I’ve tried both the Ulike Air 10 and the Braun IPL 5157 for body hair removal, but unfortunately, both devices detect my skin as being too dark and won’t operate.

Based on the skin-tone and hair-color charts provided in their documentation, my skin tone and dark hair appear to fall within the range that should be compatible with these devices. However, in practice, neither device will flash on my skin. Both flash on my arm, which is much paler than my skin.

I’m wondering if there is an at-home hair removal device that is actually suitable for Indian skin tones. I currently go to a professional laser hair removal clinic for my back, and their device works very well on my skin. This makes me wonder why there doesn't seem to be a comparable at-home device that can safely and effectively work on darker Indian skin.

Are there any at-home devices that you would recommend for someone with my skin tone and dark body hair?

I have an Android 13 aftermarket car head unit and I'm trying to troubleshoot intermittent Internet connectivity while driving.

The problem is that YouTube sometimes says there is no network connection even though the head unit still shows Wi-Fi/Internet connectivity. I want to be able to glance at the screen and immediately know whether the Internet connection is actually working.

I'm NOT looking for an app that measures current download/upload traffic. I want something that continuously tests connectivity, even when there is no actual download or upload taking place.

Are there apps that you guys would recommend That is free or cheap, and I had a few questions:

1. Does it actually display the current ping/latency **directly in the Android status bar**, alongside the Wi-Fi/battery/time icons, without having to pull down the notification shade?

2. Can it **automatically start monitoring after the Android head unit boots**?. This is important for my setup: when I turn off my car, the head unit completely loses power and all apps are killed. When I start the car again, Android boots from scratch. Will Ping Monitor automatically restart its monitoring service after every boot, without me having to open the app and press Start?

3. How much data does continuous ping monitoring actually consume? I'm mainly concerned about keeping the data usage extremely low because this is running continuously while driving.

4. Does it work reliably on Android 13, particularly on generic Chinese/aftermarket Android head units?

I am a older 48 M and I'm trying to figure out how to structure my week so I can maximize my volleyball training while avoiding exhaustion.

I play volleyball about 5 days a week, and I thought I could add 30 minutes of volleyball-specific running/drills plus 30 minutes of gym training on top of that.

The problem is that some days I become completely exhausted. Even after a good night's sleep, I may wake up feeling like I'm only at 60% energy and need one or two 20–30 minute naps to feel closer to normal. Sometimes I still don't feel fully recovered when I work out.

I'm trying to figure out the best balance of training volume, intensity, and recovery. Is this something experienced athletes generally figure out through trial and error and monitoring their own recovery, or are there specific coaches, books, training programs, or principles that can help someone learn how to structure their training schedule properly?

My goal isn't to train less—I want to maximize my training and improve while minimizing exhaustion. How would you approach this?

I have been struggling with this for quite some time. Every time I wanted to make a voice note I found no app that I could use on Alexa to do that. Zapier and IFTT, for some reason, don't work on my Alexa devices. I am left out of options but I'm thinking there must be some easy way to take down a note just by saying "Alexa, take a note."

I'm in the US with an Airtel India prepaid SIM. I purchased a prepaid plan and the ₹118 International Roaming activation pack.

The SIM worked in my Moto G 2025 and I was able to receive an OTP.

I then moved the SIM to a Google Pixel 7 running GrapheneOS. The phone connects to the network, and I received a welcome SMS from Airtel (121) saying text messaging was activated.

However, I cannot receive any other SMS, including:

• Bank OTPs
• A regular test SMS I sent from my US phone to my Airtel number

I also checked the phone's SMSC setting, and it shows 5041450522?2. Refreshing the SMSC doesn't change it.

Has anyone experienced this with Airtel roaming in the US, particularly with a Pixel/GrapheneOS? Is there something I need to change in the phone/network settings, or is this likely an Airtel provisioning issue?

Any advice would be appreciated.

