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Spigen Air Cushion Case

Spigen Air Cushion Case

This was the second case I ended up buying. The Spigen Air Cushion clear case is probably the best case if you want to go clear. I thought that’s what I wanted but in the end I don’t think it looks good on my space gray iPhone. It does look good on the white and gold iPhone though. The main difference between this and the Spigen soft­flex TPU case is that the back is a hard plastic. The sides are…

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I just upgraded from my Canon 60D to a 6D.  I got a great deal on the 6D on eBay.  If you aren’t aware, there are tons of fake or counterfeit Canon products out there.  I ordered one on Amazon (seller: Xamas) and when it arrived, I had a suspicion about it’s authenticity.  Since it’s not something that is usually carried by local electronic stores, I ordered another one from Amazon.  The two are definitely different.

The main visible difference is the inside of the grip.  The authentic one is made of a magnesium alloy and there’s more of it than the counterfeit one.  Also, on the authentic one you can see the serial printed on the bottom on the tripod mount plate.

The authentic grip’s shutter release is smooth.  It feels just like the 6D’s button.  The counterfeit shutter release has a “click” if you press halfway as well as a full press.

The counterfeit box is close but you can see subtle differences.  The red on the lid bleeds over on to the front whereas the authentic box is white at the end of the lid flap.  The paperwork that comes with the counterfeit one has poor quality text.  It looks like it was photocopied basically.  You can see with the warranty card, the margins are wider.

You probably wouldn’t know any better if you never saw the authentic Canon grip.  There’s nothing wrong with buying a more budget friendly third party grip like one from Neweer or Zeikos.  But if you think you’re buying an authentic Canon battery grip (for a premium I might add), it’s quite f’ed up to get a counterfeit.  I hope this helps some of you out there that are willing to spend the extra bucks on the real deal.

Canon BG-E13 - Counterfeit or Authentic? I just upgraded from my Canon 60D to a 6D.  I got a great deal on the 6D on…

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Spigen Soft-Flex Capsule Premium Clear Flexible Soft TPU Case

Fit

This Spigen was the first case that I bought. At launch time, there weren’t many cases that were ready to ship. A lot of them were available as pre-orders. In the past, I’ve found that TPU cases tend not to be as snug as I’d like. I don’t like it when you can easily pull a case off the phone. I feel like that would allow for small things to get in between the case and phone, then you end up with scratches.  This one is a little stiffer than the other TPU cases I’ve seen.  Still, it’s not as snug as I’d like.

Looks

I thought I wanted a clear case but I don’t think it looks good on my space gray iPhone. It does look good on the white and gold iPhone though. This is what my wife has on her phone. She doesn’t care about the particulars nearly as much as I do. As long as it protects the phone from abuse then she’s good.  It does a pretty good job resisting scratches.

Protection

It’s thick enough to endure a drop.  I’m not saying you can drop it off your balcony and expect your phone to still be in tact, but it’ll withstand a fall from your lap.  The lip comes up enough for you to place the phone face down.

Verdict: 7/10

Spigen SOFT-FLEX Capsule Premium Clear Flexible Soft TPU Case Spigen Soft-Flex Capsule Premium Clear Flexible Soft TPU Case Fit This Spigen was the first case that I bought.

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iPhone 6 Case Reviews

iPhone 6 Case Reviews

I wanted to provide some iPhone 6 case reviews because if I’m sure there are others that are look for the same things that I do.  After I pre-ordered my iPhone 6, I immediately started looking for a case. There are those that believe cases are an abomination and ruin the aesthetics of phone. I’m all for design but I also like to keep my things in good condition. Growing up, my dad ingrained in me…

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I suppose I’m due for a review for our new mattress.  I wanted to do it earlier but actually a month is a sufficient period of time to do a proper review of a mattress.  Once I had my order placed, I checked my shipping status every day.  If you’re like me (bad with money) and you order lots of things off the internet, you should have the UPS app.  It’s like tracking Santa with your gifts, only you bought them.  Yes it’s not going to ship with 2-day shipping but equally as good is FREE shipping and this is true for for all Tuft & Needle orders!  Of course you’ll have to wait a little longer but I would expect that with something as large as a mattress.

