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[DIY] Blazebar Quick Release Paracord Bracelet

My 1st attempt at the blazebar paracord bracelet! I chose this design as it allows for quick release of the cord with a quick pull. No need to fumble by untying and untangling. There are many ways you can set up to tie the cord. This is my way of improvising instead of using a jig. Clamp the "pull" end (with fire steel as a buckle - in this case) down to the table and the other end is just an old lamp stand with a large clip and thin metal rods from a photo stand. Almost done.. you can do this in 2 colors but that would mean joining 2 different color cords together so instead of one long cord, you get 2 shorter cords when the bracelet is unraveled. This design is "wider" compared to most other designs - almost 1 1/4" wide. The advantage would be it packs more cordage into the bracelet. I have small wrist - 6.5" actual diameter and this design packs in about 11' of cordage into the bracelet. You can find many videos on Youtube on h...
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[Breaking] New Amazfit Smartwatch - Amazfit Watch Lite (Updated)

Amazfit have been releasing some teasers for a new upcoming smartwatch during the past week. And today being July 4, they unveiled the new watch - Amazfit Watch Lite. It has a rectangular watch face this time, with the following specification (updated): Standby time up to 45 days Weighs only 32g Sony 28nm GPS module for GPS & GLONASS location IP68 Water resistant. (Pace was rated at IP67) Trans reflective color display 190mAH Li-polymer Battery 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 with 1.28" display 176x176 (Pace has 1.34" 320x300 screen) [Updated] Heart rate sensor, G sensor, barometric sensor, compass Bluetooth 4.0 BLE 4 types of sports mode supported: Run, Indoor Run, Walk and Ride. 45 days battery life (based on 1x 30mins run per week, 100 notifications per day, 10% screen brightness) OR 22hrs of continuous GPS tracking. Only supports Simplified Chinese Syncs to Mi Dong 3.0 app. Requires Android 4.4 or iOS 8 and above. Its not clear if more sports mode ...

[REVIEW] Amazfit Pace (US firmware version) - One Month On

First off - this is purely a review piece on the Amazfit Pace fitness tracker/watch after about one month of usage. The watch specifications and many unboxing videos can be found easily on the net, so I will not cover them. Some background: I am a casual runner - I run regularly, 4 to 6 time a week, average of 65km per week currently. I am always seeking ways to run faster, but am in no hurry or in any sort of plan. I have no previous ACTUAL experience of fitness tracker/watch although I have been eyeing on the Garmin Forerunner 235 and Suunto Ambit 3 Run. The day the Amazfit Pace was launched in China, I have made inquiries but realized that it was only available in Chinese. (Although I AM an Asian Chinese - my Chinese sucks big time - story for another day). For launching price of 799 yuan, I had no qualms on purchasing it, provided it is available in English. Part of the reason I was holding out on Garmin and Suunto was that I could not justify the price to pay for a fi...

Old PC Speakers? Re-purpose Them!

I think that many of us would have a pair of spare working speakers lying around. Maybe it came with the PC when you bought as a set, a free gift when you bought your laptop? Or a present from some time ago? If it is collecting dust, there are a few options. Donate them - many others will appreciate the speakers Use as LCD/LED TV speakers - most panel TVs are so thin today that it makes me wonder who any decent sound can come out of its tiny speakers. Short of using an amplifier or home theater system, just plug in the speakers to the RCA or 3.5mm jack and you will have upgraded sound from the TV. Turn it into Bluetooth enabled speakers - this is what I did for my old pair of Creative speakers. (Is the brand still around? They were the creators of the SoundBlaster soundcards in the heydays!!) These are easily 12 years old. Still working good with very good bass! So I've gone online and gotten one of these: I forgot to take a photo from the other side. Its basical...

A Good 15km Run

This is the 2nd 15km run I've done with the Amazfit Pace. Finally have locked down on a good route for a 15km run. Heart rate monitoring and GPS tracking was working well as usual. Will be doing a review on the Pace soon. In short - I LIKE it!!

[REVIEW] Monster iSport Achieve Bluetooth Earphones

Although the box say Headphones.. I think they qualify more as EARphones - don't you think? ;) These are entry level earphones in the Monster iSport range of wireless products. While there are no IP certifications, the box promises "Durable and sweat proof". It also comes with 3 different sized ear buds, but no pouch/case. Specs as listed on the box: What I did : As I am quite an avid runner, I did 3 10km - 12km runs within the week with the Achieve. Here's my take after the 3 runs: Bluetooth pairing went without a hitch with my Xiaomi Mi 5s Battery life is as specified (5+ hours on the box). After a full charge and 3 runs totaling very close to 5 hours, the battery level was announced as "low" The SecureFit does fit well in my ears. It did not fall out during any of my runs. As many of you may know - SQ of such earphones heavily depend on how well you can get it to fit "properly" in your ears. For normal earphones, I ...

And My Prizes Have Arrived!!!

Won these COOL prizes from the Amazfit Facebook Page lucky draw. Amazfit Pace Amazfit Pace Black strap Monster iSport Achieve BT Earphones Reviews coming up soon!!