Opinion

TLDR

The Mi Band 7 should be a top consideration for anyone considering a smart watch or a fitness tracker. The only potential ‘problem’ is the software can be fiddly to setup but works incredibly well despite setup hassles.

For full details and thoughts, continue reading.

The Hardware

The device itself is setup to look more like a bracelet than watch when worn. It has a similar look to the bracelet styled fitness trackers. The screen takes up the whole device face and is very ‘smart watch’ in style for the UI. It’s also got a few built in apps and tiles that make using the device feel more like a basic smart watch than simple fitness or health tracker. It’s a wonderful midpoint between a simple bracelet fitness tracker and full smart watch.

Prelude

Awhile ago I spent some time reviewing how I read books, news and random internet articles day to day. My goal was to bring a Kobo Clara HD back into regular use as I greatly prefer e-ink displays for reading. As with most things in my life, a “straight forward tech rework” was just the beginning of something far bigger.

I read a lot: an average of one hour plus per day with some days being over four hours of reading. I also cannot listen to audio books due to some speech processing and memory issues. Nor do I watch much video as it can cause me to turn into “a lump” that’s borderline catatonic. Video also does not relax me or help me unwind, recenter, or similar. It’s a pure time killer that has zero benefit for my physical or mental well being on the whole.

The Chargie

The Chargie is a small piece of hardware that’ll allow you to tune the way electronic devices are charged. It’s designed to let you only charge a device to a specific percentage as well as block data during charging. It’s basically a hardware ‘battery life saver’ for your phone, tablet and other devices that can run their app (Android and iOS, click the above thumbnail for what the app looks like).

For a few years now I’ve been trying to make mobile and cloud gaming an option for me…. I started writing this post with examples, information and more.

Instead I’m going to put it quite simply: the game industry needs a clue bat to the head, a complete gutting of leadership and massive studios broken up (lol @ that thought given the Microsoft/Activision/Blizzard deal being approved).

I’ve spent years fighting the inaccessible nature of mobile, cloud and PC gaming. I went deep enough down this rabbit hole to deploy my own cloud based compute environment, I sorted workarounds for all the things so I could continue to use strong passwords and I’ve found bugs with controllers that claim mobile support. I even put up with the random UI overhauls that broke every one of my workarounds that allowed me to actually use the software being pushed by studios and others.

The pacsave Vibe 150 (product page) is a sling bag setup similar to a messenger bag but very small, only 2.5L in usable storage.

I’ve had it for awhile and it has proven to be the best shoulder bag I’ve used to date as an EDC. When I’m headed out for the day I can carry all my essentials in the bag without any real hassles or worries. It’s displaced my Timbuk2 bag as well as a ThinkTank belt pouch I’ve used heavily in the past.

I have a ton of notes about the Henson DE safety razor (Product Page). Enough to make this a very long blog post. As much as I’d probably enjoy writing a longer, word vomit adjacent post about this razor, I’m not going to do that to my time or yours. This will be more mini review.

The website for the Henson DE, linked above, has all the fun information and details. It’s also accurate and not pure marketing or advertising speak. It’s definitely worth reviewing. Strange, I know.

For the last 18 months or so I’ve been using a OnePlus 8T and Microsoft Surface Duo. As of this writing, I’m now using a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 as my only device. Why?

Because Samsung got it right when it comes to an adaptable device.

This quote, unquote phone is a phone, tablet and laptop for me. It is a converged form of every mobile device I’ve used to date, including a laptop.

Changelog

2023-12-31

• Added GameSir x2 Pro
• Added Hori Split Pad JoyCons
• Added BinBok DOYOKY Classic JoyCons
• Added MayFlash Magic-S Pro 2
• Added JoyCon config
• Added Warframe config

2023-03-12

• Controller: Add Scuff Instinct pro
• Controller: Add Kishi v2
• Elite Series 2: Flip primary/shifted right stick main Elite Series 2 control config for smoother default motion with option to ’look fast’ if needed
• No Man’s Sky: Add in-game config
• Destiny 2 config: Re-jigger class and grenades such that there is less shoulder tapping/holds. This requires 4 paddles and is a direct reaction to the Strand Destiny element class
• Destiny 2 general: The 4 paddle requirement for Destiny is optional and the original config has been retained as it does work but is less efficient than the 4 paddle update below
• Destiny 2 in-game config: Update KemoNine configs to reflect changes once Strand launched in Destiny
• General: Cleanup config sections so they now collapse down for easier scanning and reading

What Is Below

I initially intended this post be a guide and review on getting controller gaming to be more accessible. Rather than drone on with too many thousands of words, I felt this post should be condensed into something of a reference and highlights reel and it still ended up being a longer read than I expected.

I bought an ez Share sd card (link) recently. The 32gb model (its white with orange and gray text) from a reseller on ali express to be specific. It’s been an intersting sd card to play with and deserves some attention.

Before I go into what ive found so far with this card…

BE CAREFUL AS IT MAY NOT WORK AT ALL

The docs for the card have a very specific camera support chart and even the first camera I tried requires the camera to be powered via usb before it’ll provide the sd card enough power to work. This is a well known and well advertised on the website and frequently asked questions pages. please mind this fact.

A Short Review

I managed to get my hands on a Paper Shot Camera (links below) for the holidays and I’m impressed. Enough I felt compelled to put this post together.