Simple Living

As a souvenir I bought a 2000 Yen ($14.50 USD) Casio F-91W.  This is a very basic watch and the black resin version is ubiquitous and even cheaper in the states, but these translucent color ways are more for the Japanese market and sell for double on Amazon. I’m not seeking to sell it and more as an inexpensive souvenir of my time in Japan.  I’m not quite sure when I’d wear this as my A168 is actually better. But it was less than $15. Same time, I don’t think I’ll count it towards my collection and just something I’ll have on the side.  Which is something I may do as well for my other Casio watches as they are so inexpensive and maybe just focus on my luxury Swiss watches as my actual ‘collection’. I’ve already done so for my old Apple Watch Series 2 as it’s dead and sitting in my junk drawer of old electronics.  It’s not counted in my collection, but I still have it.

As I plan for the future it's time to think what types of computers I'll want or need.  I don't want to have a large collection and am considering the following: Windows 11 Linux - Touchscreen Thoughts on Current State of Collection & Plan for Next 2 Years My current HP i7 6th Gen is not eligible for Windows 11 meaning it'll no longer be supported by Oct 14, 2025 and I'll need to find something else to run Windows 11.  The Dell 7530 should be able to run it.  Seems Windows 11 only support 8th gen processors or higher. So my plan is: Dell i5-8400H - setup as Windows 11 PC. HP i7-6th Gen - run on Windows 10 until 2025, then switch to Linux. HP i3-4010u - Linux - Touchscreen until 2025, then retire . I'm on the fence of actually retiring the HP i3-4010u, but same time its getting old and in terms of 'retirement' I'll just put it into cold storage.  I won't actually throw it away.  This will however streamline me to 2 machines, and I always pref

I've tried for years to lose weight and each attempt has ended in failure.  While I was able to see short term gains, I would lose focus and give up in a short period of time.  I've decided once again to try as my weight has hit 184 lbs and it’s making me feel depressed as I look and feel bloated. Old goal 155, new goal 150 My original goal was to reach 155 lbs.  I'll need to lose 29 pounds or 101,500 calories.  I'm budgeting 2 pounds per week so about 15-29 weeks to realistically achieve this. After learning 155 lbs is BMI 22.2.  I’m going for 150 lbs or another 5 lbs for 34 lbs total weight loss. Outline, Plan & Log Summary - Weekly Vacation Perspective of 20k steps/day Diet Strategy Goal - 10k steps/day Diet - Avoid Junk Food & Eat Healthier Diet - Limit Alcohol Reward - AirPods Journey Log   I. Summary Starting Weight - 184 lbs Week 01 - Goal 182 - 4 lbs lost - 180 lbs Week 02 - Goal 180 - 5 lbs lost - 175 lbs Week 03 - Goal 178 - 0 lbs lost - 175 lbs Week 0

Going to skip watch buying this year and stick to my set of 6 watches. Rolex 114270 Omega 2531.80 Zenith Cal 126 Casio A168 Casio G-Shock 5600 Apple Watch SE2 I’m fairly content with this collection.  Typically, I’m wearing the Apple Watch most days and sometimes swap to my A168 or G-Shock.  It’s surprising how versatile is the humble A168. Added a silicone case protector and screen cover.  The Apple Watch screen is unfortunately easy to scratch.   Update - 6/12/23 - 2 Watch Shuffle - Rolex and Apple I've been in the habit now of wearing the Apple Watch for most of the day to hit my 3 rings and for workouts then swapping for my Rolex in the evenings.  I'm missing the Rolex as it's the most comfortable watch in my collection.  In many ways my Rolex Explorer is the 'perfect' watch and I've grown to love it.   Especially as I get older, sometimes having a Rolex to glance down at makes me feel like I at least did something good in life.  Sometimes you need that pic

