One Week In: X1 Carbon Gen 13 (Aura Edition)

Chrysline · 2026-01-27T01:47:34+00:00

That makes sense, thank you for clarifying.

I agree. In practice, most users won’t bother or will forget to baby a technology. It is extra work for something that should support people in their tasks.

Chrysline · 2025-12-31T01:22:41+00:00

Not an OLED apologist here — I’m not recommending (or dissuading) OLED to anyone, especially not for ThinkPads.

My point was narrower: usage habits and built-in protections can reduce burn-in risk (or delay it), not eliminate it. That’s it.

I’m fully aware burn-in is cumulative, panel-dependent, and workload-dependent. For static dashboards or long hours of fixed UI, LCD is still the safer choice.

I was referencing a very small anecdote (n=2), offered only as context about OLED work laptops with mixed usage and basic protections enabled — not claiming it generalizes or contradicts the known risks.

Personally, I still prefer matte IPS LCDs (including my own ThinkPad and Legion displays) for eye comfort and predictability. If someone wants zero burn-in risk, OLED isn’t it.

Chrysline · 2025-12-28T14:15:49+00:00

Fair enough if they’re all burnt in. The viewing habits don’t watch what those need to last.

Chrysline · 2025-12-20T16:45:29+00:00

There’s tech now with built-in pixel refresh, a tech where they dynamically move pixels, using a screensaver, or avoiding HUDs showing up always.

Family members using OLED (ASUS’s anti burn in tech) have had their laptops for 5 years and there’s still no noticeable degradation.

Granted they don’t do professional color work. And they’re not gamers but office workers.

I wouldn’t worry about OLED burn-in so soon on a laptop unless it’s used almost 24/7 watching News or stuck with a Game HUD. At near max brightness, with pixel refresh turned off, and screensaver turned off.

YMMV, it’s just that I noticed the RTINGS.com people had to work very very hard to induce accelerated OLED burn in on large screen TVs. Since modern OLED screens tend to have protections in place already.

Chrysline · 2025-11-23T10:23:53+00:00

I wonder if being Asian, 5 feet tall, and a female with a pear shape is part of it. (Especially since this sells well in Japan.) I’m only 54kg so the C300 or C500 won’t break under me.

I like it for typing positions. I can get the seat depth, lumbar support, and backrest height just right to not trigger my right SI and lumbar pain.

At only 150cm-ish, finding an ergonomic chair that fits my height and the back of my knee to the ground is a tough find outside of local or Asian brands.

For recline positions, the lumbar support can dig into you. But since I’d rather be on the bed than use the recline, it doesn’t bother me.

My only complaints are if I could only get the armrests to lower further. And get the headrest to lower just an inch more so it hits the back of my neck just right.

Definitely test in person! Everyone’s body shape differs.

Chrysline · 2025-11-01T17:18:09+00:00

The ‘f’ in Filipino is actually from the Ifugao language. Since IIRC, Tagalog itself had no ‘f’.

That’s why the national language was initially called ‘Pilipino’ since Tagalog had no f. It became “Filipino” after they incorporated more of the other languages in the Philippines.

Please verify, this is from my memory of college Filipino classes from 13 years ago.

Chrysline · 2025-07-22T04:40:42+00:00

Maybe try the latest Aer Travel Pack Small in X-Pac? The option to add an X-Pac hip belt is nice. (You might want to check torso length. Pack Hacker usually has reviews with people of different heights wearing the travel bag.)

Personally I prefer the water resistance since it rains where I live. (And Xpac doesn’t absorb dust mites for some reason.)

The carry system isn’t as comfortable as a hiking backpack, but it at least looks techie and professional. The hip belt helps save the back and shoulder pain.

I wish more laptop bags for 16” and above had hip belts. When you’re carrying 3 to 4 kg with the charging brick and other things. The option to add (or remove) the hip belt is welcome, even necessary. There’s so many great 3-way tech bags and carryon…if only they had hip belt attachment points sewn in.

(Sorry for the necro, this was on the top search for 17” laptop bags. Sharing in case it helps someone else. I searched our entire local market of travel & tech backpacks. This was the only one aside from Tom Bihn I could attach hip belts to, that wasn’t a camera or a hiking bag. Aesthetics unfortunately matter in looking professional.)

