Movies to Buy Digital Copies

Dune 2 - $10

Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare - $10

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - $9

Fall Guy - $10

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - $14

Prices for 4K movie on Ultraviolet Cinema as of 8/24/24

Coin battery for 2010 Prius Remote

​If the electronic key on your Prius stops working, you can open up the plastic FOB without any special tools and replace the coin (watch) battery on the inside. 

The 2010 Prius key FOB uses a CR 1632 lithium battery. In summer 2023, they cost $5.19 at Target. 

Upgrading from the Sony a7 III to the Sony a7 IV

Why the Sony a7 IV is worth the extra $500 for videographers (especially wedding professionals).

In Spring 2023, the a7 III costs $2,000 and the a7 IV is $2,500.  Here are the features that make the upgrade worth the money (or if you are buying a second camera and not sure which to buy).

-  4K at 60 frames per second

-  Unlimited recording time.

-  33 Megapixel photos

- 4K 10 Bit recording

- Improved electronic viewfinder: 3.68m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate

Packing cubes at Langley AFB BX

Packing cubes for luggage and drawer organization, as seen in the Langley BX.

The brand is Go Travel. The item was somewhere around $20.

Lithium and alkaline batteries have rocketed in price due to inflation

AA Lithium batteries in a northwest Target store are $3 each when bought in a pack of 6 or 8.

Target used to sell 12 packs of AA Lithium, but I didn't see them anymore in the battery section. They used to run around $20 before Covid and government inflation.

And pricing for AAA lithium batteries is also steep. Here's a 6 pack for $12.59.

That's $2.10 per battery.

These prices are making me wish that rechargeable batteries were more robust. I use AA and AAA batteries in high drain devices like audio recorders, but rechargeable batteries were unreliable and seemed to last only 50-75% of the life of their alkaline counterparts. 

Alkaline batteries have also skyrocketed in price and now cost $1 per battery, unless you buy them in mega size packs (around 40 batteries) at Costco.

This 20 pack of alkaline batteries for $20 is found at a northwest Target.

Galaxy S21 - used phone value

BackMarket is one of the best marketplaces to get used phone values and shop for used phones.

They offer a 12 month warranty on their phones. 

Galaxy S21 5G phones are listed for about $325-375 depending on their condition and color.

Costco deals on the outgoing M1 Mac Mini and MacBook Air

$250 Airpods Pro on sale for $175

Apple's M1 vs M2 MacBook Air - the $200 upgrade worth it?

The M1 MacBook Air packs a lot of processing punch at only $999. If your budget has a little more wiggle room, the extra $200 for the brand new M2 process could be worth it.

The M2 MacBook Air adds:

Processor
8 Core GPU
100GB/s memory bandwidth

ProRes and ProRes RAW processing
Hardware accelterated for both. ProRes encode and decode engine

Safer Charging
MagSafe 3 charging port

Higher Def camera
1080p webcam

Brighter screen
500 nits of brightness

A little lighter
2.7 pounds (reduced from 2.8 pounds)

Improved Sound
Quad speaker array

A tiny bit more screen real estate
13.6" screeen (up from 13.3" on the M1)

Size
Consistent height instead of a tapered height

Remember, student or military can get 10% off MacBooks via Apple's special section of their website.

MacBook Air M1 vs M2

New MacBook Pro with M2 chip outperforms the base model Mac Pro and costs about $5,000 less.

Next Purchases - Christmas Gift Ideas

Knowing a family member or friend's passion can mean getting a satisfying Christmas gift they are more likely to appreciate.

Research good performing products for a particular category.  This matters because a good quality item that helps make someone's passion possible will last for years. Good tools get out of an artist's way to let them create more easier.

Musician / Podcaster / Video Creator / Audio Junkie / College Student

Studio Quality Headphones

Sony MDR-7506 Headphones - $90 on B&H | $100 on Amazon | 

* Comfortable headphones that sound great, have a sufficiently long cable, and are made to last.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

Don't have to spend $300-400 anymore to get an excellent pair.

For the person who has everything!

Non-electric bidet - $27

Small Gifts and Stocking Stuffers

Stainless steel cable hoops

• Helpful and versatile for hanging and mounting, or to avoid loosing a small item like a mail key.
• Great for folks who have a garage, are into home organizing, own pets, or otherwise need to keep items handy.

