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Can anyone help with pointers for automatable garage heaters? So far my searches aren’t finding anything. My requirements are:

• remotely preheat when I want to work out
• alert if it’s left on, or automatically turn off

I’m in the US, looking for 240v maybe 5,000w electric heater. The basic item is cheap and readily available at home centers or online. I even see variations with Bluetooth remote and/or controlled by app.

I’m looking for something locally automatable. Matter/Thread would be ideal but I’m fine with Zigbee or z-wave. But I’m not finding anything like that, and getting stuck on some vendors portal is not ok. Any leads?

Or something that can use an external thermostat - I actually have an extra Ecobee - that can be locally automatable. Any leads? Any search tips that might find such a thing?

I briefly thought of automating an outlet, however even if smart outlets are available for those loads, that wouldn’t work because all these heaters have a safety feature to run the fan until the unit is cool

One of the environmental regulations we benefit from here in the us, is eu common charger rules! Basically all computer like devices now use usb-c. Thanks.

But it would be even better to be common to essentially every portable device. I’ve seen flashlights that charge over usb-c.

While I was travelling this past weekend, my toothbrush battery died and I didn’t have the proprietary charging base. I sure wish that took usb-c also. Looking online I see a couple but most electronic toothbrushes still use proprietary chargers

Which brings up: what are you guys seeing, where common charger rules are actually required? Looking across non-computer devices that are not required to be usb-c, are they?

Edit: proprietary

In the last few years, car headlights seem to be much worse with glare. I don’t know if people no longer turn down their high beams, or if it’s raised trucks or aftermarket bulbs, or just shitty car design but it’s getting much tougher to see at night. And my teens complain more, so it’s not just me getting old

I’m looking for a way to improve my nighttime safety without adding to the problem.

Does anyone have experience with aftermarket LED bulbs for fog lights? Are they enough brighter to help see the road in the glare of oncoming high beams, while being enough lower to not just blind other drivers?

It’s coming down to the final deadline. I’m running out of time and need to decide ….

Kids are at college so buying in bulk is less important but I love Costco. My membership expired in May, but I’m down to three rolls of toilet paper, LoL

Do I renew Costco and continue to buy in bulk at the potential of wasting money, or do I give up on Costco and buy all supplies from the grocery?

Where are all you Apple haters when we need you? I was expecting my new iPhone today and just got notified of a 2-3 week delay because “unprecedented demand”

I ordered the day orders open (admittedly evening of) and we were getting excited, planning a dinner and stuff, time to explore the new features …. Now we need to wait?

Edit: delayed another 2-3 weeks

Edit October 14: Shipped!

May be interesting here because walkable cities and transit directly reduce unnecessary deaths

Massachusetts consistently ranks as the safest state for drivers in terms of fatality rate, with only 4.9 deaths per 100,000 people. Its success is largely credited to stringent DUI laws … Urban density also plays a role – Boston’s congested streets and statewide lower speed limits in urban areas reduce the opportunity for high-speed crashes. The state also has a strong public transportation network, which decreases total vehicle miles traveled.

wtf, Texas

Is even this politicized?

It may never be known exactly how many Texas women have died as a result of the state’s abortion restrictions … And the state is not trying to find out. The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, the body responsible for investigating maternal deaths, has announced it is not investigating cases from 2022 and 2023, including the immediate aftermath of the state’s almost-total abortion ban.

I found this online and tried it tonight. It turned out amazing, and photogenic!

The only catch was it called for pan searing the salmon 8-10 minutes but mine took over 20

• https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crispy-salmon-with-avocado-sauce

Rice was just a rice cooker. I used broth instead of water and glopped in some lemon juice when it was ready

This is one of my last “good” meals before my youngest moves out to college, so it was a big deal to turn out so well.

This is a stupid question mostly because I don’t know where to ask it. Also it seems like an obvious thing but I’ve never read any news mentioning ……

I was just reading an article going over recent flooding catastrophes and one thing that stood out was a dam adding to the high water by having to release water while the flooding was still happening.

But can’t dam operators see a storm forecast and start drinking, er draining, ahead of time? It’s seems like you could make a big difference in controlling flooding with just a day or two pregaming. That can’t be profound, so why does it never seem to be mentioned? It could be a significant factor on many floods, a critical use for NWS data, forecasts, warnings, so where are the news mentions?

Can anyone point anywhere (except Reddit or Facebook) with up to date info about Market Basket? What are the employees doing?

Last time around customers successfully supported the walkout, to all of our benefit, but are they walking? Is there anything organized this time?

Was just browsing Lodge cast iron, wondering if there are some pieces I should splurge on. Are there non-standard pieces people actually use? Normally it’s just me for dinner but my two teens are back summers

I have the three standard skillets that I use frequently, with lids I use occasionally. I got the small Dutch oven thinking it would be good for beans, veggies, maybe a small bread loaf, but have to admit I’ve never used it.

What about

• the minis, like 5” or 6.5” - do you actually do like individual apple crisp or anything? Which size is actually useful? How many?
• tall frying pan - I’ve been afraid to try frying, but is this significantly safer than the regular skillet, for fish or something? Or should I just stick to the air fryer? Do people use this?
• does anyone like the baking pan or cookie sheet? Do you use it enough to be worthwhile?

So many toddler toys and sporting goods on the curb in front of our house! Got my now college age kid to help.

We put up a huge “free” sign, and at least some things found a new home. Three bicycles, two portable soccer nets, and a pair of roller blades definitely gone but there’s just so much stuff that I really couldn’t say what’s no longer there

I’m disappointed the snow blower didn’t go. Yeah it’s older and needs service but it’s a nice two stage, self-propelled, auto-start model where bringing it back to life would be a fraction of the cost of buying something like that