Hello, everyone! I'm a big coffee lover, and for a few years I also like to brew coffee at home. Since I'm not a professional barista who can brew with his eyes closed, I often relied to different brew timer apps, however all of them had some flaws, therefore I decided to develop my own (with some help of ChatGPT and Stackowerflow)!
Instead of focusing on other apps' disadvantages, let me tell you what makes Timer.Coffee special:

1. It's free and completely open-source, source code is available on github. I think open-source matters not only from ideological perspective, but also because it gives a community a platform to build a better app together. For example, users can submit their own brewing recipes or new functions which will help everyone to dive deeper in the amazing world of coffee. For me specialty coffee was always about community and connections, therefore I think this is a crucial aspect. Also, open-source guarantees that the app won't just disappear from the App Store (as it happened with some apps I used).
2. The app currently supports 7 brewing techniques and 20 recipes with more to come. When I started developing, I quickly realised that it would be much easier technically to assign one recipe to each brewing method, but I didn't want to limit user's choice.
3. You can adjust coffee and water amounts an brew as much as you wish! App will automatically adjust all the recipe steps to reflect the desired amounts.

Also, you can:
- Mark your most-loved coffee recipes as favorites for easy access.
- Instantly revisit your last used recipe.
Coming soon:
- Tetsu Kasuya 4:6 brewing method for Hario V60
- More recipes!
I would be happy if you'll try my app and it'll help you to enjoy your coffee more. Also, any feedback is highly appreciated.
Here are the links:
App Store
Google Play
Also, there's a web app, which you can use directly in your browser.

Hi all, looking for some input and experience with digital backs for Hasselblad v-systems.
I'm a studio portrait photographer, and I switch a lot between film and digital processes, often in the same shoot. I also occasionally work on location. Recently, I feel pretty uninspired by my digital workflow and while I've been brainstorming ways to get jazzed about shooting digitally again, it crossed my mind that using a digital back on my 500cm could be a great option. I'm thinking it could provide some of the same satisfying experience of using a mechanical camera that I love about shooting film in the studio and reduce the number of cameras I need to use in a single shoot.
So, I've been looking at digital back options for the V-series. Frankly, I'm a bit overwhelmed by the options, and I have remaining questions. So I thought I'd ask for input and advice here.
First, since I've yet to find a comprehensive list of options anywhere online, I thought I'd at least try and compile a list of makes/models:Phase One H Models (H20)Phase One P Models (P25, P45, P65)Kodak DSC BackLeaf Valeo Models (6, 11, 22)Leaf Aptus Models (II-33, 54, 65, 75)CFV models (16, 39, 50, II 50C)
I'm sure I'm missing some.
The new CFV models are not in the budget for me, so I'm looking at older backs. I'm only considering those that don't require tethering to a computer. It's important to me to be at least a bit mobile and not need a computer nearby, so CF card capture or something similar is a must.
Here are a few questions that remain:

1. A lot of reviewers and users mention the connection issue between the back and the camera. My hope is that, if I go this route, using a digital back on a 500cm would be my go-to studio workhorse setup, but this connection issue gives me pause. Is the finnicky cable connection via PC-sync a dealbreaker for my purposes or just a minor nuisance?
2. Many reviewers say that they had to get their 500 model camera adjusted to obtain critical focus for a digital back. Does this mean that the camera would then not have critical focus for a regular film back? If I'm going to go this route, I'd need to be able to switch between film and digital easily and without a hitch. I don't want to have to modify/adjust my 500CM in a way that makes it unable to shoot film accurately.
3. Since I shoot portraiture, I'd want a back that can be used in portrait orientation (or one that has a square aspect ratio). I recall reading that at least one of the models I listed above was rotatable, but now I don't seem to be able to find that information anywhere. Which of these might work best for studio portraiture when it comes to aspect ratio and orientation?
4. Lastly, and more generally, is it a pipedream to think that a 500CM with a digital back (especially given that it wouldn't be the new CFV II 50c) could be a go-to portrait setup? It sounds really great in theory, but the more I dig, the more I'm confronted with the compromises and hiccups that these backs pose. I still want to give it due consideration. If it's possible, great. But if it's totally impractical, then I don't want to have any illusions about it.

Any other input, sample photos, experience, etc is great appreciated too!
EDIT: I am financial restricted for the time being. I can't imagine I'll be able to put more the 1-2K toward this, at least for now and until I'm more familiar with the role a digital back can play in my workflow.

