Recag/C4_40 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Grass had returned to the field stripped bare during the F5 tornado that devastated the Joplin community on May 22, 2011. Trees were sprouting leaves on what limbs were left. The gleaming new Speedco building, replacing the one ripped to shreds during the tornado, held its grand reopening ribbon cutting.
The evidence of a community on the mend was everywhere.
When Shell Rotella officials began contemplating where the 30th anniversary of Shell Rotella SuperRigs – the “Super Bowl” of show trucks competitions – would be held, Dave Waterman, channel marketing manager for Shell Rotella, said there was only one choice: Joplin.
They wanted to give a gift to Joplin. Shell just didn’t know they weren’t the only ones with a plan.
Shell Rotella and Speedco launched their effort to raise money for the Joplin Family YMCA at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
The fundraising effort, along with a little kick-in to round the numbers off, netted a $100,000 donation to the YMCA. The efforts, along with a little kick-in to round the numbers off, netted a $100,000 donation to the Joplin Family YMCA. Representatives from the Y were in awe of the generosity of truckers. Little did they (or anyone else for that matter) know there was more to come, later in the ceremony.
The awards program shifted gears and more than $25,000 in cash and prizes were handed out to winners in the Classic, Truck Only, Tractor-Trailer, Specialty and Best of Show categories.
Everyone was all smiles. It was a good day.
When it was announced that OOIDA Members Todd and Beth Roccapriore’s truck, driven by OOIDA Member John O’Keefe, won the grand prize, it probably didn’t surprise a lot of people.
The 2007 Peterbilt 379 EXHD Legacy – owned by Todd and Beth’s company, Clean Slate – was a head turner to say the least.
The brass knuckle-themed “The Low Life” and all of its customization easily set the bar even higher for SuperRigs.
As Todd, his wife Beth, John and fellow “The Low Life” teammate Jimmy Congdon, stood on stage I was caught off guard.
Todd was near tears. Beth was fighting them back for all she was worth. John was torn somewhere between a grin and joining them. Jimmy looked as if he knew something big was about to happen.
Todd asked to speak a few words to the crowd. He talked about their vision for the truck, and then he talked about their goals.
They wanted to make a good showing at Paul K. Young Truck Beauty Championship in March at the Mid-America Trucking Show and then they wanted to go to SuperRigs and win.
But not for themselves. They wanted to win for Joplin.
Todd then told everyone the “The Low Life” team was donating the $10,000 Best of Show check back to the Joplin Family YMCA.
Those who know the Roccapriores well, know this was just another example of the way they are.
Todd started in trucking when Charlie Shefcyk, the owner of an oil company in Todd’s home town, hired the 11-year-old.
Legs shaking, Todd was scared. He hadn’t driven anything. Much less a standard. Much less a truck.
Charlie calmed him down, and that day marked the start of a long life together in the world of trucking.
Charlie taught Todd everything – including how to work on a truck and do body work. Charlie’s father had been a painter, and he filled in with that skill set.
The first big project Todd and Charlie worked on was “Chopped 93,” a 1993 Peterbilt 379. Their goal – to show at the Mid-America Trucking Show in 2009.
Charlie was diagnosed with cancer, but managed to work during his treatments up until a month before he died.
“We were three-quarters of the way done. Beth and I decided to buy a dump trailer to finish out the truck so we could show it,” Todd said.
Charlie directed Todd in backing the trailer into the shop 12 days before MATS. That was the last time he saw the truck. Charlie was placed in hospice care the next day.
Charlie died three days before Louisville 2009. The truck was there and won Todd and Beth their first awards.
Todd and Beth won the Shell Rotella SuperRigs with “Widowmaker” in 2010. Famous for its customization, the truck was seen as raising the bar in show truck competitions.
This year, the pair showed up with “The Low Life” with driver John O’Keefe, who was nervous but ready to tell the judges about his truck.
“There’s nothing better than to show somebody how to do something and then watching them excel at it,” Todd said of John.
The truck is named as a reminder of how John could have turned out had he not decided to leave behind a young adult’s hijinks and pattern of bad decisions.
It wasn’t easy getting in with the Roccapriores. John had a bit of a reputation. Eventually, he wore them down and got a job and started to prove himself.
Beyond driving, John has also built on some knowledge of body work he picked up in high school.
John has been a part of the Clean Slate family for two years. The truck was their way of rewarding him for his hard work.
The idea of building the truck came to Todd and Beth right about the time the tornado hit Joplin a year ago. When they heard SuperRigs would be going to Joplin, the Clean Slate team decided to build the truck with the goal of winning the big check.
“Todd started talking about donating the check after we were already working on the build,” John said. “I told him it was a great idea.
With strong competition in the cheating arena, CheatingPlanet was late out of the gate.
With strong competition in the cheating arena, CheatingPlanet was late out of the gate. It's a pretty site, but it's woefully behind in the cheats and guides areas, leaving you hunting for help somewhere else. Thankfully, you can go to some better sites.
Fitbit Blaze review: does the Blaze set our world alight?
Fitness tracking wearables are dominated by one company, Fitbit. So when that company decides to launch a new product range, it's kind of a big deal.
The wearable was unveiled at CES in January, and it caused quite a commotion when the company's stocks plummeted after the announcement.
