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Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2022
Curious to know what thing / product / service improved your 2022?
For me it was an Elgato stream deck.
Initially bought it on a whim (probably more as a gimmick) but now find myself using multiple times a day in the office (sales) environment.
- anthomtb 4y agoI purchased a $100 Insignia TV off Amazon and a stand for my trainer bike setup. Cycling workouts are far less tedious with YouTube or Netflix in front of you.
- aaronbrethorst 4y agoA pair of heavy dumbbells.
- Phreaker00 4y agoStream deck was a surprisingly good buy for me as well, although in 2020. Previously I had a keyboard with a lot of macro keys, but that died and I didn't want to go without the handy shortcuts I've set up. Now I'm using the stream deck for much more than what my keyboard offered. In terms of best buy in 2022 was the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip. For a photographer it's amazing to not have the weight of the camera around your neck but securely attached to my backpack strap. The ease of attaching and removing the camera makes me actually use it more on hikes.
- codetrotter 4y ago> Previously I had a keyboard with a lot of macro keys […] Now I'm using the stream deck for much more than what my keyboard offered. Would like to hear more details about what you and OP and others use the stream deck for. I’m trying to understand what it can do that a regular keyboard plus macros couldn’t. I guess convenience is also a big part of it.
- PebblesHD 4y agoIt’s really just a dynamic macro pad in a really polished overall product platform. No more guessing what blank button does what. The killer feature for me is that it can also be an output device with the right tweaks, so for my use case in triggering long running jobs, the icon on the appropriate button updates to indicate the job is in progress and then again when it completes.
- theshrike79 4y agoIf it detects I have Zoom running all the relevant Zoom buttons appear, mute mic & camera on/off being the ones I use most. For regular use it talks to Apple Music and shows me next/prev/play buttons, with the current album cover as the play button. I can use it to adjust my Philips Hue lights or set Home Assistant variables directly. For work I have the most used intranet sites as buttons (Jira, Confluence, version control, etc).
- madscphoto 4y agoThe capture clip is also something I'm eyeing. Have you used it with a larger lense like a 24-70 or 70-200?
- a10c 4y agoJust saw this. I have a capture clip with a DSLR and 24-70mm. Depending on your bag setup, you might need to opt for the Pro Pad to give a bit more stability (https://www.peakdesign.com/products/propad https://www.peakdesign.com/products/propad). I've been quite happy with mine.
- nicbou 4y agoA keychain that acts as a coin to unlock shopping carts. A retractable USB-C to C cable for my backpack. Replacement keys for my butterfly keyboard MacBook. It’s a drop in replacement that delays a new laptop purchase. Warm wool socks and sweaters Paperlike screen protector and metal nib for my iPad mini and Apple Pencil A 3 meter long USB-C to C cable
- mrweasel 4y ago> A keychain that acts as a coin to unlock shopping carts. That's a concern of mine. Once we go all cashless, how will we unlock the shopping carts? Here it's currently being debated if stores should be allowed to reject cash, I think someone forgot about the carts.
- moffkalast 4y agoThat'll be a while, and by that point we'll also have carts that beep loudly when removed from the shop area and try to drive themselves back autonomously heh.
- dole 4y agoMost large supermarkets in my city already have automatically locking wheels if they’re taken out of the stores proximity.
- smokel 4y agoIn the Netherlands, the largest supermarket chain simply stopped using this system. [1] https://www.nu.nl/economie/6219200/albert-heijn-neemt-afscheid-van-muntjessysteem-voor-winkelwagentjes.html https://www.nu.nl/economie/6219200/albert-heijn-neemt-afsche...
- nicbou 4y agoTap your phone to unlock the cart, or get charged directly. Or just abandon the system altogether.
- 4y ago
- zem 4y agothis very nice corner shelving unit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JC4NKZG/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JC4NKZG/ (living in a small flat, few things improve my quality of life like really good storage solutions; the ikea "norden occasional table" (https://www.ikeaddict.com/ikeapedia/en/Product/40245741/us-en/norden-occasional-table-birch/Entry/ https://www.ikeaddict.com/ikeapedia/en/Product/40245741/us-e...) might well be one of the best returns on investment in my entire decade living in the place)
- ianai 4y agoFar infrared heating pad.
- sbolt 4y agoWhat do you use it for? I’ve never heard of a far infrared variant, what’s the benefit of the that?
- ianai 4y agoI tell people it works like a muscle relaxer (pill). Supposedly the heat goes deeper than a standard heating pad. I’ve got a bad back (scoliosis included) and other things. It helps heal a blown back and is great pre-yoga or any kind of stretching or stress. We’re talking barely able to move around to normal daily functioning after twenty minutes. (I’ve used it for 8 hours in the past during very stressful periods. At some point I felt my muscles release like a muscle relaxer.) Hope that helps.
- jannw 4y agoI work from home - with a 5 minute screensaver with complicated password required by corporate - USB MouseJiggler - https://www.amazon.com/Undetectable-Computer-Simulate-Movement-Entering/dp/B097ZXZLVR/ https://www.amazon.com/Undetectable-Computer-Simulate-Moveme... Best - Purchase - Ever - !
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoI was worried that would be detectable so I programmed the onboard memory of my Logitech mouse to jiggle itself.
- danuker 4y agoBeautiful! Any tips on where to start learning to hack mice? I have a few where I'd love to tune the debounce algorithm (switch wear).
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoIt's way easier than it sounds. Logitech provides a tool that lets you program their gaming mouses. They use Lua. I don't know Lua but there were plenty of guides for different gaming macros like recoil compensation and the Logitech documentation was decent enough.
- WithinReason 4y agoIs the program uploaded to the mouse, so does it still work if you plug it into a different computer that lacks the software?
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoYes.
- danuker 4y agoOh. I was thinking you were rewriting the firmware against the manufacturer's wishes. I am not interested in installing bloatware drivers. Embedded IDEs OTOH...
- asicsp 4y agoDoes Kindle Unlimited count? Been a subscriber for a few years and I read about 5 KU titles on average per month. Mostly fantasy and sci-fi.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- mousetree 4y agoAny good KU sci-fi recommendations?
- asicsp 4y agoBased on recent reads (will edit if I remember more): * "Daros" by Dave Dobson https://www.amazon.com/Daros-Dave-Dobson-ebook/dp/B0946C153P https://www.amazon.com/Daros-Dave-Dobson-ebook/dp/B0946C153P - At the heart of the plot was a powerful artifact with different groups vying to gain access for different reasons. The humor, especially the chapter titles, worked well for me. Features mysterious creature, a sassy AI, a fast paced plot with good amount of action, etc. * "Dim Stars: A Novel of Outer-Space Shenanigans" by Brian P. Rubin https://www.amazon.com/Dim-Stars-Novel-Outer-Space-Shenanigans-ebook/dp/B08JQLSWQR https://www.amazon.com/Dim-Stars-Novel-Outer-Space-Shenaniga... - Fun and filled with humor that had me laughing almost every page, especially enjoyed the slice-of-life feel in the first half of the novel * "We Are Legion (We Are Bob)" by Dennis Taylor https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/d... - read the first one a few years back, remember enjoying it, need to read the sequels... * "The Shadows of Dust" by Alec Hutson https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Dust-Alec-Hutson-ebook/dp/B08PVTM8PJ https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Dust-Alec-Hutson-ebook/dp/B08... - spacy fantasy featuring giant turtles as spaceships, not really sci-fi See also https://thespsfc.org/2021-results/ https://thespsfc.org/2021-results/ Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, found Daros there
- semidetached 4y agoIf you liked Dobson's book then I heartily recommend Zelazny's "Doorways in the Sand", which I've read half a dozen times over the years with equal pleasure.
- tushar-r 4y agoReplacement battery for the family MBP. Going strong since 2014, and I want to see how far we can use it safely as the family computer without replacement.
- dmak 4y agoI upgraded to the M1 air and it's the difference between night and day. The air on an M1 can do all my heavy development work no problems and I also don't have a loud fan anymore.
- tushar-r 4y agoAh, but this computer is a general-purpose home device that is mostly used for browsing and watching videos. The dev. stuff doesn't matter. (And I no longer inflict my code on this world, only powerpoints!)
- hatchoo 4y agoBought a replacement battery battery for my wife's mid 2012 MBP. It was really slow even even after I upgraded RAM to 16GB and put in an SSD. Replacing the battery restored the performance.
- zcoyle 4y agoToe spacers. I went from being in agony every time I stood up to being relatively pain free in my toe joints
- pharmakom 4y agoCould this be due to a lifetime of shoes that are too narrow?
- hrnnnnnn 4y agoYes. See this video for a detailed explanation. https://youtu.be/_B17CElq6Qc https://youtu.be/_B17CElq6Qc
- rml 4y agoThanks for this. 40s and starting to have pain in the big toe joint. Getting some better shoes and spacers as a result. Seriously, thank you!
- pigtailgirl 4y ago-- scrunch my toes as a stress reflex - doctor recommended toe spacers - now I bite my lips hah --
- OJFord 4y agoWeird timing - I saw some on Amazon yesterday (clicked in to see if there was another three things I wanted in order to get 5% off ... but it was all bizarre tat, who wades through all that, or finds four useful things anyway, for 5%?) and wondered what on Earth they were for, I didn't realise this was/could be an issue - certainly not commonplace enough that there was a product for it anyway.
- mhardcastle 4y agoFor most cheap imports like this, I've found eBay is wonderful. My girlfriend wanted toe spacers and I found the exact same no-name pair on eBay for $4, compared to $10 on Amazon.
- pharmakom 4y ago- all matching socks. No more time spent pairing. - clothes drying racks that hook onto radiators. Reduces drying time and clothes crumpling - wired mechanical keyboard. Wired is simpler than wireless. Quality ones have n-key support - bicycle fenders - digital wrist watch so that I check my phone less.
- jspash 4y agoI bought 3 packs of black wool socks about 10 years ago. I wear them almost exclusively throughout the year (cold feet) except for sports etc. Just recently I've replaced them all with 3 new packs of black wool socks. My life have never been simpler. See you in 2033 for the update!
- lostapathy 4y agoThis is how I operate with normal socks - I never buy a single pack of socks - I just do a "line change" and replace them all when the old rotation is too far gone to meet my needs. I have a few specialty items for exercise or dirty yard work, but those are easy to separate from the daily drivers.
