Back in 2010, I decided to switch from a flip phone to a smartphone. I as not part of the Apple universe, so my options at the time were Blackberry (physical keyboard) and Android (virtual keyboard).
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My 2020 Niro EVs came with security wheel locks that require a special security key for removal. I used them on both the summer and winter tires, although the winter tires are on steel rims which are probably not worth stealing. When I switched to a 2025 Niro EV in the fall of 2024, I kept the old winter tires.
I recently booked a hotel for a short getaway. I had credit card travel points that I wanted to use but decided to check Expedia which quoted a slightly lower price. It turns out my wife was also checking hotels on Expedia - she was quoted a higher price.
I bought a Gaggia Coffee manual espresso machine in 2000 when my doctor suggested I reduce my caffeine intake - at the time, decaf from a pot often had an odd taste. That espresso machine lasted until 2015 when service became increasingly expensive and often took weeks.
In 2017, I was given a SodaStream that carbonates water using a refillable 60 liter CO2 cylinder. The cost of a refill cylinder was a bit high, but I was only using four or five cylinders a year. in 2024, compatible CO2 cylinders like Indigo and Reflo became available at a lower price, and they would accept the empty SodaStream cylinders.
All my tax slips have arrived, so I decided to get an early start on my taxes. I currently use Wealthsimple Tax (previously SimpleTax) because it meets my tax needs, helps optimise joint returns, and the price is right.
I switched to Epson inkjet printers in 2004 partly because I was able to get refillable cartridges. Unfortunately, Epson has been making it difficult to use non-Epson cartridges. I had looked at the Epson EcoTank line but the price was high and the printers often lacked features that were available on even low-end WorkForce printers.
A growing number of home devices rely on cloud services or "call home" via the Internet, which may be unnecessary and undesirable from a security perspective. The recommended method is to segregate these devices onto a separate network, usually through a Virtual LAN (VLAN) and firewall rules which can be complex to configure on some routers.
A recent article (paywalled) summarised the July 2024 paper "
Until recently, the electricity grids that power our homes, businesses, and industry rarely integrated electricity storage. As a result, the production of electricity needs to track the consumption of electricity.