Electric heat upgrade

Hey everyone,
Random question, as the weather is heating up over here. I was considering washing my cruz!!
So I wanted to get some feedback.
Does anyone have any tips for cleaning out the flatbed, and tonneau cover.
For example, am I okay to go through a touchless car wash, A)with tonneau cover closed vs open? B) would that be harmful long term? C) if I went to a coin wash, can I spray out the bed without having to worry about ruining anything(lights electrical etc)
D) and last one is there maybe (a bit of a stretch) any cleaning products to use specifically in the area, or does it even matter.

We have a cheap 12 foot round pool. Last year we used a passive solar set up and it never heated the pool adequately. We just installed roof mounted solar panels so we basically have free electricity. Can you recommend an electric water heater that would work for our pool? We are newbies and not very mechanically inclined so the simpler the system the better.

Hi everyone. I’m replacing the heat pump on my 20x45 in ground pool. I currently have a 100k Hayward, which seems to have been undersized by the installer based on the research I’ve done.
I’m looking to replace with with either the Raypak or Hayward 140k heat pump. I’ve done research but can’t find any posts about these two specific units. No possibility of getting LP or NG near the heater so it has to be electric. Does anyone have experience with either of these? Thanks!
Raypak- https://www.inyopools.com/Products/04000014059901.htm
Hayward- https://www.inyopools.com/Products/02200014058160.htm

At a residential bungalow there is a EDF non-smart meter, which is pre-payment only, dating from 2007. I want to switch from the current supplier (E-On) to Octopus, and get Octopus to replace the electricity meter with a SMETS2 smart meter, and at the same time, upgrade the main fuse from 60 amp to 100 amp, and fit an isolator as well. The meter tails are already 25mm2 cable. Will Octopus do everything for free, if I am not having solar or a car charger fitted through them? Octopus recently were given permission to do main fuse upgrades, without needing to involve the DNO, as per the below article:
https://octopus.energy/press/an-offer-you-cant-refuse-octopus-energy-makes-switching-to-heat-pumps-easier-with-simultaneous-network-upgrade/

Anyone in the Spokane area have radiant heating in their driveway? I'm curious how well they work, the required maintenance, etc. There seems to be two types: liquid and electric. How much did it cost?

Mobo can't detect monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Took my pc to the shop for some upgrades. They tested it there and it worked. Took it home and attached a new 8gb ram. Different ram brand but it had same frequency and ddh4. Plugged everything, hdmi, and psu power etc. HDMI signal not found, mouse and keyboard not turning on. CPU fan is on, 3 pc fans are on. LED lights on mobo is on. But everything else doesn't work. I noticed when I plug in my mouse to the port, mouse lights up for a split second then dies immediately. So ik power goes thru it for a split second. Is my mobo fried? Is my psu not working properly? It's 500 watts. I have a rx6600, ryzen 5600g, and b450M mobo. I'm broke and working a below minimum wage job and I hope its not broken it's gonna take me another month just to replace the motherboard. I was so excited because I thought I was gonna be able to play apex and warzone.
My solution to this problem was unplugging everything. Pressing the power button to remove electricity, removing CMOS battery. Left it out for 15 minutes. Put it back in. Still doesn't work. I'm out of options, can anyone help? Thanks. Hopefully mobo can be salvaged. Im hoping its just my psu can't power everything because of the mouse turning it's lights on for a split second.
I have similar problem to the link I attached.