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A staredown soon ensued.
One that neither of us seemed to be willing to let up on.
But as far as staredowns went, this one was pretty evenly matched as neither of us really had the ability to ‘blink’, or at least as far as an outside observer could see.
My whole schtick was pretty obvious, the tinted lenses were more or less just doing the job for me, taking blinking out of the equation entirely and adding a solid plus ten to my intimidation base stats.
The shadowy cloaked figure’s approach was just downright bizarre though, as instead of eyes, there were just these two trapezoidal ‘lights’ that I assumed were supposed to be a placeholder for his actual eyes hidden somewhere underneath the shadowy void casted by his hood.
A void which was downright pitchblack, and completely impenetrable to the naked eye.
The figure gave off a surreal vibe as his rogue-like attire, coupled with the hood and the impenetrable shadow it casted, looked like it’d been ripped straight out of a Castles and Wyverns art book or a high-fantasy comic. The pitch-black void that obscured his face, and those two trapezoidal eyes that hovered and shifted with increasing scrutiny, just didn’t look real.
While most would leave it at that, I wasn’t one to leave a mystery hanging, I was a human with an entire visual sensor suite to work with for crying out loud. So before I even knew it, I reflexively went to activate my night-vision cameras. Only to see that the shadowy effect covering up his face was still there.
This led me to only one solid conclusion.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 140% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
A quick localized environmental scan made it clear to me that this was yet another one of the Nexus’ weird mana-fueled acts of tomfoolery.
“What say you, first years? Are you here for healing, or are you here for a visit? For as I have stated, the healing wing is not accepting visits at this point in time.” The hooded figure answered with this strange mix between a sing-song voice and an attempt at sounding gruff and gravely.
“We have an unfulfilled point of personal privilege that requires addressment.” Thacea stepped up to the plate, promptly placing herself by my side, then taking several steps forward. “Along with an unresolved conflict which requires immediate resolution by the party with which the aforementioned point of personal privilege was evoked but was halted due to unforeseen circumstances.” The princess began flexing her courtly-talk with the hooded figure, which clearly seemed to have some effect as he reached up a single gloved hand up to where his chin should be, only to have his fingers disappear as soon as they entered the dark shadowy effect currently covering up his face.
“And with whom is this unresolved matter incurred?” The figure inquired plainly, though the way he spoke shifted to something a bit more accommodating, perhaps even a little bit more hospitable than the gruffer tone he’d initially directed towards me.
“An apprentice, good sir. Apprentice Larial to be precise.” Thacea clarified politely, using what I could only describe as this flighty, chirpy, almost haughty tone of voice that was an exaggerated version of the cadence she used during our first interactions together.
“Hmm…” The hooded figure replied with a concerned grumble. “I was going to waive this particular matter, allowing the fair lady-” He paused, before making a point to stare at both me and Thalmin. “-and her two knights to pass on through, under the points of exceptional circumstances.” He continued in a less restrained, more flighty cadence. “However, you must excuse my inability to do so, my lady. My hands are currently tied via the powers that be, and I simply cannot grant your request.” The man began weaving a string of apologetics, giving Thacea a genuine and polite bow in response. “I must apologize for this discrepancy in expectant decorum.”
This didn’t make things any better for our circumstances though.
And it was clear Thacea understood this as she continued pressing forward.
“May I have your name and title, my good sir?” Thacea chirped lightly.
“Appointed-Deputy Magistrate Sir Arlan Ostoy, Senior Apprentice of the Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. May I have the honor and the privilege of requesting your name, my fair lady?”
“Princess Thacea Dilani, of the Aetheronrealm, First Year and Scholastic Peer of the Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts.” Thacea replied with a full bow, and a half-curtsy of her own.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The shadowy figure bowed yet again.
“The pleasure is all mine, Sir-Magistrate.” Followed by yet another bow by Thacea.
There was some serious song and dance going on here, and one that I was observing with bated breath.
“Might I inquire further as to the particular reasoning behind this unfortunate and unseemly inability to respect the rights of expectant decorum?” Thacea quickly shot back.
“As I have alluded to, your highness, the powers that be prevent me from furthering the natural solution to your particular grievances. If this were any other instance in time, at any other location or place, I am sure this matter would have been resolved in an expedient and timely fashion. This situation, as you have alluded to yourself, results from a very particular set of unforeseen circumstances. Circumstances which currently dictate my actions in a manner which just so happens to be in conflict with your points of personal privilege, your highness.” The man’s posture, the way he stood, even the way he talked seemed very particular when addressing Thacea.
It was at that point that something changed. I didn’t know what, and I wasn’t sure why, but Thacea seemed to be shifting towards a tactical retreat, as she clacked her beak several times before addressing the both of us. “This is absolutely preposterous, I will need a moment to clear my mind but when I do return…” Thacea turned towards the magistrate/guard/apprentice person yet again. “There will be words exchanged.”
At Thacea’s prompting, we all left the room, but not before slamming the door behind us shut in a similar manner to Ilunor’s drama-filled exits.
We continued walking away from the medical wing at a steady pace, until another privacy screen was suddenly brought up.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 275% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
“I have a plan.” Thacea began. “And this is entirely relying on you two having the physical prowess to back up your military backgrounds.” She continued ominously.
“Oh princess, you sully the Havenbrock name if you believe my mercenary heritage is in any way, shape, or form a mere decorative mantlepiece.” Thalmin responded with a sarcastic, yet excitable tone.
“I assure you, Thacea, I think my training has almost every eventuality accounted for.” I added with an affirmative nod.
“So what’s the plan?” Thalmin barked out excitedly as we stopped right in the middle of this long, wide hallway connecting the main castle with the medical wing. Thacea was quick to answer this question by wordlessly gesturing to a lone door on the right side of the hallway.
Windows lining either side of the hallway made it clear that this entire structure was just an elevated bridge connecting the main castle to an entirely separate compound.
This made the presence of a door smack-dab in the middle of its length sort of bizarre.
Upon entering it though, we were treated to an open-air rooftop terrace with a few seats and benches. The whole outcropping gave us an unparalleled view of the roaring waterfall beneath the Academy, and a direct line of sight to the medical wing and its five distinct towers.
The princess continued walking silently as we reached the edge of the terrace’s balcony, overlooking the sheer cliff face at a height that more or less put me in mind of your typical open-air rooftops on your typical Acela Corridor skyscraper.
“I’ve observed that the medical wing seems to consist of a large tower-atrium, with several more towers connected to it via additional corridors. Similar to spokes on a wheel. As you can see from this vantage point, it seems as if most rooms have private balconies. If we cannot make our way to the apprentice via conventional channels, then I plan to reach her via more unconventional means.” Thacea turned towards me with a hardened look in her gaze. “Emma, is your… insect artifice ready for use?”
My eyes widened at that, as I nodded affirmatively. “Just for the record, we call it a drone.” I quickly corrected Thacea. “But, yes, I can designate individuals and targets for it to track down or follow. However, I can’t just have it poking around in every room since there’s no guarantee that the drone will be able to get a lock on them. There’s too many variables involved that would get in the way of the drone actually being able to zero in on a person’s face. From the beds facing the right way, to bandages possibly covering up her face, to-”
