All posts by Pedro Rafael Rosado

The Udoq Charging Dock: A Luxury Gadget You Didn’t Know You Needed

I’m a slob when it comes to charging my various and sundry electronic devices, I admit it. I plug everything into an industrial-strength power strip, toss it all on the floor while whispering a short prayer to the gadget gods that my children don’t break any of them them during their frequent bursts of manic energy.

Quick sidebar. My kids can’t be the only ones that suddenly tear through the house like cats after a visit to the litter box?

Anyhoo…

Despite the occasional gadget trampling by the young ones, I never felt the need to switch-up my power game. Then — as if on cue — the good folks at udoq rocked my charging world by sending me their 400mm docking station, the udoq400, for review.

The udoq was developed, patented and designed in Germany by Marcus Kuchler who envisioned these docks as one-size fits all, simple, flexible and sustainable charging stations for smartphones, tablets, digital music players and e-readers.

The killer feature of the udoq is how easy it is to customize. I was able to swap the proprietary Apple Lightning connectors that came with the demonstration model I tested and add a USB-C cable to charge a Nintendo Switch.

The udoq also comes in Android flavors and their shop sells  Apple 30-pin connectors and the aforementioned USB-C adaptors to cover pretty much any slate-like device you’re looking to use.  The cables slide into the docking station’s rail to let you mix and match your gizmos.

Now here comes the part where I pump your brakes a little. The price of udoq ranges from $89 dollars for just the 250mm rail to $248.50 for the tricked-out 700mm Apple version.

That’s some serious dinero, even for an impeccably designed brushed aluminum charger that’s designed to last for decades.

By the way, have I mentioned how good it looks? Well it does. The udoq400 I was putting through its paces was very, VERY snazzy. It’s definitely a luxury gadget for people who concern themselves with both aesthetics and function.

The tangled mess of cables, tablets and smartphones strewn all over the floors of Casa Kaiser was how I always did things. It never occurred to me that there was a better way until I spent a few days with the udoq400. I was almost immediately struck by the realization that this high-end docking station was everything I never knew I needed for my beloved gadgets.

To put it as succinctly… my doodads and geegaws have never looked better while juicing up!

PTJ 209: Fights and Flights

It’s been a loooong campaign and Election Day is just a few weeks away. If you want to beat the crowds, J.D. has a (Hopefully) Helpful Hint on how to see if your state allows early voting — and what you need to bring to the polls. Meanwhile El Kaiser has a few new headphones to inspect. In the week’s tech news Google checks facts and flights, Samsung is still scrambling to douse the Galaxy Note 7 fires, Facebook Messenger has some suggestions for your online discourse and there is a squadron of Taunting Drones buzzing drivers south of the border. Want to find out more? Just press Play.

Headphone Review Models

Status Audio CB-1 Closed Black Studio Monitors
• thinksound On2 Monitor Series

Links to This Week’s News Stories

PTJ 205: Throwing Sevens

After a week to process the big iPhone 7 announcement last week, technologist Don Donofrio returns to the show to discuss the good, the bad and the stuff Apple skipped this time around. In the news segment, El Kaiser and J.D. bring updates on the increasingly combustible Samsung Galaxy Note 7 situation, rumors of Google doing another 7-inch tablet and plenty of other non-Apple news from the geekosphere. Let’s roll the dice!

PTJ 201: In Pod We Trust

Podcasting as we know it has been around for about a dozen years and is now enjoying something of a boom thanks to popular shows that have caught the listening public’s ear and reignited interest in the medium. So, what’s happening in the pod world these days? Audio producer and educator extraordinaire Jocelyn Gonzales joins El Kaiser and J.D. this week to discuss the state of the art and some of the many popular podcasts she currently produces, including Strings and Things, The MashUp Americans and Inside The New York Times Book ReviewListen for the segment right after El Kaiser and J.D. discuss two of Netflix’s recent streamers and the notable tech news of the week. (Two words: Pizza ATM!)

PTJ 200: Excelsior!

Four years after it rose from the ashes of that other podcast, Pop Tech Jam has reached its 200th episode and we’re ready to party with our friends! Journalist Laura M. Holson and actor/poet/writer Francis Mateo join El Kaiser and J.D. after the news segment this week to discuss the ever-churning evolution of popular culture and consumer technology in the four years since Episode 1 hit the Interwebs. And yes, there might even be a mention of Star Wars

And, as always, a big thanks to the BROS for hosting the party since 2012!

PTJ 197: Parks, Recreation and Lots of Tech News

This week El Kaiser revisits Audioquest’s Dragonfly USB DAC, preamp and headphone amp. This new version of the thumb drive sized device improves on its predecessors and finally ditches black for fire engine red. Also on this episode,  J.D. prepares us for the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. National Parks Service and Pedro joins her for a rundown of the biggest tech news of the week.

It’s on like Donkey Kong!

 

PTJ 196: Tracking Your Family and Blockbuster TV

This week, J.D. shares some handy tips on how to keep track of your family’s whereabouts using tools you may already have on your computers and mobile devices. El Kaiser rants on the state of Hollywood and why he thinks movie makers need to worry. In the news, the Dynamic Duo snark it up over the latest Microsoft missteps with their Windows 10 push; Google’s plans to legally display lyrics in their search results; Facebook’s decision to go all in on slideshows and a cubic, um, BOATload of tech news. C’mon, press play already. You know you want to…