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gosecretscribbles · 6 years

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Diptember 2018 Week 2: Supernatural

“DipperDipperDipper!” Mabel raced up to him, her face shining with excitement, weaving through piles of used clothes and knick knacks. She'd spotted a yard sale on their way to school and insisted they check it out. “Look what I found!”

“Is it something that will make us get to school faster?” Dipper asked.

“It's a music box – look!” She held up her hands. Resting on her palms was a pale green music box shaped like an egg, with a thin gold line running lengthwise along the seam and several highly stylized flowers carved into the top.

He squinted at it. “Those flowers look weirdly familiar...”

“The lady said it never worked, so she gave it to me for free!” She grinned slyly. “I'm thinkin' if I made a certain culinary creation, my nerdy twin bro would be able to fix it right up!”

“If you're talking marshmallow grilled cheese then we so have a deal.”

He started on the music box late that night, after they'd finished homework and their parents had turned in. (They knew Dipper always stayed up late, and they'd long since given up trying to get him to sleep at a timely hour.) Waddles had stayed up with him for a while, probably because he thought it was an Easter Egg like the ones Mabel had given him to snack on. But the pig had long since retired to its bed in the corner, leaving Dipper alone to work at it. And the more he did, the more frustrated he became.

“Dipprrr?” Mabel slurred, waking up after he'd nearly stabbed himself with a screwdriver. “Wut're you doin'?”

“Are you sure this thing is a music box?” Dipper asked, sitting on his bed and glaring at the thing. “It has no hinges, no nails, no clasp – and yet there is a tiny gap all the way around the seam except the long part so there really should be hinges and there aren't!”

“Pretty sure.” Mabel rolled over and rested her chin on the rail of the top bunk. “I mean, I know the lady said it didn't work, but when I shook it it made this really pretty chiming sound.”

Dipper held it up to his ear and shook it. “I don't hear anything.”

“Well not like that,” she said with a snort. She climbed down the ladder and he handed it over. “Here – you gotta shake it like this!”

And she immediately started shaking it like a maraca.

Dipper huffed. “Mabel, what are you even –”

“TADA!”

She shoved the box right next to his ear. He jumped, startled, but then he heard it: a thin, silvery tune, a breeze wafting through slender chimes. But he'd no sooner heard it than it faded completely.

“It stopped – can you do it again?” Dipper asked.

Mabel gasped with delight. “An invitation to dance?! Why Dipper I'd be delighted!” She grabbed Dipper's hand, yanked him out of bed and started pulling him around the room, laughing. Dipper allowed it, half-smiling at his sister's typically crazy antics. The silvery sound grew in volume. Waddles woke up and snorted curiously.

Dipper grinned. “Amazing! It must be motion-activated.”

“More like fun activated!”

Dipper laughed – until he noticed something else about the music box.

“Mabel, keep dancing, but look!”

She looked. It was hard to tell because she had to keep shaking it up and down, but the weird flowers on the lid were changing shape. For a second Dipper thought the flowers might be 'dancing', too, but then the egg started glowing a pale yellow, and the slender lines of the flowers became more and more familiar, until they almost looked like –

“Alien code!” Dipper shouted, just as the egg turned red. The soft silver chimes abruptly changed to a loud claxon blare, so loud Dipper could feel it in his teeth. Waddles squealed and tried to burrow under the bunk beds.

Mabel clapped her hands to her ears, dropping the egg. “OW! WHAT IS THAT?!”

“I DON'T KNOW!” Dipper shouted back. He tried to cover it with a pillow, then two pillows and himself, then just plain smashing it with a hammer. But he couldn't turn it off or even quiet the sound. Their parents slept like the dead, but the sound was so bad it was bound to wake them up eventually!

“TURN IT OFF!” Mabel shouted.

“I'M TRYING!” He looked around quickly and grabbed his journal – he'd started one this summer and included a lot of the codes he'd found in Gravity Falls. He hurried to flip to the page where he'd stuck a photo of himself and the alien text he'd seen at Crash Site Omega. “OKAY!” he shouted. “I THINK I CAN DECODE THE TEXT! IT SAYS – uh...” He double-checked the translation. “IT SAYS 'REMOTE SHIP ALARM'?”

Suddenly the klaxon shifted to a high-pitch screech, then broke off into someone speaking.

“– told you we dropped it around here somewhere!” said a voice, which sounded very oddly like a rubber duck. “If you hadn't forgotten to charge the battery we would've found it ages ago!”

“Oh, don't blame me just because you can't keep track of things,” grumbled a second voice. “We don't even need it, we always find our ship without it.”

“Don't forget that one horror story about the ship that never returned! If we didn't find this one I was going to fly us back to Centaur A for a new remote!”

“I'm not going back there, that wefleki kept looking at me funny –”

“Uh, hello?” Dipper said.

There was a brief moment of silence.

“Oh great, someone found it!” the first voice burst out. “Listen up, whoever you are, drop what you're holding and walk away, or we'll – we'll alien abduct you so hard you'll be seeing lights in the sky for years to come!”

“You mean, like the stars?” Mabel asked.

“Ye – I mean no!”

“And who made a remote control that's dance-activated, because that is awesome engineering!”

“It's not 'dance activated,' the voice said indignantly. “When else would you flail your arms except in panic because you can't find where you parked in the intergalactic space mall?”

“Wait, are you really aliens?” Dipper said, leaning forward. “Which star do you come from? Are you here on vacation? Do you have a spaceship? Can I see it?”

“He actually really wants to drive it,” Mabel told the egg.

“And can I drive it just for like two seconds!?”

“Wait,” said the second voice. “Are you 'Dipper-bottom-line-Pines-bottom-line-Paranormal-bottom-line-Investigator'?”

“Yes! Yes, that's me!”

“I've seen your petition online!” There was a clear smile in his voice. “I was impressed that you were able to outmaneuver the drone. That kind of flying definitely comes in handy when you're flying through clouds of carnivorous space comets.”

Dipper leaned forward eagerly. “And I can totally do that! I think. D'you want a demonstration? I can show you how!”

“Or you could just buy crunchy peanut butter,” Mabel said.

Dipper elbowed her and made a sh!!! motion.

But the second alien sounded intrigued. “Peanut butter, you say?”

“Sure! Just throw a scoop at any ol' space rock, and they'll eat it because peanut butter, and then their jaws'll get stuck together and presto! No more ship-munching!” She paused. “Unless they're allergic to peanuts, in which case molasses should do the trick.”

“Fascinating.”

“But,” Dipper cut in, “if you still wanted those extremely high quality aerial lessons as, you know, back-up, I could totally help you out with that!”

The alien hesitated.

“Well I'm doing it,” the first voice said finally. “The peanut butter plan is sheer brilliance, but I want a back-up plan in case it doesn't work out.”

“As long as it gets me out of visiting Centauri A,” the second one grumbled.

“Stay where you are,” the first alien told them. “We'll home in on the remotes signal!”

Dipper's face lit up with excitement. He looked up, caught Mabel's eye, and the two of them dashed outside. Waddles was close behind.

The backyard quiet devoid of life, save for the creepy-looking gnome in the rose bushes. The twins looked up. One of the stars in the sky was growing brighter by the second, until a disk-shaped spaceship the size of a city block was descending slowly above their house. Waddles oinked at it.

“Omigosh, look!” Mabel squealed. As the UFO put on its brakes, jets of superheated gas hissed out of the vents on the bottom, searing strange designs into the grass. “It's lawn art, Dipper! Space-shippy lawn art!”

“And it just melted that creepy garden gnome,” Dipper said giddily, still clutching the spaceship's remote. He stood back a little farther to let the bottom dome of the ship touch down. His parents would probably think they pulled some crazy prank on the lawn, but who cared? He was about to drive a spaceship – an actual, real-life, still-functioning space ship, with actual aliens inside of it! He was about to make First Contact, at least in this dimension!

He was so thrilled he was practically dancing on the spot, clutching the space egg with excitement. “Oh man, oh man, this is gonna be so great, I can't wait to tell Great-Uncle Ford, I've gotta take pictures –”

Abruptly the spaceship stopped descending. The remote glowed. “Did you say 'Ford'?” the first alien asked.

Dipper blinked. “Uh – yeah?”

“Ford Pines, the human?”

“Um, yeah!”

“Four limbs, one head, twelve phalanges, also known as Sixer – that Ford?”

Mabel gasped. “OMG you know him!! Are you his interdimensional space buddies?!”

“Oh no we're not!” the alien barked, and the whole spaceship turned red. Metal cylinders jutted from the ship, and before he could blink, a wall of red laser fire light up the grass at his feet. He and Mabel jumped back with a yell, nearly hitting Waddles. The pig squealed and pressed into Mabel's leg.

“HEY! What was that for?!” Dipper demanded.

“We're not letting the family of an interdimensional criminal aboard just so he can steal our ship for spare parts!” the alien shouted.

“Interdi – but – we're not criminals!”

“Tell that to all the people he stole from to build his so-called quantum death thingie!” the second alien spat.

“You're not so much as touching our ship!” the first alien growled. “And forget trying some other alien marks – we'll be making a very strongly worded post on the Space Lizard Forum, warning everyone about exactly what kind of scam you're trying to pull!”

“But – but –”

The spaceship fired, so suddenly that Dipper, Mabel, and Waddles were all thrown tumbling back onto the porch. Heat seared their faces and light flashed through their closed eyelids. Waddles squealed.

When Dipper opened his eyes, the lawn was a charred mess, and it looked like his mom's roses had melted right along with the creepy old gnome.

He stared at the carnage. “Tell me that didn't just happen.”

“Well...” Mabel sat up slowly, one arm around Waddles. “I could, except that I'm trying to wrap my brain around the fact that both of our Grunkles have actual criminal records. D'you think crime runs in the family?”

“I think the aliens thought it did,” he said numbly. “He did say Ford, right? Like actually Ford, not Stan pretending to be Ford? I didn't even know Ford had a criminal record!

“Well if crime is inherited then I wanna be an art thief, or – oh! Maybe a masked vigilante! With rainbow powers!! Rainbow powers of JUSTICE!”

He groaned. “I was this close to being in an alien spaceship...”

“Hey, Dipper, look!” She pointed. The space remote was still sitting on the burnt lawn, untouched and shiny as ever. “They left their thingie behind! We could call them and try to get them to change their minds!”

He reached for it, but before he could touch it the remote made a dull thump noise and black smoke poured out of its seam. It had self-destructed.

“Ah,” Mabel said. “Well...maybe they won't post on all the Space Lizard Forums?”

“Aaaauuuuggghh!!!”

AN: Thus ended Dipper's dream of driving an alien space ship.

#diptember2018 #dipper shall never fly a spaceship #never ever #EVAR #muhahaha #dipper pines #mabel pines #spaceship #Ford's criminal record revealed #death of the creepy garden gnome

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eridesolutionsau · 4 years

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How To: Tips and Tricks for Electric Scooter Maintenance and Safety

20 years ago, no one would have imagined that electric scooters would reach the height that it has reached now. The electric ride skyrocketed to popularity during the last decade, and is continuing to make waves in the e-ride industry. A growing number of people, from adults, teenagers, and even children use e-scooters for both travel and leisure.

However, just like any other electric ride, it is essential to an electric scooter’s riding safety measures, and maintenance. One can definitely make the most out of his e-scooter experience knowing that he is safe during the ride, and that his scooter is in its best condition.

In this article, we will give you some tips and tricks on how to properly maintain your favorite compact e-ride, and of course, how to safely have fun while at it.

Importance of Electric Scooter Maintenance

Unlike manual scooters, e-scooters require a different type of looking after. Although they are technically easy to maintain, doing so regularly will help keep them safe to use and smoothly sailing on the road.

Regular e-scooter maintenance reduces the likelihood of major problems and increases the functionality of your trusty e-ride. It also saves the owner money from future repairs. Simply, putting a little extra effort on looking after your e-scooter will save you from greater trouble in the future.

Moreover, a well-maintained e-scooter means that you can rely on it whenever or wherever you want and need it.

So, before we give you some comprehensive tips on maintaining your electric scooter, let’s first find out why doing so is essential!

It doesn’t cost much—you can do it yourself! It’s a known fact that some have purchased an e-scooter knowing that switching to it is more cost-effective and budget-friendly. This is true, and the fact that one doesn’t need to splurge money on maintenance makes it even more favorable. It can be done with simple tools that can already be found in your garage, and it levels up your handy skills too. It’s a win-win situation!

Regular maintenance eliminates serious hazards. Just like any other ride that takes on the road, an unmaintained e-scooter could be a disaster waiting to happen. But if the owner checks it up regularly, he would know once there are repairs that need to be done, or if there are any parts that need top be replaced. This way, you’re not only taking care of your e-scooter, you’re keeping you and the people around you safe from fatal accidents.

It keeps your riding much more enjoyable. A well-maintained electric scooter puts your mind at ease at all times. No need to worry about flat tires or a faulty battery—all you need to do is hop on and enjoy your ride! Just make sure that you are equipped with the right protective gear, and you’re ready to go!

These are just some of the reasons why you need to look after your e-scooter properly. Now that you know the essence of keeping an eye on your e-scooter, it’s time to learn how to do it properly.

Electric Scooter Maintenance Tips

If you’ve just bought your e-scooter a few months ago, and notice a slight (or relevant) decline on its performance, then chances are it needs upkeeping. As we have stressed in the earlier parts of this article, regular maintenance can mean the reliability of one’s e-scooter. When it’s done often (and properly, of course), you are sure to have your money’s worth.

If you want your e-scooter to run for years, you need to know how to take care of it! Here are a few important tasks you should be mindful of.

Make sure you charge the battery often. An electric scooter isn’t what it is without a battery. While it can still be used like a manual scooter with the batteries off, that will take away the variety of a hassle-free travel. E-scooters are equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Unlike the lead-acid batteries of the past, these innovations are able to provide better functionality and longer-lasting power. However, batteries of this type also have a life cycle. So, to maximize the life of your battery, it is important to make sure you charge it to 100% every few days, or after every ride. Tip: Do not let the battery get drained! A complete charging cycle happens when you drain the battery, and charge it back up to a hundred percent. Doing this often will cause the battery to lose the ability to hold a full charge, thus shortening a scooter’s range. A better way to do it is to charge your e-scooter every ride.

Store it somewhere safe. The general rule of thumb for e-scooter maintenance is to prevent as much damage as possible. One good way to start is storing it somewhere safe and secure. When choosing where to keep an electric scooter, it is important to consider two things: sunlight and temperature. You would want to keep it somewhere it wouldn’t get hit by direct sunlight, and with stable temperatures. Keeping it somewhere too warm or too cold might damage the battery and cause other components to break down sooner. Tip: If you’re using your e-scooter to commute or run errands, bring it inside as much as possible. This will keep it from elements and conditions that might cause general wear and tear.

Check tyre pressure before riding. This task goes the same for all kind of rides, electric or not. Proper tyre inflation will help you range the maximum range without putting too much pressure on the e-scooter’s motor. You can use a simple bike tyre gauge to do this. Additionally, you should check your tyres for damage all the time. This will let you know if they would need replacement. They should also be kept at the right pressure to avoid too much wear on the inner tube. Tip: Bring a patch kit with you whenever you ride! This way, you could fix minor tyre issues without interrupting your commute.

Inspect cables as often as possible. An electric scooter’s brake system relies on a series of wires and cables to operate. When the cables are in mint condition, the brakes properly. However, when the brakes are old, rusted or damaged, the brakes wouldn’t work as well as they should. Worst case scenario, they would fail to work at all. This is why you should inspect the cables often. Make sure that the plastic casing for the cables are intact. The same goes for the throttle cable when inspecting the brakes.

While you’re at it, you should check the brake system itself as well. This would include the brake pads, discs or rotors. IF you notice something that needs to be replaced, have it serviced right away.

Tip: Once you notice any serious damage on the cables, housing, or the brakes themselves, do not try to salvage it yourself! It’s best if a professional attend to this kind of situations.

