r/pickbetter

I came across something interesting recently.

Tata + Airbus are manufacturing C-295 military transport aircraft in India. Out of the 56 aircraft ordered by India, 40 are planned to be built here.

Mahindra + Embraer are also working together to explore bringing the C-390 Millennium to India, with local manufacturing being considered if it gets selected.

These aren't fighter jets, but it's still a big step for India's defence industry.

For years, India has bought military aircraft from countries like Russia, France and the US  MiGs, Sukhois, Mirage 2000s, Rafales, C-17s and more.

Now we're seeing India slowly build more of this capability at home. Tejas is another example of India designing and building its own fighter aircraft.

This is making me think harder on what’s better for us,

Build in India: slower and a more difficult task, but we build our own technology and reduce dependence.

Buy from other countries: definitely a proven choice of aircraft that can be available faster, but we will remain dependent on foreign suppliers.

Or wait, is a mix of both actually the smarter option?

I was planning to buy a new AC and came across Mijia, Xiaomi’s home and lifestyle brand.

At first, I didn't even realise it was from Xiaomi.

Then I started looking into it and honestly, it got me thinking.

Xiaomi has already made a name for itself by bringing affordable phones, electronics and gadgets to the masses. Their biggest strength has always been value for money.

But I'm not sure how much of that matters when you're buying something for your home.

Do I just look at the features and price and go with Mijia?

Or do I spend a little more on an established, more aspirational AC brand like Samsung, LG, Daikin, Voltas or Whirlpool?

I was actually considering Samsung, so I started comparing the two.

On paper, Mijia looks pretty solid:

• AI-based energy saving + energy monitoring through the Xiaomi Home app
• 30-second rapid cooling + 602 micro-holes for gentler airflow
• Smart-home integration + voice control

And that's where I'm stuck.

Mijia seems to offer a lot for the money. But would I actually trust it enough to put an AC from a relatively new home brand in my house for the next 5–10 years?

If you were in my place, what would you pick?

Would you go with Mijia for the value, or stick with an established AC brand like Samsung, LG or Daikin?

Would love to hear what you guys would choose.

My family's first car is finally leaving us today.

It's just a Maruti 800.

To most people, it's an old hatchback. But to me, it's a part of my childhood.

My uncle bought this car in 2005, and until then, no one in our family had ever owned a car. Every family function, grocery run, Sunday drive, and road trip somehow happened in this little red Maruti.

I grew up in its back seat, fought for the window seat, fell asleep on long drives, and years later, even learned how to drive in it.

It never had power windows or fancy features. But it gave us something much more valuable — memories.

After 21 years, my uncle has finally decided to sell it.

I always knew this day would come, but I never expected saying goodbye to a car would feel this emotional.

I guess it was never just a car. It was a part of our family.

For the resale, we're currently considering Cars24, but I've also heard some good reviews about True Value.

If you've sold your car through either of these platforms and got a good value for it, which one would you recommend?

Would love to know which car reseller you guys have had the best experience with and What's your story with your family's first car? I'd love to read it.

The Long March 7A just failed about 85 seconds after liftoff while carrying ChinaSat-4B, and the cause is still being investigated.

But this is not an isolated bad week for the big space players.

Blue Origin's New Glenn successfully launched and landed its reusable booster on its third flight in April, but an upper-stage engine problem left the BlueBird 7 satellite in the wrong orbit.

Then in May, another New Glenn was destroyed during a hotfire test. Blue Origin says the investigation is ongoing, with early analysis pointing to the aft section of the first stage.

And SpaceX had its own unusual moment this month when a spent Falcon 9 upper stage from a 2025 mission hit the Moon at roughly 2.4 km/s. It wasn't a launch failure, but it's a pretty wild reminder that missions can have unexpected endings long after launch.

We were all rooting for a clean launch. Instead, 2026 has given us a pretty good reminder of just how unpredictable spaceflight can be.

After everything we've seen this year, which country/space giant do you think has the upper hand in space and what makes you think so?