Tech Products to Make Life Easier

Keypad Entry Door Lock ($90-150)

Schlage FE575 CAM 619 ACC Camelot Keypad Entry with Auto-Lock and Accent Levers, Satin Nickel [Amazon - $89.62]



Why buy:
* Entry without a key - never get locked out again
* Auto lock after 5 seconds
* 19 user code capacity- let guests enter securely
* Keypad illuminates for night visibility

Cordless Stick Vacuum

High rated options:

Dyson Cyclone V10 [Amazon - $400]

Mac Laptop Under $700

Finding trustworthy deals on used Mac laptops can be daunting because tons of outlets on Amazon.com and similar massive retainers allow sellers to list things as "renewed" or "refurbished".

Unless these independent sellers are verified and certified by these large stores, I would not trust putting hundreds of hard earned dollars into a computer that will not be guaranteed for a reasonable period of time.

Mac of All Trades has been around for years and they provide a one year warranty on the computers they sell. The only catch is that the customer is responsible for paying shipping to get the item repaired.

"The MacBook Pro Retina Series has RAM that is soldered to the Motherboard."  So what ever Retina model you choose, make sure it has enough RAM for whatever you plan to use this computer for.  Go for 16GB of RAM if at all possible, as newer software and operating systems use more and more ram.  For anything with photo, video, music, or graphics creation, you're going to want more RAM so that your laptop doesn't slow down when running a few programs.

Some current listings on Mac of All Trades for budget laptops

iFixIt Guides for MacBook Pro 13" laptops (to research in advance which models can have the RAM upgraded without serious tools or soldering

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Glossy) 2.5GHz Core i5 (Mid 2012) MD101LL/A - Very Good Condition
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT display, 1280x800 resolution
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
4.0GB (2x2.0GB) PC3-12800 (1600MHz) DDR3L SO-DIMM upgradeable to 16.0GB
500GB Serial ATA hard disk drive @ 5400RPM
$479.00

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.6GHz Core i5 (Retina, Mid 2014) MGX72LL/A - Very Good Condition
13-inch LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 resolution
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
16.0GB PC3-12800 (1600MHz) DDR3L on-board memory
128GB built-in Flash Storage (not very much storage if you want to keep music or photos directly)
$699.00

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.8GHz Core i7 (Retina, Late 2013) ME866LL/A 4 - Good Condition
13-inch LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 resolution
2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz
16.0GB PC3-12800 (1600MHz) DDR3L on-board memory
512GB built-in Flash Storage
$699.00

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.6GHz Core i5 (Retina, Late 2013) ME865LL/A - Very Good Condition
13-inch LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 resolution
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
16.0GB PC3-12800 (1600MHz) DDR3L on-board memory
128GB built-in Flash Storage
$629.00

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2.7GHz Core i5 (Retina, Early 2015) MF839LL/A - Very Good Condition
13-inch LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2560x1600 resolution
2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8.0GB PC3-14900 (1866MHz) DDR3L on-board memory
128GB built-in Flash Storage
$699.00
** RAM is not upgradable because it is built into the motherboard.  I would not chose this model unless you are only using it for lite web browsing, creating documents, and doing office or school work.

Specific repair guides to upgrade an older 2012-2015 MacBook Pro laptop

MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Late 2012 SSD Replacement

MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Late 2013 SSD Replacement

MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Mid 2014 SSD Replacement

Keepsake Wooden Boxes

Wedding Presentation Box for 4x6 Prints and USB Flash Drive - made by PhotoPandora
(custom engraving available)
-- ships from Lithuania
Approx cost: $17 + international shipping (blank)
$22 for case and engraving

Photo USB Box
(custom engraving option)
(from Russia)

Box without USB Stick - $16
Box with Wood of Glass 16GB USB stick - $30

Shipping to U.S. is about $11.
Free shipping for orders of $35+.

4x6 Wood print box with USB Option made by AutumnWoodWork

$33 with box engraving and 8GB USB

Ships from Utah

Ready to ship in 2 weeks

Panasonic G7 price packages

The Panasonic G7 mirrorless camera is currently $500 with the 14-42mm lens (28-84mm equivalent).