Keep the components clean and lubricated as much as you can. Cleaning your electric scooter at least once a week is important not just to keep it neat to look at. It also saves your ride from damage caused by unattended dirt and other elements. Remove any stubborn dirt, mud, and plants that could jam the wheels. You should also make sure that all joints and parts properly lubricated so that they won’t grind against each other. Tips: Use lukewarm water when cleaning your scooter. Make sure that you don’t get any electrical components wet. Be extra careful when you have to work around those areas. Hen lubricating, avoid using household lubricants. Make sure that you use lubricants designed for e-bikes and e-scooters.

Last but definitely not the least…

Set up and annual inspection. If you’re using e-scooter as your primary means of transportation, then D.I.Y. maintenance steps might not be enough to keep it in good condition. In this case, it’s best to schedule yearly check-up with your most reliable mechanic. Mechanics will be able to perform wholistic inspection on your e-scooter, and make repairs until it’s too late. Moreover, they would be able to spot issues that you might have overlooked, saving you from bigger trouble. Tip: If you don’t know where to take you e-scooter, you can ask from advice from the shop where you bought it from/ More often than not, they have mechanics that are help you, or recommend someone they trust. Once you’re able to perform these maintenance tasks, you are sure to enjoy a worry-free electric scooter ride!

Electric Scooter Riding Safety

Aside from knowing how to give your e-scooter its much-needed TLC, it’s also important to know how to ride in it safely. All the steps mentioned above might be useless when the rider ignores to follow safety guidelines.

Electric scooters might be fun to ride, but they can also pose a threat to their owners when improperly used. To avoid this from happening, let us show you some of the things you need to must know before and while riding an e-scooter.

Always wear protective gear. Whether it be for commuting of leisure, an e-scooter ride must always be protected. One wouldn’t know when an accident might happen, and he could save himself from the worst by wearing personal protective equipment Tip: Wear a durable helmet and mouth guard if possible. Elbow and knee straps and gloves may serve as additional protective gear as well.

Avoid riding in wet conditions, and slippery surfaces. Although an e-scooter is able to handle exposure to water, it doesn’t mean that one could ride through it frequently. Water makes it difficult for the tyres to support the scooter. If it gets trapped inside the joints, it might cause the metal to rust. If riding in such conditions can’t be helped, make sure that your scooter is thoroughly dry before continuing your journey. Tip: Keep it on a low speed when you have to ride on wet or slippery surfaces. You should also keep your eyes peeled for possible metal corrosion, and clean it off with an approved rust remover.

Be aware of everything, and that includes your surroundings. Electric scooters are generally unnoticeable because of their sleek design. This is why e-scooter riders should be more mindful of their surroundings when gliding through busy streets. If you’re riding through a busy street, it is only logical not to perform any e-scooter tricks that might lead to serious accidents. Look out for pedestrians, and be sure to follow traffic rules. One should also avoid tailgating (in all shapes and forms), and most especially, using their phones when riding. Tip: If you’re planning to ride your e-scooter at night, it would be ideal to get a model that has built-in tail lights. However, if you already have one that doesn’t come with such specification, you can always purchase customizable lights and have them fit your e-scooter.

Beware of road barriers. When one has too much fun riding his scooter, he might not be able to keep an eye out for road defects such as bumps, potholes, or cracks. This is one thing that you should not miss, as it one of the main reasons of scooter accidents. Once you are nearing a barrier, you should decrease your speed until you come to a full stop. If a full stop is impossible, then slowly head into a clear path where you can avoid barriers. Tip: Keep an eye out for puddles. They might not look harmful, but they could be dangerous, especially when riding through the wet weather.

Never ride your electric scooter during a lightning storm. While a little rain might be bearable for an e-scooter, the same doesn’t go for lightning storms, or other harsher conditions. Lightning can pose serious harm to someone who rides any type of electric ride. Once this occurs, you must stop using your e-scooter, and find a safe spot to take shelter in.

Knowing how to properly take care of and use your electric scooter will not only give you the best performance, it will also ensure that you are safe and sound wherever and whenever you ride it.

It also helps that you purchase your e-scooter from electric rideable shops like E-Ride Solutions, just to guarantee that you get nothing but the best quality electric scooters, and top-rated service that you deserve.

Got questions or anything to share about your e-scooter? Comment down and let us know what you think!

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davidrsmithlove · 5 years

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How to Increase Your Average Order Value Through Product Recommendations

Product recommendations are one of the most powerful selling techniques around. Think about a time you’ve visited a brick and mortar store. We all think we’re immune to salesmen. In reality, it’s hard not to be swayed by someone who knows more than you do.

Of course, in the world of online shopping, it’s harder to take advantage of this effect. However, there are still steps you can take to steer your customers towards the perfect product for them.

These days, product recommendations are still an effective way to boost order values on e-commerce stores. In this article, we’ll look at several ways that this can be achieved, as well as some concrete examples of product recommendations in action.

First, some background…

Why you Should Use Product Recommendations

The core of any good product recommendation strategy is figuring out which products are right for your customers. However, unlike in the past, this isn’t done with personal intuition or expertise.

Instead, the e-commerce sphere uses data on its customers to decide on the best product recommendations. This can be done with a native function in your e-commerce platform or using a third-party plugin.

This is great since you don’t need to be a data science expert to get the benefits of product recommendations. All the same, it’s important to understand a little bit of the theory behind these tools.

In practice, there are three main ways that these tools come up with product recommendations:

The Content Focused method – This uses cookies to track your customer’s behavior, to determine their likes and interests

The Collaborative method – This uses buying patterns from other customers to find trends as a basis for product recommendations

The Hybrid Method – This uses elements of the first two methods in tandem

Now you understand what makes product recommendation tools tick. Next, we’ll look at how to leverage these to increase your average order value.

There are two ways that these techniques will increase order values:

By steering customers towards a more expensive alternative product

Or by encouraging customers to buy additional products as accessories or add-ons

Now, here’s ten ways that this works in practice.

Customers Also Viewed

This example appears on a listing for a shirt.

As you can see, the recommendation points the customer towards other shirts, as well as hoodies and jackets.

Recommending a Rolex wouldn’t be nearly as effective.

How to Increase Average Order Values with Product Recommendations

One thing is for sure. You’ve got a lot of different options when it comes to product recommendations. However, your best bet is to use a number of these techniques all on the same page.

ABOUT: OWEN BAKER

Get a Free Consultation

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andylocksmithtipsntricks · 5 years

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20 Things You’ll Need for Your First Home

Last Updated: A day ago

We updated the products we recommend in this article to help you get settled and stay safe in your new home.

Now that you’ve signed on the dotted line, it’s time to get ready for the big move. If you’re a first-time home buyer, you might be surprised at all the things you need that don’t come with your new house.

To make sure you’re not caught unaware, we’ve put together this guide of all the day-to-day essentials you’ll want to have on hand to make sure you enjoy every minute of your new abode.

Here Are 20 Things to Buy for a New House

1. Drapes or blinds

2. Cleaning supplies

3. Security system

4. Shower curtain

5. Plunger

6. Flashlight

7. Can opener

8. Garbage cans and liners

9. Smoke and CO detectors

10. Batteries

11. Light bulbs

12. Lockbox or safe

13. Tool kit

14. Hangers

15. Smart doorbell

16. Iron and ironing board

17. Security cameras

18. Fire extinguisher

19. New door lock

20. Welcome mat

1. Drapes or Blinds

To make sure your first impression on the neighbors isn’t an awkward sighting of you in your skivvies, invest in window coverings for your new home. While natural light is wonderful, no one wants to meet their new neighbor au naturale.

Nicetown Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtains

When you’re looking for more than privacy, these heavy-duty panels will block out light and help with energy efficiency. You can choose between fifteen colors and three lengths. Beware, though, as customers have reported that the “wrinkle-free” promise isn’t up to snuff.

Shutter Shack Plantation Shutters

These interior shutters instantly upgrade the look of any room and are easy to install on your own. But you may have to pay more for this classy look—kits start at just over $100 per window.

Arlo Blinds Cordless Bamboo Roman Shade

If you want both privacy and style, these decorative shades can do the trick. We especially like that they’re cordless. That means no choking or strangling hazards for little ones.

2. Cleaning Supplies

From a broom and dustpan to sponges and toilet bowl cleaner, you want to stock up on everything you’ll need to keep your new abode spick and span.

Meyers Clean Day Lemon Verbena Kitchen Basics Set

This trio of natural, earth-friendly cleaners includes hand soap, dish soap, and multipurpose cleaner. The bright scent will make your new home smell as clean as it looks, but make sure you like lemon verbena. Some customers have reported that the scent is just too strong.

High Reach Cleaning Kit

You’ll banish dirt from every nook and cranny with this cleaning kit that includes everything from a static duster to a window squeegee. This clever tool comes with an extendable wand that reaches up to 10 feet. Best of all, you can pick it up for around $30. This all-in-one kit will save you so much time that it’s well worth the money.

3. Home Security

Keep your awesome new digs safe from intruders with a home security system. With the variety of options out there, you’ll be able to find a security system that can keep you and your home safe at a price you can afford.

SimpliSafe

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If you’re itching to get your DIY on, start with everyone’s favorite self-install home security system. SimpliSafe equipment is easy to set up on your own and it’s 100% wireless. You won’t need to sign a contract and you can add 24/7 professional monitoring for around $15 per month.

Read our full SimpliSafe review.

Vivint Smart Home

Visit Site

If you want a more traditional home security system that also delivers the latest smart home tech, Vivint should top your list. This security company gives you a free in-home security assessment and professionally installs your equipment to make sure everything is set up to keep your stuff, your people, and your pets safe.

Learn more in our Vivint review.

4. Shower Curtain

We’re back to getting caught in a state of undress—don’t do it. In order to take a shower with privacy, and without flooding the bathroom, you need to remember to pick up a shower curtain. And the bonus is that this can be a fun purchase; there are so many decorative shower curtains to choose from, you may decide to get one for every season.

Mildew-Resistant, Antibacterial Shower Curtain Liner

Before going crazy about the style of your curtain, make sure to protect your bathroom from mold and germs. This heavy-duty liner comes with rust-proof grommets, and soap and suds slide right off without leaving residue or hard water stains. Though there is a fifteen-month warranty, you’ll still need to remember to regularly wipe it clean.

Larry’co Cartoon Shower Curtain

Get a little wacky with these creative, colorful shower curtains from Larry’co. Whether you dig dinosaurs or the King of Pop, there’s a fun design here that’s sure to tickle your fancy.

Rustproof Shower Curtain Hooks

These utilitarian rustproof rings will complete your shower curtain setup. They are 100% stainless steel and glide easily along nearly any curtain rod. However, some customers have found the hooks a tad small for some larger, decorative curtain rods, so it may pay to measure before you purchase.

5. Plunger

While you’re thinking about the bathroom, you may as well add a plunger to your shopping list. Believe us, you don’t want to discover you’re missing one when the need arises. Save yourself future stress and make sure you have one handy in a restroom emergency.

Supply Guru Heavy Duty Toilet Plunger

This plunger is the old standard, with a wooden handle and rubber plunger cup on the bottom. It’ll definitely get the job done, but it may be too large for some of today’s smaller toilet bowls—and it’s not very pretty to look at. But for around $5, there’s little risk to this purchase.

Simplehuman Toilet Plunger

In true Simplehuman style, this plunger comes in sleek chrome and white. It also includes a magnetic dome that covers the plunger to keep the pair together for easy, sanitary movement from one room to another. That pretty chrome has been known to rust, though, so be prepared to regularly wipe it down.

6. Flashlight

Now that you’re a homeowner, you’re also a handyman, plumber, electrician, and the person who has to investigate weird noises. It’s smart to get a couple flashlights and keep them somewhere handy so you can find them when you need them.

Stanley Rechargeable Spotlight

Rechargeable Flashlight

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This behemoth holds a charge for twelve months and can run up to seven hours on low power. It’s a great tool for illuminating work space and vehicle repairs, but the sturdy design comes with a few drawbacks.

This rechargeable flashlight takes up a lot of room in a toolbox, and it can become heavy if you need to hold it for a long period of time.

BYB Super Bright LED Mini Flashlights

These small flashlights come in a pack of four and provide a powerful spotlight for home repairs and finding your way in the dark. The four-pack helps you affordably outfit all the crucial spots in your home, but these lights are small. The included lanyards may fit better around your finger than your wrist.

7. Can Opener

This is just one of many often overlooked necessities that you won’t know you’re missing until you can’t open up that can of soup. Nothing’s worse than being set on a meal and being unable to open it properly.

Zyliss Lock N’ Lift Can Opener

You’ll never lose a lid with this handy gadget that comes outfitted with a magnet. This can opener is easy to operate and works even for those suffering from arthritis. Don’t drop it in the dishwasher, though—because this can opener is only guaranteed as long as it hasn’t been submerged in water.

Pampered Chef Smooth Edge Can Opener

Confession—this is my favorite can opener of all time. Cuts and nicks will be a thing of the past with this can opener that slices along the side of the can, not the top. This pops the seal on the can and there’s no risk of cutting your finger. It’s only available through Pampered Chef, though, so you’ll need to find a sales consultant to get your hands on one.

8. Garbage Cans and Liners

That cute little bin you’ve had next to your bed for the past five years won’t cut it now that you have a whole house. You’ll want a trash can in each bathroom, the kitchen, the garage, and possibly the laundry room as well. Look for sets of cans that come with multiple sizes for different needs, and don’t forget to buy liners in the same size.

Nine Stars Touchless Trash Cans

This set of two cans is a great choice for both aesthetics and hygiene. The lids seal in odors and protect your whole family from contamination because they use motion sensors to open only when necessary. But some customers have reported issues with the sensor, so if that’s what you like best, be sure to do your research before you buy.

Odor Shield Quick Tie Trash Bags

The power of Febreze is added to these trash bags to keep unpleasant odors at bay. The scent can be overpowering for some, so be careful if you’re sensitive to smells. These liners don’t come with a pull-tie, so they fit more loosely in garbage cans.

9. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Along with home ownership comes the responsibility of keeping everyone inside safe. One of the first things you should do is make sure you’re prepared in the event of a fire and have operational smoke detectors in all the right places. But don’t stop there; carbon monoxide can be an even more prevalent threat to your well-being, so be sure you invest in a CO detector as well. There are even two-in-one detectors that can detect both threats.

First Alert Onelink Safe & Sound

If you need to install your own smoke alarm, this one is easy to put in place. It uses photoelectric smoke sensors and an electrochemical carbon monoxide detector. And it is designed to work with Amazon Alexa so you can use it as an extra home speaker to play music or make calls to friends and family.

Google Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Nest Protect

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This two-in-one detector uses smart technology to keep your family safe. Because it uses Wi-Fi, you can control this alarm and receive alerts from any mobile device, no matter where you are. This one does seem a bit trickier to self-install, though, and some users struggle to properly set up the Wi-Fi connections—I struggled to get it to speak English.

Read our full Nest Protect review.

10. Batteries

It might seem obvious, but batteries are a must-have for every home. Get the big ones for your flashlights and stock up on AA and AAA batteries for all the remotes and other gadgets that make modern life so convenient. Everything from remote controls to LED lights rely on fresh batteries, and no one wants to be caught unprepared when the batteries run out.

GoGreen Power AAA 48 Pack

It may seem excessive, but you’ll save money and always be prepared when you stock up with this pack of four dozen batteries. GoGreen batteries are a good choice for environmentally responsible families and provide hassle-free resources for battery recycling. The only drawback is that they’re in such high demand that the company may run out of stock from time to time.

Polaroid Extreme Value AA 48 Pack

Another economical choice, these Polaroid batteries also come in a 48-pack. Note that these traditional batteries aren’t eco-conscious, but they are priced a tad below the earth-friendly GoGreen option.

Energizer 9V Lithium Battery

Some household items require specialized batteries, like this lithium battery designed for smoke detectors. At a whopping eight dollars per battery, the price can seem excessive, but these have a ten-year shelf life, so the cost over time takes away some of that initial sting.

