latest version of wired.txt

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 # Scratch
 
+This week:
+Best Firepits
+Best Coolers
+Best Fire Tablets
 
-## Best Coolers
-
-Ah, summer. The beach, the lake, the river—wherever you can find water is the place to be. But while you're beating the heat floating in an inner tube or standing on a paddleboard, your drinks and food are not. They're baking in the afternoon sun, because this morning's shady spot has already evaporated, along with your ice.
-
-The first thing to consider when buying a cooler is how you're going to use it. If you aren't heading out for days at a time, you probably don't need an expensive high-end cooler. All the coolers we've recommend above are capable of holding things at a safe temp for a day provided you keep them in the shade. Similarly, if you aren't going to be hiking into a campsite, don't spend the extra money for a backpack cooler. At the same time, if you do plan to be moving your cooler a lot, a wheeled cooler is well worth the investment. Your back will thank you.
-
-Here are a few more things to consider when shopping for a cooler:
-
-
-
-
-coleman
-ultra-light
-backpack cooler
-functionality
-ice chest
-orca
-quart cooler
-soft-sided cooler
-best soft coolers
-bottle opener
-campers
-cooler bag
-day trips
-drinks cold
-large cooler
-leakproof
-tailgating
-versatile
-warranty
-yeti roadie
-barbecues
-beach days
-bear-proof
-bear-resistant
-best wheeled cooler
-divider
-drain plug
-pick up
-portable cooler
-quart capacity
-rei
-rubber latches
-tote
-water bottles
-
-
-## /e/OS Review
-
-The Android mobile operating system is open source, which means anyone can, in theory, build their own mobile operating system based on the [Android Open Source Project](https://source.android.com) (AOSP). Why then are there not many different versions of Android to choose from? 
+packages
 
-The good news is that there are a few alternatives to Android, and some of them are excellent, better in my experience than the version of Android that ships with your phone. But that fact that there are only three or four such options highlights the fact that there is more, much more, to the mobile experience than the operating system.
-
-Your Android phone's operating system is open source, but it's also running device-specific drivers, Google's various Play Services APIs, and many, many default apps, most of which are not open source, but absolutely key to a good mobile experience. 
-
-All of this stuff is another layer atop the Android operating system and its this layer which is very difficult for other projects to reproduce. It's not that hard for projects to get the AOSP code running, but very difficult to create a great mobile user experience on top of it.
-
-One project that has managed to create a really great user experience on top of AOSP is /e/OS. For the past six months I've used nothing else and I am here to say that the Android alternatives world has never been better. If you're looking to get out of the Google box, come on in, the water is fine.
-
-It's worth pausing here to answer the question of why you'd want to use an Android alternative like /e/OS. Despite my general dislike of surveillance capitalism, initially it was not privacy-related issues that drove me from Andoird, but poor user-experience. I got tired of Android's constant updates. It felt like Windows. Every time I picked up my phone the internet was ridiculously slow because Android was downloading yet another update and prompting me to install it. I lived through Windows 98, once was enough.
-
-Several years ago, fed up with Android, I installed LineageOS (probably the best known of the Android alternatives) and never looked back. LineageOS is a solid platform and provides a good set of basic applications. I never had any trouble with the open source apps I primarily rely on, nor did I have much trouble with the handful of proprietary apps I use (WhatsApp likes to complain when it runs on an alt OS, but it functions fine). Outside of work I don't depend on or use any Google services so my transition away from stock Android was smooth.
-
-However, due to my position at WIRED I still needed to install the Google Play Services layer on LineageOS, otherwise apps I need for work—Slack, Airtable, Gmail, etc—did not work properly. 
-
-While I like LineageOS, the fact that Google was still embedded into my device bothered me because my perspective changed. The underlying assumptions of stock Android began to annoy me. The boot screen was what did it. When you unlock the boot loader of your phone (which is necessary to load an alternative OS) there's a message every time you reboot warning that "software integrity cannot be guaranteed." That is true, it can't, and that could be bad if you happen to be Jason Bourne (more on this below), but what bothers me isn't the techincal details, but the underlying assumptions, namely that the corporation making your device *can* be trusted. 
-
-Perhaps I read too much into these things. Perhaps I dream too much of what's starting to look like an unlikely future where mobile devices are general purpose computers modifiable as you see fit. Whatever the case, I certainly don't trust device manufacturers or Google, especially [on my phone](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/android-sends-20x-more-data-to-google-than-ios-sends-to-apple-study-says/), and I wanted Google out of my LineageOS (don't worry Google fanboys, I dislike Apple too). I needed something to replace Google Play Services, which is not open source and therefore can't be run outside Google's version of Android.
-
-While Android is open source, Google has taken a page from the Microsoft playbook of old and uses things like its new "Play Integrity" APIs to ensure that apps will only work with Google's version of Android. This way Google can wave the open source flag while effectively preventing downstream forks from working. Most of the developers I spoke to believe that these anti-competitive practices will ultimately be regulated by governments. I do not share their optimism on that. Google's monopoly is subtle and built out of code, which is difficult for the non-technical to parse. However that susses out legally, in the mean time, a tremendous amount of effort has gone into trying to replicate these proprietary APIs to ensure most apps will work on alternative operating systems.
-
-Luckily for me, I am not the first person to need a Google Play Service alternative. There are several options out there, but the best in my experience is the [Micro G project](https://microg.org). Micro G is a free software clone of Google’s proprietary core libraries and applications, replacing most of the proprietary APIs Google uses. This means your de-Googled phone can still handle geo location correctly, along with a few other core services third-party apps expect.
-
-I ended up combining LineageOS and Micro G to have a phone that was fully de-Googled, but also fully functional, with a couple of exceptions I'll cover below.
-
-The catch is that installing LineageOS and Micro G requires a little technical expertise. You'll need to be able to run command line software and be comfortable rooting your device.
+Bote Aero
+65lbs 43x14x25
+18x18x18 10lbs
 
-This is where we finally get to /e/OS. Installing LineageOS is not for everyone. That's one of the main problems /e/OS set out to solve. And indeed it has, you can buy a Fairphone pre-loaded with /e/OS and have an excellent, Google-free mobile experience with almost no hassle. I tested this using a Fairphone 4 that Murena, the company that handles the hardware /e/OS supports, but you don't have to buy a Fairphone. Murena sells refurbished Pixel 5s pre-loaded with eOS, as well as its own Murena One (not currently available in the U.S).
+I have a theory about canvas tents... beyond like, they might better (as long as you aren't carrying them). As the modern world becomes more oppressive, camping is becoming not just about getting out in nature or what have you, but like a full on retreat from modernity. And canvas is a greater retreat, hence the increasing popularity.
 
-I did not specifically test Murena's refurbished Pixels, but when it was time to send back the Fairphone I loaded /e/OS on a Pixel 6a and continue to use it to this day (if you've installed LineageOS, the process for /e/OS is nearly identical save the files you're "side loading"). 
+#### [GoRuck Sand Kettlebells $15-$20 off](https://www.goruck.com/products/sand-kettlebells)
 
-So what exactly is /e/OS? Well, it starts with a base system of LineageOS, adds in Micro G to handle all the Googlely things, and then focuses on replicating the rest of a good mobile OS experience—syncing data through its own servers, providing online backups, and making sure all your favorite apps run as expected. That's very similar to what I achieved on my own with LineageOS and Micro G, but with zero effort on the user's part.
++++button-group
 
-That's not what makes /e/OS special though. The real difference between /e/OS and other versions of Android is the privacy-first design. The core of /e/OS's privacy features lie in the Advanced Privacy app and widget. Here you can block trackers, along with other features such as hiding your IP address or geolocation when you feel like it. The IP and Geo spoofing are nice for limited use cases, but the main privacy feature for most of us is the ability to block trackers in apps. 
+[GoRuck](https://www.goruck.com/products/sand-kettlebells "GoRuck"){: target="_blank"}
 
-The one depressing thing about using /e/OS is getting to see in stark detail how many apps are constantly transmitting data back to servers. Sure, /e/OS blocks all that out of the box so you're not transmitting any data, but everyone else is. 
-
-Thanks to the Advanced Privacy app, I can tell you that in the last 10 days /e/OS has blocked 3,030 apps from contacting tracking servers. While there are apps I am not surprised to see in this list, like Delta's app, which I only had installed for a trip, there are others I was disappointed to see in there, like my birding apps. Both Audubon's app and Cornell's eBird app contain trackers. Ironically /e/OS's System app is in this list. Yes, out of the box /e/OS blocks itself.
-
-An added bonus of this feature is that you'll see very few ads on /e/OS.
-
-While I like the privacy features of /e/OS, and have even taken to spoofing my geo data much of the time, the real killer feature to me is the /e/OS app store, which is named the App Lounge. When I used Lineage I installed apps from several different apps stores. There's F-Droid, which hosts open source apps, UptoDown, which a few apps I use support (Vivaldi being the main one), and then I had a few I could only get through the Google Play Store. As anyone using LineageOS can tell you, it's a lot to keep track of. The /e/OS App Lounge combines apps from a variety of sources, including the Play Store and F-Droid, among others, making them all available in one place (you can also opt to only show open source apps). 
-
-Also nice is the option to stay anonymous when connecting to any of the app stores, although, you will need to to be logged in to get apps you paid for, since those are tied to your user id. I have also had the anonymous login fail a few times, giving me token errors. This is one of the few places I've had issues with /e/OS.
-
-The App Lounge uses a familiar design that looks a bit like Google Play, but adds a few features. This first is that App Lounge provides privacy information about each app, grading it on a 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is horrible for privacy and 10 generally means no trackers. The App Lounge also grades apps according to which permissions they require. The fewer permissions (like access to your photos or geodata) the higher the rating. It's a nice way of providing what is often complex information in a way that anyone can easily parse. In a win for the larger Android-alt community, /e/OS claims to be working on making the App Lounge available as an app that came be installed anywhere (in the mean time, the [Aurora Store](https://auroraoss.com) is close).
-
-## What Doesn't Work
-
-As much as I love /e/OS it's not perfect. I have had some minor issues with geo data. I live on the road, so my location changes every couple of weeks. Sometimes /e/OS is slow to pick up on this and the Maps app will show me search results based on where I was last week. The included Maps app itself is still rough around the edges (and it uses some proprietary code). It's better and more accurate than every other map app I've tried, but it still isn't as good as Google Maps. I don't care what you think of Google, its Map app is unmatched. I still use it as a backup with the default /e/OS app doesn't find what I need.
-
-The other big missing feature for me is Speech-to-text. Right now /e/OS ships without speech-to-text at all. There's a good summary of the options available in the /e/OS forums. None of them are ideal, but I've managed to get by with a combination of Sayboard and GBoard. Yes, it's a pain to switch between keyboards. The good news is that this feature is on the roadmap for /e/OS in 2024. This will also open the door to an /e/OS assistant, which is not currently available. The project is unclear about what form this might take, given the privacy implications of interacting with a server to answer queries, but one possibility is a Large Language Model run locally.
-
-The other missing option is a full backup. At the moment your media, calendar, contacts, and files are backup up if you create a murena.io account, but applications and any settings/data are not backed up. Again, hopefully that will be changing later this year.
++++
 
-In my experience, apps generally just work. I have not had any problems running apps beyond those I've mentioned above.
 
-## Security Issues
 
-It would be remiss not to the point out that to install alternative OSes on your phone requires unlocking the bootloader, which does open a door to attackers. Unfortunately, re-locking the bootloader often does not go well. I have never tried it, given that it's an easy way to brick your phone. 
 
-The reason phones ship with locked bootloaders is to protect against a kind of attack called "[Evil Maid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_maid_attack)" (it would also protect against a rootkit being installed). The way bootloader locking prevents this is to require a private encryption key (which only the phone manufacturer has) to "sign" the OS that's about to load. Without this key, the OS isn't allowed to load. This ensures third parties don't modify or replace the operating system with malicious versions.
+## Point and Shoot camera guide
 
-The question is, is it bad to have an unlocked bootloader? If you are the target of an attack by state-level groups, then yes, you should not used unlocked bootloaders. Like I said above, if you're a super spy, avoid /e/OS. Also avoid using a phone at all. In the world most of us live in there are no hackers posing as waiters to swipe our phones over lunch and install malicious operating systems, which is what you have to do to pull off a bootloader attack. A bootloader attack requires the attacker to gain possession of the hardware.
+Sony RX100 VII
+Ricoh GR III
+Fujifilm X100VI
+Ricoh WG-6
+Panasonic Lumix LX100 II
+Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II
+Sony ZV-I
 
-I have been running various OSes for years with unlocked bootloaders and have not had an issue. I bring this up mostly because everyone should be informed and make this choice for themselves. In my case I know there is an insecurity here, I am okay with it.
+## Fire Pit Guide
 
-Also, to be clear, despite my initial dislike of the unlocked bootloader message above, this issue is not Google's fault, it's the hardware makers fault. In fact there is a system out there that handles your phone's bootloader just like Microsoft's UEFI system works on a laptop, but hardware manufacturers have not implemented it. Google actually has in the Pixel phones so I can in theory relock my bootloader, but I don't. The risk of a bricked phone is more real in my case than the risk of an Evil Maid attack. It's also worth noting that if you do want an OS that can re-lock the bootloader, GrapheneOS makes that possible. I have not use GrapheneOS, but it is another option. For me though /e/OS does everything I need and does a good job of staying out of my way the rest of the time.
+Snow Peak's Takibi Fire & Grill is extremely well made, but expensive. It was designed to last forever, and by all accounts it does. The one I've been testing for years is discolored, but otherwise fine (no rust, despite months outside in the rain). The Takibi has legions of fans, including Gear Team senior associate editor Adrienne So, who says it made her like camping again. Snow Peak CEO Tohru Yamai designed it more than 20 years ago and has only ever received two customer complaints, which is equally impressive.
 
-A phone's operating system may not matter to everyone, but if you're someone who wants to leave the binary world of Apple and Google behind, more out of their browsing experience, /e/OS is well worth a try. 
+The genius of the Takibi is the folding design. This fire pit will lay flat for storage, and it includes a nice canvas carry bag that makes it easy to carry around (at almost 24 pounds, it's not light, but the shoulder bag helps). The included base plate helps it remain sturdy on just about any surface. Snow Peak's official suggestion is to keep your wood around one foot in length but I have thrown far bigger logs on and it's fine, you just nudge them inward as the burn.
 
+The Takibi works great as a fire pit, but it also doubles as a grill (there is a $350 oven attachment as well). The grill top is a grid so small things won't fall through unlike the firepit, my grill has rusted some so avoid leaving it out, or oil it well when you're done using it.
 
+The West Coast’s Fanciest Stolen Bikes Are Getting Trafficked by One Mastermind in Jalisco, Mexico
 
+While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature. It is designed to let heat out the sides, as well as up to the cooking surface, so it's slightly less efficient than a covered grill, but this is only really a factor when cooking large cuts of meat (tent them with foil). It's easy to set up and simple to clean and pack away. My only real complaint is that without a lid you can't smother your remaining charcoal and reuse it, but in most cases when the food is done I load up the Takibi with firewood and enjoy it as a fire pit.
 
 
+smokeless fire pit
+wood-burning fire pits
+airflow
+fire bowl
+kindling
+powder-coated
+removable ash pan
+solo stove bonfire 2.0
+ambiance
+best smokeless fire pits
+breeo x series
+gas fire pit
+less smoke
+marshmallows
+propane fire pit
+propane tank
+s'mores
+solo stove mesa
+adapter
+amount of smoke
+backyard fire pit
+bbq
+biolite firepit
+camping trips
+carrying case
+cast iron
+charcoal grill
+fire burns
+fuel type
+hassle
+high heat
+outland living
+patina
+price point
+product reviews
+removable ashtray
+spark screen
+steel fire pit
+weather-resistant
+wood pellets
+yukon 2.0
+backpacking
+hot dogs
+patio furniture
+top picks
 
 
-## Markdown
+martin has two
 
-In the beginning was the word. The word was stored in plain text. But it was only plain text. Then came Markdown, a markup syntax that made it easy to bring forth the HTML, the LaTeX, the PDF, even the Microsoft Word docx. The people saw that in this form the word was transformed. It was good. The internet rejoiced and put Markdown in all the things.
 
-Today, Markdown is possibly the most ubiquitous piece of code on the web. It's in nearly every online text box you're likely to encounter and there's an entire economy of mobile note taking apps built on its back. 
+## Film Guide
 
-Yet unlike most extremely successful pieces of code, Markdown is not publicly hosted on the code sharing site de jour, it doesn't have hundreds of people contributing to it, and the last time the original Perl script was updated was 2001. Despite following none of the supposed rules of what makes successful software, Markdown is by any measure extremely successful software.
 
-There are some important assumptions behind Markdown. The big one is that the ideal canonical format for storing data long term is plain text. This is self-evident to programmers because everything is plain text. Code is plain text. We write in text (using text editors, some of which are nearly 50 years old), and we've even created entire operating systems built around the idea that the filesystem is a tree of plain text files (UNIX). Plain text is where all things begin and probably where all things end.
 
-The problem with plain text is that normal people (non-programmers) like formatting. They like more readable displays of words than it possible with plain text. Programmers looked at this problem and said, okay, here's LaTeX, a markup language to turn our plain text files into the beautiful printed documents you crave. Life, once again, was good.
+. Most commonly, in silver-gelatin photography, it consists of silver halide crystals dispersed in gelatin. The emulsion is usually coated onto a substrate of glass, films (of cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate or polyester), paper, or fabric. The substrate is often flexible and known as a film base.
+p
 
-Then came the web. HTML files are interesting because a webpage is technically plain text. However, because HTML blends content (the words you want to read) and form (markup telling a web browser how to display the words you want to read), HTML is not very pleasant to read in its raw, plain text form, even for programmers accustomed to reading code.
+Photographic emulsion is not a true emulsion, but a suspension of solid particles (silver halide) in a fluid (gelatin in solution). However, the word emulsion is customarily used in a photographic context. Gelatin or gum arabic layers sensitized with dichromate used in the dichromated colloid processes carbon and gum bichromate are sometimes called emulsions. Some processes do not have emulsions, such as platinum, cyanotype, salted paper, or kallitype.
 
