Lee.org

Such a lovingly crafted.. umm… acid trip tribute to Star Trek The Next Generation!
The love shows in the details.

(via JWZ)

I use Zoom on Windows a lot lately. I wanted cordless earbuds to decrease the number of wires at my desk so I went exploring. Here’s my recommendation:

All of them have “ok”-ish microphones. When at my desk, I use the mic built into my laptop but sometimes switch to the built-in mike when walking around.

MPOW Flame Solo is the best bluetooth earbud for me
– $40 on Amazon
– They “just work”. It has taken a little effort to figure out how to switch between my now multiple audio-out options on my computer, that isn’t the fault of the earbuds. Syncing is easy, turning on and of is easy.
– audio quality for music is nearly as good as my wired earbuds, I use them for music
– The over-the-ear design means they stay on my head and I don’t have to rely on squeezing the earpiece into my ear to stay on (like the Tozo T12)
– The volume and sound response (highs vs lows etc) is sometimes a little bit less than my wired earbuds. But look ma! no cords!

Tozo T12 is my second choice
– $40 on Amazon
– Also “just work.”
– They work as well as the MPOW Flame Solo but the in-the-ear-canal design bothers me since there is something shoved in my ear canal! And they sometimes fall out when I make a big facial expression like a wide smile.

Jabra Evolve 65T was TERRIBLE
I thought these would be the best due to the company’s reputation and their price tag but I was wrong!
– $220 on Amazon. What?? Yes!
— They occasionally make a very loud click in my ears. Once it happened when I walked away from my desk, maybe it lost bluetooth connection? Once it happened while I was trying to configure it. Earbuds should NEVER blast my ears with a loud click!
— The audio balance for music is often 90% to the left and can’t be fixed. I googled around and found several forums filled with people saying “yeah, that’s a problem. I called Jabra and they couldn’t fix it.” One fix seemed to work for some people: sticking a needle in the microphone port below the “R” on the right earbud and wiggling it around. I gently tried this (on my brand new earbuds) and it didn’t work.
— I had a bit of trouble configuring them to work. Making the sound path from Zoom/Spotify/default computer audio to the speakers wasn’t intuitive and the manual consisted of just 4 pictograms. I muddled through but a little more help from Jabra would have been nice. Here are some hints (that Jabra doesn’t mention!): The Jabra “Sound+” app for Android can help you configure the earbuds… but some forums say it is responsible for the left-balance problem. You should get the Jabra Direct Windows program to set up the Jabra USB Link 370 USB Adapter.

Anker Soundcore Spirit X no good for Zoom on Windows
– $30 on Amazon
– They work great on my Android phone
– They sound about as good as the others. The two over-the-ear earbuds are tethered to one another. I had heard people say that a tethered design would make it so you don’t lose one earbud; to that I say “Meh, just don’t lose them!” I find the tether bothers my neck. When I turn my head, it catches on my hair a little and pulls at the earbud a little. I solved that by putting the cord over the top of my head, which makes me feel rather dorky!
– HOWEVER, they are no good for connecting to a Windows computer! They disconnect randomly. Many people online have said similarly that they don’t maintain a connection. And there’s no fix.

Old school wired earbuds
I still keep them near my desk because they sounds a little better than the bluetooth earbuds and they don’t run out of battery. But the wires are a hassle.

PS. Luke, you were right all along!!

PPS. I should try Aftershokz bone conduction headphones. They have a boom mike and a good visual profile (I want to look normal-ish to my clients and not wear giant headphones)… thoughts?

Our doctor recommended Zicam.

It is a “1x” homeopathic dilution of zincum gluconicum.. Normally I would say that homeopathy is absolute rubbish…. no let me revise that statement and say firmly, “homeopathy is absolute rubbish.” But a “1x” dilution is a 1 to 10 dilution… which is to say that 10% the ingredients are actual… ingredients. That sounds like MEDICINE. WTF?

I HATE that this company is touting actual medical studies and co-mingling it with the notion that it is homeopathy. It isn’t. Or maybe it is. The box says “This product is not required to go through the FDA’s New Drug Application approval process.” Hey FDA, you’re screwing up!

