The things I bought on Double Eleven have been arriving one after another, so I can finally do a little sharing.
Xiaomi Smart Plug
- Specification: Smart Plug 2 Bluetooth Gateway Edition
- Price: ￥39-20%
One day at the start of this semester, I came across an article online about Wake-on-LAN (WOL). Suddenly I had an idea: after class, when I get back to my dorm, I’d place my phone on an NFC card on the desk; after detecting the NFC card, the phone would execute a preset shortcut to send a wake-on-LAN signal via MAC address to the router, waking up my computer.
Sounds cool, right! That very night, without much thought, I ordered several blank NFC cards from Taobao and even stayed up designing a nice cover in PS (it had a strong Apple vibe, but the source files and exported images are now deleted). Everything was ready—except the NFC cards.
When the NFC cards finally arrived, I discovered two major problems I couldn’t solve. First, my phone’s automation doesn’t support NFC detection; after searching online, I found that this feature is only available on iPhone Xr and newer, whereas my 8P obviously doesn’t have such “advanced” functionality. Second, my laptop doesn’t support WOL. Those two issues completely killed the idea—was there really no workaround?
In early November, Taobao pushed me ads for smart plugs, and I suddenly realized I could set my computer to boot automatically when powered, and then configure a geofence for the smart plug to turn on when I’m near the dorm. It’s not as fancy as the previous idea, but it accomplishes the same goal. So right before Double Eleven, I bought a Xiaomi Smart Plug at a discount. In the Mi Home APP, I can see the power usage status, and most importantly, I can remotely switch it on or off from my phone.
Mi Home APP Screenshot
After using it for a while, I found the best thing is that when shutting down at night, if Windows 10 insists on updating, I no longer have to wait around for it. As for the geofence, it’s a bit tricky—you have to allow Mi Home APP continuous access to location data, but even then, successful early starts are few and far between. So lately I’ve been experimenting with using OpenCV and a microcontroller’s camera to recognize my face when I open the dorm door, automatically turning on the smart plug’s power. After all, I’m an electronic information engineering student XD.
Working on it.jpg
2022 “Cloud a Day” Calendar
- Specification: 2022 Cloud a Day
- Price: ￥89.12-25%
I had this calendar sitting in my shopping cart for a long time, and finally bought it during the Double Eleven sale. Before buying, I saw some reviews saying the corners of the package were all damaged when delivered, so I was worried—especially since it was bought during the Double Eleven rush, when packages might get tossed around more. But when it arrived in perfect condition, I was relieved. The calendar comes as a stack of loose pages that can be placed on the included stand. Each page has a different photo of clouds, with blank space for notes, and can even be used as postcards.
The most interesting part is the “Sky Blue Meter,” which can measure how blue the sky is. It’s perfect for someone like me who often stares out the window at the clouds XD.
Of course, it’s not without drawbacks—for example, the calendar pages are made of smooth frosted paper (?), and when placed flat under the light, the surface reflects slightly so that the text becomes hard to read. Still, these flaws are minor, and overall it’s a great purchase. Anyone interested might want to check it out.
Apple Watch Band
- Specification: Silicone/Black
- Price: ¥19.9-33%
Since my wrist is rather slender small, the original watch band—even at its tightest—causes the watch to slide down while walking, requiring me to constantly push it back up, which is annoying. I then bought a magnetic metal band, but after a few days, the edges of the magnets were too uncomfortable, so I switched to an adjustable silicone band. Problem solved.
Genshin Impact Illustration Collection Vol.1
- Specification: Pre-sale
- Price: ¥142.62-9%
Since it’s a pre-order, it won’t ship until mid-January 2022, so I can’t review it yet.