“I don’t want your artifice to observe every balcony and window, Emma. That will most certainly take too much time, and as you’ve stated, there’s no guarantee of actually identifying a face considering the multitudes of factors involved.” Thacea interjected. “What I plan to do is to return to the Deputy-Magistrate, and to attempt to reach a compromise that he will abide by. I plan for him to take us, or rather, your drone straight to the apprentice.”
“And how will you accomplish this?” Thalmin whined,his head tilted in curiosity.
“I will draft a letter, addressed directly to the apprentice, and request that it be taken straight to her room. This way, the Deputy-Magistrate will in a sense be able to accomplish his obligations to the Expectant Decorum, and in doing so he will lead your insec-, drone, straight to the apprentice’s room.”
I stared at Thacea with wide eyes, as her back and forths with the deputy-magistrate began taking on a completely different meaning in this new light.
“That way, we can find out exactly which room the apprentice is in.” I replied bluntly.
“Correct. However, from there, I cannot say my plans are in any way foolproof.” Thacea replied with a sullen coo.
“Well go on, princess, it sounds pretty good so far!” Thalmin urged.
“Ascertaining the apprentice’s room is only half of the stated objective. Actually getting there is another matter entirely. Because depending on where the apprentice is located… my idea for the latter half of this quest involves you two scaling your way towards her room.” The princess spoke with an immense level of trepidation. “On the exterior aspect of the castle, if that needed to be said.”
My heart skipped a beat as the princess laid out her plans. I looked across the absurdly spindly hallway-bridge that this little terrace was somehow attached to, and towards the five towers that made up the medical wing.
Thalmin did the same, although his face seemed to indicate that he was at the very least, considering the plan at least somewhat seriously.
“Alright.” I muttered out loud, instinctively trying to place a palm on my forehead, only for the glove to bonk straight off. “I have several ideas. First, we might be able to do this remotely. I’m thinking once we find out which room she’s in, we fly in a larger drone, one carrying with it a deployable holographic projector or some other two-way communications device so that we can talk to her remotely.” As soon as I spoke that idea out loud however, things started to fall apart. “But because of how thick the walls are, and considering the distance between the tower and our dorm, I might have to deploy repeaters in order to daisy-chain the connection all the way back to the dorms. I mean, we can’t just set up shop out here in the open after all. At which point we’d have a continuous chain of signal-repeater drones flying all across the Academy… which wouldn’t be ideal. No, scratch that, that won’t work.”
The pair stared at me with varying degrees of confusion, but seemed to have collectively decided to ignore the idea after I’d scrapped it.
“I say we just climb it!” Thalmin yelped out, but not before another idea hit me. One that could work, but that required me consulting Thacea first.
“I mean, we could, but…” I turned to face Thacea. “What’s the Academy’s policy on noise? Or rather, do you think we could get away with something really really loud, buzzing outside of the towers?”
Thacea once more stared at me with a look of just utter confusion, but shrugged it off and went with it anyways. “I would highly recommend against generating too much noise for this particular quest, Emma. It would most certainly garner a lot of unwanted attention.” Thacea spoke plain and simple.
I couldn’t help but to groan internally in frustration at that.
That makes flying over there a no-go… it would’ve made things so much easier though…
“Alright, well, that more or less places us in a very awkward situation with not a lot of options available to us, huh?” I thought to myself outloud again, as I craned my head over to an excitable Thalmin.
“I guess I have to climb on over.” I stated in no uncertain terms.
“Wait, I?!” Thalmin responded with a shocked and incredulous bark. “There’s no way I’m allowing you to climb over there yourself without assistance or-”
“Thalmin, there’s no need for you to climb on over with me.” I interjected. “This whole mission is hedged on me talking to the apprentice one-on-one. Remember the gardens? The apprentice wouldn’t allow you anywhere near us when we started talking. It’d be a waste of time, energy, and more importantly… a huge risk to your safety. I don’t want to risk your life needlessly, Thalmin. Not especially for a fight that isn’t your own.”
“Well you’re part of our peer group, so it’s my fight as well.” Thalmin replied with a dejected growl, but eventually relented. “But you’re right, Emma. I hate to admit it, but you’re right.”
I nodded at Thalmin’s slowly. “Besides, there’s an important job I need you to do.” I began scrounging through one of my pouches, and began palming for my spare in-ear earpieces. “I need you on lookout, to keep me aware of anything fishy developing in case I need to pull out.”
Thalmin looked over the side of the terrace, towards the raging waters beneath this side of the Academy as he let out a sigh. “That shouldn’t be too hard. Hardly anyone will be passing by this terrace, and beyond that there’s no way anyone can spot you from below, given there’s nothing but the cascading rapids below us. There’s no one that can spot you from here, save for perhaps the foxes in the library. We’re most certainly on the right side of the Academy for this quest, that’s for certain.” Thalmin pointed at the library in the far distance.
“Oh, I’m not too worried about anyone seeing me. I’m more concerned about someone compromising my extraction point, i.e. this little terrace here.” I acknowledged.
“But, surely you must be worried about someone seeing you scaling the walls…” Thalmin scanned me up and down, as if wanting to comment about my size but- “You’re massive.”
“Okay, first off, rude.” I spoke sarcastically, and raised both hands up for added effect. “But in all seriousness, I have another device that can mask my visual presence.” I pulled out a plastic-like poncho from one of my pouches, activating it, and revealing its active-camo properties as it projected whatever was behind it, albeit with some imperfections. “It isn’t perfect, but from afar it should actually work pretty well.”
Both Thalmin and Thacea stared at each other in utter shock as they saw this.
“A mana-less-”
“I think… this is a matter worth discussing another time, Princess.” Thalmin interjected with a polite exasperated breath. “But I expect a good explanation for this one, Emma.” Thalmin pointed a finger right at me.
“In any case, I will be diverting the Deputy-Magistrate’s attention by preoccupying him with needless and vapid chatter. This should take attention away from the apprentice and your intrusion, Emma.” Thacea quickly added, and promptly tied this whole impromptu operation up nicely.
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road then. We’ll head back to the dorms and get that letter drafted so-”
“Already done.” Thacea interjected, bringing up a parchment that she promptly began sealing into an envelope.
“Wait, when did you-”
“Whilst we were talking, I used a dictation spell. The letter is written and signed.” Thacea spoke nonchalantly, as she held a neatly sealed envelope in one of her talons.
“Wait, what, when did you, how did you-?”
“I carry a quill and extra parchment in my bag of holding. This is to account for any eventuality where a statement in writing, a legal affidavit, or a notarized letter may be required.” Thacea responded a-matter-of-factly.
“Alright then.” I tapped the pouch with the INFIL-DRONE, the small little thing peeking its head out much to the visible disgust of the pair. “So we’re ready for phase one of the operation. Misdirection and information gathering. We’ll go in, drop the letter, and have the drone do its thing. After that, we wait for the drone to return, and we’ll take it from there on whether or not we can continue with Phase Two: penetrating the enemy lines.”
“What would be stopping us from continuing with phase two?” Thalmin quickly asked.
“Well, simple. If the apprentice is still conked out from her injuries, there wouldn’t be any point in attempting to meet her. So hopefully, she’s going to be in a good enough state to talk to. We’ll know when we get the drone footage back.”
“Fair point.” Thalmin nodded.
“So, is everyone ready to begin?” Thacea asked.
A series of affirmative nods later, we began our quick walk back over to the atrium.