I've been playing this game for about 4 months and put in around 120 hours in that time. I love it, it's the first shooter I've actually enjoyed playing frequently since CoD MW2.
I cannot help but feel, however, that there's some things that could be done, especially to heavy weapons call-downs, that would improve gameplay, or simply make each system more versatile or interesting to play with.
So I give you a rough idea of so-called "Versitility upgrades"
Airburst Rocket Launcher: HEAT Submunitions- reduces submunition count by 50% in favor of larger anti-armor submunition (Medium armor)
Thermobaric Warhead: Replaced submunitions with a single, powerful high-explosive Incendiary warhead (DoT, deploys a small AoE burning similar to Incendiary impact with a primary blast similar in size to an impact grenade)
Autocannon:
SAPHE munitions: Reduces armor penetration for an increase to area of effect explosive
Enhance Combat Optic: Increases FoV and zoom for increased ADS time
Anti-Material Rifle
SLAP: Removes all HE damage and decreases damage overall in favor of firing a sub-caliber tungsten sabot (Highest penetration available)
Magazine Webbing: increases reload capacity by 50%
Arc Thrower:
Flux capacitor: Reduces cool-down between firing for the cost of reduced range
Amplitude Modulation: Modifications to electric wave forms allow longer ranges at the cost of reduced damage
Overclocking: Modification dramatically increases damage at the risk of overcharging coils, resulting in massive static discharge.
Expendable Anti-Tank:
PLOS Warhead: reduces units per call in to 1 in exchange for a guided missile unit
Payload warhead: Deploys a chemical agent in lieu of a HEAT munitions
Flamethrower:
Pressure Tank: Replaces backpack slot with a large capacity fuel tank, giving the equivalent of a full load of spare tanks
High-Pressure lines: increases range by 50%, but reduces period of fire by 50%
Laser Cannon:
Liquid Helium coolant: increases duration of firing by 25%, reduces cooldown by 25%, but reduces damage by 25%
Focusing Lense: Increases damage by 25%, but reduces firing duration by 25%.
Stalwart:
Vertical Foregrip: Adds a foregrip to reduce muzzle climb at the cost of reduced capacity
Improved feed pawls: Titanium feed pawls and modifications of the gas system allows for longer belts at the cost of a lower rate of fire. 500 round capacity, 1 reload requiring the player to remain in place; locked to 700rpm
Machine Gun:
Commando Box: Allows the Machine Gun to be loaded on the move at the cost of reduced ammunition capacity (75rnd link, 3 reloads)
Assaulters Pack: Replaces the belt mechanism with a powered backpack which holds 450rnds of ammunition
Heavy Machine Gun:
Assaulters Pack: Replaces the belt with a power-feed backpack (200rnd capacity)
Hydraulic Buffer Mechanism: Internal upgrades create a continuous Recoil mechanism, reducing recoil, but lowering Rate of Fire
Grenade Launcher:
SAPHEI Grenades: Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive Incendiary warheads Increases damage against armored targets and gives a chance to apply Incendiary effect at the cost of AoE effect and reduced damage against non-armored targets
OR
HEDP Warhead: High Explosive/Dual Purpose Warheads increase damage against armored targets at the cost of lower explosive payload
Flechettes: Replaces conventional HE grenades with a flechette warhead, offering medium armor penetration and a wide spread
Spear:
SACLOS guidance: Removes IR Guidance and Lock for a Semi-Active Command Line of Sight missile, which tracks point of aim
Kinetic Kill Vehicle: Replaces explosive Payload with a solid warhead and more efficient fuel, giving the missile armor-piercing ability (High damage, high pen, no splash, cannot kill fabs or bug holes)
Rail Cannon:
Gallium Capacitors: Removes charge time, but fixes railgun at 60% power
Heavy Slug: Requires full charge, firing a significantly heavier slug for greater damage and penetration
Quasar Cannon:
Regenerative Coils: Recovers heat-energy to be used to fire more rapidly, at the cost of power (25% damage reduction, returns fire rate to pre-nerf)
Saftey Override beam: Allows the Quasar to fire a continuous wave in case of emergency, but forces unit to a long cool-down (2.5sec firing phase for a 45 second cool-down)
Recoilless Rifle:
White Phosphorus Warhead: Fires an Incendiary mixture, coving a wide area in smoke and fire at the cost of no armor penetration and a smaller primary blast
EMS warhead: Creates a static field (similar in size to the EMS Mortar)
Eagle Strafing Run:
Chain Guns: Large caliber chain-guns fire more powerful munitions at the cost of lower ammunition capacity. Greater AoE and damage, reduces cooldown counts to 2 (3 with upgrade)
Gun pods: Adds two gunpods to hardpoints in lieu of bombs (Increases damage, denies player ability to deploy other eagle strategies, +2 uses)
Eagle Airstrike:
Guided Bomb Unit: Deploys Three bombs which automatically target objectives and the largest enemies in the area.
Mixed Muniton Payload: Deploys Two HE, Two Cluster, one Napalm/Chem, and one EMS strike.
Eagle Rocket strike:
LOX rocket: Deploys a very high-speed Rocket able to destroy all but the most hardened targets (Hellbomb objectives) but lacks explosive Payload.
HE-FRAG warhead: Removes Armor penetration for greater AoE effect
Air-to-Air Sortee: Replaces ground attack with IR guided missiles for Airborne threats (4 rockets)
Eagle Cluster Bomb:
DICM munitions: Lower AoE and reduced munitions count for medium armor penetration
Mixed Munitions Payload: Mixed Muniton Payload: Deploys one HE, four Cluster, one Napalm/Chem/EMS.
Eagle Napalm/Smoke:
Mixed Muniton Payload: Deploys EMS in conjunction with Napalm/Smoke (50/50 split)
Eagle 500kg:
Air-Burst fuzing: The 500kg Bomb now detonates at altitude, at the expense of limited damage to heavily armored foes (can not destroy objectives)
Eagle Hellbomb: Deploys a fuzed NUX-223 Hellbomb. Eagle must resupply after deployment.
These upgrades could cost Requisition slips and samples to unlock; say, 5000 req slips and 5-10 samples of the Common or Rare variations depending on potential level of unity or level of unlock of the actual systems.
While this list isn't comprehensive, I feel it gets the idea; most of these are based on real-world equivalence of weapon systems or similar proposals of munitions and weapons.
Apologies for lack of illustrations. Thank you!

As a DIYer I was toying with an idea of buying a cheap AWD clunker for the winter time and upgrading and maintaining it myself.
So pretty much what the subject tells will something like M12 brushless impact (for example Milwaukee 2555 with ~230 ft·lb/~300 N·m torque according to Torque Test Channel) be sufficient for most of the jobs?
Aside from occasionally swapping wheels I’m going to change the clutch, brakes, drive shaft, supports, etc. I’m not a car person so I have no frame of reference at the moment. Some posts here and reviews at YouTube show that owners really struggle to even remove lug nuts but some do just fine even with axle nuts.
It wouldn’t be a total rust bucket but I also has a MAPP torch and a heat gun just in case.

I have a flat roof with short attic space throughout. I believe it’s called a mansard roof. Live in S Fl and it’s very hot and humid. House is 2000 sq ft and a square. On all 4 sides there are many soffit vents that continuously pump out hot air. On roof I have one or two passive vents. Here’s the problem. I recently installed a screened patio on one of side of the house with insulated roof panels. The heat coming out the soffits is trapped under the panels and is unbearable.
Seems like my options are: Close these soffits and open more in other sides of house Install electric roof fans Install more passive roof vents
Do soffit fans exist? Am I missing anything?
Thanks in advance

I am sizing a generator backup system and the customer wants to have her heating system work in the event of an outage. Her house is over 7,000 square feet and she has two separate hvac systems, one upstairs and one downstairs. In an effort to cut costs she has said she doesn't care if the upstairs unit will run, just the downstairs unit. Both systems have an indoor and an outdoor unit.
So here is my dumb question. Do I need to provide emergency power to just the indoor unit in order for it to provide heat? Or do I need to figure the outdoor unit also when calculating the load. Doesn't the outdoor unit mostly get used for A/C? The indoor unit actually takes two different circuits, it has electric strip heat in it.
If it helps, this is the model of the indoor unit: bayhtr1517brka

When I put on on the right turn signal, the rear bulb and the indicator on the dash flash at double speed and the front bulb doesn't come on at all. The left turn signal is fine. I have checked

• good ground (~ 1 ohm) between rear indicator -ve and battery
• bulbs all work, verified by swapping them around, and by testing with a multimeter (~ 2 ohms)
• there is a plugin connector at the back of the bike for each indicator stalk: I have unplugged it, reseated it, blown on it ... if I swap left for right here, then the left rear bulb flashes double speed (and the front right doesn't come on) when I indicate right, so I don't think it's the connector
• if I remove the front right bulb and stick a voltmeter in the socket, it says 0.00 when I signal to turn right (and also when I don't, as expected)

These are filament bulbs, no sneaky LED upgrades. I don't know if the relay is one of those metallic strip things or is solid-state, but it works fine for going left so it would be weird if it were failing for one direction but not the other.
What I've changed recently: I spliced a wire into the taillight +ve for the dashcam power supply (it needs an accessory connection as well as a permanent live). Electrically I don't believe this is relevant - not the same circults - but it is the only difference from when everything was working and physically it's nearby. So I suppose I could have nudged something that was marginal, or else I don't understand how electricity works. According to the wiring diagram, the same brown/white wire also goes to the dash illumination, the position lights etc. I'm slightly reluctant to reverse this change only because it was a solder connection
I'm out of ideas. Do you have any?

