UK plug and wall socket is probably the best there is

While we are on the topic of sockets and chargers. UK three-prong plug (type G) allows you to put heavier things into the socket and they will sit there securely. Also it's rated 250V/13A allowing more powerful appliances and probably safer than any other plug type (not mentioned there that almost every socket has an off switch, as an additional safety feature, apart from all the shutters, insulation, and built-in fuses).

(Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

If the world ever comes to a standard AC plug type, I hope it will be either that or at least something as robust and safe. And, let's face it, the only two alternatives (EU and US plugs) are not that universal, there are dozens of variations (where to put the ground prong, how to ensure polarity, even how big the prongs themselves must be) that makes either harder to adopt as a single universal standard.

New horizons

I originally started this blog with ideas of reviewing devices and services and hoping that eventually if it gets popular enough somebody starts sending me stuff to review. A lot has changed since, I stopped obsessing that much about new gadgets and got into vintage electronics, many of things that were new and interesting a few years ago are a commodity now. I thought about reviewing the phone I finally got to refreshing last year (S23 Ultra is ok upgrade for Note 8, I'm glad that new ultras will finally have flat screen again, I might upgrade next year or so just for that) but I don't really feel like it or think it would mean much for the readers. Most of my vintage electronics is at home where I haven't been for a couple years and it's not something I can currently do something about, I touched a soldering iron like once or twice this year. I might post something work-related once I get the hang of what I'm actually doing there and have some rough ideas wen dece...

Huawei TalkBand B3 (active) review

Despite the fact that no manufacturer ever sent me any free gadget for review, I'm continuing doing it. Maybe I'll become a popular reviewer and they will change their mind. This post will be the first in this year's wearable gadget reviews. To put it into perspective for those who don't know me, I'm not a fitness person, like at all. I eat healthy, I walk kinda a lot, I do some aerobics and occasional cardio but that's it. I'm too lazy even for jogging. But, for some reason, I currently have not one, not too, but three fitness trackers on my wrists. Yeah, crazy, I know, but that was the only way to compare them properly. By the way, wearing TalkBand on the same wrist with anything else is super inconvenient, you can hardly take it out for calls. But more on that later. Why do I need any fitness tracker? Apart from knowing time, I like to know how active I'm during the day, and, more importantly, track my sleep. I have some issues in that department so...

Using virtualenv for more than Python projects

Sorry, it's not a complete instruction, just a thought. It occurred to me (some time ago) that Python's virtualenv is, essentially, a simplified version of system "prefix", it has bin, lib, include, and can have more stuff when needed. If you're willing to experiment (you'll probably have to set a few additional environment variables and/or build flags but that's no big deal), you can install various other tools there up until you have a complete system with its own compiler and complete set of libraries although it's much simpler to keep using system compiler and libraries only complimenting them when needed. Granted, prefixes are nothing new, people were using /opt (and their home directory) this way since the beginning of time. But with little help of virtualenv-wrapper or pyenv you can easily switch between them and isolate environments better. Binaries and stuff installed in virtualenv would override system defaults but only when venv is activat...

Semi-technical thoughts

Search This Blog