Back-to-School Gadgets from LAVA

With the new school year right around the corner, it’s important for students to have the tech they need to start the year out right.

While schools are back open for business, the pandemic has dramatically changed how students learn. Universities, especially, are offering more courses online. In some cases, entire degrees can be done from the comfort of your own home. Many students will be attending these online lectures via a laptop or desktop computer but some might choose to use a tablet or smartphone. LAVA has products that can enhance that experience.

Charge-Plus LAN HUB

Charge-Plus LAN HUB

LAVA’s Charge-Plus LAN HUB is a small, yellow adapter for compatible USB-C mobile devices that features a 10/100-capable Fast Ethernet connection and two USB-A ports for peripherals.

Ethernet provides a more stable and reliable connection than Wi-Fi. This is paramount if you need to watch lectures over Zoom or other video-conferencing software. If the network connection is spotty, as can be the case with Wi-Fi, the video call could get choppy, making it difficult to follow along.

With the USB-A ports, you can add up to two peripherals, such as a wired headset for better communication and a keyboard to use Zoom’s chat window. If you’re working on assignments on a mobile app or Google Docs, you can swap out the headset for a mouse for better navigation.

Essentially, you can turn your mobile device into a makeshift computer. This provides benefits for attending seminars in person too. With the Charge-Plus LAN HUB, you don’t need to carry both a tablet and laptop to class with you. The tablet alone will suit your needs.

When plugged into external power, the adapter works in SimulCharge mode, which provides the mobile device with simultaneous power and access to data. This means the tablet or smartphone won’t run out of power – even if a battery-draining app, such as Zoom, is in use.  

When not connected to external power, the mobile device switches to OTG mode, where it can both communicate with and power the adapter and its peripherals. This means you can use this portable adapter with your mobile device in a coffee shop or somewhere on campus where you don’t have access to an electrical outlet.

While it is not compatible with Apple’s iPad or iPhone, the Charge-Plus LAN HUB can be used with MacBooks that have USB-C ports. MacBooks have greater power requirements than the adapter can provide through SimulCharge but the laptop’s discharge will be slowed when plugged in. This means the battery will last longer than if you use it in OTG mode.

The Charge-Plus LAN HUB is available on LAVA’s website. You can also check out the Charge-Plus and Charge-Plus LAN adapters, which feature a single USB-A port and Ethernet port, respectively.

Charge-Check

Are you worried your mobile device isn’t going to last the school year? LAVA’s Charge-Check can put those concerns to rest.

You’ve probably noticed your tablet or smartphone doesn’t have the same capacity it did when it was new. This is because lithium-ion batteries degrade slightly each time they charge.

This degradation can be exacerbated if the tablet or smartphone is regularly left plugged in overnight. The extra power and heat generated from charging the device past capacity wears down the battery faster. Even if the mobile device has built-in tech to prevent overcharging, it could still suffer additional battery degradation as the charger repeatedly tops up the battery each time it drops below 100%. In extreme cases, this can even lead to battery swelling (or bloating) where the battery literally expands from constant overcharging.

The Charge-Check can prevent this. The plug-and-play overcharge protection device extends the lifespan of the device’s battery. This means you can keep your tablet or smartphone longer and won’t have to waste your money on a new device.

The Charge-Check uses Continuously Active Battery Modulation (CABM) to regulate the charge of the device’s battery. When the battery is near full capacity, the adapter turns off charging for a preset number of hours (three, by default). Then, it initiates a new charging cycle. This prevents the device from both overcharging and entering a top-up charging loop, even if the device is left plugged in 24 hours a day.

The Charge-Check is not just for tablets and smartphones. It is a universal device that can be used with virtually any lithium battery-powered device that charges over USB, including smartwatches, digital cameras and game controllers. It is available on LAVA’s website.

The Charge-Plus LAN HUB is a good choice for the student who wants to be able to add a reliable wired network connection for Zoom calls and internet access and peripherals to their mobile device. The Charge-Check is a universal device that is ideal for any student who doesn’t want to replace their mobile device each year. To find out more about these adapters and LAVA’s other consumer products, check out the website.