Gojng to have someone out to install an expansion tank and new erv. Ours failed and we have expansion issues.
House is 13 years old - original electric water heater, no maintenance (oops).
Is it worth tacking on a new heater as ours will likely fail soon? Worth upgrading to a heat pump if I can get $500 from our power company and the federal 30% up to $2000 from the feds?
Install is in a garage corner in coastal GA. 2 relief pipes (T&P and ERV are plumbed to the outside. Garage stays hot and humid as its unconditioned.
I dont know how long we will be in the house.
If its worth a heater or heat pump, any preferred manufacturers/things to look for? Thanks

Im currently in the process of designing a home with my wife for a potential build in the next few years if the price makes sense . One of the details I keep changing my mind on is the heating system . The system I’m thinking about doing is an air to air heat pump and also in floor for the basement . I’m a plumber by trade so the labour isn’t an issue . My problem is weather to go gas tankless water heater or electric boiler . I know neither one is cheap in this day of age but I see conflicting reports on which is cheaper . Some info that may be able is it will be 2000 sqft (counting basement ) bungalow in the scoudouc area . Thanks in advance just looking for anyone’s experience with gas heating

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Edited by WaveOfWire
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Two days… It had been two days that Tracy had gone to sleep while Harrison was working, only to come back in the morning to see him still in the workshop. She knew he was damn productive, sure, but that really couldn’t be healthy. Apparently, it had something to do with the weird bowl of orange… soup… that Cera gave him. No way was it just caffeine; any amount of the stuff would have been filtered out of his system by now. He mentioned a tingling feeling too…
Damn, she did not know enough about drugs to even start assuming what that massive alien had Harrison fucked up on. At least the scanner said he was ‘fine’—if you ignore the other glaring issues the machine brought up. Plus, he said he didn’t mind it. Either way, he managed to complete the weaving component and a few other electrical backbones of the fabricator last night, so the project was practically done, and after seeing the engineer work himself half to death, she was dead-set on finishing it.
She was currently tits-deep into the upper manufacturing portion of the towering machine. It took a tall step-stool—on top of the nearby desk—for her to push her small shoulders through the even smaller access panels high on the everything-printer. It was difficult to fit her torso in, but she managed, holding a flashlight between her teeth as she fiddled with a stubborn series of mechanical ‘hands.’ Nothing new. The situation reminded her of the ‘shop back on Mars; it had the same ever-present scent of copper and industrial sealant. All that was missing was her dad’s ancient tunes blasting through some shitty speakers… Hold on…
The modular component in her grip was successfully attached with a resonating thock. Tracy squirmed out of the dim wire-filled crevice, trying her best to not rip her only tank-top on any bolts or corners, and getting a face-full of the bright flood-lights illuminating the workshop. She scowled and blocked out the searing light with a hand, but she was a bit too late to avoid going half-blind.
“Are the mechanical manipulators in?” Harrison grunted, poking his head out underneath the printer’s floor-adjacent maintenance hatch. She looked down at him as she tried to blink off the spots in her vision. His hair was messy, barely kept in line by his habit of combing through it with his fingers. The areas around his eyes were dark and sunken… Guess that’s what two all-nighters did to a man. He’d be seeing the hat man or start hallucinating if he didn’t get any sleep soon… but then again, the two of them were so close to finishing the fabricator…
“You bet.” She gave him a thumbs up, slamming the panel cover closed. “Feel free to test it.”
He nodded and slid back underneath the machine. “Gotcha”
She gently stepped off the stool and slid off the side of the desk, stretching herself out. If her piss-poor sitting posture or her tank-top puppies hadn’t already fucked her spine up, bending over backward to build this fabricator sure as hell would. She sat down next to the panel where Harrison resided, resting her back against the fabrication tower. Her excited voice broke the muffled noises of the engineer’s work. “So… Harrison?”
“Hmm—”
“—Mind if I play some music?”
The sounds from the hatch stopped, followed by his muffled, shocked tone echoing from beneath the fabricator. “You have music!?”
She smirked at seeing the expression on his face when his head popped out again. “I sure do… Did you seriously not download any to your data pad?”
He slipped out from beneath the fabricator fully, huffing as he took a knee beside her. The scent of melded rubber, wire, and his liquid labor reached her nose not-so-unpleasantly. “You would not believe how much of a pain it is to repair an entire barracks without it… So, yeah, I didn’t.”
“Sooooooooo, whatcha wanna listen to? I’ve got almost everything on here—besides the super niche, of course.” She pulled her data pad out, swiping to the massive music folder
“You wouldn’t like the kinda music I listen to; It’s ancient.”
She gave him a lighthearted, annoyed glare. “Welcome to the club… Now what’ll it be?”
“It’s Old Earth kind of ancient… but alright” He looked up at the ceiling in thought, lips pursed. “Do you have anything from Styx or Sweet?”
She stared at him incredulously, her smirk turning into a fully-fledged smile. “Oh my God. You are an absolute dork! You actually listen to Golden Age music?”
His brows raised, accusatory. “And you somehow know exactly who those bands were and what age of Old Earth music they came from?”
She smugly leaned in closer. “That’s because I’m just as much of a nerd with that kinda music as you apparently are.” She quickly looked upward, addressing the workshop AI. “Sebas, connect nearby speakers to my data pad’s audio.” Tracy elbowed the engineer lightly as the PA system chirped its affirmation. “Now, Mr. Golden Age music, which albums do ya want me to queue up?”
- - - - -
The two of them listened to music for hours, tossing on songs they liked as they came to mind while they worked. Harrison had a ton of recommendations that spanned all over the Golden Ages and some twenty-first century classics. She didn’t even know half of them, but she was vibing either way, adding on her own taste by intermingling some older rock tracks and newer electronic beats. The playlist was steadily built up as the day went on. Thank God her dad showed her a vast array of tunes; she might not have been able to keep up with the engineer if her old man hadn't.
It made the work go by so fast, their conversations blurring as they jumped from topic to topic. They discussed whatever came to mind—old hobbies, old jobs, and old interests. A lot was left behind in Sol… At least she knew that the only other human on the planet was more interesting than a soulless workaholic. It turned out that he was a pretty big history buff, and he apparently read a lot about the colonization of the Sol system and the various wars of independence thereafter. Curious, she asked where the interest stemmed from, and he explained that his grandfather was an admiral in the Slavic-Europan deep-ice submarine fleet, which explained how Harrison’s mother was able to afford to immigrate to Mars from Europa.
He could also play an acoustic guitar, and, unfortunately for Tracy, he wasn’t even the slightest bit interested in printing one out, citing that it was a waste of time and material that would be better used elsewhere. That didn’t stop her from writing a note on her data pad to do so later, though. She hadn’t seen someone play one of those in years—the last time was probably in some old music video from the early twenty-second century. What a shame. She would have liked to hear some of the Europan songs his grandmother taught him.
On the bright side, the man seemed to take an interest in her odd hobbies. He brought up the folder of 3D models that she accidentally uploaded to the inter-module system and asked where she got the inspiration for what was in it. Boy, was he not ready for her ‘WarHalberd40k’ lore dump. Props to the guy for not standing up and leaving the workshop throughout her rambling. He even asked questions about the different factions and their weapons, which she was more than happy to talk about.
She also ended up going over the other franchises and hobbies she was interested in, such as robotics and the like. The only interruptions to their chat were the occasional Akula or Craftsman asking for insight regarding the various tasks he had allotted to them, or Shar coming in to check up on Harrison between guard shifts.
The new dynamic of the group was pretty interesting, to say the least. Tracy hadn’t been out to interact with the whole lot of Malkrin, but she definitely noticed how they treated the engineer. They’d started to look up to him in a way ever since he started showing off technology. In a little over two days, the man had shown them that he could provide the materials for a brick house, fine clothing—especially by the alien’s standards—armor, and delicious food. That wasn’t even mentioning the other benefits the technician heard a few of the ‘banished’ talking about over their meals: heating, electric lights, and other assorted machines.
