A Geek Goes Flying

For the Solterra, for my iPhone 16 Pro with the unreliable USB C port, I wanted something that would hold the phone visibly and securely  and charge it with a decent amount of juice, and ideally with cooling. (I was waiting for TackForm to bring the CR07 back, but, alas, support confirmed it’s been discontinued.) The components I currently have, which work together brilliantly: The vent hook module from this: Coolpow for MagSafe Car Mount【Windshield+Vent+Dash】Magnetic Phone Holder  (the phone holder component works well, too, but doesn’t charge). It has a 17 mm ball so interoperates well with other hardware. This Anker 67W 3-Port USB-C Car Charger (the ESR below comes with its own 12V charger, but I know and trust the Anker, which is a little more flexible[1]; if I didn’t already have the Anker, the adapter that comes with the ESR is I’m sure fine...) The ESR OmniLock Qi2.2 Certified 25W MagSafe Car Mount Charger with CryoBoost , which I got when it went on “Black ...

Back in the day ( apparently 1982, and 1984 ), I remember waiting what seemed like forever to enter the Old Glory Theater ( Old Glory Amphitheatre ?) all the way in the back of Six Flags over Mid-America (now Six Flags over St. Louis ), by the Screamin' Eagle , to see The Beach Boys . I was early in my K-12 stint for those shows, which I remember as magical, even if the wait in the hot, humid Missouri summer was interminable. Anyway. Apparently, a bunch of bands played there back in the day , including several I’d love to see today: “Johnny Cash, Olivia Newton John, Kansas, Foreigner, Blue Oyster Cult, Head East, Tears For Fears, Night Ranger, Weird Al, Willie Nelson, Chuck Berry, The Orleans, Paul Revere And The Raiders, Electric Light Orchestra, Charlie Daniels, Toto, Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, The Commodores, Salt And Peppa, Randy Travis, Marshall Tucker Band, Garth Brooks, Reba, Oak Ridge Boys, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, The Monkees, R...

I needed a new casual belt. I find one I like and wear it the F out. But I’ve never really found one that fit perfectly in all situations. So I decided to try an “infinitely adjustable” belt. Found recommendations for the Narrow (1.1") Grip6 belts ($46+ but the colorways I would want are all currently sold out) and the Ultra Groove Belt from Duluth Trading Co. ($40). So I went with the Ultra Groove. Ultra Groove Belt, black. They’re supposed to be one size fits all, but it would be nice if they listed the length; I had to write customer service and ask. They’re about 48" long, FWIW. Anyway. They initially shipped me the wrong belt (I got one with a walnut buckle), but eventually got it sorted out and they shipped the right one, which I’m wearing now. Getting it setup took watching a short YouTube video:  The Groove folks also helpfully tested it out with a variety of accessories ;) ...  

Following up from my earlier observations ; a 13.6" MacBook Air M2 seems to settle around 65W (on an  Anker 100W charger , observed using a SABRENT cable with a built in display ) while charging from 37% SOC and being used with, e.g., a Bluetooth keyboard  ( 5.1 ) and mouse  ( BLE ), WiFi, and screen brightness turned up (while listening to streaming music via hardwired headphones ). So while 30W is what it shipped with[1], and what can reliably power and charge it, the modern Airs will take advantage of more power if its on tap - at least up to a point. MacBook Air M2 13.6" consuming 65W USB-C PD So, battery packs like the Zendure SuperTank Pro and Shargeek Storm 2 , Shargeek 140 , or even the Anker 20,000mAh Power Bank (A1383) (for basically one recharge, or a partial top-off if charging while using the computer), are still worth toting, even if I could get by with something with lower power output.

Minor update to my listening / reading nook ... The over the shoulder clipped on USB light wasn’t the solution I wanted. Finding the inline switch module on the cable was a PITA, it never was quite aimed right, etc. I’d had my eye on this floor standing light for a minute, but something in me just doesn’t want to spend $80 on a disposable piece like that; the LEDs are integrated into the light itself, and cannot be (easily, if at all) replaced when they eventually die. That idea leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So instead I got this more traditional O'Bright Nova - Adjustable Floor Lamp ($50). No dimming, no color changing, no remote control (though the switch is a rotating stalk conveniently on the top of the lamp), just on/off with a standard A19 socket that can accept any ol' bulb. I went with the Feit Electric ST19 Vintage Edison LED Light Bulb, 60W Equivalent, Dimmable, 2700K Soft White, 800 Lumens, E26 Base, Retro Filament Light Bulbs, 15,000-Hour Lifetime, ST1960/CL/92...

SeatGuru Laid To Rest After 24 Years . I can’t say I used it much in the past - decade? - if at all. I mostly fly private these days, after all, and even when I do occasionally fly commercial, the one thing that really made SeatGuru essential for me back in the day is no longer much of an issue: In flight power. Back in the mid-aughts, I was wearing several hats at a tech start-up, and generally always “on.” Flying, even with my spiffy new MacBook Pro 15.4" with its claimed 5 hour battery life  (that was, when brand new, more like 2-3 hours ), generally meant not being able to get all that much done before the battery was out of juice. (Years earlier, I had a superslim  Sony VAIO PCG-Z505R , with two “Standard Lithium-Ion Battery” packs that were good for a claimed “1.0-1.5 hours” each, and one thick “Triple-capacity Lithium-Ion Battery” with a claimed runtime of “3.5-5.0 hours,” and that could more or less get me through a domestic flight.) But then Apple released the Apple M...

The Algorithms™ have been feeding me a steady diet of ads for long time artisans who are blowing out their inventory on their way into retirement. Jewelry, handbags, cowboy leather, you name it. The most recent I’ve come across was “Junie” (identified within the site as “Junie Collins”). Apparently:  1975 - 2025: Junie’s retiring and her bags are 80% off! Out of curiousity I clicked through and was struck by the fact that the bags all seem to be things I’ve seen on Amazon, like this  Hazel Vintage Chest Crossbody Bag , which doesn’t really look all that handmade: Hazel Vintage Chest Crossbody Bag And, yeah, a Google Images search finds a bajillion hits for that image; the first few are $16 versions on Walmart.com (junieboutique.com lists it for $64.99). If Junie Collins is making this as advertised (“Hand-stitched by me, Junie with 35+ years of expertise”), damn, she’s busy. So, the merch is suspect inherently. But what about the domain name? Junie’s been in business for 35 ye...