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts, Extraction Point Alpha (Open Air Terrace Overlooking the Medical Wing). Local Time: 1420 Hours.
That took way more time than I’d initially thought.
In fact, it took so long that I was beginning to wonder how two people could have an unending conversation where nothing of value was spoken and nothing of value was gained.
It was basically elevator small talk, but written by the same writers who wrote Bridgerwesson Lane, and adapted to a theatrical release with a trilogy that ended with a movie arbitrarily cut up into a two-parter.
I honestly zoned out for a few moments during those hours, as I decided to use the spare time to review the grappling hook and mountaineering gear I’d be using on this little quest.
Eventually however, the Deputy-Magistrate relented, at which point I let loose the INFIL-DRONE to do its thing.
It’d been twenty minutes since we left and made our way back to this open-air terrace, and all of us were waiting with bated breath for the results the drone had in store.
“So, how fast can that drone of yours fly anyways Emma-”
Thalmin was immediately cut off as the drone in question buzzed right by his ears, causing them to flick this way and that, before flattening out entirely.
“Speak of him and he will come.” I chuckled, as I outstretched a gloved hand over for the little drone to perch atop of.
Once again, the pair stared at it with a look of mild disgust, and then panic as it crawled all the way back into its docking port, and began uploading the data we needed.
“Alright, let’s see what we have here.” I spoke to no one in particular before shifting my attention to the EVI. “EVI, isolate and replay relevant footage, and calculate the target’s location.”
“Acknowledged, parsing…”
“Location Parsing. Footage isolated. Play Footage?”
“Affirmative.”
I immediately pulled out my data-tab for the gang to be able to watch as well, as the footage began just as the Deputy-Magistrate, and by extension the drone, arrived at the apprentice’s room.
The door, and all details posted in the front were all captured, and so too was the state of the apprentice revealed to us in short order as I braced myself for a mangled and bandaged-up mass of broken bones.
What I instead saw, was… still a heavily bandaged up figure. However, the most important thing was that they were awake.
And what was remarkable, was the fact that they were able to move without assistance. As the apprentice reached over to receive the letter wordlessly, shifting a bit in bed as she did so.
“This is a letter addressed from a Princess Thacea Dilani of the Aetheronrealm. I have fulfilled my duties and obligations as per the Expectant Decorum. I will now take my leave, Apprentice Larial.” The deputy-magistrate spoke with the same air of overbearing properness, seriously making me consider whether or not this was how he was all the time.
Whatever the case may be, the apprentice seemed to be healed enough to move her arms at the very least, as she grabbed the letter and spoke hoarsely back in response. “Thank you Senior Apprentice.”
There wasn’t much to the footage beyond those interactions, but it was good enough for the purposes of this mission.
“Alright.” I spoke, as I pocketed the tablet. “We have our answer. The apprentice seems healed up enough to speak to, so phase two of this operation is a-go.”
The pair nodded in response, just in time for the EVI to be done with whatever calculations were needed to determine the apprentice’s precise location.
I turned to the tower, as the room and its balcony was highlighted.
It was just about five stories above from where we were.
Meaning it’d be a hell of a climb.
“The room’s about five floors up.” I announced with a sigh.
“Are you sure you can make that journey, Emma?” Thacea responded worryingly. “I… I will be honest, Emma, I am having some second doubts about this whole idea. The concept just came to me as flying between tall structures and towers is just second nature to us Aetheronrealmers. Considering the heights involved, and your inability to fly, I’m wondering if this whole quest was a folly of my own shortsighted-”
“It’s fine, Thacea.” I cut the avinor off. “I can do this, trust me.” I placed a single hand on the princess’ shoulder, and squeezed it once for effect.
Meanwhile, the EVI began doing what it did best: attempting to minimize the risk associated with my hairbrained schemes, as it deployed the suit’s primary lookout drone in order to start mapping out the best possible route forward.
This spooked the pair yet again, as they both jolted backwards.
Thankfully, the drone was deathly silent, so it shouldn’t bring too much attention to it.
It was at this point that I brought out a pair of earpieces I was scrounging my pouches for earlier, one for Thacea, and another for Thalmin.
“These will help you stay in contact with me throughout the climb.” I stated plainly, as I attempted to latch it onto my own ear for demonstrative purposes, only to realize that I could not, given the suit was in the way.
I sighed, as I turned towards Thalmin. “Do you mind if I put it on for you?” I asked sheepishly.
“Erm, what is it, Emma?”
“It’s…” I paused, as I attempted to find the best way to describe this without taking up too much time. “It’s a communication artifice, Thalmin. It’ll allow us to talk to each other remotely, relying on that drone there-” I pointed at the lookout drone still flying away from us. “-to relay our voices to each other.”
Thalmin, as expected, looked at me with an expression of partial dumbfoundedness whilst Thacea seemed completely transfixed by the earpieces I held in my hands.
“So it’s like a hearing-sense?” Thalmin responded with a questioning bark.
“Look, I’ll just demonstrate.” I managed out with a sigh as Thalmin reluctantly nodded and allowed me to begin hooking in the earpiece, looping it around his fluffy triangular ears.
This inevitably resulted in my hand brushing over the lupinor’s fluffy head a few times, which seemed to elicit some large tail-wags and a dulcet rumble.
I tried to ignore that, as I pulled back and began demonstrating. “I’ve turned off my speakers, can you still hear me, Thalmin?”
“Yes, I can.” The lupinor spoke after clearing his throat.
I turned my speakers back on immediately after. “Alright, I’ll get into the specifics of how it works later, but as for now, just know that I can hear whatever you say.”
“I’m afraid I don’t think that artifice will be compatible with my… anatomy, Emma.” Thacea spoke calmly, as she pointed at several aspects of the earpiece that required an actual ear canal to fit into, and an earlobe to loop around.
“This complicates things a bit, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. How long do you think you can keep up the distracting conversation with the deputy-magistrate for, Thacea?”
“We just went through several hours discussing nothing in particular, I can most certainly continue that trend from dusk till dawn.” The avinor spoke confidently, and frankly, rather proudly. “The issue lies not in how long I can manage to maintain the conversation, but in how long it will take you to accomplish this quest, Emma.” Thacea shot back.
“An hour.” I nodded confidently. “Twenty minutes to scoot my way over there, twenty to talk to the apprentice, and twenty to get back.”
“I’ll make that two hours then.” Thacea responded without a second thought. “We need to account for potential complications, and an extra hour of senseless dialogue will most certainly not be an issue for me.”
With an affirmative nod from me, and an approving glance from Thalmin, I now turned towards the exterior of the two hundred foot corridor leading to the concourse, and the extra five hundred feet it would take to get from the atrium to the tower in question.
It was at that last minute that the EVI brought out another suggestion, one that was formulated with the aid of the new datasets provided by the FEBNPMS lookout drone that had been busy mapping out the best route forward.
It was… an inherently riskier approach, one that my aunt would definitely not approve of, but it definitely beat scaling a wall and wedging spikes into it.
“Actually… I have a better idea than simply scaling the walls.”