She’d be feeling pretty happy about herself if she was in his position, having so many look up to him and be grateful at the same time. He seemed to view it a lot more robotically, however, only striving to get the basics done. Luckily for him, his basics were their luxury.
That wasn’t all there was to the topic; the engineer lamented about how the colony was going through food just as quickly as materials. The meals weren’t the direct issue he had, more that he had to start focusing on long-term resource harvesting rather than directly preparing for a literal horde of monsters—which wasn’t exactly ideal. It was a good thing that they just so happened to take on an influx of Malkrin then…
Either way, they finally finished the ‘totally legal modification’ for the fabricator, meaning they could at least partially address the latter half of his worries. The whole process of ripping out an old printer and replacing the parts for a new one felt a lot easier than she imagined… even if it took her at least forty-eight hours to complete it… with help from Harrison. Maybe that was why it felt so easy… She supposed the colony overseers didn’t choose the man for no reason, so his skills made sense.
“So… what do we want to print out first?” Tracy questioned, having finished testing the last major component.
The engineer stretched his arms up into the air and rotated his shoulders, then pulled back the desk’s chair and took a seat. “I’ve had just one thing in mind since the start of this whole project.”
Her brows raised in a mix of excitement and curiosity. She leaned forward, looking at the computer monitor from over his shoulder. “Oh? What’s that, then?”
A smirk formed along his cheek, the computer mouse rapidly clicking through the blueprint folder. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about what kind of firearm we need since I started dabbling in belt-fed weapon systems.” He opened one final file, a short loading bar preceding the exploded assembly view of… “An M2 Browning machine gun. It’s more than powerful enough to kill in one shot, while also being capable of fully-automatic fire, with a capacity of however many rounds we want in a belt-box.”
“Uh…huh…” She gave a skeptical nod and took a step back, not exactly sold on the idea. “It looks ancient. It’s kinetic, right? Why aren’t we using energy-based weapons? Don’t we have a gunpowder shortage coming up?”
He moved his chair off to the side to look back at her. “We just can’t; Simple as. We’ll need who knows how many more AI cores before we can get started on that level of equipment, Trace,” he huffed, returning his gaze to the specifications of the firearm. “This isn’t the most ‘modern’ weapon we can make, but its twenty-first century counterpart helps with an improved design… somewhat. And, as I said before, it should be more than capable of killing a bug in one shot, so Shar can just tap-fire it to save ammunition.”
Her head tilted quizzically. “Shar?”
“Yup,” he returned confidently. “It’s the perfect weapon for her.”
She raised a brow. “How so?”
He held his hand up, counting his reasons on his fingers. “She’s always on the front line with a shield, she can absolutely handle the weight and recoil, her four arms make reloading it simple, plus she’ll need something with range and power that isn’t a spear. So, why not? And, if for some reason, she doesn’t want to use it, we can just convert it into a turret—which is something I was planning on doing anyways with however more M2s we print out later.”
“I doubt she’ll say no to any gun you give her,” Tracy chuckled while shaking her head, inadvertently causing her bangs to cover her eyes.
“Fair enough,” he conceded with a bob of his head. “What do you think, then? What kinda weapons do you have in mind?”
She reapplied her goggles into an impromptu hairband, feeling a smirk cross her face. “Thought you’d never ask. What purpose do we need these guns to fulfill? Hordes I’m guessing?”
“That’s the idea, yeah. That doesn’t mean they all need to be machine guns, though.” He tapped the belt-fed shotgun beside him.
“Well, lemme see what we’re working with first.” She suddenly stepped forward, leaning over Harrison’s seat to access the keyboard and mouse. Her arms briefly rubbed against him, forcing him to roll his chair backward. She suppressed a giggle at seeing his incredulous frown.
Her eyes quickly traced the hundreds of individual files, clicking through all sorts of folders, each arranged from pre-twenty-first century ‘antiques,’ to more modern iterations of kinetics and particle weaponry. There was… a lot on there—almost too much to reasonably comb through. Why? Did the colony overseers just say ‘fuck it’ and put whatever they could find on here? Were they expecting the pioneers to make a museum of everything?
She sighed, standing up straight and facing Harrison. “Y’know, I’m actually impressed you managed to find that M2-whatever in there…”
He shifted in his seat, resting an elbow on the desk. “Yup, there’s a lot. I’m almost tempted to just make several of those machine guns and just call it a day, but I feel like that’d be too much of a strain on resources, no?”
“I don’t really know enough about how you fight those spider-crab things, or how to get more gunpowder, so… maybe?” She shrugged, biting her cheek in contemplation. “You might just wanna make a few smaller caliber weapons… like, uh… those old kinetic service rifles. If your pump-action shotgun works fine, I’m sure some normal guns would work just fine for now, right?”
He hardily gripped his firearm, hauling it up to his lap. “Depends on what you mean by ‘smaller caliber.’ The whole reason why the KS-23 here works—” he pulled out a massive shell from the ammo belt, displaying it on his palm. “—is because the twenty-three-millimeter round has enough energy transfer to mess up any bug's shell and insides. I’d say the smallest rounds we could use would be point-two-forty-three caliber to get any similar results.”
Brief flickers of grungy orange shells and gnashing teeth marred Tracy’s sight. She forcibly suppressed them, distracting herself with dry humor and a strained laugh. “Guess those fuckers can really take a punch, huh?”
He shook his head somberly. “I couldn’t imagine going up against them without a gun… Anyway, I like your idea of a standard rifle for now. Then, when we have some product lines up, we can go a little more in depth into personal weapons.”
“So are you gonna take one?” She hopped up on the desk, letting her legs swing off the side.
“Don’t think so, no. I’ll stick with my shotty.” The internals of the heavily modified weapon rattled as he held it up and inspected it. “Doesn’t mean I’ll keep it as is. I’m thinking of printing a laser aiming module so I can point-fire it accurately, and maybe a melee-oriented muzzle brake or a lighter chassis to reduce weight… Not sure though.”
She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, her cheeks in her palms. “Melee-oriented? Oooooh, like a chain-sword or something?”
His short chuckle coerced a smirk to her face. “No, not like that. More something to use as a bludgeoning tool. Right before the blood-moon, I ended up getting just as much use out of this shotgun as a hammer than as a… well, a shotgun.”
“That’s pretty fuckin’ metal. So are you just gonna make the barrel into a giant bayonet?”
He nodded. “Not exactly a bayonet, but something more like a door-breaching break.”
A short silence settled on their conversation, the faint sounds of the fabricator’s hum and distant woodwork coming to light. Right, there was an outside world… She’d been too caught up talking to Harrison for however many hours it had been. She wondered how successful the fisherwomen were in collecting, and how things had been for the others working on the wood storage shack. Maybe it was already completed? The sun peered through the cargo bay door, proving that it was only about midday. What else would they work on today?
“Hey,” she ventured.
“Hm?” the engineer hummed, his eyes focused on the monitor beside the technician.
She scooted closer to his keyboard. “What’re we doing after this?”
“What do you mean?”
She leaned backward, propping herself up on two hands. “Project wise; what’s the next big thing?”
“Uhmmm…” he muttered, interacting with the computer for a few more seconds before finally meeting her gaze. “Well, I’ve just allocated the fabricator to print out the M2, three FALs—wood furniture, of course—then there’s the magazines and ammunition, so we’ve got a lot of time to kill. The next big thing is definitely going to be metal procurement, and— Oh, right!” Harrison stopped mid-sentence, reaching into his backpack and pulling out several finger-sized metallic cubes, a sudden fire in his eyes. “Okay, so a while ago, during an encounter with three colossi, Shar and Akula found a cave with some ‘surface’ metal deposits. I took a piece off to analyze, but never got the chance to until last night. Anyway, we don’t have any machines to examine the ore, so I made use of the recycler and broke it down to its baser components.”
She nodded along, seeing where he was going with his explanation. “I’m guessing those shiny cubes are the metals from the ore?”
“Sure is. So, as it turns out, we have a pretty damn close supply of not only iron, but also, zinc, sulfur, and a small amount of cadmium. I talked with Sebas about it and did a little research. We believe it’s something akin to sphalerite, given its composition and looks, which implies it’s a sedimentary exhalative deposit. That means there must have been some volcanic…”