- linuxftw 4y agoI call it the 'sock purge.' It was a game changer.
- sneak 4y ago"sock reboot". I do the same for underwear and t-shirts, too.
- basch 4y agosockpocalypse
- sethammons 4y agoMy exact term too!
- eps 4y agoMeater+ (wireless temperature sensor for roasting/bbq with 50 meter range) Thermapen (super fast spot temperature sensor) Both have superior minimalist UX, very thoughtfully designed and really well executed. If you are into cooking, highly recommended.
- cgsmith 4y agoI love my Meater+. It definitely changed how I grill or bake food.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- dmak 4y ago- Air fryer - Ultrasonic cleanser - used for pretty much anything including my invisalign retainers - Sodastream - Massage gun All these things have made my life a lot easier.
- jnsaff2 4y agoThe best investment was a connection hose for the sodastream that lets me use industrial co2 tanks. That 13kg tank has lasted me 1.5 years already and is so much cheaper and hassle free-er than the tiny things that cost 20 euros a pop at the supermarket.
- zebnyc 4y agoMind sharing the parts involved and how to put this together? Wife drinks a lot of sodastream. Thanks
- voisin 4y agoI’d be interested to know where you get the industrial tank too. I read it needs to be food grade. I wonder why no one has made an open source Soda stream that connects to the big tanks right out of the box in a thoughtful way. Or better yet, a system for refilling the sodastream tanks from a large canister so that the sodastream can still sit easily in your counter.
- mikebowman 4y agoNot OP, but in my experience you can pretty much always buy food-grade CO2 tanks from homebrewing shops. They usually do refills and exchanges too, as well as selling all the hosing and gaskets and clamps and whatnot you'd need.
- pcurve 4y agoJust make sure you're getting Co2 can from beverage suppliers (and not industrial places) You can get Co2 tank and parts from beer supply company. https://www.morebeer.com/category/co2-tanks-regulators-parts.html https://www.morebeer.com/category/co2-tanks-regulators-parts... plenty YT videos on how to put them together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cb43p5dJBE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cb43p5dJBE
- sherlock_h 4y agoA few pairs of DarnTough socks. Amazing value. Got them for $17 a pair here: https://www.mastgeneralstore.com/brand/darn-tough-socks https://www.mastgeneralstore.com/brand/darn-tough-socks
- drukenemo 4y agoBig fan of DarnTough here. So far they have stood by their name.
- Loughla 4y agoI have steadily been replacing all of my socks with darn tough socks. They absolutely are tough, but the replacement warranty is super simple, too. I snagged one on a loose trim nail, and got a new pair within a week from the company. You can get them 25% off from gobros.com as well!
- derwiki 4y agoI’ve been using the same pair for hiking for 14 years and not a single hole!
- jancsika 4y agoTying into thread above-- they are merino wool. So all the benefits those posts mentioned about merino t-shirts apply to these socks.
- Arainach 4y agoThere's nothing wrong with DarnTough, but for value the Costco wool socks at ~17 for 3 pairs are the way to go. In more than a decade of use I've probably worn out four pairs.
- pacomerh 4y agoI hate that the best looking socks are for kids...
- jesuscript 4y agoA solid long desk. I didn't focus much on the standing desk stuff too much but instead zero'd in on desk length and depth. I feel like 55inch width is bare minimum at this point. If you pick the longer desks that have well designed shelves, or even some of the L-shaped stuff, you can tuck away laptops/desktops in such a way that your main surface work area is huge blank canvas. The space and lack of clutter is almost therapeutic. This is not the one I have since I have mostly wooden stuff in my crib, but this one looks nice and long and cheap: https://www.amazon.com/CubiCubi-Computer-Writing-Storage-Shelves/dp/B09XV3RQW4 https://www.amazon.com/CubiCubi-Computer-Writing-Storage-She... Forget standing, get long instead. Oh, and this. I don't know why it took so long for me to think of this, reusable K-cups: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Universal-stainless-Refillable-Makers-brewers/dp/B09F8J3932 https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Universal-stainless-Refillab... And finally, window privacy films: https://www.amazon.com/Privacy-Frosted-Decorative-Covering-Bathroom/dp/B083TBNCT6 https://www.amazon.com/Privacy-Frosted-Decorative-Covering-B... It lets in natural light, no curtains to fiddle with (but you can have curtains too).
- ritonlajoie 4y ago55inch = 140cm
- pjmorris 4y agoBig fan of big desks. I just moved down to a 57 inch desk. Fifteen years ago I needed a temporary desk solution and bought the cheapest bare wood door at Home Depot and laid it across two filing cabinets. That turned out to work great for the next fifteen years and I still kind of miss it (but it was time to upgrade the home office decor.)
- mdip 4y ago> bought the cheapest bare wood door at Home Depot and laid it across two filing cabinets. I'm surprised how many people don't build their own desks (especially those of us who work at home). I spent about $1,200 on a pretty minimalist (but very large) desk in my early 20s. I could build my ideal desk for half that price. Even the "cheapest bare wood door at Home Depot", switch that out with "cheap (but straight) wood" or layers of thick MDF or other durable surface, add paint, grout, tile adhesive and window molding (or something wood for an edge) and cheap ceramic tiles. Cut the MDF to ensure no tile cuts are needed, sand/spray paint the edges to match the tile and you have a pretty decent looking/functional/durable desk of any desired size. I did a dining table that way in my 20s. It was a curb rescue that the top was destroyed (someone used it as a work bench) but it had a really nice set of thick oak legs that would clean up. I re-used the top after a lot of sanding but the tiling/painting job was maybe an hour's worth of work done mostly by brief instructions given to me from an older gentleman at Home Depot (I owned a dull hand saw and plug-in power drill given to me by my grand father). It took a weekend to complete between the various "waiting for things to dry". I sealed mine, as well. It cost less than $75 about 20 years ago. Honestly, if I were to do it all over again, I'd skip the $1,200 desk. I'd watch Craigslist for a large hardwood dining room table with the right characteristics[0], preferably with leafs. It's a huge work area. If pressed against a wall, you could set a number of deep cabinets wall-side, put the monitor in the center of the table and even access cabinets behind (but above) the monitor pretty easily. [0] You'd want legs that wouldn't be in the way of your knees while working at it. Ideally, leafs that are attached in some way which could be re-engineered into a printer/computer stand.
- rompic 4y agoNew battery for our Dyson. Should have bought one way earlier (old one was almost 4 years old). Went with the original one even though that's more expensive. I'm still using the old one during the week as it only takes a few minutes to swap.
- factsarelolz 4y agoI've been putting this off for so long I use to be able to vacuum my entire house 2,500 sqft ish (minus furniture, etc) with battery left over. Now it dies halfway through. I might follow you and just get a Dyson branded instead of aftermarket.
- rompic 4y agosame here. it stressed me to not be able to vacuum when I had time due to the fact that the battery did not last. Now I'm on top of things again.
- omar_alt 4y agoI paid £200 on an electric desk for working at home which has been a great investment.
- pjmorris 4y agoAftershokz Aeropex bone-conducting headphones. I could walk, hike, drive listening to music or phone calls while hearing the environment around me and without exposing anyone else to my taste in music :)
- junon 4y agoCan confirm. They're cool. Battery life is decent and yeah, they do exactly what's claimed here. Don't expect the most high def sound, but they're still completely acceptable for a lot of scenarios.
- Dicey84 4y agoI had a circa 2016 set and they were rubbish.. Worth another look?
- abcc8 4y agoI think so. I was getting skin irritation if I exercised while wearing earbuds and the AfterShockz eliminate that problem for me. Sound quality is good for podcasts. I don't listen to much music at all with them.
- _fs 4y agoIt just depends on your use case. If you want to appreciate music while sitting at your desk, no. But if you need to listen to a podcast or music while trail running, biking, at the gym, or other situations where situational awareness is important, then the degrade in audio quality is worth the trade off.
- wl 4y agoThe Aeropex/OpenRun is a massive improvement over my TREKZ Titanium from 2016. Still not anywhere near comparable to some nice headphones or IEMs.
- pdxpatzer 4y agoseriously ? I have experienced the opposite. Got a TREKZ Titanium as leave-behind from my son. I love them. This Black Friday I got some OpenRun and had to return them as they did not sound just as good. what a mistery
- bmitc 4y agoRecently, I got air purifiers. I really like them so far, and I purchased a couple models from Vornado. Their air flow technology pairs really well with the air purifying. Their fans are the only ones I buy. Logitech unifying wireless mouse and keyboard. Really seamless to use between two computers and my monitor’s built in KVM while only taking up a single USB port. I even alternate between mice for ergonomics. Window cat bed that attaches to a glass door that gets naturally heated up in the morning by the sun. My cat loves it.
- thenobsta 4y ago+1 for Vornado. I just had a blade break on my fan. Called in and got a replacement blade in 3 days. Great support. The life of my fan is extended.
- bmitc 4y agoI have one that I've had for nearly 20 years. And for anyone wanting a desk fan, their Zippi line is awesome. Their technology really does work the way they say it does. For the air purifier, we blew out a candle, and I was able to watch the smoke make a bee line towards the air purifier due to how it circulates the air in the room. I have a crossbeam in my living room, and when the air purifier is on high, I can actually feel the draft of the air coming across the ceiling and hitting the beam and directing downwards.
- _nalply 4y agoI got a Philips AC2889/10 air purifier because we relocated and I wanted to make sure to reduce mold spores. I discovered as a side effect that it really helps reducing dust as well.
- dabernathy89 4y agoJust ordered a new purifier from Vornado. Our previous one was a few years old and not up to the task. Thanks for the recommendation!
- hnarayanan 4y agoBeats Fit Pro. My first and only wireless earbuds and it's been a game changer. (I think this is a recommendation more for a category than a specific product.)
- vanviegen 4y agoI too bought my first pair of wireless earbuds (One Plus) last year. I'm really amazed how well these things work. Fantastic battery life, for such a tiny package. Pretty decent noise reduction. And they always seem to guess right which of the many devices they're paired with I want them to stream from. I was, however, disappointed to discover that when in duplex mode, sound quality drops from hifi to first generation gsm quality. As I understand it, Bluetooth still has no better profile for duplex.