My original Microsoft Surface Pro 9 keyboard broke down and I never used a pen and I bought a third-party Bluetooth keyboard/touchpad on Amazon. The keyboard works fine, but the touchpad frequently triggers pinch-to-zoom when I'm just trying to scroll.

Windows 11 doesn't recognize it as a standard touchpad, so I don't have the usual Touchpad sensitivity or Scroll & zoom settings.

I'm looking for a replacement. Should I specifically look for "Windows Precision Touchpad" or "Precision Touchpad" when shopping?

I'd like a Bluetooth keyboard with a built-in touchpad that works properly with Windows 11/Surface Pro 9.

Any recommendations or advice on what specifications/keywords to look for?

I created two zaps in Zapier and connected Zapier to Alexa. The zaps work fine in test mode but whenever I give a voice command to Alexa and say "Alexa open Zapier", I get the error message. "Zapier is currently experiencing issues. Please try again later". I have been getting this problem for over a day. How can I solve this?

I'm looking for help diagnosing persistent wireless Android Auto issues that I've been unable to resolve.

Hardware

Phone

• Moto G 2025
• Android 16
• Rooted with KernelSU

Head Unit

• 14.5-inch Tesla-style Android head unit (no-brand Chinese unit)
• Android 14
• Qualcomm Snapdragon SC668S (QCM6125)
• Octa-core 2.0 GHz CPU
• Adreno 610 GPU
• 4 GB RAM
• 64 GB storage
• MCU: 2025-04-22 20:15 STA_GT
• Hardware: V007-SC668S-NA-R01-DS

Problem

Android Auto eventually connects wirelessly, but it takes an unusually long time to start. I can see Android Auto beginning its startup process, but it initializes very slowly before finally connecting.

Once connected, Android Auto frequently disconnects and reconnects. These disconnects occur even when the phone remains in the vehicle and nothing else changes.

An important observation is that these problems are not limited to this head unit. I've experienced similar slow startup and occasional disconnects when using Android Auto with factory head units in rental cars and other vehicles. However, those issues are noticeably less severe than on my Tesla-style head unit. This makes me suspect that the phone may be contributing to the problem, while my head unit is making it worse.

What I've Already Tried

I've gone through every optimization and troubleshooting step I could find, including:

• Set Android Auto battery usage to Unrestricted.
• Disabled battery optimization wherever applicable.
• Verified all Android Auto permissions.
• Reviewed and adjusted Android Auto settings.
• Checked every commonly recommended Android and Android Auto optimization.

Despite all of this, the behavior has not improved.

Has anyone experienced similar slow Android Auto startup and frequent disconnects with a rooted Android 16 phone or with a Snapdragon SC668S/QCM6125-based Android head unit? Any suggestions or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I have a brand-new Ulike Air 10 that initially worked correctly a couple of times, but now I'm experiencing a strange issue.

The device powers on normally, but it will only enter the Ready state (where the energy level bars appear on the display, indicating the device is ready to flash) when I place it against the palm of my hand.

When I place it against my inner forearm, inside of my upper arm, or chest, the Ready state never activates—the energy level bars never appear—no matter how firmly I press it or how I adjust the angle. Since the device never enters the Ready state, it won't flash.

Here's what I've already tried:

• Cleaned the treatment window thoroughly.
• Unplugged the device and powered it back on.
• Tested on multiple treatment areas with relatively light skin (inner forearm, inside upper arm, and chest).
• Pressed firmly and tried different angles to ensure full skin contact.

None of these made any difference. The only place where the device consistently enters the Ready state and flashes is the palm of my hand.

For reference, I'm Indian, but the areas I've tested receive very little sun exposure and are fairly pale. The device had no problem working on these areas when I first received it.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does this sound like a faulty skin-contact sensor, a skin-tone sensor/calibration issue, or another hardware problem? I'd appreciate hearing if anyone has seen similar behavior or had Ulike replace a unit with this issue.

Most Indian ETFs are subject to punitive PFIC taxation by the IRS. I'm wondering whether there are any Indian ETFs (domiciled in India) that provide the information required by the IRS to allow investors to make a Qualified Electing Fund (QEF) election and receive QEF tax treatment.

