Author Archives: J.D. H.

Every Apple CPU Compared: M1 Through M5 Max (All Variants)

Monday, 2026.03.30 J.D. H. Leave a comment

TL;DR: this page is meant to list every Apple Silicon chip from the M1 through the M5 Max, including all the lower-spec binned variants Apple buries in the fine print, with verified specs, practical buying advice, and a dedicated section on which chips can actually run local AI models. Inspired by the popular r/mac comparison table, expanded with official Apple sources, all binned variants, and honest flagging of estimated values. Bookmark it. I will keep it updated. The M5 Max

How I Used AI to Help Research Used Cars (and Saved $5,000 Over Carvana)

Sunday, 2026.03.29 J.D. H. Leave a comment

We recently bought a used 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS AWD for $29,500 from a dealer in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It came loaded with heated and ventilated seats, Super Cruise, a head-up display, leather interior, and the RS sport package. The two Carvana listings we started with? $34,180 and $35,280 delivered for a much lower trim. That’s ~$5,000+ savings for a few hours research. Here is how we used Claude Code and Codex (AI coding tools from Anthropic and OpenAI) to

Samsung Care+ Charge on Credit Card or Bank Statement: What It Is [SOLVED]

Friday, 2026.03.27 J.D. H. Leave a comment

Short answer: Samsung Care+ is Samsung’s official device protection plan, similar to AppleCare. If you see a charge labeled “Samsung Care+” on your credit card or bank statement, it is a monthly subscription fee for coverage on one of your Samsung devices. The tricky part? The statement just says “Samsung Care+” with no mention of which device it covers. If you own multiple Samsung products, or if a family member added the plan, that $13 (or $3, $5, $8, $11)

Claude Code CLAUDE.md: How to Write Project Instructions That Actually Work

Friday, 2026.03.27 J.D. H. Leave a comment

TL;DR: CLAUDE.md is a markdown file that gives Claude Code persistent project instructions. Put it in your repo root. Keep it under 200 lines. Use settings.json for permissions and hooks, CLAUDE.md for coding standards and workflow guidance. Down below the screenshot is a real working example and the full breakdown of what goes where. A real CLAUDE.md file in VS Code. Some sections collapsed and blurred for privacy and security. What Is CLAUDE.md? Every time you start a Claude Code

How to Find Your New Synology NAS IP Address (DS925+ and Others)

Friday, 2026.03.27 J.D. H. Leave a comment

TL;DR: Synology NAS devices use DHCP, so there’s no default IP address. To find your new DiskStation on the network, open find.synology.com in any browser. It will detect the NAS and hopefully show you the IP address in seconds. The Problem You unbox a new Synology DS925+, slot in your drives, plug in Ethernet and power, and wait for it to boot. Now what? Unlike a router with a sticker on the bottom showing 192.168.1.1, Synology NAS devices don’t have

VRBO Customer Service Problem: When the Host Cancels and Nobody is Home

Friday, 2026.03.27 J.D. H. Leave a comment

TL;DR: A VRBO host cancelled my confirmed reservation two weeks before check-in because they double-booked. When I tried to use VRBO’s VrboCare guarantee to get a rebooking credit, the live chat agent joined, read my message, and left without saying a word. VRBO’s customer service infrastructure may be designed to make you give up. 🤷‍♂️ The Cancellation I had a confirmed reservation for April 10-12, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The property was a house near Expo Square, booked for three

Claude AI Usage Limits: What Changed and How to Make Them Last

Thursday, 2026.03.26 J.D. H. 4 comments

TL;DR: Claude’s usage limits feel tighter in March 2026 because they are. The short version: Anthropic has more demand than GPU capacity right now. Millions of new users arrived as word got around about how good Claude is and especially after the OpenAI Pentagon boycott, the off-peak 2x promotion ends March 28, and multiple Max subscribers report usage meters jumping from under 50% to 100% on single prompts. Below: what the limits actually are, why they’re worse right now, and

Claude Project Instructions: Examples & Templates (2026)

Thursday, 2026.03.26 J.D. H. Leave a comment

TL;DR: Claude project instructions tell Claude how to behave inside a specific project. Here’s a starter template you can paste right now: Customize the bracketed parts for your workflow. That template covers 80% of what most people need. The rest of this post gives you more examples and explains when project instructions are the right tool vs. profile preferences. If you’re looking for Claude’s account-wide custom instructions (the ones that apply to every conversation), that’s a different feature. I have