Soundcore 3 by Anker | Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Best Portable Mid-Priced Bluetooth Speaker | Anker Soundcore 3

I was looking for a Bluetooth soundbar that is small enough to sit on my small desk, durable, and good looking. After looking at a bunch of them, Soundcore 3 by Anker seemed to fit my criteria.

Priced at somewhere between $75 to $90 at online retailers, Soundcore 3 is not cheap or too expensive. So, I grabbed one.

I was surprised to see the quality and how good looking this tiny speaker is. When I turned it on, I was even more surprised at its sound quality.

There is also a Soundcore app to customize bass, treble, and midrange to enhance your listening experience. If you don't want to bother with that, you can choose Soundcore's own presets, such as Soundcore signature, Voice, Treble Boost, and Balanced.

Its IPX7 rating means it is completely waterproof and can even be submerged in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. The X in the rating means it hasn't been tested for solid objects, but I saw videos online where the Soundcore 3 took mud and sand abuse and still functioned properly.

I mainly use my Soundcore 3 to listen to podcasts, online radio, and streaming music services. It definitely makes a difference having the sound come from a good speaker, rather than a phone.

Its battery life seems to be a lot better than I expected and I only charge it once every 2 weeks with 2-3 hours of use daily.

If you would like to view the review video, please visit the link below:

Soundcore 3 by Anker Bluetooth Speaker Review

Beginner's Guide to Start Cold Showers | How to Take Cold Showers

How to Trick Your Brain to Take Cold Showers Every Day | How to Take Cold Showers

I never though this is something I would be doing. Taking cold showers is no fun. Your body is leaving its comfort zone and your brain is sending signals to reject it, so it takes courage and a willingness to embrace cold showers.

I felt terrible during my first week when I started taking cold showers. Each day my mind told me this should be my last day, but I kept going and going. Now, after a month I discovered the benefits of cold showers from my own experience, which surpassed all my tears and pain. Now I can't or won't go back to a regular, comfortable warm shower.

My simple trick can make anyone get used to cold showers and that’s what I will talk about today. A note of precaution is that before you start taking cold showers, please consult your doctor or a medical professional, as cold showers are not for everyone.

The way I do cold showers is that I start with the comfort level, which is a mixture of 50/50 hot and cold water. This is how people most take regular showers. Then I gradually turn towards to colder levels. I finish shampooing or soaping up in cold water, but too cold.

Then my last 2 minutes would be in extremely cold water. To tell you the truth, this will not feel like fun. Don’t be afraid to scream. I scream when my water is at the maximum cold level, as it helps. But after finishing my shower, the refreshing feeling is hard to describe. I won’t go back to hot showers anymore. I am already seeing the benefits from cold showers after only one month.

I have a video about my cold shower experience, which you can find in the link below:

How I Trick My Mind to Take Cold Showers Every Day

Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal – What You Need to Know

Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal – First Impression Highlights

My previous AOCHUAN smartphone gimbal broke into pieces after only 8 months. I did some research before buying a new gimbal and the Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal seems to be the best gimbal on the market now, at least for what matters to me.

Today, I will share my initial thoughts after using the Zhiyun Smooth 5 for 2 weeks.

- I don’t like the fact that Zhiyun is forcing us to install the app to activate the Gimbal. I think Zhiyun is doing this to rack up downloads on Google and the Apple pay store.

- Half of the buttons on the Zhiyun Smooth 5 won’t work if you don’t use their app. This is another sneaky business model to force people to use their app.

- The Zhiyun Smooth 5 is well made and feels sturdy. The material and craftmanship don’t feel cheap and are of high quality.

- The stabilization quality is very good. I tested the Zhiyun Smooth 5 in 50 to 70 km/h wind and -20°C temperature without issues. One time, the strong wind flipped my phone from the gimbal, but it happened only once and the wind at that time had hit 70 km/h.

- Various modes (like all follow, lock, vortex, etc.) can be controlled by pressing the mode button on the gimbal, but the problem is that the mode indicator lights are so small that they are very difficult to see outdoors.

- Surprisingly, the Zhiyun Smooth 5 works perfectly with the GoPro 10 action camera, although Zhiyun doesn’t mention this anywhere. I have a full video on this.

I am sharing my Zhiyun Smooth 5 experiences and tips in this video playlist: Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal 101- Tips, Tricks, & the Basics

Everything You Need to Know About Tim Hortons Rewards Program

Tim Rewards Program – What You Need to Know

Tim Hortons is a popular Canadian coffee retailer that has revamped its rewards program. Today, we will look at what you need to know about Tim’s Rewards.

Tim Rewards Program – The Basics

-          10 points per transaction - $0.50 minimum, no maximum

-          30 minutes interval – buying again within 30 minutes won’t generate points

-          Points expire after 12 months

-          20K maximum points limit

-          Free Birthday gift

-          Weekly deals on app (always check before heading to the Tim Hortons)

Tim Rewards Program – How to Collect

-          Install app from your phone’s play/app store

-          Scan app whenever you buy

-          If you have a physical card, it has to be linked

-          You can’t redeem physical card if it’s not linked

-          I recommend not using a physical card

Tim Rewards Program – How to Redeem

-          4 categories & 13 levels to choose from

-          Auto redemption applies if you don’t change it on app

-          70 points for a beverage – default auto redemption level

-          Stop auto redemption or change to other level on app

Tim Rewards Program – How to Get the Best Value Out of Tim’s Rewards

-          Default 70 points for a beverage provides great value

-          Better Values - These items provide better values and try to redeem for these: Hash Brown, Specialty Donuts, Baked Goods, Tea, Coffee

-          Not So Great Values - These items provide so-so values and try not to redeem for these: Specialty Drinks, Soup, Sandwiches, Donuts, Timbits

-          By far, Hash Brown provides the best value

Visit the link below to watch my Tim Hortons Rewards Video:

Tims Rewards Program - What You Need to Know

My COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot Experience

24 Hours After COVID-19 Vaccine Third Dose

I took my 2nd COVID-19 Vaccine in July, 2021. So, my booster shot was long overdue. I delayed it a bit to schedule it on the long Canada Family Day weekend, so I would have enough time to recover should I feel sick from the after effects.

Both my 1st and 2nd dose were administered at the Toronto City-run Metro Toronto Convention Centre immunization clinic. My 3rd experience was also seamless and I was done within 15 minutes, just like the previous ones. 

I felt nothing for the first 3-4 hours, but then started feeling the pain in my left arm. I took one 500 mg Tylenol as recommended by the nurse.

I woke up fine the next morning, except my left arm felt heavier and little bit sore, but it was not a big pain or sore muscle. The rest of the day felt fine and I kept myself busy doing my usual chores.

What I noticed around 23-24 hours after is that I started feeling weak and sick. I rested in bed for 20 minutes and then got up to go outside for a walk. Then my nephew showed up and we had coffee at Tim Hortons and headed to Ikea to browse some stuff.

I think keeping myself busy outside helped me to handle feeling sick better. After coming home, I took a cold shower and I felt a lot better. This was around 30 hours after the shot.

I planned to take another Tylenol before going to bed, but my arm soreness and pain was almost gone and I felt so much better that I decided not to take any more pain killers.

Some people had severe reactions after their 3rd dose and some people had none. Mine felt less severe than the 1st and 2nd dose and I think tomorrow I will feel even better than today.