11. Lightbulbs

Even if there are already bulbs in your home’s fixtures, you need backups for when those lights start burning out—and they always seem to do it at the same time. Stock up on energy-efficient bulbs or take it one step further with smart lightbulbs that you can set to turn on and off at designated times and control remotely through your computer or smartphone. Smart lighting increases convenience and security, uses less energy, and helps you save money on your monthly power bill and replacement bulbs.

GE Energy Smart Lightbulbs

If you aren’t ready to take the smart home leap, you can increase energy efficiency and minimize power bills with these five-year fluorescent bulbs. A pack of eight costs under $15, but unfortunately these don’t work with dimmers, and the five-year lifespan may be a bit optimistic.

Philips Hue White Starter Kit

Philips Hue Smart Bulbs

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If you’re ready to upgrade to smart lightbulbs, this starter kit is the perfect place to start. It comes with two smart bulbs and a hub that can wirelessly connect to as many as fifty lights. It is pricey to get started at about $70, but this can be your first step toward making your whole house a smart home.

12. Lockbox

It’s smart to purchase a lockbox to hold important documents and other valuables. Make sure you choose one that is both water and fireproof. Depending on what you need to keep safe, you can find a box or safe starting at around $20 to safeguard crucial documents like birth certificates, banking records, and other sensitive information.

Vaultz Locking Utility Box

This little lockbox uses a combination lock and has chrome-steel corners for added strength. However, this is a fairly lightweight option that is best suited to protecting items like an iPod or small amount of cash. More important items should be kept in a more advanced lockbox or small safe.

SentrySafe Fireproof Safe

Outfitted with a privacy key lock and fireproofing, this home safe offers protection for sensitive documents and valuables. It can withstand heat and fire up to 1550℉ for 30 minutes.

13. Tool Kit

In order to fix things around the house, you need the necessary tools at your fingertips. It’s just not practical to borrow a tool from your neighbor every time something needs fixing. (Plus, you don’t want to become the Homer Simpson of the neighborhood.)

Stanley Homeowner’s Tool Kit

Increase your homeowner abilities with this 65-piece kit. Whether it’s a hammer, a screwdriver, or a measuring tape, this kit is the perfect starting place for your future tool shed. While most customers love the tools, they’re not as crazy about the case—it takes up a lot of space and may not stand up to the test of time.

Black+Decker Twenty-Volt Lithium Drill

If you feel a little more advanced, consider picking up a cordless cordless drill (Amazon). The light, compact design is perfect for putting together furniture, making small repairs, and hanging up those beloved family photos. This one won’t cut it for bigger jobs, though, so if you’re planning on a lot of drilling, you might need to look for something else.

Best Choice Portable Tool Storage

As your tool supply grows, you’ll need a good place to keep everything organized and in good repair. This rolling storage chest includes trays, drawers, and cabinets perfect for keeping all your tools safe. With a price tag of more than $200, you need to be committed before putting in your order.

14. Hangers

All that new closet space is like a dream come true, but you need the right supplies to make your dream function properly. Be sure to stock up on hangers—basic plastic ones come in a variety of colors, or you can upgrade to wooden hangers that can be affordable.

Mainstay Standard Hangers

If you can’t bear the thought of wire in your closet, these clothes hangers are an affordable way to upgrade. You can grab a pack of eighteen for just under $12. However, there are some notches on the hangers that some customers have reported cause damage to shirts.

House Day Wooden Hangers

If your closet is sacred, you may want to opt for velvet or wooden hangers. Even though it’s an upgrade, you can still find deals. These solid wood hangers come in a pack of 20 for under $25.

Hangerworld Foam Garment Protectors

These foam guards for wire hangers are a sturdy, affordable way to get started on organizing your closet, and you don’t have to get rid of all those wire hangers you already have. However, they don’t last forever and can be tricky to apply without tearing.

15. Smart Doorbell

Now that you’re in charge of your castle, you can benefit from knowing who’s at the door—even when you’re not home. A Wi-Fi enabled smart doorbell lets you see when that important package is delivered, when the kids get home from school, and who dares knock during the dinner hour.

Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell

Ring Smart Doorbell

Visit Ring

This video doorbell lets you see and speak to visitors whether you’re upstairs or in your office across town. It starts at under $100 and is easy to install on your own. The motion detector has had some glitches, so be aware that it may capture people as they walk away, instead of as they approach your door.

Anko Wireless Doorbell

If security isn’t your main concern, you might like this wireless doorbell that has customizable chimes, a remote control, and receivers that you can place anywhere within 1,000 feet so you never miss a visitor. Even though the doorbell comes with two receivers and transmitters, it can’t be used on multiple doors. To outfit additional entrances, you’ll need to purchase another one.

16. Iron and Ironing Board

In order to stay presentable at work and keep tablecloths in their best condition, you need an iron and ironing board. Make sure you complete your ironing setup with extras like a squirt bottle and spray starch so your shirts and trousers look just as crisp as when they were new.

Sunbeam Steam Master Iron

This dripless iron will leave your shirts crisp and your wallet fat, coming in at just $30. Be warned that the anti-drip promise isn’t foolproof, and some users find the iron heavy after a long ironing session.

URPOWER Garment Steamer

You can banish wrinkles without the hassle of pulling an ironing board with this handy tool. It heats up in two minutes and provides seven to 10 continuous minutes of steam. This handheld steamer is best suited for small jobs, as large items require multiple refills of water.

Household Essentials Adjustable Ironing Board

For those who like the neat lines an ironing board provides, check out this adjustable board that comes equipped with both a cover and an iron holder. Make sure the surface you set up the board on is even, though, as it can be unstable on certain floors.

17. Security Cameras

Keeping an eye on your home—and your loved ones or pets—is more important once you’re a homeowner. Security cameras can provide extra comfort, especially when you’re getting used to a new neighborhood and routine.

Wyze Cam Pan

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This little camera is so affordable that you can outfit your entire house with video surveillance. The Wyze Cam Pan features two-way talk, night vision, and advanced motion tracking. Best of all, there’s no required subscription—the app is free.

Blink Home Security Camera System

For right around $100, you can rest easier with this simple simple camera system . This starter kit sets you up to capture HD images, and it provides both live-feed viewing and video recordings. There’s even a motion-activated mode that automatically records five to ten seconds of activity after movement is detected. Note, however, that some of the app functionality is limited, so be on the lookout for updates.

You can also get quality surveillance and extra security from our favorite security cam picks under $50.

18. Fire Extinguisher

Smoke alarms aren’t the beginning and end of fire safety—you also need to be sure your new home is equipped with a fire extinguisher. It’s not just the professionals who need these potentially lifesaving devices.

Fire Gone Fire Extinguishers

Another option is a single-use aerosol fire extinguisher that is handy to keep under the kitchen sink or near the work table in the garage. While these are convenient, you need to use good judgment before reaching for them. For example, the force of a one-time extinguisher could actually spread a stovetop grease fire.

First Alert Fire Extinguisher

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You can opt for this heavy-duty multipurpose home fire extinguisher that fights wood, fabric, paper, flammable liquid, and electrical fires. It comes with a 12-year warranty and includes a mounting bracket.

19. New Door Lock

Chances are you’re not the first person to call your house home. The safest way to ensure random keys to your front door aren’t floating around in the world is to swap out your current door lock for a new one.

You can make a straight trade for a standard lock, add a new deadbolt, or upgrade to an electronic keyless lock. Smart locks get rid of lost keys all together.

Schlage B60N626 Deadbolt

This deadbolt is easy to install, which means you don’t have to be a home improvement superstar to add extra security to your new front door. This Schlage deadbolt fits your door’s pre-drilled holes and is rated to reinforce your door against attempted break-ins from crowbars, lock picks, and kicking.

Schlage Connect Smart Lock

Schlage Connect

View on Amazon

With this smart lock you can use a code instead of a key for easy entry. It also provides extra security when you need to let in a neighbor to water the plants or give the kiddos entry after school. This is one of the highest-rated electronic door locks for security and it works with any Z-Wave home automation device. That way you can set up a routine to have your smart porch light come on when you unlock the door.

20. Welcome Mat

Last, but not least, is a mat for your front door that shows off your personality and keeps mud and other detritus from crossing the threshold.

Have fun picking out a doormat for your new home, but don’t forget about safety. Make sure the welcome mat (and any other area rug) doesn’t turn into a tripping hazard. Secure rugs with rug pads or grippers.

Pure Coco Coir Doormat

This natural fiber doormat comes in seasonal designs and has built-in nonslip backing to keep your porch safe for all visitors. Best of all, coconut coir is naturally resistant to fungi and bacteria, so feel free to roll out this mat in all weather and even humid conditions.

Veken Non-Slip Area Rug Pad Gripper

Stamp out tripping hazards in every room with this area rug pad gripper that comes in four sizes. It comes with a two-year product warranty. That means if you have any problems with your rug pad, the company will replace it for free.

We hope this list makes you feel prepared to stock up your new home with all the necessities. If you have experience buying and taking care of a new home, what other must-have items would you add to this list?

*SafeWise has conducted impartial research to recommend products. This is not a guarantee. Each individual’s unique needs should be considered when deciding on chosen products.

Related Pages on SafeWise

10 Simple Ways to Secure Your New Home

Room-by-Room New Homeowner Safety Check List

The post 20 Things You’ll Need for Your First Home appeared first on SafeWise.

Article source here: 20 Things You’ll Need for Your First Home

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ecotone99 · 5 years

Text

[HR] [SF] Spence - Chapter 2

‘Fore we got rid of Dr. McFuckknuckle and The Three Stooges, went through all their things and vehicles. No identification at all.

That tablet thing ‘Curly’ had was, along with bein’ a tracker for Spence, a maintenance console kinda thing. Get back to that here in a minute.

The doc’s car had some real interestin’ toys inside. Was a laptop, set up on a stand like in a police vehicle. Opened it up, and it lit up fine, but wanted a password, or a fingerprint. Lucky for me, once I pried open ol’ doc’s torn off hand and cleaned it up a mite, the thumbprint from that did the trick. Couple minutes of tinkerin’ got me my thumbprint authorized jest fine. Tossed that hand back over by its former owner. Spence followed the toss with his head, and chuffed. ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish, right?’ He cocked his head at me, like he was thinkin’ that over.

Was a leather folder which had some papers, a small black nylon toolbag, and a power cord/adapter for keeping the laptop charged.

Plugged the laptop up in the shack, ‘fore we headed out to get rid of the trash.

Loaded the dead weight into the back of that SUV, jerry-rigged a tow for the doc’s car, got ready to haul out into the back-country. Plenty of room for Spence in the back seat. Opened the door and said ‘C’mon bud. It’s garbage day.’ Spence kinda ‘chuffed’, would not get in.

‘You gonna stay here, slick?’

<chuff>

Goddamn, he was sayin’ no.

‘Fair enough, you plenty fast, bud. Follow me.’

Headed out, and Spence was a joy to see in motion. He’d rocket out ahead, swoop around and jet right back. He was playin’ with his lil ol’ slow human. Such a cat, that guy. Wiseass.

Got to where we was gonna dump this sack o’ assholes, and made sure to kick Dr. MFK in the ribs until my leg was tired. Not that it bothered him much, made me feel better.

Not gonna get too detailed on where/how all that was dealt with. Some things are best left unsaid ... but no one is ever gonna find them, or their vehicles ... and there are a couple-three less incendiary grenades left.

Was a long walk back, but Spence had a time. He’d spot a jack-rabbit, start up that chittery thing he does, and off he’d go. Chase the poor lil bugger for a while, and then he’d stop, let that jack run off, look back at me, and speed on back. Keepin’ an eye on his human. Saw a buzzard off on high, ridin’ the thermals. Guess we wasn’t the only ones takin’ care of dead meat today.

Just managed to beat the rain, and nightfall when we got back home.

Was time to get back to those ‘stay tuned’ things, so made up some coffee, and started snoopin’.

That laptop and those papers had some info, but the rest here is some wild-ass-guessin’:

Spence is a ‘prototype weapons system.’ Was the only one that ‘was successful’. Seems ‘they’ (not clear on who ‘they’ really is, but ‘they’ had some deep pockets, as Dr. MFK didn’t seem to have much problem keepin’ the lights on) had built some kinda ’AI’. Too bad for ‘they’, this AI? That dog won’t hunt. Couldn’t manage to ‘code a hunting instinct.’ Some bright-boy lab rat fella decided to ‘look into the feline mind’ to get that ‘hunter/killer’ code.

Dr. MFK was that lab rat. Pretty sure the process died with him. Small favors.

Seems the idea that he come up with was what he called a ‘matrix’ that this AI thing could run in, and the cat ‘code’ part could be copied in there, to give them that missin’ piece. There warn’t no ‘organic’ Spence left in that shiny body, from what I could figger. Just that matrix thing, swaddled up in Spence’s metal and silicon innards, with Spence and that AI all mixed up together.

He also figgered out that ferals and cats not raised ... whaddyacallit ... underfoot? Well, not bonded to humans, they wasn’t gonna work either.

Bastard slaughtered a lot of cats. ‘Spence, Ima thinkin’ the Doc here got off light.’ Spence chuffed again. Ima guessin’ this time he was agreein’ with me.

Spence was a smart fella before, but now he’s scary smarter. Still good company. Conversation is nice, just too damn big for lap-sittin’.

—-

[SIGNAL SCAN IN PROGRESS]

[SIGNAL DETECTED]

[SIGNAL TRIANGULATION ENGAGED]

—-

Also figgered out that the tools in that bag were for openin’ up maintenance ports and the like on Spence’s chrome carcass. One of them had a port for connectin’ that little maintenance console up. Told ya I’d get back to that. Was able to find the tracker tag they had plugged into Spence. Pulled that sumbitch out and unhooked its battery. Put that all away in the toolbag. Oh yeah, Spence is stealth. I can’t claim to understand how it works, but I read that, and tried to take a picture with my old digital camera, and all I could see was a kinda washed out blur, like the lens was smudged. Does the same kinda thing to radar signals and the like, but I ain’t got no way to test that. The black magic don’t extend to regular optical cameras, but that’s ok. Hell, I wanna be able to see him.

—-

[TRIANGULATION INCOMPLETE]

[SIGNAL LOST]

—-

Feelin’ kinda proud of myself at this point, so I closed Spence back up, grabbed a beer, and hit my chair. Spence sat on my left, and leaned his head on my leg. Put my hand on his ear, and he buzzed that purr of his, and lightly thumped his tail. We listened to the rain, until it faded out.

That was pretty close to the last time we felt peaceful.

Thinkin’ that ‘they’ might want to collect on their spendin’, and scoop up Spence. Yeah, well, fellas. Gonna have to go thru me first. Ima thinkin’ we two gonna hit the road. Dunno where to yet, but ‘they’ probably got the shack already nailed down. Also thinkin’ about that buzzard.

Next day, shit to do. Told Spence to guard the shack, and I’d be back. He chuffed and ima sure that was his version of an eye-roll. Walked down to the highway. Waved down the bus. Took that to the city (the other direction from town), and bought a new-to-me truck, with a camper shell on the back. Figgered that would give Spence some cover from all the lookie-loos.

Once I was back home, towed the trusty old truck out to the back-country, for a hero’s funeral. Couple less incendiaries. At least this time, didn’t need to walk back. Yep, could still see that circlin’ bird. Like that paintin’ ... this is not a pipe, and that ain’t no buzzard. Spence was chasin’ jack-rabbits again. I stopped the truck.

‘Spence!’ He spun around and come runnin’ back. ‘Hey bud. Ima thinkin’ you understand me a lot more than you used to. See that?’ I kinda pointed up the bird’s way. Spence’s head tracked the lazy circles for a bit, and then he looked back at me, head cocked. ‘Yep. Ima thinkin’ we on borrowed time. Those ‘they’ fellas are watchin’.’ He thought on that, and gave me a chuff. ‘Time to go, old fella’.’ He didn’t make a sound this time. Just cocked his head, like he does... and then walking over and givin’ me a head bump on my leg. Understood that perfect. I opened up the door, and he jumped in the back of the double-cab.

Got back home, and started packin’ up.

