Articles by Jack Laurent

My interest has been piqued by everything electronic since a young age, with a penchant for the dark art of tearing things apart. My daily duty is to marry software and hardware modules and I have to admit that this is much harder than cooking. When I’m not busy at work, I’m on the lookout for the latest and greatest hack! I am passionate about portable power generators (or power stations) as well as maker products such as the Raspberry Pi and any similar SBC (single board computers)

Articles by: Jack Laurent

I tested the Pecron E3600 and found it to be an affordable and dependable portable power station

By Jack Laurent published 30 September 25

The Pecron E3600 power station remains an affordable option that keeps pace with the competition, thanks to its numerous output options.

I tested the Jackery Explorer 3000 v2 and I'm impressed with just how much capacity this home back-up portable power station has without needing any extra batteries

By Jack Laurent published 23 July 25

Another solid power station from Jackery with high capacity and high output to boot, could this be the unit that could power a house, let alone a camping trip?

Dabbsson DBS1000 Pro Compact Power Station review

By Jack Laurent published 23 July 25

The DBS1000 Pro features a powerful AC inverter and a medium-sized battery, all packed into a format smaller than a cooler box.

I tested the EnGenius EOC655 bridge, an innovative product that combines Bluetooth and GPS

By Jack Laurent published 27 June 25

Boosts your network’s reach with little effort.

CrowPi3 Electronic Learning Platform header image.

I tried the CrowPi3, and found it was a superb learning platform based on Raspberry Pi

By Jack Laurent published 26 June 25

Elecrow's latest learning platform

I tested the Zyxel USG LITE 60AX, and found it to be superb for features and ease of use as well as price

By Jack Laurent published 9 May 25

Elecrow Embedded Pi Terminal main image.

I tested the Elecrow Pi Terminal - read what I thought of it

By Jack Laurent published 3 April 25

The Elecrow Pi Terminal bundles many IoT parts into one platform. For less than $200, the unit ships with a 12V adapter without any module.

Oupes Mega 2 review

By Jack Laurent last updated 22 November 24

The Mega 2 packs a powerful 2500W AC inverter in a small volume. Included features such as fast charge, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a UPS mode are hard to find at this price point.

Firewalla Gold Pro review

By Jack Laurent published 6 November 24

Firewalla’s new Gold Pro is one of the best firewalls money can buy. Its constant threat updates, new software features, snappy mobile app, and dual 10GbE ports will keep the unit relevant for a long time.

CrowView Note review

By Jack Laurent published 5 September 24

A portable display that packs a KVM and a battery

BougeRV JuiceGo review

By Jack Laurent published 9 August 24

The JuiceGo beats expectations by offering an efficient and compact power station on a budget.

EnGenius ECW536 review

By Jack Laurent published 19 July 24

The EnGenius ECW536 Wi-Fi 7 access point improves transfer rates by up to five times compared to Wi-Fi 6.

CrowVi review

By Jack Laurent published 28 June 24

CrowVi's latest display packs an excellent IPS panel in a small metal case. It also has plenty of input options and does not cost much.

ZimaBlade review

By Jack Laurent published 15 May 24

A fanless x86 PC for all your PCIe experiments.

Pecron E1500LFP review

By Jack Laurent published 14 May 24

The Pecron E1500 is one of the best value-for-money power stations around.

Zyxel WBE660S review

By Jack Laurent published 21 March 24

Recommended

The WBE660S lives up to the expectations brought by the arrival of Wi-Fi 7. With three radio channels, the unit supports legacy standards such as Wi-Fi 2.4G and 5ac.

70mai Hiker 400 review

By Jack Laurent published 19 February 24

70mai’s Hiker 400 power station makes traveling safer and more convenient thanks to a reliable battery, a powerful AC inverter, and a backup flashlight.

CrowVision review

By Jack Laurent published 11 December 23

The latest screen from ElecCrow instantly turns a single-board computer into a handy touch-enabled display unit.

Ugreen GS1200 power station header image

Ugreen PowerRoam GS1200 power station review

By Jack Laurent published 22 September 23

Recommended

Ugreen’s GS1200 hits the right notes on a budget. With features like WiFi connectivity, UPS mode, and a 1000W fast charger, its one big drawback is a weak solar input.