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts, En Route to Medical Wing Tower C, Room 705. Local Time: 1430 Hours.
“Grapple secure.”
I will never forget the feeling of falling.
The very wrong feeling that came with leaping off of solid ground into empty sky, of suddenly seeing and feeling the world whizzing by me.
It was a visceral feeling, a gut-churning sensation, dominated by an overbearing sense of impending doom that takes over your terrestrial brain that wasn’t designed to feel the ‘freeing’ sensation of being unbound to the ground beneath you.
Leaping over from the edge of the terrace was the worst part of it. But after that tentative jump, things started to become just a little bit easier.
The Academy’s proclivity for over-aggrandized architectural design would finally serve a purpose beyond just decorative aesthetics.
Because it was clear that the walls weren’t really designed to ward off anyone daring to scale them. As there existed several, if not hundreds of these little greebles and outcroppings that served no purpose but to act as decorative pieces on the side of the castle. Some held stone flowers, whilst others had lamps or other light pieces of varying designs.
No matter what they were, or what meaning they held, all were equal and valid targets in the eyes of my grappling hook.
As I dangled there from the first outcropping, held in place by a single high-tensile cable, I looked up to see Thalmin looming over the edge “EMMA?!” I heard him shout in a panic. It was clear that he was unable to see anything, as my light-refraction cloak was currently doing its job well.
“I’m still here, Thalmin. You can’t see me but I’m dangling from this weird outcropping that looks like an overinflated vase.”
“NEXT TIME, BE SURE TO INFORM ME AS TO THE NATURE OF YOUR IMPOSSIBLE ARTIFICES BEFORE USE, UNDERSTOOD?!”
“Of course. You’ll know if I’ve fallen if you hear a long scream followed by a large splat.”
“That’s not funny!”
I chuckled nervously in response, before turning to face the grueling, gut-churning journey ahead of me. “Humor’s my way of dealing with stress, and trust me, I have a lot of stress to work through right about now.”
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(Author’s Note: Hey guys! Time for some unconventional solutions courtesy of Emma and the gang! We're going to meet the apprentice one way or another! I hope you guys enjoy! :D The next Chapter is already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 34 of this story is already out on there!)]