Got my back-country hikin’ gear. Packed some boxes with non-perishables. Loaded up the jugs of water I already had. Wrapped up our little armory in some tarps. Stowed that laptop and the other gear in my pack. Made sure my scatter-gun was loaded and handy. Was just finishing securing ever’thin’ down, when Spence made his chitter sound, looking back towards the road to the highway.

‘Goddammit, guess we outta time, bud. You stay here, in the truck. Let’s see what these assholes are up to.’

<chuff>

It looked to be one of the staties’ prowlers. I got no problem with the real authorities, but I made sure my sawed-off was in easy, hidden reach.

Prowler pulled to a stop. Could see two folks inside. In my experience with the staties, there’s usually only one per car. Somethin’ is not right here.

They both got out. ‘Good afternoon, sir.’

‘Afternoon officers, can I help you fellas?’

‘Yessir. We are out here, working with the rangers, letting people know that there is a very dangerous wild animal in the area. Have you noticed any signs? Any lost livestock? Pets? Anything like that?’

The one talkin’ was bein’ real calm and reassurin’ and walkin’ over easy like, with a nice, friendly grin. The other one was kinda off to the side, movin’ slow and steady, kinda like he was tryin’ to flank me... lookin’ everywhere but at me. Noticed that their sidearms were not the standard statie issue, but more like smaller versions of the Stooges’ weapons, with extended magazines. This is not a pipe, and these ain’t staties.

From where they was at, they couldn’t get a clear view of Spence, but he saw them. I could see him trackin’ their progress from the corner of my eye.

‘Well sir, don’t have any livestock to speak of. Was out hikin’ some today. Didn’t see no varmints bigger than a jack-rabbit.’ Was edgin’ my hand over to the sawed-off.

The chatty one smiled bigger, and started to reply, when the sneaky one finally got to where he saw Spence. He grabbed at his shoulder mike, and they both reached down for their weapons, but they never had a chance. I was spinning behind the truck, grabbin’ my scatter-gun, but I never even got it pulled.

I knew Spence was fast, but the last time he did this, I didn’t see the details. My buddy Spence is a beautiful goddamn chrome murder machine.

Spence went right through the side window of the camper shell. He tore into Sneaky, snipped both hands off clean, and slashed his throat deep, all in one move. Sneaky dropped, no sound but wet chokin’. Never even keyed the mike. Spence was over on Smiley in less than a heartbeat, before he could even get turned. Spence took that gunhand clean, and dropped ol’ Smiley on his back, and held him there, front paws on his shoulders, with the claws slid in for purchase, pressin’ down. Spence smiled, if you can call a mouthful of steely razors smilin’.

It was quiet, ‘cept for Spence’s metallic chirr, and Smiley’s sobs, as he clutched the stub with his remaining hand, ghost white face locked on Spence.

I walked over with my scatter-gun on my shoulder. Put a hand on Spence’s head and rubbed that ear. He thumped my leg once with his tail, not moving anything else.

Knelt down a little off to the side, up by Smiley’s head.

‘Son, meet Spence. Now, you and me? We gonna have us a little come-to-Jesus meetin’.’

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#Blogger #Story

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charllieeldridge · 5 years

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10 Essential Travel Items Everyone Should Pack

Every year there are new travel gadgets and gear upgrades coming on the market. A quick “travel” search on Amazon will almost always lead to 10 or 15 purchases. But not all of these travel items are actually worth packing and some of them may seem cool, but you’ll never actually use them.

After travelling for nearly 10 years with nothing more than a 40 liter backpack, we’ve learned to really minimize our travel gear. But that’s not to say we don’t have a few luxury items in our bags. There are some things in our packs that you’ve most likely never heard of, and others that are common, but we feel they should be obligatory for long-term travel.

In this article I’m going to list 10 of the best things we have in our bags, as well as some things we’re planning to buy in 2018. These are items that we couldn’t travel without and we don’t think you should either!

Note: The most important thing you travel with is your backpack itself. Don’t miss our buyers guide for the best travel backpacks of the year and make sure your pack does everything you want it to.

1. Handpresso

We absolutely love the Handpresso, a compact, hand pump espresso machine. As coffee lovers who aren’t crazy about brewed coffee (we only like lattes), this is one travel item that we wouldn’t leave home without.

Simply pump it 30 times, add hot water and a pod of your favourite coffee and voilà, you’ve got the perfect cup of espresso. For budget travellers who find themselves ordering lattes at coffee shops everyday, the Handpresso can be an enormous money saver.

Just think about it. One large latte at Starbucks is around $3.65. We purchase a bag of ground espresso coffee at the grocery store for just $4.50 and that bag makes around 40 cups of coffee. Add a bit of milk and we calculate that we’re not paying more than 15 cents per latte.

If a person who normally orders 1 large latte from Starbucks every day, decided to use Handpresso instead, they’d potentially save up to $105 per month on coffee. That’s enough to pay for the Handpresso Pump itself!

Aside from the money savings, we just love this little pump. We purchase delicious ground beans from all over the world. Colombian dark roast in Colombia, rich Java from Indonesia and tasty espresso from Italy. We wake up every morning and instead of walking to a coffee shop or conglomerate, we make lattes right in our rooms and drink them on our deck.

If you love espresso, then you should travel with a Handpresso pump. The only real downside to them is that they’re quite heavy at around 800 grams. Even though we only travel with 40 liters, we still find space for this essential item.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR HANDPRESSO ON AMAZON

Bonus Hack: Pick up a boil coil on Amazon as well. This handy little gadget can boil water in minutes and is super compact. Simply plug it in and add it to a cup of water and you can have boiling hot coffee in no time. The boil coil is also great for tea, cooking a cup of noodles or even for making hard boiled eggs.

UPDATE 2019: A lot of people are now using the Aeropress coffee machine for travelling. While we are still happy using the Handpresso, you may want to compare this to the Aeropress and see which is best for you. It’s definitely lighter, but does it make better coffee? Having used both now, I still think that Handpresso has it beat but it’s up to you.

2. Zipper Cubes

We still swear by these things. They keep your bag organized and ensure that everything is compressed down so that you can pack more in your bag than you would by just rolling clothes and stuffing them inside.

mesh packing cubes

We purchased Eagle Creek Zipper Cubes and they’re incredibly durable. We’ve had them since 2010 and we’ve packed them so tight that we’ve had to kneel on them and pull on the zippers just to do them up. To this day, the zippers have held up and they’re still working like new.

There are a lot of these brands on the market, but the only ones we’ve ever used are Eagle Creek and we know that they last.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR PACKING CUBES ON AMAZON

3. DJI Spark

When we first bought our DJI Phantom 3 back in 2014, drones were mostly reserved for professional videographers, vloggers and bloggers who wanted arial photography. These days, drones have become smaller, more durable and easier to fly.

The DJI Spark is so tiny that it can pretty much fit into any backpack or luggage. It comes with a hard foam case to keep it protected and it takes great videos and photos. If you like to get unique photos while you’re travelling, then this thing is perfect.

It sets up in minutes, can be flown using just a smartphone and has a bunch of cool features like follow me, hand gestures and point of interest. The drone can be flown by a 12 year old and DJI has made it very simple to get excellent cinematic shots.

If you’re a new blogger, I definitely recommend picking one of these up. At just $400 you really can’t go wrong. But even if you’re not a blogger, the DJI Spark is perfect for getting cool video clips and beautiful photos from the sky while you’re travelling.

UPDATE 2019: DJI recently released the Mavic Mini drone which is a definite replacement for the Spark. With a 2.7K camera, enhanced Wifi and a 3-axis gimbal all for the same price that the Spark was at it’s release date, I’ll definitely be upgrading to the Mavic Mini as soon as possible.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR DJI SPARK ON AMAZON

4. Power Bank

Believe it or not, Dariece and I didn’t travel with a power bank until mid-2017. I really don’t know how we did it. iPhones and other devices barely last a day, so we were always walking around with electronics that were completely dead and useless.

Today we travel with 3 different power banks, in 3 different sizes for different situations. There’s no need taking out the heavy power bank if you’ll only be gone for the day, and the smallest one we have only charges the iPhone to 50%, so we only use that one if we’re running out the door and we realize our phones are dead.

The first power bank we have is the TP-Link Power Bank (pictured above) which has 20,100 mAH, enough to fully charge our iPhone 6s Plus 3 times over (nowhere near 6.5 times as the manufacturer claims).

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR A POWER BANK ON AMAZON

Our second powerbank is the Mi 10000 Power Bank. It’s half the size of the TP-Link, and this one fits in our pocket and charges the iPhone 6s Plus about 1.5 times.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR MI 10000 POWER BANK ON AMAZON

Finally we pack the Travel Card. This thing is about the size of two credit cards stacked on top of each other, but it doesn’t hold much charge. If we’re lucky, it’ll give the iPhones a 50% charge, but we can only usually rely on it for around 35%. Still, it’s great if we just need a quick boost in battery and don’t want to carry around anything heavy.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR THE TRAVELCARD ON THEIR WEBSITE

Note: Travelling with carry-on luggage makes flying a lot less stressful. To figure out whether or not your luggage will meet the restrictions of the airline you’re flying with, check out this carry-on size chart which shows the allowance of 170+ airlines.

5. Noise Cancelling Earbuds

I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about surrounding “noise cancellation” until I tried on a pair of Bose Quietcomfort 20 Noise Cancelling Earbuds. These things are super comfortable and they actually cancel out most noise from around the room or airplane.

The best part is that you don’t have to actually listen to music in order to cancel out the noise. You can simply put in the earbuds and turn on the noise cancellation feature and the earbuds will scan the audio climate in the room and counteract any noise by sending the opposite signal into your eardrum. They work like a charm and really need to be heard to be believed.

Oh, and they’re Bose, so you know they sound amazing when they’re playing music.

UPDATE 2019: If you’re an Apple fan, the recent release of Apple Airpods Pro might be the best option for you. These are noise cancelling bluetooth earbuds that are getting a lot of positive reviews right now. We tried to buy a pair on our recent trip to the US but they were sold out! A clear indicator that these are a popular new product.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR BOSE EARBUDS ON AMAZON

6. Laser Lite Ear Plugs

Continuing on the theme of blocking out unwanted sound, I wouldn’t travel without a good set of ear plugs. When I have the opportunity to order my favourites from Amazon, I always choose Laser Lite Foam Ear Plugs.

They’re soft, comfortable and block out the most sound possible without hurting your ears. You can pick up a pack of 200 of them for just over $20 and they’re worth every penny. To get the most out of them, you’ll have to pinch them down and insert them into your ear, and then let them expand deep within the canal.

Bonus Hack: Put in your laser lite ear plugs and then use ear cancelling headphones or earbuds as well. The combination of the two will drown out any crying babies, loud music or even barking dogs when you’re trying to get some shut eye.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR EAR PLUGS ON AMAZON

7. Good Compact Camera

Every traveller needs to be carrying a good pocket camera. If you really don’t care about what your photos look like and never plan to take pictures in low light, then your iPhone or Android device should do the trick (assuming it’s a newer model with 10+ megapixels).

If you want to take some better photos and great videos while you’re travelling, without packing the size and weight of a full DSLR or mirrorless, then I recommend the Canon G7x Mark II. This camera has some incredible features, takes great photos (when not in Auto mode), and produces some of the best video of any camera in its class.

If you’re not a Canon fan, then you may want to go with the Lumix LX10. This one outdoes the G7x II with 4K video and rack focusing photography, meaning you can take the photo now, and decide where to focus later. A great feature that’s definitely worth the money. Also, the LX-10 has a Leica lens which promises clearer, more crisp photos.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR LX10 ON AMAZON

I’m going to be upgrading our camera in the next few months and there’s a good chance I’ll go with the Lumix, but having used the G7x Mark II for over a year, I can say it’s an excellent camera and I highly recommend it.

Bonus Hack: Both the G7x II and the LX10 lack an external mic port. If you plan to do any video with these cameras, the built in mics sound terrible when there’s even the slightest bit of wind. The solution is to pick up a small mic muff, cut out a piece and glue it over the built-in mic at the top of the camera. The sound becomes less tinny and the mic works amazingly well in windy conditions.

UPDATE 2019: Canon has now updated this camera to the G7X III but be careful. A lot of users are complaining about bad focusing and overheating. We decided to upgrade to the Sony RX100 VII instead of getting another Canon.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR G7X MARK II ON AMAZON

8. Lems Shoes

I can’t speak highly enough about these amazing travel shoes. My Lems Shoes have lasted me for over two years and I wear them quite a bit. They’re extremely comfortable, can be used in place of dress shoes and running shoes in most cases and the best part is that they roll up into a ball for easy packing.

Without a doubt these are the best shoes I’ve ever owned and if they ever wear out, I’ll buy another pair right away. For men and women, these are simply the best travel shoes on the market.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR THE MEN’S LEMS SHOES ON THEIR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR THE WOMEN’S LEMS SHOES ON THEIR WEBSITE

9. Luggage Tracker

I have to be honest, we promised ourselves we’d pick up one of these things after Turkish Airlines lost our luggage back in 2016. We “forgot” to buy one and in December of 2017 Alaskan Airlines misplaced our luggage.

On both occasions, we were able to get our luggage back in a week, but it’s that horrible feeling you have that you’ll never see your backpack again. If we had a luggage tracker in our bags, we would have known exactly what airport they were at and we could’ve even told the airline so that they could retrieve it faster.

Needless to say, we plan to buy a luggage tracker in the new year and never lose our luggage again. During my research both in 2015 and this past few months, the Trakdot consistently tops the lists as the most recommended luggage trackers on the market.

There are two main downsides to any luggage tracker, one is that their batteries can run out if you forget to charge them and then they’re completely useless, and two is that they usually come with a paid yearly subscription (Trakdot is $24.99 per year).

Either way, at this time there’s no better solution to lost luggage, so if you care about your bags as much as we do, it may pay to pick one of these things up for around $40 and put your mind at ease.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR THE TRAKDOT ON AMAZON

10. Bluetooth Speakers

Everyone these days travels with Bluetooth speakers. When you’re getting ready to go out for the night or just chilling on your beach hut patio looking out at sunset, having a bit of music playing in the background can really set the mood.

Not just any bluetooth speakers will do either. You’ll want to have a nice mix of durability and excellent sound. We currently have the JBL Splashproof Portable Speaker, and it has amazing sound. Plus, we use it with wet hands at the beach and it hasn’t been damaged yet. The latest model, the JBL Waterproof Flip 4 Speakers are so waterproof that you can even submerge them in water and not ruin them, plus they’re lightweight and very durable.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR JBL FLIP 4 SPEAKERS ON AMAZON

You can take them to the beach and not worry about them getting wet or sandy and they sound crystal clear. For just under $90 on Amazon, they’re also an excellent deal.

If I was going for pure sound quality and didn’t care about weight and size, I would go with the Soundlink Mini II Limited Edition. They’re still small enough that you can travel with them, but at a pound and a half they’re quite heavy, plus they cost around $200. If you don’t mind the extra half pound in weight and don’t care about waterproofing, they’re probably your best bet for sound quality.

UPDATE 2019: The new JBL Flip 5 Speakers sound better (although I find them a bit too trebly) and are fully waterproof. If you’re looking for bluetooth speakers in 2019 these would be my top choice.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR JBL SOUNDLINK MINI SPEAKERS ON AMAZON

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11. Bonus! Pet Essentials

Travelling with a pet? Make sure you grab these essentials. Don’t forget to bring immunizations records, a suitable crate, and a blanket if your pet is cleared to sit on your lap. Always bring a few treat options, a chew toy, and waste bags just in case!

If you have an emotional support animal and flying within the US, you should be able to carry your ESA in-flight according to the Air Carrier Access Act. Most airlines require these things: ESA letter from your Licensed Mental Health Professional, pet health form signed by your veterinarian, and a behavioral form. You can learn more about emotional support animals and the air carrier access act here.

