PoE to Micro USB – Power and Ethernet adapter

Have you ever wanted to connect a Raspberry Pi, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, or other smart device to your network without using wi-fi? If so, you’ve have probably found various ethernet adapters that deliver power and ethernet over a single Micro USB cable. It can be an unwieldy solution, with 2 wires (ethernet and power) coming in and limited control on the length of the adapter cable. However, it works and it can be a lot more reliable than using wi-fi in a lot of situations.

Maybe you took it a step further and wanted to power the device with POE and avoid having to find a power outlet. Its a great idea until you realize you need another adapter to split the POE into ethernet and power – only to have the next adapter recombine them.

I found myself in this situation and I searched for months to find a way to power and deliver an ethernet connection over micro USB from POE. Eventually I started reaching out to electronic manufacturers and even considered getting custom PCB’s made. It seemed simple – just combine the 2 existing adapters that are on the market. Belkin actually makes a version, but it only works for iPads over the Lightning adapter – and it cost $99.

Thankfully, UCTRONICS was willing to work with me and sent me 2 prototypes based on my idea. This past week I have been testing them, and am happy to say they work great! On the right hand side is an ethernet port, and on the left is a USB port. POE comes in one side and on the other side there is power and ethernet over USB.

My first test was with a Google Home Mini. I plugged in the adapter to my POE switch and ran a Micro USB cable from the adapter to the Mini. I have never setup the wi-fi network on the Mini, so it is only able to connect to the internet over a wired connection. Initially I was having troubles, but switching to a better Micro USB cable fixed my issue. I was able to get it to power up and it was on my network without any setup. It was able to respond to questions and had no issues about the lack of a wi-fi network.

My next test was a Raspberry Pi Zero. They do make a version with wi-fi built in, but I have had issues with reliability. The Pi at least offers a secondary port, so you can use a cheap adapter to get an ethernet connection but that is not as much fun. Additionally, with the right adapter you only need to run a single cable to the Pi to deliver power and ethernet.

After confirming the GH Mini worked, I unplugged the cable and plugged it into the second Micro USB port on the Pi. Again I ran into issues, but it was easy to address – I simply had to unplug the POE adapter and restart it. It booted up again and connected to my network.

Essentially this is acting like a POE HAT for a Raspberry Pi Zero – with the bonus fact that it is able to work with a Chromecast, Google Home Mini, Amazon Fire Stick, etc.

I am very excited about this and hope to be able to get some more for other Raspberry Pi’s and Mini’s. It will be a niche product but it could be a solution for a lot of unique problems.

Let me know below if you are interested in the product and hopefully UCTRONICS will make this a product they offer to the general product!

What is DakBoard?

Growing up my mom always kept a calendar on the wall. That would be fine for me, but all of my events are always in my Google Calendar and I have no interest in putting every thing in a calendar twice. So I started to look for a way to display my calendar, and my wife’s, at a glance in our home. I was able to find some projects that included some coding, but after looking around I decided on Dakboard. Dakboard does everything I want, and is very easy to use and setup.

Dakboard describes itself as a digital wall calendar. It takes your Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, or iCloud Calendar and rolls it into a digital agenda that updates automatically. Instead of a white background, it can cycle through your own photos or a generic album that Dakboard provides. And you can take it far past being a smart calendar. It supports all kinds of integrations like weather forecasts, RSS Feeds, news headlines, to-do lists, and much more. I only use the calendar and weather forecasts, but could easily see myself adding the to-do list or Twitter feature.

My favorite part of Dakboard is the cost. You can use all of the basic functions and it remains free. You are limited to 2 calendars, but I use teamup.com to work around this issue. I merge all of my calendars into a single calendar feed for my Dakboard.

Dakboard sells displays that you can add to your wall or you can build your own. You can also access it from a tablet or phone and simply leave that on your table. They provide very good instruction on how to get your own display setup. That is what I decided to do. I use a cheap ($70) 19 inch tv on my kitchen counter to show my Dakboard. I have a Raspberry Pi Zero plugged into the HDMI port. When the Raspberry Pi turns on, it goes to my custom Dakboard URL and puts in full screen mode. I dont really recommend the TV I purchased. The picture is not very clear and it gets very pixelated. You may want to try something at least 1080p.