- snmx999 4y agoCO2 sensors for every room in my apartment. Before monitoring the CO2 levels I did not realize the relation of tiredness, mental fatigue and high CO2 levels.
- moffkalast 4y agoWhich ones did you get? I've been thinking along similar lines recently, but they are somewhat expensive and it's hard to say which ones are even legit. So far the MH-Z19 modules are on the top of my list for pairing with an ESP or something and logging data to NAS but I've yet to order any.
- bartwe 4y agoAirthings, expensive but just does the job perfectly.
- 5e92cb50239222b 4y agoSenseair S8 paired with ESP-32 has served me well over the past 3 years, but they have to be exposed to outside air at least once a week or so. Otherwise they quickly lose their zero point and start reporting thousands of PPM as mere hundreds. I think other models with auto-recalibration also suffer from this (including MH-Z19). It's probably not a problem for you, but if you too live in an extremely polluted area and have to keep your windows shut for weeks at a time, it might be.
- mrinfinite 4y agointeresting
- snmx999 4y agoI got the Netatmo Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitors. They are somewhat expensive, but I got a good deal, 69 EUR a piece. They also monitor temperature, air humidity and noise levels.
- dzhiurgis 4y agoI’m quite happy with Qingping Lite. Doubles as a clock, PM10, charges via USB-C.
- thefz 4y agoI finally purchased a rice cooker. I enjoy rice a lot and it's heathier than pasta, plus it's kind of set it and forget it and you can prepare other food while it cooks. But the best part is that rice comes out perfect.
- warinukraine 4y ago> it's heathier than pasta Would you care to expand on what this means?
- quadrature 4y agoAlso curious about this, rice (atleast white rice) has a higher glycemic index than pasta.
- thefz 4y agoApologies, I should have specified brown rice. Pretty high on the scale but not as high as pasta.
- warinukraine 4y agoI'm convinced that saying "is healthier" on the basis of a one-dimensional score, is pretty much meaningless.
- cableshaft 4y agoIf you're diabetic or pre-diabetic, then the glycemic index matters quite a bit. I know someone that pretty much can't eat rice at all (or only very small servings of it) because she's diabetic and it spikes her blood sugar to pretty dangerous levels, 280+ mg/dL from it (she can tell because she has a continuous blood glucose monitor), for example, whereas she doesn't get as bad of a spike with pasta. And: "According to the University of Michigan, blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. They recommend calling a doctor if you have two readings in a row of 300 or more."[1] [1]: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/how-to-lower-blood-sugar-quickly-emergency https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/how-to-lower-bloo...
- meztez 4y agoA commercial food scale from Kilotech; quicker, more robust, always on, stainless, larger scale area and clear display.
- fakeTitsLookSad 4y agoI bought a used sim racing wheel + pedals for 100€. Very much worth it, I havent had that much fun gaming in years.
- orzig 4y agoA keyboard tray, that attached to my desk, I never realized how many of my frustrations were just the slightly awkward ergonomics of my keyboard being a few inches too high
- Foxcoditrad54 4y agoUpgraded to a standing desk last year. At first I didn't add my existing keyboard tray since the desk height can be adjusted for correct keyboard ergonomics. Very soon identified some problems: 1. My display cannot be adjusted high enough (this can be fixed by putting a book under the display). 2. Keyboard and mouse take up valuable space on the desk. 3. (most important) Display is physically closer and occupies more of my field-of-view. After a day of work this made me dizzy. So now I'm happily using the keyboard tray again.
- Auracle 4y agoIt sounds like a monitor arm also would’ve solved those issues, though I suppose that would be more expensive.
- xwowsersx 4y agoSo true. Thanks for reminding me, I really need to get myself a tray. I have the autonomous standing desk and even at its lowest height, the keyboard is still too high. The only way I can get the angle of my arms/hands to feel normal is if I raise my chair really high, but then that comes with its own issues. Which keyboard tray did you get?
- factsarelolz 4y agoI have an autonomous standing desk (only company I could find march of 2020 that sold solid 71" long desks that are over 30" wide/deep). The lowest setting on mine is 26.0", that's still too high? I would imagine a keyboard tray would drop it another 2-3 inches setting your keyboard below 24" from the floor.
- 4y ago
- Kaibeezy 4y agoI have a bunch under £20… - programmable 6-key keyboard - 10-pack of reading glasses - mini tyre inflator - rubber ice cleats - low-alcohol beer - sukang sawsawan - boczek
- djray 4y agoCan I ask which programmable keyboard you went for?
- Kaibeezy 4y agoEcarke Black OSU Keypad 6
- moffkalast 4y agoImagine having to buy an extra module to have programmable macro keys. - This post was made by the 110% keyboard gang.
- Kaibeezy 4y agoWanted to be able to mash a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ key.
- rpastuszak 4y ago> - boczek consider upgrading to słonina in '24
- Kaibeezy 4y agoI tried salo recently and liked it, but it didn’t have as much flavor as boczek. How does slonina compare to either of those? I had success last year with braises too, like hong shao rou, but also barbacoa and even Texas chili. Maybe I need to work on my tofu this year.
- rpastuszak 4y ago
- gamesbrainiac 4y agoBought a standing desk for EUR 385. I got hernia in 2022, and this really helps me quite a bit.
- cmews 4y agoBlue light filter mobile screen protector. Improved my sleep a lot (average Fitbit sleep score was around a 7 and increased to 8).
- secretsatan 4y agoAirtags, saved my forgetful ass a couple of times and it makes locating things after parties much easier
- browningstreet 4y agoI drove around yesterday looking for my wallet/bag after the power outage. Visited the hotel I stayed in, my gym, etc. Came home and tore the house apart, it was next to my bed. Where I never, ever put it. But in the chaos of the storm, I did the unprecedented. Ordering.
- ruduhudi 4y agoTorras Screen Protector for my phone. Saved me a huge ton of regret after a blurry night.
- throw_pm23 4y agoMerino wool T-shirts. Cost about 30€ instead of previously used 3€ cotton T-shirts. Can wear one for about 3 weeks without washing, with no body odor. Much more pleasant to the skin, even for doing sports, driving, etc. Also, warm in winter, airy in summer. Plan to switch most clothing to merino wool.
- keep3490 4y ago[dead]
- nicbou 4y agoIt reduced my hiking and motorcycling pack size by so much. Merino wool is a miracle material.
- throw_pm23 4y agoFor the record, I buy from this Romanian maker that also sells internationally via Austria (no affiliation): https://www.merino-shop.at/en/ https://www.merino-shop.at/en/
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- AdrianB1 4y agoJust for info, the wool is officially Australian (https://merino-shop.ro/ro/content/4-despre-merinito-lana-merinos https://merino-shop.ro/ro/content/4-despre-merinito-lana-mer...), the seller is Romanian by origin (lives in AT, no physical presence in Romania) and there is a claim the production is done in Romania, but no information to confirm that. This is not bad, I am planning to order some of their products and test it in the spring.
- xtiansimon 4y ago> " I am planning to order some of their products and test it in the spring." Don't know where you live, but I visited the shop and looks like they only ship to Romanian addresses.
- go_prodev 4y agoUnder $200 would be: - a monitor arm to free up desk space - a Wacom tablet for virtual whiteboard diagrams - a coffee warmer for my desk
- monroewalker 4y ago+1 for monitor arm. Regret not getting one sooner!
- The_Colonel 4y agoI regret buying a monitor without a VESA mount :-( (it was really cheap and is decent otherwise)
- rk06 4y agoYeah me too. However, I found that an adapter for using non vesa monitor on vesa mounts. It is worth the price
- rpastuszak 4y ago- Affinity Photo instead of Photoshop (I've been a PS user since 5.5, but they creep me out) - Capture One for ca 200 usd (same reason as above, but replace PS with Lightroom Classic) - The Belkin iPhone grip for continuity camera (iPhone is so much better than the potato webcam on my MBA)
- Topgamer7 4y agoRight when I submitted enough wine patches to get Affinity Photo v1 working on linux, they go and release V2 with a couple WinRT lib calls which are basically completely missing from wine :(
- ckz 4y agoI'd still be very interested in hearing if v1 is running (or what's left to be done, particularly for Designer/Publisher, but your progress on Photo is also welcome!). I use Affinity consistently for work and would love to split less time between systems. Been using v1 for enough years that reverting to it wouldn't be an issue.
- Topgamer7 4y agoI don't actually use Affinity much, I've held off purchasing a license at least until it gets to be fairly safe to run it on linux. I don't do much editing or art creation anymore. Just the occasional small edit. For v1, this PR fixes saving: https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/merge_requests/1444 https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/merge_requests/1444. There very well be more missing code, things in file menus or tools that I haven't tried. But if you build wine with this patch, it should run and save. With v2 they seem to have made the big shift to windows store, which probably requires a lot of winrt junk. To run v1: 1. compile with this patch 2. run regedit and set the renderer to vulkan (see https://wiki.winehq.org/Useful_Registry_Keys https://wiki.winehq.org/Useful_Registry_Keys) 3. install dotnet48 via winetricks (maybe corefonts too) I spent a half dozen evenings trying to implement stubs and interfaces for v2, I've got it running, but it crashes if you open the edit menu for example. I'm not the best c developer, and honestly its too much work when there isn't some finances behind it. I have a job too aha. (not to mention wine makes it even harder because they require you write all the dll's in c, but most of the windows code is c++, so its a bit trickier to re-implement things from their headers) This thread has some more details: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/166159-affinity-photo-running-on-linux-with-bottles/&do=findComment&comment=998048 https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/166159-aff...
- nickip 4y agoInstant pot (rebuy with air fryer lid). Use this thing for everything. The air fryer lid is amazing. So much better than my stand alone air fryer which I got rid of. Much quieter. Takes up same space as the air fryer that I had before, but with much more functions! I don't do many fancy recipes in it, but makes cooking rice, chicken, yogurt or anything else simple fast and efficient. I live in the Eurozone so heating up the oven can be expensive. Pressure cooking a chicken in 10 minutes I believe is much more economical.
- lbreakjai 4y agoIf you don't mind me asking, which brand and model did you get?
- ycombinete 4y agoNot your parent, but I got the Instant Pot 6 quart Duo Plus, and use it for everything from making yoghurt, to stews, steaming potatoes, proving bread dough etc. it’s fantastic. (In fact I have 4 litres of Bulgarian yoghurt fermenting as I type this!)
