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Recovery Toolbox for Word: An Easy Way to Repair Corrupt Word Files

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by Recovery Toolbox. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored. Just like any other program files, Microsoft Word files too can get corrupted due to different reasons. When that happens, your first thought would be to try the built-in repair tool for Word. But as we all know, the probability of recovering data from a corrupted file using the built-in Office repair tools is always next to nil. While this may seem rather frustrating, it’s not the end of the road…. Read more

“BreedReady” Database Leak Targets 1.8 Million Women in China

Women are often targeted as “prey” by sick individuals, and the sad truth to the matter is that the Internet sometimes makes it even easier to target them. This is definitely the case with a database that was discovered that listed all the personal information of 1.8 million women in China. The database even included a section called “BreedReady.” “BreedReady” Database Leak A white hat hacker discovered the unsecured database on Saturday, March 9, 2019. By Monday it had been taken down, but the frightening aspects didn’t go away with the removal of the database. Someone or a group of people are or were collecting… Read more

Bag a deal, skip the lines with Walmart grocery pickup

ARTICLE – When it comes to groceries, Walmart offers impressive deals and selection, but it can get extremely crowded with long checkout lines. The super-sized stores can also feel especially daunting if you have young children, a tight schedule, health challenges or mobility issues.

And that’s the beauty of online grocery ordering: You get all the deals without any of the hassles. And it’s a free service, just make sure to spend $35 or more on your order.

Not every Walmart has grocery pick-up, but they’re introducing it more and more places. Just click on the grocery icon to the right of the search bar on Walmart.com. From there you can search your zip code to find the nearest available pick-up location. And if you already have a saved store on the site, it will immediately show you if it’s available at your usual spot or, if not, where the closest locations are.

It’s easy to search and select items to add to your cart, indicating how many you’d like of each. I’ve gotten goodies far beyond my weekly menu, like cleaning supplies, medicine, fresh flowers, even a new dog harness.

Then you select a one-hour timeslot to pick up your items. My store offers one-hour windows from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As part of your order review, you can check a box to accept substitutions on all items or individually select which items you’re willing to accept substitutions for, in case they’re not available. For example, as a substitution, I’ve gotten a bigger size carton of blackberries at no extra cost when the small size was out of stock. And I was upgraded from the store brand to a name brand of pizza crust (also at no extra cost). But I don’t allow substitutions on items where we’re picky about having a certain brand (Alexia hash browns, please) or particular flavor (blue Kool-Aid, never the orange).

If you do allow the substitutions but don’t like what they come up with, you can always have them take it off your order and subtract the cost at pick up. So there’s really no risk of getting stuck with something you don’t want.

After you’ve submitted your order online, you can log in and add or subtract items until 12 hours before your pick-up time.

I have text notification set up to let me know when my order is ready. At pick-up time, if you use the app, you can click to say you’re on your way. Otherwise, there’s a posted phone number in the pick-up lanes so you can let them know you’ve arrived.

Once you’ve done it the first time, your list is saved on the site, and it’s much easier to click on your favorite stuff the next time without having to search. After my first visit, I also had the pickup number loaded into my phone, so now I just call and let them know when I’m five minutes away.

Now, if you’re a coupon connoisseur or BYO bag kind of person (count me in both camps) this might not be your weekly jam. While you can’t use manufacturer coupons, there are some $10 off coupons floating around right now. And so many plastic bags —I’m not exaggerating, in my last order, I had NINE single items packed in their own nine different plastic bags, and several other bags with only two small items. However, this might be overlooked for convenience sake when dealing with a sick kid, super-busy week, or the first day you get home from vacation. In fact, I’m already setting up my cart so it’s ready when we get back from spring break.

Overall, Walmart online ordering and grocery pickup is easy to use and very convenient. If they had this when my kids were toddlers, it would have been a game changer! Find it at https://grocery.walmart.com/.

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Bag a deal, skip the lines with Walmart grocery pickup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 11, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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3 of the Best System Monitor Tools for Ubuntu

As the number of devices, servers, and services you have in your business or organization grows, so does the need to monitor your systems. System monitoring, whether on premise or in the cloud, covers the capacity, activity, and health of the hosts and apps. The process is designed to cover all computing resources to root out and tackle problems in real-time before they occur. If you’re using Ubuntu, system monitoring tools will help you spot any service failures or errors before they impact users. The most basic tool at your disposal is the System Monitor, a built-in utility for Linux that acts like Windows’ Task… Read more

Thyrm CellVault and CellVault XL waterproof attachable gear storage review

REVIEW – As most active outdoor enthusiasts know, many of our personal lighting solutions still rely on replaceable or swappable batteries. These battery-hungry lights always seem to run out of power at the most inopportune times. The Thyrm CellVault and CellVault XL offer a solution to carrying and keeping your batteries dry. After having my headlamp die on a recent camping trip, I ordered two CellVault XL (one rescue orange and one clear) and one CellVault (flat dark earth) to hold batteries and supplies for my camping backpack and my EDC bag / day pack.

What is it?

The Thyrm CellVault line of attachable gear storage designed to provide a safe and convenient way of storing batteries. The CellVault is design to store CR123 / AA (LR06) / AAA (LR03) batteries. The CellVault XL will also store 18650 rechargeable batteries.