Let's start with the cost, the Blaze is being sold by Fitbit for £169.99. That seems reasonable. It's competitively priced against the Apple Watch which still costs almost double that. But it's still more expensive than most of Fitbit's other offerings, which may put some people off.
What do you get over Fitbit's previous models? A colour touchscreen for a start. This allows the watch to perform more advanced functions, such as true smartwatch notifications, and music control.
In terms of fitness sensors, the Blaze has a three-axis accelerometer, optical heart rate monitor, and an altimeter. Crucially, though, no GPS, so this won't be a true marathon runner's companion. Instead built-in GPS is reserved for the range-topping Fitbit Surge (although the Blaze can make use of your phone's GPS when connected).
The screen is one of the key features of the Fitbit Blaze, and thankfully, the company have delivered in this area. The 1.6-inch colour screen is bright, vivid, and sharp with a resolution of 240 x 180. It's easy to see in direct sunlight, and the touchscreen is responsive.
It may not be as sharp or impressive at the Apple Watch, but our main issue with the screen is that it's too small, creating a large bezel around the screen which makes the watch look dated. Although, it must be said the small screen does not affect usability.
It's worth noting that the screen is not always on, instead it has to be woken with a flick of the wrist or press of a button. It's fairly reliable when it comes to sensing this movement, but there have been several occasions when I've wanted to quickly glance at the time but failed to wake the screen.
Next we'll move on to perhaps the most contentious point - design, after all, a wearable has to look good, doesn't it?
The Blaze has our office divided, half love the way it looks, the other half aren't so sure. It's very obviously a smartwatch, but whereas the Apple Watch is smooth and rounded, the Fitbit Blaze is angular and edgy, giving it a retro look similar to a Casio digital.
The Blaze comes in one size, but thanks to its relatively slender proportions, it'll look right at home on both male and female wrists.
The watch actually consists of three parts, the strap, frame, and screen, all of which are interchangeable. Our review model featured a black elastomer strap, infamous for causing rashes on the Fitbit Force. Luckily we didn't experience any rashes, in fact, we found the Blaze very comfortable and lightweight, happily wearing it all the time, even while asleep.
It does, however, feel quite cheap, with a rougher, more brittle texture compared to the (admittedly more expensive) Apple Watch Sport.
The straps can be removed using a simple spring bar system, allowing you to swap it with others straps from Fitbit, including more premium leather and metal options. These additional straps start at £19.99and range up to £89.99.
The modularity of the system is interesting, both the frame and straps can be changed, allowing for a flexible watch. Where the leather strap may not be suitable for gym use, you certainly wouldn't want to wear the elastomer strap to a dinner party, so you could switch between the two to suit the occasion.
In terms of interacting with the device, there are three physical buttons located around the edge of the frame, but most interaction will take place on the touch screen.
The three buttons act as a home/back command (located on the left), and volume/selection buttons on the right. It keeps things simple and functional, the buttons are especially useful if you're working out in gloves and can't get the touchscreen to register.
On the rear of the deviceyou'll find an optical heart rate monitor, used to measure both your resting heart rate and heart rate zones during exercise.
The Fitbit Blaze is sweat, rain, and splash proof, but it's not fully submersible, so you're not going to be tracking your swim sessions with this device. This seems like a missed opportunity, a chance to win points over the Apple Watch.
One killer feature the Fitbit does have is a five-day battery life, that bests all of its smartwatch rivals by a long shot, most of whom require daily charging. This is partly down to the small screen and low-powered OS, but it's great to see a wearable with proper battery life for once.
The charging dock is yet another proprietary job from Fitbit, meaning you can't use the same charging cable from a Surge, Charge HR or Flex. Fitbit has a different charger for every product range they make, and that's starting to get annoying.
The charging dock itself is fine, although it does require you to remove the screen unit from the frame (which is easy enough to do) and clamp it into the charging dock. This seems overly complicated compared to the wireless charging solutions found in other smartwatches.
The colour screen gives Fitbit a chance to introduce a new UI, and as a first attempt, the company has done pretty well.
Navigating the OS is slick and intuitive, with everything more or less laid out how you'd expect. Swipe up on the watch face to see your recent messages and notifications (although, that's only system notifications, including email, texts, calendars and calls - no Facebook or Whatsapp, which is disappointing).
Swipe down on the watch face to see music controls and a silent mode toggle. Swiping from the right brings up a menu which includes today's stats, exercises, FitStar, a timer, alarms, and settings.
While all of those are pretty self-explanatory, FitStar is the key here. Essentially, it's an app which guides you through workouts, first using the screen to demonstrate the exercise, then timing you while you do it. This is a big advantage over Fitbit's other models.
At the time of writing there are four watch faces available from Fitbit to customise the look of your wearable. It's a nice touch, and 'Pop' is our current favourite, but I'd hope to see this expanded in the future.
So the Fitbit Blaze operating system is basic, but it's functional and simple, that's a thumbs up in our book. As long as you're not expecting advanced interactive notifications and apps similar to those on the Apple Watch, you won't be disappointed.