-This was not a huge problem in the early days because HTML was relatively simple and reading it was not that hard. As HTML grew, working directly with it became more cumbersome and annoying. 
+medium format
+polaroid
+type of film
+light meter
+medium format camera
+pentax
 
-This is the world in which Markdown was born.
+How To Buy Used Camera Gear
 
+The used camera market can be a treacherous place, but I've had good luck finding reasonably priced Canon, Nikon, and Minolta camera. Read through our guide to buying used gear on eBay, and remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is to good to be true. Here are a few camera-specific tips for shopping eBay and other used gear.
 
+Do your research
 
+Avoid The $5 camera
 
+Film is like the indestructible Knight in Monty Python's The Holy Grail: It's not dead yet.
 
+It seems like it would be. Digital photography is well into its third decade, yet film keeps hanging on, lying there shouting "it's just a flesh wound." In fact, I would argue that film photography will never die. In the post-apocalyptic future, long after the grid has collapsed and [all our digital images are gone](https://vimeo.com/171354414), someone will pop up with a [Nikon FM2T](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/UWxN5ZEu9McqkSdyAb7otpMrXF5c1QfMbbgjYTHjcfaWDx8imoi3kWhtCkBa1zsFQ1NxuFkkrpVsdXBz8e4VxfaGxh1CbbMiYaE2f3vgbaxLT32eToWMuPCp4LU2SbRg2SAHxtgAogmu4FQuHTxMp3){: rel="sponsored" isAffiliateLink="true"} and carry on documenting the world with expired Tri-X.
 
-While programmers have an obsession with text, journalists have an obsession with words. Text is a conveyor, not a thing being conveyed. Journalists have taken their words and adapted them to text forms necessary to reach their audiences over time.
+If you want to shoot film in 2024, fear not, it's easier than ever to shoot, develop, and print film. We've put together this guide to help you learn, or re-learn, the joys of film photography, whether you're a newcomer or an expert who hasn't shot film in a few years.
 
-Text into the newspaper column. Text into the magazine layout. Text on a publisher’s website. Text on their own website.
+## Get A Film Camera
 
+The first thing you'll need is a film camera. This could be an entire guide on its own, but in the interests of simplicity I am going to suggest just a couple of capable, reasonably priced cameras. These are all 35mm film cameras, which is where I suggest beginners start. If you're interested in medium format or larger cameras, see the end of this guide.
 
-I first encountered Markdown almost two decades ago when Markdown author John Gruber posted something about it to the BBEdit mailing list. As a writer working almost entirely with digital publishers, Markdown offered
+- [**Kodak Ektar H35 for $45**](https://www.amazon.com/KODAK-Reusable-Focus-Free-Lightweight-Included/dp/B0B1J1D5G7?th=1): This half-frame Kodak camera is ideal for just getting started with film. Not only is it affordable and easy to use, it shoots half a frame of 35mm film for each exposure, which means you get double the shots out of a roll of film. This is my favorite camera for anyone who wants to try film without spending a fortune.
+- [**Olympus Stylus for around $100**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/474N76DNT3n1ogtyPnpZ1zqRzfKZycsKJirQdhkJoxFMttdQxRxEMZXSE5ATThYLaCdBc6wqa4tYb429ZzoFGXqXR6NeU564RbEhrGx3Yk81pXtrMcerw39pQDu2mVFJE3rzhQuX6XpU8YV4qvqAtfNqLjvo){: rel="sponsored" isAffiliateLink="true"}: The Olympus Stylus came in many variations, but they're all solid point and shoot cameras. There's not much in the way of manual controls here, but the exposure meter is generally very accurate and the resulting photos are great considering this is a plastic camera from the 1990s that fits in your pocket. See below for more advice on buying used cameras.
+- [**Canon AE-1 for around $150**](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=canon+ae-1): The Canon AE-1 is a fantastic SLR camera and it's affordable on the used market. It's built like a tank, has a good built-in exposure meter and can take just about any lens Canon ever made, meaning you can expand your lens options down the road. Not a Canon fan? Grab a Nikon FE or a [Minolta SRT 303b](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=minolta+srt+303b), both of which are similar to the AE-1: solid, all-metal SLR cameras for less than $150.
 
+Naturally there are hundreds of other film cameras out there to chose from, ranging from brand new offerings by manufacturers like [Lomography](https://shop.lomography.com/us/cameras), to venerable film Leicas that still [sell for many thousands of dollars](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=leica+m6) without a lens (which will set you back several more thousands of dollars).
 
-## Best Portable Grills
+## Get Some Film
 
-The Skotti Grill is a completely collapsible, lightweight, stainless steel grill that's the perfect overlanding companion. It's quick to set up, cools reasonably fast so you can pack it away, and can cook with propane, butane, charcoal, or wood. I tested it using all of the above, and while I am partial to the charcoal and wood options, it's nice to have propane or butane as an option in this day and age of fire bans. You do have to insert burner pipe and heat dispersing plate, but otherwise cooking is about the same regardless of fuel source.
+Once you've got the camera, it's time to grab some film. If you're old enough to have shot film earlier in life, this is where you'll notice some big changes. Some popular old film stock is no more. In its place though there are a staggering number of new, cottage industry films out there. I am in the process of testing as many of these as I can get my hands on, but for those just getting started, I suggest sticking with some of the bigger names.
 
-The Skotti isn't huge. With tk square inches of cooking space, it's best for couples or small families. I was able to feed five grilling the main dish on the Skotti, but I made all the sides on my stove.  
+First, it's important to understand the difference between Positive and Negative film.
 
+#### Positive Film
 
+Positive film records the image as you saw it when you pushed the shutter. It produces rich, saturated colors and tends to have strong contrast. It's much less forgiving in my experience. You need to get the exposure right. I also tend to avoid high contrast scenes with positive film (or use graduated neutral density filters to reduce contrast). Positive film is usually mounted as slides.
 
-: It is made out of 9 separate stainless steel pieces that pack flat into the tarp bag that comes with the grill. In combination with its light weight of only 6.6 lbs, this makes the SKOTTI Grill a perfect portable gas grill for any outdoor adventure – use it as a camping grill, take it with you on a fishing trip or simply make a quick BBQ in your backyard after work – the possibilities are endless!
+#### Negative Film
 
-Quick and Convenient Assembly
-You might think that its multi-part makes it hard to set up – you couldn’t be more mistaken! After a few times trying, you’ll be able to set it up in less than a minute. Fire up the grill and you’ll be ready to go in another 2 minutes, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your favorite outdoor activities. Whether you’re on a hiking trip or embarking on other adventures, this swift setup ensures you won’t miss a beat.
+Negative film records the opposite of what you saw. In black and white, everything is reversed, blacks are white, whites are black so that when you shine light through it to print, the black areas hold back the light, making them lighter in the print, and light areas let more light through, rendering them light in the print. Everything is reversed. The same is true of color negative film, but it tends to look more like a yellow-orange mess as a negative.Negative color film tends to have a softer look, with lower contrast, and higher dynamic range. 
 
-Freedom: Choose your fuel source
-While the SKOTTI Grill is a gas grill, it is not just limited to one fuel source. While it excels as a gas grill, it can easily be used with charcoal or wood. For that, simply leave out the burner pipe and radiation plate, fill the bottom of the grill with some dirt of sand and fill it up with charcoal or wood.
+Which should you use? I suggest experimenting to see which you like the best. Here's a few recommendations based on the type of images you want to make.
 
-Effortless Cleaning
-We understand the importance of easy maintenance, which is why the SKOTTI Grill is a breeze to clean. All nine individual parts are dishwasher-safe, ensuring a thorough and convenient cleaning process. Say goodbye to the hassle of scrubbing and let the dishwasher do the work, providing you with more time to relish your outdoor experiences.
+#### Best Film for Landscapes
 
-Powerful Performance
-Don’t let its compact size fool you; the SKOTTI Grill packs a powerful punch. With an impressive 8500 BTU/h, this portable gas grill ensures you to achieve exceptional outdoor grilling results.
+[Fujichrome Velvia 50 for $30 per roll](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/512063-USA/Fujifilm_15757464_RVP_135_36_Fujichrome_Velvia.html): Sorry, this one is ridiculously expensive at $30 per roll, but I've still yet to find any other color positive film that looks as good as Velvia. It's color saturation is legendary (tending toward the red/magenta), and it's neutral gray balance means you almost never get weird colors in shadows and highlights. The price means I don't shoot it very often, but when you're heading out into the wilderness, this is what I suggest.
 
-Embrace the spirit of adventure with the SKOTTI Grill, the ultimate companion for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re on a thrilling hike, camping in the wilderness, fishing by the lake, car camping with friends, exploring in an RV, or tailgating before the big game, the SKOTTI Grill will make your experience worthwhile Get ready to savor delicious meals in the great outdoors with this remarkable portable gas grill.
+[Kodak E100 for $22 per roll](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/274846-USA/Kodak_1884576_E100G_135_36_Ektachrome_Professional.html): This is a new film for me, but I've shot a few rolls now and I can say that it is very different than Velvia. There's none of the Velvia warmth, colors are rather neutral with a mild green cast to the highlights. If you're looking to shoot landscapes with a different look than the past 50 years of Velvia-influenced images, this is the film I'd recommend.
 
+**Budget Pick**: [Kodak Ektar 100 for $14 per roll](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/585497-USA/Kodak_6031330_35mm_Ektar_100_Color.html). This is another new one for me, I have shot only two rolls of this color negative film, but so far my overwhelming impression is that this is film stock that replicates what you get with a digital camera. Grain is very fine, and colors are extremely close to what my Sony digital sensor records: natural looking color tending toward the cooler side. I'll confess I didn't like it the first time I saw the results, but it's growing on me and the price is difficult to beat.
 
-## Best Laptops
+#### Best for Street Photography
 
-## Instax Mini 99 Review
+#### Best For Portraits
 
-Fujifilm's New Instax Mini 99 is an Instax camera for those who love manual controls and creative effects. It's not the sharpest Instax I've tested—that remains the Mini Evo—but it might be the most analog and the most capable.
 
-The $200 price tag is well above the entry-level point and shoot Instax cameras, but here you get exposure and shutter control, a swatch of color effects, even the ability to simulate light leaks just like those thrift store camera finds collect dust on your shelf.
 
-## Camera Fashion
 
-Except for the colorful and bubbly entry-level cameras, Fujifilm's Instax design tends toward a retro-camera vibe, which holds true for the Mini 99. The 99 is all-black, instead of the silver and black found in the Mini 90, but otherwise bears more than a passing resemblance. Fujifilm hasn't officially said the 99 replaces the 90, but they feel close enough to each other that I'd be surprised in the Mini 90 continues.
+## Start Taking Pictures
 
-The lens of the Mini 99 is the same as the Mini 90. It's a 60mm lens made of plastic. It works out to roughly the same as a 35mm lens in 35mm format (or if you prefer, somewhere between 1x and 2x on your iPhone). The shutter is fixed at f/12.7, which means you'll be relying on the flash in all but bright, sunny, outdoor shots. That said, unlike quite a few other Instax models, with the Mini 99 you can turn off the flash for those well-lit shots.
+This is where things get fun. It's time to go out and take pictures.
 
-Perhaps the most interesting part of the Mini 99, and something new for the Instax line, are the manual focus options. The Mini 99 does not have true manual focus where you turn a dial on the lens to get precise focus, rather there are three zones of focus—close up (0.3-0.6 meters), midrange (0.6-3 meters), and infinity (3m-infinity). For those not metric-savvy that works out to 1-2 feet, 2-10 feet, and 10-infinity. While that's not as precise as a true manual focus camera, it's more control than you typically get with Instax.
+If you're coming from digital photography be forewarned that film photography is very different. My experience has been that I have to slow down and think about my shots a lot more with film. I find this makes for better images since I'm spending more time composing rather than just impulsively firing off images as I might with digital. While films like Velvia 50 are painful to buy at $30 per roll, knowing that each image you expose is costing you about $2 (with development costs), tends to make you think twice, and thinking twice often improves your images.
 
-I find the manual focus to be a little inconsistent. Or rather the results were less dramatic than I expected. Keep in mind that the aperture is f/12.7, which means the field of focus is pretty wide, even with the focus zone controls. The Mini 99 is capable of bokeh (the name for out of focus regions in a photo), but only in very specific situations, like a portrait, and even then you have to use the closest focus which means your subject's face will mostly fill the frame anyway. That said, being able to play with focus at all is a step up from most Instax cameras where focus is fixed and the 1-foot close focus distance is nice for macro-style shots like flowers.
+There are some technical differences between digital and film that you should be aware of. Digital sensors are better at recovering details from shadows than highlights, which means digital photographers tend to expose for the highlights and recover the shadows latter in software. Every film is slightly different, but broadly speaking film is the opposite in this regard: it's better at handling highlights, which means you should expose for the shadows. 
 
-The Mini 99's design makes use of two dials, one that acts like an exposure compensation dial, allowing you to adjust Exposure Value (EV) two stops brighter and two darker. I found the L (Lighten) and L+ useful when shooting against snow, which has a tendency to overwhelm small sensors like this one. It's also good for strongly backlit scenes, though those are not Instax's strong suit, don't expect too much. The D (Darken) and D- settings proved less useful as they tended to make images overly dark. I could see them being more useful with black and white film, adding a bit of drama perhaps.
 
-The second dial allows you to add a series of color effects to your shots. Options include Faded Green (FG), Warm Tone (WT), Light Blue (LB), Soft Magenta (SM), Sepia (SP), and Light Leak (LL). Behind the scenes Fujifilm is using LEDs to tone your images and, in the case of Light Leak, simulate a light leak on the film. The results are fun, I especially like the Warm Tone, though once I was done testing, I shot most of my images in Normal (N) mode.
 
-The dials are easy to use, but unfortunately they're also very easy to accidentally turn when the camera is in your pocket or bag. After ruining a couple images because the EV dial had been turned in my pocket, I learned to always check the dials before shooting. It would be nice to have the dials lock in place a little better.
 
-What I found far more fun than the color effects were the shutter speed controls. There are 4 modes available here. The normal mode, an indoor mode (for low light, slower shutter), Sports mode (denoted by a figure running) with a faster shutter, and B for Bulb, which yes, allows you to keep the shutter open as long as you like. In theory you can do night shots with Bulb mode, though in my testing this is tricky as there's no cable release.
+Take good ones, take bad ones, learn from both.
 
-The other fun shooting mode is double exposure. I'll confess that I have become used to shooting double exposure's with digital, which allows for more precise framing since you can see the first image, so my first few attempts with Instax were pretty bad. But with a little practice I found this one of the more interesting ways to use the Mini 99. It also gave me something to do with some very expired Instax film that I had lying about. Double exposures, combined with the strange effects of expired film made for some interesting shots.
 
-The Mini 99 uses a removable, rechargeable battery (a NP-70S). Fujifilm is claiming 100 photos per charge. It's a little difficult to test that, but this feels about right, possibly even on the conservative side. I used about one-third of the battery shooting four rolls of film (and its worth noting most of that was shot in near freezing conditions which always results in subpar battery performance). For most use cases the provided single battery is going to be fine. I did not notice much in the way of power lose when not using the camera in the month that I tested. It's also worth noting that you don't charge the battery directly, Fujifilm provides a separate USB-C charger which is nice if you want multiple batteries.
 
-A self-timer and flash control round out the options on the Mini 99, making it one of, if not the most flexible, capable Instax camera in Fujifilm's Instax lineup. See our [Guide to Instax Cameras]() for more options, but if you want manual controls the Mini 99 is the camera to get. The only downside to the Mini 99 in my testing is that in my testing the images it produces are not as sharp as the Mini Evo. The manual controls of the Mini 99, especially the focusing controls, do give you some creative options the Evo doesn't have, but if you're after pure image quality the Mini Evo remains the Instax of choice. If on the other hand you want more manual controls and the fun the color effects The Mini 99 is a fine Instax camera.
 
+## How To Buy Used Camera Gear
 
+The used camera market can be a treacherous place, but I've had good luck finding reasonably priced Canon, Nikon, and Minolta camera. Read through our guide to [buying used gear on eBay](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-buy-used-on-ebay/), and remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is to good to be true. Here are a few camera-specific tips for shopping eBay and other used gear.
 
-## Best Binoculars
 
-While knowing that 8x42 means 8x magnification with 42mm objective lenses is a good starting point for choosing binoculars, there are a number of other terms it helps to understand.
+Do your research
+Avoid The $5 camera
 
-- **Objective Lens**: This is the big lens, at the opposite end from from where you look. The size of the objective lens determine how much light reaches your eye. In general, all other things being equal, a larger objective lens gives you a brighter image.
-- **Field of View**: This refers to how much you can see. The wider the field of view the more you can see. The standard measurement is how many feet wide the viewing area is at 1000 yards. This can then be translated to degrees. You'll see field of view (also often just, FOV) listed in both degrees and feet, which can make it hard to compare. It's also abstract and can be difficult to wrap your head around, which is why I like the [FOV visualization tool](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/choosing-binoculars-field-of-view-and-close-focus/) on Cornell's All About Birds website. 
-- **Eye Relief**: Eye relief refers to the ideal distance from your eye to the eyepiece glass. The ideal distance varies, but for most binoculars it'll be in the 10mm to 20mm range. In order to see the full view provided, you eye needs to be at the right eye relief spot. Too close and you'll see black shadows, too far and the FOV shrinks. This is primarily an issue for those of us who wear glasses, as some binoculars make it nearly impossible to get a full field of view when wearing glasses, which is why I try to always note how each model is wearing glasses.
-- **Roof Prism**: This refers to a type of binocular design, the alternative being Porro prism (see below). Roof prism design puts the objective lenses directly inline with the eyepieces, giving you the H-shape common in binoculars these days. This design makes for a lighter, smaller, more streamlined binocular. Nikon has a [nice visualization](https://imaging.nikon.com/sport-optics/guide/binoculars/technologies/technologies_06/) showing how the different designs bounce light to your eye.
-- **Porro Prism**: Porro prism binoculars use offset objective lenses that are not inline with the eyepiece—think the wider, bulkier binoculars you sometimes see. Porro prisms are often sharper (a birding friend of mine has a pair of 1940s Zeiss Porro prism binoculars that have one the sharpest images I've ever seen), but bulkier. Porro often produce a more 3D image with better depth perception, which is why they're still common in hunting and military applications.
 