Harrison continued talking about underwater deposits and ancient rock formations, bringing up some theories brought forward by the now 4-AI-core-powered Sebas, delving into the current land mass’ history and possible ore output. A lot of it went over the tradewoman’s head, but she still listened intently… Honestly, she could have listened to the man talk about finding metals for hours. It was sort of like the podcasts she used to listen to while completing colonist training, but even more personal and somehow easier to get lost in…
“…find some other minerals further down like silver, but it also might be an active lava zone. Again, these are all theories and this world could just throw the fundamentals of geology away as it does for physics. Anyway, sorry for going on for so long about that, just thought it’d be important for getting some metals in the future.”
“No, no,” Tracy assured, alleviating him of concern with a wave of her hand. “If there’s anything the colony overseers emphasized, it was farming and mineral acquisition. Don’t worry.” She smiled, pointing a thumb to herself. “I just wanna know how I can help.”
“Actually, I’ve a few things only you can do. I’d like to make use of your impressive drone-making expertise for a few applications, if you don’t mind.”
The task of keeping eye contact slipped into an impossible feat in the span of a singular second, planting a pang of embarrassment on her reddened face, forcing her to inspect her fidgeting hands. “I-I wouldn’t say ‘impressive’… b-but what do you have in mind?”
She could see him raise a brow out of the corner of her vision. “Well, after what you’ve shown me with the reconnaissance flyers, I’d like your help in setting up a more permanent ‘net’ of them to scour the meadow and parts of the nearby forest to look out for any approaching hordes. I don’t want to be snuck up on… again…”
‘Again.’
She noted his small frown and sunken eyes, both a little more exaggerated than they already were. It wasn’t like she’d deny his request, but the pangs of empathy over their shared situation all but solidified her resolve. It was the least she could do. She could help him. She would help him.
The technician exhaled slowly, taking on a more serious and understanding tone than before. “I… can do that. For sure. What else?”
“I appreciate it.” He gave a wane smile. “I’ll help you with whatever you need for the project. For the other drones, I’m thinking about a small exploration vehicle to map out caves around us and mark any minerals, as well as a submersible to look for potassium deposits in the ocean.”
“So… search bots?” She crossed her arms, confidence growing; those were her specialty. “Depending on how long the fabricators take and what kind of base drones are in the blueprint folders, I should be able to get those done in no time. All I need to know are the search cues for potassium and how many drones you want.”
He quickly shuffled a few folders on the computer, turning the monitor for her to see some scientific documents with various images and walls upon walls of text. “There’re plenty of resources for that on here for what to look for, and there’s always Sebas, so feel free to ask him since he can just sort through the data for you anyway. If you can, I’d like it if you could focus on the submersible after the reconnaissance drones.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll be right on it, then.” She gave him a thumbs up, slipping off his desk and toward her own.
“I’ll bring you lunch in a bit. Imma go check on the others,” he called.
Her stomach grumbled at the mention, her head turning to give him an appreciative smile. “Oh! Thanks!”
\= = = = =
Avian creatures chirped from their perches in the trees nearby. The wind softly rustled red leaves as grass gently gave way to calculated footfalls. A warm sun laid its light on Shar’khee’s neck. It was surprisingly pleasant, were one to take the time to notice. The mainland was a confusing place for the paladin, with its disparate representations of nature contrasting so heavily. Some days were filled with blood and ravenous beasts, while others were left within the domain of simplicity and beauty. She was content to have the latter, yet it felt like a facade veiling the former—a soft exterior covering the maliciously spiked interior. Never could she leave herself to carelessness, no matter how welcoming it might be.
Hence why she worked to ensure the safety of the star-sent’s castles and their inhabitants, her days largely spent patrolling for any roaming swarms that may wish to cause them harm. She typically used the routine to think, but today offered little in the way of solitude. This time, she was accompanied by the previously banished guardswoman, and was tasked with instructing the new one, though the specifics of what such lessons should entail were vague. Still, Shar’khee did all that she could so as not to disappoint Harrison, so she could only attempt to meet his expectations of her.
She told the yellow-skinned female of the threats that the settlement faced, how one was to defeat them, and what to expect from the beasts. The guardswoman was directed to practice her form with the spear in both thrusts and throwing for some time afterward, proving herself to be well-built. Such was expected of her profession after all.
It was pleasing to have another capable of patrolling the settlement’s outskirts for swarms, as it would greatly impact how effectively the colony could react to such a threat. If her routine was to suffer for the colony’s well-being, she was happy to show the new one her patrol route and note what to look out for.
The guardswoman was not a perfect student, however. Shar’khee never addressed it directly, but the yellow-skinned female obviously discredited the danger posed by the abhorrent, not-so-subtly shrugging off any warnings.
…That was until they stumbled upon the ‘hyena-boars,’ as Harrison called them.
The beasts resided in a clearing not too far from the castles, carelessly meandering across the sea of tall grass. Shar’khee quickly crouched, dragging the guardswoman down with her. Once she assessed that the creatures were not an imminent danger, she decided it would be an excellent opportunity to show the new one how to properly engage a threat. She was about to propose the idea, yet her speech was silenced just as swiftly.
Orange flashes darted through the trees around the glade. Taloned feet and gnashing teeth tore across the ground toward the unsuspecting beasts at the center. It was much too late for them. They were slow. Surrounded. Unaware. It was as quick as it was vicious, the forest’s reds turning a deeper crimson hue in a moment's notice underneath the abhorrent’s brutality.
Gangly monstrosities gnawed and ripped at the dead creatures, brief glimpses of raw flesh and white bone protruding from the small spaces between the clumped-up beasts. Repulsive wet splatters of blood and gore overlapped the calm noises of the forest, the grisly scene serenaded by the softest of nature’s symphonies. It was a sickening juxtaposition.
Shar’khee bit back the unease and steeled herself. They were within twenty paces—close enough to smell the abhorrent’s vile stench of rot and bile, yet far enough so as not to be noticed. She briefly considered backing away and retreating, her focus bouncing between the different avenues of escape, or how to cover her footst—
Crack.
Several sets of feral, eyeless maws snapped in their direction, the blood dripping off freshly dampened teeth. The guardswoman gasped, Shar’khee’s gaze following to see the mistake: a singular broken branch crinkled as a yellow-colored foot raised off the splintering twig.
The paladin exhaled sharply and smoothly stood up, brandishing two spears and her shield. Her glare settled on the still crouching guardswoman. “You are to stay behind my shield and let them appr—ch. Rem—ber what I have told you. Aim for their maws when you thrust y—r lance.”
The other female nodded, shakily pulling out her own weapons with unsteady placement hampering her grip. There was an obvious nervousness to her gaze. Hesitance. That would not do.
Shar’khee faced the prowling abhorrent her knuckles shifting hue as she prepared for their advance, for there was no chance that they wouldn’t. True to her experience, the stalking turned to a gallop with several clicks of grotesque tongues, the swarm bolting toward her as one. She snarled and slammed her bulwark into the ground, letting the approaching beasts skewer themselves amongst its spikes.
There were only ten—a paltry amount. She had defended against magnitudes more, and yet she still stood. What is more, they were mindless. Uncoordinated. They would be but stains in the cloth she used to clean her armor. Perhaps, if they were fortunate, they might leave a furrow in her shield to remember them by. Her arms tensed as the first leapt.
One by one, the abhorrent fell, their repulsive green blood splattering under her thrusts. Each awaiting corpse tore across the grove’s grass, lunging to their deaths with gaping maws and unfeeling hunger, yet she did not yield. Their shells were crushed by her shield and impaled by her Goddess-blessed spears, becoming but one more smear across their surface. Ten motionless lumps lay before her, seeping their ichor into the soil, none having passed the barrier she became. Dead, just as the Creator intended. She remained vigilant for a few moments longer, watching for any more of the disgusting creatures.
None showed themselves, finally allowing blood to flow to her fingers once again. The shield’s heavy presence weighed down her back, the blood flicked off of her spears before she returned them to their place.
