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You, too, can man make curiously colored headsets. Credit: Tim Stevens
Good morning from Tucson International Airport. I always think that Albany International Airport must be one of the smallest airports in the States capable of stamping someone's passport. But from where I sit, I can look left and see airport security and look right at the farthest gate, making this place a fraction even of that diminutive size.
Anyhow, I'm here way too early in the morning for the flight that will hopefully take me on the first leg home, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to write off my weekly update. I do try to be regular with these things, you know, but sometimes after a week of keeping all my editors happy I don't have much time left for my own devices.
I was out in Tucson this past week testing out Chevrolet's new Silverado, both the hulking 1500 and the preposterous HD sizes. As per usual, I can't tell you much about how they performed over three days of on- and off-road motoring, but I can say my impressions will be up on many fine editorial establishments next week.
On to the other updates.
Yes, DIY VR is a thing
A glimpse inside the horror. Credit: Tim Stevens
The more I learn about soldering and circuitry, the more emboldened I get to take on DIY projects involving ever-tinier digital components. Learning how to fix a pinball machine was kind of my gateway drug, building my own keyboard was an empowering experience, and for my latest feature for Ars Technica, I took it a step further.
I decided to build my own VR headset, 3D-printing the housing and soldering together the internals to create something so uncomfortable I can't really see myself ever wanting to wear it again. But comfort might be the least of my issues. Along the way, I learned about unscrupulous digital component hawkers selling bogus IMUs and just how extremely easy it is to shatter a tiny little LCD.
I suppose it's the microcomponent equivalent of the school of hard knocks, and I'm happy to share my learnings so that you don't have to do it yourself.
Maeving's RM2 impressed even as it disappointed
Far from perfect, still pretty great. Credit: Tim Stevens
I'm really loving the increasing novelty of electric scooters and motorcycles and all the two-wheeled contraptions that fall somewhere in between. You can count the Maeving RM2 in that category, a machine that struggled to hit 60 with me astride, but was powerful enough to make me smile on twisty country lanes.
Not for long, mind you. The Maeving suffers the same fate as every other electric motorcycle I've ever tested: if you ride it like you want to, you'll face a dead battery before long. But this bike was so smooth and so easy to ride I just kept coming back for more.
Best rollers
You try finding room to photograph that many rollers. Credit: Tim Stevens
Yes, dear reader, I'm a luggage reviewer now. Honestly, I don't know why it's taken so long for someone to ask me to review suitcases for them. I'm on a first-name basis with my local gate agents and have retired more roller bags over the past decade than most folks will ever own.
For The Guardian, I put my particular set of experiences to use in determining which carry-ons are worth your time and money. Spoiler alert: The Cotopaxi hardside won it all, and my beat-up yet beloved Tumi 19 Degree didn't even place. But there are categories and options in there for many different budgets and needs.
And, perhaps best of all, I have another suitcase review in the works of a suitcase that's sitting next to me now, but I can't tell you a thing about it. That’s right. Embargoes are a thing for suitcases, too. who knew? Anyhow, if you know of any other outlets looking for such coverage, please drop me a note. I'm uniquely positioned to put luggage through its paces.
Alright, I think that's enough for now. Next time I should have all those Silverado write-ups ready for reading, and I'm sure I'll come up with something else to share too. Until then, I'm going to get back to trying to get out of here so that I can enjoy myself a little weekend time at home. I hope you're already well ahead of me there.
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