- thesnide 4y agoA laptop stander. Coupled with a keyboard and mouse. I don't have space for a discrete monitor so i have to rely on the laptop for it. Using it makes it upright to eye level, making my neck pain go away
- jacknews 4y agoMe too, these make a huge difference in screen ergonomics compared to just using a laptop directly, and most of them fold, so they're much more portable than an external monitor. And using the computer like this you also get the benefit of a real keyboard that you chose yourself, and is easy to repair/replace, etc.
- donutshop 4y agoBurr coffee grinder! Enjoying my coffees a lot more
- uaas 4y agoKeychron K2 Version 2 mechanical keyboard.
- cgsmith 4y agoI got one too and love it. Still can't get VIA to work on pop_os though.
- pcurve 4y agodo you have palm rest? I bought RGB version and became instantly smitten with with it, but I found it a too tall / high to use, and I just couldn't get used to using with palm rest.
- noisy_boy 4y agoNo OP but I also use Keychron with Grifiti palm rest; aligns almost perfectly with the Keychron and is very comfortable. Don't buy the slim one though, I use the 17" one (you can search for "Grifiti Fat Wrist Pad 17").
- cgsmith 4y agoI don't have a palm rest. If I didn't have a Garmin watch to bump up my wrist height I'd probably get one though as it is bulky. I was surprised at how heavy it is.
- uaas 4y agoI felt the same way initially, and wanted the get a palm rest right away. I am using it for months now without it. I guess I could just got used to it.
- moffkalast 4y agoRelated, the G915 I just got last month though it's not sub 200 outside sales. Firmware is a bit eh as is typical for Logitech, but being wireless, mechanical, having macro keys and media controls is a total win. Also sits very low.
- 4y ago
- postsantum 4y agoWacaco Nanopresso. I'm travelling a lot these days and I need coffee every morning. Many hotels don't have electric kettles so I also had to buy a tiny water heater to boil water right in its tiny cup. Saw some people go as far as using a portable coffee grinder but that's a heavier toy
- mariusor 4y agoFor people that don't enjoy espressos, the CLEVER Dripper is a good option[1]. I think this gadget combined with a cheap burr grinder is the best way to get flavourful filter coffee. [1] https://cleverbrewing.coffee/products/clever-dripper https://cleverbrewing.coffee/products/clever-dripper
- paulette449 4y agoThese are great for super lightweight pourover (0.64 ounces). The listing says 1.5 cups per use but I think that's ambitious. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098W5RMF1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098W5RMF1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...
- sfmike 4y agoI got the picopresso and I've used it daily for about a year now. It is more precise and finicky and you need the right grind, but as youtubers have shown and i agree the quality of the espresso and crema is amazing for something so portable. With hot water and pregrind some fine grounds you can bring say to a few day camping and have espresso like a third wave shop quality. I'm in love with this thing. Toss in a ball jar over ice and oat milk and a splash of syrup and i have a inflationary 7 dollar hipster latte for like 50 cents.
- moffkalast 4y agoA cheap table-mounted vise with a 360 bearing. The bearing lock failed pretty quickly but I can just as easily clamp it down in any orientation regardless. It's been super practical for all kinds of hobby projects.
- thot_experiment 4y agoUFO202 + Grado SR125x (I actually have the more expensive version of the same cans but the above just fits into $200, and in conjunction with an impulse response EQ deliver an incredible level of broad spectrum clarity for a relatively low price)
- atomicnumber6 4y ago- Weighted Blanket - Kindle
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- stevekemp 4y agoI'm gonna go against the grain here and list non-technical things! I bought some new plants for my home, which makes the place feel a lot nicer. I bought some outdoor-trousers - things that go on top of your jeans - when it is cold they keep me warm, and I can now roll around in the snow without getting wet as a nice bonus. (-10°C here today). That said it was only a couple of weeks ago that I came out of a sauna and rolled around naked in 30cm of snow. Bracing! Other household things that have made my life nicer have included some decent concrete-bolts screwed into my walls and ceiling. Now I can hang plants, have an indoor hammock, and a hammock-chair too. Finally I've started buying random paintings whenever I go to visit charity/thrift stores. Each time I go I buy a single painting, it must be "amateur", and it must have an artist signature and date on it. At the moment I've got a wall with about eight of these paintings hung on it. All different styles, colours, and levels of "goodness", but together they all look good, rather than a garish mismash. Kinda fun.
- bmelton 4y agoBy 'outdoor trousers' I assume you mean what hikers/backpackers/winter-folk would refer to as a 'hard shell?' Just came back from an exceptionally cold vacation to Iceland and realized that despite years of backpacking and hiking in temperate weather, I knew not nearly enough about layering for truly cold weather.
- stevekemp 4y agoI'm honestly not sure what their proper name is. They're thin, and waterproof, is the best I could say - not particularly insulated, but I know there are some which are. I mostly bought them to keep my dry, rather than warmer.
- Auracle 4y agoThere are also “snow pants.”
- dublinben 4y agoIt sounds like these were also insulated, so they might have been more like a soft-shell snow pant.
- mattrighetti 4y agoI finally taught myself touch-typing and a month later I bought a Corne split keyboard that I built myself. Game changer
- c0wb0yc0d3r 4y agoWhat process did you go through to teach yourself?
- mattrighetti 4y agoI used [0] every night for 1 hour, it’s a website that’s going to build your muscle memory by small steps. If you commit to it you’ll get pretty good in a month, for a friend of mine it took even less than that! [0]: https://keybr.com/ https://keybr.com/
- argentinian 4y agoI used the same, that site is all that's needed to learn.
- flyingfences 4y agoFor me, what worked was switching to a new layout (QWERTY -> Colemak) which made looking down entirely useless. Tape a printout of the new layout to the top of your monitor for the first few days until you've got it, no matter how slowly you're typing, then go cold turkey. Some time later I went back to QWERTY in the office and was able to pick up touch-typing that layout without much thought or trouble; now I can jump back and forth between the two. Colemak feels a lot more ergonomic, too, as an added benefit.
- nicolaslem 4y agoI did the same in 2022 and I managed to rewire my brain to switch from AZERTY to QWERTY. I used typingclub.com and practiced 20 minutes each day for a couple of months. Enough to get the good habits in muscle memory.
- KomoD 4y agoA new keyboard, keychron k8 with blue switches, honestly surprised how long the battery lasts.
- Fred27 4y agoA Stream Deck (and later a Stream Deck +). Useful and fun to code your own plugins too. I work 100% remote so I also went for another Elgato product - a ring light - so my work video calls look a bit better. If all of your interaction at work is via video it seemed worth doing it well. My desk now looks more like a YouTuber's but it's all for coding.
- cgsmith 4y agoI bought a Keychron keyboard as others have mentioned. On the $300 end though I got a walking treadmill for my standing desk. It is changing my life. I'm about 2 weeks in and usually avg 5.5 miles a day. Words per minute is still 80 and accuracy hasn't suffered. Worked my way upto 2.6mph. I had to set the office temperature to 66 degrees F though. Worked up a sweat :)
- slippypippy 4y agothat is really cool. what treadmill did you get?
- cgsmith 4y agoI got this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SLP2L99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SLP2L99 FWIW: They offer a $20 gift card for a review.
- propogandist 4y agoGood disclosure. If they're offering $20 for a review, that means they must be throwing big money at negative reviews to try and make them disappear too.
- thekiptxt 4y agoIs it quiet enough for the office? I have my own office at work, but sound travels a bit.
- devKnight 4y agoErgonomic mouse: Logitech Lift - 80 bucks Use to have cramps and pains in by hand, not nothing. Amazing purchase Its over 200, but Sony XM4s are great. I use it without ambient mode and noise cancelling, i think its the perfect amount of noise cancellation at least when working from home, and still wanting to be aware of surroundings(family members, dog, etc)
- cgsmith 4y agoI switched to the Logitech M570 and can't go back. It works wonders.
- argentinian 4y agoAfter trying vertical mouses, I'll never go back to regular ones. Regular ones cause pain in my wrist after using them for some time, while with vertical ones there's no wrist pain.
- peterhil 4y agoAn Acer video projector I bought for 50€. I also got a few years old Thinkpad X230 for 100€.
- ghstcode 4y agoFor me: - Philips OneBlade (use it weekly and have not needed to charge in 6 months) $35 - Large desk pad $20 - Shooting hearing protection with white noise (drowns out pretty much all other noise while coding) $100
- jrib 4y agoCan you recommend the specific hearing protection you went with?
- AdrianB1 4y agoI have both shooting protection and a couple of pairs of general aviation headphones with ~25dB passive noise reduction. While the shooting protection is more comfortable, the GA headphones can also be connected to a source of ambiental music while coding, with the downside that they are pressing quite hard on the head to make a seal and be effective.
- ghstcode 4y agoI went with the caldwell e-max set because it was discounted. Works a charm and is very comfortable wearing for long periods of time
- lwerdna 4y agoWhat's the make/model of your hearing protection?
- ghstcode 4y agoI went with the Caldwell e-max
- jollyllama 4y agoOneBlade is pretty great. I bought the base model and use this the "YINKE Guide Comb Guards for OneBlade 14-length Precision Adjustable Comb 0.4 to 10 MM" accessory. Desk pads are pretty nice too.
- 4y ago
- pryelluw 4y agoMy AirPods. They work well and allow me to listen to podcasts while grocery shopping and doing mindless tasks. There other headphones out there but for whatever reason these fit best and sound OK. A 30w phone charger. iPhones charge rather slow. This charger helps get over that. A lot of my daily routine is done through my phone.
- bilsbie 4y agoCould you bike with them or can they fall out?
- HDThoreaun 4y agoI use them all of the time during my biking and workouts. I even sleep with them quite often. Never fall out somehow.
- mft_ 4y agoI can (road) bike with an Airpod fairly securely in. For longer rides where I want to listen to a podcast, a little bit of surgical tape brings even more security. You may be aware of this, but the recommended way to wear Airpods (especially the 3rd gen non-Pro?) is to twist the stalks towards your face to 'lock' them into place better. (I discovered this when I was about to angrily throw out my new 3rd gen Airpods, as they were fatter than my original gen 1 model, and just wouldn't stay in place. I've never seen anyone else doing this [and I sometimes get comments from people for wearing mine oddly] but it's a game-changer.) https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/qgqo5a/psa_if_the_3rd_gen_airpods_dont_fit_your_ear/ https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/qgqo5a/psa_if_the_...