Like every other fitness tracker out there, the Fitbit Blaze is primarily a device for counting steps, and it does this pretty well.
It also counts flights of stairs, and estimates the number of calories you've burned. Accuracy on the latter two is questionable, and although we haven't scientifically tested the Blaze, I thinkit's fair to say Fitbit's algorithm tends to overestimate these figures. It does, however, overestimate these consistently, so if it says you burned more calories today than you did yesterday, you can trust that conclusion. You should, therefore, use the Blaze as a motivation device rather than a precise measuring tool.
The touch screen allows you to select other exercises, such as running, cycling, weight training, treadmill running, elliptical, and a general 'workout'.
For example, when you begin a cycling workout it'll start to time you, measure how far you traveled, your average and max kph, average and max heart rate, estimated calories burned, and elevation change. Your stats are displayed post work out on the screen, making the device much more useful than a simple step counter.
As previously mentioned, the device features a heart rate sensor, used to give you a rough idea of your resting heart rate. This seemed accurate to me, matching with various other fitness trackers I've tried.
Then it comes to tracking active heart rate, there are a few issues with this. The main problem is that the screen turns off while you're exercising, so you have to wake the screen before you can see the data. Which is slightly annoying.
Bluetooth syncing is fast, connecting first time on every attempt. Once you've synced your fitness data Fitbit's ecosystem really comes into its own.
The company has had a lot of time to hone its app and that shows. There's a solid user base, and the app offers detailed information clearly, which is no mean feat.
It also offers integration with the likes of Endomondo, MapMyRun and MyFitnessPal, with its wealth of user-sourced food calorie counts - essential if you're a dieter.
The app is a pleasure to use, making keeping track of your activity easier. Because, you know, any excuse to fall off the wagon and we'll take it.
The Blaze may not be a revolutionary device, but it fills a gap in Fitbit's line-up. It should appeal to those after a cheap smartwatch with good battery life. It's an attractive and functional wearable, and the screen adds a lot to the Fitbit experience. Our only issues with the Blaze is that it doesn't feel as premium as it's rivals, there's no waterproofing, and that large bezel makes it look dated.
One final dilemma, does this go in our best fitness tracker list or best smartwatch list?
T3 Tells It: Blaze of Glory - is Team T3 impressed by the Fitbit Blaze?
Yaniv Tross is a creative guy, passionate about building stuff from the ground up. CEO of Tross Creative - a creative agency for tech, based in Tel Aviv.
There are some design features that have withstood the test of time. Others... not so much.
Have a great idea and thinking about crowdfunding it? Think again. Your idea, as great as it is, is simply not enough.
If you're draggin' down a cool $79-thou a year, the folks paying the bill expect you to do your job. Tell that to those lawmakers who earn that much but didn't vote on slipping slot machines and other gaming into state race tracks.
The Racino package was the most controversial plan lawmakers have faced this year and 15 legislators didn't vote on one or two of the key bills.
Eight of them were freshmen.
Take Rep. David Farhat, R-Muskegon He's got a race track about two miles from his front door. The industry told him that permitting off-track betting and allowing Internet and telephone wagering would save the horses. Hence you would expect Farhat to pony up a yes vote. He sat on the railing instead.
"I was confused on what I was voting on," he lamely suggests, "and by the time I figured it out, the voting board was closed." Ah, shucks.
He could've raised his hand and had his vote recorded after the fact, but he did not. Farhat could easily lose his seat next year, so did he take a walk to avoid offending anyone? He denies it.
One lobbyist observes, "He was nervous."
Rep. Lisa Wonjo, D-Warren, claims she was having a tough time handicapping all the proposed changes during debate so she didn't vote on two bills.
"I'm defending my district by not voting," she suggests and she's "comfortable" with that. Can you believe this stuff?
Another Warren Democrat, Rep. Steve Bieda, says, "I went to hit the button. I thought I hit it, but it (his vote) didn't come up." Darn those pesky buttons.
He didn't record his vote afterward either because there wasn't enough time to do it. But he could have had his vote printed in the journal. "I didn't feel it was that big of an issue." Earth to Steve, Earth to Steve.
He also denies he was worried about offending voters in his competitive district.
One lobbyist contends there could have been 65 votes for the package but there was no need to force lawmakers to vote if their votes weren't needed. So some of them took the easy way out.
The case of veteran Rep. Joe Rivet, D-Saginaw, is different and defensible. He refused to vote twice as a protest over his failed efforts to divert some of the gaming money into preserving farmlands.
There's no way to know all the reasons, but in reality, it allows some legislators to have it both ways. To opponents they can say not voting was a no vote. And to proponents they can say with a straight face "at least I didn't oppose you."
Lansing insiders may swallow that mumble-jumble, but typical citizens won't. The following full-time lawmakers should consider giving back part of the $190 they made that day: Barb Farrah, Hoon-Yung Hopgood, Mike Murhphy, Bill O'Neil, Dave Palsrok, Alma Stallworth Mary Waters, Judy Emmons, Alexander Lipsey, Bill McConico and Aldo Vagnozzi.
Get in the game, folks, or get out of the kitchen.