Travel Smart in the New Year

It’s amazing how a well-packed bag can help make travel more enjoyable. Packing the right gear can save you time and money, make for nice ambiance and keep you comfortable on the road. Make sure you check out our packing lists: The Ultimate Packing List For Full-Time Travellers, Travel Packing List for Men, and our Travel Packing List For Women for more great packing ideas.

What are you favourite travel items? Surely you have some things in your bags that you wouldn’t travel without. Share with us in the comments below and if we really like it, we’ll add it to this post!

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The post 10 Essential Travel Items Everyone Should Pack appeared first on Goats On The Road.

10 Essential Travel Items Everyone Should Pack published first on https://travelaspire.weebly.com/

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xpressfocusworld · 5 years

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ZAGG Slim Book Go for iPad (9.7-inch) Review: About as Versatile as an iPad Laptop Case Can Be

Cameron Summerson

If you’re looking for a way to get more out of your iPad by turning it into a makeshift laptop, look no further than the $99 ZAGG Slim Book Go. It’s a robust little accessory that adds a lot of versatility.

What It Is: A Laptop-like Accessory for Your iPad

iPads have come a long way since they were first introduced, with many users opting for their simplicity over a traditional laptop. The one thing that’s missing for most users is an easy way to bang out a bunch of text at one time—using the on-screen keyboard is fine for short, simple bits of text, but if you’re looking to do more than an external accessory is the way to go.

And while there’s no shortage of iPad-specific (or even compatible) models floating around out there, the ZAGG Slim Book Go has a few interesting tricks up its sleeve to make it a real contender for your iPad-turned-laptop keyboard needs.

Cameron Summerson

First, it has all the features you’d expect from a portable keyboard: it’s Bluetooth, so it connects quickly and wirelessly; it’s backlit for easy typing in dim environments, and it can sync with two different devices for easy switching. But all those are expected features—things that any manufacturer would be chastised for not including.

It’s the other stuff that makes the Slim Book Go an option worthy of your consideration.

For starters, the detachable laptop-style form factor is excellent. The Slim Book Go is two parts: the keyboard and a case. The case part goes on your iPad and serves not only to protect it, but also to physically connect to the keyboard by way of strong magnets in each of the two units. The case also has a handy, versatile, and intelligently-designed kickstand so using it with the keyboard—either connected or separately—is easy.

Cameron Summerson

But that’s not all. The case, which initially felt bulky to my hands that are otherwise only familiar with the iPad in its naked glory, also has another useful trick: a bay for your Apple Pencil. You can tuck the Pencil away here, close the lid like a laptop, and have it all neatly tucked away. Together. I don’t use the Pencil, but I can see how this would be a killer feature for anyone who does and likes to keep it close at hand.

Otherwise, the design is pretty straightforward. As I mentioned earlier, the keyboard and case connect easily via magnets, which gives the entire thing a unified look and feel—not unlike a laptop. But, you know, with your iPad.

I’d be lying if I said I was taken aback by its form factor or overall look out of the box—it’s honestly pretty dull looking. But hey, it doesn’t need to be because it does what it’s supposed to do so damn well.

In fact, let’s talk about that now.

Using the Slim Book Go: I Like You, Little Keyboard

When I first slapped my iPad into the case, as I noted above, I was a little surprised with the added bulk, but as I used it the sense that it was too bulky faded. The case itself undoubtedly works as a good protective cover for the tablet, though it doesn’t do a lot to protect the screen—it has a tiny lip around the edge, but I don’t think it would be enough to prevent the screen from cracking if you dropped it face-down. So, like, try not to drop it face-down.

Otherwise, it’s legit. It has openings for the Lightning port and the headphone jack (this iPad has a headphone jack). You know how some cases make buttons almost unpressable and annoying? Well, this one doesn’t do that. They’re still plenty clicky.

The kickstand is really cool because of its unique design. Instead of folding out from the middle of the device—like the Surface Pro’s kickstand, for example—the hinge is actually at the bottom, and it folds outward. It’s also very stiff, so it holds the tablet at whatever degree you want it—all the way up to dead-straight.

Cameron Summerson

Directly under the display (in landscape) is the Pencil holder. Under that (on the bottom) are the magnet attachments for the keyboard. That’s the star of the show here, so let’s talk about it.

First off, I was shocked at how easy the Slim Book Go is to type on, especially given its overall small form factor. But the keys feel excellent—decent travel and a great tactile feel. They’re a little undersized, but I didn’t find that to be a problem during my testing. I type a lot of words every single day, and I could easily switch between my regular keyboard, laptop keyboard, and the Slim Book Go with minimal effort.

It’s also backlit. But not just old fashioned “regular” backlighting where you get one color; oh no, the Slim Book Go has seven backlighting options. You can choose from white, blue, teal, green, yellow, red, and purple. And they all look outstanding. Even yellow, which is traditionally a terrible color (I kid, I kid). But really, I just kept my review unit on red all the time, because…I like red. Oh, all of those colors has three different brightness levels, too. Or you can just turn it off. Your call, man.

Cameron Summerson

It also includes all the function keys you’d want: home, lock, task switching, internet, media and volume controls, and even a button to bring up the software keyboard if you need it. You know, for emoji.

Speaking of using the keyboard, let’s talk “lap-ability”. The most common complaint with the Surface-style kickstand is that it just isn’t lap-able; the Slim Book Go is capable of being used in your lap, and it’s not a terrible experience. It’s just… finicky. If you position it right, it’s stable enough to type on, though it still suffers the same issue that most detachable products like this—with such a flimsy hinge (where the keyboard connects to the case, not the kickstand hinge), it just doesn’t have the structural rigidity needed to make for a great experience. But since the kickstand is a big ol’ slab of plastic that lies flat, it helps a lot.

Finally, let’s talk battery life. ZAGG claims the Slim Book Go gets a year of battery life with an hour of use each day, so that’s about 365 hours. Or three months if you use it for four hours a day. Or 45 days if you use it for 8 hours a day. But honestly, if you’re typing on your iPad for eight hours a day, seven days a week, we probably need to talk about your device usage habits and not really focus on your keyboard’s battery life. Also, just because I did the math, you could theoretically type on the Slim Book Go for over 15 days without stopping.

Speaking of battery, though, that’s my biggest gripe with the keyboard: the battery status indicator is sort of… not great. It doesn’t have much in the way of a real indicator, but instead just blinks a tiny light on the power button when you press the Fn and Ctrl keys at the same time. If it flashes green three times, the battery is more than half full. Two yellow blinks mean it’s somewhere between 25-49%, and one red blink means it’s below 25%. I guess you should probably charge it at that point.

The biggest issue with that system, which honestly isn’t horrible, is that it depends on you remembering to check it before it’s almost dead. The manual doesn’t indicate the light blinks to warn you when the battery is really low, but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that feature in 6 months when my battery runs low.

Conclusion: A Versatile Product with a Lot to Like

There’s a lot to like about the Slim Book Go: it’s versatile, functional, and adds a lot of value to your tablet. If you find yourself banging out lots of words on your iPad every day, this is an excellent option to add a keyboard that works in both a laptop-esque form factor or as a separate accessory. And at only $99, it’s an easily justified purchase that will add a lot of functionality to your iPad. The kickstand on the case is just an added bonus.

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healthwomeninfo · 6 years

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New Post has been published on Health Womens

New Post has been published on http://health-womens.com/all-about-cellphones-tips-and-tricks-10/

All About Cellphones: Tips And Tricks

youtube

You must know about cell phones if you do everyday. The following paragraphs are full of information you details on how to make full use of your cell phone.

TIP! If you surf online on your phone, then do an occasional reboot to clear out memory eaten up by apps like social media. That way, your phone will exhibit much better performance.

Try to avoid using information services that come with a cell phone. The best thing that you can do is dial 1-800-411-FREE. You will be able to get the information you need after an advertisement.

Take your time when it comes to purchasing extended warranties.These added costs are additional just cost you money and nothing else. If a cellular phone is about to fail, problems with a cell phone are likely to show up in the first year while the basic warranty is still in effect. Plus, a lot of individuals get new phones on a yearly basis, so the extended warranty is then definitely not worth your time.

TIP! If your phone gets dropped into water, do not panic and think that it is ruined. What you should do is remove the phone’s battery, and then place your phone in a plastic bag of rice.

Smartphones will run slower as fast when they get older. This will make it increasingly difficult to perform updates to your phone as time passes. There are some times you will hav to choose.

When buying a newer cellphone, comparison shop in real stores instead of online. Invest some time playing with the cell phones and testing their features. This ensures you get a phone you like using.

TIP! Be careful when watching videos when you’re using LTE or 4G signal. Most phone plans often come with a limited allowance for data.

Don’t let your cell phone wet. It is common to accidentally drop a cell phones to be dropped in and ruined by water. Keep the phone far away from hoses and faucets. Accidents happen over time.

Don’t feel like you have to stick to one brand all the past. You might be used to a certain kind, but be open minded to new things. Considering other kinds of phones may provide you with functions and uses.

Ask your loved ones and friends about cell phones before you buy. They can offer assistance in targeting the right phone for you.

Cell Phone

TIP! If you’re using a phone and you must use it for calling, there’s no need to pay the big charges associated with it. Use this number instead: 1-800-411-FREE You will have to listen to a short ad, but then you can get the info you want.

Don’t buy a smartphone if you’re just getting a phone to make calls. Smart phones are great for those who use the phone to connect to the Internet and to send email or go online via their phones. Smartphones are much more expensive that your run-of-the-mill cell phone, so save money and get a standard cell phone if all you need it for is talking.

Try to recharge your cell phone before charging it again. Cell phone batteries were made to be recharged periodically. They aren’t going to hold your charge if the batteries get really low constantly before getting charged. Try charging your cellphone’s battery charged at an earlier time.

Remember that your cell phone’s camera doesn’t possess optical zoom feature. Move closer to get a close-up.You can get special lenses that you can use to zoom into things.

You can play games on the phone to make your downtime more enjoyable.

TIP! Cell phones run slower with time. Therefore after a while, it’s going to get a little more difficult to update the operating system and apps.

Purchase a protective case to protect your phone! Dropping many high-end phones like the iPhone can be a bit. Otterbox has several nice products that can protect your expensive cell phone.

Data Plan

TIP! Don’t be opposed to doing some actual leg work by visiting your local stores to find and compare cell phone prices. Spend some time testing the features of a variety of models.

Use WiFi instead of the data plan to download large files. Videos are very heavy and will consume your data quite quickly. This is only preferred if you have an unlimited data plan.

Don’t use a cell phone while you drive. You might think that using a hands-free set with your cell phone makes driving safer, but you won’t be concentrating on driving which can really be bad. Research shows that this can be dangerous.

TIP! Don’t buy a smartphone if you’re just getting a cell phone to talk to others. Smart phones are great for web surfing and apps, but they aren’t needed for those that just need a phone for talking.

Use the Wi-Fi connection options on your phone as much as possible. This makes it so you don’t use as much of your data use. Find an app or website that can find hotspots. Many restaurants offer free Wi-Fi to their clients.

Only get a phone with the features you require. Many cell phones have all kinds of options people don’t use.

TIP! Avoid letting your battery run completely down before recharging it. These batteries are made to get periodic recharges.

Text as often as you can.If the message is short, type without sending. Your phone has a lot of radiation if you actually pick it up and make a call to someone. That is why texting more convenient and safer.

Don’t leave your cell in the sun or anywhere it can get hot.Make sure your phone is located in a safe and cool!

Don’t load up your phone with extras you know you’ll never use.

Be cautious about what pictures you take or let others take. You don’t want to have illegal on your phone. If the person is underage, even when you are too, no matter if you’re also underage.

TIP! The camera on your phone doesn’t have optical zoom. For an up close view, you must move closer.

If your child needs a cell phone, change the privacy settings. Make sure they can’t chat with strangers or talk to online strangers. This will allow you and the family much safer.

Your battery will be drained when you’re on your cell phone. Try to get through the conversation as quickly if you’re worried about your battery is dying. If you keep talking, you risk your phone going dead at an inopportune time.

Close up any applications you aren’t using. Many apps will stay open unless manually removed.A lot of applications at once could cause your cell phone to work slow.

A solar charger is handy to have when your phone. This can serve you well in a car, at your job, your workplace or wherever the sun shines.

TIP! Take time to find out the different applications you can do with your phone. Most phones these days allow you to surf the web and listen to music.

Avoid excessive charges at all costs with the help of apps.Your plan may still have a limit on how many texts or minutes you can use. Skype even let you video call.

We all must stay in touch these days, and that means adapting to pretty advanced technology. Hopefully this article was of help to you. You should now be comfortable shopping for and using a cell phone.

#cell phones #data plan #naturalnews

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technologyreviewsgadgets · 6 years

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New Post Google Pixel 3 XL Long Term Review - The Unbeatable Camera Beast is Here! has been published on http://www.reviewcenter.in/8274/pixel-3-pixel-3-xl-long-term-review/

Google Pixel 3 XL Long Term Review - The Unbeatable Camera Beast is Here!

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are out and officially available in India and looks like the Droid Army is divided now – On one side there are the OnePlus fans, to whom OnePlus 6T is a device that provides better value for money, and Samsung fans are there who are quite proud for not having a notch. On the other side, there are people to whom a little budget hike is no issue, and they love the pure Android experience and Google’s software tricks. I have been using the Pixel 3 XL for quite some time so that I can share my thoughts about the device. However, here, I won’t make any comparisons between the Pixel 3 and any other Android flagships, it will be a Pixel 3 XL Long Term Review that will be centred around just the phone, its features and what it provides. Let’s begin:

Google Pixel 3 XL Long Term Review

The Pixel 3 XL is the Google third generation in-house designed smartphone showcasing company own’s view on how an Android device should be, embracing the Google’s own applications and services with a seamless compatibility with literally any Application & Accessory available for Android. Pixel phones are exactly what Android was meant to represent, to provide users with Android equivalent of the premium smartphones that Apple builds. Both Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are the main ingredients and the foundation for a great smartphone. With a display so good, a battery life which never disappoints, an unbeatable camera and water resistant, Pixel 3 XL is a perfect smartphone for anyone.

Design & Build

Google wanted to make the Pixel 3 XL simple, and quite recognizable. The two-tone back is something that returns in the Pixel 3 XL as well, in a more refined way where frosted glass is being used now, and there is support for wireless charging with the full glass back, though, now the Pixel 3 XL is less slippery with the matte finish. The back is quite minimal, housing the camera and the flash, along with a fingerprint scanner.

Despite the glass build, the Pixel 3 XL feels solid, while being premium at the same time, but some of the users and even reviewers now have settled down with that notch on the front. Yes, the notch is bigger than expected, however, I got used to it after using it for a few days.

The edges are smoother now, thanks to the curved aluminium rail running across the edges. This time, the single SIM tray is placed at the bottom along with the USB Type-C port, leaving the left edge of the phone completely clean. On the right edge, there are the volume and power buttons. There is the same Active Edge feature so that squeezing the phone opens up the Google Assistant. In terms of colour options, there are three descriptive colours – Clearly White, Just Black, and Not Pink. Overall, I must admit that the Pixel 3 XL is a gorgeous device for sure, without the gimmicky triple or quad camera lenses on the back and without gradient colour shifting back.

Display & Hardware

Now let’s talk about the display of the Pixel 3 XL first, being the hot topic of all Pixel 3 related debates. The Pixel 3 XL display stretches to 6.3 inches corner to corner. There are two stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the phone, because of which the phone has a slightly bigger notch and chin. Speaking of the notch, it won’t bother you at all once you start using your phone regularly and all of the apps works fine with it. The notch doesn’t interfere with any app layout, as the app display starts below from it. After some time, you won’t even notice that it has one!

Image of Pixel 3 XL Black

In terms of the resolution, the Pixel 3 XL has a resolution of 1440×2960 pixels with a pixel density of 523ppi, and because the Pixel 3 XL has an OLED panel, everything looks just crisp sharp with lots of vibrancy and detail. The images pop really well and the sunlight visibility is good. HDR content is supported on the device so playing HDR content from Netflix is a delightful experience. The Pixel 3 has a smaller 5.5-inch Full HD+ P-OLED display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 443 PPI.

