Kingkiller Chronicle

So the Kingkiller Chronicles might end up as a series on Showtime. This could be a great option for The Game of Thrones fans. Of course, the author (Patrick Rothfuss) works like George R.R. Martin - we have been waiting about 7 years for book 3 in the trilogy.

I'm re-reading the first book: The Wise Man's Fear.

I love the stories within stories. I'm reading it with a little more care as I try to come up with some theories for the last book.

Radioddity Baofeng RD-5R: $75

Radioddity posted the RD-5R on their site and you can order it for $75.

Crouching Tiger Really Hidden Dragon

How to spot a Dragon using an illusion spell. #dnd #rpg #tabletop pic.twitter.com/cw33WhcAKq

— Grand DM (@Grand_DM) January 31, 2018

Netgear Orbi

I dropped my Comcast Triple Play down to a Double Play - no more phone. This means I don't need their cable modem any more. I ordered the NETGEAR CM500-1AZNAS and it's on it s way. (I figure by the time I need something beyond DOCSIS 3.0, I'll be able to get it cheaply.)

The bigger question is what to do for wireless since I won't be using the Comcast modem/router/wireless device. I very tempted by the NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System with Tri-band system. Lots of reviews are very positive and I like that both units have Ethernet ports on them.

S&W M&P Shield 2.0

I'm seeing lots of folks (online and in the real world) talking about the new version of the S&W M&P Shield. Lasers, flashlights, suppressors - oh my!

Smart Dumbbells

Of course they are... Bowflex SelectTech 560 Dumbbell (Pair), 5 lb - 60 lb:

"Integrated Bluetooth Smart technology syncs and records sets, reps, and weight
Free app with over 70 exercises, 6 week Challenge, journal, and more"

Unfortunately they aren't Alexa compatible, so you can't ask her to do your overhead presses.

Radioddity Baofeng RD-5R: DMR HT

Based on the UV-5R form factor, Radioddity is releasing a new DMR HT... the RD-5R:

As the first Radioddity-Baofeng co-produced DMR, RD-5R is featured with solid quality and affordable price. The FM radio function, LED flashlight and built in VFO mode make it stands out from other DMRs.
Sticked with classical design of the 5R family, this time RD-5R is a true dual band dual time slot DMR.

Fingers crossed that this will be a better radio than the DM-5R. Projected price is approximately $70 USD. In the comments, they note that the "RD-5R share pretty much the same CPS with GD-77 and hopefully this will make it a lot easier" to program and thus it will have all the GD-77 DMR functionality.

Streaming Services

Interesting viewing patterns in the big 3 streaming services...

OneDrive: Files Restores

Ignoring the awkward name, I'm always happy to see new features being released for the OneDrive service. OneDrive has stored revisions for a while, but Files Restores includes some neat enhancements - like the histogram so you can see the volume of changes.

I love the cloud and features like the Files Restores, but I still buy a USB hard drive every few years to do my own back up. That reminds me... I need to take my year-end snap shot and get the drive to the safe deposit box at my bank.

Outdoor Wi-Fi Outlet, Smart Plug

No surprise, I've done it again... I bought another Alexa controllable smart plug. But wait! This one is totally different. It's an outdoor plug - Oittm Outdoor Wi-Fi Outlet, Smart Plug Socket! I've got a string of lights around the porch on the back of my house. They aren't on a switch, so we have to plug them in every time we want to use them. It is fairly common to turn them on to get a little more light when we are grilling. Usually this means having our hands full when we go out there, so the voice control will be great. (I know first world problem - but first world solutions, too!)