Systemd-boot, sometimes called “systemd” and previously called “gummiboot,” is Grub’s newer competitor. On compatible EFI systems, systemd-boot can be used in place of Grub to boot the system’s operating system. From a high-level perspective, systemd-boot links to the bootloader already in UEFI, offering the most basic feature set for selecting an operating system. Grub, on the other hand, loads what is sometimes described as “an entire OS” to manage booting the user’s operating system, providing far greater capability. What is a bootloader? A bootloader loads the operating system. It’s copied to memory from a special sector on the boot media and runs before any operating… Read more
NEWS – Are you the type that whips through your laundry chores, only to have fresh, clean clothes sit unfolded until the next time you wear them? FoldiMate can fold an entire load of laundry in just five minutes, all automatically.
FoldiMate is a smallish refrigerator-sized device that will fold most of your laundry items into perfect, closet-ready piles.
According to their website:
FoldiMate will fold any type of shirt, blouse, or pants from age 6 to adult size XXL. It will also fold standard size towels and pillowcases. FoldiMate works best with average-sized clothing and laundry items. It currently won’t fold very small items like baby clothes, socks or undergarments, very large items such as sheets, or very bulky items such as hoodies.
You feed the items in one at a time. The unit continuously accepts items while folding the previously accepted item, allowing for non-stop folding. This results in their claimed five-minute runtime for an entire load of laundry of about 25 items.
Once the folding is done, a lighted drawer opens automatically, presenting you with your folded stack.
They claim that it will be relatively quiet – about the same as an average clothes dryer.
I hate folding clothes and hang most of my shirts and pants. If you’re more of a folder, this might be for you, but, it comes at a price. Right now, their targeted launch price is $980, and that’s not guaranteed. FoldiMate is an in-process project looking to launch late in 2019 in the US and then internationally. FoldiMate released a previous version in 2017. This new model is claimed to be a result of all the feedback they received and a major upgrade in the folding experience.
Interested? Check out their website at FoldiMate.com to get more details, and to get on the pre-order waitlist.
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REVIEW – Perhaps one of the hardest things about living in a northern region like Michigan is the constant battle of staying warm in the winter. The Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket aims to make that a bit easier to handle.
What is it?
The Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket features RDS (certified to the Responsible Down Standard) down fill and a heating system that heats the back, chest, and pockets of the jacket.
Winter can be tough here, there’s a constant battle to stay warm when you go outside. There’s also the battle of being comfortable at the same time. Often a really warm jacket is great, but after your car warms up, it’s just too much. Taking off your jacket in the car is difficult, and you certainly want to put it back on before getting out of the car.
Winter is starting to wrap up here in Michigan, but there’s still ice on the lake and cool winds despite the sun shining brightly. I’m sure I’ll still have two more months of enjoying this jacket before the warm weather comes.
The Ravean Men’s Down X Heated Jacket is very lightweight (150 grams / 5.3 ounces), and it’s also not bulky at all. This makes leaving it on much more comfortable. The jacket is rated for use down to -10° F (-23° C) when on high mode. The light, breathable, water-resistant material is also soft to the touch. There is a durable water repellant coating added to fabrics at the factory to make them water-resistant (or hydrophobic). The jacket is also 100% washable, making it easy to clean. The fill is 90% hydrophobic duck down and 10% feathers.
The signature feature of the jacket is its built-in heating system. Powered by a 10,050mAh 12 volt battery, the jacket provides up to 6.5 hours of heating in the back, chest, and pocket areas. (High 2.4 hours, Medium 3.5 hours, Low 6.5 hours)
A push button switch on the inside near the left collar allows you to turn it on and off, as well as set the high/medium/low heat setting. The switch also lights up indicating pre-heat (pulsing red LED), high (red LED), medium (white LED), or low (blue LED). Pressing the button cycles through the different heat levels, and pressing and holding it for 1-2 seconds will turn it on or off.