Some third party sellers on Amazon offer this camera bundled with cheap tripods, filters, camera bags, and off-brand memory cards to consumers looking for a basic complete setup.

Upgrading a 2007 MacBook Pro to El Capitan - Getting More Life Out of an Ancient Mac

After throwing in a 256GB Solid State drive in my friend's 2010 MacBook Pro, it runs faster than when it was brand new.  Before installing the SSD drive earlier this year, her computer would take a long time to launch some programs and there was noticeable lag when running a few extra tabs in a Firefox.

Her Mac laptop, though 8 years old, now feels as zippy as something new.  Programs launch almost instantly and there's no noticeable lag when running different programs on the computer, including Lightroom and other things that require more resources than merely the Office suite.

I'm going to be upgrading my ancient 2007 MacBook Pro (model A1226). It's currently running 10.9.5 (Mavericks updated) and part of the research to do the upgrade is figuring out what OS will be best to put on an SSD and still get decent performance out of this laptop that would otherwise be far past it's usable life.

The latest OS that the 2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo laptop supports is

The Mid/Late 2007 MacBook Pro is the oldest laptop model supported by El Capitan OS 10.11.  To be running a 2007 model laptop and be able to run a 2015 version OS is pretty impressive.  Although it may be better to run Yosemite if the RAM needs and system usage is significantly less.

Mavericks has been running like molasses on this 11 year old laptop, but hard drives don't even usually last that long, so it's definitely showing it's age as the system performance slows to a crawl.  If more software could run, I would love to continue running Mavericks on this Mac, but not even my web browsers can be updated anymore!

El Capitan requires 2GB of RAM.
Yosemite requires 2GB of RAM.

Yosemite requires a MacBook Pro Mid-2007 or newer.

Chrome for Mac requires Yosemite (10.10) or later.  Since web browsing on the go is one of the only things I use this aging mac for, I would need to at least use Yosemite to make sure that my browser not only updates, but is safe from security holes. 

Installing El Capitan will help extend the laptop's usable life for as long as Chrome updates are supported!  If I was installing a standard (slower) platter hard drive, I would not install El Capitan because of it's negative impacts on performance [see the Youtube video notes below].

Rundown of OS Versions:

OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - 28 August 2009
OS X 10.7 Lion (Barolo) - 20 July 2011
OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (Zinfandel) - 25 July 2012
OS X 10.9 Mavericks (Cabernet) - 22 October 2013
OS X 10.10: Yosemite (Syrah) - 16 October 2014

OS X 10.11: El Capitan (Gala) - 30 September 2015
* MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)

 macOS 10.12: Sierra (Fuji) - 20 September 2016
* requires a MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

macOS 10.13: High Sierra (Lobo) - 25 September 2017
* requires a MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

 macOS 10.14: Mojave (Liberty) - 24 September 2018
* requires a MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)

macOS 10.15: Catalina - October 2019
* requires: MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)

Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)

Hardware (Models) Required for Special Features:

AirDrop requires: MacBook Pro (2012 or newer)
AirPlay requires: MacBook Pro (Early 2011 or newer)

OS X El Capitan review: Mac upgrade that's as solid as a rock [MacWorld]

Yosemite vs. El Capitan [YouTube Video] 3:47
* El Capitan took about 14 seconds longer to get to the Desktop from boot up than its predecessor Yosemite.
* El Cap took 5-6 seconds longer to open MS Word and get to a new document.
* iTunes opened slightly faster on El Capitan.
*
(This test is done on a 2009/2010 macbook white upgraded to 4GB of ram)The creator of this video recommends sticking with Yosemite if you have a Mac older than 2010.

Yosemite vs. El Capitan - Is it faster? [YouTube video] 5:10 (October 1, 2015)
On a newer Mac with a solid state hard drive, El Capitan only takes about one second longer to reach the desktop than Yosemite.  The Geekbench score did go up on a newer MacBook Pro by simply upgrading to El Capitan.

Full specs of the Mid/Late 2007 MacBook Pro [EveryMac]

How to Upgrade to OS X El Capitan [Apple]


My 120 GB hard drive would run even slower if I had less than 7GB of free hard drive space because of the page file that we regularly get tapped when the system memory was not enough to handle web browsing and other tasks simultaneously.

