A Geek Goes Flying

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...

The modified EC-500 guitar So Facebook Marketplace showed me this guitar (a made in Korea  circa 2006 ESP LTD EC-500 ) when it was listed for $280. I wasn’t that interested in a Les Paul style guitar, the price was good but not jaw dropping, and the seller was all the way down in Orange County. But. They dropped the price to $200 and I happened to be going down to O.C. to meet a friend at Disneyland, so, well, you know ... Original equipment / specs vs. as-modified: SET NECK CONSTRUCTION 24.75” SCALE MAHOGANY BODY 3-PIECE MAHOGANY NECK EBONY FINGERBOARD MODEL NAME AT 12TH FRET EMG 81 (B) / 60 (N) ACTIVE PICKUPS (replaced with “Hot ceramic pickup”) VOLUME & TONE CONTROLS W/3-WAY TOGGLE BLACK HARDWARE (Now mixed...) GROVER TUNERS (replaced with “Hipshot locking tuners” ( these? )) EARVANA COMPENSATED NUT TUNE-O-MATIC BRIDGE  (replaced with “Babicz bridge” ( this? )) W/STRING-THRU-BODY 24 XJ FRETS Anyway. It apparently had an MSRP of $899 when new. So far, I  love...

Just stumbled across this glimpse into the realities of developing for Android:  Our Android App is Frozen in Carbonite . (They’re still developing iA Writer for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows...) Reminds me of my Why not Android post from ... 10 years ago (!?). 12,000 different devices. Too big to fail company arbitrarily and capriciously changing the playing field (which, tbf, Apple can do too, sigh). I’d love to see a real, viable, Linux tablet OS with a strong, consistent UX. AFAIK, we’re not there yet, though there are efforts underway . Tower of Babel