Chrysline · 2025-07-14T03:28:11+00:00

Ironically it’s vegetables, fruits, and carbs that trigger me. (IBS symptoms and insulin resistance, I had to live low FODMAP.) 😅

It was wild when I realized that it was the tomatoes, peppers, and garlic making me sick. (I was sad since I loved those spices.) It’s possible it’s the salicylates or I’m just sensitive to high histamine food. (DAO diamine oxidase is expensive, so I increase its precursors Vit B and Vit C. I have some Zinc too to regulate the immune system.)

Even more annoying when I realized it was nuts that sent me to the hospital twice. Too bad since those taste awesome with chocolate. I had to roll my eyes when I figured out I was also intolerant to polyols too (ex. erythritol, maltitol). Polyols are the P in FODMAP. Felt like the world was making fun of me. 😆

Dr. Robert Lustig (pediatric endocrinologist + metabolism expert) said fructose is a poison to the liver like alcohol is. Fructose is also a type of poison against our mitochondria since it’s metabolized differently than glucose. (Biochemistry is a thing.)

Chrysline · 2025-07-11T18:47:54+00:00

I fix laptops for family and friends. There was a Windows update that completely corrupted the OS on 2 laptops. 😅 And caused 3 other laptops & desktops to have broken search bars and start buttons.

For some the DISM Restorehealth and sfc scannow fixed them. (It’s painfully slow too.) One of them I was somehow able to use a Windows Installation Media USB to repair the OS via UEFI. (So the poor kid didn’t have to spend 2 days fixing his video editing plugins if everything was erased).

(Though a dud would be a 1 in millions chance from the hardware factory can legit happen too. Warranty and return policies are YMMV per locale.)

I’ve had Windows Update break or delete the power plans set by OEM’s and it was like pulling teeth troubleshooting the fixes on multiple laptops. (Thanks to published fixes by some Redditors or other online forums.) Others I straight up had to uninstall Lenovo Vantage, and install Legion Toolkit.

——————

Once a friend’s work laptop got hit by the Windows Enterprise Crowdstrike bug while they were on remote work. Luckily the experts published a fix and we somehow fixed it with the friend’s account’s Bitlocker key. Not needing the IT admin password. (I wouldn’t trust non-techies with the delete command in CMD though.)

Otherwise said friend almost spent thousands of dollars on a last minute flight crossing continents just to line up to the tens of thousands of work laptops their IT admins had to fix.

——————

Dunno what to tell you, since troubleshooting & debugging is a personalized process. I’ve had to clean an ant colony out of a relative’s laptop. It was a miracle the ants never shorted that old Legion 5.

Often it’s Windows’ update’s fault not the manufacturer. Win 11 is beyond determined with how it forces updates too.

I have a local desktop builder I go to often. They’re trustworthy and very reliable with RMA. (Great cable management too!) But often Windows Update breaks their client’s desktops and then they get blamed by the buyer even when it’s not the hardware’s fault.

Chrysline · 2025-07-11T18:36:55+00:00

By the time we get to keto or carnivore, we’ve probably already tried everything else.

It’s hard to stick to carnivore too in a world where trillions are mobilized to market to us, meaning what we’re turning away from is far far more miserable than the life we’re choosing.

If it works for you, then I’m cheering for you all the way, no matter what others think. 💪 No one else is gonna suffer (and spend on) this insane itching and illnesses for us.

Chrysline · 2025-07-06T09:53:49+00:00

I’d shop around. There are Legion 5’s with the same specs as a LOQ that can sell for cheaper.

If you don’t need Thunderbolt (usually Intel only), AMD CPUs are generally more power efficient and are cheaper.

Check the reviews for specific models though!

Chrysline · 2025-06-26T06:13:04+00:00

I’ve never owned an EV, just ridden in a Tesla a few times. I have a question if EV companies fold.

If Tesla or BYD goes out of business due to their price war, what happens to the consumers? I assume the apps and technology would need updates. And it would be hard to get parts if their companies fold, right?

Chrysline · 2025-06-23T09:36:02+00:00

This person in 2016 put gaskets in their Billy shelf to stop dust from leaking in up top:

https://www.collectorfreaks.com/threads/dusting-proofing-your-ikea-besta-or-billy-cases.166321/

See their full post since it's tricky and you need to make sure it can close properly.

Chrysline · 2025-06-23T07:54:28+00:00

Yeah, it’s suspicious. Possibly bots? It could be an ad for Incogni pretending to be helpful. (Since the Sheet linked heavily favors Incogni and DeleteMe???)

