@Lotta: Kodak Charmera Blind Box

• Reference price: ¥196

When Kodak first announced Charmera, it quickly sparked a wave of attention online, to the point where its price was once speculated up to around ¥300 and it was still in short supply. At the end of last year, I spotted a Charmera on display in the window of a camera store on the streets of Macau, but after asking the staff I learned there was no stock available, so I had to give up. It wasn’t until shortly before the Lunar New Year that I happened to notice the price on Taobao had dropped quite a bit. With discounts applied, it could be purchased for under ¥200, which felt quite attractive to me.

I ended up pulling the gray version. Although it’s not as recognizable as the one on the box cover, nor as special as the transparent hidden edition, it gives me a strong early-Apple vibe. The gray-white shell paired with the rainbow stripe design feels genuinely retro. Even though Charmera is only about the size of a keychain, the body still includes a super tiny viewfinder cutout to enhance the retro aesthetic. However, this “viewfinder” is really just a hole without any optical design, so naturally it doesn’t have much practical use.

Charmera features a lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length, capable of shooting photos at 1080×1440 and recording video at 30fps. But the actual image quality can be summed up in one word: terrible. Or perhaps more accurately, we shouldn’t have any expectations for its image quality in the first place. If you approach it with that mindset, the output actually feels like it “has the vibe.”

While the Y2K aesthetic has returned to the spotlight and many people are trying various ways to recreate that “retro” feeling, Charmera is the kind of device where photographing it works, but using it to photograph others doesn’t quite. If you treat it as a retro accessory integrated into your outfit, it might add some character to your photos. But if you expect it to capture images that are both retro and sharp, that’s a very tall order.

Although the image quality is poor, the built-in filters and frames help make up for it somewhat. In particular, the four Kodak-style frames are quite fun to use.

If you evaluate Charmera by the standards of a typical camera, I think that would be unfair. Its positioning is closer to that of a low-resolution toy in the era of high-definition imaging. Wear it as a pendant, and when you spot something interesting, simply pull it out and take a quick shot without any pressure—perhaps that’s exactly the meaning of its existence.

Even though the image quality isn’t great, it really is fun to play with. Especially during the holidays, pulling out such a quirky little gadget in front of relatives naturally makes everyone want to try taking a photo with it just to see what happens. Compared to everyone sitting alone in corners scrolling on their phones, using something like this to bring people together might be exactly what many people seek when they talk about nostalgia.

All in all, I think Charmera is a little gadget with very clear strengths and weaknesses. If you’re buying it purely for photography, it simply can’t compete with a smartphone. But for me, the emotional value it provides already makes it worth the price. By the way, knockoff versions have already appeared on Taobao. The image quality is roughly the same, but they lack Kodak’s four signature frames. Considering some of them are priced at over ¥180, you might as well just buy the real Charmera instead.

@Clyde: Xiaomi BE3600 Pro Wired Version

• Reference price: ¥1507.90

Let me put the disclaimer first: I’m aware that Xiaomi has “cut corners” on some router models like the BE6500 Pro and AX3000T. I still chose Xiaomi anyway, mainly because I’m lazy.

After tinkering with VLANs, single-cable multiplexing, and IPTV setups for half a year, I finally got a bit tired of it all. One night, when my Redmi AX6s rebooted again due to performance issues, I decided to take the easy route without drastically changing my setup habits and ordered the Xiaomi BE3600 Pro wired version that had been sitting in my shopping cart for quite a while.

The installation and configuration weren’t too difficult. The main router goes into the weak-current cabinet and connects to the optical modem. After connecting each AP panel through wired networking, you can install them according to the network port locations in each room. Here, the Xiaomi BE3600 Pro wired version offers a bit of convenience for those who prefer the lazy route—you can either have an installer come over, remove the existing wall network panel, re-terminate the cable with an RJ45 connector, and mount the AP panel directly onto the wall like a regular network outlet; or you can take the lazy option and simply connect it and stick the panel onto the existing wall outlet using the adhesive backing included with the device.

For most AP panel products, heat dissipation is an unavoidable issue. Xiaomi equips the BE3600 Pro wired version’s AP panel with a small fan, and you can choose “Balanced Mode” or set temperature thresholds for fan activation and shutdown through the Mesh node management page in the web interface. Perhaps because the weather isn’t too hot right now, even the AP panel installed in the corner of my bedroom hasn’t produced any fan noise noticeable during late-night quiet hours.

But it does get warm. I measured it with a Pixel 9 Pro (Google: see, the temperature sensor does come in handy!). With my Mac connected via Ethernet, the AP panel runs at around 42–45°C in a room temperature of roughly 20°C—similar to how a Pixel 9 Pro feels after about ten minutes of gaming. It’s not exactly comfortable to touch, but fortunately you don’t need to keep holding it all the time.

