The future of USB is C and A
If you want to stay ahead of the curve with USB stuff, use A + C charge ports.
Back in '21, a proposed rule by the European Commission stated that all phones must have a USB-C port. Since then, it's been becoming a reality that every single phone, tablet, camera or whatever-it-is that uses USB has a C port.
It's going to be a while until "everything is C" is fully realized, so what I'm doing in the home is purposely getting wall chargers that support A and C. There are a bunch of these out there. Some are all A, but the type I specifically seek out are A + C.
There are 5 types of USB ports I use in my life. A, B (the square one which 2 of my effects pedals use), mini (most of my Garmin GPSes use mini), micro (my phone uses this) and C.
I can get A-to-any-style USB cables and that's not a problem. However, it is sometimes a problem with C. All I need with C is a power port. As such, it makes sense to get A + C wall chargers.
On the computing side of things, type A is definitely not going away any time soon, or at least not in the US. There are tons of PCs out there with A ports for connecting things, and new PCs and laptops still have A ports as standard equipment. Type C is for anything mobile, meaning phone and tablet.
As C ports become more common, more stuff will be made that can be powered by USB-C cables - even for things that aren't computers at all. A simple example of that are these rechargeable 9V batteries that get charged via use of USB-C.
Again, if you want to stay ahead of the curve with this stuff, get a wall charger or two that supports USB A and C ports. Getting a 12V USB-C car charger also isn't a bad idea either.
I've been using Tracfone for over 10 years
No-contract is the only way I roll.
The last time I actually had a phone contract was in the late 2000s. I had just moved and needed to change phone service, which was still a requirement to do at the time. I went with the cheapest phone I could find with the cheapest contract I could find because I didn't know any better. The service was terrible as was the phone itself.
I found out about Tracfone when I needed to find a phone for dad back when he was still among the living. He needed something real cheap, so I shopped around, saw Tracfone and said, "Okay. This will do." After his service was set up, I was so impressed with it at less than half the price of my contract phone service that I dumped what I had a week later, got a Tracfone for myself and have been using it ever since.
Over the years I've used several phones, but all with the same Tracfone service. It wasn't until 2018 that I got my first smartphone. I'm now on my third, but only because the first one was too slow and the second had a terrible camera. What I have now, a Samsung Galaxy S7, does the job. The only thing that really annoys me about it is that it has a sealed battery, but oh well.
How I feel about the phone these days
The way I do phone things these days is very different compared to years ago.
I can't stand talking on the phone anymore...
...and it's for one reason. The pausing. On the old analog wired systems, the delay between when you spoke and the person you called heard you or vice versa was imperceptible. Today, no matter what phone or network you're using, there's a delay before the other party hears you and before you hear them. The end result of this is constantly talking over each other.
With every voice call, I feel like I'm being rude talking over the other person even though it's not my fault. The only thing that somewhat mitigates this is making my speech very short, which in itself is rude, but what other choice do I have?
I genuinely prefer texting...
...as long as I don't receive walls of text. Fortunately, that rarely happens. However, I don't like those that "speak in emoji" either, especially those that replace very short words with symbols for no reason other than being lazy.
I do actually appreciate that photos, small videos and small voice clips can be sent in text messages. It would be nice if voice clips in a text message could outright replace voicemail completely, but I understand why voicemail still exists. The reason voicemail is still around is because you can call in remotely (even to your own phone from a different phone) to get your voice messages. You can't really do that with text messaging on most systems.
I do like that my phone is a backup computer with backup internet connectivity...
...for when the internet in the house goes out and I need something to access my stuff online. That has come in handy more than a few times.
It is possible for the phone to be the PC using Samsung DeX. Why don't I do it? There are too many things in Windows that simply don't exist on the phone (if I had to go without Notepad++, Everything and AutoHotKey, that would not be pleasant).
I'm just too much of a workstation style user to go 100% phone for it all.
I know the network doesn't matter...
...as long as it works. And Tracfone works.
