Ebags TLS Professional Slim Backpack

Recently, I got a new backpack for work. I had been using a small custom Osprey Pixel that I got from the office. It wasn’t the ideal backpack. It was small and while the front flap offered protection from rain it also made access to items more inconvenient. For bringing my laptop and some daily accessories between home and work it was okay. Beyond my daily carry items, I couldn’t fit much more into it and even my normal load made the front pouch too tight to be usable. If I had to carry an extra item like a book it would be a very tight fit. I have also started to bring a Pixel C tablet to work since I’m often in meetings where my primary use for a computer is for note taking and looking up information. A 15” Macbook Pro is an overkill and heavy to be carrying and it required me to also bring its AC adapter along since most conference rooms don’t have USB Type-C chargers.

Everki Atlas Thoughts

I’ve now used the Everki Atlas backpack for few trips. I got it for traveling and is not meant to be my everyday carry (EDC) backpack. I needed a backpack that allows me to carry more stuff comfortably and I wanted features such as TSA checkpoint friendly and being able to stow it on top of my luggage so I don’t always have to carry it on my back.

Traveling Conveniences

Modern day traveling has never been easier (buy a ticket online and you can soon be flying to a far-away exotic location), but it is also full of hassles. While we no longer have to deal with things like traveler checks (credit cards are more widely accepted) and bulky books (an entire library can live on your phone), we’re saddled with new inconveniences such as luggage restrictions, security checks, and providing power to our growing list of electronic devices.

Upgrading to Fedora 26

Upgrading to Fedora 26 was very smooth. The one change I had to do was because I use the Terminus font. In Fedora 26, the font name changed so in the apps where I’ve picked Terminus, I had to change it to the new name (terminal and conky).

On one system that is connected to a TV through HDMI the login screen has the wrong refresh rate and resolution. I haven’t figured it out yet.

Tech Travel Gear

I’m not a frequent traveler but I do occasionally travel for work and family trips. I set up a modular organization system to allow me to quickly pack based on who is on the trip. I’ve settled on using these to organize all my tech gear:

2017 Razer Blade Stealth

For the first time since the days of Windows 95, I bought a Windows-based laptop. Specifically, I got the the 2017 13” model of the Razer Stealth Blade (RZ09-01963) equipped with:

Specs

• 13.3” QHD+ 3200x1800 touch screen (16:9 aspect ration)
• Intel Core i7-7500U (2 cores, 4 threads)
• 16GB LPDDR3-1866MHz
• 256GB SSD
• Intel HD Graphics 620
• Killer™ Wireless-AC (802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth® 4.1)
• I/O
  • Thunderbolt™ 3 (USB-C™)
  • USB 3.0 port x2 (SuperSpeed)
  • Multi-point touchscreen interface
  • Anti-ghosting keyboard with Chroma backlighting
  • HDMI 2.0a audio and video output
• 720P camera
• Audio
  • Built-in stereo speakers
  • 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port
  • Array microphone
  • Dolby® Digital Plus Home Theater Edition
  • 7.1 Codec support (via HDMI)
• Charger & Battery
  • Compact 45W USB-C power adapter
  • Built-in 53.6Wh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery
• Size: 0.52” / 13.1 mmm (Height) x 12.6” / 321mm (Width) x 8.1” / 206 mm (Depth)
• 2.93 lbs.

Thoughts on Hugo

I posted earlier about moving from Blogger to Hugo and it has been a couple of months so I thought that I share my thoughts on how Hugo has been working out.

Upgrading from Fedora 24 to 25

Fedora 26 was released this month which starts the 1 month count down to Fedora 24 becoming unsupported in another month.

The steps to upgrading is very simple and going from 24 to 25 has been the easiest upgrade I’ve had. I even had to double check that I actually got upgraded to 25 after it rebooted since it was so seamless.

I originally planned to immediately upgrade to Fedora 26, but there was one package that wasn’t available in 26 so I’ll wait a few months for 26 to settle down and then upgrade.

My First GopherCon

Being a member of the Go team allowed me to attend my first GopherCon in Denver from July 13 to July 15. This is the 4th GopherCon to be held and previously I’ve only watched the recordings of the sessions on the Gopher Academy Youtube Channel.

Backpack Rain Cover

In my review of the Everki Atlas, I pointed that the outside pocket might collect water if it rains. While the rest of the backpack’s contents will be fine, items in that pocket might get wet. Everki does sell a backpack rain cover that can protect the backpack but it is outrageously expensive.

Instead, I got the Ayamaya 40L raincover from Amazon. It is a fraction of the price and easily fits the Atlas. I also like the fact that the Ayamaya doesn’t have any logos on it and is just a cover.