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I agree with Alex Fisher that the app seems to want to do its own check even when the phone shows the buds as connected, and that first open after a few idle days is the usual culprit. What's worked for me is a small routine: leave the app fully closed when I'm not using it, take the buds out and let them connect to the phone first, then open the app. It's not a guaranteed fix, but it cuts down the no-device message a lot. If it still happens, a quick close-and-reopen is faster than toggling Bluetooth for me.
One thing I'd add, Emma, since border collies have a thicker ruff than some of the dogs mentioned here: get the receiver sitting on the side of the neck rather than right under the throat, and check the fit after a few minutes of walking rather than just standing still. A collar that feels snug in the kitchen can shift once he's trotting around. Nina_gadget's two-finger check is a good starting point, but I'd re-check it after the first session out. And since you're ordering anyway, keep the box handy for a week or two in case the receiver sits too proud on his neck.
I agree with Laura Reads about starting with the full timer for the first week and then adjusting — that's the approach I'd take too, since it gives you a baseline before you start cutting sessions short. One thing worth keeping in mind: people like Ben Kerr and Tom Ray saying they cut it short and still feel fine doesn't necessarily mean the full cycle is pointless, just that their gums didn't need the whole thing on those days. If your gums are feeling irritated or you're recovering from a dental procedure, I'd lean toward letting the timer run its course rather than eyeballing it, and save the shorter sessions for days when everything feels normal.
I agree with Sam Reads that it seems to settle in after the first couple of charges — that matched what I'd expect from a rechargeable collar rather than a real battery problem. One practical thing I'd watch, Marcus: how often the app is pulling live location versus just sitting on the safe zone. Frequent live checks during walks tend to eat more than the alert itself, so if you're getting a few days with your normal routine, that's a reasonable baseline to compare against later.
I agree with Alex Fisher that ear tip fit matters more than weight here, and Luna's tip about sizing down is worth trying early rather than after a long trip. I'd test the different tip sizes on a couple of shorter calls first so you know which one stays put before relying on them for hours. If a snug fit is what keeps them from shifting, that's the thing I'd sort out before the work trip.
Tom 2020, I agree with PixelKevin and coffeeandscreens that placement matters more than raw distance. For your home office, I'd just make sure the unit isn't tucked behind your monitor or a metal filing cabinet, since that's the one situation where people seem to get spotty results. From a normal spot in the same room, the remote should do what you need without getting up.
I agree with Liam Cross that it depends on the game — platformers and beat-em-ups felt fine to him, but quick precise stuff got cramped. That's the useful distinction here: for casual Mario/Tetris rounds the size is a non-issue, but if you plan on twitchy arcade games or long sessions, a bigger pad will serve you better. Since you're grabbing a pair anyway, I'd just keep those longer sessions to the lighter games and not worry about it.
Rachel Cole has a point that high pressure on heavy dirt drains it faster, but I wouldn't take that as the battery being useless for patios. In my view the trick is to work in sections and only hold the trigger while you're actually spraying — letting it run while you reposition wastes charge. For corners and moss on a small patio, charging the night before and taking it section by section should get you through.
I'd back up what Jason Brown said — in my experience the speed setting is the lever that actually changes how long it runs, and oscillation is more of a small background cost. If Kate 87 wants to stretch a charge, I'd start by nudging the speed down a notch before giving up oscillation, since that's where the real difference shows. On low with oscillation on, mine has been fine for a desk session, same as she's finding.
One thing I don't see mentioned: the Guardality card only shields what's right next to it, so if the passport sits in the cover and the card stays in your wallet, they're protecting different things rather than stacking. I'd keep the card in the wallet for your contactless cards and rely on the cover's slot for the passport, since that's the setup where each one actually does its job. If you ever want the card to cover the passport too, it needs to be in the same pocket or sleeve, not across the room in your wallet.
Sarah, since it's still sealing fine, I'd just keep an eye on it like you said. One thing that's helped me with rubber seals in general is rinsing and letting the cap air-dry fully rather than leaving it screwed on wet all day, since trapped moisture seems to wear them out faster. If it ever starts feeling loose enough to not snap shut, that's when I'd look into a replacement seal rather than keep pushing it.
I agree with Chris Miller that the mosquito claim gets overblown when people expect it to clear a yard. MikeRobbins, I'd push back a little on calling it mostly marketing though — the box lists mosquitoes, and a few folks here notice less buzzing indoors, so it seems more like a small-room effect than nothing at all. Since coverage is only around 120 sq ft per unit and walls or furniture can block it, I'd treat it as a mild indoor helper and still keep screens or a fan on the door for real mosquito nights.
One practical thing I'd add, Devon: since these are passive and don't need direct contact with air, under the case is fine for keeping it from peeling. But I'd keep expectations modest — a sticker like this is a wellness accessory, not something that blocks exposure, and a thick case can slightly affect your phone's own signal, so don't judge it by whether reception changes. If you mainly want it to stay put and not get scratched, under the case is the sensible spot.
Glad you're going to give it a shot, Noah. One thing I'd add to what the others said: the "grainy" worry usually comes down to distance and zoom. Keep subjects fairly close and avoid cranking the digital zoom all the way, and the footage holds up much better than when you're trying to pull in something far off. Lisa, I get the skepticism, but I wouldn't write it off as always-grainy — it's more that the clarity drops off with distance, not that it's useless everywhere.
One thing I'd add before you grab it, Jackson_H: the scroll wheel's free-spin vs. clicky mode is switched with a physical button on the wheel itself, so you keep that nice fast scrolling without any software. The side buttons and horizontal tilt won't do anything custom on Linux, but the device-switch button for your three paired devices still works on its own. So the defaults cover more than you'd think, and you're mainly giving up remapping.
