Gadgetory

There are some very weird accessories designed for smart phones, and iPhones in particular, that aren't always safe, including one that claims to be an electric razor powered from an iPhone's lightning port. Things are about to get weird. Huge thanks to Dollar Shave Club for sponsoring this video. Let's get started. [Intro] Let's start with this fan thing. It's got a micro USB main port with an iPhone lightning port adapter. The fan has soft rubber propellers that are friction fit to the shaft of an electric motor. You might be thinking to yourself, 'wow, that's pretty cool. Iphones might actually be good for something.' But here's the problem, iPhones are not designed to throw this kind of power out of the phone. Some Android phones can, but by powering third party accessories with a lightning port, there's a high risk of frying the internal charging port circuit board. It could burn out and stop charging altogether, basically ruining your phone...which actually sounds kind of fun to me. So let's try another weird accessory. This one is an electric razor that's powered by the lightning port. It can plug directly into your phone to steal some power. I use the word 'steal' because that's exactly what it's doing. The iPhone is definitely not designed for this. [Buzzing sounds] It sounds like it's working, and nothings exploded yet. But it's also doing pretty much nothing as far as shaving goes. In fact, it stopped working. [Buzzing sounds] Apparently the top protective metal screen was too tight. And the iPhone also isn't strong enough to push the motor...even though it's not currently cutting anything. Even while pulling power directly from the iPhone, it's pretty gutless. [Buzzing sounds] The protective metal screen can be unscrewed while the electric shaver is in operation. This is extremely unsafe. I like razor blades as much as anyone, but spinning razor blades are where I draw the line. Let's take this apart and see what's inside. The spinning triple razor blade propeller can slide off the motor shaft easy enough. And the bottom plastic cap can be pried off of the razor housing. I'm currently taking apart a razor with a razor. The lightning port is directly wired into the motor, and the motor itself is just press fit into the blue plastic housing. It's a tad bigger than the other motors inside the little electric fans, but everything is still pretty generic. Even after being taken apart, it still functions when plugged into the iPhone. The shaft of the electric shaver motor is the same diameter as the electric fan motor, which means that the blades are interchangeable. Technology is getting pretty weird lately. So now we know that unapproved third-party accessories that plug into your iPhone can potentially destroy your phone. So what about this guy? This, my friends, is a car charger with an internal battery and built-in electric shaver – something you never knew you wanted and still probably don't. [Buzzing sounds] It already sounds like way more of a beast than the other guy. It's got a protective plastic cap and a USB out port to charge up your phone while plugged into the 12-volt auxiliary outlet in your vehicle. Interesting design, but does it work? [Buzzing sounds] Absolutely not. Not a single hair was cut today. Now that we know the shaving car charger is also completely worthless, let's see how it's put together. It has the same spinning razor blade propellers that the first guy did, but this time there are actual screws holding it together. I'll unscrew the pointy metal tip, which can also be used to crack glass windows in an emergency. Thumbs up for that. And then I'll pinch the metal tabs while prying the circuit board loose out of the plastic housing. It's a pretty crazy looking contraption. The metal tip is what gets pressed into the 12-volt car outlet. And the springy side tabs touch the negative wall to complete the circuit. This then charges the internal battery and powers the spinning razor blades. Pretty interesting...even if it's not very functional. One functional way to shave time and shave money (the guy who came up with that deserves a raise), is with Dollar Shave Club. Razors at the store are usually pretty expensive. Dollar Shave Club is a place online that cuts out the middle man and sells razors for pretty cheap. For just $5 you get a starter kit sent to your door. This includes an executive razor handle, four razors, shave butter, and face cleanser. That's cheaper than what you can get at the store, and it's delivered right to your door on your own schedule...for $5. Dollar Shave Club is not just about shaving either. You can toss in things like a toothbrush or hair products, if you're the kind of person who has hair. After you get the $5 starter box, a restock box will come with regular sized products at the regular price. But if being clean isn't your thing, you can quit whenever you want. I'll leave a link down in the description. Or you can just go to DollarShaveClub.com/jerryrig to get started. Thanks to Dollar Shave Club for sponsoring this video. They seem to be infinitely more effective than the other useless and electronically dangerous accessories we tested today. As always, link in the description. Hit that subscribe button. Come hang out with me on Twitter and Instagram. And thanks a ton for watching. I'll see you around.