensive TV box based on Amlogic S905
5 1190+1$25.99

NEXBOX MXQ PRO, an inexpensive TV box based on Amlogic S905

NEXBOX MXQ PRO, an inexpensive TV box based on Amlogic S905
5 1190+1$25.99
A friend asked me to buy him an inexpensive TV box. It was no trouble, and I was also interested in tinkering with one for the sake of the stats. So here’s another short review, this time of a TV box built around the already familiar S905 SoC.
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GJ-8018LCD: a basic hot air gun and a brief comparison
23 6093+2$35.79

GJ-8018LCD: a basic hot air gun and a brief comparison

GJ-8018LCD: a basic hot air gun and a brief comparison
23 6093+2$35.79
I use a soldering station with a hot air gun quite often. But since the station is rather bulky, and lately I’ve only been using its hot air gun, I decided to replace it with a standalone hot air gun, so to speak. Inspection, teardown, comparison—as usual.
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FLUKE - 15B+, reliable, high-quality, expensive
7 57300$75.72

FLUKE - 15B+, reliable, high-quality, expensive

FLUKE - 15B+, reliable, high-quality, expensive
7 57300$75.72
After buying an expensive multimeter, I thought I might move on from reviewing this kind of measuring instrument. But apparently, my fascination with tools got the better of me, and when I saw an instrument from the well-known Fluke brand, I decided to get it for a review.
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DOOGEE X5 MAX, an affordable smartphone with Android 6
5 94900$66.71

DOOGEE X5 MAX, an affordable smartphone with Android 6

DOOGEE X5 MAX, an affordable smartphone with Android 6
5 94900$66.71
Last time, most of the information about using the phone came from someone else’s perspective. This time, all my impressions of the new DOOGEE X5 MAX will be entirely my own. I’m not exactly spoiled by modern phones—in fact, this is the first smartphone I’ve carried around as my main phone. So, I’ll show it, take it apart, and share my impressions.
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