I'd back up what Tom C said about taking your time — the guide holds fine for basic touch-ups, but it's a helper, not a clamp that does the work for you. Mar__kus's experience with it feeling flimsy under pressure sounds like the heavy-handed case rather than the tool failing outright, so if you're doing light maintenance like Dana described it should be okay. One practical thing: set the guide and tighten it before you start filing, since getting that first alignment right is what keeps the rest of the chain consistent.
Tom, I'd say the ice chamber is worth trying on hot, dry days but not something to expect miracles from. With just water you still get the fan plus a bit of evaporative cooling, and the ice mainly helps for the first stretch before it melts. If your room is already humid, ice won't add much and you may just feel damp air, so I'd save it for dry heat and small spaces close to you.
I agree with Tom Briggs that the fan speed in cooling mode seems to default lower, so bumping it up manually made a real difference for me in how much air actually moves. For a small bedroom, I'd set expectations as personal spot cooling near the bed rather than expecting the whole room to drop like a window unit. If Jamie mainly wants cool air where they sleep, it can work; if the goal is cooling a hot room overall, that's where it'll likely feel underwhelming.
Jess Runner's experience is worth taking seriously rather than brushing off as just hit or miss — sliding when hands get sweaty is a real fit issue, not a sensor problem. What I'd take from the thread is that the ring can work fine on smaller fingers, but the finger you choose matters more than the size itself, and a spot that feels snug when your hands are cool and dry may loosen up once you're active. If you do order one, I'd test it on a couple of fingers during a normal day before deciding, since that's when you'll know whether it stays put for you.
Luis_A91, sealing the worst cracks around windows and doors is the one thing I'd actually bother with here. It won't turn the Epicooler into a room heater, but cutting the draft means the warm spot you're sitting in stays warmer instead of getting stripped away, so it feels less like a losing battle. I'd start with a cheap draft stopper at the bottom of the door and any obvious gaps, then see if it's enough before spending more.
I agree with PixelKevin that it's mostly a trim thing rather than the product failing — glad the damp cloth sorted it. One thing I'd add: since the streaks come from the product sitting in the texture, I'd keep NuraFix on the painted panel and mask or tape off the textured trim next time rather than trying to buff it out of the grain. It's still fine for what it's meant for, light paint scuffs, just not something I'd deliberately spread onto bare plastic.
I agree with Jackson_H that a week in the cubby is a fair test, but I'd add one thing: if the disconnects only show up when the phone shifts around, watch the plug where it meets the phone. A cable that's fine sitting still can lose contact once it's pulled sideways in the passenger seat, so the spot matters less than whether the connector stays seated. If it still drops in the cubby with the phone untouched, then I'd suspect the cable or port rather than position.
One thing worth adding before you buy, Owen21: these evaporative coolers work best in dry heat and lose a lot of their effect in humid weather, so whether it actually lets you cut back on the AC depends a lot on where you live. In a muggy climate you might end up running both, which would undercut the savings. If your summers are dry, using it in one room like the others described is where I'd expect the bill difference to show up.
Mike, glad you landed on set-and-forget. One small thing on Rivers' plug-timer comparison: a plug timer keeps counting down even if someone walks into the room early, whereas the built-in shutoff is tied to the lamp itself, so a quick remote stop is simpler. Not a big deal, but it's the one case where the built-in timer earns its keep over a separate one.
I agree with Mike in TX that this is just the trade-off of going wireless, since the phone isn't drawing power from the car anymore. One thing that's helped me keep the drain modest is turning the screen off and letting navigation run in the background rather than leaving the map up the whole drive, plus closing apps I'm not using. It won't make it disappear, but it takes the edge off on longer trips. If it ever gets really drastic, that's when I'd start wondering about the phone rather than the adapter.
I'd mostly agree with the others that the HDMI port itself is rarely the issue, but Jenny Mel makes a fair point about older TVs sometimes being picky with newer sticks. I wouldn't read that as Flixy not working in general, though, since that sounds like a quirk of that particular set. If you can, plug something else into that port first to confirm it actually shows a picture, and if Flixy does connect but looks off, dropping the output resolution in settings usually sorts it.
I agree with Laura Reads on this: the FitiBeats screen shows the battery level for each earbud as well as the case. You can also use it to skip tracks and control playback, so it does more than display the case charge. I’d say that’s a useful distinction if, like T_Holloway, you want to check both earbuds without taking out your phone.
On the placement side, which is what you actually asked: put it roughly halfway between your router and the dead zone, not in the dead zone itself, and try to keep it out of cupboards or behind big furniture. Then test with a phone or laptop in the spot that was previously weak, rather than trusting the light. If the connection there is solid, the spot is fine even if the indicator keeps flipping; if it's still poor, move it closer to the router and try again.
On the app drops, one thing that helped me was keeping the phone in the controller mount and pointing the antennas up rather than letting the phone sit flat against them — my drops mostly happened when I had the phone in my hand instead. I also start the app before I power on the drone, since pairing seemed to stick better that way. For the wind, I just cut my flights shorter and keep it closer on breezy days rather than fighting it.
I tried a similar little lamp on my desk, but I still had to wipe the keyboard and phone because it didn’t remove fingerprints, dust or crumbs. That was the bit I’d misunderstood when I bought it: disinfecting something isn’t the same as cleaning it. I couldn’t tell from looking whether it had reduced germs, so a cleaner-looking keyboard wasn’t proof of anything. For the everyday mess you’re describing, I found wiping things down more useful, and I wouldn’t run an open UV lamp beside me while working.