What’s in the box?

The CellVault and CellVault XL arrived attached to descriptive hang cards. The CellVaults are easily removed from the hang cards by simply releasing the clip / clasp and sliding the vaults loose from the cards.

Hardware specs

CellVault

  • 5.25″ long
  • 1″ wide
  • 1.25″ deep (front-to-back)
  • 1 oz weight

CellVaultXL

  • 5.25″ long
  • 1.875″ wide
  • 1.25″ deep (front-to-back)
  • 2.05 oz weight

Design and features

The CellVault has an oval cross-section with a hinged lid and integral clip. The CellVault XL has a figure-8 cross section with a removable divider (with convenient markings to show you which way to reinstall the divider).  The vaults taper slightly from top to bottom (more on that later). When attached to gear, the lid hinge faces out. The integrated clip also serves as the latch for the lid. The length of the vaults allows the clip to slip through 3 rows of MOLLE webbing (so, two loops on your vest / bag). In addition to the clip, there are lanyard loops on the top and bottom of the vaults that provide locations to attach additional gear and to give additional carry options (you can also attach dummy cords to them if you are prone to dropping things–I have not had to add them to mine, yet).

 

The CellVault and CellVault XL were designed around the 3V CR123  battery commonly used for tactical lights such as those from Streamlight, Surefire, and Inova. The slight taper the vaults is a very clever design feature. This keeps the CR123 batteries from falling out when the vaults are inverted (which is the normal method of opening the vaults when attached to MOLLE panels. A slight squeeze on the narrow sides of a vault releases the batteries. CellVault / CellVault XL is also compatible with AAA (LR03) and AA (LR06) battery sizes. However, the smaller diameter of these other battery types means that the positive retention system does not work for these battery types. Two AA batteries will stack in the CellVault, and four AAA batteries sit comfortably stacked side-by-side two high.

The CellVault will securely hold up to 3 CR123 batteries. Alternately, up to 4 AAA (LR03) batteries or 2 AA (LR06) batteries may be stored in a CellVault instead of the CR123 batteries. The CellVault may als be used to store fire lighting or survival supplies or medications. Small cigars may also fit.

The CellVault XL doubles the storage capacities for the aforementioned battery types and adds the option of storing up to two 18650 batteries. The center divider of the CellVault XL may easily be removed to allow bulkier items, such as keys, memory cards, or first aid / survival supplies (see below) to be stored in the vault.

I have allocated my trio of vaults as both battery carriers and an EDC first aid kit (see below). One CellVault XL is attached to my Mystery Ranch Komodo Dragon pack (to the side MOLLE loops) that I use when camping. It carries AA and CR123 batteries for my headlamp and my Streamlight Polytac 90 flashlight.

Alternate use

I removed the center divider from my second CellVault XL and converted it into my EDC first aid kit (see below). The CellVault currently carries AA batteries as spares for my wireless mouse and my small EDC flashlight. The first aid kit and CellVault are clipped into the MOLLE loops on the side of my Mystery Ranch ASAP which is my EDC / day pack. To attach a CellVault to a strap or to MOLLE webbing, just release the clip / latch by pulling the lower tab away from the lower lanyard hole and slide the clip over the strap / down through the webbing and then clip to re-latch and secure the vault.

The contents of my first aid kit are shown below. I ended up taking the tweezers out of their tube and used the tube to store a combination of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen tablets, but I didn’t photograph the new contents.

Performance

I have found that the CellVault and CellVault XL work very well for carrying CR123 batteries. They also do a respectable job of carrying AA and AAA batteries, but I need to do a little shock packaging to keep the smaller batteries from rattling around. I don’t carry these in tactical situations (I’m an idea rat and computer jockey), but the rattling is bothering me with just daily carrying between my truck and desk. The first aid kit has proved useful several times and has been restocked with bandages once (I had an accident involving a bagel and a Leatherman Wave)

What I like

  • MOLLE-compatible clip
  • CR123 batteries can be removed easily one at a time without the remaining batteries falling out
  • Fits multiple types of cylindrical batteries: CR123, 18650, AAA (LR03) and AA (LR06)
  • Can be used to store items other than just batteries.

What needs to be improved

  • Non-CR123 sized batteries rattle around and are not held in when a CellVault is inverted
  • CellVault cannot be removed from gear without opening the vault (this can also be viewed as a benefit)

Final thoughts

The CellVault and CellVault XL are excellent CR123 battery holders / carriers with many ingenious design features that enhance their function. The CellVault XL also makes an excellent EDC first aid kit, but don’t expect it to serve as your only kit for more than hikes on prepared surfaces. With a few modifications, such as adding a bit of foam padding, the CellVault works well as a AA / AAA battery carrier.

If you are looking for an elegant way to keep your lights supplied with batteries, you would be hard pressed to find a more elegant solution than the Thyrm CellVault / CellVault XL.

Price: CellVault $19.99 / CellVault XL $29.99
Where to buy: Thyrm LLC website and Amazon
Source: The samples of these products were purchased with personal funds.

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Thyrm CellVault and CellVault XL waterproof attachable gear storage review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 11, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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