As for coverage, I bought a bundle with one main router and four sub nodes. For a 90-square-meter apartment this is actually a bit excessive, but since I didn’t plan the network port locations very well when reserving cables earlier, I had to rely on quantity to ensure full coverage. This also ties into another reason I stuck with Xiaomi: there are already quite a few Mi Home ecosystem devices in my house. The main router of the 3600 Pro wired version can act as a Mi Home smart hub, featuring the “Automation Geek Version” (essentially a graphical, web-based automation editor), and it can run local automation commands even when the internet connection is down.

Meanwhile, each AP panel can also function as a Bluetooth Mesh gateway for connecting Mi Home devices. Placing one in every room allows nearby smart devices to connect directly, which means one less gateway device—and potentially one more available power outlet or Ethernet port. That kind of integration is something I really appreciate.

In terms of personal usage habits, the BE3600 Pro wired version also supports customizable port functions. With a simple setup, the Ethernet port on the living room AP panel can be configured to connect a set-top box for IPTV. The problem is that each AP panel only has one 2.5GbE port. While using it for IPTV doesn’t affect the panel’s wireless and AP functions, other devices in the same area won’t be able to connect via Ethernet unless you add a switch and configure VLANs again… which basically puts you back where you started. Fortunately, both speed test websites and macOS’s built-in networkquality tool show pretty good results so far—maybe because it’s still relatively new and hasn’t been “downgraded” yet (laugh).

Another complaint is that Xiaomi’s router software experience is currently quite fragmented. Some settings you can’t find in the Mi Home app might appear in the web interface, and vice versa. Also, even though Xiaomi releases new router models every year, the web interface UI still looks exactly the same as it did more than a decade ago—when will it finally become a bit nicer and more user-friendly?

@Microhoo: RS 5 Camera Stabilizer

• Reference price: ¥3899

As a struggling student who nevertheless loves buying stationery, once I decided to move beyond still photography and try shooting video, I often found myself longing for a cool and imposing camera stabilizer. The reason I kept hesitating was that these devices all wear the intimidating label of “professional.” From balancing to the various stabilization modes, everything feels a bit overwhelming—especially when I’m still figuring out basic camera movements, making it hard to feel confident about carrying around such a large piece of equipment.

DJI has probably seen plenty of beginners like me who feel a bit intimidated, so with the RS 4 Mini they tried adding a small intelligent tracking module. This makes it possible to track subjects easily even without strong shooting skills or camera movement techniques. Still, it wasn’t perfect. On the one hand, it could only recognize people, which was somewhat limiting. On the other hand, the lack of a monitoring system meant that automatic tracking always carried a bit of uncertainty. But I believed DJI wouldn’t leave it there. The significance of this feature isn’t just simplifying tracking—it also reflects a broader vision of making creative tools more accessible, allowing beginners to start easily with professional equipment and gradually refine advanced skills through use. Sure enough, the RS 5 that followed, although positioned as a professional and even commercial production tool, may actually be the most beginner-friendly camera stabilizer yet.

The RS 5 naturally continues and further enhances the small intelligent tracking module introduced on the RS 4 Mini. Not only can it now track any type of object, but for clearly identified human subjects the tracking distance has been extended to 10 meters, and it can quickly reacquire the subject even after they briefly leave the frame.

What meets my expectations most is that DJI now displays the tracking module’s captured view directly on the RS 5’s touchscreen. This allows you to preview the tracking status in real time, quickly tap on the screen to select or switch tracking targets, and simultaneously control the stabilizer’s gimbal movements.

In real-world use, people and animals are the subjects that the system recognizes and maintains tracking on most reliably. But if the background is relatively clean, even small objects like pots and pans can be tracked accurately—though you may need to adjust movement speed and avoid interference, otherwise the system might lose the subject.

During tracking, besides keeping the subject centered, you can also customize the composition by placing the subject to the left or right of the frame. There is a small drawback, however: because the tracking module is positioned slightly offset from the camera lens, the image shown on the touchscreen differs from the actual footage captured by the camera. This means perfect centering cannot be guaranteed, and when using more flexible compositions there’s an even greater chance that the subject may slip out of the camera’s actual frame. This offset isn’t much of an issue when using wide-angle lenses, but when shooting at longer focal lengths it requires careful attention.

Based on my understanding, the tracking module likely uses a wide-angle lens, meaning its field of view is probably much larger than the camera’s. DJI could potentially address this through a firmware update by adding a calibration step, allowing users to align the touchscreen preview with the camera’s actual shooting perspective before filming.

Beyond intelligent tracking, another improvement on the RS 5 that is extremely beginner-friendly is the addition of fine-adjustment knobs on all axis arms. However, I do hope DJI might reconsider the name “fine adjustment,” because “balancing knobs” might be a more accurate description.