I scored on EBay a laptop for ~$250.  Picked up a Dell Precision 7530 Workstation running an 8th Gen Intel i5-8400H processor. Single word to describe the 7530 --> customizable.  This is a business model designed for easy configuration changes and replacement of components by professional IT staff. Overall, impressive machine.  Many go for more at least $350-500 depending on configuration and components.  I opted for mid-tier P2000 (higher end versions use the P3200 6GB GPU).  I also opted for the mid-tier i5 instead of i7.  So $250 is an acceptable price.  If you got a similar configuration with Windows OS then $275-300 would be reasonable. Update 7/24/23 - Selling the Dell It's too over-powered for what I need.  My older 4th and 6th Gen HP's are bottom spec machines but still serve me fine.  It was premature of me to buy a 3rd laptop and I'll wait a few more years before buying a new machine...but then again my old 4th gen HP might last me 11 more years! The 6th gen th

I had bought some items on Temu and had some credits from a refunded purchase so I decided to give one of their bluetooth headsets a try.  I settled on a pair of Voulao V8 headphones in black. For $16, its an excellent deal and in first few hours of use have worked perfectly.  Paired with my iPhone and I was able to control the volume buttons and so on.  The sound signature is on the softer side vs. the JBL 510's, but it feels more accurate representation and I'll keep trying them. They have Type C charging (same as JBL 510) and also permit use of a 3.5mm jack in event it runs out of power, but these are supposedly rated for 80 hours of battery life, which is impressive if true. I've fully charged them up and will evaluate if they live up to the hype. Review - 1 week I’ve had a chance to try the V8’s and they seem to clearly segment music especially in the mids and remind me of Grado SR80’s.  Bass is not as punchy like on the JBL 510BT. The only unpleasant sensation, it fee

For $5 you can buy a pair of wireless Bluetooth earbuds from Target Stores. Vivitar brand is known for basic headphones and you shouldn’t expect more than something that just works in the model WE-ES62-WT headphone earbuds. It’s shaped and designed to look like a pair of Apple AirPods and from a distance can be mistaken for a pair of AirPods. Pairing Process — follow instructions These are not AirPods, so don’t expect Apple experience in pairing.  This is one of the few times you must read the instructions to avoid frustration. A lot of negative reviews are because people don’t bother to read.  For cheap tech, it’s cost of buying cheap. Design & Form Factor — Good Vivitar wins.  They look and feel decent and actually amazing for the low price of $5.  Makes you wonder how much Apple marked up their earbuds? Sound Quality - Poor, but Ok for $5 How did they sound?  Tinny.  Harsh at times for treble heavy music.  Bass is almost nonexistent. Honestly, they sound awful.  But remind yours

Scored a deal and got the JBL 510BT Bluetooth Headphones for half off and paid $30.  They are decent and so far suit my needs as a cheap pair of wireless headphones. AirPods are awesome, but the charging case is an additional thing you need to carry and I sometimes have to move quickly that causes earbuds to fall out. For $30.  I’m not worried about knocking about the JBL. I’ll need to use them for a few days to give them a proper review. One Week Review - Buy this headphones for $30. Buy them for $30.  The JBL 510’s are worth it at that price, I wouldn’t get them at full retail as there are many other choices in the $60 range. What makes it good at $30?  Sound quality is decent and pleasant; remind me of wired Sony ZX310s. Battery Life - Good Battery life is excellent.  I haven’t tested its claim of 40 hours but have been able to use it for a week without recharging.  Typically, I use them 30-60 minutes music listening or several hours when streaming movies and shows.  Probably racked

Another year has gone by and I’ve accumulated quite a bit of new stuff from clothes to tech.  2022 was a banner year for me. 2023 is a time to improve the quality of my wardrobe and invest in a new computer. My planned purchases: Tech - $106 Dell Precision 7530 - $250 - Sold JBL 510BT Headphones - $30 - Done Vuolao V8 Headphones - $16 - Done Apple Airpods 2nd Gen - $60 - Done Shoes - $311 Jordan 1 Mids 9.5 - $110 - Done Jordan 1 Lows 10.5 - $130 -Done Air Force 1’s 10 - $71 - Done Clothes - $323 Uniqlo - Clothing Haul - $150 - Done Northface - Winter Jacket - $173 - Done Hobbies - $0 Swiss Army Knives - $0* - Done Total expenditures $ 740 Keeping it simple.  For the Jordan 1's...I'm considering the Black & White Panda colorway or Green/Black/White.  I want something a bit more subdued than my current pair. Added a pair of cheap Bluetooth headphones.  While I love the Airpod Pros.  I’m finding it easier to have headphones. Update - 5/13/23 - Dell Laptop Wanted a project and