Tracfone is just the prepaid version of dominant carriers anyway. I believe the carrier for my Tracfone SIM is Verizon. Years ago I had a Tracfone SIM that was AT&T, and I might have even had one from another carrier at one point. It was all still Tracfone, just with whatever carrier they chose for that particular SIM.
This is, by the way, why I find it funny that younger people make fun of those who use Tracfone, believing they have a "better" service. Highly unlikely. It's more likely whoever they know that has a Tracfone is using the same carrier they are.
I'm a believer in headlight restoration kits now
After doing some research, I found a kit that works.
When I say "headlight restoration", I actually mean "headlight lens restoration", because it's the lens you want to restore since the bulb can be replaced (assuming you're allowed to do that on your car).
The kit I bought and used, which comes in a rather small and unassuming box, is the Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit.
The reason the box is on the smaller side is because it comes with no drill attachments. Almost everything you need is in the box. The only two things you need to provide are water (in a spray bottle, bucket or from a garden hose) and paper towels. Since there are no attachments, all sanding must be done by hand...
...which is exactly what I did.
While true there are many kits out there, I went with this one primarily because the sandpaper provided isn't garbage, and the cleaning solutions provided are better compared to other kits.
Yes, there are other kits that come with the drill attachment with sanding discs. However, as convenient as that sounds, where a lot of those cheap out is with the sanding paper. If that paper isn't the good stuff, all the convenience by using a drill attachment is lost right out of the gate.
With hand sanding you don't splatter solutions all over the place, but I will readily admit that it does take longer to get the job done.
How much time does it take to use this kit? About 30 minutes per lens if you've never done it before. All the prep, sanding, polishing and the final UV coat takes about that long. If you have done it before, then it's 20 minutes per lens.
With the Sylvania kit, all you have to remember is this: If you follow the instructions EXACTLY as given, it will work. The best way to go about it is to follow steps 1 and 2 for both lenses first, then step 3 for both lenses after that. If you get this kit, you'll see what I mean when you read the instructions.
Other things I know work but really don't when it comes to lens restorations
A lot of people say toothpaste and/or baking soda works for headlight lens restoration.
Does this work? Yes, but only for light clouding, and it's guaranteed the lenses will cloud up again quickly. Why? Because the lenses weren't coated/sealed afterward. Headlight lens sealer is cheap, and yes, this stuff is required. It's better if you get headlight clear coat. In the Sylvania kit, the sealer/clear coat is the UV block clear coat for the final step.
Both toothpaste (as in the whitening type that has silica in it) and baking soda when rubbed over a lens acts as a very light abrasive, so yes, it does work. But wow, do you have to rub-rub-rub for a long time just to get either to do anything. You might get moderately okay results, but again, the lens will cloud right up again quickly.
Can this be done cheaper?
Sort of, but it's not really worth it.
If you were to part out everything in the Sylvania kit (400/1000/2000 sandpaper, microfiber towels, cleaning solution, rubbing compound and clear coat), it would be all too easy to spend more than double what the kit costs.
Many guys already have the sandpaper and drill attachment. It's the solutions where you rack up the cost. Just the rubbing compound and clear coat can easily cost more than double the price of the kit.
The absolute most dirt cheap way to do it for really clouded up lenses is to use water and 400-grit sandpaper for 5 minutes, repeat with 1000-grit for 5 minutes, repeat again with 2000-grit for 5 minutes, then use UV clear coat wipes from a 3M Quick Headlight Clear Coat kit. The kit alone isn't enough because it only comes with one sanding disc, hence why you need to provide the 400/1000/2000 yourself in addition to that kit.
With the sandpaper and the kit, you can get the cost down to under 20 bucks. Worth it to save a few bucks over the Sylvania kit? Not really, because you barely save any cash.
Prior to using the Sylvania kit, I never restored headlight lenses before and the results I got were decent.
How long do I expect my clear lenses to last?
The best way I can answer that is that I don't expect miracles here. If I get a year or two out of this before having to do it again, so be it. There's just no way a small kit can match the OEM baked-on coating the auto manufacturer used originally, nor am I expecting it to.
I want more lights in my life
How many of these lights do I want?
All of them.