So I'm looking into purchasing semaglutide peptide from a website that was recommended on here. Asked about the reconstitution process and received this reply. They are specifically stressing on the not for human consumption aspect which has me concerned. Help!
"The products we offer are for laboratory research use only, not for human use directly. They are intended for in-vitro research purposes only. We cannot and do not provide any personal use suggestions or information by law. Thank you for your understanding.
All peptides in the lyophilized form must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water prior to research use.
For our lab research use, we use 1 or 2ml mix of water to reconstitute each vial. The vial fits 3ml of water, but no need to over dilute.
The amount of water does not really matter. It’s the math calculating the mg/ml ratio that matters."

I did a one-month rotation in March 2023 with Dr. Usman Khan at HCA Houston Northwest and EPIC Heart and Vascular Center and got total exposure to cardiology in all its aspects. Dr. Khan is a beautiful human being and a great mentor with a passion for teaching and helping IMG doctors. The office staff was really kind and helpful. Everyone was friendly and easy to get along with.
I was exposed to a wide diversity of common cardiac and peripheral vascular presentations seen in an inpatient and an outpatient setting and learned how to manage these patients in an acute setting and their long-term management.
In the outpatient setting, a typical day consisted of visiting patients one after another and working on EMR, which made me aware of my weakness and developed my strengths. Seeing patients independently at the clinic helped me develop my history-taking, physical examination, and communication abilities. The patient population I was exposed to ranged from patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, sarcoidosis, and diabetes to patients with chest pain, shortness of breath, and lower extremity pain. I developed my counseling skills by advising patients on lifestyle modification, diet, exercise, and smoking cessation. I also learned how to emphasize the importance of medication adherence to patients by educating them on the mechanism of action of their medications in simple terms. I was also exposed to patients presenting with vascular pathologies. I performed a complete examination of the lower extremities, counseled patients on the conservative management of varicose veins, and observed novel procedures such as Varithena, VenaSeal, and Radiofrequency ablation.
In the inpatient setting, I also got the chance to watch interventional cardiology procedures performed, such as peripheral vein angiography and cardiac catheterization, and I learned how to recognize when procedural intervention or medication treatment is necessary. Dr. Khan appreciated how I carefully examined each process and asked intelligent questions. Dr. Khan always took the time to thoroughly explain the procedure's indications for each patient, the observations made during the intervention, and the results obtained. During these procedures, I also learned about a method used in interventional cardiology that measures the degree of stenosis in affected vessels using FFR.
Throughout the externship, I had the chance to improve my ECG reading abilities by discussing several ECGs with Dr. Khan each day. Under Dr. Khan's guidance, I could also recognize the outcomes of echo scans and nuclear stress tests. In addition, I gave a talk on "Short-term risk stratification of nonflow limiting coronary stenosis by angiographically derived radial wall strain" and "Angiographic quantitative flow ratio-guided coronary intervention (FAVOR III China): a multicentre, randomized, sham-controlled trial." During that talk, I explained how patients with high radial wall strain can be diagnosed early from the risk of myocardial infarction and the role of quantitative flow-guided ratio.
By the last week of the externship, I had the opportunity to strengthen my mentoring skills by guiding the new batch of medical students. I guided them on how to use the EMR, organize their notes, and approach patients in a cardiac setting. In the cardiac catheterization lab, I mentored them on critical anatomical landmarks, pressure measurements of the heart chambers, and the indication for intervention while the doctor was performing the procedure. I reflected on what Dr. Khan taught me regarding ECGs, echos, arterial and venous ultrasounds, and nuclear stress tests, and I taught them how to read and correctly identify pathologies on each test. Overall, the experience was comprehensive and well-rounded, and by the time it was through, I felt highly secure in how I would treat a cardiac patient. I improved my clinical and teamwork abilities and medical knowledge and expertise.
It was a comprehensive experience that covered all aspects of a top-notch externship. Dr. Khan will ensure you get the most out of your rotation, improve any weaknesses, and prepare for the residency. Dr. Khan shows a strong interest in not just responding to your questions and clarifying your thoughts but also providing helpful advice on applying for residencies, doing well in interviews, and other aspects of being a practicing physician.
He would also ensure that you have a fun time in Houston. You will know the details when you go!