Convenient on/off switch
The battery also features a 5v/2A USB charging port that can be used to charge your mobile devices. The battery also has a flashlight built into the end which could be useful in an emergency, but probably wouldn’t be something you would regularly use. The battery is also curved, so it fits snugly alongside the body. The battery charges in 90 minutes and has five LED’s that indicate its charge level.
The jacket itself is fairly warm on its own, with a fill power rating of 750, I found the jacket to be surprisingly warm even without the warming feature turned on. The hood is removable via zipper and has drawstrings for both the front and the back of the hood to adjust it just the way you like. I really like how the hood attaches to the front of the collar, with the hook and loop (aka velcro) attaching under a flap.
The collar was very impressive. I know, it sounds corny, but many of the jackets I have seem to strangle me when they are zipped all the way up. This jacket not only does not strangle me but has plenty of room for a scarf or facemask.
Zipped all the way up, no choking!
Pockets on the sides, chest, and right arm provide ample space for storing whatever you choose. The arm pocket measures about 8″x5.5″ – plenty large enough for an iPhone 7 plus. The side pockets are approximately 7.5″x12″ with a 6″ zipper opening. The chest pocket is about 6″x9″ with a 6.5″ zipper opening, and it almost disappears when zipped.
On the inside, there is a pocket for the battery that includes a cord passthrough to the side pocket for charging your mobile device. There’s also a similar pocket on the right side for another charger (not included) that features a passthrough also. There are also two mesh pockets on the inside that aren’t zippered.
The jacket also has an armpit gusset of stretch material that helps with arm mobility without any extra bulk. That’s one of the things I noticed when I first put it on and outstretched my arms.
When given the opportunity to review this product, I consulted the sizing guide on the Ravean website and chose the XL which was specified for a 38-40 inch waist since I wear a size 38 pant (loosely). I found that the jack was a bit smaller in girth than I expected, but it does still fit nicely. If you’re the type like me that has a little bit of extra “winter weight”, you might want to go up one size.
The arm length was fantastic, and the jacket includes cuffs with thumbholes to keep the arms down and to fill that space between the jacket and a glove.
I quite liked the length of the jacket. It’s a little longer than some of the other jackets I have, which helps to keep it from riding up when squatting or bending over.
I found the heating system to be outstanding. Even on the high setting, the jacket provided a nice warmth without feeling hot. The switch for changing modes was easy to operate and the curved battery really made a difference in the way the jack fits.
What I like
Zips all the way up without choking you
Additional battery pocket with passthrough
Just the right amount of heating
What needs to be improved
Sizing is slightly small
Final thoughts
I found the jacket to be warm even when not using the heating system and the lightweight construction also made for a great under-layer when pairing it up with another outer layer during heavy wind conditions down at the lake. The ability to charge my mobile device is quite nice. Overall, I’m very pleased with this jacket.
Price: $199.99 Where to buy: Ravean Source: The sample of this product was provided by Ravean.
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NEWS – Here’s a unique watch to add to your timepiece collection, it’s the PSI watch from Tokyoflash Japan, and it’s designed to look like mechanical pressure gauge. Available with a black or white dial and a black or silver stainless steel case, the PSI watch is a fun way to tell time because it has a needle that jumps to the hour, then two more jumps to show the minutes. Take a look at the video below to see how it works.
The watch charges via USB and a full charge will let you enjoy the watch for up to 2 months before you need to charge it again. You can buy the PSI watch for $189.00 from Tokyoflash Japan
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The limitations of facial recognition technology have been widely reported, and that’s what makes it all the more confusing that Amazon would sell its tech to police. It’s known that facial recognition technology has difficulty recognizing darker skin and women, which is one thing when it’s being used log in to your phone, but Amazon is being taken to task by artificial intelligence researchers in an open letter for selling something so flawed to law enforcement. Open Letter to Amazon It makes this story that much more delicious to know that some of the AI researchers authoring the open letter are from Amazon competitors: Google,… Read more