“Are y–u well?” Shar’khee addressed the frozen Malkrin, wiping away the splatter on her bracers. The guardswoman stared at the small pile of deceased creatures, her heavy breaths and widened eyes moving from the spear from her singular kill. The paladin huffed. “We are fort—ate that there were so few.”
“F-Few? God help us…” Her horrified, stunned gaze slowly met the paladin’s. “Y-You said there were hundreds on the crimson nights? H-How do you… They were s-so fast.”*
”As I h–ve warned,” Shar’khee affirmed.
“You are a paladin! You all exaggerate your feats… I thought it was just a facade!”
“I have no r—son to lie,” she returned tersely, shrugging off the insult to her station and shaking her head. “The mainl—d is far more dangerous than ten gnash—g beasts; more so than that of your island hamlet. Pick yourself up. We m—t inform the others of this incursion.”
The yellow-skinned female snarled, furrowing her brows at the ground in frustration. At whom…? Shar’khee? Herself? Regardless, the female promptly gathered her composure, pushing air through clenched jaws. A step forward had her feet splash in the small pool of blood, the Malkrin nodding toward the paladin to continue back to the castles.
“…for the village.”
Shar’khee paused in her stride and faced her, frowning at the determination and anger leaking through the intent. “W—t was that?”
Her question was returned with honesty, a huffed voice marred by vexation. “Paladin, how am I to defend my village-mates as I am now?”
“‘As you are now?’ What do you m—n?”
The guardswoman stared down at her spear, wood creaking under her grip. “I have faltered before what you deem a paltry threat, and the thought of an even greater one sows dread deep within my bones. I wish… I wish to be better prepared to defend those of my village. I cannot help but see their faces on those of the furred creature in the clearing, and yet, even if I am so close, I am just as unable to protect them.”
Shar’khee stared down the yellow female, a long gaze taking in a rare showing of sincerity. “Y—r fears are one we all share, new one. Do not be ashamed of them. All t—t matters is that you do not let them rem—n mere fear, but make them your strength. So tell me, do you wish to impr—e? To ensure they do not fall while you are support—g them?”
The yellow-skinned female released a shuddering breath that bled off the worst of her indecision, a newly invoked flame flaring within her visage. “I do, paladin. I seek to protect and to be of use.”
“Then, if you wish to make y—rself resilient in the face of all that opposes us, it would be my undertak—g to forge you anew. Fortunately, Harrison has ordered such already, and his guidance shall prove ever useful, should you pursue it.”
The guardswoman shuffled in place at the star-sent’s mention, her eyes slipping downwards. “He is of a great many resources, but I would rather receive your teachings than those of a craftsman… or that of a male, deity-sent he might be.”
She placed a palm on the female’s shoulder. “He is far more than you might ever k—w. Regardless of if you ac—pt his guidance, I commend your conviction. However—” Her hand gripped tighter, though not enough to instill hostility. “—understand that you are protecting more than just your vi—age-mates.”
The new one nodded, staring up at the paladin with stallwart resolve. “Of course. I shall be in your tutelage, then.”
Shar’khee smiled. “T—n let us begin.”
\= = = = =
Akula was becoming increasingly certain that she knew how her parents once felt. The green-skinned fisherwoman was currently rotating between the many tasks placed upon her, guiding the newcomers through the minutia of their tasks so they might live up to the potential Harrison saw within them. She was gratified to have her own talents recognized by the Creator, but it also placed a great many responsibilities in her talons. Of course, she handled each new addition with finesse befitting her heritage, never once balking from the increasing demands. If anything, she felt validated; it was required of her as a female anyway, was it not? The more feminine-appropriate labor and management one undertakes, the higher authority they were granted.
It began with a simple assignment to oversee the chef’s introduction to the star-sent’s provided cooking appliances. As fascinating and convenient as utilities were, she held no interest in preparing any more food than she already had, but teaching another to operate the machines would alleviate such requirements of her. She reluctantly accepted the task when it was proposed, especially considering the fact that Harrison was much too busy with his other projects to bother with something as benign as cooking. His work was more valuable elsewhere.
The task itself went well, and the pink-skinned chef was quick to pick up on the use of the various kitchen devices, as well as the smoker. A grin had grown when she considered the possibility of all males understanding such domestic things readily, yet her mirth at removing the masculine job required of her was short-lived. Despite the newly initiated Malkrin’s success, Harrison had Akula frequently return to oversee the numerous cooking operations being conducted. That was in tandem with the back-to-back fishing trips made by both herself and the newly acquired females.
…Which was something else the green-skinned cycle-worshipper was ordered to oversee.
She had left the chef to his devices after producing another batch of partially seasoned meals, returning to the Creator with hopes of a break. He applauded her efforts with a nod and tersely spoken appreciation, then quickly pushed two spearguns into her hand and directed her to the ocean, where the twins were ‘working with jack shit,’ as the busy male said. She was to give the fisherwomen the tools and make sure they were used properly, and offer additional assistance in acquiring ‘enough fish to have us fed for a little bit.’
So, she left to complete the given task, feeling somewhat appreciative that her speargun was of superior quality to those she would be delivering—the newcomers were only afforded the lesser, roped-bolt version. It was only natural that she was in possession of their greatest assets, of course; the star-sent saw her as the only one capable of wielding such fantastic ammunition, showing trust that was rightfully placed in her. That did not mean the gray-skinned females were unsatisfied with their own gifts, however. The twins were swiftly caught up on the ‘manual of arms’ and sent to work, somehow managing to keep up with Akula in spite of their land-based origins. The two were fast enough to outpace the cycle-worshipper in sheer speed, but their lack of numerous winters spent traversing deeper waters meant they required frequent rests, breaking the ocean’s surface after every third captured fish or so.
Still, she had to appreciate their dedication to their task. They never complained about Akula pushing them further to reach the star-sent’s vague objective. Such a task was entrusted to her—and by proxy, the other two—and thus it would be completed, no matter how much her comfortable bed… couch called her tiring muscles.
The group of three hauled net after full net of fresh meat to the chef—and sewist, who later joined him—forcing him to relegate much of the catch to long-term storage as the kitchen simply could not deal with the surplus. At least three-quarters of the fish were put to slow cook in the now Malkrin-sized smoker. The craftsman had upgraded it with a kit provided by Harrison, who had recycled much of the dining room and workshop furniture to accommodate it. The Creator’s showcased urgency to gather materials was clearly not unfounded… It was admirable how he used what little he had left to ensure food would not be scarce. Additionally, the apparatus exuded an excellent scent for all the survivors to enjoy, the earthy aroma drawing in some of the other Malkrin for their breaks or meals.
Those were not the end of the cycle-worshiper’s tasks, however. She was also required to report on Shar’khee’s progress in training the guardswoman—helping to recycle the small swarm of abhorrent they cleared earlier—as well as the wood storage building’s progress. Indeed, she was advising and assisting however and wherever applicable. To say she was seen all around the settlement would be an understatement.
Nevertheless, she was appreciative to see her efforts bearing fruit by sundown. The processing of their meals from sea to plate was quite efficient, and those that Akula taught were now well-practiced in their duties. The twin fisherwomen dove from wave to wave, bringing fish back to the barracks, where the cook and sewist swiftly worked to transfer the meat to pans and smoker hooks alike. Then, the remnants of the Sea Goddess’ aquatic gifts would be subsequently recycled and given purpose anew as biofuel or perhaps future fertilizer.
The endless onslaught of duties and responsibilities had enlightened her, in a way. She could see where Harrison came from now; having a working project go from one point to another without input nor difficulty was a sight to behold, and it made her swell with pride. It was a surmountable feat to teach the barbaric ground-worshippers to do something properly.
…Well, they were not horrible Malkrin, so perhaps simply calling them ‘uninitiated’ was a more apt descriptor…
No matter the tribulations faced, and no matter how draining her new authority might be, her rest at the end of the day would be one that was well-earned, and it would be had with a sense of satisfaction. She deserved it, and perhaps that extended to the rest of the settlement as well.
- - - - -
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Next time on Total Drama Anomaly Island - Mine! Mine! Mine!