I legit thought it couldn't get any worse from season 8,I thought they were going to pull out all the stops for this final season, I guess I was absolutely wrong. Nothing was made any sense this season (also why did they randomly change the aspect ratio).
First of all,What the fuck is a khione? I can't believe they gave that sorry ass excuse when Caitlyn is literally dead and not one person seems to give an ounce of care.
I guess we just throw in villains that make 0 sense now,Good God what a train wreck.
still in season 9 episode 5,i'm just powering through cause of my loyalty to flash and Grant Gustin.

Microsoft Fabric- What, Why, Who, When, How

by Amit Chandak
Comprehensive article about Microsoft Fabric (20 min).
Summary:

• Microsoft Fabric provides a comprehensive solution for data management and analytics, enabling organizations to optimize their workflows and leverage the full potential of their data.
• Microsoft Fabric is a platform that offers a unified, lake-centric, and open solution for data analytics and AI. It promotes the concept of having only one copy of data stored in a central lake, eliminating unnecessary data replication and providing a true single source of data. By adopting this approach, organizations can streamline their data engineering process, simplify data management, and enable seamless integration with various Microsoft tools.
• Microsoft Fabric aims to redefine the data analytics landscape by providing a standardized format for data storage and utilization, maximizing the value of data assets, and empowering organizations to make informed decisions.
• The platform offers benefits to different types of customers, including greenfield customers, Azure Synapse customers, Azure Data Lake and Azure SQL customers, Power BI customers, and other cloud customers.
• It also caters to various roles within organizations, such as C-level executives, data architects/analysts, business analysts, and data engineers.

Read full article
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Mastering Power BI

by Monil Panchal
Power BI step by step tutorial split into 6 episodes. Data samples included.

1. What is Power BI?
2. Load and transform data
3. Measures in Power BI
4. DAX part 1
5. DAX part 2
6. DAX part 3

Streamline Your Business Operations: Power BI Automation for Small Businesses

by Benedict Wallis
Power BI automation is presented as a solution for small businesses to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and stay competitive in a data-centric business landscape. (5 min)
Summary:

• Article emphasizes the importance of efficiency and streamlined operations for businesses, regardless of their size.
• It introduces Power BI, a business intelligence and data visualization platform developed by Microsoft, as a powerful tool that can help small businesses optimize processes, save time, and make data-driven decisions.
• The benefits of Power BI automation are discussed, including real-time data updates, automated data refresh, customizable dashboards and reports, and enhanced collaboration and accessibility.
• The text also explores how Power BI automation can streamline various aspects of small business operations, such as sales and revenue analysis, inventory management, financial analysis, and operational efficiency.
• Implementation considerations are highlighted, including data integration, security and privacy measures, training and support, and scalability for future growth.