Grass had returned to the field stripped bare during the F5 tornado that devastated the Joplin community on May 22, 2011. Trees were sprouting leaves on what limbs were left. The gleaming new Speedco building, replacing the one ripped to shreds during the tornado, held its grand reopening ribbon cutting.

The evidence of a community on the mend was everywhere.

When Shell Rotella officials began contemplating where the 30th anniversary of Shell Rotella SuperRigs – the “Super Bowl” of show trucks competitions – would be held, Dave Waterman, channel marketing manager for Shell Rotella, said there was only one choice: Joplin.

They wanted to give a gift to Joplin. Shell just didn’t know they weren’t the only ones with a plan.

Shell Rotella and Speedco launched their effort to raise money for the Joplin Family YMCA at the Mid-America Trucking Show.

The fundraising effort, along with a little kick-in to round the numbers off, netted a $100,000 donation to the YMCA. The efforts, along with a little kick-in to round the numbers off, netted a $100,000 donation to the Joplin Family YMCA. Representatives from the Y were in awe of the generosity of truckers. Little did they (or anyone else for that matter) know there was more to come, later in the ceremony.

The awards program shifted gears and more than $25,000 in cash and prizes were handed out to winners in the Classic, Truck Only, Tractor-Trailer, Specialty and Best of Show categories.

Everyone was all smiles. It was a good day.

When it was announced that OOIDA Members Todd and Beth Roccapriore’s truck, driven by OOIDA Member John O’Keefe, won the grand prize, it probably didn’t surprise a lot of people.

The 2007 Peterbilt 379 EXHD Legacy – owned by Todd and Beth’s company, Clean Slate – was a head turner to say the least.

The brass knuckle-themed “The Low Life” and all of its customization easily set the bar even higher for SuperRigs.

As Todd, his wife Beth, John and fellow “The Low Life” teammate Jimmy Congdon, stood on stage I was caught off guard.

Todd was near tears. Beth was fighting them back for all she was worth. John was torn somewhere between a grin and joining them. Jimmy looked as if he knew something big was about to happen.

Todd asked to speak a few words to the crowd. He talked about their vision for the truck, and then he talked about their goals.