Delivery

Our Ten was delivered in just about a week.  As I stated before, I was pretty excited about getting it.  The UPS guy knocked on my door and made sure that there was space to put it down inside.  I think he said he needed a hand so I went out to help him.  He said it was heavy so I should be careful.  I had done research so I knew it comes rolled up in a box.  I picked up my end, it wasn’t that heavy.  I mean I’m a somewhat big guy and I lift heavy things at the gym but I’m no Zyzz.  I was able to lift it by myself so I threw it over my shoulder and headed inside.

Setup

The box was probably about 2’x2’x5′.  I slid the mattress roll out and brought it up to our bedroom.  After cutting off the plastic, it was pretty cool to watch the mattress unravel.  I wanted to take a Hyperlapse of it but I only have two hands.  Plus that might be the shortest Hyperlapse video ever.  I’ve read about a “chemical” smell bothering people, but it really wasn’t that bad to me.  I think I have a pretty sensitive nose too.

I laid down on it and it already felt pretty firm but I guess you’re supposed to let it fill out/expand for a couple hours.  I had to eat dinner anyway so I let it be.  Then I realized it was Tuesday, which is the night I play basketball.  You see, on basketball night my wife lets our daughter sleep with her so I have to sleep in her bed.  I’ve already waited over a week so what’s one more day?

Feelings

Our initial thoughts were that it was really firm.  I think it’s in part to being so used to this old now-soft mattress and it’s predecessors.  I really liked it but to be honest it took some getting used to.  The first morning, my body was a little sore.  After a few days I was fine.

I no longer feel achey in the mornings.  With a softer bed, I felt like I wasn’t getting the support I need.  Something that usually goes hand in hand with aches is feeling tired.  I definitely feel like I get a better night’s sleep.  I tend to be a side-sleeper and I told this to my masseuse.  She said that may be why I have neck and back aches.  I’ve always felt like when I sleep on my right side, the left side of my neck and shoulders would tense up and vice versa.  She recommended that I try to sleep on my back to avoid this.  I have found that it’s been easier to do this.  I think a softer mattress would give more in spots like your hips and shoulders.  So far I haven’t woken up with any knots, knock on wood.

I’ve noticed that when my wife gets in and out of bed, I don’t really notice it.  I don’t feel any of the movement I used to experience with a traditional mattress.  This is good because I typically go to bed later than my wife.  Another observation is about the edges of the bed.  When I sit down to put my socks on, it doesn’t have the same support of a traditional mattress.  Does this matter at all?  Absolutely not.

Wrapping it up

I like that it only costs $500 for a queen size Ten.  I think that’s relatively low for a quality mattress considering I’ve had friends that have spent much more.  I’m very happy with the purchase.  I would definitely recommend a Tuft & Needle mattress to anyone that is looking.  Actually, I am considering buying a full size Ten to put on my daughter’s bed.  It would be a win-win for her and me!

Note:  This week, the company updated their warranty.  At the time of purchase the warranty for all mattresses was 7 years.  It’s now a nice round 10 years!

@TuftandNeedle Ten Mattress Review I suppose I'm due for a review for our new mattress.  I wanted to do it earlier but actually a month is a sufficient period of time to do a proper review of a mattress.  

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iPhone 6 Cases

After I pre-ordered my iPhone 6, I immediately started looking for a case. There are those that believe cases are an abomination and ruin the aesthetics of phone. I’m all for design but I also like to keep my things in good condition. Growing up, my dad ingrained the idea that you have to take good care of your belongings. I definitely do and it annoys my wife when I “lecture” her.

There are key…

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This is going to sound quite lame, but I’m anxious to get my new mattress. Yesterday, I ordered a new mattress from Tuft & Needle after reading all the glowing reviews on Amazon. I think I first heard about Tuft & Needle on Reddit but I’m not positive. Basically, the founders were put off by the mattress shopping experience and set out to solve this problem. They ended up designing and manufacturing their own.

