SmartWings Motorized Window Blinds

SmartWings Motorized Blinds

I love Tech things. Some years ago I jumped on the home automation bandwagon with a new program called Home Assistant. I automated a huge chunk of my old house. At that time I considered getting some smart blinds or curtains. People were pioneering DIY solutions and I just never pulled the trigger. Fast Forward to 2024 and the company SmartWings contacted me and asked me if I was interested in reviewing their smart blinds.

You betcha I was interested. They told me I could build up one set of blinds in any configuration and send them a screenshot and they would send me one. So I did just that. My wife picked out the fabric and style and I picked out the hardware configuration.

My Blind Configuration

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XHDATA E-100 Ham Radio Review

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XHDATA E-100 Ham Radio Review

XHDATA E-100

One of my favorite radio manufacturers just entered the amateur radio game. Introducing the XHDATA E-100. ($24.98 with a 15% off promotion currently). I was provided a pre-release radio about a month earlier to review and to provide feedback to XHDATA.

The official release date is 22 October 2024.

XHDATA has been making GREAT shortwave radios for ages and I think I own most of them. I’ve never had an issue and I’ve even reviewed a couple of them here on my blog.

So, after testing the radio for a month, I will tell you what I think.
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Ergonomic Chair SIHOO Doro C300

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Ergonomic Chair SIHOO Doro C300

SIHOO Doro C300

I get to review a lot of cool things here at my Tech Blog. I was ecstatic when the Marketing folks at SIHOO offered to provide me an Ergonomic Chair to review. The model they provided is the SIHOO Doro C300 ($299). To sweeten the pot SIHOO currently has a “Buy One, Get Two” hidden promotion. That is an amazing deal!

Why was I so excited? The timing of receiving this chair was exquisite. After about 50 years of sitting on a wallet my back developed a visible knot in the lower area which sometimes HURTS. For about 2 years now I have been getting deep tissue massages. Lo and behold the knot has seemingly gone away just recently. I have no desire for it to return. An ergonomic chair is EXACTLY what I needed in my office.

I currently have a garden variety black leather office chair with wooden arms. It is a nice chair, certainly attractive, however it kills that spot on my back. So much so that I bought a standing desk.
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TOPDON CarPal OBD2 Scanner Review

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TOPDON CarPal OBD2 Scanner Review

TOPDON CarPlay OBD2 Scanner

So you are driving along and your “Check Engine” light comes on. What do you do? What you shouldn’t do is go to the mechanic with no information about the maintenance issue. In 1996 On Board Diagnostics (OBD) scanners were made mandatory for all vehicles made in the United States. Today I’ll be reviewing the TOPDON scanner (OBD2), the CarPlay, currently $39.99.

When that Check Engine light comes on you simply plug this device into the OBD2 port, connect via Bluetooth to an app on your smart phone and run a full diagnostic test of your vehicle. The results will be displayed as a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). This means any average user can know exactly what is wrong with their vehicle before talking to a mechanic.

Having said that, this is a device that EVERYONE needs in their car just like you need a tire gauge. Walking into a repair shop and saying “I don’t know what’s wrong” could end up getting you taken for an expensive ride.

OBD2 (2nd generation) ports generally sit just left of the steering wheel in most vehicles. On my 2018 Toyota Tacoma it is literally a loose wiring connection near my fuse block.

OBD2 Port Connector

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New Best Budget Laser ACMER S1

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New Best Budget Laser ACMER S1

Acmer S1

I am beyond lucky to test and review some of the biggest, baddest, and most expensive desktop laser engravers. So why am I so excited about the Acmer S1? Why am I calling it the Best Budget Laser?

Answer: Because it is. It costs $100 for the 2.5 watt version and $119 for the 3.5 watt. It can also be purchased from AliExpress for a bit cheaper.

I think that a lot of prospective new laser owners think that they’ll make a ton of money doing crafty things. People will spend a thousand dollars or more to buy the best laser they can find. Shortly after you’ll see them on a forum saying they don’t know how to get started.

Or my personal favorite forum post is, “My machine broke and I have orders to fill. This is unacceptable”. Read on as the Acmer S1 is the cure for both of those problems.

The ACMER S1 comes fully assembled and costs $100 (for the 2.5 watt version).

