Review
Review: Aqara indoor climate sensor (for home automation)
The Aqara temperature and relative humidity sensor for Zigbee-home automation is unreliable and it doesn’t work in humid environments (where you’d want one!)
Review
Keyboard
Review: Dygma Raise split mechanical keyboard for enthusiasts
The Raise is two fully programmable keyboards with eight independent thumb-keys instead of a space bar. Its unique hardware comes with unique software problems.
Keyboard
Split keyboards give your hands a break but reduce typing flexibility
A two-part split or a wavy keyboard might be a boost to your keyboard ergonomics. However, the split key layout might also imposes accessibility issue for some.
Review
Review: Samsung Galaxy Fit2 – a passive health and activity tracker
The Galaxy Fit2 is frustrating to use, but is luckily meant to be worn passively to track your health metrics (continuous heart rate, step counter, and sleep).
Gaming
Timberborn: a cute beaver colony sim with an unrewarding late game
The post-apocalyptic lumberpunk beaver colony simulator is delightful and cute. Plenty of replay value, but there are no new challenges in the late game stages.
Networking
Review of the MikroTik hEX (3rd rev.) as a home router
The RB750Gr3 is an inexpensive network router with advanced network management capabilities for just €50/$60. It’s highly configurable with a steep learning curve.
Hardware
Review of Logitech K835 tenkeyless mechanical keyboard
The Logitech K835 TKL is a low-latency and well-built budget keyboard. Mechanical keyboards aren’t just for gamers with too much disposable income!
Web Analytics
A technical and privacy review of Cloudflare Web Analytics
Cloudflare has launched a new free web analytics/visitor-counting service. It promises to put end-user privacy first. The service has plenty of room to improve.
Lenovo
Linux on Lenovo ThinkPad T14: great except the webcam/mic
Lenovo continues its tradition of excellent Linux hardware support on the ThinkPad T14. Except minor issues with the built-in webcams and microphone.
Review
The $10 LensPen Hurricane Blower vs a $1 air puffer
Comparing a cheap air puffer to a brand-name model. You get what you pay for, even when it comes to a simple product like an air puffer/blower.
Web Browsers
Review of Firefox “Daylight” for Android
The new Firefox version for Android comes with big changes under the hood, but also drops support for thousands of extensions, and is less configurable.
Review
Genuine Roomba replacement parts vs off-brand clones
I bought authentic and off-brand Roomba 900-series replacement parts to compare their perceived quality. The differences are quite small.