Now, in terms of hardware also, the Pixel 3 XL is having top notch hardware and many capabilities that are backed by the hardware to reduce the use of more components. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, coupled with 4GB of RAM. I had a thought that Google could go with 6GB of RAM, but the 4GB of RAM felt quite adequate, and about the experience, I would like to talk later.

This kind of top-notch hardware surely blends well with the software & the performance of the device was buttery smooth – be it multitasking, browsing the web or intense gaming. Throw a couple of apps to it and the phone will handle everything nice and tidy, I played a few games like PUBG and Asphalt 9, both are known to be resource hungry games, and well, within the game, I didn’t notice any lags, except the server level lags, which is common in PUBG.

Camera

Let’s talk about probably the biggest thing on Pixel 3 XL, which is its cameras. But don’t get fooled by the plural form. There is still one 12.2 MP lens on the back, doing everything and doing many things better than other flagships with dual or even quad camera setup on the back. The photos that came out of the Pixel 3 XL had an astonishing amount of detail, closer to natural colours, had ample brightness and had preserved the sharpness.

The camera app in Pixel 3 XL brought a way to take portrait shot taking capabilities & others feature with a new app layout. The app looks minimal but packed with tons of features. There is a feature called Top Shot, which captures images before and after you hit the shutter button, and lets you pick the best one of the bunch. You need to keep the “Motion” feature ON always to use Top Shot feature.

The Photobooth feature is another example of Google’s search of perfection in the software department where the camera automatically takes photos when it finds a quick movement or dramatic smile.

Google Lens is now integrated into the camera app, so that you can just activate Lens and point your camera to anything to find information, copy phone numbers, and email and do more!

On the front camera as well, there is the portrait mode and this time, Google has added two 8 MP lenses on the front making it possible to fit more people in the frame using the wide angle lens.

There is a Nightscape feature which will make it possible to click natural and good looking photos in low light conditions, without using flash.

The Pixel 3 XL also brings Super Res Zoom, which is a computational method of zooming into photos by calculating the pixel variations developed from the shake of your hand. It works quite good, and it is definitely a step ahead of traditional digital zoom, but it is not as good as pure optical zoom yet. And here are some of the photos taken using the Pixel 3 XL under different lighting conditions, and there are a few kinds of shots ranging from portraits to landscapes to low light shots.

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Software and OS

The software is one of the key reasons, after the camera, why every Pixel launch is special. This time, with the Android 9 Pie Google has brought a gesture-based navigation, which is a default for Pixel 3 XL. Just like the notch, for the first one or two days, it feels a bit weird, but once I got used to it, it was pretty snappy and handy, providing bigger previews of apps and a horizontal multitasking experience. Android 9 Pie also brings the new Digital Wellbeing features in Android 9 Pie, which lets users limit their smartphone activities. There is the new ‘Flip to Shhh‘ feature letting me activate the Do Not Disturb mode in a snap! The Active Edge feature works well and is quite handy while you need Google Assistant at your fingertips and I used it most when I needed to look up for information.

There are no extra features, bugging you up to use them like Dual Apps or App Cloning, Long Screenshot, Three Finger Screenshot and many other such features that some users may never even use. Overall, the software experience is great and the Android 9 Pie seems to work in sync with the hardware of the phone in a quite beautiful way. One more thing… Pixel 3 XL would be the first phone to get Android 10 and 11, that’s guaranteed. The phone also gets monthly security patches to protect its users from all types of vulnerabilities and attacks.

Audio

The Pixel 3 XL has quite a loud audio output & the quality is definitely better than average. The dual front-firing speakers produce clear but loud output, even the bundled USB-C earphones sound good. However, if you are a music junky and very peaky about your personal choices, you may need to upgrade to a better pair of headphones. The bundled earphones produce rich sounds, and it feels quite balanced and in most of the cases like gaming, watching TV shows the phone seem to fulfil the audio needs in a nice way.

Battery

The Pixel 3 XL packs a 3,430mAh battery. The phone lasts a day easily and we consistently got a screen-on-time (SOT) of 5+ hours. If you are a heavy user who uses GPS a lot, plays a lot of games and make many phone calls each day, you may need to top it up once by the night for sure. For the moderate usage, and with the increased usage of Social Media these days, You would need to charge it by the next morning which is still great.

With the Android 9.0 Pie, the Pixel 3 XL has got the Adaptive Battery feature, which limits background app activity and server pings. It also applies a dark mode to select apps and UI elements, however, it doesn’t apply a full system-wide dark mode, but well, even with that, one can not be very confident about the battery life of the Pixel 3 XL. However, this time, Google has finally introduced wireless charging, and I can bet that once you try it, you will start to enjoy the experience.

Final Verdict

The Pixel 3 XL is by far, the most beautiful phone made by Google. For now, if someone asks me the reasons to buy a Pixel 3 XL or even Pixel 2, I would talk about just two things- The camera and the software experience. I can bet that no other Android phones can do better in terms of the camera yet, and even brands like OnePlus does the software related part right in a nice manner, in a similar fashion, their latest flagship has not come close to Pixel 3 XL yet in terms of the camera. Pixel 3 XL just provides you with the pure expression of Google and Android. Its performance, its reliability and so many meaningful features prove the Pixels are the one, the way a smartphone should be.

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meaganhines07-blog · 6 years

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Care for your health when hiking

Tips and tricks for hiking hydration, water bladders, keeping feet happy, avoiding aches and pains – as well as how to get out on the trail quickly.

• Hydration • Water Bladder Tips and Tricks • Keep your feet happy • Avoid aches and pains • Get out and go – quick!

Hydration

How much should I drink to stay hydrated?

Everyone is different, and is also depends on the temperature and level of exertion… but a general guideline is 4 to 6 ounces every 20 minutes or so. Better to sip a little frequently than a lot every few hours (this is where a hydration bladder comes in handy)

Headaches, dizziness, or difficulty concentrating can signal dehydration while anxiety, a weak or rapid pulse, and clammy or hot, dry skin point to serious dehydration. See also “Hiking Health“.

what to wear on a hike and still look cute http://www.savvyhiking.com/what-to-wear-on-a-hike-and-still-look-cute

Water Bottles and Bladders

The two most common ways of carrying water on a hike are with water bottles (plastic or metal) or a water bladder (also called a reservoir) inside a backpack.

The pack can be dedicated to the bladder with just a little room for day hike gear, or a regular backpack with a pocket to place a reservoir. Water bottles can be carried inside a pack, on outside pockets or in a dedicated waist belt pack.

We prefer to use a water bladder inside our packs. The backpacks we use have a sleeve pocket to slip the bladder in and a hole to run the tube out and around to clip into the pack strap. The end of the tube has a “bite valve” that releases water when you bite on it. This is an easy way to drink as you hike.

On a longer hike or in really hot weather, we add water bottles into the mesh pockets on the outside of the backpack. For shorter hikes, we may use just bottles. Water bottles are quicker to fill and clean, but can be more awkward to grab while hiking – depending on how they carried. [What we use: We bought two Camelback Podium Chills in 2013 and have used them constantly since – workouts, hiking, biking, kayaking, in the car, at my desk. They’re insulated and when filled with ice will keep water cold for hours. The lockable bite valve keeps the water in no matter what.]

It really comes down to personal preference to which is better. If you are new to hiking, or just giving it a go and not sure if you’ll hike much… a water bottle is a less expensive investment. But for frequent hikers, or those doing longer hikes… we find that a hydration bladder is the only way to go.

sandwiches for hiking http://www.savvyhiking.com/no-mess-easy-to-prepare-sandwiches-for-hikin

Hydration Bladder Tips and Tricks

• Camelback makes a CamelBak Cleaning Kit that includes brushes, drying arms and cleaning tablets to keep your water bladder funk-free. • Store your clean, dry, water bladder in the freezer to prevent mold and funk. Fold it in half, and keep the cap open. When ready to fill it, let it thaw a few minutes so it becomes flexible again. • Fill your water bladder halfway (or more) with ice cubes to keep the water cool. Can fill the night before and chill as well. • Try electrolyte tablets like Nuun as they add a little flavor, vitamins and minerals… and getting enough electrolytes can reduce your chance of hyponatremia. (Our fave flavors: Nuun Tri Berry and Lemon Lime)

Keep your feet happy

Never underestimate the importance of foot comfort. • Channel your inner Mr. Rogers – swap out shoes at the start and end of your hike. Drive to the trail head in something comfy like Merrell’s Mocs or sandals, change into boots, then at the end of the hike change back into the comfy shoes. Put on a fresh pair of socks as well. • Rejuvenate your feet by removing boots at a lunch or snack break; let them cool down a bit. A few seconds of foot massage also works wonders. • Elevate your feet/legs up when you take a break. Prop on a rock or log, or cross one ankle over the other knee when laying on your back… anything to get the feet/lower leg up a bit. • On long hikes, try soaking your feet in a clean stream or lake for a few minutes to reduce heat and swelling. Avoid aches and pains • Stretch your muscles: do some light stretching after a few minutes of hiking, at your breaks, and when you are done. Improves your hike AND your recovery the next day. • Add dried blueberries or tart cherries to your trail mix. They both reduce inflammation, which is a major cause of joint pain. They’re tasty and your knees will thank you. • Consider using trekking poles to reduce the impact on your knees. • Consider taking an ibuprofen (like Advil) about halfway through a long hike if your knees tend to get cranky. Ibuprofen reduces inflammation. • Milk can be a good food for muscle-recovery. In our opinion, this also means that after-hike ice cream is “medicinal”! Once home we might make an ice-coffee with milk and a packet of Starbucks Via, or whip up a banana smoothie – blend a ripe frozen banana with milk, a generous dollop of peanut butter and squirt of Hershey’s syrup… yum.

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Get out and go – quick!

Time is short, the weekend is coming… don’t waste time scrambling to get ready. • Keep your backpack packed with the basic essentials: First aid kit, compass, tissues/TP, hand sanitizer, and possibly headlamp/flashlight, pocketknife and fire starter. • Keep boots, trekking poles, hats/gloves, bug spray, suntan lotion etc in an old duffel bag, along with the pre-packed backpack, ready to grab and toss in the car. • Pick a trail ahead of time. Gather up trail maps and directions and add to the duffel. • Charge your camera/GPS batteries the night before. Toss in the pack the next morning. • Fill water bottles/bladders in the morning (or chill in the fridge overnight). • Toss energy bars or trailmix into the backpack, grab your duffel and go!

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gesteckt1 · 6 years

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Toshiba Satellite l755 Battery all-laptopbattery.com

Our last test is likely the most important one for those who buy a laptop: battery life. We loop a 4K video at a relatively bright 250 to 260 nits, with the laptop set to airplane mode, and with earbuds connected. The results for the Spectre x360 15 are fairly impressive, but not the winner. The winner is its near-twin, the Spectre x360 15 with a Core i5-8550U and GeForce MX150. Remember: Both laptops have the exact same-size battery and the exact same screen. Still, for a laptop with this much CPU and GPU performance, this is an impressive result.This still doesn’t mean you can play a game on batteries for nine hours. It means you can probably watch movies on the SSD for that long. Browsing, gaming, and other CPU-intensive tasks will use far more battery.There’s two conclusions to be made here. The first is the HP Spectre x360 15 itself. The high-end laptop has been around for two years now, but it took Intel’s Kaby Lake-G to make it sing, delivering plenty of performance to go with the looks.

We have few quibbles with the Spectre x360 15 design. But we were hoping it'd be lighter rather than heavier. The slender profile hides our biggest disappointment, though: the weight. Blame the 4K panel, or look on the bright side and appreciate the sturdiness, but bottom line, this is a heavier laptop than we'd like. The second conclusion is that Intel’s Kaby Lake-G Core i7-8705G is a pretty impressive package (our review of the CPU is here.) It’s not enough to threaten Nvidia’s dominance at the high-end of gaming laptops, but the truth is, the lion’s share of gaming laptops sales are actually in the GeForce GTX 1050 range. The Spectre x360 15 can hold its own in this crowd, further blurring the line between mainstream and gaming machines. Microsoft has announced a new Surface tablet computer called the Go. It’s smaller, lighter, and cheaper than its siblings. Initial thoughts by most tech journalists is to assume it’s going to be too small and too underpowered to function as a proper laptop. They’re right, of course, but I’m interested in it for a different purpose: a travel laptop.

Small, light, and cheap are some of the main aspects I look for in my search for the perfect travel laptop, but those aren’t the only ones.Regardless how long you’re travelling, you almost certainly don’t need a full-size laptop. Most people don’t need any laptop, but if you’re reading this I’m guessing you need to do some work while you’re on the go, and a regular tablet just doesn’t cut it. As handy as they are, there’s something to be said about a device that can run all the same software as your computer at home. There are workarounds and options with a tablet, but a “real” computer is just a bit easier.In my years as a digital nomad, I rely on my laptop to make a living while I’m on the road. I’ve figured out what I need, and what I don’t. The new Surface Go ticks a lot of the right boxes, but lets first talk about what I’m looking for in a laptop specifically for travel.

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Size: Small. Lugging a 17-inch behemoth gets old before you make it across the airport. Something small and light is vital.Price: Low. There is something freeing about having a laptop that won't break your wallet and mind if it got stolen, like mine almost did last year with the rest of my gear.Battery life: Between long flights, long sessions at coffee shops, and perhaps a few days between being able to charge properly, exceptionally long battery life is crucial. My current laptop, for example, lasts for 11 hours or more, depending what I’m doing.Charge via USB: This is probably the hidden key to it all. Being able to charge your laptop via USB means you can connect a USB battery pack and have, essentially, unlimited battery life. OK, not “unlimited” but depending on the pack, between a few hours to more than double the already long battery life. That’s huge, and sadly, rare.

The traditional must-haves when it comes to computers are far less important. Screen size, resolution, processing power, etc, are all secondary to the above. If it’s a little slow, isn’t that a fair trade for something that weighs next to nothing and lasts for 10 hours?The Surface Go ticks a lot of the right boxes. It’s got a 10-inch screen and is 8.3mm thick (about a third of an inch), so it’s small and compact. At 1.15-pounds it’s light too.It charges via USB-C, which is fantastic and pretty much the reason I’m writing this preview at all.As far as the price goes, it’s more expensive than my go-to Asus. List is $400, but that’s without the, for our purposes, required keyboard. Figure $100 for that, according to Microsoft’s pricing, and we’re looking at a $500 laptop. There are some great budget laptops for $500 that will offer more in terms of traditional “computery” things, but all are much larger and heavier.

Battery life is a claimed 9 hours, which is quite good. One of the ways my current travel laptop pick does its 11+ hour trick is by having an Intel Atom processor. This performs far below what you’d expect in one of their regular chips. It’s a hypermiling Toyota Prius, so expecting a good 0-60 time misses the point.The Surface Go is using an Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y processor, which is of the Kaby Lake family. It will be interesting to see if this performs better than the Atoms. It’s a year newer than the Atom x5-Z8350 in my Asus, and not of the Atom family, so it’s possible it will be faster. My assumption is it will, based on a fair guess that Microsoft wouldn’t release one of their few hardware products with the kind of performance I’m willing to tolerate in a travel laptop. People expecting even tablet-like performance would likely be flustered with Atom-speed, and that doesn’t sound like what Microsoft would want to do. So I think it’s a fair guess the Go will be faster than other 10-inch tablet/computer hybrids, but with less battery life. But I could be wrong.

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And a faster processor wouldn’t be bad. My Asus is fine for writing, web, Netflix, even photo editing, but try to do more than one thing at a time, or any sort of video editing, and it becomes an infuriating slog.There are other aspects, too, that are good, but not vital for the travel minded. The screen has a decent resolution of 1800x1200, for example. I briefly had a 10-inch laptop with a 1920x1080 screen and I’ll tell you, it was too much. Everything was just too small, and there’s only so much that zooming in and increasing font size can do. Which is to say, on this size screen, 1800x1200 should plenty for a laptop, especially one that's a more squarish 3:2 aspect ratio vs the usual laptop 16x9. The Asus Transformer is 1280x800, for comparison, and that's a bit of a weak spot.

