https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en From AI and IT to gadgets, fitness, and travel. An engineer sharing hands-on insights to enrich your work and life. en https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/conrad-tokyo-hilton-amex-free-night https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/conrad-tokyo-hilton-amex-free-night I stayed at Conrad Tokyo—Hilton's top-tier brand, occupying floors 28 to 37 of a Shiodome high-rise—using the Weekend Free Night Award that comes with the standard Hilton Honors American Express Card. This article covers what makes the hotel special, how the award works and what conditions apply, my experience with breakfast and the pool and spa, and the points to watch out for when using the benefit. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:21:21 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/france-sns-ban-under15 https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/france-sns-ban-under15 On July 21, 2026, the French parliament passed a bill banning children under 15 from using social media — which would be the first regulation of its kind in Europe, though it is still under review by the Constitutional Council. This article explains, in beginner-friendly terms, what was decided, when it is expected to take effect, and why it came about, while neutrally presenting the key debates around enforceability, age verification methods, and the balance with privacy. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:04:50 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/reys-whey-protein-cafe-au-lait-review https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/reys-whey-protein-cafe-au-lait-review A hands-on review after finishing a full 1kg bag of REYS Whey Protein in Cafe au Lait, the flavor supervised by fitness YouTuber Hiroaki Yamasawa. Covers the sweet coffee-milk taste, mixability, water vs. milk, where 72.7% protein content sits, the practical value of its seven vitamins, and the post-increase price - the good and the not-so-good, honestly. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:11:49 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/iphone-air-7month-review https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/iphone-air-7month-review An honest look back at seven months of daily use with the iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm and roughly 165g. I cover how the thinness and light weight play out in everyday life, real-world battery life, the moments where the single camera with no ultra-wide leaves you stuck, what the mono speaker actually sounds like, life with an eSIM-only phone, A19 Pro performance and heat, and how it has held up after seven months — including the parts that make it a phone not everyone will love, so you can judge whether it's worth the ¥177,800 the 256GB model costs after the July 2026 price revision. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:01:35 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/hhkb-hybrid-type-s-2year-review https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/hhkb-hybrid-type-s-2year-review An honest look back at two years of near-daily use with the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Japanese layout / Sumi, priced at ¥36,850 (tax included). I cover the feel of its electrostatic capacitive switches and how quiet Type-S actually is, how long it took to adapt to the unusual layout, the barely readable "Sumi" legends, durability after two years, and how well four-device Bluetooth and portability hold up in practice — including the parts that make it a keyboard not everyone will love. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:32:47 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/ai-for-work-beginners https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/ai-for-work-beginners How do you actually bring AI chat tools like ChatGPT and Claude into your job? This guide walks through five beginner-friendly use cases — writing emails, building documents, organizing meeting minutes, brainstorming, and summarizing information — with concrete examples, plus tips on phrasing your instructions and precautions such as handling confidential information. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:30:38 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/gelato-pique-dragon-quest-2026 https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/gelato-pique-dragon-quest-2026 "GELATO PIQUE encounters DRAGON QUEST," the second collaboration between gelato pique and DRAGON QUEST, launches Friday, August 7, 2026. The collection features newly drawn art of monsters getting ready for bed with pillows and blankets in hand. Here's what to know before release day: the knit and cut-and-sew lineups and their prices, the goods, baby items for matching parent-and-child outfits, and details on where to buy plus the purchase limit. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 04:30:37 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/kamukura-aeon-laketown-kaze https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/kamukura-aeon-laketown-kaze On Thursday, July 30, 2026, "Dotonbori Kamukura Aeon Lake Town kaze" opens on the first floor of Aeon Lake Town kaze in Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture. This article introduces the appeal of the popular ramen chain that began with just 9 seats in Osaka's Dotonbori and has since grown past 100 locations nationwide—covering its signature "Delicious Ramen," its in-house Soup Sommelier system, and the summer-only cold ramen, along with everything worth knowing before opening day. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:44:40 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/agodekurae-kitakoshigaya https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/agodekurae-kitakoshigaya On July 29, 2026, the Jiro-style ramen shop "Agode Kurae Kitakoshigaya" opened in Kitakoshigaya, Koshigaya City, Saitama Prefecture. It's the third location after Kasukabe and Soka, marking a long-awaited homecoming opening for its Koshigaya-born owner. This article introduces the shop's great access right by Kitakoshigaya Station's west exit, its menu of mazesoba and ramen, and an easy explanation of Jiro-style ramen for beginners—everything that will make you want to visit. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:43:49 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/gpt56-openai-new-model https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/gpt56-openai-new-model OpenAI released a new family of models called 'GPT-5.6' on July 9, 2026, and it's generating a lot of buzz. This article explains the new three-tier lineup (Sol, Terra, and Luna), new features like the multi-agent 'ultra' mode, the deep-reasoning 'max' mode, and Programmatic Tool Calling, plus the simultaneously launched 'ChatGPT Work' — all in plain language for beginners. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:27:00 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/chatgpt-beginner-guide https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/chatgpt-beginner-guide An easy-to-understand introduction to ChatGPT, OpenAI's AI chat tool, for beginners who want to start using it. This guide covers everything from account sign-up to basic usage, plus tips for beginners and things to watch out for. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 01:54:47 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/ai-slide-prompt-tips https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/ai-slide-prompt-tips Learn beginner-friendly prompt techniques for ChatGPT, Claude, and other general-purpose AI chat tools to dramatically cut the time spent creating proposals and presentation slides. This guide covers a step-by-step approach that starts with the outline, tips for trimming text into a clear deck, and cautions to keep in mind. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:56:56 GMT https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/claude-code-beginner-guide https://blog-astracord.vercel.app/en/articles/claude-code-beginner-guide An easy-to-understand introduction to Claude Code, Anthropic's AI coding tool. This guide covers everything from installation to basic usage, plus the common pitfalls beginners run into and how to avoid them. Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:36:44 GMT