Two Panasonic 12-60mm Lenses
Hmmm, there are two different models of Panasonic 12-60mm lenses for micro four thirds cameras.
Gee Why
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Kicks Analysis 2017 #4: Shoes of Champions
I vowed that if my bracket won this year’s tournament then I would buy shoes from the popular Adidas basketball lineup. There are no losers in the current lineup of Crazy Explosives (low), Harden Vol. 1, and the Dame 3. Currently, Adidas adorns the remaining Kansas and UCLA squads.
Lonzo balls in the Hardens.
Oddly enough, I didn’t spot the special Jayhawks makeup of the Crazy Explosive in their matchup with Purdue. I did see a different color way and the unheralded CrazyLight Boost.
But the Dame 3 is really growing on me. The performance is there, and while its look is unconventional, there are color schemes that flat out work.
Kicks Analysis 2017 #3: Sweet 16
The sweetness of the sixteen teams still dancing look like this:
- Florida (4)
- Wisconsin (8)
- Baylor (3)
- South Carolina (7)
- Gonzaga (1)
- West Virginia (4)
- Arizona (2)
- Xavier (11)
- Kansas (1)
- Purdue (4)
- Oregon (3)
- Michigan (7)
- North Carolina (1)
- Butler (4)
- Kentucky (2)
- UCLA (3)
Nike holds a dominant position with 12 of the 16 (75%). Adidas and UA both have two teams represented (12.5%), but Adidas has powerhouses, UCLA and Kansas, playing.
I haven’t been impressed by any particular pair of kicks on-court thus far. So instead, I’ll give props to the Big West representatives, UC Davis and the bespeckled, hard working, Chima Moneke.
Kicks Analysis 2017 #2a: Seed Sponsorship
For 2017, Nike has majorities in 9 of the 16 seeded positions. Adidas has two (#13 and 15) while Under Armour has 3 (#8, 14, and 16). UA is not represented by teams in the top four seeds. Nike and UA are tied at the six and seven spots.
Kicks Analysis 2017 #2: Conference Sponsorships
Not much to say other than the powerhouse conferences have an affinity to Nike. The ACC has the most teams this year with eight followed by seven from the Big Ten.
Xbox Accessories
Need to pick up a few things.
A controller.
A charging station with batteries for two controllers.
Mitsubishi AC Remote Model Change and Wide Vane
So like I said, I was looking for replacement remote controls for various Mitsubishi Mr. Slim AC units.
Shopping Around
Shopping on eBay was scary since many of the remotes for sale showed the correct pictures but said the pictures did not exactly match the actual product. Even for a cheap $10-20, I didn’t want to risk it. Amazon prices were around $60-120 for replacmenets. Then I found the online Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating store that sold genuine replacements. Costs are between $60 and $70, depending on the model. Still expensive but that cool, dry air feels so so good during the recent voggy, humid, and hot weather. Anyways, within four days, the remotes arrived at my doorstep.
What I Got
Oddly, the contents inside the shipment did not match my order. There were three remotes:
- 1x E12A53426, M-Series Remote Controller (MSY-A24NA)-E12A53426
- 2x E12784426E12784426, M-Series Remote Controller (MS24WN)-E12784426
Missing was the E02541426, M-Series Remote Controller (MS09TW, MS12TN, MS15TN, and MS17TN), but I did have an extra E12784426. Figuring this was a replacement for the E02541426, I tried it out with the matching MS09TW, but nothing happened.
Tech Support to the Rescue
I called the Support number and talked to three different reps from different departments. Sales verified I got what I ordered. Operations verified that the E12784426 did replace the E02541426 over the years. So it was off to tech support.
After a long troubleshooting session, tech support pulled through with an odd recommendation. Check out the comparisions between the E02541426 and the E12784426.
Wide Vane
The original remote does not have the Wide Vane or Long buttons. And that’s the key to making the E12784426 work with the MS09TW AC unit. With the remote “off” (only showing the clock), push the Wide Vane button then push the orange power on button while pointing at the AC unit. You may have to try this a few times. But sure enough, the unresponsive AC unit powered on. After this pairing is done, the remote works like the original (except the AC unit doesn’t really have the Wide Vane or Long features in the hardware).
Update 4/7/2017: Regarding the wide vane button, I think there’s a clarification to remove any trial and error. It seems like the remote works when the wide vane mode is set to swing mode as shown in the image below. When in any other vane setting, the remote doesn’t work with the AC unit.
