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).
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.