I’m not rushing out to get a Surface Go. While it looks good on paper, it’s also remarkably similar to my year- and-a-half-old Asus Transformer Mini T102HA. If the Go really does last 9 hours, and if it is a little faster than the Atom-based 10-inchers, it will certainly be worth considering. I love my travel laptop, but something with a higher resolution screen and some more horsepower would do nicely.It’s also worth considering that the price isn’t really $400. As mentioned, it’s really $500 with the keyboard, and that’s with a 64GB harddrive and 4GB of RAM. That’s “fine” for a travel laptop, and I made do with those numbers for years across several computers (a built-in SD card slot handles most of the storage for them and for the Go). If you add in $50 more, the Go gets a 128GB harddrive and 8GB of RAM. That’s definitely the way to go, but now we’re talking even more money than the Asus, for only a little bit better on paper.

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clearcolordaze · 6 years

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Backpacking Gear List: Everything We Brought Hiking

Teton Crest Trail Backpacking Gear List: Everything We Brought Hiking

By Kyle Nossaman on September 14, 2018, 12:25 pm SHARE THIS

Gear, food, and apparel are essential to every backpacking trip, though the specific items vary depending on the individual and their destination. On a recent backpacking trip in Grand Teton National Park, our editor took detailed notes on each item he and his wife chose to bring along.

On August 15, my wife and I set out to backpack 40 miles along the Teton Crest Trail. The trail is one-of-a-kind, paralleling the west side of the Teton mountain range via breathtaking mountain passes and basins. We took four days and three nights to complete the trek, soaking in the views and sleeping in epic locations along the way.

Here’s our comprehensive packing list, categorized by gear, food, and apparel. Hopefully, it will help you when you’re packing for your next backpacking trip. It’s worth noting that my wife and I aren’t ultralight hikers and opted for extra comforts this time around to help us enjoy our trip.

The Gear We Brought on the Teton Crest Trail backpacking gear to pack

Backpacks: Osprey Atmos 65 and Jansport Katahdin 70 I’ve owned my Atmos 65 pack since 2011. It’s comfortable, has plenty of features, and has enough capacity for me to carry most of the bigger gear items. I always keep the pack cover (sold separately) in the outer stretch pocket.

After struggling to fit one of the bear canisters in my wife’s 34-liter Deuter backpack (pictured above), we quickly switched her to our only other pack, Jansport’s Katahdin 70. It’s large and heavy but performed well on our trek.

backpacking among wildflowers Trekking through wildflowers with my Osprey Atmos 65 pack Water Bladders: Osprey 3-Liter Reservoirs Osprey recently rebuilt its 3-liter water bladder, and we love the new design. The bladder at the top of the gear picture is the older model with a screw-on cap. The cap is very finicky and, when not screwed on just right, tends to leak water.

The bladder below it is Osprey’s new Hydraulics Reservoir, with a larger top opening that closes with a sliding clamp and a detachable drinking hose that allows for easier removal of the bladder when it’s time to fill up. Our backpacks are both bladder compatible, and we’re fans of the 3-liter reservoir and the hands-free drinking.

Water Bottle: Camelbak Podium Big Chill 21oz Insulated Bottle We bring a powder Gatorade mix on most backpacking trips to fuel us with electrolytes and give us something besides water to drink. This insulated bottle is reserved for the drink mix and kept handy in our backpack’s side pocket.

Tent: Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 This ultralight two-person, two-vestibule tent is incredible. It weighs a mere 2 pounds 3 ounces, and the small package slides effortlessly into my pack. Read our full review here for more details.

Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Tent Review BIG AGNES TIGER WALL UL2 REVIEW: ULTRALIGHT 2-PERSON TENT Big Agnes managed to expertly shave weight without sacrificing comfort in its Tiger Wall UL2 tent, reviewed here. After a number of backpacking trips, this ultralight two-person, two-vestibule tent has secured a top spot in our backpacking arsenal. Read more…

Sleeping Pad: Big Agnes Q-Core SLX Insulated Double Easily inflated with the extra Pumphouse Ultra bag, this 3.5-inch-thick double sleeping pad makes for a plush backcountry bed. For a double pad, it’s small and lightweight enough to justify bringing on longer treks. Plus, it pairs well with our double sleeping bag (below).

Sleeping Bag: Big Agnes Sentinel 30 Double This double sleeping bag weighs less than our two individual sleeping bags combined, so why not go with the cuddle-friendly option? It’s filled with 600-fill DownTek water-repellent down and keeps us warm on near-freezing nights.

Blanket: Blue Ridge Home Fashions Packable Oversized Down Throw We bring along this cheap down blanket when the nighttime temps might dip into the 30s. It stuffs into small crevices in my backpack and adds some extra warmth when cooking dinner or sleeping.

Pillows: Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Premium (Large) These pillows are clutch! They pack up small and are super lightweight. Once inflated, they’re big enough to roll around on and way more comfortable than a wadded up jacket.

sea to summit backpacking pillows Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Premium (Large) Camp Chairs: Helinox Chair Zero and REI Co-op Trail Chair Helinox’s Chair Zero weighs 1 pound and fits easily into our backpack’s side water bottle pocket. It assembles quickly and provides a solid backrest after a long day on the trail.

REI’s Trail Chair is a classic camp chair, though a bit bulky and heavy. We roll it up and strap it to the bottom of a pack when hiking. Again, the back support is lovely once at camp.

Rain Tarp: ENO ProFly Rain Tarp Though our tent has two vestibules, we sometimes bring this separate rain tarp for a more comfortable place to cook, chill at camp, and cover our gear in the event of a rainstorm. Our Teton Crest Trail forecast was indecisive on rain, so we erred on the safe side of having it if we needed it. We didn’t this time, but we’ve used it before. It provides great coverage, and the easy-adjust guy lines make it extremely easy to pull taut.

rain fly and camp chair My wife hanging out in the Helinox Chair Zero under ENO’s ProFly Rain Tarp Bear Canisters: Sabre Frontiersman Bear Safe Container Bear canisters are required on all backcountry trips in Grand Teton National Park. Though bulky and cumbersome, our container worked like it was supposed to, securing our food and scented items from bears. We each stuffed one canister at the very bottom of our backpacks and accessed them from our bottom zippers when on the trail.

Bear Spray: Counter Assault Bear Deterrent Spray Bear spray is also required on all backcountry trips in Grand Teton National Park. Our spray cost $45 and kept us less paranoid while in bear country. It’s like life insurance: You buy it hoping you’ll never need to use it.

Water Filter: Katadyn Gravity BeFree Water Filtration System – 3 liters The Katadyn Gravity BeFree 3-liter water filter lets gravity do its thing — no pumping required. The 3-liter reservoir filters water at a rate of 2 liters per minute. The best part, though, is its compatibility with new water bladders. The filter’s hose snaps into the housing on our new Osprey 3-liter bladder and fills it up with no chance of spills. Check out our full review on the filter here.

Katadyn BeFree 3L Filter Review FAST & CLEAN: KATADYN BEFREE 3L GRAVITY FILTER FIRST LOOK Katadyn's newest gravity filter is easy to set up, filters water quickly, and collapses so you hardly notice it in your pack. We tested it in rocky mountain streams for this first look review. Read more…

Stove: MSR PocketRocket Stove I’ve owned this stove for over seven years now, and it’s still kicking. It’s compact and can easily boil a pot of water in a few minutes.

Propane: MSR IsoPro Canister Fuel MSR makes small, medium, and large fuel canisters. We buy the medium-size ones, as they tend to last for three to five backpacking trips.

Lighters: BIC Classic Lighter Cheap and effective, we bring two of these just in case one gets damaged or runs out of fuel.

Pot: GSI Outdoors Halulite 1.8-liter Ultralight Boiler Pot This 1.8-liter pot weighs 11 ounces and is made of hard anodized aluminum. Its handle stays cool and flips up to lock the lid into place when stored. We typically just use it to boil water for backpacking meals, instant oatmeal, or instant coffee.

sipping coffee Using our GSI Outdoors Halulite boiler pot, MSR PocketRocket Stove, and MSR fuel on a different backpacking trip in Black Canyon of the Gunnison Sporks: Humangear GoBites Uno Spork Unfortunately, we forgot to bring our two sporks on this trip. So we had to clean off two of our extra tent stakes and use them as our utensils. Though a little sharp, they did the trick!

Coffee Mug: REI Co-op Recycled Camp Mug (20 fl. oz.) This mug doesn’t get scalding hot like enamelware mugs tend to. The lid is also a nice plus.

Towel: Next Adventure Microfiber Camp Towel We use this towel for everything: drying off after a swim, wiping down a wet tent, drying dishes, etc. It folds down small and actually soaks up moisture, while some other towels we’ve used just move water around.

Multitool: Leatherman Crater C33SX Though we mostly use the knife on this multitool, a few of its other tools have come in handy on various trips. We use the flat screwdriver, for example, to open and close our bear canisters.

Trekking Poles: Leki Makalu Carbon Ultralight My wife generally uses these poles and has found that they help relieve some back and knee pain on long uphills and downhills. They expand and contract to stow away on the outside of her backpack. Unfortunately, they’ve started contracting randomly when hiking, even with the mechanisms locked tight.

Headlamps: Ledlenser SEO 7R and UCO Air Rechargeable lithium batteries power both headlamps, though the Ledlenser SEO 7R can also accommodate three AAA batteries as a backup. Each has a red light, which we use to preserve our night vision and keep bugs away. The Ledlenser’s beam can be adjusted from narrow to wide to properly light up things in the distance or up close.

Binoculars: Meade 10×25 Binoculars These binoculars are a hand-me-down. Though not the best, they do come in handy for watching wildlife at a distance.

Portable Charger: myCharge RAZOR PLUS USB Portable Power Bank We mostly bring along this portable charger to keep my iPhone from dying while on the trail. We use my phone for videos and pictures, and it’s nice to have some backup juice for it (or for our rechargeable headlamps). From our experience, this particular device can charge an iPhone from empty to full about 1.5 times.

Extra Tent Stakes: Wildish Aluminum Tent Stakes If we’re caught in some rain and need to set up our rain tarp, we have a few extra stakes to secure its guy lines to the ground. On the Teton Crest Trail, we had to use these as our eating utensils since we had accidentally left our sporks behind.

Rope: Miscellaneous You never know when some extra rope might be needed on a backpacking trip.

Compass: Suunto M-5 SK It’s always good to have a compass as a backup if we happen to lose our way.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i We don’t always bring along our DSLR camera, but we couldn’t resist having it with us on this particularly scenic trail. Its images are super sharp, and we use it to capture vistas in a way our iPhones can’t.

scenery shot in the grand tetons We took this photo with our Canon EOS Rebel T3i camera First-Aid Kit: Miscellaneous We assembled our own first-aid kit, complete with a few alcohol wipes, Band-Aids, gauze wrap, wound cleaning solution, bandage wrapping tape, and Dermabond skin adhesive.

Blister Treatment: Body Glide Foot Anti Blister Balm This compact foot “stick” is easy to apply to hot spots, intended to lubricate areas that are being rubbed uncomfortably. Though it doesn’t completely prevent blisters, it tends to slow the process a bit.

Toilet Paper: Scott 1000 Septic Safe Toilet Paper Because we have a composting toilet in our RV, we use biodegradable toilet paper regularly. Usually, we toss a roll or a fistful of sheets into a ziplock baggie for use in the backcountry. Even though it’s biodegradable, we always pack it out.

Body Wipes: Huggies Natural Care Fragrance-Free Wipes We like having a sanitation option. These we use to clean our hands or feet and for a more satisfying “number two” cleanup.

Trash Bag: Gallon Ziplock Freezer Bags Standard trash bags kept ripping on us, so we recently converted to much tougher and more compact ziplock gallon freezer bags for trash. The zip closure also helps keep odors down. We bring one for food and miscellaneous trash and one for toilet paper trash.

Chapstick: Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm No one wants chapped or sunburned lips in the backcountry (or anywhere).

Medicine: Ibuprofen and Equate Headache Relief These are nice to have to prevent migraines, relieve altitude sickness, or combat inflammation/soreness.

S-Biners: Nite Ize S-Biner #4 Another miscellaneous item, these S-Biners have a number of uses. Generally, we use these to attach sandals to our packs.

Sandals: Chaco Z/2 Cloud It’s nice to let your feet air out after a long day on the trail. Though Chacos are relatively heavy, we brought ours on this trip to let our feet breathe once at camp.

Books: “The Emerald Mile” and Amazon Kindle E-Reader Sure, books are extra weight. But it’s just so nice to sit down with a great read and enjoy a quiet evening in the backcountry. We try to make camp around 3 or 4 p.m., so we like having the entertainment. “The Emerald Mile” is an excellent adventure book that we highly recommend. And, as we’re living full-time on the road, our Amazon Kindle e-reader has been really nice to have. We can rent e-books from our home library for free and avoid accumulating books on our RV.

The Food We Brought food packing list for backpacking

Breakfast: Quaker Instant Oatmeal Protein and Alpine Start Original Blend Instant Coffee The Quaker Instant Oatmeal Protein packets are larger and more filling than standard instant oatmeal packets. Simply boil water, pour it straight into the packet, and voila!

Every good backpacking trip starts with coffee. Delicious and caffeinated, Alpine Start Original Blend Instant Coffee is our brew of choice.

Snacks: CLIF Bars, Peanut Butter Crackers, Sunbelt Bakery Oats & Honey Bars, Trail Mix, Gatorade Mix, Fruit Food is fuel on long treks. We brought a mix of salty and sweet snacks on this particular trip, plus some caffeinated ones. One of CLIF’s newer flavors is Peanut Toffee Buzz, which contains caffeine. The Gatorade Mix kept us from getting tired of plain old water, and the fruit was a healthy pick-me-up.

Lunch: Peanut Butter and Honey Pita Sandwiches, Dill Pickle Chips, Fruit, Snickers Though the pita bread wasn’t the best choice (it didn’t contain the honey very well), peanut butter and honey sandwiches tend to keep well and are packed with protein. Dill pickle chips are delicious and a great source of salt. For fruit, we often bring tougher ones like clementines and apples. Snickers serve as our backcountry dessert of choice.

Dinner: Omeals and Tea Omeals are backpacking meals that don’t require a stove. You simply pour any liquid (hot or cold, filtered or unfiltered) into the package. An included “heating element” reacts with the liquid, heating it up and forcing steam out of the top “steam vent.” The heated liquid heats up the precooked food pouch inside, which you remove after five minutes. Just like that, you have a hot meal for one. We’ve brought them along on a number of backpacking trips and always enjoy the easy prep.

If it’s chilly out, after dinner we’ll sometimes make a few cups of tea. We like it because it helps us drink more water and is a great way to relax before bed.

Omeals backpacking food Self-heating Omeals My Trail Apparel apparel for backpacking

Shirt: MtnLogic The MtnLogic (since rebranded as Bight Gear) shirt is pilling where my backpack straps rest, but otherwise it’s a great breathable Polartec Delta shirt.

Shorts: Lululemon Surge 7-Inch Shorts These Lululemon Surge shorts are lightweight, quick drying, and have yet to cause chafing. Plus, because there’s a liner, no underwear is needed.

Socks: Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew Socks, Darn Tough Dashes Crew Light Socks, Stance Warm Socks The Smartwool and Darn Tough socks are both made of merino wool, so they’re antimicrobial and stink-free. The Stance socks are a warmer pair that I wear at night or early in the morning.

Shoes: Merrell MQM Flex Mid Waterproof Boots We didn’t know whether or not there would be stream or snow crossings on our trail, so I chose to wear my waterproof Merrell MQM Flex Mid boots. They’re plenty breathable, but the narrow foot box gave my pinky toes a few blisters.

Warm Jacket: The North Face Ventrix Hoodie The Ventrix hoodie is warm, comfortable, and lightweight. It breathes really well, so I can hike in it late into the morning without breaking a sweat.

jacket and sweatpants for backpacking The North Face Ventrix jacket and Showers Pass Track Pants Sweatpants: Showers Pass Track Pants These sweatpants are slim fitting and plenty warm for cold temps.