Read full article

From Excel to Power BI: Unleashing the Magic of Data Visualization

by Haroon
The article presents a fictional story about a dedicated Excel user named Harold who is hesitant about transitioning to Power BI. The CEO of his company convinces him by narrating a story about a knight named Sir Spreadsheet who found success with Power BI’s data visualization capabilities. Inspired by the story, Harold embraces Power BI and becomes a legend in his company. (5 min)
Summary:
The article then lists seven prime differences between Power BI and Excel:

• Data Visualization: Power BI excels at creating visually appealing and interactive dashboards, while Excel focuses on organizing and manipulating data within spreadsheets.
• Scalability: Power BI efficiently handles large datasets, whereas Excel may become slower as the data volume increases.
• Real-time Data Analysis: Power BI can connect to live data sources and update dashboards in real-time, while Excel requires manual data entry or refreshing.
• Data Modeling and Relationships: Power BI offers robust data modeling capabilities, enabling users to create relationships between different data tables, while Excel has limited capabilities in this area.
• Collaboration and Sharing: Power BI provides seamless collaboration features for multiple users to work on shared dashboards and easily share reports, while Excel requires manual file sharing.
• Data Connectivity: Power BI offers extensive connectivity options to various data sources, whereas Excel may require additional configuration for certain sources.
• Advanced Analytics: Power BI incorporates advanced analytical features like predictive modeling and machine learning integration, while Excel’s analytical capabilities are more basic and rely on formulas.

Read full article

The Fundamentals of Creating Impressive BI Dashboard Designs

by Andrew Hubbard
Andrew highlights the importance of good dashboard design in maximizing data comprehension, decision-making capabilities, and fostering a data-driven culture within organizations.
Summary:
The article emphasizes the significance of good dashboard design in business intelligence (BI). It highlights the benefits of employing excellent design practices, including enhanced user experience, improved data comprehension, time and effort savings, and increased adoption and collaboration. It also discusses the pitfalls of neglecting dashboard design, such as confusing visuals, inefficient data communication, and user disengagement.
The article introduces the principles of Gestalt Psychology, specifically the laws of proximity, similarity, and continuity, which can be applied to create intuitive and effective BI dashboards.
Furthermore, the article provides essential rules for creating compelling BI tools, including defining clear objectives, prioritizing essential information, using appropriate visualizations, ensuring consistency, emphasizing clarity and simplicity, implementing responsive design, providing intuitive navigation, and incorporating context and storytelling. It emphasizes the importance of testing and iterating based on user feedback to continuously improve the design.
Read full article

Good or not recommendable from Mm aspects?
https://aquadea.store/collections/kristallwirbelkammer-trinkwasserfilteproducts/leitungswasser-auftischfilter-okato-style-schadstoff-und-keimfilterung

Samsung S20FE 5G running Android 13 and One UI 5.1, snapdragon variant. What do the different camera aspect ratios (4:3, 16:9, 1:1 and Full) do in terms of actual resolution captured? If my understanding is correct, the pictures are cropped from what the sensor sees based on the aspect ratio setting? Would I therefore be better off setting it at "Full" all the time so that the final photo includes everything the sensor sees?
My confusion arises because I also notice that when I go from 16:9 to 4:3, the camera seems to zoom out of the subject a little. The field of view seems wider as I go from 16:9 to 4:3 to 1:1. Does this indicate that the sensor is square, and when I put it in 1:1, I get the picture from the entire sensor, and as I go to 4:3 and 16:9, some parts of the picture from the sides of the sensors are being cut off? So, would 1:1 be the picture from the entire sensor, not "Full"?
If somebody has technical information about these aspect ratio settings, I would appreciate it. I am not too worried about the final aspect ratio of my photos. I am more interested in not unnecessarily constraining my field of view if I don't have to.
Thank you.

Samsung S20FE 5G running Android 13 and One UI 5.1. What do the different camera aspect ratios (4:3, 16:9, 1:1 and Full) do in terms of actual resolution captured? If my understanding is correct, the pictures are cropped from what the sensor sees based on the aspect ratio setting? Would I therefore be better off setting it at "Full" all the time so that the final photo includes everything the sensor sees?
My confusion arises because I also notice that when I go from 16:9 to 4:3, the camera seems to zoom out of the subject a little. The field of view seems wider as I go from 16:9 to 4:3 to 1:1. Does this indicate that the sensor is square, and when I put it in 1:1, I get the picture from the entire sensor, and as I go to 4:3 and 16:9, some parts of the picture from the sides of the sensors are being cut off? So, would 1:1 be the picture from the entire sensor, not "Full"?
If somebody has technical information about these aspect ratio settings, I would appreciate it. I am not too worried about the final aspect ratio of my photos. I am more interested in not unnecessarily constraining my field of view if I don't have to.
Thank you.