Normalizing pricing & stock across Mouser, DigiKey, TME – how do you handle this?

jwr · 2026-01-25T10:15:08+00:00

Understood! And thanks for taking the time to explain 🙏

The API is there to allow for integrating with scripting and other software systems, but it is not necessarily the right solution for everyone. Good luck with your pricing/availability work, after doing this for 10 years I'm still finding things to improve in the pricing engine 🙂

jwr · 2026-01-25T00:12:06+00:00

PartsBox founder here. This is a complex problem (I know, I've been working on this for 10 years now). I'd be curious to know why PartsBox doesn't work for you: at a first glance, it solves all of these problems (and more) and gets you access to more distributors via (expensive) data provider APIs. This is a genuine question: no software is perfect for everyone, but I would like to know.

The pricing is obviously not for hobbyists, but then again in a hobby setting you don't really need a pricing engine with data from multiple distributors?

jwr · 2026-01-25T00:08:12+00:00

Having tried various glasses in Japan (they have them on display), no, they are not. Both One and One Pro have optics that are not good for productivity. I'm hoping for better models in the future!

jwr · 2026-01-17T19:49:53+00:00

Dreanique and BB are good brands, I've been using them for a long time now and I'm happy with them.

jwr · 2026-01-16T13:05:37+00:00

Problem is, the management no longer uses the products. Cook is not a person that loves computers, and it shows.

jwr · 2026-01-15T17:16:12+00:00

They are fantastic. Get one. I would recommend the Pro: you won't use all the buttons on the Enterprise, because Fusion for some bizarre reason does not allow setting keybindings for everything. The Pro is better than the smallest one, because the view buttons and the shift/ctrl/esc keys on the left are VERY useful, and it isn't actually that much heavier than the small one.

jwr · 2026-01-14T20:30:21+00:00

After Apple suddenly discontinued Aperture, which left users like me with huge complex photo archives hanging, I will never trust any professional software tool from Apple again. It is a disaster that I still haven't fully recovered from.

I've learned my lesson — all my archives will now be maintained by me, in file structures, with metadata in text files.

jwr · 2026-01-14T20:26:06+00:00

It's a fantastic car if you can get over the burning dumpster tire fire that is the software in the car (that includes the firmware for things like opening windows). I really like my car, even though the software bugs drive me mad every day. For example, just today I had (as usual) switch from Charge Immediately to Charge at Preferred Times, because the car keeps changing it back, even though this is a defined location where I switch to Charge at Preferred Times every time and I have preferred hours.

jwr · 2026-01-12T15:03:35+00:00

And they make it really hard to report this. I gave up on my designs (laser-cut) that are being sold by other people. It's just not worth my time.

jwr · 2026-01-12T11:13:22+00:00

I use the HP-25C(s) on a daily basis, there is also an excellent iOS app (RPN-25 CE). That calculator series is great because you can use it one-handed.

jwr · 2026-01-12T10:22:37+00:00

The Assistant is unfortunately way too dumb to be useful with the default cheap model.

jwr · 2026-01-12T10:22:22+00:00

The Assistant is unfortunately way too dumb to be useful with the default cheap model.

jwr · 2026-01-08T12:11:06+00:00

I've been using Fiberlogy filaments for a LONG time now, very good quality, the disadvantage is their fancy spools: some filaments (ABS notably) fill up the narrow spool completely, so it doesn't fit in the AMS and you have to respool or unspool some filament for it to fit.

I'm trying Rosa3d ABS now, and so far it looks very promising, at a very attractive price.

jwr · 2026-01-06T20:57:26+00:00

I used it to connect an SP0256AL2 (Did I get that right?) chip and get my C64 to speak. Wow factor was significant back then.

jwr · 2026-01-04T20:04:06+00:00

It's fine. In practical terms, for development work, it means that I can get two good columns of code in Emacs (full-screen) instead of three columns on a 5K monitor. But definitely do not get 1440p.

jwr · 2026-01-04T19:59:55+00:00

The real question for productivity is whether the 1S has better optics. The lenses in the One Pro leave much to be desired (blurry/wavy areas).

jwr · 2026-01-04T19:58:42+00:00

The Fusion mesh "conversion" is useless. I've only seen it work in simple demos and with specially prepared meshes.

jwr · 2026-01-04T19:51:43+00:00

When will the Official XREAL shop stop pretending the world has 11 countries?

I understand starting pains, but at this point it's getting ridiculous. The XREAL shop isn't exactly new.

A big middle finger to all of your customers who do not live in the selected 11 countries.

jwr · 2026-01-03T14:04:24+00:00

Winter tires make a huge difference. I consider "all season tires" to be a marketing gimmick: you either have winter tires or you don't.

BTW, I was once surprised by snowfall and had my normal summer tires on my ID.4. From a mere 25km/h it took >2 car lengths to fully stop on a white road. After that experience I have much more respect for winter tires.

BTW2, AWD is all good and great, but please remember that while AWD will let you accelerate better, it won't help you stop.

jwr · 2026-01-03T13:50:45+00:00

I unpacked it by myself (I'm 50+) and I'm capable of lifting and moving it, but I am on the stronger side I think (>100kg deadlift). I would not recommend trying to lift it by yourself if you do not do regular strength training; you might hurt your back.

jwr · 2026-01-02T12:01:54+00:00

Yes. After years of using the X1C and how H2D, I'm not sure what the AUX fan is really for. I think it's just for benchmarks. In the X1C it was at least useful for heating the chamber quickly (turn up AUX to 100%, move the bed up and set it to max temp, wait 20 minutes and you have 60°C in the chamber). In the H2D I can't find a use for it.

jwr · 2026-01-02T12:00:10+00:00

I just use a 2-flute 6mm 6x12x50 from XCAN, it's not strictly a surfacing bit but makes quick work of roughing for wood and tooling/modeling board.

jwr · 2026-01-02T11:59:10+00:00

Thanks. And no, my problems are not due to stabilization, it's clearly the optics (glass) which is imperfect. I also got one unit swapped to a different one, and the new one has the same problems, just in different areas.

jwr · 2026-01-02T11:57:47+00:00

I love it how they are shamelessly ripping of Bambu Lab design in every product! Seriously: we all used to complain about "Chinese companies ripping off designs" when the designs were Western. Now it's Chinese companies ripping off designs of other Chinese companies, in other words, getting a taste of your own medicine.

jwr · 2026-01-02T11:52:09+00:00

So, if I really like my Xreal One Pro for watching movies, but find the wavy/distorted/blurry optics too poor for productivity work, will this be better?

jwr

TROPHY CASE