- dougmwne 4y agoIt's very dependant on your ears and the eartip size you use. I personally would not bike with them, because as good as the passthrough audio is, there could be small differences in localizing sound that could really cause trouble on a bike. The passthrough is great, but not life or death situation great. Edit: this is for the Pros. The open non-pros seem like they would be safe for biking at lower volumes.
- sambapa 4y ago1. Gymnastic rings - cheap, so simple yet so complicated. Magic ancient alien technology from the future (whatever that means) 2. Anki - free, you remember what you want to remember, but you have to RTFM to use it properly. 3. Wax earplugs - cheap. My sleep quality is at least 2x better since using them. 4. Org-mode - free.
- user1029384756 4y agoI’ve been tempted to get a set of gymnastic rings for a while. For someone like me who tries not to accumulate too much junk, buying any kind of bulky gym equipment is not an option. Gymnastic rings seem like the perfect minimalist’s exercise equipment… the only thing is I have no idea where I would hang them.
- dbancajas 4y agoWhat is org-mode?
- sambapa 4y agohttps://youtu.be/SzA2YODtgK4 https://youtu.be/SzA2YODtgK4
- cmcconomy 4y agoEMACS extension that supports scheduling and personal organization
- theshrike79 4y ago
- mondocat 4y agoA keypad door lock. Knowing the door is always (automatically) locked, being able to leave the house without a key, and being able to let someone else when I'm not there either with my phone, or by giving them a code.. I'm living in the future.
- bilsbie 4y agoI loved mine but it started eating batteries after a few months. I guess I should try other models.
- aidenn0 4y agoI have a kwikset that I change with LSD rechargable AA batteries every 6 months (they last longer, but I don't want to be locked out).
- derwiki 4y agoWe’ve got a Yale that goes year+ on a set of batteries
- BugsJustFindMe 4y agoDo you live somewhere very cold? If so, use lithium batteries. They're significantly more tolerant of low temperatures. Going from akalines to lithiums made a huge difference for us.
- wlonkly 4y agoI have an NFC dot on the doorframe and unlock my door by holding my phone up to it. It's definitely slower than using the keypad, and probably slower than getting out a key, but it's way more satisfying than either.
- tsol 4y agoThis is really cool, I would love to do this. Is this a particular device?
- 4y ago
- notacoward 4y agoThermoPro meat thermometer - not instant read, the kind with wire leads that actually go in the oven. I'm not even into high-end grilling or smoking or anything. It's just really nice to get a pre-seasoned slab of beef or pork (the teriyaki skirt steak at Trader Joe's is a family favorite) and have it come out just right every time. As a bonus, this one has a remote so I can hang out upstairs and even wear headphones instead of having to ensure that I can hear the beeps from the kitchen.
- leandot 4y agoBattle rope, amazing for working out on the terrace.
- nickthegreek 4y agoIf you control 2-3 computers next to each other, I recommend the Logitech MX Keys and MX Master 3s. I can control multiple computers and switch between them by holding ctrl and bringing my mouse to the edge of a screen. It then jumps to the other computer seamlessly. Now my desk is clutter free of multiple mice and keyboards.
- jacknews 4y agoThere's also barrier https://github.com/debauchee/barrier/ https://github.com/debauchee/barrier/ and some others.
- nocoolnametom 4y agoI just wish Barrier worked with Wayland. First Synergy claimed they were "working on it" years ago, now Barrier's movement seems stalled as many of the developers have moved to yet another fork, Input Leap.
- D13Fd 4y agoI don't like being tied to one company's peripherals. The best solution I've found to this is to use a keyboard with firmware that instantly switches between bluetooth and wired (I use an M60 python keyboard). That way I can use a key combination to switch. I also just use two different mice, since they are small. I've tried a few software solutions over the years but they all seem to run into issues eventually.
- sngz 4y agoIve been using synergy for years without much issues. Ever since they changed their pricing model I just never updated the version though.
- albert_e 4y agodid you try this tool "Mouse Without Borders" from Microsoft Garage[0]? seems to work well for my modest needs. you can either make the mouse move between screens using Ctrl or another key or make it freely roam ...without borders allows drag and drop of files, shared clipboard etc [0] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35460 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=354...
- littledev 4y agoThe Zendure Passport III worldwide travel adapters changed my reality in 2022 (~$70). It sounds boring, but man. I've had many worldwide plug adapters in my day, and many chargers. But the Zendure has a 65W USB-C fast charger in it, plus 3 more USB-C and a single USB-A. When I travel (and that includes "traveling to the coworking place"), I used to bring: * A plug adapter * My big ol' laptop charger brick and cord * A medium-sized USB-A charger for phone, headphones, power bank * A USB-C charger for iPad, Kindle * A small power strip because I had to plug several things in Now I just bring the single Passport III adapter. Done. It has a single power outlet pass-through, but I haven't even needed it because the only thing I ever plug in is chargers.
- iLoveOncall 4y agoThis couldn't read more like a paid ad.
- advisedwang 4y agoThis is a thread of product recommendations, a list of features and why you like a product is definitely appropriate.
- propogandist 4y agoit's only a matter of time before all these threads and those on reddit are ridden with ChatGPT based posts pushing products (and more). It's now possible to write up convincing sounding content and copy with a product placement woven in with little to no effort. Then the poster just needs a couple of aged accounts to publish the posts, and a handful of botnets to inflate vote counts to boost visibility. It can be extra convincing with some shill bot accounts that post (controversial) replies which spark more organic interactions. These comments may then trigger ranking algos to further boost visibility, to drive more platform engagement.
- Graziano_M 4y agoI went to buy this months ago and when I saw that it had a tipping field in the check out it left such a bad taste in my mouth I just went with another brand. Tipping!? To use their online shop??
- D13Fd 4y agoKagi search engine subscription is easily my top choice (https://kagi.com https://kagi.com). I'm really glad something can finally, truly replace Google search and be just as good or better (neither Bing nor DuckDuckGo were good enough when I tried them). If we're talking physical products, I'd probably go with the Apple Magsafe wallet. It's a little thing but I love not having a separate wallet to keep track of every day.
- rand846633 4y agoI think we really will need more details here! Could you elaborate a bit? What would I learn if I spent 25 min researching kagi?
- D13Fd 4y agoSorry, I'm far from an expert here. They started recently and just went out of closed beta I believe. I've been using it for a few months now. They have a lot of nice features pulled from Google and DDG: https://help.kagi.com/kagi/getting-started/index.html https://help.kagi.com/kagi/getting-started/index.html I haven't done any objective tests, so can't really say much about search quality except that it definitely works at least as well as Google for my searches (usually tech or legal stuff), and it doesn't have ads. Whatever I'm looking for is usually the top result if my query is good and it's not something that's ambiguous.
- 70rd 4y agoWould you say Kagi has escaped the Google SEO deterioration? Google has essentially gotten so bad for me that DuckDuckGo, without noticeable improvement, is now on par with Google.
- ceh123 4y agoAlso a subscriber to Kagi. In my experience it's at least marginally better, but one of the really nice features that Kagi has (and probably the main reason I subscribe) is you can extremely easily block domains. So whenever I hit a SEO garbage site, I just go back, block it, and I never worry about it again. In the areas you regularly search, this quickly gets you to a result page that is substantially higher quality than google.
- Ghoyome 4y agoBuilt a crkbd. Got a sensor watch.
- tristor 4y agoBluffworks Chinos. I travel a lot for work and these are the first slacks I’ve owned that look professional rather than tactical/adventurous and actually travel well. On the more technical side of things, an Evoluent vertical mouse. Has made a massive improvement in my hand fatigue/pain.
- mdaniel 4y agoI absolutely love my Bluffworks jeans and I'm sad they stopped selling them, but Ministry of Supply does sell them (although they're currently marked "final sale" so I'm guessing the end is near): https://www.ministryofsupply.com/products/mens-chroma-denim-pant-sale https://www.ministryofsupply.com/products/mens-chroma-denim-... Here's another shout-out for the dress shirts made by both companies, if one has need of dress shirts
- alphabettsy 4y agoBlackout Curtains
- jonahbenton 4y agoThese made a huge difference for my wife.
- SteveNuts 4y agoI bought three wireless phone chargers/stands, one for each of the bedside nightstands and one for my desk. Having a phone that's always charged and not having to fumble with charger cords has been amazing.
- fortran77 4y agoNanoVNA OWON scopemeter FlipperZero
- tibbon 4y agoI've been carrying around my FlipperZero, but aside from playing with some NFC cloning haven't found much real use for it. What are some of the more fun things you've done?
- nfriend 4y agoAs silly as it sounds, this water warmer for baby bottles: https://a.co/d/hhJzLBn https://a.co/d/hhJzLBn Nothing's worse than trying to mix the perfect water temperature at 3 AM while the baby is screaming, waking up the rest of the family. (We use pre-boiled water for the baby's bottles, so it's not as easy as adjusting a tap.) We bought this after we had our second baby and it's made feeding the baby slightly less stressful.
- a10c 4y agoI use the hot water outlet on my espresso machine. It's temperature controlled by a PID
- nmfisher 4y agoOr you could do what we did, which is give the baby cold milk straight from the fridge. He didn’t seem to mind, and now won’t drink it any other way!
- thatnerdyguy 4y agoExactly what we did with all 3 of our kids. Made a few bottles up ahead of time. The last time we were at the pediatrician with our youngest (who is now 7) and told that to the nurse she was a bit aghast :)
- nfriend 4y agoTrue, that's the ideal scenario! We've tried room temperature milk in the past, but our baby refuses it :(
- aspyct 4y agoTo be fair, I wouldn't drink room temperature milk... Hot or cold, but definitely not in-between :D
- unit_circle 4y agoMy wife and I have been using an electric kettle that can be set low (105°F) to heat bottles. It's not perfect, but it's good enough and nice not to have an extra appliance on the counter. We use this OXO kettle: https://www.oxo.com/categories/coffee-tea/brew/tea/adjustable-temperature-pour-over-kettle.html https://www.oxo.com/categories/coffee-tea/brew/tea/adjustabl... I did some research and testing when buying it when our last kettle died... It's thermometer is accurate, it's 1500w and I like the interface. Hopefully this is useful to some apartment dwellers out there
- bemmu 4y agoOrdering frozen croissants online. Before going to bed you leave one in the oven. Wake up, turn oven on, hit the shower. When you come out, it's ready to eat = cafe experience at home, coffee and a croissant while checking the news.
