reviews - J.D. Hodges

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Chuwi MiniBook X vs MacBook Neo: The $399 Laptop That Refuses to Throttle

Monday, 2026.04.13 J.D. H. Leave a comment

Disclosure: I purchased this Chuwi MiniBook X with my own money (~$399 from Amazon). See also: my MacBook Neo review and full Neo benchmark analysis. The $399 Laptop That Refuses to Throttle In my MacBook Neo review, I wrote that after 60 seconds of sustained CPU load, the Neo “drops to phone-class performance that a $400 Windows laptop can match.” A reader could reasonably wonder: does a $400 Windows laptop actually deliver? I had a Chuwi MiniBook X on hand

Frigidaire 7.0 Cu. ft. Chest Freezer, EFRF7003 Review

Tuesday, 2025.02.11 J.D. H. Leave a comment

If you need a solid chest freezer that can handle some challenging conditions—including an off-grid solar setup—this Frigidaire 7.0 Cu. Ft. Chest Freezer (EFRF7003) has been a winner in my experience. The freezer is usually readily available online or in stores. Performance in a Garage Setup (Missouri Climate Tested) 🌡️❄️🔥 Living in Missouri, we see some serious temperature swings. While our garage is well insulated, it’s not generally heated, meaning this freezer needs to handle both cold winter spells and

DEWALT DCL050 20V MAX LED Work Light Review – Is It Worth the Price?

Thursday, 2025.02.06 J.D. H. Leave a comment

🔦💡DEWALT DCL050 20V MAX LED Work Light – Decent, but Pricey TL;DR: Solid work light if you’re locked into DeWalt’s 20V system, but overpriced compared to Ryobi’s more flexible PCL660B. I do love a good flashlight/torch and I use them regularly for work and around the farm. I also enjoy many of Dewalt’s 20V and 60V tools so I thought I would give this flashlight a try when it was on sale at woot.com (for ~$39). Here are my impressions

Sashiko vs. DMC Gold: The Ultimate Embroidery Needle Showdown!

Wednesday, 2025.02.05 Samantha Leave a comment

Guest Post by Samantha

Embroidery Needle Showdown: Sashiko (Lecien Japan) vs. DMC Gold Embroidery Needles Let’s talk embroidery needles. If you’ve ever fought with a flimsy, hard-to-thread needle that feels like it’s working against you rather than with you, you know that not all needles are created equal. I recently tested two highly rated contenders: And let’s just say—there was a clear winner. Sashiko Needles – By Lecien Japan 🏆 ⭐ 9.5/10 – Almost Perfect The moment I picked up these Japanese Sashiko needles,

Dunkin’ Original Blend – Your Classic Cup of Joe

Sunday, 2025.02.02 J.D. H. Leave a comment

Looking for a dependable, easy-drinking coffee that doesn’t break the bank? Enter Dunkin’ Original Blend Medium Roast—a smooth, mild, and balanced cup that’s been a breakfast staple for decades. If you want a coffee that tastes like your local Dunkin’ drive-thru, this is it. But how does it stack up in the caffeine department? Let’s break it down: 🔥 Taste This blend is all about smoothness and drinkability. It’s not going to punch you in the face like a dark

Etekcity Infrared Thermometer [REVIEW]

Thursday, 2025.01.30 J.D. H. Leave a comment

Etekcity Infrared Thermometer – A Practical Everyday Tool That Just Works 🌡️ You ever need to check the temp of something quickly—whether it’s your grill, oven, HVAC vents, or even your gaming PC? The Etekcity Infrared Thermometer is one of those tools you don’t realize you need until you have one. Then, suddenly, you’ve got three—one for the kitchen, garage, and shop (ask me how I know). It’s simple, affordable, and reliable for checking surface temperatures without making contact—which is

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Olympus E-PL7 Reviews

Wednesday, 2017.03.01 J.D. H. Leave a comment

Real world user reviews and tips about the lovely and capable Olympus E-PL7: Robin Wong: Olympus PEN E-PL7 Reviewhttps://robinwong.blogspot.com/2014/08/olympus-pen-e-pl7-review.htmlI have had the privilege to bring the PEN E-PL7 out for some quick shutter therapy action and based on that I am reporting my user experience review of the camera. This will be written from a non-technical point of view, and more emphasis will be given on how I feel and experience when I was actually shooting with the E-PL7 in

Fastest Web Hosting

Wednesday, 2017.01.18 J.D. H. One comment

Wow, finding a quality post on “fastest web hosting” is exponentially harder today than a few years ago. In the past you could generally find a rather lengthy blog entry showcasing a nice comparison between top hosts. Today you find pages of search results tailored to sell you hosting and generate affiliate revenue for the site owner. 🙁 Thankfully, there are some rather in-depth comparisons and tests available out there. After perusing a good number of resources, I eventually settled on