Pre-Filled Oil Filters: Proper Prep for you car?

https://www.enginelabs.com/news/pre-filled-oil-filters-proper-prep-or-premature-engine-killer/

Dishwasher Maintenance

Real Queen of Clean
  ·
AS SEEN ON TV
DISHWASHER CLEANING AND TIPS
CLEAN THE FILTER
Lots of people don't realize that there is a filter in the bottom of the dishwasher that traps food particles and debris.  This must be cleaned.  If not, your dishes will have this smelly residue on them and the dishwasher will smell.
To do this, pull out the bottom rack on the dishwasher.  Look at the bottom.  Generally there is a cylindrical tube that turns for removal.  Rinse this well and then clean with hot water and soap, rinse and replace.  Wash any other removable parts and the bottom of the dishwasher.  I suggest you do this monthly. When in doubt refer to your owners manual or look it up online.  Filters that have not been cleaned in a long time can be nauseating so be prepared.
See photo of my filter in my dishwasher.

DISHWASHER SPOT STOPPER

We are all familiar with the jet-dry type products that you can buy in the store to prevent spotting on dishes washed in the dishwasher.   They are quite expensive and loaded with chemicals.
This is a version you can make yourself for pennies and it is totally safe, natural and chemical-free.
In a labeled container with a lid combine:
 1 cup of Borax
½ cup of Baking Soda.

TO USE:

Add 1 teaspoon of the mixture to the dishwasher along with your regular detergent.
Borax is available in grocery stores and home centers in the laundry additive aisle as Twenty Mule Team Borax.

CLEANING BALL CAPS

Arrange the ball caps on the top rack of the dishwasher (no dishes in the dishwasher please).  Fill the detergent cup with borax instead of dishwasher detergent.  Find Borax in the laundry additive aisle at grocery and big box stores.
Run through the normal cycle stopping before the dry cycle.  Remove hats and dry on a glass, pitcher or jar out of the sun.  Reshape the brim while it is still damp.

UNUSUAL THINGS YOU CAN CLEAN IN THE DISHWASHER

Flip Flops – cloth and rubber
Toys – Small and Large
Soap Dishes
Toothbrush Holders – regular and travel Plastic Flowers
Silicone Oven Mitts
Mouth Guards
Put small things on the top rack, larger things , such as toys, on the bottom rack
Put small toys in a mesh laundry bag

DO NOT USE THE HEAT CYCLE

Fill the detergent cup with Borax – Do not use dishwasher detergent
Allow things to air dry when done
Reshape hats and air dry on a jar or bottle
Use the silverware basket for small things like mouth guards and travel toothbrush holders

MS COPILOT Alternatives

"Microsoft Copilot (Windows & 365) is described as 'Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant that lives in the Taskbar of Windows 11 and is docked to the side of your screen' and is a virtual assistant in the AI tools & services category."

Virtual Assistants and other similar apps like Microsoft Copilot (Windows & 365):
https://alternativeto.net/software/windows-copilot/

Mycroft (Discontinued 2021) is an open source voice assistant that can be installed on Linux or Raspberry Pi - the most popular Android & Linux alternative to Microsoft Copilot.
https://alternativeto.net/software/mycroft-ai--open-source-voice-assistant/about/

Google Assistant is a virtual assistant application that is primarily available on mobile and home automation devices (including: iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet).
https://alternativeto.net/software/google-assistant/about/

... and several more

Microsoft PowerToys | Microsoft Learn

Look at power rename …
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/

Improving hydraulic bottle jack

He pulled the jack apart, and realized that the cylinder was just DOM tubing that had not been honed or ground.

He honed the cylinder carefully with a cheap Harbor Freight cylinder hone (using a drill press), and the pictures show a clear difference before and after honing:

"Normally I use recirculating flood honing fluid to remove the refuse but that wasn't practical in this case because it was a blind hole, so I 3/4 filled the cylinder with fluid to at least get the junk away from the honing surface. It would have been much easier if I had unscrewed the cylinder from the base but it resisted all my efforts to do that."

" I should have mentioned in my original post. that if anyone intends to follow my lead and hone a cylinder still attached to the base, that often there is a valve in the base which stands proud a little. To avoid wrecking that valve you need to ensure that you have a hard stop on the lower end of the hone stroke to prevent it bottoming on the base"

" Baum Hydraulics in Omaha has about any seal made and they are cheap. 800-228-9222 or 9288"

This provided a better surface for the seal, and eliminated the previous sponginess in the jack.

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/improving-hydraulic-bottle-jack-64769?nlsource=1&fi=102422#post102422

"Next time you need to remove the ram cylinder, put the jack base in a large vice (at least 6"), well anchored to the floor, use a large pipe wrench with a long pipe (36") slid over the handle for more leverage. Finally, put the ram back into the cylinder exactly where you are going to apply the pipe wrench (preferably at the very bottom). Get as close to the bottom as you can since the combination of the cylinder screwed into the base and the ram on the inside will prevent distortion. When you put everything back together, use the same method. The internal pressure of a service jack is around 30,000 PSI so that requires a great deal of torque to seal up."

How to use two search engines simultaneously on Microsoft Edge.

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/bing/google-vs-bing-why-not-both-heres-how-to-use-two-search-engines-simultaneously-on-microsoft-edge

MS Dev Home for Win-11

Check this out (5/23/2023) ...

https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-unveils-new-dev-home-and-dev-drive-features-with-faster-file-system-for-windows-11-developers