 
 
-Porro prism binoculars, named after their 19th-century Italian inventor, can be recognized by the fact that the front or objective lens is offset from and not in line with the eyepiece or ocular lens.
+Short answer- don’t do it. Especially not if this is your first time buying a film camera. Often the folks selling cameras here don’t know anything about them or whether they work, and if you’re just getting started? Chances are neither do you. 
 
+If someone’s willing to let a relative’s old film camera go for $5 or something like that, it might be worth taking your chances, but unless you know your stuff, I’d advise against this route.
 
-People who wear glasses sometimes get cheated out of part of the image. If the binocular's eye relief is too short, they see only the center of the picture. All that good stuff around the edges is obscured.
 
-The thing is, every binocular is made so that there is an ideal distance from your eye to the glass of the eyepiece. That distance is called eye relief. Each binocular has a particular eye relief, depending on the optical design. Each binocular has a certain eye relief. It's usually between 10mm and 20mm. In order to see the whole picture, you need to locate your eye at that distance from the eyepiece of the binocular.
 
-If your eye is too close, you get weird shadows coming in from the sides. If you eye is too far away, the image will be constricted. 
 
-https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/choosing-binoculars-field-of-view-and-close-focus/
 
-eye relief
-binocular review
-bushnell
-durability
-eyepiece
-roof prism
-show
-adapter
-beginners
-birding binoculars
-budget binoculars
-carrying case
-celestron skymaster
-close focus
-long-distance
-monocular
-optical quality
-price point
-prism binoculars
-spotting scope
-waterproof binoculars
-functionality
-lens size
-light conditions
-night sky
-
-
-
-How We Tested
-
-I look at a number of factors, including the optical quality, AKA sharpness and clarity, the brightness (taking into account objective lens size), color rendition, eye relief (where your eye needs to be to see the entire field of view), weight, and comfort. In the end I will admit I am biased toward sharpness and clarity. If it isn't sharp, nothing else matters. Lately though I've also been carefully testing eye relief not just for human viewing, but also for digiscoping (a fancy neologism for sticking a camera up to the lens).
-
-I am very fortunate to be able to go birding nearly every day. Most of my testing is done birding, though if you ever see me at baseball game with four pairs of binoculars around my neck, please try not to laugh. I test in conditions ranging from the deep, dark forests of the north woods, to the dry desert canyons of the west, to the harsh, glaring sun of the Florida panhandle. I also spend plenty of time out hiking, subjecting these binoculars to life in a bag, life around my neck to get a sense of their durability.
-
-Since a number of readers have asked, I personally own a pair of Nikon 8x42 Monarchs (the older version of our top pick), a pair of Celestron 10x42 Regal ED. When I head of hiking and I don't have anything to test, I use the Celestron Trailblazer ED 8x32.
-
-
-
-The conditions ranged from sunny plains to dark, shady forests. We also took painstaking side-by-side photos through all of our binoculars so our readers could better understand how the optics compare.
-
-Our testing of binoculars is divided into six metrics:
-Clarity tests (35% of overall score weighting)
-Brightness tests (20% weighting)
-Comfort tests (15% weighting)
-Field of View tests (15% weighting)
-Ease of Adjustment tests (10% weighting)
-Close Focus Range tests (5% weighting)
-
-Overall, our test fleet of binoculars was subjected to numerous testing procedures to rate their performance. We put the most weight on the clarity score, corresponding to 35% of each binocular's overall score. This was tested using a standard ISO chart (a chart used to test digital still-imagery cameras) and by placing model birds on a tree to compare the same bird side-by-side in identical lighting scenarios. Brightness was another metric of great importance. By taking photos through each binocular and comparing them side by side, we can compare these metrics objectively.
-
-
-.every binocular is made so that there is an ideal distance from your eye to the glass of the eyepiece. That distance is called eye relief. Each binocular has a particular eye relief, depending on the optical design. Each binocular has a certain eye relief. It's usually between 10mm and 20mm. In order to see the whole picture, you need to locate your eye at that distance from the eyepiece of the binocular.
-
-
-this
-best binoculars
-field of view
-magnification
-vortex
-bird watching
-pair of binoculars
-objective lens
-compact binoculars
-swarovski
-binos
-low light
-eye relief
-birders
-stargazing
-leica
-zoom
-8x42 binoculars
-durability
-zeiss
-roof prism
-nikon monarch
-10x42 binoculars
-binocular review
-bushnell
-show
-high-end
-eyepiece
-multi-coated
-eyecups
-wide field of view
-amazon
-beginners
-budget binoculars
-image quality
-stabilization
-athlon
-adapter
-viewing experience
-bak-4
-prism binoculars
-price point
-close focus
-best compact
-price tag
-optical quality
-monocular
-fogproof
-spotting scope
-waterproof binoculars
-long-distance
-nikon prostaff p3
-celestron skymaster
-canon
-birding binoculars
-focus knob
-pentax
-carrying case
-maven
-prism design
-nature dx
-lens size
-functionality
-night sky
-light conditions
 
+## Why Shoot Film in 2024
 
+If you have to ask this question, film photography is probably not for you. For the most part there is no technological advantage to shooting film. It's more expensive, requires more time and skill, and even for those of us with years of experience, is generally more challenging. And then you have to develop it.
 
+The best reason to shoot film in 2024 is because you enjoy it.
 
+Even then, I know every few film enthusiasts who don't also shoot digital. I love film, and shoot about 3-4 rolls a month. In that same time I generally take several hundred digital images. I shoot the film mostly because I just enjoy the process, but also because it is analog and leaves analog artifacts that don't disappear when I close my laptop.
 
+There is something about film photography that feels like it has a stronger link to the real world than digital. I think it's the tangible aspect, from start to finish, making an image on film requires an artifact in the real world. With digital there is none of this, it's all just 1s and 0s on a screen.
 
+French philosopher Jean Baudrillard writes in Simulacra and Simulation of what he calls hyperreality, a world where the boundary between reality and simulation becomes blurred. Any photographer who spends more than a minute or two on Instagram will instantly grasp what Baudrillard was talking about when he said that simulations had become their own reality, copies without an original. 
 
+For me film is an antidote to hyperreality (Baudrillard would very much disagree with me, image was always a cause of hyperreality for him), a way of directly connecting the real world in front of me to the negative I use to make a printed image later.
 
 
 
 
+It is really fascinating to think that each photograph you take with film is unique; shooting that exact moment, with that specific film stock, and knowing that you (or anyone) won't be able to replicate that same shot 
 
-## Celstron Trailseeker 8x32ED
+patience, 
 
-I started birding around the age of 0. This is what happens when your parents are birders. I had my first binoculars at 5, an ancient pair of Bushnell 10x50 that I would use when my father wasn't. They were huge, so heavy I could barely lift them, but the world they opened up was well worth the neck strain. Forty five years later, still birding, I am less sold on the neck strain.
 
-These days, when I head out of the house, my binocular of choice is 8x32, especially Celestron's Trailseeker 8x32 ED binoculars, which offer the best combination of image, quality, durability, and price that I've been able to find. Many a time have I brought these to my eye and thought something like, I can't believe these are only $320. They perform well above their price, indeed they match the performance of several I've tested that are double this price.
 
-### Trailseeker Optical Performance
-Celestron's Trailseeker 8x32 ED binoculars have phase and dielectric-coated BaK-4 prisms, which is rare in this size binocular at this price. What that means is that all air-to-glass surfaces are coated with multiple layers of anti-reflective coatings. That means very little light is lost within the prism. More light is reflected off the prism and gets to your eye delivering a brighter, sharper, more contrasty image.
 
-In practice the Trailseeker's deliver an excellent image, with a sweet spot—where the image is sharpest and contrasty—that's absolutely tack sharp and occupies roughly 60 percent of the image, expanding out from the center. That's very good for a $320 pair of binoculars. The image does soften a bit out toward the edges, but not to a degree that I notice unless I go looking for it.
+## Best Paper Notebooks 
 
-The edges are still sharp enough that I catch motion, at which point I can move the binoculars to center the bird or whatever it is into the sharper center. Additionally, based on my testing, most of the minimal distortion that there is near the edge can be corrected by focusing for the edges. I never felt the need to do this in real world use, but for the sake of testing I did discover it's possible to do (with a corresponding loss of sharpness in the center, since you're adapting to curvature distortion at the edges).
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+what is the best time to journal
+what is a good journal
 
-There's very little in the way of chromatic aberrations with these binoculars. I really had to work to find situations where I noticed any purple fringing. Color is vivid with a relatively neutral cast, if anything these tend toward a warm rendition of colors which works well for birding.
+## Notes
 
-Are there binoculars with a larger sweet spot with less focus fall off? Yes there are, but they're generally larger and much more expensive. In terms of what you get for what you pay, these Celestrons are at the top of the pack optically speaking, based on my testing.
+Unless you have the ability (and money) to shoot like Garry Winogrand, who exposed film with an utter disregard for the economy of the medium, sometimes, according to an interview in the 1970s, shot 600 rolls a year and leaving thousands of undeveloped rolls behind when he died. While all of Instagram does its best to imitate Winogrand's productivity (not, alas, his talent), most of us aren't going to be able to afford to do that shooting on film.
 
-The Trailseeker 8x32 binoculars offer a field of view that stretches to 409 feet at 100 feet, which is wide for this magnification at this price. Competitors typically only hit about 390 feet. That might not sound like much, but using these alongside the Nocs 8x32 (which have a field of view of 387 feet) the difference was very noticeable. That extra room goes a long way to helping the Trailseekers avoid the "tunnel vision" feeling that sometimes happens with smaller binoculars.
+The first rule of film is still Cartier Bresson's famous dictum: find the decisive moment. Such moments always feel obvious when we see them in photographs. Think of any iconic photo and you'll find yourself thinking, well of course that's when you should make the image. But if you were there would you have caught it?
 
-### Trailseeker Ergonomics and Functionality
-Celestron has chose a very traditional, single hinge design for almost all of it's binoculars. The large, smooth focus knob is just forward of the hinge, well past the eyecup. I find the positioning ideal as my index finger rests on the focus knob, and my pinky still has room to rest against the barrel and isn't in danger of drifting into the front of the glass as sometimes happens with smaller binoculars.
 
-Focusing knobs are one of those things that come down to personal taste (shout out to the old [Knob Feel](https://knobfeel.tumblr.com) website), but I happen to love the focus knob on the Trailseekers. All of Celestron's focusing knobs are large and smooth with good tension that makes for smooth focusing. I don't think I've ever overshot focus with a pair of Celestrons. This is also partly due to the depth of focus being very good in the Trailseerks—it's easy to see when you're close.
+- mountainsmith fanny like an evening clutch for hiking. too small for a book, (rounded bottom makes it tough, fits a kindle though) works well for keys, wallet, stuff like that but that's it. comfortable as a sling, wide strap.
 
-The eyecups rotate out with one intermediate click that gives you the option to leave them at about 50 percent. I wear glasses so I usually have the eyecups collapsed, but they're plenty comfortable with a slight inward curvature that helps cup your eye. The diopter is just forward of the right eyecup and is stiff enough that it stays where you put it.
+- Action cams, underwater domes:
+https://www.amazon.com/Diving-Trigge-Underwater-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B08L68TJ72/r
+https://www.amazon.com/GEPULY-Waterproof-Housing-Underwater-Photography/dp/B08TTP2KB8
 
-The outer rubber of the body has a bit of texture to it where you grip it on the sides, which makes it easy to hold. Celestron provides a nice, well padded strap, though I am partial to an all cotton strap I got years ago. There's also a chest harness included with the Trailseeker 8x32. I am not a fan of chest harnesses, but this one performed well enough in my testing.
+binoculars/scope
+    strap
+don'ts - dye in hummingbird feeders, bread, etc seagulls
+t-shirts
+    bird nerd
+    birds don't exist
 
-### Conclusion
-As someone with not-so-great vision (I've worn glasses since I was 15) I still love my 10x42 binoculars, but they're heavy and in an effort to lighten my load, especially when hiking, I've discovered that an 8x32 binocular provides a nice compromise between optical performance and portability.
 
-As long as the light is good, until the sun actually sets, I see almost no difference from my 10x42s. Yes, the 10x42 have a larger exit pupil, which gives you a roomier image, but most of the time I'm birding, I'm not roaming around the scene, I've got the bird in the sweet spot or am moving my binoculars to get the bird in the sweet spot.
+Top Priority:
+Best Fire tablets (June, September)
 
-If you're looking for something for hunting, where low-light performance in late evening and early morning under tree canopy is paramount, then go for the 8X42 Trailseekers, which I also tested and are also excellent.
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+CPA Cost per acquisition: financial metric that is used to measure the revenue impact of marketing campaigns
+CAC Customer Acquisition Cost: see above
 
+How do you end up in the people also ask feature on google?
 
 
-Considering the binocular as a whole I think it is certainly worth consideration. Its light physical weight and compact size coupled with its very good center of field performance will make it an attractive package to many individuals.
 
-## Nemo Sleeping Pad Review
+# Guides Existing 
 
+## Best Portable Grills
 
+The Skotti Grill is a completely collapsible, lightweight, stainless steel grill that's the perfect overlanding companion. It's quick to set up, cools reasonably fast so you can pack it away, and can cook with propane, butane, charcoal, or wood. I tested it using all of the above, and while I am partial to the charcoal and wood options, it's nice to have propane or butane as an option in this day and age of fire bans. You do have to insert burner pipe and heat dispersing plate, but otherwise cooking is about the same regardless of fuel source.
 
-Nemo Equipment's Tensor sleeping pad was my introduction to ultralight sleeping pads. I'll confess that when I unwrapped that Tensor (went for the insulated version) and inflated it for the first time five years ago my first thought was of a hiker joke I'd seen on reddit: inflatable sleeping pads are for people who want to sleep on the ground, just not right away.
+The Skotti isn't huge. With tk square inches of cooking space, it's best for couples or small families. I was able to feed five grilling the main dish on the Skotti, but I made all the sides on my stove.  
 
-How would this impossibly thin, light, seeming fragile pad not leave me on the ground after a couple of night on the trail? Fast-forward five years. That sleeping pad had been under me for over 50 nights now and it still hasn't left me anywhere but comfortable and well-rested. That's not to say it can't fail, many a pad has left me on the ground over the decades, but so far the Nemo Tensor is still going strong.
 
-Last fall Nemo sent me review samples of its new Tensor line, which has been revamped for 2024 and now consists of three pads of varying degrees of thickness and R-value, each tailored to specific backcountry needs.
 
-### The Three Little Pads
+: It is made out of 9 separate stainless steel pieces that pack flat into the tarp bag that comes with the grill. In combination with its light weight of only 6.6 lbs, this makes the SKOTTI Grill a perfect portable gas grill for any outdoor adventure – use it as a camping grill, take it with you on a fishing trip or simply make a quick BBQ in your backyard after work – the possibilities are endless!
 
-Nemo's 2024 makeover for the Tensor line of pads consists of three pads: the Tensor Trail, which is the lightest, but has the lowest R value, the Tensor All-Season, which has an R-value of 5.4, and the Tensor Extreme Conditions, which boasts a whooping 8.5 R-value, and has the highest warmth-to-weight ratio currently on the market.
+Quick and Convenient Assembly
+You might think that its multi-part makes it hard to set up – you couldn’t be more mistaken! After a few times trying, you’ll be able to set it up in less than a minute. Fire up the grill and you’ll be ready to go in another 2 minutes, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your favorite outdoor activities. Whether you’re on a hiking trip or embarking on other adventures, this swift setup ensures you won’t miss a beat.
 
-All of three those come in four sizes regular, regular mummy, regular wide, and long wide. Put it all together and that's 12 different pads to choose from from a single line of pads from a single manufacturer. This is why we have an entire [guide devoted to sleeping pads](https://www.wired.com/story/best-sleeping-pads/) to help you pick the best one for your needs.
+Freedom: Choose your fuel source
+While the SKOTTI Grill is a gas grill, it is not just limited to one fuel source. While it excels as a gas grill, it can easily be used with charcoal or wood. For that, simply leave out the burner pipe and radiation plate, fill the bottom of the grill with some dirt of sand and fill it up with charcoal or wood.
 
-The construction of the Tensor pads hasn't changed for the two update pads. Nemo is still using a quilt-like design that helps baffles stay inflated and eliminates the springy sensation you get with vertical baffles. Insulation still consists of a metallized film. The difference in R-value is primarily connected to how many layers of insulating metal film the pad has. The Trail uses one layer, the All-Season gets two layers, and the Extreme uses four layers (and a different type of baffle, more on that below).
+Effortless Cleaning
+We understand the importance of easy maintenance, which is why the SKOTTI Grill is a breeze to clean. All nine individual parts are dishwasher-safe, ensuring a thorough and convenient cleaning process. Say goodbye to the hassle of scrubbing and let the dishwasher do the work, providing you with more time to relish your outdoor experiences.
 
-Also new this year is a marginally beefier fabric on the bottom of these pads. Nemo is now using 40D nylon on the bottom to make it more durable. Take that Reddit funny guy. 
+Powerful Performance
+Don’t let its compact size fool you; the SKOTTI Grill packs a powerful punch. With an impressive 8500 BTU/h, this portable gas grill ensures you to achieve exceptional outdoor grilling results.
 
-All of Nemo's new pads are made of bluesign-approved nylon and come with the company's vortex pump sack, which works very well to inflate your bag via the zero-profile valve. I really wish there were some kind of standard for these valves so I could use the Nemo pump sack with other pads, but there isn't (I'm looking at you Therm-a-rest Neoair). There's also a stuff sack to store your pad. The Nemo lifetime warranty covers any manufacturing defects, which is nice, but for more immediate solutions to that much-feared puncture remember to bring the repair kit that's included with each pad. 
+Embrace the spirit of adventure with the SKOTTI Grill, the ultimate companion for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re on a thrilling hike, camping in the wilderness, fishing by the lake, car camping with friends, exploring in an RV, or tailgating before the big game, the SKOTTI Grill will make your experience worthwhile Get ready to savor delicious meals in the great outdoors with this remarkable portable gas grill.
 