Somehow the system applications are taking up 46GB of space, and I'm not really sure how this is possible, because the Adobe suite is the only larger software I run on this aging beast.  My best guess is that the space is used up by buried Premiere cache files from when I first started video editing.

The Darwin Awards, Paddle Your Own Canoe, and Love Does [Books from Goodwill]

While thrift shopping with my girlfriend at Goodwill this week, I found several books that interested me, and she found one that might be cool that is based on actual historical events.

Darwin Awards [amazon] (also known as, how stupid people kill themselves by accident and are removed from the gene pool.)

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living Paperback [amazon]
by Nick Offerman

I had no idea that Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation) wrote several books and has become a prolific author.  Upon reading the inner book flap I found that his sense of humor and wit that makes his character so likable in Parks and Recreation carries over into his writing.

My girlfriend already had this book, so I didn't need to buy my own copy today.

Murder of the Century [amazon]

by Paul Collins.

2011, hardcover. 

Best Wi-Fi Routers Under $150

Split level homes usually need a more robust router to get good speeds to the upper level bedrooms and offices.  Finding a router that offers 5G (and multiple antennas) is important to get a strong enough signal upstairs that everyone can stream their favorite media without loading hiccups.

Linksys AC1900 Dual Band Wireless Router, Works with Amazon Alexa (Max Stream EA7500)
$130
4.4 out of 5 stars and almost 7,200 reviews.
Can prioritize devices from the app and see which devices are using the wi-fi.
- supports seamless roaming when paired with a range extender.
- Multi-User MIMO technology to keep multiple Wi-Fi devices online at the same time and the same speed
- 3 external antennas expand Wi-Fi range throughout a medium-size home

ASUS AC1750 Wireless Dual Band (5GHz + 2.4GHz) Gigabit Wi-Fi Router
$89
4.1 out of 5 stars
- ASUS Ranked “Highest Customer Satisfaction with Wireless Routers in the U.S.”– J.D. Power

Linksys AC1750 Dual-Band Smart Wireless Router with MU-MIMO (Max Stream EA7300)

$100.99

Little brother of the AC1900 model.  Almost the same speed. Mostly comparable to the ASUS model above, although the Linksys seems to have some extra bells and whistles.

Unique Gift Ideas for Tech Geeks and Hard to buy for People

These gift ideas are mostly pulled from this guide:
The Kinja Deals Gift Guide: 100 Genuinely Useful Stocking Stuffers For Under $20

A great gift for co-workers, friends, and family:
Bestsellers: Belkin 3-Outlet Travel Charger has 3 outlets plus 2 USB charging ports.
$16

Your Favorite USB Charging Hub: Anker PowerPort
5-port USB charger for only $24.

Your Pick For Best Rechargeable Batteries: Eneloop
$19 for a pack of 8 AA batteries

Bestsellers: Mpow Buckler Shower Speaker
Currently unavailable on Amazon....
Amazon's choice: only $19 and 4.3 out of 5 stars: VicTsing Shower Speaker

Bestsellers: Dymo LabelManager 160
Only $11 on Amazon

OXO's Over-The-Door Hook Folds Out Into a Mini Valet

Bestsellers: Squatty Potty


Get Rid Of The Last Ugly Thing In Your Bathroom: The Mouthwash Bottle



These Are the Two Best USB Travel Chargers, According To Our Readers

Bestsellers: Panasonic Vortex Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer
The Panasonic ER-GN30-K Vortex Nose and Ear Hair Trimmer is an effective and cost-effective way to get rid of nose hair and ear hair, clean up your eyebrows, and even touch up facial hair in a pinch. It’s also waterproof for easy cleaning, and can go right into the shower with you. It’s the most popular grooming product we’ve ever listed.

Only $10 on Amazon, and runs up to 90 minutes on one AA battery.