Took my pc to the shop for some upgrades. They tested it there and it worked. Took it home and attached a new 8gb ram. Different ram brand but it had same frequency and ddh4. Plugged everything, hdmi, and psu power etc. HDMI signal not found, mouse and keyboard not turning on. CPU fan is on, 3 pc fans are on. LED lights on mobo is on. But everything else doesn't work. I noticed when I plug in my mouse to the port, mouse lights up for a split second then dies immediately. So ik power goes thru it for a split second. Is my mobo fried? Is my psu not working properly? It's 500 watts. I have a rx6600, ryzen 5600g, and b450M mobo. I'm broke and working a below minimum wage job and I hope its not broken it's gonna take me another month just to replace the motherboard. I was so excited because I thought I was gonna be able to play apex and warzone.
My solution to this problem was unplugging everything. Pressing the power button to remove electricity, removing CMOS battery. Left it out for 15 minutes. Put it back in. Still doesn't work. I'm out of options, can anyone help? Thanks. Hopefully mobo can be salvaged. Im hoping its just my psu can't power everything because of the mouse turning it's lights on for a split second.
I have similar problem to the link I attached.

At the start of 2024, my partner and I purchased a house (built in 1954) in Sweden. We personally inspected the house and had it professionally evaluated. A small number of issues were found during the inspection, but nothing that deterred us from actually buying the house.
The contract was signed by all parties throughout the end of 2023 (no choice of law was established, which means Swedish law is appliccable) and the transfer (tillträde) took place in mid-January 2024. When we arrived at the house, there was no electricity, no running water, and no heating. Various leaks had occurred because of the cold weather and the lack of heating. The reason for there being no electricity turned out to be a defective electric heating unit, used to aid the central heating system which is otherwise brought up to temperature by burning wood. This unit was shorting out the entire house. The lack of electricity meant that the circulation pump was not running, allowing some of the leaks to occur. The previous owner had also shut off the main water valve, meaning there also was no water pressure in any of the pipes, contributing to a situation in which leaks could occur.
There is no way of knowing exactly what happened in what order, but we do know that none of these leaks were there when the property was viewed by us and inspected by a third party. Because these defects all originated from before we took over the property (tillträde), it is our understanding that the seller is responsible for the defects. Unfortunately, however, the seller refuses to take responsibility besides paying for the plumber that we had over to repair (what turned out to be only some of) the leaks. We have incurred more costs (such as being forced to stay in a hotel, an enormous electricity bill because we used an army of 2000W electric heaters to keep the house above 0 degrees) and expect to incur additional costs to repair the heating system, which involves replacing a significant portion of the central heating pipes.
I believe that the seller is in breach of contract. The house should have been delivered in the condition we accepted after the viewing and inspection, but it was not. The contract, which she signed, clearly states that these defects are her responsibility.
What I'm wondering is: how should we proceed from here? I would prefer to hold her accountable and force repairs and/or financial compensation, but I'm not sure how this works given I'm a Dutch citizen, not a Swedish one. Family members advise, however, to take the money for the plumber's bill and leave it at that. I can't properly assess what such an issue means across borders, both practically and financially. Therefore, I hope to get some advice through this post.
If I have left out any details that are relevant, I am of course willing to expand this post with them.