Rain Jacket: Marmot Eclipse Jacket Though we didn’t need our rain gear on this particular trip, my Marmot Eclipse EVODry rain jacket is extremely waterproof without the crinkly, stuffy feel.

Miscellaneous Apparel: Mountain Hardwear Gloves, Flowfold Beanie, BUFF, Gap Long-Sleeved Shirt, ExOfficio Boxer Briefs, Columbia Running Hat, Wiley X Hudson Sunglasses The gloves, beanie, and BUFF are great for keeping the extremities warm and the wind at bay. The long-sleeved Gap shirt is simply an extra comfortable layer to don if needed. At night, I usually change out of my hiking shorts and into my ExOfficio boxer briefs for extra comfort and cleanliness when sleeping. Even after repeated uses, they never smell. The Columbia running hat is cool and effective, and the Wiley X Hudson polarized sunglasses keep the squinting to a minimum.

My Wife’s Trail Apparel girls apparel for backpacking

Shirts: Black Diamond S/S Block Tee and Under Armour Athletic T-Shirt Both shirts are breathable, sweat-wicking, and long enough to not ride up my wife’s back when she’s wearing her backpack. She did regret bringing her white UA shirt because it got dirty very fast. So it’s now designated as a backpacking-only shirt.

Sports Bra: Under Armour Seamless Plunge My wife’s Under Armour sports bra is her all-time favorite. It’s comfortable and supportive without being constricting. Plus, it’s cheap and sold at UA outlet stores.

Shorts & Leggings: Reebok Athletic Shorts and Leggings The Reebok shorts and leggings are flattering and comfortable with a waistband like yoga pants.

Socks: Smartwool Socks, Cotton Ankle-High Socks From Target The Smartwool hiking socks help keep odors down so they can be worn multiple days in a row.

hiking on a bridge Black Diamond T-shirt, Reebok leggings, Merrell hiking boots Shoes: Merrell Eventyr Bluff Waterproof Boots These hiking boots are cute, waterproof, and durable. My wife wears them on short hikes, long backcountry outings, and even around town. The only downside is that the heel cup is beginning to stick out and cause blisters.

Warm Jacket: The North Face Ventrix jacket She uses the Ventrix jacket for the same reasons I listed above. She likes that it has a hood so when her ears get cold hiking she can pull it on or off.

Sweatpants: Under Armour sweatpants Her UA sweatpants provide a warm layer on top of shorts or leggings and repel wind and water.

Rain Jacket: Marmot Minimalist Waterproof Jacket My wife has had this jacket since 2011, and it’s stood the test of time. She bought one size up for more rain coverage in the sleeves and body.

marmot rain jacket Women’s Marmot Minimalist rain jacket Miscellaneous Apparel: BUFF, Burton Long-Sleeved Baselayer, Qikpac Rain Pants The Burton long-sleeved baselayer is flattering, comfortable, and functional. It’s thin enough to go under any coat without feeling bulky and has thumb holes in the sleeves to keep them from riding up.

As for the rain pants, she uses them so infrequently that she honestly just wanted to find the cheapest pair. We scored when we found this pair in her size at Sierra Trading Post for $19. They serve their purpose, keep her dry, and have buttons to adjust the size around the ankles.

And that’s our packing list for our Teton Crest Trail backpacking adventure. Did we leave anything out? What are some of your favorite backpacking gear, food, or apparel items? What do you do for meals in the backcountry?

Source:https://gearjunkie.com

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benjamingarden · 6 years

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Protect Your Homestead from Summer Storms

Storms can do a lot of damage to your homestead–your plants, animals and property–and hit us without warning. However, there are things you can do to protect your homestead from summer storms before they hit. Here are some tips and tricks.

Summer will soon be in full swing, and that means hot and humid conditions for much of the country. These are the perfect conditions for severe thunderstorms. When a storm hits, you have so many considerations: guarding your plants, keeping animals safe, and of course protecting your family. Read on to learn how to protect your homestead and prepare it for severe weather this summer.

Keep Your Garden and Plants Safe

With severe storms come damaging conditions including high winds, heavy rain, lightning, and hail. You could lose a few plants or an entire garden with one bad storm. Here are some ways to protect your precious plants!

Protect Plants from Heavy Rain

Heavy rains can easily wash away soil, and your plants need that soil to live. Head this danger off by putting down mulch or another material that will offer a protective layer to the soil.

It’s also important to make sure all that rain has somewhere to go. You can use advanced methods such as digging an underground drain in your yard, or you can simply build up the soil in your garden to create a path for the runoff. Another great option is a rain garden – a separate garden with deep-rooted plants to soak up all that rain – or a pond.

Prevent Hail Damage

Hail is one of the most devastating conditions for plants, especially tender young ones. The best way to guard against this is with a row cover, which you can buy at most gardening stores. You can also make one yourself. All you need is a covering (for example, an old tarp) and some PVC pipes. If you don’t have these materials on hand and a storm is looming on the horizon, then by all means improvise! Put a potting plant or a plastic bucket over the plants. Just make sure whatever you use is sturdy enough to hold up to wind, or is anchored in some way.

Protecting Plants from Wind Damage

A fence is the best way to protect your plants from the wind. Make sure your fence has gaps in it to allow some airflow. A solid wall will actually not be as effective as one with slats. Alternatively, you could rely on trees or hedges to provide some protection. And as for protecting those trees and hedges or shrubs, the best thing you can do is to keep them neatly pruned to prevent branch breakage.

Keep Your Animals Safe

You also have to consider your animals in the case of a storm. How you prepare your furry friends for severe weather depends on what types of animals you have. While you may be able to shelter cats and dogs indoors, you certainly can’t do this for a cow or horse!

Your first instinct might be to secure your large animals in the barn. Don’t do this! In the event of a tornado, they will become trapped and may even be injured by debris or a collapsed roof. Large livestock should be turned loose in an enclosed pasture. Ideally, they will have high ground to run to in case of flooding, and tall trees to protect them from the wind. Even if you don’t have these conditions on your land, outdoors is still safer for them than an enclosed space.

For small pets, indoors with you is definitely the safest place. Cats, dogs, and rabbits are all easy to bring indoors. For chickens, this is a little trickier. If you have enough time to prepare a safe area for them, bring your chickens indoors. You could set up a space in the garage, kitchen, living room – anywhere you can put up an enclosure and give them some room to roam.

Otherwise, they should be fine outside, but you may want to anchor the coop somehow or invest in a sturdy structure that will hold up to winds. Do make sure to regularly inspect the area around the coop to make sure there are no branches or other debris that could become dangerous in the event of high winds.

Always keep an emergency first-aid kit, plenty of feed and water, and the vet’s number handy. Check on your animals as soon as the storm passes, but NOT while it’s still passing through. Your safety comes first!

Surviving a Power Outage on Your Homestead

If storms get severe enough, you could be facing a power outage of a few hours or even a few days or weeks. This doesn’t have to interrupt your normal life. Homesteaders are independent creatures, and there’s no reason you can’t generate your own power! Here are some ideas for surviving a power outage on your homestead.

Lighting

Most people reach for flashlights and candles in the event of a power outage, but there are other options too. A solar light is a great renewable source of lighting, provided you receive adequate sunlight where you live and remember to charge it during the day. Oil lamps don’t require any charging or batteries, just oil or kerosene. You can really get creative here if you don’t have lamp oil or kerosene on hand – these lamps will even run on olive oil or animal fat!

Fresh Water

If you have a well, chances are it’s powered by an electric pump. So when the power cuts out, you can’t get to your water. But you can always be prepared with a hand pump! These come in shallow well models, which need to be primed before use, or a deep well pump that requires no priming. A shallow well pump works with water that’s within 20 feet. Anything deeper than that, you need a deep well pump.

If you don’t have a pump, then a bucket is another option. There are special galvanized buckets you can buy for this purpose since most buckets lying around the house probably won’t be narrow enough to fit inside the well.

Cooking

There are various non-electric cooking sources you can use if you’ve bought them ahead of time. A charcoal grill, fire pit, and wood stove are all great options. If you don’t have any of these, you can fashion your own solar cooker out of cardboard, glue, duct tape, and aluminum foil. Just be sure to measure the temperature of your food with a cooking thermometer in several places, since solar cooking is a less predictable method.

Another consideration is the container you’re doing the cooking in. Cast iron works best for a flame heat source. If you don’t own any cast iron cookware, aluminum works in a pinch. Other appropriate materials include steel and ceramic or clay pots.

Depending on where you live, severe storms might be few and far between, or a normal occurrence. Regardless, it’s important to be prepared because, by the time a storm does hit, it will be too late to make preparations. Learn how to protect your plants, animals, and homestead, and a summer storm won’t pose such a threat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Glenda Lehman Ervin is the daughter of the founder of Lehman’s, a retailer in Kidron, OH, where she serves as VP of Marketing. Lehman’s mission is to supply goods for living a simpler life. Step by step, we are all on the path to a meaningful, satisfying life, and Glenda is thrilled that Lehman’s can be a part of that journey. She lives in the woods just a few miles north of the family store with her husband and two children, along with their two cats and a guinea pig named Winston Churchill. You can find more supplies for your homestead, garden, and animals on Lehmans.com.

Protect Your Homestead from Summer Storms was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

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netunleashed-blog · 6 years

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Best 360-degree camera 2018: 10 cameras to capture everything

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=2528 Best 360-degree camera 2018: 10 cameras to capture everything - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=2528 Are you in the real world yet? Forget the 3:2, 4:3 and 16:9 camera formats, and embrace the world as it is – a 360-degree landscape in which anything can happen, anywhere. That's the selling point for a new breed of 360-degree cameras that usually put two fisheye lenses back-to-back in a variety of designs to let you capture the world in a whole new way. However, do be careful about claims of high resolution; 4K may sound a lot for a standard video, but when those pixels are shared around a 360-degree landscape the end result won't look as detailed as you might expect. In the emerging genre of 360-degree cameras, anything goes In the emerging genre of 360-degree cameras, anything goes, and the product you choose will depend as much on what kind of activities you want to capture as the quality of the camera itself. Is the 360-degree format still a novelty? Yes, probably, but standards are being raised quickly, with 4K, livestreaming and post-crop editing features now to the fore. Did GoPro just change the 360° game? Possibly, though this highly innovative spherical camera will be too rich for most people's blood. The Fusion can capture 360° video in 5.2K resolution video at 30fps (or 3K at 60fps). Nice, but its real trick isn't 360 at all; an 'over-capture' mode films in 360°, but only to allow the creation of standard 16:9 video from the footage – so, much like post-focus on modern cameras, the Fusion allows post-framing. Why did no-one think of this before? Now add GPS, a compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3D audio, and compatibility with existing GoPro mounts, and the waterproof (to a depth of 5m) Fusion could be a semi-pro videographer's dream. It was Ricoh that put 360° video creation into the mainstream with its Theta S a few years ago, but for all the brilliance of its form factor, it produced barely 25 minutes of rather soft video on one charge. The souped-up follow-up looks the same, but is capable of 4K video recording, 4K live streaming, and even records 360° spatial audio thanks to its four microphones – and for 80 minutes. Android-based and Qualcomm Snapdragon 625-powered, the Theta V vastly increases the ISO and has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so can be operated remotely via an app. Thankfully, it retains the standard tripod thread its forbear had. There's something to be said for creating a product that apes a market leader yet slashes the price, but this budget effort from Detu only just manages to make the grade. Stylistically very similar to the Ricoh Theta S, the Detu Twin has less resolution, but goes beyond being simply a handheld 360 camera by including a standard tripod thread on its undercarriage. The results are basic, and the app will only share videos of 30 seconds or less, but the biggest issue is its drastically short battery life. However, it's easy to use, and one of the most affordable 360 cameras around, so may suit those looking to dip their toe in the genre.Read our in-depth Detu Twin review With a similar form factor to Ricoh's Theta 360 cameras, this pocket-sized dual-lens shooter has been brought down a peg or two in terms of specs since Samsung decided it needed to help justify the existence of its own Gear VR. For example, while the original Gear 2016 captured 15MP still images, this new version achieves barely half that. It's also got a smaller battery, which means you're going to have to carry around a USB-C-compatible portable charger. Has Samsung gone off the whole idea of 360° cameras? Perhaps, but the cute, splash-proof Gear 360 remains very easy to use, with plenty of free editing software, so if nothing else it helps make the new medium accessible.Read our in-depth Samsung Gear 360 (2017) review If you're a semi-pro videographer wanting to experiment with 360-degree video, the Yi 360 VR gives you most of the tools you need. A serious-looking product that's more about core quality than novelty features, its standard tripod thread lends versatility, while its 5.7K resolution, consistent color and endless manual tweaks are all plus points. Those looking for waterproofing, over-capture and a 24fps mode – albeit at a slightly lower maximum resolution – should consider the GoPro Fusion, but there's no doubt that the Yi 360 VR is a highly ambitious, great value 360 camera that semi-pro videographers will love. Read our in-depth Yi 360 VR review Do you actually need to shoot in 360°? Sometimes, 235° is more than enough (such as for this all-sky video of a solar eclipse ), which is why Kodak created the PixPro SP360 4K, which has only one spherical lens. Shockproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof and splash-resistant, this Wi-Fi and NFC-connected camera comes with dozens of mounting accessories, which may help to explain the high price. And while it may be solid and pocket-sized, as if one of these wasn't pricey enough, if you want to shoot in 360° you'll have to by this product twice (Kodak thoughtfully sells a Dual Pro two-pack). You can operate it remotely from a phone, upload to YouTube and Facebook, and make use of a lot of bundled editing software, but we're still not convinced about the absence of true 360° capture. No one in their right mind thinks 360° video is going to take over from regular video. Why else would the Insta360 One include FreeCapture, a mode that allows users to film in 360° before transforming the results into a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio? It's a little like the feature on the similarly 4K-capable GoPro Fusion, although that's where the comparison pretty much ends. A reliable 4K 360° camera for video and stills, the Insta360 One proffers another advanced tool in the shape of Bullet Time, a fast frame-rate slow-mo mode that, rather bizarrely, requires users to wave the camera rapidly around them on… a piece of string. It's odd, but effective – the slow-mo effect you can add this footage looks like something out of The Matrix. It comes with a tripod thread for remote shooting, too. It might be known mostly for its sat navs and sports watches, but Garmin has produced a whopping-good 360 camera. The feature that catches the eye on the VIRB 360 is its ability to capture in maximum 5.7K resolution, and there's a very simple reason for that awkward figure: 4K doesn't cover a 360 landscape well. Better yet, you can now stitch 5.7K footage using Garmin's free VIRB Edit software. Its four microphones produce wraparound sound, too, while waterproofing, GPS, a gyroscope and an accelerometer give it a notable Garmin feel (it collects data about your adventures as you go, which you can overlay onto your 360 videos). Here's an ambitious effort – not at popularizing the new video format of 360°, but at creating a does-it-all action cam. Dust-proof, shockproof and water-resistant, the 360fly 4K does that rare thing of capturing video in both wide-angle 360º and first-person POV modes. With just one lens, and an app with a clear layout, you can shoot, upload and share stunning and immersive 360º video just as easily as with any other action camera. It's also got an accelerometer, compass, GPS and gyroscope for oodles of data. The drawbacks? The video is soft around the edges, and the audio is basic. LG's effort at 360° – and a definite alternative to the Samsung Gear 360 – is worth looking for if you want a simple and thoroughly affordable way to enter the world of wraparound video. Equipped with dual fisheye lenses that are flush with the body of the camera, the well-designed LG Cam 360 lets you toggle between 360° and 180° photos with a long press, and is generally a breeze to use. It comes with a handy protective case and has a standard tripod thread, enabling you to mount it on most supports. The only downside is the lack of a decent microphone, although it does pick up audio clearly enough if the source is close. It's just been discontinued by LG, so grab it while you can. Best action camera: 10 cameras for the GoPro generationBest GoPro camera: ultimate action cameras and accessories Source link

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