They wanted to make a good showing at Paul K. Young Truck Beauty Championship in March at the Mid-America Trucking Show and then they wanted to go to SuperRigs and win.

But not for themselves. They wanted to win for Joplin.

Todd then told everyone the “The Low Life” team was donating the $10,000 Best of Show check back to the Joplin Family YMCA.

Those who know the Roccapriores well, know this was just another example of the way they are.

Todd started in trucking when Charlie Shefcyk, the owner of an oil company in Todd’s home town, hired the 11-year-old.

Legs shaking, Todd was scared. He hadn’t driven anything. Much less a standard. Much less a truck.

Charlie calmed him down, and that day marked the start of a long life together in the world of trucking.

Charlie taught Todd everything – including how to work on a truck and do body work. Charlie’s father had been a painter, and he filled in with that skill set.

The first big project Todd and Charlie worked on was “Chopped 93,” a 1993 Peterbilt 379. Their goal – to show at the Mid-America Trucking Show in 2009.

Charlie was diagnosed with cancer, but managed to work during his treatments up until a month before he died.

“We were three-quarters of the way done. Beth and I decided to buy a dump trailer to finish out the truck so we could show it,” Todd said.

Charlie directed Todd in backing the trailer into the shop 12 days before MATS. That was the last time he saw the truck. Charlie was placed in hospice care the next day.

Charlie died three days before Louisville 2009. The truck was there and won Todd and Beth their first awards.

Todd and Beth won the Shell Rotella SuperRigs with “Widowmaker” in 2010. Famous for its customization, the truck was seen as raising the bar in show truck competitions.

This year, the pair showed up with “The Low Life” with driver John O’Keefe, who was nervous but ready to tell the judges about his truck.

“There’s nothing better than to show somebody how to do something and then watching them excel at it,” Todd said of John.

The truck is named as a reminder of how John could have turned out had he not decided to leave behind a young adult’s hijinks and pattern of bad decisions.

It wasn’t easy getting in with the Roccapriores. John had a bit of a reputation. Eventually, he wore them down and got a job and started to prove himself.

Beyond driving, John has also built on some knowledge of body work he picked up in high school.

John has been a part of the Clean Slate family for two years. The truck was their way of rewarding him for his hard work.

The idea of building the truck came to Todd and Beth right about the time the tornado hit Joplin a year ago. When they heard SuperRigs would be going to Joplin, the Clean Slate team decided to build the truck with the goal of winning the big check.

“Todd started talking about donating the check after we were already working on the build,” John said. “I told him it was a great idea.

With strong competition in the cheating arena, CheatingPlanet was late out of the gate.

With strong competition in the cheating arena, CheatingPlanet was late out of the gate. It's a pretty site, but it's woefully behind in the cheats and guides areas, leaving you hunting for help somewhere else. Thankfully, you can go to some better sites.

Fitbit Blaze review: does the Blaze set our world alight?

Fitness tracking wearables are dominated by one company, Fitbit. So when that company decides to launch a new product range, it's kind of a big deal.

The wearable was unveiled at CES in January, and it caused quite a commotion when the company's stocks plummeted after the announcement.

Let's start with the cost, the Blaze is being sold by Fitbit for £169.99. That seems reasonable. It's competitively priced against the Apple Watch which still costs almost double that. But it's still more expensive than most of Fitbit's other offerings, which may put some people off.

What do you get over Fitbit's previous models? A colour touchscreen for a start. This allows the watch to perform more advanced functions, such as true smartwatch notifications, and music control.

In terms of fitness sensors, the Blaze has a three-axis accelerometer, optical heart rate monitor, and an altimeter. Crucially, though, no GPS, so this won't be a true marathon runner's companion. Instead built-in GPS is reserved for the range-topping Fitbit Surge (although the Blaze can make use of your phone's GPS when connected).

The screen is one of the key features of the Fitbit Blaze, and thankfully, the company have delivered in this area. The 1.6-inch colour screen is bright, vivid, and sharp with a resolution of 240 x 180. It's easy to see in direct sunlight, and the touchscreen is responsive.

It may not be as sharp or impressive at the Apple Watch, but our main issue with the screen is that it's too small, creating a large bezel around the screen which makes the watch look dated. Although, it must be said the small screen does not affect usability.

It's worth noting that the screen is not always on, instead it has to be woken with a flick of the wrist or press of a button. It's fairly reliable when it comes to sensing this movement, but there have been several occasions when I've wanted to quickly glance at the time but failed to wake the screen.