- myth_drannon 4y agoCostco has tasty and cheap frozen croissants
- sva_ 4y agoWhat a coincidence, just had one of those. Don't want to be a shill, but no need to order online. 4 for $5 at Trader Joe's.
- dougmwne 4y agoJust tried these for the first time from TJ's and you are absolutely right!
- hstan4 4y agoTJ’s are better than most cafes in the US for nearly $1 each, too good.
- Kiro 4y agoCurious why and how this is something that needs to be done online. Frozen food sounds like a bad thing to order online.
- eternityforest 4y agoGoogle Assistant. I had a smart clock for years but only now got the full benefit now that I've switched to Keep and Calendar for so many things rather than using various notes apps. My Kobo Libra 2 reader has been great. Although sometimes I wish I'd bought a Kindle or waited for the Scribe, because Kobo books often cost more than Kindle books, and it seems like Kindle has better sideloading support now. Wall mount hooks. Now that they have nicer looking ones with drywall anchors instead of the old eye hooks, I've found lots of uses for them.
- lfodofod 4y ago> it seems like Kindle has better sideloading support now. For books? Hasn’t Kindle always had amazing sideloading support? I think even over a decade ago you could just email your pirated books to a kindle.com email address to have them automagically show up on the kindle.
- owlglass 4y agoSecond this. The Kindle is also much faster for me when clicking on footnote links (on sideloaded books).
- pph 4y agoGetting the files on it is ok, but library management sucks because Kindle doesn't show the folders. Caveat: My experience is from an older model, so that might have improved.
- radlad 4y agoThe email method still works for epub, although mobi/azw can't be emailed anymore.
- from 4y agoI've been emailing mobis even after they "officially" deprecated them, I don't think they actually disabled it.
- 4y ago
- lucb1e 4y agoSpace heater, 20 bucks. In the past I chose to heat the bedroom a little on cold days and otherwise suck it up and dress while shivering (no point burning a ton of gas to heat an entire bedroom). Now, I use 1.5 kW for ~3 minutes (0.01 kWh) to have hot air be blown on me while getting dressed in the morning. Because it changes how warm I feel while going downstairs, I also don't need downstairs to be as warm to get warmed up again. I'm already warm and can sit in a normal temperature room to work. --- Air purifier (40 bucks on offer I think). We got it for unrelated reasons, it didn't help for that. Unexpected uses: 1. Neighbours' smoke occasionally comes into our apartment somehow and now I can do something about it. Before, I would just suck it up and try to convince myself that the little residue coming through whatever wall isn't going to impact my health. 2. This winter, people seem to like to heat the house with whatever old painted glued rotting wood they can find (or maybe also dead bodies, it's hard to tell). I can wait a few hours, but if it doesn't clear up and I want some fresh air before sleeping then what I do is open the bedroom window wide for a few minutes to replace the air, doors closed, then close window and turn on purifier on high for 30+ minutes, and then go back in there to sleep.
- angry_moose 4y agoI posted this separately, but look into a heated mattress pad too. Its life changing for cold climates. Direct heat into your covers makes it so much cozier.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y agoHeh, I'm the opposite. I want a mattress cooler. I stay up later than my wife and like to go to lay in a cool bed. She likes it warm. So we compromised and got a mattress warmer for her, and I have the heat set to drop by several degrees at like 11 PM. But then she gets up at like 7 AM (6 AM on workdays), and she'd be freezing, so I have the heat set to turn back up at 6 AM, which means if I wake up, I find myself roasting and can't get back to sleep.
- lucb1e 4y agoWhat's the temperature in your bedroom? You say "drop by several degrees" (but not from what to what) so it sounds like you heat there during the day and let it drop at 11PM?
- Havoc 4y agoSodastream. Has significantly increased the amount of water i drink and conversely decreased other crap being drunk High end ricecooker ended up getting more use than expected. USB KVM style switch to change mouse/kyb over between work and personal device
- Topgamer7 4y agoSodastream and a quarter glass of OJ is a great way to save orange juice, but still have it taste great :)
- umeshunni 4y agoI just toss some orange peels in. Tastes like spa water.
- titanomachy 4y agoSpot the googler in the room
- albert_e 4y agodo you mind sharing which KVM worked well for you? I also keep switching frequently and looking for something similar
- Havoc 4y agoKVM is a bit of a lie since I'm not switching monitor (both plugged in & switching via OSD). But for toggling over usb stuff this works fine and is cheap https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07S5H6T18 https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07S5H6T18
- kenny11 4y agoI do the same thing (plug both computers directly into different inputs on the monitor but use a USB switch to switch the mouse & keyboard). If you install this software on both computers, you can eliminate the "switching via OSD" step, because it will watch for the USB connect / disconnect events and initiate the input switch automatically via the DDC connection to the monitors, so it gives you true one-touch KVM switching at the cost of a USB switch. This works especially well in cases where an actual KVM switch would be expensive or unavailable (in my case, I'm switching three 4K HDR DisplayPort monitors, which would require a very expensive KVM switch). https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch
- dougmwne 4y agoAirpod Pro 2 They are basically bionic ears. Headphones, headset, earplugs, hearing protection, hearing aids, extendable ears, and more. Wish they could act as universal translators, but I suppose that's still yet to come.
- shafyy 4y ago"Probably the oddest thing in the Universe." [0] 0: https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Babel_Fish https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Babel_Fish
- mindwork 4y agoThere was no problem with my Airpods pro gen 1, but I bought new gen 2 version just because I wanted to support Apple for making such a great product. I never leave the house without them. Got it on sale for thanksgiving holidays
- fsflover 4y agoApart from a lot of convenience, Airpods have a serious problem, so I am not sure they are worth supporting: http://www.ibtimes.com/apple-airpods-repair-recycling-impossible-deemed-future-e-waste-ifixit-2465348 http://www.ibtimes.com/apple-airpods-repair-recycling-imposs....
- theshrike79 4y agoAll battery powered in-ear headphones have the same "problem". It's nearly impossible to make something that small _and_ get a 10/10 iFixit score. You can't put any sane screws in anything that small, stuff needs to be glued down.
- fsflover 4y agoThere are many alternatives with replaceable batteries. None have 10/10, but most are much better than 0/10.
- 4y ago
- etothepii 4y agoWife: USB lighter for candles. Mother-in-law: Premium subscription for golf empire (golf competitions). Me: Blotting paper.
- mensetmanusman 4y agoLemon squeezer Fry eggs in butter, add a little heavy cream, add half a lemon squeeze and salt Yum!
- symlinkk 4y agoSounds pretty unhealthy
- whalesalad 4y agosounds completely awesome to me, healthy fats ftw
- yonaguska 4y agoSounds delicious. I'll take butter + heavy cream any day over fried vegetable/seed oils, processed foods, or high fructose corn syrup concoctions.
- mensetmanusman 4y agoVitamin C!
- teekert 4y agoBecause you were indoctrinated by the sugar industry ;)
- atkailash 4y agoOil will typically cause eggs to stick unless you use a lot of it. You can use less butter and have less sticking. 1 Tbsp butter for cooking an egg is much easier than 1 Tbsp oil. And it’s not nearly as bad, at least in this amount, as commonly thought.
- danesparza 4y agoLow carbohydrate, high fat, high protein. And tasty to boot. Sounds pretty good to me. I think you've been reading too many magazines from the 1980's.
- AdrianB1 4y ago
- time0ut 4y agoAn AeroPress. $30 for a fast and good enough way to make espresso.
- masklinn 4y agoNit: it makes great coffee (I'm a user myself and as long as I'm awake enough not to pour coffee everywhere but the press, or hit the press once I've put the coffee in thereby pour grounds all over the counter, it's absolutely stellar), but it's nothing like an espresso. Espresso doesn't mean "coffee which isn't shit" (there are shit espresso), nor does it mean "strong coffee".
- browningstreet 4y agoI was in Italy this summer and the AirBnB had an ancient Mokapot. It made great coffee-like-stuff. Came home and bought one... it tastes terrible. Every couple of days I'll make a pot hoping to season the device. Sadly, I'm about to give up. I might be nomading it soon, so no big purchases, but if I was buying a house my first purchase would be a proper espresso machine.
- masklinn 4y agoI've never used a moka pot but I don't think they need seasoning. They work off of a pretty simple principle, the device ain't going to fix itself out of nowhere. If the outcome is bad there are lots of options but the ones I would consider are: - the recipe itself is wrong, however I assume you're using the same recipe you got success with in italy, though that requires that the devices are the same kind (e.g. stovetop v electric) and powered the same way - the device itself is broken - the coffee you're using is different enough that the recipe doesn't work, or possibly the coffee you get at home is completely unsuitable for moka (wrong roasting, wrong grind size, ...) Maybe consider watching James Hoffman's moka series for an intro? https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxz0FjZMVOl1Zot3qiJ-wseRXyO-XoVNx https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxz0FjZMVOl1Zot3qiJ-w...
- 4y ago
- spaceman_2020 4y agoAn air fryer. It’s really a badly marketed product. Its real utility isn’t that it uses less oil, but that it cooks incredibly fast. Essentially an oven on steroids. It’s made cooking so much easier. I usually toss some boneless chicken in with a light coating of soy sauce and cornflour. While the chicken cooks, I prep a basic Asian sauce on the stovetop. The chicken and the sauce are both done within 10-15 minutes. Never have to check on the chicken (unlike a pan) or wait too long (unlike an oven). Mix them together and dinner is ready.
- ufo 4y agoExactly! Convection ovens are devices for roasting, not for frying.
- J_cst 4y agoThe reason is that it's much smaller in terms of internal volume.
- brainzap 4y agoso it is not a meme?