I found the setup to be pretty easy as long as I followed the instructions. I had worked with Raspberry Pi’s before so I had a bit of an advantage there. I would recommend using an ethernet adapter over Wi-Fi because the Pi doesn’t have the greatest Wi-Fi antenna. You will need a computer to setup the Raspberry Pi, and a handful of HDMI and Micro USB adapters will help you out as well.

Ultimately, I think just about every house and apartment should have a Dakboard or screen like this. It makes it much easier to share calendars and see what events are coming up. At least try out the free version and play around with designing your own display.

Buy it on Amazon (not really, get a better TV)

Element 19 inch 720p TV

Best Google Home Mini Mount and Stand

What is the best wall mount or stand for the Google Home Mini?

I love my Google Home Mini’s but the provided plug and cord isn’t the best long term solution in all cases. I have tried 3 different mounts and thought I would share my thoughts on which is best. All 3 are available on Amazon.

There is nothing wrong with the original cord that comes with the Mini, but the cord can be a little excessive when the speaker is right next to an outlet. Examples would be your kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room where there are outlets at chest level.

Dot Genie Google Home Mini Backpack

The first purchase was the Dot Genie Backpack. I believe I initially saw it on Reddit and decided to make the purchase and paid $15 for the mount. This got the Mini off of our kitchen counter and onto the wall. It works best in the top outlet to leave most of the lower outlet available. It replaces the original power cord, so you dont have to wrap it up and try to hide it.

For the most part it worked, but I do have my complaints. Not all plugs will work in the lower outlet due to how much space the mount takes up. The Mini is also difficult to get into and out of the mount. It takes some work to get the Mini to clip into the right area and I have had to use some leverage to get the Mini back out of the mount. Also, I have my concerns about the quality and strength of the cord. It has to make some sharp corners to connect the Mini to power, and that typically does not mix will with power cables. I am still using this mount, but I dont recommend it due to its limitations.

Mount Genie Google Home Mini Pedestal

The second purchase was the Mount Genie Pedestal. This mount does a better job of displaying the Mini (if thats your thing) and it gets the Mini vertical. They claim it also helps with the sound, being able to focus it on where you want to hear. It was a bit cheaper at around $12, but lacks its own power adapter. This was OK with me because I wanted to use it with a micro USB ethernet adapter to use an ethernet connection on the Mini instead of Wi-Fi.

The power cable slides into a slot in the pedestal and holds the Mini in place. I ended up having to carve out some space to make the micro USB cable I was using to fit. Not a big deal but something to keep in mind. Ultimately, the pedestal is more for appearance or aesthetics.

Google Home Mini Wall Mount Mini Dock Cord-Free by TecScan

My most recent purchase was the TecScan mount to replace the Dot Genie. It was a little over $15 after tax. I wanted to add a smart plug to the lower outlet and wasnt able to fit it with the Dot Genie. The TecScan mount has a small profile and was able to accommodate a smart plug in the bottom outlet.

The TecScan mount is by far my favorite mount at this point in time. For starters, you are able to use it in either the top or bottom outlet with ease. It actually comes with ground prong that slides over the plug. This allows you to have it hang above or below the outlet, provides stability, and also allows you to use it in outlets without a ground prong.

Additionally, there are no cords involved. Simply slide out the bottom brace and slide the Mini into place. The Mini then gets locked into place by putting the bottom brace back into place. This is also much easier than the Dot Genie.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a wall mount, the TecScan is the only one to buy in my opinion. The Dot Genie covers the bottom outlet and it is difficult to snap the Mini in place. The Genie Pedestal is more for appearance than anything and doesn’t get the Mini off of the table or counter that it is on. The TecScan is easy to use and is versatile, and the cost of all 3 items is about the same.