Your Dish Drying Mat Shouldn't Be Made of Anything but Silicone

Sleep Master: A Sleep Mask You'll Look Forward To Wearing

The Philips Bodygroom Is The Best Tool For Getting Rid Of The Rest Of Your Hair
$60 on Amazon

 Bestsellers: Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Wardrobe Light, OxyLED Motion Sensor Closet Lights, 20 LED Under-Cabinet Lightening, USB Rechargeable Stick-on Stairs Step Light Bar, LED Night Light, Gun Safe Light with Magnetic Strip, 1-pack, T-02U - - Amazon.com
My favorite light of the bunch, the T-02U is the same physical size as the T-02, but with twice as many LEDs arranged in a 2x10 array, a USB-rechargeable battery, an on/off/auto switch, and optional screw mounts.


 The Philips OneBlade is the Easiest Shave Ever and Costs $35 [Updated]



Dreamfarm Tapi: Squeeze To Rinse

Standing Tower Fans for Home or Office Under $100

4.2/5 stars, the highest rated (over 6,000 reviews) and best selling tower-style cooling fan on Amazon that's under the $100 mark. The fan features a remote control, 42 inch height to reach more in living spaces, 3 quiet speeds, and an electronic timer that can automatically shut off after up to 7.5 hours.


For a little more money than the $50-60 fans, you get 8 speed settings, 5 light dimming options, and an auto shut-off timer that can go for up to 8 hours.


4.0/5 stars and over 2,000 reviews.


4.2/5 stars

Minolta Flash Meter VI Light Meter

Selling my Minolta Flash Meter VI light meter that I used in college while doing analog (film) photography.

KEH is selling a used model in like new condition for $350.  Mine is also in like new condition and includes the case and lanyard.

I'd like to get around $300 for mine after fees.  If I can sell it on Facebook, I'm willing to take a little less so that I don't have deal with shipping the item with insurance.

If I list for $339, I'll get $309, less about $9 to ship the item with insurance.
Listing for $329, I'd get $299 (less shipping).

iPhone 6 deals and Verizon Prepaid Options

With the release of the iPhone 7, you can now buy a used iPhone 6 (from Sept 2014) for about $330-380, depending on the condition of the screen and included accessories.

I prefer to purchase on Amazon because I don't have to waste time trying to bid on an auction!  The only time I prefer eBay is when a 'buy it now' deal is too good to pass up.

Spending about $30-50 more will mean upgrading to a Plus size model instead of the regular phone.

Amazon Used Deals

iPhone 6 64GB unlocked (Silver) used prices on Amazon

$340 - Very Good,

$350 - Very Good (Free shipping with Prime)
99% seller feedback rating
Factory Unlocked. Completely tested and inspected. Comes with Apple charger and data cable.

Apple iPhone 6 64GB Space Gray - (Verizon Wireless)

$360 - Very Good

95% seller feedback rating

Phone is in Very Good condition. Phone has barely any scratches/dents and was kept in very good condition by previous owner. Fully tested by professional technicians and also comes with charger. No boxed included. Works with Verizon carrier and is unlocked. Does not work with Sprint or any network related to Sprint. 30 Day warranty given by Seller. Warranty DOES NOT cover any sort of physical damage. Warranty only covers any internal defects in the phone. 

$364 - Like New

100% seller feedback rating

Excellent! Screen. No Scratches on Screen. Sides & Back are almost perfect except for 1 or 2 specks/dots from dust getting in Case. I would rate 9/10 for used phone. No issues. Clean ESN. Factory Unlocked. Comes with, Brand New Tempered Glass Screen Protector, Random Case (not same one in picture), Charging Cable. Feel Free to ask questions

eBay deals (Buy it Now)

6 Plus 64GB Unlocked (Space Gray)
$370 in Good Condition
Top Rated Plus Seller by eBay, 99.8% feedback rating
Included Accessories: Brand new USB cable and wall adapter.
USPS First Class Shipping is Free
Good: will show average or typical signs of wear including light to moderate scratches, minor dings, abrasions, scuffs, pitting, etc.

6 Plus 64GB Verizon Unlocked (Space Gray)
$370 in Good Condition
(Refurbished)
Includes A/C Adapter & Lightning Cable
This VERIZON unlocked device is being sold for use with CDMA or GSM carrier networks.  Please check with your carrier for compatibility.
Top Rated Plus Seller: 97.4% feedback rating

64GB Verizon Space Gray iPhone
$330 in Good Condition