-### Our Pick: The Nemo Tensor All-Season 
 
-If you want an all-around pad that will keep you comfortable not just in the summer, but on those shoulder seasons as well, so you can head into the wilds even when there's no camper nearby to retreat to, the All-Season is the way to go.
+## Best Laptops
 
-The All-season uses the same baffle construction as the Trail, but adds a second layer of metal film which increases the R-value to 5.4. It also sports the same 3.5 inches of cushioning found in the Trail.
+## Best Coolers
 
-The All-Season is only a few ounces heavier than the Trail at 22 ounces for a regular wide, and the packed size is nearly the same. Given that it's only $30 more, barely heavier than the ultralight Trail, and offers almost double the R-value I think this is the best sleeping pad for most people out of Nemo's current Tensor lineup.
+Ah, summer. The beach, the lake, the river—wherever you can find water is the place to be. But while you're beating the heat floating in an inner tube or standing on a paddleboard, your drinks and food are not. They're baking in the afternoon sun, because this morning's shady spot has already evaporated, along with your ice.
 
-I did not test the 2024 version, but the differences between the previous model, which I have tested are minimal. It's also very similar to the Insulated Tensor I've been using for years (the All-Season has a higher R-value, and is actually lighter than mine). Given that the real point of a sleeping pad is warmth, going for the higher R-value for a barely noticeable weight increase seems like a no-brainer to me—get the All-Season. 
+The first thing to consider when buying a cooler is how you're going to use it. If you aren't heading out for days at a time, you probably don't need an expensive high-end cooler. All the coolers we've recommend above are capable of holding things at a safe temp for a day provided you keep them in the shade. Similarly, if you aren't going to be hiking into a campsite, don't spend the extra money for a backpack cooler. At the same time, if you do plan to be moving your cooler a lot, a wheeled cooler is well worth the investment. Your back will thank you.
 
-If you don't need the R-value of the All-Season, and you really want to save two ounces, the 2024 Tensor Trail remains the lightest Nemo mattress. For 2024 the R-value gets a marginal increase from 2.5 to 2.8, which still makes it very much a summer-only pad. The thickness has increased from 3 inches to 3.5 inches, and the 
+Here are a few more things to consider when shopping for a cooler:
 
-The most amazing thing to me about the changes is that, it got warmer, thicker, more durable and... lighter. The weight of the regular has decreased by .4 oz to 13.5 oz, a small, but welcome decrease. Even the regular wide, which I recommend for most people, is down to 20 oz.
 
-The 2024 Nemo Tensor Trail remains a good pad for ultralight, summer backpacking trips. I don't think the differences between this and the previous model are enough to warrant an upgrade if you have the older version, but if you've been wanting an ultralight pad that's super comfortable, light, and packs down small, this is the way to go. I spent three nights on this pad last fall, including one very windy, cold November night in the dunes of the outer banks, and I was plenty warm. The caveat here is that I sleep hot.
 
-The final Nemo pad in the 2024 lineup is a brand new cold weather sleeping pad, the Tensor Extreme, which is designed for cold weather camping, particularly sleeping on the snow. The Extreme uses what Nemo calls an apex baffle-design along with four layers of proprietary Thermal Mirror film. It all sounds very impressive and when it was announced the whole internet seemed to ask is the Nemo Tensor Extreme worth it?
 
-After spending a week sleeping on this pad I would argue yes. I can say for sure that this is the lightest, warmest sleeping pad I've ever slept on. That said, I have not had the opportunity to test it down into the lower end of its temperature rating, nor have I slept on snow with it. I can say that the difference in warmth between the Extreme and the Trail was, well, extreme. That is to say that I absolutely, almost immediately, noticed the difference when moving from one to the other.
+coleman
+ultra-light
+backpack cooler
+functionality
+ice chest
+orca
+quart cooler
+soft-sided cooler
+best soft coolers
+bottle opener
+campers
+cooler bag
+day trips
+drinks cold
+large cooler
+leakproof
+tailgating
+versatile
+warranty
+yeti roadie
+barbecues
+beach days
+bear-proof
+bear-resistant
+best wheeled cooler
+divider
+drain plug
+pick up
+portable cooler
+quart capacity
+rei
+rubber latches
+tote
+water bottles
 
-Given the tiny pack size and lightweight to R-value ratio, this also seems like a no-brainer. If I were heading out on a cold weather trip, this is pad I would bring. Now given the kind of conditions this pad is designed for I would also bring a closed cell foam pad like our top-pick [Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite](https://www.rei.com/product/829826/therm-a-rest-z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad). The more distance between your sleeping bag and the snow the better off you will be. While I have no doubt the Extreme does well on snow, having two pads with a combined weight of only 36 ounces and an R-value of 10 is the best of both worlds.
 
+## How to Buy the Right Camera
 
+The first thing to know about buying a digital camera in 2024 is that it's virtually impossible to buy a bad one. You probably have a great camera in your hand right now. For many people a phone will be camera enough, but if you want a camera separate from your phone, read on.
 
+The current crop of digital cameras are almost universally fantastic. Everything on the market is capable of making great images, provided you learn how to use your camera, and understand the basics of photography—composition, light, and timing.
 
-nemo tensor
-backpacking
-baffles
-bluesign
-regular wide
-sleeping bag
-backcountry
-long wide
-packed size
-stuff sack
-therm-a-rest
-ultralight sleeping pad
-hiker
-neoair
-regular mummy
-Typical: 2–6
-‌
-rei
-Typical: 2–6
-‌
-repair kit
-Typical: 1–2
-‌
-tensor all-season
-Typical: 4–12
-‌
-thermal mirror
-Typical: 1–3
-‌
-vortex pump sack
-Typical: 1–2
-‌
-zero-profile
-Typical: 1–3
-‌
-air pads
-Typical: 1–2
-‌
-baffle design
+That said, you don't want a technically good camera, you want the right camera for you.
 
+The right camera for you depends on what you want to photograph, how you want to use it, where you're going to shoot, and myriad other questions that only you can answer. To help you out we'll walk through the basics of every major component of a camera that you'll want to know about. We break down the jargon and try to explain things on a practical level.
 
+#### Table of Contents
+1. tk
+2. tk
+3. tk
+4. tk
+5. tk
 
+*Special offer for Gear readers:* *[**Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off)**](https://www.wired.com/v2/offers/wir203?source=Site_0_HCL_WIR_EDIT_HARDCODED_0_COMMERCE_AFFILIATE_ZZ\)). This includes unlimited access to* *[WIRED.com](http://wired.com/), full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.*
 
+> If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. [Learn more](https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/).
 
-## Sleeping bags
+### What Kind of Photos Do You Want To Take?
+The first step in finding the best camera for you is knowing what you want to do with it, at least somewhat. For example, if you know you're going to be taking pictures of your kids' sports games, you'll want to pay special attention to how good the autofocus is, and how fast it can capture images (measured in Frames Per Second, or fps). If you know you're going to also want to make videos, make sure you get something with high quality video features like 4K 100fps for slow motion content and something eliminate or minimize rolling shutter. If you love astrophotography you'll want to pay special attention to how noise a sensor might be.
 
+While every camera made today is capable of great images, some are better than other at certain niche tasks like the examples above. Knowing the type of images you want to create will help you narrow down your search. If you're brand new to photography and you don't know what you're going to end up liking, that's okay, don't worry about niche features like super fast autofocus. Focus instead on entry-level cameras designed for the generalist, which will save you some money as well. Put that money into high-quality lenses.
 
+### Point-and-Shoot vs Interchangeable Lens
+If you want to step up from a camera phone, I'd suggest skipping over point-and-shoot cameras and going to an interchangeable lens system. The reason is that most point-and-shoot cameras are only moderately better than a phone. Some aren't even as good as your phone. You do get a zoom lens in many cases, which is a step up from a phone, but it's not much of a step, especially for the price.
 
-From versatile camping bags to wallet-friendly picks, we've found the best camping sleeping bags for every use and budget.
-We've tested sleeping bags for every type of overnight adventure, every temperature, and every budget, and these are the best of the best
-After testing sleeping bags for every type 
+If you're going to invest in a new system, I suggest you invest in something that can grow with you by allowing you to add different lenses down the road. Those lenses are the real investment, the things you keep even if you upgrade your camera body.
 
+That said, point-and-shoot cameras do have one advantage: size. Point-and-shoot cameras are compact and lightweight. The one point-and-shoot I own is the [Fujifilm X70](https://www.wired.com/2016/04/review-fujifilm-x70/) and I own it because it fits in just about any pocket (it also has an APS-C sensor, which is huge for the size of the camera, more on sensors below). It's not my main camera (that's an interchangeable lens camera), but when I'm headed somewhere it would be awkward to carry a larger camera, the X70 is nice to have.
 
+### Mirrorless vs DSLR
+Should you go with a mirrorless camera or a traditional DSLR? The difference is in the name. DSLR cameras have a mirror, just like film cameras. When you look through the viewfinder you see the scene reflected through the mirror. When you press the shutter button, the mirror lifts up and the sensor behind it records the image. Mirrorless cameras lack the mirror, which means when you look through the viewfinder you are actually looking at a tiny LCD screen that's showing you a live video feed. This has several advantages, including the ability to magnify your view with a touch of a button, preview how the image will look like at your chosen exposure settings, and much better autofocus when shooting video. Mirrorless cameras are also lighter and smaller.
 
-## Markdown
+Most people would be best served by a mirrorless camera. The exception would be if you have a lot of lenses that will only work with a DSLR. If you've spent thousands on lenses designed for a DSLR then by all means, stick with DSLR. If you're not already invested in a system, then get a mirrorless camera.
 
-I would call markdown one of the most widespread and influential
-"apps" of the last couple of decades and it's pretty much just a Perl
-script that's not in version control, was mostly written by one
-person, and hasn't seen a meaningful update in 20 years. It just works
-despite ignoring every supposed rule of what makes good programming.
-Which drives programmers crazy. So much so that they've tried to take
-over Markdown (which, full disclosure, I've written about before) But
-I thought it might be interesting to talk to John Gruber about his
-little script and its impact.
+### Sensor Size And Why It Doesn't Matter (Much)
+The internet photographer's favorite topic. This is also the one that matters to least in making great images. That said, let's dive in.
 
+There are many, many different sensors out there, ranging from the tiny one in your phone to the massive medium format sensors found in Fujifilm's GFX 100II or Hasselblad's 907X ([8/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/hasselblad-907x-100c/)). To keep things simple we'll ignore 1-inch and smaller sensors, which tend to only be in point-and-shoot, action cameras, and phones. That leaves us with four basic sensor sizes to choose from:
 
-## /e/OS Review
+- **Micro 4/3 Sensor**_:_ The smallest sensor, which means these will be some of the most compact cameras around (with correspondingly smaller lenses), making them a good choice for travelers, hikers, and anyone who doesn't want to lug around a huge camera. The sensor size is 17mm x 13 mm. Popular micro4/3 cameras include the [Panasonic G series](https://www.wired.com/review/panasonic-lumix-gh6/) and the now discontinued [Olympus Pen F](https://www.wired.com/2016/10/review-olympus-pen-f/).
+- **APS-C Sensor:** The next largest sensor, APS-C is where we first encounter film. The size of this sensor is based on Advanced Photo System film (if you're old enough to remember Kodak Advantix, that's where the size comes from). APS-C stands for Advanced Photo System type-C, and most sensors are 25.1 mm by 16.7 mm, though some manufacturers' sensor vary by a few millimeters in either direction. These are a good compromise between the bulkier full-frame cameras below and the micro4/3 above. You get a larger sensor, but still a relatively compact body in many cases. A popular camera here is the Fujifilm X100VI.
+- **Full Frame Sensor**_:_ The "full frame" in name refers to 35mm film. This sensor is the same size as 35mm film. There's nothing magical about full frame, despite the name, which makes it should like everything else is somehow lesser. The sensor size is 36 mm by 24 mm. There are two many popular cameras to list here, we have an entire [guide to full frame mirrorless cameras](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-mirrorless-cameras/).
+- **Medium Format Sensor**_:_ The biggie. At 44 mm by 33 mm, medium format sensors are huge and typically package in a very large body, with a very large price tag to match. That said, in my experience, in image quality terms, these are the nicest cameras you can buy. The two most popular options here are the Fujifilm GFX series and the [Hasselblads](https://www.wired.com/review/hasselblad-907x-100c/).
 
-lineage is not really about privacy, it's about compatibility and extending the life of older phones.
+You would think that the larger the sensor the better the images right? Unfortunately it's not that simple . The size of the sensor ultimately has very little bearing on the quality of your image. Here's a few things sensor size does affect.
 
-AOSP is the base of lineage—still phoning home
+#### Depth of Field
+The larger sensor, the shallower depth of field at the same aperture.
 
-bug tracker notifications in app store
+That is, in order to get the same depth of field in APS-C as a 50 mm full frame lens produces at f/2, you'd have to shoot at f/1.4. The same depth of field in micro4/3 would require a lens capable of f/1. Alternately you could increase the focal length of the lens to create greater depth of field. In general though, the larger the sensor, the easier it is to achieve greater depth of field.
 
-advanced privacy lets you disable trackers app by app, blocking them you can also fake geo data and 
+What does all this mean in terms of making actual images? If you're the sort that loves shallow depth of field images with nice falloff (bokeh the kids call it), then a full frame sensor is your best bet, and micro4/3 is going to be the most challenging to produce the same look.
 
-The apps are coming from Play Store via API. No mods
-open source from FDroid
-web apps from ???
+**Takeaway: Want massive depth of field? Get full frame.**
 
-app compatibility is important, but so are services. e provides an service to sync data, 
+#### Noise and Dynamic Range
+The larger the sensor, the less noise or digital artifacts you'll see in images. This is particularly true in low light situations, where full frame sensors are a much better option than anything smaller. Larger sensors have more light-gathering area, and tend to have smaller pixels, which will result in lower apparent noise.
 
-major update every year to follow android. maintain devices as long as possible with support.
+This also tends to give larger sensors like full frame and medium format a higher dynamic range. This means that the range of tones from the lightest to the darkest is wider and therefore you get more details in shadows and highlights. This is not a hard and fast rule, and the difference isn't always very noticeable. Side-by-side I can see very little difference between the 40 MP RAW files from Fujifilm's XT-5 (APS-C) and my own Sony A7RII (full frame) for instance, but put a RAW file from the Hasselblad next to one from the Olympus Pen F and you can definitely tell the difference.
 
-## Best notebook questions
+**Takeaway: Shooting in Low Light? Get at least APS-C. Full frame is better.**
 
-how to journal effectively
-how to find best journal for my paper
-what is the best journal
-what makes a good journal
-how to journal better
-where can i find journal
-how to find the best journal for your paper
-what is the best time to journal
-what is a good journal
+#### Camera Size
+Bigger sensors mean bigger cameras. This isn't universally true, but most of the time the smaller the sensor the smaller the camera. The exceptions are some of the video-centric Panasonic GH cameras, which are sometimes larger than full frame cameras because of the video processing that's happening behind the scenes. Most of the time though, if you're looking for a camera that's lightweight and maybe even fits in your pocket, Micro4/3 is your friend.
 
-## Notes
+This also applies to lenses. Because the sensor is smaller, the lens can be smaller and often lighter. Panasonic's micro4/3 pancake lenses are tiny, weigh almost nothing, and in the case of my favorite, the 20mm f/1.7, still have that semi-magical quality that's rare in any format.
 
-Unless you have the ability (and money) to shoot like Garry Winogrand, who exposed film with an utter disregard for the economy of the medium, sometimes, according to an interview in the 1970s, shot 600 rolls a year and leaving thousands of undeveloped rolls behind when he died. While all of Instagram does its best to imitate Winogrand's productivity (not, alas, his talent), most of us aren't going to be able to afford to do that shooting on film.
+**Takeaway: Want a lightweight rig? Micro4/3 is better.**
 
-The first rule of film is still Cartier Bresson's famous dictum: find the decisive moment. Such moments always feel obvious when we see them in photographs. Think of any iconic photo and you'll find yourself thinking, well of course that's when you should make the image. But if you were there would you have caught it?
+#### Crop Factor
+This is a term you'll probably run across. The crop factor is how much of the outer edge of the image you lose relative to a full-frame 35mm sensor viewing the same scene. The name comes from that fact that you're effectively cutting in, or "cropping" the full frame view of the same scene. The math is done in terms of the sensor's diagonal size, again relative to a full frame sensor. So a crop factor of 1.4, which is APS-C, means that what you see through a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera is 1.4 smaller field of view than what you'd see through a 50 lens on full frame.
 
+What does this mean in terms of making actual images: nothing. The main thing it affects is the focal length lenses to get the same field of view as if shooting in 35mm. For instance, if you get a Fujifilm X-T5 ([9/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/fujifilm-x-t5-mirrorless-camera/)) and want the field of view you're used to from 35mmm film, you would want something like the Fujinon XF35mm f/1.4 lens because 35 x 1.4 \= 50mm. If you end up with a micro4/3 camera and want the same field of view, you'd want a 25mm lens (25mm x 2 \= 50mm).
 
-- mountainsmith fanny like an evening clutch for hiking. too small for a book, (rounded bottom makes it tough, fits a kindle though) works well for keys, wallet, stuff like that but that's it. comfortable as a sling, wide strap.
+Beyond that there are too many other factors to consider, which is to say that the sensor size alone doesn't determine the image quality. In the end it's not that sensor size doesn't matter, it's that there are too many other factors to make your decision based on this alone.
 
-- Action cams, underwater domes:
-https://www.amazon.com/Diving-Trigge-Underwater-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B08L68TJ72/r
-https://www.amazon.com/GEPULY-Waterproof-Housing-Underwater-Photography/dp/B08TTP2KB8
+### Megapixels
+Megapixels
 
-binoculars/scope
-    strap
-don'ts - dye in hummingbird feeders, bread, etc seagulls
-t-shirts
-    bird nerd
-    birds don't exist
+### 
+### Which Lenses Should You Buy
+You aren't just buying a camera when you buy a camera, you're also buying into a lens system. You can't put a Canon lens on a Nikon body, which means when you buy that Nikon body you're effectively turning your back on every other brand of lens. That's not a bad thing, and there is no right ecosystem to buy into, but it's important to understand that that's part of the decision. These days, with very little difference between top end cameras across brands, lenses are as important, if not more important part of your decision.
 
+If you know that you want to shoot a lot of night sky shots and you have your eye on the [Samyang XP 14mm f/2.4](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1352860-REG/samyang_syxp14_c_14mm_f2_4_high_speed.html), one of the best, reasonably-priced astro lenses available, they you also know you'll want to buy either a Canon or Nikon mirrorless camera since the Samyang is only made for those mounts.
 