My old wireless keyboard died and was using a wired USB one for interim.  Saw this Apple style set on Amazon for $25. Overall, it’s ok.  I’ll see how it fares long term. Update - 11/17/23 - 11 months This thing still works great!  Use it daily and still on the original battery.  I’m impressed and for the price it beats the previous crap I bought from Beat Buy. Mouse is a slimline design, but you get used to it.

Finally!  They had the Moon Swatch in stock and snagged the Mission to Mars.  My 1st choice would have been the classic Mission to Moon, but the Red Mars is captivating. The watch is so thin it actually does better on a NATO strap and the stock white strap is too stiff and bends at an odd angle that swapping to a new strap is a must. Overall, for $260 this is an expensive Swatch, but seems worth it as a value prop in getting a cool collaboration with Omega. Ironically, this is the closest I’ve gotten to acquiring a real Speedmaster…someday. Update - 11/11/22 - 5 day review So, the verdict is in…the MoonSwatch is a meh…it’s too fragile for certain tasks and I have to be mindful if I’m near water like cooking or washing my hands. Otherwise, it’s comfortable and light on the wrist.  Takes a few days and adjustments to wear in the watch strap, but it starts to settle and you get used to how it sticks out on the side buckle. The best part of this Watch is the red and white colors pop and gi

It shouldn’t be this hard to close all 3 activity rings for my Apple Watch, but this is only my second time ever and the first time was almost 4 years ago! My goal for rest of 2022 is to make this happen 12 more times in the final 12 weeks! Then keep it up in 2023 and onward. Update - 5/14/23 This is hard!  I only got my 4th consecutive just now this week in May 2023.  Last time I got this was October 2022. I’ll keep trying and will hopefully get it a few more times this year.

This is probably not a fair comparison as the 11 is the entry level model for the 11 series and the 14 Pro is one of the premium ones for its series, but I own both and very familiar with the 11 having owned one for two years and just started using a 14 Pro. Initial Impressions? Since the 5.8 inch iPhone X, most modern iPhones since have looked and behaved roughly the same.  They seem to have standardized around the 6.1 inch form factor that was introduced with the XR and then the 11; the only real difference between the XR and the 11 were the single vs dual back cameras. So the 14 Pro being the exact same 6.1 inch screen as the 11…it basically feels like a similar iPhone in function. Yes, triple cameras that are huge and 48MP vs 12MP.  OLED screen, better processor, memory, and so on…but a lot of these features feel like they are incremental…nothing significantly different. There was a big leap change when the iPhone X launched and sadly the 14 does not feel anything like that. Next y

Did it.  Got the Apple Watch SE 2nd Gen 44MM in White.  I have the Cellular+GPS model so curious to see how that compared to my old Series 2 GPS only model. I wanted to wear for a few days then get around to giving my review.  Overall, it’s very similar to my old Series 2. Update - 10/1/22 - 10 day review It’s good.  I’d recommend an SE 2nd Gen for anyone seeking a smartwatch and didn’t want to spend $400 for a Gen 8 or $800 for an Ultra.  The SE covers all the basics and I find it helps me ‘untether’ from my phone. There is something liberating not having to always have my phone with me. It takes time to configure the watch faces and I’ll likely continue to experiment until I find the right set of Watch faces. Another benefit, the activity rings help motivate me to exercise more and I’ve pushed my daily walking average to about 8k steps; before that I was closer to 4-5k steps. Update - 7/23/23 - 10 month review The SE 2 has been a good watch.  It does what its supposed to, but I'm