If anyone has found an Indian ETF that issues an annual PFIC Information Statement (or otherwise provides the documentation needed for a QEF election), I'd appreciate hearing about your experience.

I have a Wyze Cam OG set up in my living room. I was wondering if there is any way that I could trigger an Alexa routine when the camera detects motion?

I purchased this car head unit for my 2023 Ford Mustang: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJ82P26Z

I really like it and almost everything works fine except for the microphone. The external mic that came with the unit does not record or pick up any sound at all. When I press the voice control button on the steering wheel, Google Assistant starts listening, but it cannot hear anything I say.

I already opened the head unit and verified that the external microphone is properly connected.

Unfortunately, I cannot return the item because it is already fully installed in my car, and removing it and reinstalling the original radio would be a major hassle.

I was wondering if it is possible to connect a Bluetooth microphone to this system and use that instead of the external wired mic for voice calls and Google Assistant commands.

I’m in the middle of a home renovation project (3 bathrooms, kitchen updates, flooring, and painting), and I recently checked my contractor’s CSLB license.

The license is active and they’ve been in business since 2004, but there is a pending CSLB citation and 2 pending -appealed citations for:

• Departing from trade standards
• Exceeding contract amount
• Not having written change orders

I asked the contractor about it, and he said the complaint against another project manager in his company and is under appeal and not legitimate. He also mentioned that once resolved, it will be removed from the CSLB page, and that many contractors have similar complaints that don’t show up anymore.

My concern is mainly around change orders and unexpected costs, since my contract already includes clauses for unforeseen conditions and change order markups.

For those who have gone through renovations:

1. How big of a red flag is a CSLB citation like this?
2. Is it common for these to be removed after resolution?
3. What practical steps should I take now to protect myself (especially around change orders and billing)?
4. Is this something you would walk away from, or just manage more carefully?

Would really appreciate any advice from homeowners or contractors who’ve dealt with similar situations.

I created a macro in Macrodroid to turn hotspot on when connected to a Bluetooth device. The device is rooted and uses Shizuku. It works fine in test. It works fine if my phone is unlocked and screen is on; however if the phone is in my pocket The macro gets activated but hotspot never turns on. 

I created a macro to turn hotspot on when connected to a Bluetooth device. The device is rooted and uses Shizuku. It works fine in test. It works fine if my phone is unlocked and screen is on; however if the phone is in my pocket The macro gets activated but hotspot never turns on. 

I created an Alexa routine with about 6–7 steps. After almost every step, Alexa makes some kind of spoken announcement or confirmation before moving to the next action, which makes the whole routine take much longer than expected.

For example, when I say “Alexa, I am awake,” I want a couple of motion-detection routines disabled immediately so I can walk into those rooms right away. Instead, the delays in the routine slow everything down.

Is there a way to make routines execute faster and more silently? Can I disable Alexa speaking between steps?

I’m looking for advice on the best launcher/setup for my 2023 Ford Mustang using a Carlinkit R2 streaming AI Box.

What I want is a split-screen launcher with:

• Maps fixed on the left side
• Customizable app on the right side (Youtube, YouTube Music, phone, etc.)
• Persistent memory so it remembers which apps were assigned to each side even after the car is turned off and restarted

My biggest frustration with the native Carlinkit R2 interface is that it does not remember the left/right app assignments, so I have to reconfigure it every time I drive.

I’d also like full support for the Mustang steering wheel voice command button, with commands passed through properly. Example:

• “Navigate to [location]” → opens navigation app and starts route
• “Start YouTube Music” → opens YouTube Music on the right side
• “Call [name]” → places a phone call

Basically, I want an Android AI box launcher that supports:

1. Split screen
2. Saved layout after restart
3. Voice command integration through factory steering wheel controls
4. Smooth performance in a 2023 Mustang

Has anyone found a launcher or setup that can do this reliably on a Carlinkit R2 streaming or similar AI box?