1. Hydration Trackers: Wearables that monitor water intake throughout the day and provide reminders to stay hydrated. They could also analyze hydration levels based on factors like activity level and environmental conditions.
   
2. Posture Correctors: Devices that detect and alert users about poor posture habits, such as slouching or hunching over. They could provide gentle vibrations or reminders to encourage proper spinal alignment.
   
3. Sun Exposure Sensors: Wearables equipped with UV sensors to monitor sun exposure levels and provide alerts when users are at risk of sunburn or overexposure. They could also recommend appropriate sun protection measures based on skin type and environmental conditions.
   
4. Nutrition Trackers: Wearables that track dietary habits, including food intake and nutritional content. They could offer personalized recommendations for balanced meals, dietary adjustments, and portion control to support overall health and wellness goals.
   
5. Pain Management Devices: Wearables that utilize technologies such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or heat therapy to alleviate muscle tension, joint pain, and discomfort. They could provide customizable pain relief programs tailored to individual needs.
   
6. Mindfulness Bracelets: Wearables designed to promote mindfulness and relaxation through guided breathing exercises, meditation prompts, or calming vibrations. They could also track stress levels and provide feedback on relaxation techniques.
   
7. Sleep Enhancers: Wearables that track sleep quality and patterns, offering insights into sleep stages, disturbances, and overall sleep hygiene. They could incorporate features like white noise generators, gentle alarm systems, or sleep coaching programs to improve sleep duration and quality.
   
8. Allergy Detectors: Wearables equipped with sensors to detect common allergens in the surrounding environment, such as pollen, dust, or pet dander. They could provide real-time alerts and personalized recommendations for allergy management strategies.
   
9. Gait Analysis Devices: Wearables that analyze walking and running patterns to assess gait biomechanics and detect potential issues or imbalances. They could offer feedback on improving stride efficiency, foot placement, and overall gait mechanics.
   

These wearables, combined with the previously mentioned ones, offer a comprehensive approach to personal health and wellness, addressing various aspects such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, mental well-being, and environmental factors.

Bought Legendary a few weeks ago and started playing for the first time. As someone who has never played ME before, I loved ME1. Admittedly I was high most of the time playing it but it scratched an itch.
Fast forward to yesterday when I finally finished a complete run and immediately started ME2. I’ve been staying off the sub for spoilers but I’m a little frustrated and wanted to vent a little.
Couple of mechanical things I wanted to check on before I keep going:

1. The map. I love maps and HUDs. ME1 exploration map for me was just fine. I’m going crazy with the blank map in ME2. I just got to Omega, please tell me it gets better. I never know where I’m at and the completionist in me is in absolute hell. sarcasm
   
2. Overheat vs heat clips. In ME1 I got the hang of Sniper quickly and managed my overheating so it wasn’t an issue. The clip feature in ME2 seems like it should feel better but only 10 rounds? Please tell me clip size is an upgrade somewhere.
   
3. Love the armor customization. This made me so happy.
   

I guess that’s all, I’m still trying not to spoil my first run through all 3 games, but needed to get those off my chest.
ETA: 4. Getting locked out of hacks when you screw up forcing to load a save. Hate this.

I just have a very specific question as I know not using a dryer in general and hanging clothes to dry would be the best. What would cost less on your electric bill, having your dryer on high but only have to do 1 60 minute cycle or turn the heat off but have to do a couple 60 minute cycles until they're dry?

I'll join a college with most probably electrical branch this year, the clg is only 1-2hr away from my home and delhites don't easily get hostel in delhi colleges. So I'll be a day scholar, I already have a 5yr old still going strong i5 4th gen laptop (upgraded with 16gb ram and ssd). What should I get for college? Would a good laptop be necessary for electrical guys or should I build a pc instead if I want to get tech placements at the end? The budget is 50-55k