Apparently, mattresses are marked up 8x to 12x. Those companies are making a killing. I’ve never bought a really expensive one, so I can’t say that you get what you pay for. There’s no way I’m spending $3,000 on one.

I had a nice firm mattress but my wife wanted to get the Heavenly Bed by Westin because our friends raved about theirs. I’m not sure why I agreed because it was way too soft for me. Since then, we’ve probably had 3 other mattresses. They’ve all had the infamous hump in the middle. I always thought this was due to the bed frame, but I’ve recently read that it’s just from sleeping on the two sides. Turning your mattress wouldn’t really solve this since you’re never really sleeping in the middle. Actually, my wife used to sleep on most of the bed while I ended up as close as you could to the edge without falling off.

Amazon only sells the Five which is the 5” model. This year, T&N introduced their new flagship 10” model, appropriately named the Ten. That’s what I ended up ordering, not just because it might feel better but we can use our existing bedding. Getting new sheets for a 5” mattress would be slightly annoying.

I hope I’m not getting too excited and setting my expectations too high. I tend to be disappointed when something is so hyped. You are presented with two options for delivery date. You can either schedule an available day or select soonest possible day. I chose the latter. It looks like my expected delivery date is Nov 11th. Amazon Prime and Zappos VIP have ruined online shipping speeds for me. Anything more than two-day shipping is too long. I’ll definitely follow up with a review after I’ve slept on it.

Tuft & Needle Ten Mattress This is going to sound quite lame, but I’m anxious to get my new mattress. Yesterday, I ordered a new mattress from…

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iPhone 6 or 6+?

iPhone 6 or 6+?

If you’re interested in getting an iPhone 6 or 6+ you should check out this size comparison by PhoneArena.  It’ll show you side by side comparisons of other phones.  You have to calibrate your screen first, otherwise nothing seems out of the ordinary.  Once I did, I was pretty surprised to see how big the 6+ really is.  The 6+ is about 80% of my 13″ MacBook Pro’s screen height.  I don’t think…

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Homesick

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Took the camera to New York. I went up to New York City for a bachelor party last weekend and reluctantly brought my camera.  

I don’t use it as much as I’d like.  Besides, what better place to take pictures?  I knew I wasn’t going to carry it with me everywhere, especially when we’re going out.

I basically used it to take about half a dozen shots.  After I loaded them in to Lightroom, I was pretty happy with the ones I got.  Here are the two that I really like of Brooklyn and a somewhat interesting one of a huge comic mural:

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Facebook's Auto-Playing Videos Are Annoying

Facebook’s Auto-Playing Videos Are Annoying

You’ve probably noticed a lot more videos in your Facebook newsfeed recently.  It would be ok but they are set to play automatically.  I find this pretty annoying.  There’s a simple solution, turn this setting off.

  It’s as simple as that.

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After having them for 4 years, I finally messed up my earbuds.  Well not really, but I did tear the earbud tip.  These Sony earbuds have endured a lot.  I knew something was wrong when I put them in and the music sounded drastically different.  By different I mean really bad.  That’s when I discovered that the tip was damaged.

I think if you spend less than $15 on a pair of headphones, you probably lose them a lot.  I know several people that are prone to this. Those cheap headphones probably come with foam earbud tips or don’t have any at all.  If you don’t lose them, you should really invest in a decent pair.  The ones that come with cell phones are garbage.  I guess some people don’t care about sound quality though.  I can’t really understand this to be honest.  One of my biggest annoyances is the people that have headphones that everyone else can hear.  I don’t really want to listen to your shitty music, keep it to yourself.

In typical Allan fashion, I started to look for new headphones.  I was reminded of the plethora of options that are available.  Honestly, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.  I did some research and came across these Comply T-400 earbud tips.  Instead of taking the plunge on another pair of earbuds, I opted for these.  Three pair for $10, how could I go wrong?  Plus the Radio Shack next to my office had them in stock.

