Me and Marianne has applied for testing my current dream camera, Canon EOS 550D. We have been talking for quite some time now to buy a new one, preferably one with more manual settings and better at taking pictures in low-light situations without using flash, and the EOS series has always been my favorite. This camera has an incredible 12’800 ISO, and it would be very interesting to see how dark you can go without having too much noise. Hopefully this would mean more night photography! Back in school when I studied photography, we used the Canon EOS 500 (analog), and it would be fun to see how much of the functionality that has remained or improved since then.

Other highlights from the spec that I find myself smiling for when I read:

• Sensor: CMOS, 18 Megapixel (APS-C)
• File format: JPG, RAW
• Movie:  1080p

Judging from how much you get from the camera the prize of around 7000 SEK is not that high, but unfortunately that is more that I can afford right now. Smartson does however have the possibility for four test teams to evaluate the camera for a month, and where you then get to keep it afterwards. The chances of being selected are quite slim, but here’s to hoping! Sign up here if you are also interested in applying.

Short review: Hoover HNT 6614 top-loaded washing machine

I love it.

Hoover HNT 6614, installed and running

I love not having to go to the washing house with tons of laundry. I love not having to plan ahead and book time in advance when you need to wash your clothes. I love not having to clean up after others and worry about leftover deturgent, mud on the floor, filled up filters and and general yucky things.

I love that the Hoover is pretty silent, very energy preservant (A+), has short programs (less than half an hour) when needed and dries the clothes very well (1400 RPM spin cycle).

I love that it takes so little space yet manages a full load (6 kg) of laundry. I love that you can program it to start later, in case you want it to be just done by the time you get home from work or wake up.

I love not having to bend over and accidentally drag out other clean clothes on the floor when you try to pull out one shirt for hanging – top loaded is da shit!

Buying a washing machine was definitely worth it, and Hoover HNT 6614 is a very good choice.

Hoover HNT 6614

I just ordered a laundry machine, a top loaded (due to lack of space)  Hoover HNT 6614.
Let’s just hope that it’s good.

For the last two years or so I’ve become increasingly irritated when doing the laundry.
What mostly bother me is the following:

• About half the time people have been using twice the amount of detergent in the machine, resulting in leftovers that will go into the next wash that I have to clean up before doing my laundry. Since M has a very allergic skin we have to use a special non-allergic laundry detergent, and having to remove old lumps of strongly perfumed detergent isn’t fun.
• People can’t read instructions. They often put powder detergent in the compartment for liquid detergent, resulting in it being completely clogged as this only uses a thin pipe for the detergent to pass. Which I have to clean.
• People do not empty the fuzz from the tumbler-drier. Which I have to clean unless I want more fuzz, feathers and other stuff on our clothes.
• People leave detergent powder on the clothes table used for folding clothes. Which I have to clean.
• About everything that you should clean after laundry (machines, tables, floors…) is often dirty, sticky or powdery.

-So talk to your neighbors about it!

No can do. The wash house is shared on over 100 households, and the digital booking system doesn’t allow you to see who had the pass before you. And I doubt writing angry notes will help much.

Generally, it’s all about cleaning up after others in order to do our laundry that I’m tired of. So I’m thinking about buying my own washing machine.
A washing machine with A+ energy class costs about 5000 SEK including delivery and installation, so with the electrical cost and divided over 5 years (I have no idea how long you usually keep a washing machine so that is just a guess) it will cost about 25 SEK per week. After 5 years the cost drops to about 4 SEK / week based on todays electrical price. Water is included in the rent so that is not a problem.

The drawback is that it takes a bit of space and the clothes will have to dry in the apartment instead of in the washing house on the inner courtyard. On the other side I don’t have to go back and forth to the washing house on the inner courtyard every time. And I can wash whenever I need without having to book a time days ahead.

Has anyone ever regretted buying their own washing machine and prefer going to a washing room shared with hundreds of other people?

Update: http://www.frankjohansson.com/blog/regarding-laundry-part-ii/

I just bought a GPS for my bike (can I still say bike even though it’s technically a scooter?).

It’s nice. I can even hear the voice quite clearly through the helmet while riding if I crank up the volume.

I tried going to work the other day using printed google maps, but still got lost since I had to go through the inner city (Stockholm) since I live on the north side and work on the south side.

I’ll give it another shot in a day or two, using my new Garmin Nüvi 205. Unfortunately there was no good way of placing it on the handlebar, but some cable ties and patience fixed it good:

Garmin Nuvi 205 on my Gilera Runner