Kicks Analysis 2017 #1: Shoe Sponsorship
The first kicks analysis of every Big Dance is the overall makeup of the dancing shoes, specifically who makes’em. My first kicks examination failed for several teams – North Dakota, Middle Tennessee, Dayton, NC Central, Vermont, Iona, and the play-in matchups. Obviously, I’ll have to update my charts after the first round when I get another look at the teams. So far, the 2017 breakdown looks like this.
Nike’s numbers are significantly down from 2016, going from 62% to 53%, and Adidas took a five-point hit dropping behind Under Armour. Looks like Under Armour rode the success of the Curry line and sponsored more teams who found their way to the Dance. Again, things are going to be different after my info is finalized and that remaining 11% is properly allocated.
The annual sponsorship chart doesn’t show a favorable trend for Nike, losing ground the past two years.
Adidas surprisingly has been relatively flat. With their latest shoe successes, future trends should definitely show an uptick, probably at the cost to Under Armour. Since the successes of the Curry 1 and 2 models, attraction to the Curry 3 has been mild, and with Steph himself having an off-year, the hype for UA shoes just isn’t the same.
Update
Here are the updated charts, and Nike and Adidas picked up more teams with UA staying even.
Launching Kicks Analysis 2017
Last year, I was late with my 2016 Kicks Analysis with the Warriors of Hawaii making a run in the Dance. But in 2017, Hawaii’s done (although they did get to play in the postseason), so I have some time to launch this year’s Kicks Analysis – a little early but also a little incomplete.
With the overall March Madness underway, I have to recognize Adidas for their team shoe lineups. Adidas has done a fantastic job outfitting teams with customized shoe models based on the Crazy Explosive, Dame 3, and Harden Vol 1. Check them out.
In fact, I’m so enthralled by Adidas’ offerings that if my bracket is a winner, I made a kicks vow to get one of these team shoes (aiming for the Kansas Crazy Explosive Low). But that’s if these team kicks become publicly available. If not available, the general release version will have to suffice.
Gearing Up for Travel
While not an avid and seasoned traveler by any means, I have, over the years, learned that little things add up to a lot while on travel. Sure you can make do, but things are so much easier and convenient if you have the right travel gear.
So it’s about time to check out what I can add to my gradually expanding travel set. My first stop is TheWirecutter’s Best Gear for Travel list. This list has lots of great suggestions but pick and choose to best suit your needs.
Right now, my infatuation is with comfortable and quick drying socks and underwear. In 2015, I had worn to China Adidas socks bought from Costco. I put holes in several of them after only a few uses. They were comfortable enough but the humidity of China and Hong Kong were too much. Then there’s doing laundry and drying wet clothes. Kinda tricky to do especially when moving hotels on a frequent basis. So instead of thick cotton clothes and underwear, I’m looking for fast drying and lightweight alternatives.
I just came across Bombas socks, so I’m reading up, but really, trying a pair is the best test. There are lots of colors to choose from, but the Color Block is easier to match while having an interesting look.
Rediscover Pulpconnection
With some self-imposed downtime, I used this opportunity to look over my site, make some updates, and even rediscover a thing or two.
Amazon Store
Heh, I had forgetten that I have a store on Amazon where I highlight items mentioned here. I had strayed away from this Amazon store for awhile, trying different things, but the store’s still there so why not clean it up?
I removed some older products and added in more items including a section dedicated to the Olympus OM-D EM10 Mk II. I added a few more sections and moved products around to better fit the new sections. This store is also a good place for me to bookmark often used consumables that I need to restock on periodically.
Menus
I didn’t like the feel and flow of my previous menus, so I changed things up a little. I’m still not certain if the current menus will stay though. I need to include more categories to really capture the content on my site. Building these content pages are harder than I would have thought unless I’m doing it wrong.
Email Subscription
Although I had never sent out an email newsletter for Pulpconnection before, I did set up a TinyLetter account where you can sign up to get email notifications. And yes, I actually did send out my first email newsletter this weekend (more so to learn about TinyLetter). Will I keep this up? Not sure, but again, it is a resource that I can tap into.
Fruity Background
With a 20% discount at iStock, I figured it was time to get a high quality image to serve as the background image of Pulpconnection. Going with a pulpy theme, I like the dark wood backdrop with the bright citrus fruit accents.
So take a look around and rediscover Pulpconnection like I have. Sign up for email updates and check out (and maybe even buy) stuff from my Amazon store.