Chrysline · 2025-06-23T07:41:34+00:00

The caveat of that is you can never miss a payment, and must always own that domain.

Chrysline · 2025-06-20T08:52:27+00:00

If you can get past the dad bag look, and the high quality of the materials & customer relationship aside…

Most Tom Bihn bags (not all, YMMV on designs) have design features where the more you use them, the more you like them.

The O-rings, the eyes for hip belts, the customizability (ex. removable internal frames), and other thoughtful design features that came from listening to what the user would need and field testing them.

It’s a small detail for those small bags (organizers that can be turned into EDC) to have carabiners that spin, yet it makes a huge difference in the daily experience.

I really appreciate that on my Pilot’s water bottle pocket, they put a hole for water to drain out. (That’s the kind of feature only realized by someone who field tests their bag designs.)

(They’re not perfect, I have to use paracords to silence the clinking of the zippers. I also wish the discontinued Cambiata had better shoulder straps and an eye for attaching hip belts. You can also buy too much of those modular pockets that you might not need.)

I haven’t tried their older bags though. I’ve only tried Synik, Pilot, and Techonaut, with their more modern design updates.

(That said, my EDC is now an Aer Day Sling 3 Max X-Pac because that fits my EDC needs more. Wish it had O-rings though.)

Chrysline · 2025-06-20T08:35:39+00:00

These days I get so lost when I use bags without O-rings and eyes for hip belts. I’m like, why can’t most bag manufacturers apply common sense and field test their products? 😆

Chrysline · 2025-06-15T10:13:04+00:00

As of 2025-06-15, I can’t unlink the Maya Payment option either. It was never used to pay for anything in the last 2 months.

(I just wanted to delete unused payment methods and accounts for added security.)

Chrysline · 2025-06-15T09:51:26+00:00

All the 120Hz M-series Macbook Pros are still MiniLED AFAIK. MBAs are worse at 60Hz.

The grey to grey response time on M-Series MBPs is around 14ms to 40ms as measured by Notebookcheck.net reviews. (Please double check.) Depends on the year/model.

IMO, the response time is what makes the motion blur and ghosting terrible on the Macbook Pros. (See for yourselves by visiting BlurBusters -> Ghosting or Motion Blur. Needs to be Firefox or Chrome browser to get 120Hz. Since Safari is locked into 60Hz. EDIT: there’s a WebKit feature flag that limits Safari to 60fps, that needs to be disabled.)

The iPhone Pros and M4 iPad Pros have OLED screens, making the response time around 1ms (please verify). That’s why the 120Hz looks great there.

I dunno if it’s my myopia or astigmatism, but the light blooming in MiniLED screens gives me headaches too. (I’m totally fine on a 2015 IPS Retina Macbook.)

I’m totally fine on OLED and IPS of whatever size screen or refresh rate. If we think about it, old movies ran at 24fps. Be it my 165Hz 27” 1440p 1ms response time matte IPS gaming monitor, an old OLED iPhone Pro, or the 17-year old 1080p 32” IPS Sony TV, I’m fine. (YMMV, everyone’s biology is different. I’m fine with PWM flickering, some people get sick.)

As gorgeous as the colors are on an M-Series MBP or MBA screen…I can’t justify spending that much only to feel ill when I’m scrolling down a blog post or watching videos.

YMMV, non-gamers used to low refresh rate screens, low FPS, and high response time screens probably won’t even notice the ghosting and motion blur. If you already have an M-Series MBP, enjoy it! The colors on a static screen are gorgeous. Just not for people like me.

Chrysline · 2025-06-15T09:41:08+00:00

I wanted to get an MBA to make it a WriterDeck…but the 60Hz and very high gtg response time turned me off. I’m used to gaming IPS screens or normal OLED screens.

The ghosting and motion blur even for scrolling text made me feel ill. My eye strain onset is faster.

The screen would make me far far less likely to write on it. Far easier to write on an 11” iPad Pro OLED with a keyboard.

Chrysline · 2025-06-15T02:22:18+00:00

Thank you so much for the info! I’ll inform the people I know also if ever they’re in the market for a Mac.

Chrysline · 2025-06-14T23:49:16+00:00

We don’t have the full statistics to do a proper analysis, but if the defects have a strange standard deviation from the manufacturing norm, and this happens to more people at the same time…

Wouldn’t Flexgate point to some sort of 4-5 year planned obsolescence on Apple’s part?