- linuxftw 4y agoIt's mostly a meme. They are good at cooking some things, but frying is not one of them. They're basically an expensive toaster oven. *Edit: 'are'
- atkailash 4y ago[dead]
- J_cst 4y agoExactly that. 100% correct
- DamnInteresting 4y agoI disagree. I cook with a fairly wide range of techniques (e.g., sous vide, convection oven, slow cooker, smoker, pressure cooker), and my recently acquired air fryer has been a pleasant surprise. I was skeptical, but happy to be proven wrong. It is fast, versatile, and the results are often outstanding. It is great for things like fries, reheating frozen food, and fish. It is easily the best pizza reheating device I have yet encountered.
- jonfw 4y agoWe set up a motorized curtain in our bedroom. It's been really nice to black everything out at night while sleeping (some of our neighbors leave outdoor lights on) but in the morning, wake up with natural light
- kradroy 4y agoI've been looking for something like this. Is it DIY or something off-the-shelf? My spouse requires absolute darkness when sleeping, but I have SAD and require the blinds to be always open in order to... not want to die.
- mr337 4y agoNot the OP but I am really happy with the IKEA Tradfri blinds [1].Every night at dark they close all the rooms so I don't feel like living in fish bowl. 30 minutes past sunrise they all open. Best investment ever. For the more technical they are Zigbee and heard all of IKEA zigbee stuff works without the hub. I personally have had issues with HomeAssistant and Tradfri integration so just use the IKEA app and the hub with no issues for over 6mo now. [1] - https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fyrtur-black-out-roller-blind-smart-wireless-battery-operated-gray-50417464/ https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fyrtur-black-out-roller-blind-s...
- tibbon 4y agoThank you! I had been looking for something Zigbee that I can run with HA that does this and doesn't cost a fortune.
- nyx 4y agoDirectly connecting these blinds to my Home Assistant instance via the ZHA integration and a HUSBZB-1 Zigbee/ZWave stick[0] works pretty well. I've got 8 of them around my house, and some automations to open/close with the sun, etc. Only small issues I've identified are that 1) Zigbee meshing doesn't seem to behave with these, so you'll have to pair the blinds directly to your hub. This is fine, as long as your place is small enough for there to be no signal quality issues. And 2) if Home Assistant instructs the blinds to open to a specific position (i.e. "80% closed") rather than fully open or fully closed, it can take a really long time for the blinds to update the hub with their state. This means they show as "opening" in the HA UI even though they're finished moving. [0] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GJ826F8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GJ826F8
- bitwize 4y agoA Sanpao TJ800 mini TV. It's a really stinking adorable display styled like a retro CRT TV and it has the guts of a cheap Android TV box inside, or you can plug in an HDMI input. I found the HDMI input on mine didn't work but I figured out how to put Armbian on the TV box inside and so now I can turn it into a mini retro emulation console! A $60 shaved ice maker attachment for my wife's KitchenAid mixer. Now she can make Snoballs any time of year. Seriously, if there's someone in your house who loves to cook, you need a KitchenAid mixer. It's a godsend, like Visual Studio Code for the kitchen.
- Finnucane 4y agoA 3-kilo bag of Taza chocolate baking chips.
- borbulon 4y agoyes, but what about for tomorrow?
- orm 4y agoInstant Pot. Can be used as a rice cooker, slow cooker, pressure cooker (mostly known for this last use) Though probably not as good for rice specifically as an actual high-end rice cooker, it greatly increased the range of foods I eat. Makes it easy to make nice one pot meals overnight for multiple days, you can make really good broth soups from chickens etc quickly, or slowly if you prefer. If you like to try tougher cuts of meat, this is also a good reason to get it. The fact it doesn't occupy one burner is also helpful.
- formvoltron 4y agoMe too. Instant pot for the win. Haven't tried meat in it. It's been Indian curries and lentil soups & such. I also bought a 3 quart version for my motorhome!
- ronnirradd 4y agoDo you follow any recipes online? Those sound great and I would love to expand my instant pot game beyond pressurized rice making.
- r2_pilot 4y agoI've scrabbled together a pot roast recipe I follow loosely that gets praised every time I make it. I get a chuck roast (or something similar), evenly coat in salt and pepper to taste, saute it in the insta pot(about 6-7 minutes each side to brown it), deglaze with red wine vinegar, then put in half a small package of carrots and little red potatoes(onions can be added but nobody likes them here). I also add 2-3 pepperoncinis on this bottom layer, then I put the roast back in, put the rest of the carrots/potatoes/another couple of pepperoncinis on top and around. Then I add a cup of water and beef bullion, and set the pressure cook feature to around 1 hour 10 minutes or so. I use the keep-warm mode and while it's ready to go once the main pressure is done, it just gets better over time (and you can do it before leaving for work and come home to lunch or supper already waiting). I'm really lazy when it comes to cooking, but this has been easy, fast and delicious (plus leftovers!). An even easier thing is shredded BBQ chicken. They can even be frozen and it's done in an hour. Would write the recipe but leaving for lunch now.
- iddan 4y agoFor us in FlyCode it's Stigg (https://stigg.io https://stigg.io). Really streamlined the way we manage subscriptions and define pay blocks. Saved us about two weeks of development work (and we are still pretty small!)
- hcs 4y agoSmall round wire sieve that fits on top of a mug, < $20 at the supermarket. I'd bought various devices intended as tea strainers before, but they were hard to clean and didn't let the leaves drain properly. A small thing, but it's meant a lot less irritation.
- x0x0 4y agoI've used one of these daily for 5+ years. You, or others, may like it too :) It's a metal basket perfectly sized to fit in a medium-sized mug, to make loose-leaf tea one cup at a time. https://www.harney.com/products/brew-in-mug-extra-fine-tea-infuser-with-lid https://www.harney.com/products/brew-in-mug-extra-fine-tea-i...
- hcs 4y agoYeah I have one like that (Oxo brand), the sieve seems to work better for me.
- Existenceblinks 4y ago$20 IEM is crazy good. I'm lazy to find out if $100 IEM is already above 97th percentile of human ears capability. A lot of illusion of great quality above p90.
- dbancajas 4y agowhat is IEM?
- JoeyPriceless 4y agoIn-ear monitor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear_monitor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear_monitor), basically a fancy word for earbuds.
- mackieem 4y agoIn-ear monitors - or - earbuds, which are generally going to be wired if using 'IEM' over 'earbuds'.
- atommclain 4y agoIn ear monitor, I believe. The "headphones" that some musicians use on stage to hear themselves. I have heard that you can get them custom made to fit your own ears for a perfect fit.
- xyos 4y agoIn Ear Monitors, basically a earbuds that goes inside you ear
- MoOmer 4y agoIn this context, I’m pretty sure it’s In-Ear-Monitors; or, the headphones that go in your ear. I’d also disagree that there’s no difference between price/quality of monitors!
- Existenceblinks 4y agoSure, p10 and p80 is going to be huge different. As I said, above p90, it's a lot of illusion and subjective .. more like a taste there.
- DamnInteresting 4y agoI'm surprised by how many things mentioned here are things that improved my own 2022 (air fryer, Steamdeck, bone-conducting headphones, etc.) A couple of things that I haven't yet seen mentioned: A LifeStraw Home water filter. It removes the slightly metallic taste from my home tap water. Cable management boxes (multiple brands). These allow me to hide away the unsightly power strips, power bricks, hubs, excess cords, etc, and make my desk/office much more organized.
- notafraudster 4y agoI feel like I've never been able to get a handle on cable management despite using velcro cable ties, and baseboard cable clips, and other stuff. I just have never found the right thing. So I'd love if you linked some of the ones you used (granted they're probably all random drop-shipping Amazon brands)!
- alexpetralia 4y agoMe too!
- DamnInteresting 4y agoThere are lots of options, but the ones I finally landed on were these: For my desktop: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09224KKPV https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09224KKPV For behind my desk (which doubles as a recording space, so the disorganized cables bugged me): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014BMTQ34 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014BMTQ34 I also used a lot of Velcro cable ties, and this monster of a power strip which fits inside the behind-desk box: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099NB3TTY https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099NB3TTY
- steve_adams_86 4y ago> A LifeStraw Home water filter I went a little bananas on filtered water a while back and bought a giant Berkey. I love it. My family goes through an entire container each day somehow. We use it for cooking as well as drinking, but it's still a lot of water. I highly recommend it if you ever decide you want an even more thorough, longer-lasting, high-capacity filter.
- analyte123 4y agoHigh-flow drilled-out showerhead for sure.
- philwelch 4y agoDrilled out? Mine just had a blue plastic flow limiter that I could yank out with needle nose pliers.
- ezekg 4y agoThe Carpio 2.0 by DeltaHub (https://us.deltahub.io/products/carpio-2 https://us.deltahub.io/products/carpio-2). It's a wrist rest, but not like you probably think. I would get severe hand pain being at the PC all day, but this little contraption completely relieved that pain. It took a couple weeks to get used to, and now I use it while working and gaming. One of the best purchases I've made in a long time.
- i_am_jl 4y agoWow, I've been looking for this exact product for years. Thank you!
- ezekg 4y agoNo problem! In the beginning it will feel weird. You may want to stop using it because it feels awkward to have something under your palm. But stick with it for a week or 2 and you'll get used to it.
- gwill 4y agodoes it move around easily? i use a trackball for productivity work, but nothing compares to a traditional mouse for gaming.
- ezekg 4y agoYes, very easily. No noticeable friction on my desk mat (also by DeltaHub). You don't even notice it.
- ElijahLynn 4y agoNice, I use IMAK RSI Computer Gloves which have little beads in the palms. Now, I don't use them for carpal tunnel or RSI at all, but just pure comfort of because the hard surface of a desk or sharp edges of a laptop are annoying as heck. Your Carpio 2.0 suggestion looks like it could be an improvement because I don't have to put the gloves on and take them off. Because my main complaint with the IMAK gloves is that when I'm on a video call and use hand gestures people always assume I have some injury or pain and ask me about it, and I have to explain that I just don't like hard surfaces, sharp edges and shiny palms, so I end up not wearing them as frequent as my hands would like to be comforted. Carpio looks like a way to solve that!
- holy_diver 4y agoA bidet. We got one with heated water and seats and going to the bathroom feels super luxurious now. Not to mention all the toilet paper we save and increased hygiene.
- hdesh 4y agoOnce you bidet you never go back to paper. I even carry a portable one when I travel.