In my teens, what I wanted as far as stuff was concerned were video games and computers. I was absolutely and totally addicted to staring at a glowing screen that had things on it I could control with my hands. In my twenties, it was car stuff. Bought a few cars, bought a few trucks, then sold or traded them all out. On into my thirties and forties, I got into buying watches and Garmin GPSes.
Now what I'm starting to get the bug for is something a lot of middle aged men develop an interest in. Home improvement.
I like lights now. A lot. Above is a lighting display from a Home Depot near me, and it just looks magical. Nice lights just make everything look more pleasant.
My favorite type of light type is indirect lighting. I'm specifically talking about a light source that points up or down where you do not see the bulb. A simple example of this is a standing lamp with a bowl on top. You don't see the bulb, the light goes straight up, hits the walls and fills the room. A smaller version of this is the bedside lamp with a fabric shade surrounding it. Again, you don't see the bulb and it's much easier on the eyes compared to an exposed bulb.
Does this mean I don't like track lights? Yes. I can't stand those things.
I am also not a fan of shop lights either. Those things are best used in work environments and garages and not in the house. Yeah, they throw a ton of light and do a very good job at it, but the light isn't easy on the eyes at all. This is understandable since they're designed for visibility before comfort.
Better lighting is a very easy quality-of-life improvement, and I'm honestly very happy there are so many lighting options to choose from. I'm also very happy that the bulbs themselves have vastly improved.
Remember CFL lamps? Awful. Remember LED lamps when they first came out? Also awful. However, LED has improved to the point where the harshness of the earlier stuff is gone. When you buy "soft white" LED bulbs, it's actually a soft white now.
The right lighting fixture with the right bulb type makes all the difference. I like this stuff. I like figuring out what works and what doesn't. This speaks to my middle aged self in a positive way.
The "I don't care" watch, Casio W735H
I seriously cannot believe how much I wear this thing.
When it comes to watches, I prefer something digital that has weekday, full date and time all at a glance without having to press a button. For when I do want to press a button, the buttons have to be large. For extra features, I want an alarm, countdown timer and a stopwatch. Last, but not least, it has to be something that can take a knock.
The Casio W735H is all of these things for cheap.
I bought a W735H back in March 2021. That same month, I bought a second one because I was convinced at the time that it would be my daily wearer, so I wanted a backup since it was cheap enough to get a second. But then shortly after that, they went in a box and I forgot about them.
Over a year later, frustrated with the metal bracelet on the watch I was wearing, I remembered hey, I've got that W735H. Let's try that again.
It's been on my wrist ever since.
This watch will never win any beauty awards, and some may even consider it ugly - and that's where my "I don't care" reasoning for wearing this begins.
I have other watches that look far better than the W735H, such as the Casio MTP4500D. But even though the 4500D looks better, it's nowhere near as useful as the W735H.
Right now I'm at a point in my watch wearing life where function matters more than form does. The "Super Illuminator" nightlight on the W735H is amazing with its bright white light. I can actually make this watch SHUT UP while still giving me notification of an alarm, hourly signal or timer by switching from beep to vibration at any time. The buttons are big and easy to press. Surrounding the crystal are four raised areas, meaning if I hit the edge of a door with my wrist (which I have), the display doesn't get scratched. I've used this thing while cooking and got oils spotted all over it, but it cleans off easy every time.
I don't shower with this watch on, and that's generally a good practice because hot water can cause condensation under the crystal. Would I go swimming with the watch on? Yes. But I'd never wear it in the shower.
The best compliment I can give the W735H is that I don't think about it. It's tough enough to handle life where I can wear it anywhere and not worry about what happens.
Also, I finally stopped obsessing over my watch having exact to-the-second time accuracy. When I started wearing the W735H all the time, again, I just don't think about it. There was a point when I was synchronizing my watch to time.gov daily. That turned into weekly, then monthly, and now I only adjust every 3 months or so. At worst, this watch is only off by about 6 to 8 seconds. Totally acceptable. I could honestly get away with only adjusting the W735H twice a year, and only because of Daylight Savings Time.
Casio W735H. I wear it and don't care. It does what I want it to do and works.