-Top Priority:
-Best Fire tablets (June, September)
+But which lenses do you need? Cameras are often sold with what's known as a “kit lens”, these lenses tend to be lower quality, but also a cheap way to get started. Most kit lenses are zoom lens spanning the 35mm-80mm range. I recommend beginners start with a kit lens if there's one available for the camera you've got your eye on. After you've shot with the kit lens for a while you'll have a better feel for which focal lengths you like.
 
-EPC Earnings Per Click: an affiliate marketing term that refers to the average amount of money you earn each time someone clicks one of your affiliate links. 
-CVR Conversion Rate: a marketing metric that tells you how many users are converting on your website
-AOV Average Order Value. This is an eCommerce metric that indicates the average amount a customer spends during each transaction.
-GMV Gross Merchandise Volume: shows the total sales value for merchandise sold through a marketplace over a specific time frame.
-CPA Cost per acquisition: financial metric that is used to measure the revenue impact of marketing campaigns
-CAC Customer Acquisition Cost: see above
+Lenses are generally divided into three basic categories: wide angle lenses (anything from 12mm up to 35mm), “normal” lenses (anything from about 40mm-65mm), and telephoto lenses (anything longer than 80mm).
 
-How do you end up in the people also ask feature on google?
+I should note that technically you can adapt lenses from one manufacturer to another, but you often lose autofocus, or spend considerable sums on expensive adapters, and the experience of using a Canon lens on a Nikon body isn't nearly as nice as a native lens. The exception here is vintage lenses, more on that below.
 
+### Now Go Take Pictures
+If you made it this far, hopefully you've come to some kind of decision about your ideal camera. Buy it, learn to use it, and then stop reading articles like this. It's not the camera that matters. No one cares what laptop I wrote this on, but for some reason everyone cares which camera you're using. Forget all that now that you have the best camera for you.
 
+Go shoot your new camera. Make images. Make good images. Make bad images. Learn from both, and keep shooting. Look at photo books by the masters of the form, spend your time on the three keys to great photographs—light, composition, and timing—and don't worry so much about the gear.
 
-# Guides Existing 
 
 ## Which Instax Camera Should You Buy?
 
@@ -2016,8 +1876,6 @@ What percentage of Flickr, 500px, etc.
 
 What would it take to feature some images by Charlene on Wired?
 
-## sleeping pads 
-    - six I think?
 ## How to get started with Linux
     - what is Linux how to download a distribution 
     - how to run it alongside Windows or Mac using bootcamp and dual booting on Windows
@@ -2050,6 +1908,381 @@ contain microfibers: http://guppyfriend.com/en/
 