When I first saw them, I assumed they were merely a small convenience—useful for precise positioning once the balancing was already roughly done—but not something that fundamentally solved the stabilizer balancing problem. In reality, though, they greatly improve balancing efficiency. Compared with the traditional method of manually sliding the arms back and forth, these knobs require less force and offer greater precision, which is especially helpful for beginners who haven’t yet developed muscle memory with stabilizers. Even so, I still hope future camera stabilizers will eventually support automatic balancing like smartphone gimbals—that would truly be revolutionary.

Another improvement on the RS 5—perhaps less targeted at beginners but greatly enhancing the user experience—is the addition of electronic control buttons on the briefcase handle. This significantly improves ease of operation when shooting from low angles. If you’re already experienced with stabilizers and don’t find the previous two features particularly exciting, this detail will likely still prove very useful.

As for other improvements such as the new-generation stabilization algorithm and motor efficiency upgrades, I won’t go into too much detail. My experience with stabilizers is still limited, so I can’t comprehensively describe every iterative improvement. What I can say with confidence is that if you’re like me—someone trying a camera stabilizer for the first time and hoping for the lowest barrier to entry with the highest efficiency—starting with the RS 5 is definitely a good choice.

@Luzhongnan: Gejiano 7-Place Countertop Dishwasher

• Reference price: ¥2100

This year during the Lunar New Year, I tried a different approach when buying gifts for relatives. Instead of passing along those well-traveled “aged” gifts that have already circulated through several households, I figured it would be more practical to use the government subsidy program to buy trendy home appliances that could genuinely improve the lives of the elders. I learned that my relatives’ kitchen had plenty of space, so placing a countertop dishwasher wouldn’t be a problem. I had also heard from other relatives that a certain brand’s dishwasher worked well, so it seemed like a natural choice. While searching for the same model, I discovered a new 2025 version with a seven-place capacity and a stainless steel interior. With the national subsidy applied, it cost just over ¥2100, so I placed the order without much hesitation.

JD Logistics was extremely fast—it arrived on the third day. For large appliances like this, the purchase price usually includes on-site installation service, but if you install it yourself you can request a partial refund from customer support. In my case, I got ¥50 back. I was initially worried that the elders might struggle with installation, but they were actually eager to give it a try and get some exercise. As soon as the package arrived, they unpacked it themselves. The installation turned out to be very simple: just place the machine on the countertop and connect two water hoses. Aside from the included drain hose being slightly too short, everything went smoothly.

The white exterior looks quite clean and refreshing on the countertop, and loading bowls and chopsticks feels very convenient. In comparison, the built-in dishwasher at my own home—where you have to bend down to load it—suddenly feels incredibly clumsy. The seven-place capacity is more than sufficient for the daily meals of three elderly people, and there’s even room for a small pot after the dishes are loaded. On days when fewer plates are used, accumulating them for a once-a-day wash is also perfectly feasible. During the initial test run, some yellowish material appeared inside the machine. At first I thought I had received a second-hand unit with rust inside, but customer service explained that it was moisture residue from the softener resin and could be cleaned off with toothpaste. That explanation was a new one for me.

The real reason dishwashers are hard to give up once you start using them is that they harness the power of industrial automation to achieve a level of cleanliness that traditional hand washing and dish soap can hardly match, all while consuming only a small amount of water, electricity, and detergent. My argument to persuade the elders was simple: “After dinner, you should go out for a walk—let the dishwasher handle the dishes and free up your time.” After three rounds of fruit-and-vegetable washing and two standard wash cycles, even the old bowls stained by years of herbal medicine residue came out clean. At that point, the elders finally agreed to keep this “white intern” around.

The main drawback, however, is that the elders unanimously feel the drying performance is insufficient. On several occasions, there was still moisture left after the drying cycle. If it could dry thoroughly every time, it could fully replace the dish sterilizer cabinet sitting beside it. The product page claims it can function as a sterilizer cabinet and supports a 168-hour fresh-air storage mode, but during actual operation the fan noise is quite noticeable. At night it becomes unpleasant enough that you have to turn it off manually.

Returning to the beginning, impulsive purchases sometimes bring unexpected consequences. The machine itself is labeled entirely in Chinese, and the outer packaging simply lists a trading company from Guangdong. I’m almost certain that this “Gejiano” is a white-label product. Searching the internet reveals no meaningful information about the brand. At this point, the recommendation algorithm unexpectedly came to the rescue: it suggested a seven-place dishwasher from Royalstar. Apart from the logo, the exterior design and product page looked exactly the same. The only thing that slightly comforted me was that the Royalstar model didn’t qualify for the national subsidy, so its final price was noticeably higher than the one I bought. With that thought, I decided to let it go.

If any SSPAI readers have used other reliable countertop dishwashers, feel free to recommend them in the comments—after all, there are still plenty of relatives in the family who need gifts.