Next we'll move on to perhaps the most contentious point - design, after all, a wearable has to look good, doesn't it?

The Blaze has our office divided, half love the way it looks, the other half aren't so sure. It's very obviously a smartwatch, but whereas the Apple Watch is smooth and rounded, the Fitbit Blaze is angular and edgy, giving it a retro look similar to a Casio digital.

The Blaze comes in one size, but thanks to its relatively slender proportions, it'll look right at home on both male and female wrists.

The watch actually consists of three parts, the strap, frame, and screen, all of which are interchangeable. Our review model featured a black elastomer strap, infamous for causing rashes on the Fitbit Force. Luckily we didn't experience any rashes, in fact, we found the Blaze very comfortable and lightweight, happily wearing it all the time, even while asleep.

It does, however, feel quite cheap, with a rougher, more brittle texture compared to the (admittedly more expensive) Apple Watch Sport.

The straps can be removed using a simple spring bar system, allowing you to swap it with others straps from Fitbit, including more premium leather and metal options. These additional straps start at £19.99and range up to £89.99.

The modularity of the system is interesting, both the frame and straps can be changed, allowing for a flexible watch. Where the leather strap may not be suitable for gym use, you certainly wouldn't want to wear the elastomer strap to a dinner party, so you could switch between the two to suit the occasion.

In terms of interacting with the device, there are three physical buttons located around the edge of the frame, but most interaction will take place on the touch screen.

The three buttons act as a home/back command (located on the left), and volume/selection buttons on the right. It keeps things simple and functional, the buttons are especially useful if you're working out in gloves and can't get the touchscreen to register.

On the rear of the deviceyou'll find an optical heart rate monitor, used to measure both your resting heart rate and heart rate zones during exercise.

The Fitbit Blaze is sweat, rain, and splash proof, but it's not fully submersible, so you're not going to be tracking your swim sessions with this device. This seems like a missed opportunity, a chance to win points over the Apple Watch.

One killer feature the Fitbit does have is a five-day battery life, that bests all of its smartwatch rivals by a long shot, most of whom require daily charging. This is partly down to the small screen and low-powered OS, but it's great to see a wearable with proper battery life for once.

The charging dock is yet another proprietary job from Fitbit, meaning you can't use the same charging cable from a Surge, Charge HR or Flex. Fitbit has a different charger for every product range they make, and that's starting to get annoying.

The charging dock itself is fine, although it does require you to remove the screen unit from the frame (which is easy enough to do) and clamp it into the charging dock. This seems overly complicated compared to the wireless charging solutions found in other smartwatches.

The colour screen gives Fitbit a chance to introduce a new UI, and as a first attempt, the company has done pretty well.

Navigating the OS is slick and intuitive, with everything more or less laid out how you'd expect. Swipe up on the watch face to see your recent messages and notifications (although, that's only system notifications, including email, texts, calendars and calls - no Facebook or Whatsapp, which is disappointing).

Swipe down on the watch face to see music controls and a silent mode toggle. Swiping from the right brings up a menu which includes today's stats, exercises, FitStar, a timer, alarms, and settings.

While all of those are pretty self-explanatory, FitStar is the key here. Essentially, it's an app which guides you through workouts, first using the screen to demonstrate the exercise, then timing you while you do it. This is a big advantage over Fitbit's other models.

At the time of writing there are four watch faces available from Fitbit to customise the look of your wearable. It's a nice touch, and 'Pop' is our current favourite, but I'd hope to see this expanded in the future.

So the Fitbit Blaze operating system is basic, but it's functional and simple, that's a thumbs up in our book. As long as you're not expecting advanced interactive notifications and apps similar to those on the Apple Watch, you won't be disappointed.

Like every other fitness tracker out there, the Fitbit Blaze is primarily a device for counting steps, and it does this pretty well.

It also counts flights of stairs, and estimates the number of calories you've burned. Accuracy on the latter two is questionable, and although we haven't scientifically tested the Blaze, I thinkit's fair to say Fitbit's algorithm tends to overestimate these figures. It does, however, overestimate these consistently, so if it says you burned more calories today than you did yesterday, you can trust that conclusion. You should, therefore, use the Blaze as a motivation device rather than a precise measuring tool.

The touch screen allows you to select other exercises, such as running, cycling, weight training, treadmill running, elliptical, and a general 'workout'.