 # Reviews 
 
+## Fujifilm X100VI Review
+
+Fujifilm's new X100VI might be the most anticipated new camera... ever. An optimist might say that's because it makes great images, is reasonably priced, and is probably best at photographing people, which is what most non-pros do with cameras. A pessimist would argue that there are plenty of cameras capable of all that, the X100VI's popularity has to do with TikTok.
+
+Which ever you want to believe, The X100VI is here and... it's already back-ordered everywhere, lending some credence to the TikTok theory. The good news is that, should you ever manage to get one, there's a new 40 megapixel sensor, which, combined with better autofocus and improved in-body image stabilization (IBIS) really does add up to a better camera.
+
+### Strong Foundations
+
+Fujifilm's X100 series of cameras has remained true to its design since the original X100 launched back in 2010. Fujifilm has tweaked the body a little here and there, but the X100VI (Fujifilm calls it the X100 6) is so similar to the X100V you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart.
+
+If you pull out a scale you'd notice that the new X100VI is 1.5 ounces (43 grams) heavier. It's also technically 2mm thicker. Neither is enough to notice. For all intents and purposes, the outside of the X100VI is the same at the X100V. The dials are in the same place, with a dedicated shutter speed dial, pull-up ISO dial, a dedicated exposure compensation dial, and an aperture ring on the same 23mm lens.
+
+What's new in the X100VI is the new 40 megapixel sensor (up from 24 megapixels), which is the same 40 megapixel sensor in last year's X-T5 ([9/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/fujifilm-x-t5-mirrorless-camera/)). This is Fujifilm's highest resolution APS-C processor on the market and the first that, in my experience, is every bit as good as a full-frame sensor. It's sharp, but doesn't have the higher noise issues that sometimes come with more megapixels on a small sensor. 
+
+As I said in the X-T5 review, the real power here is the new X-Processor which decodes the sensor data. There are a few things here to like that weren't as conspicuous in the X-T5. The first is reduced power consumption. The battery remains unchanged from the previous model, but Fujifilm is claiming 450 images per battery, up from 420. That might not sound huge, but remember that the sensor size nearly doubled, and frankly, any gain here is a big win.
+
+That said, in practice, I got nowhere near that number of shots. The problem lies in Fujifilm's wonderful film simulations, which I use extensively. These "recipes" let you simulate the look of old film stock (I'm partial to the Tri-X recipe here). Rendering these JPGs in camera takes some overhead, which decreases battery life. From my testing, the major culprit appears to be the clarity setting, but whatever the case if you plan to use these --- and you should!—plan on less battery life.
+
+Battery life aside, the other thing I love about the pairing of the X-Trans 5 sensor and X-Processor is the colors. There's a really wonderful tonality with great color contrast. Golden hour light especially renders so well in these images.
+
+Probably the most common complaint about the X100V is the autofocus, which, let's be frank, aren't good. I have some good news and some bad. First off autofocus is much better. It's faster and more precise. I found this to most true when using the new tracking and object recognition modes. I was especially impressed with the eye and face recognition modes, noth of which were great at keeping even fast moving children sharp in the frame.
+
+Suffice to say the autofocus improvements are welcome. They might not be up to pro-level flagship mirrorless standareds, but that's not what the X100VI is, nor is that the target audience. The autofocus here is perfect for an everyday camera.
+
+What's not so great is how crazy loud this thing is when trying to focus. I did not shoot much video, but what I did shoot, definitely had some lens focusing noise in it. That's a shame considering the video improvements. 
+
+I mentioned above the lens is the same as the previous model. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the new sensor did not reveal any get shortcomings in the older lens. I honestly expected the X100VI images to be a little soft due to the lens, but that has not been my experience in testing.
+
+The big downside to the lens remains though: no weather sealing. If you want a weather sealed camera you'll need to spring for Fujifilm's AR-X100 ($50) and pick up some kind of 49mm filter. Is it too much to ask for weather sealing at this price? Leica's Q3 has it, though Ricoh's GRIII does not, so maybe it is too much at this price.
+
+The other big new feature in the X100VI is the main selling point for me: 6-stops of IBIS. As someone who shoots almost entirely in available light and likes to shoot in low light, the IBIS is a game changer. Thanks to the IBIS, the X100VI is capable of shots that are not possible in previous models. In some ways you could almost say IBIS in a camera this small is overkill, but then I was able to get tack-sharp images from the X100VI hand holding for up to 1 second, which is something I don't recall being about to do with any other camera I've used.
+
+Two other small new additions worth mentioning are support for the HEIF image file format, and slightly lower base ISO of 125 (down from 160).
+
+The rest of what makes the X100VI great is unchanged from previous versions. The X100 series has always been a very versatile camera thanks to features like the close focusing lens, optical or digital viewfinder, and various film emulations (20 in all for X100VI), to say nothing of the underappreciated features like the built-in 4-stop neutral-density filter, and the leaf-shutter that synchronizes with the flash up to 1/4,000.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+## Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 Pack Review
+
+One of the great skills an adventurer needs to hone is how to pack. It sounds trivial, but it isn't. Adventures go awry because of poor packing. The ice ax needs to be where the ice ax needs to be. Learning where the ice ax needs to be is part of the adventure, but once you know, you know. This is true for everything you bring, no matter where you go, whether you're backpacking the PCT, climbing crags in the Wind River range, or sailing for Tahiti. 
+
+To learn to pack like a master you have to study how the masters pack. For me, this has meant years of hanging out with river guides, trail crews, forest service employees, and sailors. This is how I've come to find things like NRS straps, Helly Hanson foulies, and Mystery Ranch packs. Almost everyone I know who works in the back country, relies on a Mystery Ranch pack. I've yet to try one of the company's larger packs, but in the Coulee 30, which Mystery Ranch launched last year, is one of the best daypacks I've ever used.
+
+The Coulee 30 strikes the right balance between weight, comfort, organization, and capacity to make an excellent daypack that's capable of overnight trips if you have lightweight gear. 
+
+### Design and Fit
+
+The Coulee 30 is not the kind of ultralight daypack that trail runners will stop and ask about (which has happened with my [Mountainsmith waist pack](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-fanny-packs/#5da895bb182de80009f7fd87)). At 2.7 pounds for the men's L/XL I tested, this is definitely on the heavy side for a day pack, but that weight translations to a solid back with an incredibly comfortable suspension system. I've carried as much 28 pounds in this pack and it was still comfortable.
+
+The suspension is adjustable, allowing you to customize the fit (something of a rarity at this pack capacity). There’s a hook and loop fastener that moves the shoulder yoke up and down to wherever is best for your body. It's not the easiest thing to adjust, which is good I suppose, since means it won't move around, but it is something of a pain to get adjusted. Luckily you should only have to do this a few times to get the fit dialed in. If you're on the border with regard to pack size (I fall in between the S/M and L/XL) I suggest sizing up. It's easier to make the larger pack fit a slightly smaller torso than it is to upsize the S/M size.
+
+Both the back panel and S-shaped shoulder straps are nicely padded, and once you have the fit dialed in, the Coulee 30 is incredibly comfortable, even with heavy loads. There are adjustment straps at the shoulders to transfer weight forward and backward as needed and while there aren't true straps like that on the waist belt, way the waist belt is constructed makes it easy to transfer most of the weight to it by loosening and tightening the main buckle. The sternum strap is a little smaller than I'd like, but it does the job.
+
+The hipbelt is entirely optional, you can unclip it from the buckles and slide it out in situations where it would get in the way (wearing a climbing harness for example). I primarily use the Coulee with the hip belt in, in part because I find the two stash pockets incredibly handy to store all the rocks and other trail findings my kids are hand me during hikes.
+
+The back pads are aerated to some degree, though if I had a gripe about this pack it's that it does get a little warm and sweaty at times. Not enough to be a huge deal, but it might not by my top pick if I were heading in to the [Big Thicket](https://www.nps.gov/bith/index.htm) in late summer.
+
+### The Y Factor
+
+Much of what I love about this pack is Mystery Ranch’s signature Y-shaped, three-zipper access design system. There are three zippers, two on each side of the pack lid, and one running down the middle of the back of the pack. They all meet in a Y below the lid. There are nice long pull loops on all the zippers, which is handy for closing it up, but to open I stick my hand in the Y and pull the lid up. If I'm after something deeper, I'll unzip the middle zipper to find it.
+
+The internal organization of the Coulee 30... doesn't exist. It's just one main pocket. As I've written elsewhere, this is how I like packs. I prefer to build my own little kits using smaller bags to organize (it's bags all the way down people), but if you like lots of little internal stash pockets, be warned, this not the pack for you.
+
+The outside of the back is a different story. In addition to the two side pockets on the hip belt, there's a top pocket with a zipper right behind your head. This is quite large and features a mesh bottom so you can see the contents when you open the main compartment. There are four pockets on the back of the pack as well. Two side pockets made of a stretchy nylon, are nice for water bottles and other longer items. One of the two side compression straps passed right above these pockets so you can use that to securely hold larger items you put in these pockets.
+
+There are two additional expandable pockets on the back of the pack, which are good for smaller items (each has a 2L capacity). I like that these pockets have expandable fabric folds, which means stuffing them full doesn't steal volume from the main compartment. I tend to keep smaller, frequently access things in here, snacks, rain jacket, tenkara pole, etc. The side compression straps are attached to these pockets as well, so you can cinch them down nice and tight. 
+
+There's also a variety of webbing and loops around the pack, three loops on the bottom, and some webbing with shock cording just above the four outside pockets. To be honest, I have never attached anything to the stitched webbing. Unlike everything else on this pack, the webbing is very thin and does not inspire confidence. About all I've done with it is use the shock chord to keep a travel tripod (otherwise secured in the back pocket) from moving around too much. My only other gripe about this pack is the top handle, which is a single thin piece of webbing that also isn't up to the standards of the rest of the pack. 
+
+I do like that the Coulee is compatible with most of Mystery Ranch's organizational extras, like the Wingman AFP, which attaches to the shoulder straps to give you somewhere to put your sunglasses, or GoPro, or whatever you want to have always at hand.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+## Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L Backpack Review
+
+I've had a mild obsession with bags since grade school. I really wanted a Jansport backpack. All the cool kids had Jansports. What I got was a generic copy on sale at the local sporting good store—almost a Jansport, but not quite. It wasn't the label, I didn't care who made the bag. It was build quality. The zipper snagged on the generic version. The rear pocket wasn't as big. 
+
+I've obsessed over quality bags and backpacks ever since, and it's been worth it. A good bag or backpack is an investment. My Lowe Alpine backpack lasted over 20 years. My Belstaff shoulder bag was in its second decade when I sold it for more money than I originally paid. 
+
+This rarefied category of expensive bags worth owning is currently, in my book held by GoRuck, Mystery Ranch, Mountainsmith, and the latest entrant: Evergoods. The Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L backpack has been my only bag through a series of trips this spring and tk.
+
+### GoRuck Heritage
+
+Suppose you love the solid manufacturing, heavy-duty construction, and waist belt-free design of a GoRuck pack, but you're less sold on the "tactical" styling and Molle webbing? This is where Evergoods comes from. Co-founded by the former head of product at Goruck and a former Patagonia R&D designer, Evergoods is exactly what those two pedigrees imply: military-inspired, heavy-duty construction and durability, paired with a more outdoorsy-meets-commuter design aesthetic. Throw in the fact that it's made in the U.S. (Bozeman, MT) and uses an eco-friendly, solution-dyeing process for its black fabric, and you have a bag worthy of consideration. 
+
+Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L has a very clean, minimalist design on the outside. This belies the considerable amount of organizational options available, some of which are so well hidden that I didn't discover them until I went to write this review (never noticed the pen loops in the front panel pocket). I rather like this, I am not fond of bags with dozens of zippers jangling and endless pockets festooned all over them. 
+
+As the name implies, this is a 24 liter bag. It weighs in at 3.1lbs (1406g), which is on the heavy side for a bag of this size (18 x 7 x 11.5 inches). That weight comes from Evergood's custom heavy-duty 840d ballistic nylon, which is water repellent (though it's worth noting, not fully water proof), and the aluminum stays. All of which is technical bag-speak for, it's well-made, but on the heavy side. The only catch is, you'll probably want to carry some kind of rain cover if you live in the Pacific Northwest or other wet region.
+
+One of the more interesting aspects of the CPL24 is that it's built to function as both a backpack (what I would call upright) and sideways, or as I think of it, briefcase mode. There are handles on the top and the side, so you can carry it whichever way you like. The side handle was great going through airports. What's remarkable about the design is that it really does work well no matter which way you carry it. 
+
+### Organizational Genius
+
+My favorite part of the Civic Panel Loader 24, hereafter CPL24, is the massive main compartment that fully unzips on three sides (with zipper counter-pull tabs at each end). The design allows you to load and unload the CPL24 like it's a suitcase. The interior is lined with a light gray, 420d HT nylon, which makes it easier to see the contents.
+
+The back side of the main compartment flap has two pockets, a smaller one at the top with a horizontal zipper, and then a larger mesh pouch with a vertical zipper. When opening the bag from the top, you get quick access to the small inside top pocket. When opening it from the side (in briefcase mode) you get access to the vertical zipper (now horizontal because briefcase mode) of the internal mesh pocket without opening the entire bag.
+
+The main interior compartment is cavernous. There's a stretch fabric pocket against the frame for separating out flat objects, papers, perhaps even a tablet. I didn't use this, but I did appreciate the attention to detail in the fact that there's gaps at the base to let any debris come out. If you have kids, and they get anywhere near your bag, you will have "debris".
+
+The rest of the main compartment is a large open space you can organize however you like. Evergoods sent me a 2L Civic Access Pouch, one of the company's interior organizational bags for packs like the CPL24. The Access Pouch happened to fit my camera gear so perfectly I went out and bought one for myself. The 2L pouch fits nicely in the bottom of the CPL24, or you can stack two of them side by side vertically, and even fit a third along the top. Evergoods also makes a smaller, 1L Civic Access Pouch that I turned into a sketching kit, with a notebook, pencil, small watercolor tin, and brushes.
+
+You can of course use any smaller bags you like to organize the interior of the CPL24, but I must say, Evergoods' Civic Access pouches are the best small organizer bags I've tried. They're well worth a look even if you don't like the CPL24.
+
+There are a few other pockets tucked away on the outside of the CPL24. My favorite being the small top pocket behind the shoulder straps. Evergoods calls this the yoke pocket. It's great for small stuff you want accessible, wallet, glasses, keys on the key leash, etc.
+
+There's a vertical zipper running down the side of the pack, near the front that gives access to the dedicated laptop compartment, which is huge. It had no trouble swallowing a 16-inch Lenovo 9i. There's a pocket in the laptop compartment that acts as a divider, allowing you to also bring along a file folder or even a second laptop if you need it. The best part about the laptop compartment is that it's completely suspended within the bag, no matter how you set it down, your laptop or tablet will never touch the floor, making it well protected.
+
+The front face of the bag has a fold running down it that hides a zippered admin pocket, which contains a few smaller pockets (and the pen loops I missed) for organizing things. I found this the least useful of the CPL24 because when the pack is fully packed in the main compartment, it compresses this pocket, making it tough to access. My solution was to use this pocket to hold the 1L Civic Access Pouch, which I could pull free and search, without the compression from the main compartment making it hard to dig through.
+
+### Suspension and Carry
+
+The CPL24 uses a curved yoke design to contours to your shoulders. This is part of why that top outside stash pocket is so roomy, the shoulder straps are curving out from the back padding. This gives you a pretty good fit, without tons of straps and buckles to adjust. The CPL24 is designed to ride high, and is most comfortable when carried this way.
+
+The shoulder straps are nicely padded and comfortable even with a heavy load. The chest strap keeps the shoulder straps well fitted and overall I found the CPL24 to be comfortable to wear.
+
+It's also very easy to carry in briefcase mode, thanks to the generously-sized handle on the side. The problem with briefcase mode is that the straps kind of just dangle and tend to get hung up on things. It's not that bad. I made it through two trips and three airports without incident, but it would have been nice to have some way to either strap them out of the way, or tuck them somewhere. Clever users on Reddit have come up with a [variety of solutions](https://old.reddit.com/r/EVERGOODS/comments/18s7f7g/cpl_24l_v3_new_owners_thoughts_and_tips/kf5mri8/).
+
+In addition to the side and top handles mentioned above, there are two small loops at each end of the side handle that you can use to clip things on, either with a carabiner or a strap of some kind. I didn't feel need for this, but it's there if you need it.
+
+What you won't find is any webbing on the shoulder straps for attaching things. I do sometimes put a glasses holder on my straps and was a little disappointed not to be able to do that here, but it's not enough to be a deal breaker for what's otherwise an excellent bag.
+
+And that's what this is, a simple, but truly great bag that has stood up to considerable use. The Evergood's CPL24 isn't cheap, but it's well worth the investment.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+## Instax Mini 99 Review
+
+Fujifilm's New Instax Mini 99 is an Instax camera for those who love manual controls and creative effects. It's not the sharpest Instax I've tested—that remains the Mini Evo—but it might be the most analog and the most capable.
+
+The $200 price tag is well above the entry-level point and shoot Instax cameras, but here you get exposure and shutter control, a swatch of color effects, even the ability to simulate light leaks just like those thrift store camera finds collect dust on your shelf.
+
+### Camera Fashion
+
+Except for the colorful and bubbly entry-level cameras, Fujifilm's Instax design tends toward a retro-camera vibe, which holds true for the Mini 99. The 99 is all-black, instead of the silver and black found in the Mini 90, but otherwise bears more than a passing resemblance. Fujifilm hasn't officially said the 99 replaces the 90, but they feel close enough to each other that I'd be surprised in the Mini 90 continues.
+
+The lens of the Mini 99 is the same as the Mini 90. It's a 60mm lens made of plastic. It works out to roughly the same as a 35mm lens in 35mm format (or if you prefer, somewhere between 1x and 2x on your iPhone). The shutter is fixed at f/12.7, which means you'll be relying on the flash in all but bright, sunny, outdoor shots. That said, unlike quite a few other Instax models, with the Mini 99 you can turn off the flash for those well-lit shots.
+
+Perhaps the most interesting part of the Mini 99, and something new for the Instax line, are the manual focus options. The Mini 99 does not have true manual focus where you turn a dial on the lens to get precise focus, rather there are three zones of focus—close up (0.3-0.6 meters), midrange (0.6-3 meters), and infinity (3m-infinity). For those not metric-savvy that works out to 1-2 feet, 2-10 feet, and 10-infinity. While that's not as precise as a true manual focus camera, it's more control than you typically get with Instax.
+
+I find the manual focus to be a little inconsistent. Or rather the results were less dramatic than I expected. Keep in mind that the aperture is f/12.7, which means the field of focus is pretty wide, even with the focus zone controls. The Mini 99 is capable of bokeh (the name for out of focus regions in a photo), but only in very specific situations, like a portrait, and even then you have to use the closest focus which means your subject's face will mostly fill the frame anyway. That said, being able to play with focus at all is a step up from most Instax cameras where focus is fixed and the 1-foot close focus distance is nice for macro-style shots like flowers.
+
+The Mini 99's design makes use of two dials, one that acts like an exposure compensation dial, allowing you to adjust Exposure Value (EV) two stops brighter and two darker. I found the L (Lighten) and L+ useful when shooting against snow, which has a tendency to overwhelm small sensors like this one. It's also good for strongly backlit scenes, though those are not Instax's strong suit, don't expect too much. The D (Darken) and D- settings proved less useful as they tended to make images overly dark. I could see them being more useful with black and white film, adding a bit of drama perhaps.
+
+The second dial allows you to add a series of color effects to your shots. Options include Faded Green (FG), Warm Tone (WT), Light Blue (LB), Soft Magenta (SM), Sepia (SP), and Light Leak (LL). Behind the scenes Fujifilm is using LEDs to tone your images and, in the case of Light Leak, simulate a light leak on the film. The results are fun, I especially like the Warm Tone, though once I was done testing, I shot most of my images in Normal (N) mode.
+
+The dials are easy to use, but unfortunately they're also very easy to accidentally turn when the camera is in your pocket or bag. After ruining a couple images because the EV dial had been turned in my pocket, I learned to always check the dials before shooting. It would be nice to have the dials lock in place a little better.
+
+What I found far more fun than the color effects were the shutter speed controls. There are 4 modes available here. The normal mode, an indoor mode (for low light, slower shutter), Sports mode (denoted by a figure running) with a faster shutter, and B for Bulb, which yes, allows you to keep the shutter open as long as you like. In theory you can do night shots with Bulb mode, though in my testing this is tricky as there's no cable release.
+
+The other fun shooting mode is double exposure. I'll confess that I have become used to shooting double exposure's with digital, which allows for more precise framing since you can see the first image, so my first few attempts with Instax were pretty bad. But with a little practice I found this one of the more interesting ways to use the Mini 99. It also gave me something to do with some very expired Instax film that I had lying about. Double exposures, combined with the strange effects of expired film made for some interesting shots.
+
+The Mini 99 uses a removable, rechargeable battery (a NP-70S). Fujifilm is claiming 100 photos per charge. It's a little difficult to test that, but this feels about right, possibly even on the conservative side. I used about one-third of the battery shooting four rolls of film (and its worth noting most of that was shot in near freezing conditions which always results in subpar battery performance). For most use cases the provided single battery is going to be fine. I did not notice much in the way of power lose when not using the camera in the month that I tested. It's also worth noting that you don't charge the battery directly, Fujifilm provides a separate USB-C charger which is nice if you want multiple batteries.
+
+A self-timer and flash control round out the options on the Mini 99, making it one of, if not the most flexible, capable Instax camera in Fujifilm's Instax lineup. See our [Guide to Instax Cameras]() for more options, but if you want manual controls the Mini 99 is the camera to get. The only downside to the Mini 99 in my testing is that in my testing the images it produces are not as sharp as the Mini Evo. The manual controls of the Mini 99, especially the focusing controls, do give you some creative options the Evo doesn't have, but if you're after pure image quality the Mini Evo remains the Instax of choice. If on the other hand you want more manual controls and the fun the color effects The Mini 99 is a fine Instax camera.
+
+
+
+## Insta360 X4 Review
+
+I never found much use for 360 cameras until using Insta360's new X4. The Insta360 X4's 8K video resolution is finally high enough resolution that you can capture 360 video, crop to a standard 16:9 frame, and actually have good looking video that you can mix with footage from other cameras. The X4 is where 360 footage finally leaves the action sports niche and enters the realm of useful-to-filmmakers.
+
+That's not to say the X4 isn't a great action sports camera, it is, especially with its newfound ability to capture slow-motion-friendly 100 frames per second footage in 4K (single lens mode). In fact, the X4 is first 360 camera that can effectively replace your action cam, and give you some of the best 360 footage on the market.
+
+### tk
+
+The X4 looks and feels nearly identical to the X3 ([8/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/insta360-x3-360-action-camera/)) that preceded it. It's marginally taller and thicker, and at 7.1 ounces, 20 percent heavier, but the basic design remains unchanged (the main reason for the larger body seems to be the larger battery). 
+
+There are still two lenses—which now get lens covers, yay!—mounted to the of a body that reminds me of an old Nokia candy bar phone. The back of the camera has a 2.5-inch screen, now made of Gorilla glass, and the buttons on the side remain the same—power and a customizable Q button. One the back there's a button to start shooting and another menu button that can be customized like the Q button. 
+
+The big news in the X4 is the jump to 8K h.265 360 video recording, up from the X3's 5.7K video. The 8K footage can be recorded at up to 30 frame per second (fps). It's worth noting that the X4 has the same sensor as the X3, what's been upgraded here is the processor, which now has the power to record more detail at higher resolution and frame rates.
+