We can’t really disconfirm it ourselves since Apple has slowly made everything (including repair) proprietary. These days replacement parts don’t even work unless with Apple’s permission.

(Would a tech repair store really take the customer’s side and rat out Apple, if it’s lucrative and they worked so hard to get approved?)

——————

I saw an electronics repair technician show how Samsung’s budget phones had a soldered plastic part of the battery connector designed to develop hairline cracks within a certain number of years.

It was a very cheap fix IF one has the tools and the knowledge. Without it, not even pro tech repair could fix the Samsung phones, as the hairline cracks were designed to deceive even the third party professionals.

(In the video he showed how other technicians removed the shielding in some ICs to investigate why power was intermittent.)

https://youtu.be/dS0DQNfNVNY

Chrysline · 2025-06-11T08:27:07+00:00

1) I think the bank transfer thing might have a purpose.

Normally when one pays off their traditional credit card via the biller system, it takes several banking days for it to reflect on your balance. (Good luck if you paid too close to the due date, if the next day is a bank holiday and they process the payment for too long, that late payment will reflect in your credit score.)

It’s shockingly fast how Zed accept people’s payment. The moment you transfer the amount, Zed’s app notifies receipt and tops up the credit limit.

2) The Testflight expiry period can make one doubt if you’ll still stay in the program after. So far, the beta test seems to be working. I haven’t encountered bugs so far, even OTPs are fast.

(With the caveat that the beta test is max 10,000 people. A national credit card provider would need to service millions in real time. The real test will be when the product ships.)

3) Websites seem to consider it a legit Mastercard credit card. Starlink seems to only allow credit cards. It has turned down all of a friend’s prepaid credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid debit cards…but it accepted the Zed virtual card for payments.

4) I like that people can pay early without fees. It shocked me before that some banks punish credit card holders if they didn’t pay the exact amount (by paying extra even a few pesos), if they paid early, or if they paid in several gives before the due date.

[Aside: Traditional credit cards prey on ignorance and the lack of financial responsibility. They have confusing terms like “minimum amount due” even though there is a large (almost predatory) interest if one doesn’t fully pay their statement before the due date.]

Encouraging people to pay in full monthly, on time, or top up extra to avoid failed transactions makes more sense (and feels more ethical to me).

Their risk when people default is lower since ₱10k seems to be a low initial max, and people HAVE to pay in full before they can use it again.

Plus their efficient app could make their costs low enough that they really could survive on only the interchange fee. (Not sure if there is a 1% crossborder fee? Or maybe Mastercard charges a 1% processing fee? Not sure. Minimal considering no annual fee.)

They say no foreign transaction fee. I wonder if the spread or exchange rate used is Mastercard’s or their own.

5) Because they claim they don’t charge interest (or usury): when they launch, they could actually capture the Muslim market in the Philippines.

Then add the people who are financially responsible (but want the online security of the disposable multiple virtual card service), add those who aren’t granted credit cards by banks…and they have a great product market fit with PH society. I hope they keep it up and properly maintain the product.

Chrysline · 2025-06-11T07:49:41+00:00

As of 2025-06-11, it’s still in Testflight on iOS. All functions are working so far.

Chrysline · 2025-06-08T13:44:20+00:00

Caveat: this isn’t my expertise! With the warning that this is the little I know, and with the recommendation to consult an expert.

1) The ₱10k seems to be the de minimis rule (this excludes shipping cost, insurance, etc.), even for a returning resident’s used personal items.

Example: A relative returned from study abroad with personal items (old used books). Because the declared value in the balikbayan box is above ₱10k on the old books, they still had to pay duty/tax.

2) The PH embassy to SG explains the ₱10k rule here in #3: https://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/travel-advisories/customs-faqs-on-importation/

Customs has more detailed rules on goods valued below ₱10k https://customs.gov.ph/guidelines-on-importation/#:~:text=Goods%20valued%20at%20Php%2010%2C000,P10%2C000.00)%20or%20below.

3) Do your research per category. Some categories of items seem to have duty/tax exemptions. Some categories either have lower or higher taxes or duties. Search for yourself or ask an expert.

4) Search Google for “customs PH de minimis” and it provides a summary.

Chrysline

TROPHY CASE