For example, when you begin a cycling workout it'll start to time you, measure how far you traveled, your average and max kph, average and max heart rate, estimated calories burned, and elevation change. Your stats are displayed post work out on the screen, making the device much more useful than a simple step counter.

As previously mentioned, the device features a heart rate sensor, used to give you a rough idea of your resting heart rate. This seemed accurate to me, matching with various other fitness trackers I've tried.

Then it comes to tracking active heart rate, there are a few issues with this. The main problem is that the screen turns off while you're exercising, so you have to wake the screen before you can see the data. Which is slightly annoying.

Bluetooth syncing is fast, connecting first time on every attempt. Once you've synced your fitness data Fitbit's ecosystem really comes into its own.

The company has had a lot of time to hone its app and that shows. There's a solid user base, and the app offers detailed information clearly, which is no mean feat.

It also offers integration with the likes of Endomondo, MapMyRun and MyFitnessPal, with its wealth of user-sourced food calorie counts - essential if you're a dieter.

The app is a pleasure to use, making keeping track of your activity easier. Because, you know, any excuse to fall off the wagon and we'll take it.

The Blaze may not be a revolutionary device, but it fills a gap in Fitbit's line-up. It should appeal to those after a cheap smartwatch with good battery life. It's an attractive and functional wearable, and the screen adds a lot to the Fitbit experience. Our only issues with the Blaze is that it doesn't feel as premium as it's rivals, there's no waterproofing, and that large bezel makes it look dated.

One final dilemma, does this go in our best fitness tracker list or best smartwatch list?

T3 Tells It: Blaze of Glory - is Team T3 impressed by the Fitbit Blaze?

Yaniv Tross is a creative guy, passionate about building stuff from the ground up. CEO of Tross Creative - a creative agency for tech, based in Tel Aviv.

There are some design features that have withstood the test of time. Others... not so much.

Have a great idea and thinking about crowdfunding it? Think again. Your idea, as great as it is, is simply not enough.

If you're draggin' down a cool $79-thou a year, the folks paying the bill expect you to do your job. Tell that to those lawmakers who earn that much but didn't vote on slipping slot machines and other gaming into state race tracks.

The Racino package was the most controversial plan lawmakers have faced this year and 15 legislators didn't vote on one or two of the key bills.

Eight of them were freshmen.

Take Rep. David Farhat, R-Muskegon He's got a race track about two miles from his front door. The industry told him that permitting off-track betting and allowing Internet and telephone wagering would save the horses. Hence you would expect Farhat to pony up a yes vote. He sat on the railing instead.

"I was confused on what I was voting on," he lamely suggests, "and by the time I figured it out, the voting board was closed." Ah, shucks.

He could've raised his hand and had his vote recorded after the fact, but he did not. Farhat could easily lose his seat next year, so did he take a walk to avoid offending anyone? He denies it.

One lobbyist observes, "He was nervous."

Rep. Lisa Wonjo, D-Warren, claims she was having a tough time handicapping all the proposed changes during debate so she didn't vote on two bills.

"I'm defending my district by not voting," she suggests and she's "comfortable" with that. Can you believe this stuff?

Another Warren Democrat, Rep. Steve Bieda, says, "I went to hit the button. I thought I hit it, but it (his vote) didn't come up." Darn those pesky buttons.

He didn't record his vote afterward either because there wasn't enough time to do it. But he could have had his vote printed in the journal. "I didn't feel it was that big of an issue." Earth to Steve, Earth to Steve.

He also denies he was worried about offending voters in his competitive district.

One lobbyist contends there could have been 65 votes for the package but there was no need to force lawmakers to vote if their votes weren't needed. So some of them took the easy way out.

The case of veteran Rep. Joe Rivet, D-Saginaw, is different and defensible. He refused to vote twice as a protest over his failed efforts to divert some of the gaming money into preserving farmlands.

There's no way to know all the reasons, but in reality, it allows some legislators to have it both ways. To opponents they can say not voting was a no vote. And to proponents they can say with a straight face "at least I didn't oppose you."

Lansing insiders may swallow that mumble-jumble, but typical citizens won't. The following full-time lawmakers should consider giving back part of the $190 they made that day: Barb Farrah, Hoon-Yung Hopgood, Mike Murhphy, Bill O'Neil, Dave Palsrok, Alma Stallworth Mary Waters, Judy Emmons, Alexander Lipsey, Bill McConico and Aldo Vagnozzi.

Get in the game, folks, or get out of the kitchen.