Nimrod

I want to get my partner a replacement for an aging chromebook. I was thinking it would be easiest to just grab another super budget chromebook and call it a day. But the more I read about google and chrome, the less I want to do with them.

So my goal is to snag a cheap ($300ish?) laptop that I can slap Linux on (probably mint, but I’m open to suggestions).

The main caveat is the size- needs to be small. Current chromebook is 11.5” I think. I’d like to keep it under 13”. The main use (95% will be web browsing/streaming/email/bullshit) but I’d like it to have enough juice to play Minecraft on my local server.

I’ve looked around a bit, but my god there is a lot of options. I’d love it if there was just a recommendation that was proven to work. I’m busy enough tinkering with all the other tech, and I’d like to just set this one up and forget it.

Currently I’ve got 12 can lights in my living room, entry, and kitchen. Three different sections, all controlled by an inovelli red switch.

All of the existing can lights are just LED chips with an E27 adapter. They are all locked in a specific color temp (4000k is my fav).

After using the adaptive lighting integration, I am convinced I want my whole house to have the ability to change brightness and color temp. I’d like to do this as cheaply as possible.

One option is smart bulbs. That’s 12 bulbs, plus the dumb can light bulb cover things. What is the cheapest bulb for this? This solution doesn’t take advantage of the very fancy inovelli switch either.

Any way to leverage the nice switches, and have “dumb lights” that can be controlled via the switch? I know this sounds impossible, because there is no data going to the bulbs that would allow changing the color temp, but I just can’t stand the idea of buying 12 smart bulbs.

Got some friends together to help us roll some sushi. Here are some of the prettier attempts!

Based mostly on the serious eats recipe. We added siracha to the Mayo, and smashed avacado to the toasted bun.

I also don’t think the marinade needs to go on the tofu much before grilling. Just a quick rub to get the color for grilling. Then I spread a layer of the marinade on the bun.

Portland pub bun. Game changer.

I’ve finally configured my garden and landscaping on drip irrigation, but I’m using some dumb valves hooked up to my house hose spigot.

I would absolutely love a smart valve that I can have better control of the schedule, or respond to sensors.

After some looking around, it seems like “Rachio” is the only integration I can find for something like this. It’s a bit pricy ($99 per valve), and it looks like it needs a wifi hub to work. Has anyone used this integration successfully?

Is there any other options? There seem to be lots of “Bluetooth” controllers available in the big box stores, but I’m guessing they will need an app or something?