Additionally, it operates as any other desktop laser engraver that uses GRBL code. It has a respectable, albeit small, working size of 130 x 130 mm.
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Rongta PN81 Portable Thermal Printer Review

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Rongta PN81 Portable Thermal Printer Review

Rongta PN81 Thermal Printer

Oddly enough I don’t own a printer. I have lots of label printers. However, every once in a great while I need to print something. Every time I go in the big box stores I eyeball the printers but hate that “cheap printer, expensive ink” game. Imagine my surprise when Rongta contacted me to review their Rongta PN81 A4 Portable thermal printer.

It can be purchased at Amazon currently for $99.99. Use coupon code EJPWZGEC until 26 September for 20% off.

The PN81 uses rolls of thermal paper and comes with one roll which makes it ready to use. A USB C cable, and a USB drive and manual are also included. It is extremely simple to use which should make this blog entry short and concise.

No more than I print, the PN81 is perfect for my needs. If I do print something it is some kind of document to sign which means black and white is all I need.

Since it is a thermal printer no ink is ever needed and it does not require proprietary rolls of thermal paper to be utilized.
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Longer Nano Pro Laser Review

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Longer Nano Pro 12W Laser Review

Longer Nano Pro

I was recently provided a Longer Nano Pro 12W ($799) by the nice folks at Longer3D. The Pro version is a 12 watt blue diode laser and a rotary extension and slide extension are included.

The Nano Pro looks fairly similar to a Laser Pecker but I assure you this is a different beast. The Nano only has one laser and does not contain the IR (1064 nm) laser as does the LP. Consequently, that makes it quite a bit less expensive than the LP.

Without drudging up the past too much I went on record on my blog saying how much I disliked the Laser Pecker 4. Because of the similar looks I kind of expected the Nano Pro to shake out the same way. File this under “Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover”.

SPOILER ALERT: I really, really like this machine. It is simple, effective, and the included Lightburn device file is exceptional. I did find a quirk or two which I’d categorize as “Learning Curve”. I’ll discuss that later. This machine is the right size, the right power, and has the right amount of portability. If you are a crafter or a scrapbooker the Nano or Nano Pro is custom made for you.
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FIFINE A22 Gaming Speaker Review

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FIFINE A22 Gaming Speaker Review

FIFINE A22 Gaming Speakers

I get to test and review a lot of cool items here at John’s Tech Blog. I was especially grateful to have the opportunity to review the FIFINE A22 Gaming Speakers. ($72.99).

They can also be purchased at Amazon for the same amount.

This is the descriptive blurb from the FIFINE website:

“FIFINE AMPLIGAME A22 2.1 CHANNEL BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS, WITH 4.5″ WOOFER, EQ/VOLUME/MUTE/RGB CONTROL, AUX/OPTICAL INPUT FOR GAMING ON PC/CONSOLE OR ENTERTAINMENT”

I am not much of a gamer, however, these will improve your audio experience considerably on a laptop, mini-PC, or game console. I have a mini-PC (with Ubuntu Linux) on my guest room TV. The more accurate description of the bedroom though is “whoever starts snoring first, the other person goes to that room”. So it gets quite a bit of use.
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My Short Wave Radio Story

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My Short Wave Radio Story

A super quick primer on how I got back into short wave radio.

I was a typical 60’s and 70’s kid. I loved CB radio and Short Wave radio even more. After leaving home for the loving arms of the United States Navy I drifted away from my radio hobby.

Fast forward to the mid 2000’s and I am now working for the US Gov’t and living in Iwakuni Japan. I was sent to MCAS Cherry Point in Havelock, NC. And oddly enough, I live in this area now. While I was driving around one day I had the AM radio on scan and it landed on a station that had minimal power and could only be received in parts of Havelock. I have no clue what the station was.
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TOOCAA L2 Laser Engraver Review

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TOOCAA L2 Laser Engraver Review

TOOCAA L2 Desktop Laser Engraver

I was recently provided a Desktop Laser Engraver from TOOCAA. TOOCAA stands for “Tool Can Create Amazing Art”. The laser that showed up on my doorstep is the TOOCAA L2, 20 Watt diode laser ($999.00).

Desktop laser engravers have been roughly the same up until recently. In the last year or so there has been an explosion of upgrades and safety features. The TOOCAA L2 certainly is carrying that torch into the future. Where it really shines is in the realm of safety.
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