Buy them on Amazon

Dot Genie

Genie Pedestal

Micro USB Ethernet Adapter

TecScan Mount

Zwave Smart plug

AmazonBasics Universal 65 Watt Charger

My review of the AmazonBasics Universal 65 Watt Ultrabook Charger

Currently I use a desktop setup but all through college I relied on my Asus Laptop (U56E). I still use it periodically when I travel and for volunteering. Unfortunately, its age is starting to show after 8 years. I have had to replace the battery, and more recently the charger has been giving me trouble.

I can find replacement chargers on eBay, but its hard to judge the quality and authenticity. I started to look for more universal chargers, hoping that it could be used for more than one computer. I ended up purchasing the AmazonBasics Universal Ultrabook Charger for roughly $15 used.

Concerns

I had 2 concerns that I wasn’t able to clarify purchase. First, would the charger come with the right adapter for my laptop. Second, would the Ultrabook charger (the cheaper of the 2 options) have provide enough power.

Amazon provides a resource to check compatibility with your laptop. However, I wasn’t able to find my laptop in their database, although it could be due to the age of my computer. Through a little research I was able to narrow it down to the N4 tip for my Asus U56E laptop. Once I received the laptop, I was able to confirm that N4 was the right connector. Thankfully it comes with 7 other tips in case your first choice doesn’t work.

65 Watts is not a large amount of power for a laptop, so I was happy to see that it was easily able to charge my laptop. I have not had any issues so far with power or charging. My laptop is not that large or powerful, so the full sized charger might be necessary for your laptop.

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Alternatives

I considered two other alternatives that typically cost a little more. The Zozo 90 watt charger and the Belker 90 watt universal charger. Both are higher powered though, coming in at 90 watts compared to the 65 watts of the Amazon chargers. Additionally, both the Belker and the Zozo come with 16 adapters, with only 8 coming with the AmazonBasics Ultrabook and 6 with the AmazonBasics Laptop.

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Ultimately I went with the cheaper option. I didn’t need the larger power delivery or the additional adapters. Using Keepa, I setup an alert for price drops and pulled the trigger on a used charger from Amazon.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the charger has proven itself to be reliable and a great value with its $15 used price tag. If you are in the looking for a replacement charger, or simply a charger that can be used on more than one of you devices, I would recommend the AmazonBasics charger.

Buy it on Amazon!

AmazonBasics Universal Ultrabook Charger

AmazonBasics Universal Laptop Charger

Zozo 90 watt Universal Charger

Belker 90 watt Universal Charger

Beautiful Bastard – Natural Pomade

Philip DeFranco has branched out and has released his own line of hair products and accessories. I was on the initial email list when it was released and it sold out so fast I wasn’t able to get in. However, I was able to pre-order for the second shipment and that’s how I ended up with Light Hold Natural Pomade.

I’m not big on using hair products, but thought it was worth giving it a shot. At $24 its not the cheapest option, but I was very impressed with the quality. Its not a gel that you throw and and it turns your hair into a solid spike. It is a gentle hold that I was able to shape the way I wanted. The look was very natural and it blended well with my hair where I didn’t use any product. It didn’t give my hair the shiny and clumped look like I normally ended up with when using gel.

I have short hair, I usually get a haircut and knock it all down to 1/2 inch after it gets much longer than 1.5 inches. I think if you have hair any longer than that, you may want to go with a stronger hold. The light hold didn’t quite hold some of my wild hairs. I was a fan of the scent – Yosemite Valley – a mixture of pine and cypruss. It might have been a bit strong but then again it was pretty close to my nose.

I had a haircut scheduled right after I got my Pomade, so I was only able to style my hair for half a week before most of my hair got chopped off. Honestly, I’m going to have to change my haircut habits so I can utilize the Pomade more. I love it and the like look I can pull off with it.

If Pomade isn’t your thing, they also have candles and lip balm. I haven’t had a chance to try either of those, but if their quality if half as good as the Pomade, it’s worth trying.

If you’re interested feel free to check out any of his item on his website or by using my referral link