The biggest praise that I read was comfort.  They’re made of memory foam so they are actually pretty comfortable.  After about a half hour or so, my silicone tips got slightly uncomfortable.  I’ve worn these for over an hour without any discomfort.  I would have to say that sound quality has somewhat improved.  It does a good job of noise canceling because I didn’t hear anything my coworker was saying to me.  I just happened to see her looking at me in my peripheral.

These tips not only do a good job but they’ve saved me about $50.  I was ready to buy a new pair of earbuds but that urge has waned, a little.  We’ll see how long these last since there is an issue of wear and tear.  Then I might just have to try these Xiaomi earbuds.  A lot of good reviews and they only run a little over $20.  If you’re interested in Comply tips, you have to check their fitment guide to see which ones will work for your earbuds.  Don’t rely on the package like I did.  I ended up having to go back to Radio Shack to get the right ones.

Nit-picky About Earbuds After having them for 4 years, I finally messed up my earbuds.  Well not really, but I did tear the earbud tip.  

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Still Corporate

I haven’t left the 9-5 corporate grind.  I haven’t made thousands through affiliate marketing.  The truth is I’ve joined bigger and bigger consulting firms as my career has progressed.  That is something I never thought would happen.  If marketing was easy, everyone would be doing it.  As I’ve read and know first hand, you really have to focus and I just haven’t been able to devote time to doing it.

I did go on vacation to Hawaii recently.  Traveling is the easiest way for me to partake in one of my favorite hobbies, photography.  I think I’ve gotten better but I don’t really take enough pictures.  Of course I’m my toughest critic though.

I basically took all my gear with me on the trip.  Here’s what I currently have:

Body: Canon 60D w/ BG-E9 battery grip

Lenses:  Canon 24-70mm f2.8L USM | 100mm f2.8L IS USM | 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM

Flash: Canon 580EX II

It all fits in my Lowepro camera bag and boy is it heavy.  After lugging it around the airport along with my backpack which has my 13″ Macbook Pro, I decided I need a new bag to carry everything.  I haven’t pulled the trigger yet but I’m leaning towards the Case Logic backpack.  It looks like it was well thought out with the side load pocket for easy access to the camera.  However, I did buy this other Lowepro bag because it was on sale for $13.  I think it’ll be a good around town bag.  What I do now is just leave it on the passenger or backseat of my car.  Sometimes in the family car, I put it on the floor.

After I got back and edited my pictures, I was a bit disappointed in the sharpness of my pictures.  Most of them were taken with the ultra-wide 10-22mm.  I think my biggest problems are lighting and holding steady.  When I take a picture of the kids and they’re moving, I tend to react and move with them.  When I get my shot, I’m pretty sure I’m not absolutely still half the time.  Thank goodness for digital.  One thing I did learn was to shoot using AI Servo in situations like this.  I have yet to try it but I will soon.

I have a good reason to try soon because I just picked up the Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 IS STM ultra-wide lens.  I also signed up for a Flickr account.  Hopefully I can use that to get feedback and learn from other photographers.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to throw up a Facebook fauxtography page and pretend I’m a pro.  Those people irk me.  I know I’m critical but most of those people shouldn’t be charging anyone for their services.  Anyway, here’s my Flickr Photostream.

Still Corporate

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Bringing Back Google Discussion Search Filter One of the most useful options I used when doing online research was the discussions option on Google.  

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My Essential WordPress Plugins

My Essential WordPress Plugins

Every time I set up a new WordPress website, the first thing I do after I find a suitable theme is to install plugins.  There are  plugins that I use on every site.  This post is to inform you all and myself.

WordPress SEO– There’s debate about which is the better SEO plugin between this one and  All-In-One SEO but I’ve switched.  It integrates your social media, sitemaps, and post meta data.…

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My Own Product

My Own Product

I browsed Alibaba day after day and finally came up with a niche that I was interested in. I contacted about 30 different suppliers and got about 15 responses. I think a lot of them were just middle men. The others either had high Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs), high price per product, or couldn’t speak English very well. After a while, I finally found a supplier that was one of the cheaper…

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