• Aug 28, 2014

    Going on a fad diet

    OK, my title is a bit misleading, however it caught your attention! Luckily I've never really had to watch what I eat and I try to run about 4 times a week. (About 4 years ago I did put on a few pounds when I really hated my job; I didn't have the desire to run and just kept eating.) Earlier this year, I started having some stomach problems and after a my doctor performed a few procedures and determined that there was nothing wrong with me, I was kind of on my own to solve my issues.

    My wife suggested I try a gluten free diet. I was quite reluctant to give up gluten (I love cookies and cake), but was willing to try anything. The first few weeks I gave up gluten were tough because it seemed like everything contained gluten. The reality was that I just had to look harder at packages and make better choices. I started eating a lot of apples and more fruit. Also, when we went to birthday parties, it was a bit difficult to turn down cupcakes and cake. However, it started getting easier after awhile.

    I've been on a gluten free diet for about 5 months now and have been feeling great! Since I don't have a gluten allergy or celiac disease, I don't have to worry about things made in a gluten free facility, I just have to read ingredients. I also ask more questions when we go out so that I get exactly what I want.

    I consider myself the "problem child" when it comes to eating because I no longer eat gluten, red meat, nor dairy. I was at a company offsite meeting last week and had to request a special meal to meet my dietary restrictions.

    While I can't exactly say if the gluten free diet has helped me, it surely hasn't hurt me. This leads me to some questions about diets; are people becoming having more dietary problems possibly because or more processed foods, are people becoming more picky, or is something else causing the dietary trends to be more commonplace?

  • Aug 26, 2014

    A lesson in 3D printing

    I've read a bit about 3D printing over the last few years and have been intrigued, but not enough to get a printer or design anything to be printed. After Comic-Con, I saw some mention of Shapeways and decided to check it out. I looked through some of the pieces and saw some pieces for my quad copter, specifically a quick release for my GoPro camera and a monitor mount that attached to my transmitter.

    I took a risk and ordered these pieces that some random people designed and uploaded. When I received the pieces, I was extremely impressed with the monitor mount as it was quite solid and fits well. I was a little apprehensive of the quick release as the material seemed a bit flimsy. However, comparing the bracket to the bracket that I already had, I realized it wasn't that much thinner. I've used both pieces a number of times and am happy with what I ordered.

    3D printing is still in its infancy and the future is quite bright. If parts can be made that are as solid as molded pieces at a fraction of the cost, there could be huge markets for it. While I don't need any trinkets (many of the 3D pieces seem to be trinkets), I could see myself buying speciality pieces that people couldn't afford to make any other way.

  • Aug 26, 2014

    Review: JayBirds BlueBuds X Headphones

    For years I've been running with my iPhone and up until a bit over 2 years ago used wired headphones. The main problem with the wired headphones (besides the wire) is that the sweat that got into the controls would kill them requiring me to replace them every few months. This was a bit annoying and I finally did research and settled on a pair of Motorola S10 HD Bluetooth behind the ear headphones. After the first pair died within a few months and got replaced under warranty, the headphones continued to function well for almost another 2 years. This summer, the controls on headphones stopped working. So I was back to the drawing board to find headphones.

    The headphones that attracted my attention were the JayBird BlueBuds X Headphones mostly because they had a "lifetime" warranty against sweat. (Lifetime being what they consider lifetime, so who knows how long that is.) The cost really put me off, so I set an alert on SlickDeals for them. When they came down in price a little bit, I jumped on them.

    The headphones were easy to setup and I liked the audible feedback when they were connected. I had a little trouble getting the headphones to stay in, but using the over the ear method of setup (they call it an advanced setup), I managed to get them to work a lot better. The first pair I had died within a week and Amazon was great about replacing them quickly.

    I've been running with them for a few months now and I like how they sound, but still check them all the time to make sure they didn't fall out. I really liked the way the Motorola headphones hugged my head, but I also found that I had marks on my head after every run where they squeezed my head. I'm still not convinced that these headphones are the perfect headphones for working out, but they are working OK for me.

    Pros

    • Audible feedback
    • Very light
    • Lifetime warranty against sweat killing them

    Cons

    • Fall out too easily
    • Very expensive
    • Long term reliability is unknown

    Summary

    There are a bunch of options for workout headphones these days and the BlueBuds X are not the be all, end all headphones for me. They are acceptable for me and I'm not going to look for another pair of headphones. However, I can't recommend these headphones due to the cost and the fact that I can't keep them in my ears all the time. I wish there was a perfect pair of headphones, but so far, I haven't found them.

  • Aug 26, 2014

    Review: Logitech K760 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard

    I haven't been a huge fan of Bluetooth keyboards because most of them require you to change batteries periodically and they generally lack a number pad. In May, due to changes at work, I was faced with having 2 computers on my desk. While both computers were MacBook Pros, I didn't want 2 keyboards, 2 trackpads, and didn't have the room to really leave one laptop open all the time. Ideally I wanted a KVM switch, but I was attached to my Apple Bluetooth Trackpad and my Apple Thunderbolt display can't be used with a KVM.

    So where did that leave me? I had a second trackpad, so now I had 2 trackpads on my desk. I could easily unplug my Thunderbolt display and plug it into the other computer. I could keep my USB keyboard plugged into the Thunderbolt display and have it go along for the ride when I switched computers, but decided to look at keyboards that would switch between multiple devices. I settled on the Logitech K760 wireless keyboard. The keyboard allows me to pair 3 Bluetooth devices (2 Macs and an iPad), recharges via solar, and resembles a Mac keyboard. The only thing I was giving up was a numeric keypad.

    I quickly got used to the lack of a numeric keypad as the MacBook Pro's built in keyboard doesn't have one. Being able to switch between devices is easy and not having a wire was like a light shining down on me that I should have done it sooner! Even moving the keyboard slightly is less of a hassle as the cord isn't coming with it.

    In the 3 months that I've had the keyboard, it has been fantastic. I haven't had any problems with it, it feels just like my Apple keyboard did and the addition of an off switch allows me to easily clean it. There isn't a whole lot to say about a keyboard; I type on it and it works.

    Pros

    • Wireless
    • Supports up to 3 Bluetooth devices
    • Recharges via solar panels on it

    Cons

    • No numeric keypad

    Summary

    If you're looking for a wireless keyboard, this keyboard is definitely worth a look. Not having to change batteries alone could be the deciding factor. The multiple device support may seem like a gimmick, but I find I use it all the time even for my iPad. This keyboard rivals Apple's Bluetooth keyboard, in my opinion.