+Before I dig into the X4's video quality, know that there are two potential use cases for 360 cameras. The first is to shoot video for virtual reality headsets (VR) where the viewer will see everything the camera captured and can choose where to look. The second use for 360 video, which I would argue is still more common, is to capture every direction at once, and later "re-frame" in software, with the editor deciding where the focus should be and presenting the footage in a normal 16:9 movie frame. All of my testing was done with the latter scenario in mind.
+
+In practice, this is the first 360 camera I've used where the video footage is still very sharp and clear even when reframed to 16:9. You still have to deal with the stitch line, which is there the edges of the two lenses meet and software (imperfectly) fills in the gaps, but otherwise post-production use of this footage feels like, well, just editing video. I mixed it with footage from a Sony A7RII, GoPro Hero 12, Insta360 Ace Pro, and aside from the wider angle of view, it's hard to tell the footage apart.
+
+That alone is enough for me to say that this is the 360 camera filmmakers will want. The 8K footage still doesn't reframe to 4K (you'll have to wait for 12K footage before that's possible), but it looks good enough for anything you're going to put online.
+
+It's not just the high end specs that have changed in the X4 either, frame speeds have been improved in lower resolution footage, with new options to shoot 5.7K video at 60fps, 4K at 100fps, and 4K at 60fps when shooting in wide angle mode. None of that is earth shattering, but it does give you some better slo-mo options thanks to the higher frame rates.
+
+The color profile options remain the same as the X3: Standard, Vivid, and Log (for those who prefer to color in post). I shot primarily in Standard and found to colors to be nicely rendered, perhaps a little on the warm side. I find Vivid too garish, and of course if you plan to mix footage with other cameras, you'll want to shoot everything in Log and do your coloring in software.
+
+Testing action cameras is always one of the best parts of this job, but it was especially fun with the Insta360 X4. I don't even like shooting 360 video, but shooting 360 video knowing that I can crop, reframe, and still get sharp, clean footage with lots of detail and smooth pans? Yes please. In many ways the Insta360 is like adding a small film crew to your bag, especially if you get the hilariously oversized 9.8 ft selfie stick, which makes it possible to fake surprisingly realistic boom shots.
+
+At $99 the new [Extended Edition Selfie Stick](https://www.amazon.com/Insta360-Extended-Selfie-Action-Camera/dp/B08ZCTD6KW/) isn't cheap, but is well worth it for the versatility it creates when paired with the X4. Fully extended and held behind you while you walk, it mimics a low flying drone tracking shot, but without the whole crash-in-the-trees thing.
+
+Speaking of trees, and shade, and shadow, the X4 definitely excels in bright sunlight. High contrast scenes like a forest floor at midday are more challenging (this is true for any camera). HDR mode can help sometimes, but then you lose the ability to shoot Log. Once you move into low light, or indoors, the X4 starts to show considerable noise and there's a noticeable loss of detail. It's still useable footage in most cases, but this is not the camera I would reach for if shooting in very low light or at night. But then, no action camera is really any good in low light situations. The nature of the trade off between size and image quality means small cameras will always struggle in low light.
+
+Audio in the X4 is largely unchanged from the previous model. There's Auto Wind Reduction (the default), Active Wind Reduction, Stereo, and Direction Focus. I found that Active Wind Reduction did the best when mounted on my bike, but you really want a high quality external mics for the best sound. You'll need Insta360's USB-C mic adapter to connect external mics. 
+
+While most people will likely buy the X4 for video, it does do still images as well. Photo resolution is the same as it was in X3—18 megapixel 360 images, with an option to do 72 megapixel composite images of scenes where nothing is moving. When using it in what I think of as action camera mode, that is, just one lens, you can shoot 9 MP stills or 36 MP high res images. 
+
+Insta360 has also introduced hand gestures to stop and start recording, these mirror what I tested in the Ace Pro ([8/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/insta360-ace-pro-action-camera/)) last year. I much prefer gestures to voice control. Because it's a 360 camera, gestures are even more useful than an action cam since you don't need to be in front of the camera, it'll pick up your gesture no matter where you are in the shot. (Sidenote, the hacker in me could not help testing to see if you can also use these gestures to stop someone else's X4 from recording, the answer is yes, yes you can. Use that information responsibly kids.)
+
+If you're thinking that 8K recording must take a toll on battery life, you're half right. It does, but it's not significant because Insta360 has increased the battery size in the X4. Insta360 claims 75 minutes of shooting time when recording at 8K 30fps. I didn't get quite that much in the real world, but I was consistently able to shoot over an hour of footage without needing to recharge. So far it's still cool where I am so I wasn't really able to test overheating, but the X4 definitely gets hot when shooting 8K. It never shut off on me, but the ambient temps during testing were rarely over 60F.
+
+
+
+
+Overall though the X4 is hands down the best 360 camera on the market right now. There are other 8K 360 cameras out there, but none of the ones I've tested can match the X4's video quality. That said, it'll be interesting to see what Insta360 does with the One RS 1-inch 360 camera, if it gets a version 2. With a larger sensor, and better lenses, the One RS stands to quickly usurp the X4 if it gets 8K video, at least in image quality. However the One RS is not much of an action camera, and is expensive enough that I'd be uncomfortable strapping it to my handlebars. A more direct competitor for the X4 will likely be the GoPro Max, which is overdue for an update. For the time being though, the X4 is a fantastic 360 camera well worth the investment if you're looking to shoot 360 footage.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+✅ New Gesture Control & Voice Control 2.0
+kkkk
+✅ Powerful 2290mAh Battery & New Removable Lens Guards
+✅ IInvisible Selfie Stick Effect, 360 Reframing, also Garmin & Apple Stats Integration
+
+
+
+
+There's also a greater range of frame rates, and you can record slow-motion video up to 100fps in 4K (the X3 recorded 100fps in 3K), and the single-lens mode can now shoot in 60fps where the X3 was limited to 30fps. This increased flexibility enables you to mix up the feel of your shots, and also makes you feel like the X4 is a competent standard action camera, especially with modes like FreeFrame, which enables you to mix up aspect ratios. 
+## /e/OS Review
+
+The Android mobile operating system is open source, which means anyone can, in theory, build their own mobile operating system based on the [Android Open Source Project](https://source.android.com) (AOSP). Why then are there not many different versions of Android to choose from? 
+
+The good news is that there are a few alternatives to Android, and some of them are excellent, better in my experience than the version of Android that ships with your phone. But that fact that there are only three or four such options highlights the fact that there is more, much more, to the mobile experience than the operating system.
+
+Your Android phone's operating system is open source, but it's also running device-specific drivers, Google's various Play Services APIs, and many, many default apps, most of which are not open source, but absolutely key to a good mobile experience. 
+
+All of this stuff is another layer atop the Android operating system and its this layer which is very difficult for other projects to reproduce. It's not that hard for projects to get the AOSP code running, but very difficult to create a great mobile user experience on top of it.
+
+One project that has managed to create a really great user experience on top of AOSP is /e/OS. For the past six months I've used nothing else and I am here to say that the Android alternatives world has never been better. If you're looking to get out of the Google box, come on in, the water is fine.
+
+It's worth pausing here to answer the question of why you'd want to use an Android alternative like /e/OS. Despite my general dislike of surveillance capitalism, initially it was not privacy-related issues that drove me from Andoird, but poor user-experience. I got tired of Android's constant updates. It felt like Windows. Every time I picked up my phone the internet was ridiculously slow because Android was downloading yet another update and prompting me to install it. I lived through Windows 98, once was enough.
+
+Several years ago, fed up with Android, I installed LineageOS (probably the best known of the Android alternatives) and never looked back. LineageOS is a solid platform and provides a good set of basic applications. I never had any trouble with the open source apps I primarily rely on, nor did I have much trouble with the handful of proprietary apps I use (WhatsApp likes to complain when it runs on an alt OS, but it functions fine). Outside of work I don't depend on or use any Google services so my transition away from stock Android was smooth.
+
+However, due to my position at WIRED I still needed to install the Google Play Services layer on LineageOS, otherwise apps I need for work—Slack, Airtable, Gmail, etc—did not work properly. 
+
+While I like LineageOS, the fact that Google was still embedded into my device bothered me because my perspective changed. The underlying assumptions of stock Android began to annoy me. The boot screen was what did it. When you unlock the boot loader of your phone (which is necessary to load an alternative OS) there's a message every time you reboot warning that "software integrity cannot be guaranteed." That is true, it can't, and that could be bad if you happen to be Jason Bourne (more on this below), but what bothers me isn't the techincal details, but the underlying assumptions, namely that the corporation making your device *can* be trusted. 
+
+Perhaps I read too much into these things. Perhaps I dream too much of what's starting to look like an unlikely future where mobile devices are general purpose computers modifiable as you see fit. Whatever the case, I certainly don't trust device manufacturers or Google, especially [on my phone](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/android-sends-20x-more-data-to-google-than-ios-sends-to-apple-study-says/), and I wanted Google out of my LineageOS (don't worry Google fanboys, I dislike Apple too). I needed something to replace Google Play Services, which is not open source and therefore can't be run outside Google's version of Android.
+
+While Android is open source, Google has taken a page from the Microsoft playbook of old and uses things like its new "Play Integrity" APIs to ensure that apps will only work with Google's version of Android. This way Google can wave the open source flag while effectively preventing downstream forks from working. Most of the developers I spoke to believe that these anti-competitive practices will ultimately be regulated by governments. I do not share their optimism on that. Google's monopoly is subtle and built out of code, which is difficult for the non-technical to parse. However that susses out legally, in the mean time, a tremendous amount of effort has gone into trying to replicate these proprietary APIs to ensure most apps will work on alternative operating systems.
+
+Luckily for me, I am not the first person to need a Google Play Service alternative. There are several options out there, but the best in my experience is the [Micro G project](https://microg.org). Micro G is a free software clone of Google’s proprietary core libraries and applications, replacing most of the proprietary APIs Google uses. This means your de-Googled phone can still handle geo location correctly, along with a few other core services third-party apps expect.
+
+I ended up combining LineageOS and Micro G to have a phone that was fully de-Googled, but also fully functional, with a couple of exceptions I'll cover below.
+
+The catch is that installing LineageOS and Micro G requires a little technical expertise. You'll need to be able to run command line software and be comfortable rooting your device.
+
+This is where we finally get to /e/OS. Installing LineageOS is not for everyone. That's one of the main problems /e/OS set out to solve. And indeed it has, you can buy a Fairphone pre-loaded with /e/OS and have an excellent, Google-free mobile experience with almost no hassle. I tested this using a Fairphone 4 that Murena, the company that handles the hardware /e/OS supports, but you don't have to buy a Fairphone. Murena sells refurbished Pixel 5s pre-loaded with eOS, as well as its own Murena One (not currently available in the U.S).
+
+I did not specifically test Murena's refurbished Pixels, but when it was time to send back the Fairphone I loaded /e/OS on a Pixel 6a and continue to use it to this day (if you've installed LineageOS, the process for /e/OS is nearly identical save the files you're "side loading"). 
+
+So what exactly is /e/OS? Well, it starts with a base system of LineageOS, adds in Micro G to handle all the Googlely things, and then focuses on replicating the rest of a good mobile OS experience—syncing data through its own servers, providing online backups, and making sure all your favorite apps run as expected. That's very similar to what I achieved on my own with LineageOS and Micro G, but with zero effort on the user's part.
+
+That's not what makes /e/OS special though. The real difference between /e/OS and other versions of Android is the privacy-first design. The core of /e/OS's privacy features lie in the Advanced Privacy app and widget. Here you can block trackers, along with other features such as hiding your IP address or geolocation when you feel like it. The IP and Geo spoofing are nice for limited use cases, but the main privacy feature for most of us is the ability to block trackers in apps. 
+
+The one depressing thing about using /e/OS is getting to see in stark detail how many apps are constantly transmitting data back to servers. Sure, /e/OS blocks all that out of the box so you're not transmitting any data, but everyone else is. 
+
+Thanks to the Advanced Privacy app, I can tell you that in the last 10 days /e/OS has blocked 3,030 apps from contacting tracking servers. While there are apps I am not surprised to see in this list, like Delta's app, which I only had installed for a trip, there are others I was disappointed to see in there, like my birding apps. Both Audubon's app and Cornell's eBird app contain trackers. Ironically /e/OS's System app is in this list. Yes, out of the box /e/OS blocks itself.
+
+An added bonus of this feature is that you'll see very few ads on /e/OS.
+
+While I like the privacy features of /e/OS, and have even taken to spoofing my geo data much of the time, the real killer feature to me is the /e/OS app store, which is named the App Lounge. When I used Lineage I installed apps from several different apps stores. There's F-Droid, which hosts open source apps, UptoDown, which a few apps I use support (Vivaldi being the main one), and then I had a few I could only get through the Google Play Store. As anyone using LineageOS can tell you, it's a lot to keep track of. The /e/OS App Lounge combines apps from a variety of sources, including the Play Store and F-Droid, among others, making them all available in one place (you can also opt to only show open source apps). 
+
+Also nice is the option to stay anonymous when connecting to any of the app stores, although, you will need to to be logged in to get apps you paid for, since those are tied to your user id. I have also had the anonymous login fail a few times, giving me token errors. This is one of the few places I've had issues with /e/OS.
+
+The App Lounge uses a familiar design that looks a bit like Google Play, but adds a few features. This first is that App Lounge provides privacy information about each app, grading it on a 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is horrible for privacy and 10 generally means no trackers. The App Lounge also grades apps according to which permissions they require. The fewer permissions (like access to your photos or geodata) the higher the rating. It's a nice way of providing what is often complex information in a way that anyone can easily parse. In a win for the larger Android-alt community, /e/OS claims to be working on making the App Lounge available as an app that came be installed anywhere (in the mean time, the [Aurora Store](https://auroraoss.com) is close).
+
+### What Doesn't Work
+
+As much as I love /e/OS it's not perfect. I have had some minor issues with geo data. I live on the road, so my location changes every couple of weeks. Sometimes /e/OS is slow to pick up on this and the Maps app will show me search results based on where I was last week. The included Maps app itself is still rough around the edges (and it uses some proprietary code). It's better and more accurate than every other map app I've tried, but it still isn't as good as Google Maps. I don't care what you think of Google, its Map app is unmatched. I still use it as a backup with the default /e/OS app doesn't find what I need.
+
+The other big missing feature for me is Speech-to-text. Right now /e/OS ships without speech-to-text at all. There's a good summary of the options available in the /e/OS forums. None of them are ideal, but I've managed to get by with a combination of Sayboard and GBoard. Yes, it's a pain to switch between keyboards. The good news is that this feature is on the roadmap for /e/OS in 2024. This will also open the door to an /e/OS assistant, which is not currently available. The project is unclear about what form this might take, given the privacy implications of interacting with a server to answer queries, but one possibility is a Large Language Model run locally.
+
+The other missing option is a full backup. At the moment your media, calendar, contacts, and files are backup up if you create a murena.io account, but applications and any settings/data are not backed up. Again, hopefully that will be changing later this year.
+
+In my experience, apps generally just work. I have not had any problems running apps beyond those I've mentioned above.
+
+### Security Issues
+
+It would be remiss not to the point out that to install alternative OSes on your phone requires unlocking the bootloader, which does open a door to attackers. Unfortunately, re-locking the bootloader often does not go well. I have never tried it, given that it's an easy way to brick your phone. 
+
+The reason phones ship with locked bootloaders is to protect against a kind of attack called "[Evil Maid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_maid_attack)" (it would also protect against a rootkit being installed). The way bootloader locking prevents this is to require a private encryption key (which only the phone manufacturer has) to "sign" the OS that's about to load. Without this key, the OS isn't allowed to load. This ensures third parties don't modify or replace the operating system with malicious versions.
+
+The question is, is it bad to have an unlocked bootloader? If you are the target of an attack by state-level groups, then yes, you should not used unlocked bootloaders. Like I said above, if you're a super spy, avoid /e/OS. Also avoid using a phone at all. In the world most of us live in there are no hackers posing as waiters to swipe our phones over lunch and install malicious operating systems, which is what you have to do to pull off a bootloader attack. A bootloader attack requires the attacker to gain possession of the hardware.
+
+I have been running various OSes for years with unlocked bootloaders and have not had an issue. I bring this up mostly because everyone should be informed and make this choice for themselves. In my case I know there is an insecurity here, I am okay with it.
+
+Also, to be clear, despite my initial dislike of the unlocked bootloader message above, this issue is not Google's fault, it's the hardware makers fault. In fact there is a system out there that handles your phone's bootloader just like Microsoft's UEFI system works on a laptop, but hardware manufacturers have not implemented it. Google actually has in the Pixel phones so I can in theory relock my bootloader, but I don't. The risk of a bricked phone is more real in my case than the risk of an Evil Maid attack. It's also worth noting that if you do want an OS that can re-lock the bootloader, GrapheneOS makes that possible. I have not use GrapheneOS, but it is another option. For me though /e/OS does everything I need and does a good job of staying out of my way the rest of the time.
+
+A phone's operating system may not matter to everyone, but if you're someone who wants to leave the binary world of Apple and Google behind, more out of their browsing experience, /e/OS is well worth a try. 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+## Easy 35 Review
+
+
+We might be deep in the digital age, but film photography has never gone away. Like records, which lived on through tapes, CDs, and now digital music, film continues despite the ubiquity of the digital camera. However, while you can DIY develop film quite easily, making prints yourself with an enlarger remains a cumbersome process that requires a dedicated space. The more economical alternative is to scan your film and print it digitally.
+
+The problem is that professional scanning is expensive and pro-level scanners are also expensive (not as expensive as enlarging your house to make way for a darkroom, but still not cheap). One popular solution is to photograph your negatives with a high resolution digital camera. The resulting RAW file can then be touched up, sharpened, and printed like any other digital file.
+
+The problem is that photographing your images isn't as easy as it sounds. That's where Valoi's Easy 35 film scanning kit comes in. It's everything you need to "scan" your 35mm film in one simple to use kit. It's a breeze to setup, fast to scan, and produces great results.
+
+### A Series of Tubes  
+Scanning film by photographing it is tricky business. You need a good light source, you need to keep the film absolutely flat, and you have to have the camera and lens aligned with the film so there's no distortion.
+
+Film photographers have been building scanning rigs for years now and there is a ton of great advice on [Reddit](https://old.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/) and [elsewhere](https://forums.negativelabpro.com/t/lets-see-your-dslr-film-scanning-setup/27/256), but if you want an off the shelf solution that eliminates the learning curve, the Valoi Easy35 film scanning kit is the best option I've found.
+
+The Easy35 consists of a lightbox with brightness and temperature controls for the backlight and slots on each side to feed your film through. Inside there's a film holder that helps your film slide through and line up. Then there are a series of tubes that form a light-tight tunnel between the film you're photographing and the sensor in your digital camera.
+
+The result is consistently excellent digital images of your film with very little effort.
+
+There are some caveats though. The big one is that this only works for 35mm film. If you're shooting medium format or larger, this won't work. That a shame because 120 and larger film is where you still have a resolution advantage over digital. I'd love to see Valoi build a 120 scanner down the road, but for now it's 35mm and smaller (there's a 110 adapter if you shoot 110 cartridges).
+
+The next caveat is that you need to have some kind of DSLR camera with interchangable lenses. It doesn't have to be the best DSLR, but the quality of your results will depend on the quality of the camera and lens you're using. A 100MP Fujifilm GFX is generally going to give you better results than a micro4/3s camera. I tested with Sony A7RII, which has a 42MP sensor, and a Sony A7II which has a 24MP sensor and was quite happy with the results in both cases.
+
+I did not test lower resolution cameras, but from reading others experience around the web, 12-18 megapixel sensors will also provide excellent results from APS-C or full frame cameras.
+
+You'll need is a suitable macro lens to pair with the Easy35. Valoi has a [list of suggested lenses](https://www.valoi.co/easy35lens) on its website. I bought the budget lens Valoi recommends for use with Sony full frame cameras, and Sigma loaned WIRED a 70mm F/2.8 Macro lens, Valoi's top choice for my camera. 
+
+I put up a [page with the results of both lenses](https://luxagraf.net/easy-35-film-scanner-test) (along with a professional scan from Richard's Photo Lab) so you can see the results. There are also links to the RAW files if you'd like to develop them yourself. The results surprised me. Both images look quite good to me. The Sigma is sharper, but I managed to get the roughly the same sharpness by editing the Nikon scan a bit in Darktable. 
+
+
+The real difference in lenses is that the Sigma requires less effort. Its autofocus works well, the resulting images require less post processing, and it makes digitizing your negative faster. (It's also a much better general purpose macro lens. If you're looking for a good macro for the Sony FF system, I was very impressed with the Sigma.)
+
+### A Scanner Brightly
+
+Once you have a compatible lens, you need to attach the right combination of extension tubes to be able to focus on the light box Valoi provides. You could do the math on this with the minimum focus distance of your lens, but I did it by trial and error until I got it to where the film filled the frame, but I could still focus.
+
+Once you're all set up, you feed in your film and start shooting your "scans". It really is that easy. It took about 5 minutes to set up, and because I don't use the lens for much else, I just leave it set up so it's always ready to go when I want to scan.
+
+With a bit of practice I was able to scan a cut roll of black and white negatives in about 5 minutes. Having tried to scan this way using a light pad, cheap film holder, and home-made mount, let me say upfront that the Easy35 is well worth the money just for the amount of time and frustration it will save you. Not only is the setup a snap compared to homemade rig, the speed at which you can shoot is much better, and I never had to re-shoot. With a homemade rig I almost always had one or two images per roll that needed to be re-shot because the film wasn't flat or the holder wasn't lined up correctly.
+
+This is the most hassle-free method of converting film negatives to digital RAW files that I've tried.
+
+After some experimentation, I discovered a few tricks to getting better results. First off, ditch the dust filter, it gets in the way more than it helps. Get a pair of [cotton gloves](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/TdsMtFs7CeQKqD1JYZF39TD7Qzw5RXxoJoRi9K9q9Cx3oCHdma3hKor6UN47weXUmSrYpvMwXBN9utaGHkdyLQPVvEMnnXTzMjLccnJp8EuTbTAXGQBeHMyK8GZ35CrGNR72g1YxzoJk8GGP1vbPQAkgutSZtz6fh1qPvA4vAfTVTjkhU3YhvWPfQF7NzZSBfEFF5VhXBBRBXH){: rel="sponsored" isAffiliateLink="true"} and wear them every time you handle your film whether you are scanning or otherwise. Make sure to use the Easy35 sprocket holder, even if, like me, you don't care about showing the sprockets, they help line up the film and you end up doing less rotating in post. 
+
+I should also note that there are quite a few people on the web who have [encountered significant vignetting](https://old.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/1c4inne/valoi_easy_35_issues_solved_jjc/) using the Easy35. Worse, it would seem to be asymmetrical vignetting, which makes it very hard to correct for in a RAW editor (you can shoot an image of the light source alone and use flat field correction if your RAW editor supports custom correction profiles). All that said, I encountered no vignetting, no orange haze, no image issues at all in my scanning. That's not to say those who do are somehow wrong, just that I strongly suggest stilling to the lenses Valoi recommends if you want to avoid any issues.
+
+In the end I like the Easy35 for its speed and ease of use. It eliminates most of the headaches I've had in design custom scanning rigs and it takes up far less space than anything else I've seen. Stored away (but read to scan) it's almost the same size as my 300mm lens, which is tiny compared to most DIY scanning rigs I've seen. That said, if you love building your own tools than by all means, build away. For everyone else, the Easy35 hits the sweet spot between easy to use and reasonably affordable.
+
+
 ## XPS Review
 