For a long while I’ve been forwarding my @Lee.org email to my Gmail account. One problem I’ve had is that some valid email falls into my Gmail spam folder. This is probably because those forwarded (actually, pulled via POP3) emails always softfail SPF in Gmail. It stands to reason since gmail isn’t lee.org. But ugh!

I’m tired of wading through my spam folder for obviously valid email!
I think the only way to fix this is to get a Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) account and have Google host my mail fully. Does that sound right?

ISO recommendations for a smartlock for an external door. Especially looking to make sure our doors are locked at night with an app.

I just scheduled my first COVID vaccine dose! Feb 2nd!

Here’s what Abigail did LAST WEEK in school. It’s astounding! Step One in Berkeley is an amazing school! I’m so proud and happy to be a part of it, for myself and my daughter!

(If you are using Chrome on Windows, here’s how to view this stupidly long image (sorry!) right-click | open link in new tab, then click on the image to zoom in on it)

My favorite food storage containers AKA “Tuppers” are the rectangular “Ikea 365+” line. Here’s why:

• The same top is used by ALL of the different sizes (34 ounce to 142 ounce) and materials (plastic and glass). No more rummaging for the right size lid!!!
• Having consistent dimensions, they stack well in the fridge and nest well on the storage shelf.
• Being rectangular, they use space more efficiently than a cylindrical or bowl shaped container.
• They are inexpensive and I can buy more of the exact same size, unlike the stupid “premium limited edition” food containers I’ve had in the past.
• Available in light & break-resistant plastic, and oven safe & stain-proof glass, I use them daily!

Here are the exact sizes I have, all with the same beautiful lids:

• 34 ounce plastic
• 34 ounce glass
• 68 ounce plastic
• 61 ounce glass (the mate for the 68 oz. glass)

I’ve had them now for a few years and they’ve stood up well. The plastic appear to be polypropylene, as they read “P.P.”

The 142 ounce containers use the same lids but I don’t have any yet.

The only downside I’ve found so far is that the 34 ounce size is too big for what you’d consider “small” leftovers. If it doesn’t make a mess, I will sometimes put two different small leftovers in the same container. They make a sectioning system that I should try out!

(I previously wrote about food storage)

I need to use earphones to hear my clients on Zoom. I tried the premium “Jabra Evolve 65T” bluetooth earbuds but they didn’t work for me at all (see my review below). I’ll pay a premium price. Any suggestions?

————————————————–
My review of the Evolve 65T True Wireless Professional UC Headset, posted to Amazon 1-14-21

Several insurmountable problems led to a return

I was hoping to use these to do video Zoom chats on my Windows computer. Using them for listening to music and podcasts too. A couple issues forced me to return them:

– They occasionally make a very loud click in my ears. Once it happened when I walked away from my desk, maybe it lost bluetooth connection? Once it happened while I was trying to configure it. Earbuds should NEVER blast my ears with a loud click!

– The audio balance for music is often 90% to the left and can’t be fixed. I googled around and found several forums filled with people saying “yeah, that’s a problem. I called Jabra and they couldn’t fix it.” One fix seemed to work for some people: sticking a needle in the microphone port below the “R” on the right earbud and wiggling it around. I gently tried this (on my brand new earbuds) and it didn’t work.

– I had a bit of trouble configuring them to work. Making the sound path from Zoom/Spotify/default computer audio to the speakers wasn’t intuitive and the manual consisted of just 4 pictograms. I muddled through but a little more help from Jabra would have been nice. Here are some hints (that Jabra doesn’t mention!): The Jabra “Sound+” app for Android can help you configure the earbuds… but some forums say it is responsible for the left-balance problem. You should get the Jabra Direct Windows program to set up the Jabra USB Link 370 USB Adapter.

– I tried a few other earbuds, the MPOW Flame Solo and the TOZO T12 and both offered better features and sound quality for way less money!

I welcome comments saying which earbuds will work well for Zoom on Windows! These were premium priced, I’d be happy to spend premium money to make it work!