One might think it’s not that easy to get excited about a USB charger. That’s what I thought when No NDA, Inc offered to send me their new Zus USB Charger and Smart Car Finder to review for LiveWorkDream followers.

Well, I’m either easily excited, or the Zus Charger is really cool!

I was excited to share my thoughts about it, since we did need a couple more charging ports in this 12v DC power strip I built to charge the various devices we’ve accumulated—iPhone, iPad, iPod, iThis and iThat…

But there I go digressing again…

What’s so cool about the Zus USB Charger?

Nonda shares all sorts of USB charging comparison tests for the Zus vs. other chargers with various devices in their news blog. The gist? Faster charging with less heat.

Who knew USB chargers get hot? Well, over time heat will decrease the lifespan of devices. That’s why the Zus has a special cooling system that results in 35% less heat.

Did I mention this thing is German-designed? From its titanium coating and sleek design to the smart technology inside, that is evident.

So, technology, you ask? Yes. the main thing that makes this USB charger stand out from all the rest is the computer inside. The Zus includes a Bluetooth-enabled “Smart Car Locator”. Don’t worry, it finds trucks too, not just smart cars.

When paired with the free app, Zus will remind you where you parked. Crowded parking lots, out on the town in a strange city, parking structures—finding your car or truck is now as easy as opening the Zus app. Do that every time you park, and it will remember you you left your vehicle.

Being a geek at heart, I was excited to test this technology. Class 1 Bluetooth has a maximum range of ~100m, approximately 328± feet. I tested ours from about 500 feet away so far. Don’t ask me how they do that.*

The simple app has a compass with arrow you follow to your car. There is also a local view that allows you to orient the map to your surroundings.

Once you are about 50± feet from your vehicle, Zus will notify that it is nearby. Believe it or not, that is not all. Leaving your car at a parking meter? No problem. When Zus remembers where you’ve parked, you have the option of setting a convenient timer that will remind you ten minutes before your time is up!

Close the app, and Zus will notify that it no longer remembers where you parked. The next time you have Zus plugged into your cigarette lighter or auxiliary power outlet, and you launch the app, you will never forget where you parked.

Or…if you’re boondocking in Quartzsite or way out there somewhere, and you just need to find your way back to the rig after partying late, simply plug Zus into your RV’s DC power outlet and you’ll have no problem finding your way home.

Yeah, all this in a USB car charger. Read more Zus reviews on Amazon.

Not cool enough for you?

Prefer something even more stylish for your Mercedes-Benz 300SL Toad? If this isn’t the most elegant USB charger you’ve ever seen, no worries. Nonda offers a limited edition 24K Gold Plated Zus Smart USB Car Charger.

Yeah really. You can’t make this stuff up. View all Nonda products here.

But wait, there’s more…

But seriously, you know what else is cool? Nonda has a referral program you can join. I didn’t, but if you refer someone to purchase a Zus, you will both get $5.00. I did, however, join their a-fans program. With this program, random users will be selected to beta test new products from Nonda.

I’m all over that. Because really, if they can design and engineer a gold USB charger that will find your car, I want to try out whatever they might come up with next!

*Technical Update

After testing Zus beyond the reach of the Bluetooth signal, I figured the car location was “remembered” somehow using GPS. So I asked Nonda, and that’s exactly how it works. Here’s what they had to say…

There’s no “locating” range per se. When you park, ZUS communicates the car’s parked location to the ZUS app. When you use the ZUS app to find the car, you’re using the phone’s built-in GPS to find your way back to your car based on the location that was first saved. As a result, it doesn’t matter if you’re a few hundred feet away or hundred of miles away, the ZUS app can guide you back to the original parking location.

For the technically inclined, I also confirmed Zus is using Bluetooth Class 4.0 and outputs a maximum of 2.4A per USB port (4.8A  in total).