 Dell's XPS laptops have always been roughly the Windows answer to Apple's MacBook Pro line. It shouldn't be surprising then that Dell, like Apple, has moved away from it's 15-inch XPS laptop to two models, the XPS 14-inch and XPS 16-inch. 
@@ -2099,6 +2332,137 @@ Side note for Linux users: as you would expect, battery life was worse under Lin
 The XPS 14 and 16 are both beautiful, well-design machines. They're plenty capable for most use cases, though heavy gamers and video editors will want to look elsewhere. My main gripe against both is that they're expensive for what you get. However, if you don't mind paying a premium for first-class build quality with very clean, eye-catching design, then the XPS 14 and 16 are solid laptops.
 
 
+
+## Celstron Trailseeker 8x32ED
+
+I started birding around the age of 0. This is what happens when your parents are birders. I had my first binoculars at 5, an ancient pair of Bushnell 10x50 that I would use when my father wasn't. They were huge, so heavy I could barely lift them, but the world they opened up was well worth the neck strain. Forty five years later, still birding, I am less sold on the neck strain.
+
+These days, when I head out of the house, my binocular of choice is 8x32, especially Celestron's Trailseeker 8x32 ED binoculars, which offer the best combination of image, quality, durability, and price that I've been able to find. Many a time have I brought these to my eye and thought something like, I can't believe these are only $320. They perform well above their price, indeed they match the performance of several I've tested that are double this price.
+
+### Trailseeker Optical Performance
+Celestron's Trailseeker 8x32 ED binoculars have phase and dielectric-coated BaK-4 prisms, which is rare in this size binocular at this price. What that means is that all air-to-glass surfaces are coated with multiple layers of anti-reflective coatings. That means very little light is lost within the prism. More light is reflected off the prism and gets to your eye delivering a brighter, sharper, more contrasty image.
+
+In practice the Trailseeker's deliver an excellent image, with a sweet spot—where the image is sharpest and contrasty—that's absolutely tack sharp and occupies roughly 60 percent of the image, expanding out from the center. That's very good for a $320 pair of binoculars. The image does soften a bit out toward the edges, but not to a degree that I notice unless I go looking for it.
+
+The edges are still sharp enough that I catch motion, at which point I can move the binoculars to center the bird or whatever it is into the sharper center. Additionally, based on my testing, most of the minimal distortion that there is near the edge can be corrected by focusing for the edges. I never felt the need to do this in real world use, but for the sake of testing I did discover it's possible to do (with a corresponding loss of sharpness in the center, since you're adapting to curvature distortion at the edges).
+
+There's very little in the way of chromatic aberrations with these binoculars. I really had to work to find situations where I noticed any purple fringing. Color is vivid with a relatively neutral cast, if anything these tend toward a warm rendition of colors which works well for birding.
+
+Are there binoculars with a larger sweet spot with less focus fall off? Yes there are, but they're generally larger and much more expensive. In terms of what you get for what you pay, these Celestrons are at the top of the pack optically speaking, based on my testing.
+
+The Trailseeker 8x32 binoculars offer a field of view that stretches to 409 feet at 100 feet, which is wide for this magnification at this price. Competitors typically only hit about 390 feet. That might not sound like much, but using these alongside the Nocs 8x32 (which have a field of view of 387 feet) the difference was very noticeable. That extra room goes a long way to helping the Trailseekers avoid the "tunnel vision" feeling that sometimes happens with smaller binoculars.
+
+### Trailseeker Ergonomics and Functionality
+Celestron has chose a very traditional, single hinge design for almost all of it's binoculars. The large, smooth focus knob is just forward of the hinge, well past the eyecup. I find the positioning ideal as my index finger rests on the focus knob, and my pinky still has room to rest against the barrel and isn't in danger of drifting into the front of the glass as sometimes happens with smaller binoculars.
+
+Focusing knobs are one of those things that come down to personal taste (shout out to the old [Knob Feel](https://knobfeel.tumblr.com) website), but I happen to love the focus knob on the Trailseekers. All of Celestron's focusing knobs are large and smooth with good tension that makes for smooth focusing. I don't think I've ever overshot focus with a pair of Celestrons. This is also partly due to the depth of focus being very good in the Trailseerks—it's easy to see when you're close.
+
+The eyecups rotate out with one intermediate click that gives you the option to leave them at about 50 percent. I wear glasses so I usually have the eyecups collapsed, but they're plenty comfortable with a slight inward curvature that helps cup your eye. The diopter is just forward of the right eyecup and is stiff enough that it stays where you put it.
+
+The outer rubber of the body has a bit of texture to it where you grip it on the sides, which makes it easy to hold. Celestron provides a nice, well padded strap, though I am partial to an all cotton strap I got years ago. There's also a chest harness included with the Trailseeker 8x32. I am not a fan of chest harnesses, but this one performed well enough in my testing.
+
+### Conclusion
+As someone with not-so-great vision (I've worn glasses since I was 15) I still love my 10x42 binoculars, but they're heavy and in an effort to lighten my load, especially when hiking, I've discovered that an 8x32 binocular provides a nice compromise between optical performance and portability.
+
+As long as the light is good, until the sun actually sets, I see almost no difference from my 10x42s. Yes, the 10x42 have a larger exit pupil, which gives you a roomier image, but most of the time I'm birding, I'm not roaming around the scene, I've got the bird in the sweet spot or am moving my binoculars to get the bird in the sweet spot.
+
+If you're looking for something for hunting, where low-light performance in late evening and early morning under tree canopy is paramount, then go for the 8X42 Trailseekers, which I also tested and are also excellent.
+
+
+
+Considering the binocular as a whole I think it is certainly worth consideration. Its light physical weight and compact size coupled with its very good center of field performance will make it an attractive package to many individuals.
+
+## Nemo Sleeping Pad Review
+
+
+
+Nemo Equipment's Tensor sleeping pad was my introduction to ultralight sleeping pads. I'll confess that when I unwrapped that Tensor (went for the insulated version) and inflated it for the first time five years ago my first thought was of a hiker joke I'd seen on reddit: inflatable sleeping pads are for people who want to sleep on the ground, just not right away.
+
+How would this impossibly thin, light, seeming fragile pad not leave me on the ground after a couple of night on the trail? Fast-forward five years. That sleeping pad had been under me for over 50 nights now and it still hasn't left me anywhere but comfortable and well-rested. That's not to say it can't fail, many a pad has left me on the ground over the decades, but so far the Nemo Tensor is still going strong.
+
+Last fall Nemo sent me review samples of its new Tensor line, which has been revamped for 2024 and now consists of three pads of varying degrees of thickness and R-value, each tailored to specific backcountry needs.
+
+### The Three Little Pads
+
+Nemo's 2024 makeover for the Tensor line of pads consists of three pads: the Tensor Trail, which is the lightest, but has the lowest R value, the Tensor All-Season, which has an R-value of 5.4, and the Tensor Extreme Conditions, which boasts a whooping 8.5 R-value, and has the highest warmth-to-weight ratio currently on the market.
+
+All of three those come in four sizes regular, regular mummy, regular wide, and long wide. Put it all together and that's 12 different pads to choose from from a single line of pads from a single manufacturer. This is why we have an entire [guide devoted to sleeping pads](https://www.wired.com/story/best-sleeping-pads/) to help you pick the best one for your needs.
+
+The construction of the Tensor pads hasn't changed for the two update pads. Nemo is still using a quilt-like design that helps baffles stay inflated and eliminates the springy sensation you get with vertical baffles. Insulation still consists of a metallized film. The difference in R-value is primarily connected to how many layers of insulating metal film the pad has. The Trail uses one layer, the All-Season gets two layers, and the Extreme uses four layers (and a different type of baffle, more on that below).
+
+Also new this year is a marginally beefier fabric on the bottom of these pads. Nemo is now using 40D nylon on the bottom to make it more durable. Take that Reddit funny guy. 
+
+All of Nemo's new pads are made of bluesign-approved nylon and come with the company's vortex pump sack, which works very well to inflate your bag via the zero-profile valve. I really wish there were some kind of standard for these valves so I could use the Nemo pump sack with other pads, but there isn't (I'm looking at you Therm-a-rest Neoair). There's also a stuff sack to store your pad. The Nemo lifetime warranty covers any manufacturing defects, which is nice, but for more immediate solutions to that much-feared puncture remember to bring the repair kit that's included with each pad. 
+
+### Our Pick: The Nemo Tensor All-Season 
+
+If you want an all-around pad that will keep you comfortable not just in the summer, but on those shoulder seasons as well, so you can head into the wilds even when there's no camper nearby to retreat to, the All-Season is the way to go.
+
+The All-season uses the same baffle construction as the Trail, but adds a second layer of metal film which increases the R-value to 5.4. It also sports the same 3.5 inches of cushioning found in the Trail.
+
+The All-Season is only a few ounces heavier than the Trail at 22 ounces for a regular wide, and the packed size is nearly the same. Given that it's only $30 more, barely heavier than the ultralight Trail, and offers almost double the R-value I think this is the best sleeping pad for most people out of Nemo's current Tensor lineup.
+
+I did not test the 2024 version, but the differences between the previous model, which I have tested are minimal. It's also very similar to the Insulated Tensor I've been using for years (the All-Season has a higher R-value, and is actually lighter than mine). Given that the real point of a sleeping pad is warmth, going for the higher R-value for a barely noticeable weight increase seems like a no-brainer to me—get the All-Season. 
+
+If you don't need the R-value of the All-Season, and you really want to save two ounces, the 2024 Tensor Trail remains the lightest Nemo mattress. For 2024 the R-value gets a marginal increase from 2.5 to 2.8, which still makes it very much a summer-only pad. The thickness has increased from 3 inches to 3.5 inches, and the 
+
+The most amazing thing to me about the changes is that, it got warmer, thicker, more durable and... lighter. The weight of the regular has decreased by .4 oz to 13.5 oz, a small, but welcome decrease. Even the regular wide, which I recommend for most people, is down to 20 oz.
+
+The 2024 Nemo Tensor Trail remains a good pad for ultralight, summer backpacking trips. I don't think the differences between this and the previous model are enough to warrant an upgrade if you have the older version, but if you've been wanting an ultralight pad that's super comfortable, light, and packs down small, this is the way to go. I spent three nights on this pad last fall, including one very windy, cold November night in the dunes of the outer banks, and I was plenty warm. The caveat here is that I sleep hot.
+
+The final Nemo pad in the 2024 lineup is a brand new cold weather sleeping pad, the Tensor Extreme, which is designed for cold weather camping, particularly sleeping on the snow. The Extreme uses what Nemo calls an apex baffle-design along with four layers of proprietary Thermal Mirror film. It all sounds very impressive and when it was announced the whole internet seemed to ask is the Nemo Tensor Extreme worth it?
+
+After spending a week sleeping on this pad I would argue yes. I can say for sure that this is the lightest, warmest sleeping pad I've ever slept on. That said, I have not had the opportunity to test it down into the lower end of its temperature rating, nor have I slept on snow with it. I can say that the difference in warmth between the Extreme and the Trail was, well, extreme. That is to say that I absolutely, almost immediately, noticed the difference when moving from one to the other.
+
+Given the tiny pack size and lightweight to R-value ratio, this also seems like a no-brainer. If I were heading out on a cold weather trip, this is pad I would bring. Now given the kind of conditions this pad is designed for I would also bring a closed cell foam pad like our top-pick [Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite](https://www.rei.com/product/829826/therm-a-rest-z-lite-sol-sleeping-pad). The more distance between your sleeping bag and the snow the better off you will be. While I have no doubt the Extreme does well on snow, having two pads with a combined weight of only 36 ounces and an R-value of 10 is the best of both worlds.
+
+
+
+
+nemo tensor
+backpacking
+baffles
+bluesign
+regular wide
+sleeping bag
+backcountry
+long wide
+packed size
+stuff sack
+therm-a-rest
+ultralight sleeping pad
+hiker
+neoair
+regular mummy
+Typical: 2–6
+‌
+rei
+Typical: 2–6
+‌
+repair kit
+Typical: 1–2
+‌
+tensor all-season
+Typical: 4–12
+‌
+thermal mirror
+Typical: 1–3
+‌
+vortex pump sack
+Typical: 1–2
+‌
+zero-profile
+Typical: 1–3
+‌
+air pads
+Typical: 1–2
+‌
+baffle design
+
+
+
+
+
 ## Hasselblad 907X and CFV 100C 
 
 Hasselblad's new 100 megapixel medium format camera system is capable of truly stunning images and totally incapable of shooting video. This is a photographer's camera for those lucky enough to still be photographers, without demanding video workload tacked on to every job. If that's you, this is the camera you want.
@@ -5930,126 +6294,6 @@ Email is everything social media is not—decentralized, open, tk, and tk.
 
 # Blurbs
 
-Ultrahuman Wants to Track Your Living Space for Better Home Health
-
-
-PR Contact: hisham@ultrahuman.com
-Press kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QaMn1gACrdsdDsYf8RStMxlnJ4YMdTmW
-Link: 
-Embargo: Jan. 8th @ 5AM PT
-
-HP and Dell 
-
-
-Under embargo until Monday, January 8 at 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT
-Consumer:
-HP Series 5 Monitors Nena Farrell
-HP Spectre x360 16-inch 2-in-1 Laptop PC
-HP Spectre x360 14-inch 2-in-1 Laptop PC
-HP 960 Ergonomic Wireless Keyboard
-HP USB-C Travel Hub G3
-HP 690 Rechargeable Wireless Mouse
-HP 430 Programmable Wireless Keypad
-HP 400 Wireless Backlit Keyboard
-Poly Voyager Free 20 Earbuds
-
-## Dell
-
-Dell Updates XPS Laptops to Match Apple
-
-The is the second year Dell has used CES to revamp its XPS laptop line. 2024 sees Dell ditching the touchbar-equipped XPS Plus (which [we thought was okay](https://www.wired.com/review/dell-xps-13-plus/), but not great). The not-Plus 13-inch model will remain, but it's joined by the brand new 14-inch XPS and a 16-inch XPS, the latter of which replaces both the 15-inch and 17-inch models of yore. All three laptops will get the touch bar that previously only graced the XPS 13 Plus. 
-
-This all somehow reminds me of another laptop maker, but I can't quite place it. Oh yes, Apple. If you're a fan of the new 14- and 16-inch MacBooks, but don't want an Apple device, these Dells look like a good approximation. The XPS 14 especially looks like a nice upgrade over the old 13 Plus, with a larger battery (69.5 Watt hours) and an option for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card. There's also the new Copilot key for activating Copilot in Windows 11 so you can get your LLM/AI on.
-
-The XPS 13 will start at $1,300, the XPS 14 at $1,699, and the XPS 16 at $1,899. Dell has not set a release date yet, but if it's like last year, we expect to see them in the next couple of months.
-
-
-PR Contact: hisham@ultrahuman.com
-Press Kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I9bYG9Jl75OlFqd2qFtSTsG3iVPvJtP_
-EMBARGO: January 4, 2024 at 6 am ET
-
-## Yeti 1500X
-
-https://www.goalzero.com/products/goal-zero-yeti-1500x-portable-power-station
-
-I managed to get 1,511 watt hours out of Goal Zero's Yeti 1500X. That's enough power to keep your fridge humming through an outage, but the 1500X is still portable enough that you can take it with you. I stopped using ridiculously long extension cords and instead just brought the 1500X out to where I needed power. With a 2,000 watt output rating, it had no trouble running power tools, refrigerators, and everything else I could find. It has a decent selection of ports too, two 60W USB-C PD ports, two USB-A ports, a regulated 12V cigarette-lighter-style port. The only downside is that there are only two 120V AC ports. You can charge the Yeti off solar or by plugging it in, and the Yeti app is nice for monitoring power usage and battery life, as well as getting notifications, upgrading firmware, and more.
-
-
-## Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC
-
-Goal Zero recently updated its Sherpa line of portable chargers with better wireless charging capabilities—15 watts, up from 5 watts in the previous model. I tested the Sherpa AC, which features two USB-C ports (60 watt and 100 watt), to USB-A ports, and a 100 watt AC port for those devices that need a pronged plug. I think the Sherpa 100AC strikes a good balance between power storage (93 watt hours in my drain test) and weight (2 pounds). It's enough to charge up my Dell XPS 13 almost twice.
-
-You get a nice color LCD display that shows how much power you've got left, how many watts are coming in, how many are going out, and a rough guess as the how much longer the battery will last (if conditions remains the same). Recharge times vary depending on whether or not you have the Sherpa wall charger (sold separately), but I was able to get it to recharge in under 3 hours now matter what power source I used. There's also an 8mm port on the back for attaching a solar panel if you have one. The Sherpa is not cheap at $300, but if you don't need the AC out, and can live with a single USB-C (100 watt out, 60 watt in) the Sherpa PD is otherwise the same thing for only $200.
-
-AC links:
-https://www.goalzero.com/pages/sherpa-wireless-100-power-banks
-https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Wireless-Portable-Generation/dp/B0BFBTR94M/
-
-PD links:
-https://www.goalzero.com/products/new-sherpa-100pd-wireless-power-bank
-(amazon doesn't seem to have the new PD yet)
-
-## Xero Aqua Cloud
-
-Ever since I went to barefoot shoes the one thing I've really been missing is a good pair of water shoes—something for paddling, stepping into streams while fishing, or wading in shallow bays where old fishhooks might be present. This year Xero added these Aqua Cloud sandals, which are pretty darn close to what I was after. They're great for paddling (I strapped them to the front of the SUP I tested so I had footwear for forays ashore), and fishing. Wading in sandals isn't the best, but that was true of my Chacos as well. Until Chaco gets around to making a barefoot shoe (not likely) these are my go-to sandal for all things water related, up to whitewater rafting, which is the one thing I keep my Chacos around for.
-
-## Fire 7
-
-Amazon has finally refreshed its smallest Fire tablet, the 7-inch model. The 2022 version features a slightly more powerful processor, double the RAM, and longer battery life. Unfortunately, the paltry 16-gigabytes of storage remains, though the supported SD card size has gone up to 1 terabyte, so if you want storage (and you do with only 16 gigabytes built-in) you can add more. Also up for this release is the price, which jumps from $49 to $59. 
-
-In the past we've recommended avoiding this one because it was underpowered and the small screen makes it less than useful. We haven't had a chance to test the new model in person, but based on the new specs, the Fire 7 now has enough power to keep up with Fire OS. That said, we still think you're better off spending $30 more for the Fire 8. If that's out of your budget though, the new Fire 7 will do.
-
-
-
-
-## Beeswax
-
-Plastic wrap is the worst. Consider this: plastic is a petroleum derivative; petroleum is essentially millions-of-years-old dead stuff. Wrapping your food in plastic wrap is wrapping your food in dead stuff. It's also messy and annoying. 
-
-There is a better way, beeswax wraps. These are pieces of cloth soaked in bees wax, which makes them water proof. There are a ton of brands out there, but my favorite is [Bees' Wrap](https://beeswrap.com/). Bees' Wrap wraps are organic cotton and use sustainably sourced beeswax (along with jojoba oil, and tree resin). They're long lasting (the company says a year, but I've used some longer than that) and won't break the bank. To fully replace plastic wrap in your day to day life, I suggest getting between four and six large wraps. Pro tip: wrap sticky things (soft cheeses, for example) in some parchment or wax paper and then wrap that with the bees wax wrap, that way you avoid making a mess on your wraps. If you do get something on the wrap be sure to avoid hot water when you clean them as it will melt away the bees wax.
-
-
-Even if you leave aside the fact that its plastic.
-
-## Best Cheap Drone
-
-DJI and Parrot drones, while very nice, can be prohibitively expensive, especially if you're just starting out with drone. Amazon is littered with cheap knock offs, most of which are garbage, but Potensic's Dreamer Pro stands out for its solid build (it's plastic, but its still reasonably strong), comfortable controller, and 30 minute flight time. You get most of what you'll find in more expensive drones—4K camera, intelligent flight modes (follow, circle, return to home, etc), and a nice controller and app combo. What you don't get is weight, which means it's more susceptible to wind movement. There's also no collision avoidance features like you'll get with more expensive drones. Still, if you want to capture some quality 4K video without breaking the bank the Dream Pro is a good choice.
-
-## GoGo Bird
-
-I'll confess I thought the GoGo Bird would be terrible. It looks like a cheap plastic kite with a tiny motor. It *is* a flapping kite with a tiny motor, but it's also pretty great. It's a lot of fun, possibly the most fun you're going to have with a $40 drone. It can be tricky to fly at first, the controller is small and one-handed which takes some time to master. Once you get the hang of it though your flapping wannabe bird is surprisingly maneuverable. The biggest downside is the tiny battery, which lasts for about 8-10 minutes of flying time. The GoGo Bird does come with an extra batteries, but changing them is harder than it should be. Still, that's my only real quibble, which is impressive. Even more impressive this thing has held my kids' attention for going on six months now and that alone make it well worth the price.
-
-
-## DJI Air 2S
-
-DJI's new Air 2S  ([9/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/dji-air-2s-drone/)) is our top pick because it strikes the best balance between size, weight, image quality, intelligent features, and price. Its camera isn't quite as nice as the Mavic 2 Pro (see below) which has a variable aperture for more flexible shooting, but adding neutral density filters to the Air 2S can help make up for the lack of aperture control. 
-
-The Air 2S is light enough to bring hiking (1.3 pounds), powerful enough to fly even in light winds, and can stay airborne for half an hour. The Air 2S features a newly improved collision detection system that should keep you out of trouble even when there are some trees around. The new 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor will capture the beauty of the scene in stunning 5K video footage or 20-megapixel still photos.
-
-
-## Mattress
-### Avocado
-
-Perhaps the highest praise I can give the Avocado is that I rarely think about it. Because I am asleep on it. 
-
-The Avocado Green mattress is the only mattress my wife and I agree on. She likes a soft mattress, I prefer a firm mattress. This one somehow manages to be both without being too much of either. If you prefer super soft there's a pillow top version available as well. 
-
-The Avocado is everything I wanted in a mattress *and* environmentally friendly. The Avocado Green mattress is a hybrid coil and foam design, made of organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton. There's no polyurethane, fire retardants, or other materials used. The result is a mattress that is ecologically-friendly both in manufacture and in your home. It's made in the United States and offers a one-year trial, 25-year warranty, and free shipping. Like other mattress-in-a-box options the Avocado arrives compressed down. I had no trouble maneuvering the box through doorways and getting it into the bedroom.
-
-Queen: $1,499
-
-https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/collections/mattresses/products/avocado-mattress
-
-#### My Green Mattress
-
-Twin, $700
-
-https://www.mygreenmattress.com/hybrid-mattresses/kiwi/
-
-Despite how much I love the Avocado Green Mattress, it's not cheap. When it came time to get new mattresses for my kids, I went with the more affordable Kiwi Mattress, by My Green Mattress. The Kiwi is also a hybrid mattress with pocketed coils and certified organic cotton, wool, and latex. One interesting twist that makes the Kiwi appealing for kids is the two-sided option. It costs a little more upfront, but it means you can flip it over to extend its life, handy if your kids see a bed as trampoline in disguise. My Green Mattress offers a 20-Year Warranty and a 120-night trial. 
-
-The Kiwi is definitely a firmer mattress, but I find it very comfortable and my children all say it's the most comfortable mattress they've slept on.
-
 ## Small Space Garden
 
 #### Urbz Window Planter