- stu2b50 4y agoWhat portable bidet do you use? I've found the ones I tried super weak.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- umrashrf 4y agoI still like to use paper to dry after the bidet.
- jimhefferon 4y agoYes. Not to overshare but I find that failure to actively dry changes the biome back there; in short it can get itchy. Just pulling up and heading off is not enough (use a small towel). That said though, it is great.
- stronglikedan 4y agoI do too, but only because the warm air dryer gives my tushy a rash!
- Nemi 4y agoSecond this. I bought one and when we travel I wonder how anyone can live without it. Using a toilet without a bidet just seems uncivilized now.
- LarsDu88 4y agoSamsung T5 SSD, a short USB c cable, and a sticker pocket to attach it to my 2016 MacBook. Why get gouged by apple on storage when you can just duct tape an SSD to your laptop?
- cammikebrown 4y agoI’m hoping there will eventually be a slim profile Thunderbolt 4 flash drive that I can just leave plugged in to my M1 Pro MacBook.
- Gigachad 4y agoIt won’t be nearly as fast, but you could easily have a slim fit storage device in the SD slot. You’d want some microsd to sd adapter made specifically for the MacBook. That would get you a TB of storage.
- freefaler 4y agoI've done that, but there is a caveat. All SD cards are optimized for sequentional read/write (photos/videos) and are very slow for random access. In real life scenarios it can become very slow and sometimes the bandwidth wouldn't be enough for HD videos to load normally.
- JohnBooty 4y agoHeck yeah. I do this too. I honestly like the slightly nerdy frankenstein look. sticker pocket Can you recommend a sticker pocket? I looked, and I'm not sure which ones might be suitable for holding a hard drive to a laptop. What I've always done is: a clear acrylic ~$15 shell for the MacBook. Which is something I do anyway. And then I velcro-tape the drive to that shell.
- LarsDu88 4y agohttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2R8CPWH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2R8CPWH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2R8CPWH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2R8CPWH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_... It's kinda funny that you can buy a 256 GB SSD for less than the price of this sticker-pocket, usb cable combo. My Macbook has a 256 GB internal SSD that can barely handle installing both the OS and XCode at the same time!
- slicktux 4y agoFrench Press
- pwenzel 4y agoSolo Stove bonfire pit. It burns so efficiently and is pretty much idiot proof. They work great here in Minnesota winters, and are nice when you have people over for parties and they throw crappy wood in there that would normally smoke a bunch. We've also had solo stoves out in the middle of the street for block parties. Highly recommend.
- rgoulter 4y agoI bought a trackball mouse. (Elecom Huge). I found that it ultimately ends up saving deskspace (since the device doesn't need space to move around). I found the device's size to be more comfortable for my hands than the small Logitech bluetooth mouse I was using.
- BirAdam 4y agoI use an old CST2545W-RC from 2014 and love it. Trackballs are seriously underrated devices.
- pcurve 4y agoDo you prefer large trackball over large trackpad? (like ones from apple) How is accuracy?
- rgoulter 4y ago> Do you prefer large trackball over large trackpad? I've never used an external trackpad. I have used the excellent Macbook trackpads. I'd think e.g. "hold button + drag" is slightly more difficult on a trackpad than a mouse or a trackball. Rather, I'd say that a trackball feels just as intuitive as a mouse does, whereas a trackpad doesn't feel the same as a mouse. > How is accuracy? As one of the replies to my comment points out, the particular model I got isn't very good at small movement. (Many people say they swap out the ball bearings & this helps a lot). Practically, I found I was able to play games with it without affecting how well I did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_N_XB5XeDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_N_XB5XeDA (I haven't tried gaming on a trackpad; my impression is mouse/trackball are better suited).
- trynewideas 4y agoI used an external trackpad for a while before going to a vertical mouse, then trackballs. I liked the external trackpad better than the fixed position of a laptop but that's the best thing I can say about it — it didn't alleviate wrist pain and it didn't add much flexibility to how or where I work. When I absolutely need gestures, the laptop's trackpad is still there. As for accuracy, after using a Logitech trackball for about 6 months, I'd replaced my gaming mouse with it for FPS games. The only thing that had a significant learning curve was precise placement of click-and-drag operations, and that was mostly training myself to let my thumb off the ball before releasing the click.
- archagon 4y agoSteam Deck. Fantastic for catching up on your gaming backlog when traveling. Origami pourover brewer. Beautiful, and it’s been a lot of fun trying to get better at brewing great coffee.
- going_ham 4y agoGetting split keyboards. They are the best. The only regret: I didn't buy it sooner.
- max_hammer 4y agoWhich split keyboard ? I was also looking for one, all pre-build starts from #350
- stonecharioteer 4y agoThe lily58 is easy to build and will cost you less than 200.
- going_ham 4y agoI am using sofle v2. It costs less than 200!
- 100k 4y agoI also upgraded to a split keyboard and I love it. I really liked the Microsoft Natural keyboard, but slamming my mouse into the number pad was driving me crazy, so I decided to get a split keyboard without one. I have the Kinesis Freestyle Pro. As a bonus the mechanical keys are nice to type on! My only complaint is it takes a moment to get it dialed in for placement if it's been moved.
- mvanbaak 4y agonvidia shield pro
- formvoltron 4y ago$16 earbuds Tazo - A1s.
- yunwal 4y agoThis is gonna sound dumb but an ice scoop for my freezer. Always just used my hands or cup but it would make it slightly annoying to get the right amount of ice. Plus if I’m making cocktails for other people it’s just so much easier and more hygienic.
- akamaka 4y agoThat is a great idea. I‘ve also always been slightly annoyed and picking up ice cubes and having them stick to my fingers, but it didn’t occur to me to get a scoop that’s just right for this purpose.
- NDizzle 4y agoI finally got rid of my Samsung fridge, which had a bottom, open ice box. I too recall when we found the perfect scoop. They are actually hard to find. I believe this one was intended to be a candy scooper, at one of those do-it-yourself frozen yogurt places. I can't recall the name of the store... It's a chain store that is overpriced "imported products" found next to an REI or some other middle/upper scale strip mall.
- dublinben 4y agoI can second the immense utility of an ice cube scoop. A basic plastic or metal one is just a few dollars, and will probably last forever. No more touching ice cubes with your hands!
- bonestamp2 4y agoFrom working in a restaurant in college, one thing the health inspector always checks is that the ice scoop handle is NOT touching the ice. Apparently, that is a huge source of bacteria being introduced into "food". You might be able to rest it in a way where this is possible, or get a little holder for it that keeps the handle up and out of the ice (that's what most restaurants have).
- dkarl 4y agoIt wasn't a new purchase so I didn't think of it for this thread, but I started leaving a water pitcher beside the sink. It's handy for watering plants, carrying water to the dog bowl (instead of carrying the dog bowl to the sink), filling the coffee maker, adding water to pots on the stove, and filling water glasses at the table. It's nothing big, but it's helpful in many small ways.
- wintermutestwin 4y agoA pair of running shoes that actually fit human toe shape (Altra). Years of wearing pointy shoes gave me a Morton's Neuroma and severely limited my aerobic activity.
- __derek__ 4y agos/human toe shape/my toe shape/ I'm a pointy-toed runner. When Saucony stopped producing my favorite zero-drop shoes (the Virrata), I bought a pair of Altras but ended up donating them after two short runs because it felt like I was wearing clown shoes thanks to that that broad toe-box. That said, I definitely appreciate that the running apparel market has expanded to accommodate the broad diversity of human shapes and sizes.
- wintermutestwin 4y agoI can't imagine that anyone's feet fit properly into Sidi cycling shoes, which were the cause of my neuroma.
- __derek__ 4y agoAh, I assumed you meant other running shoes because you mentioned running shoes. I'm not familiar with that brand, or with cycling shoes in general.
- dehrmann 4y agoWhy foot-shaped shoes are so rare is beyond me.
- ROTMetro 4y agoFor me it was toe spacers to fix what those pointy toed sports shoes had done to my feet.
- iancmceachern 4y agoYes! Altras are great, especially when paired with iniji toe socks. Once you get used to them traditional shoes are so uncomfortable
- trynewideas 4y agoA one-hour shopping session with a personal stylist, at about $175. I desperately wanted to break out of my t-shirt/blue jeans habit, but parsing clothes sizes, trying things on, and getting opinions is equal parts sorcery and torture for me. (I'd tried Stitch Fix and felt like it wanted to reinforce my habits rather than break me out of them.) After sending her details about my problems and the kinds of styles I admired, the stylist experience was very old-school retail — a department store — but she was unexpectedly pragmatic, giving great advice about picking durable clothes and materials that specifically fit well on me, with lots of wink-and-nudge budget advice (like "This would look great on you for $50 less" followed by flashing me a Nordstrom Rack or Poshmark listing of it). Also, finding out that the department store has a complimentary tailoring service for hemming and adjusting the waistline on pants you buy from there permanently changed my clothes shopping process.
- adnanaga 4y agoWhat was the service ?
- rebuild143 4y ago+1, I'd also love to learn more about your experience, especially about how you found your stylist.
- damey 4y ago+1 would also love to know how you found your stylist
- trynewideas 4y agoLots of Googling, then a little calling around. I started with one in my neighborhood who also runs a hair salon, who was also the only one I found who specifically advertised a masculine-specific wardrobe assessment service. When I described my problem, she gave me a shortlist of several other stylists who were outside of what I thought I was looking for, like FernDate, Duchess, and some local vintage-specific pickers who just aren't online.
- csixty4 4y agoA sleep blindfold with Bluetooth headphones built in. It helps me stay asleep until the alarm goes off, and listening to ambient music helps silence the thoughts that used to keep me up all night.
- sowbug 4y agoI gave up on flaky WiFi mesh networking and connected the APs to my home's inactive cable wiring using MoCA adapters. Local bandwidth increased 4x, and I was able to achieve solid coverage throughout the house. I also replaced a rock, a brick, and a rubber wedge with magnetic door holders, each about $5. Now when we're bringing in the groceries, we can keep the door open without the rock, and it's easy to close when we're done.
- ajyey 4y agoWhich mesh routing system did u have that was flaky? I just closed on a home and have been thinking about going mesh. Ideally would like most stuff hardwired but I’m being lazy
- lkois 4y agoEthernet over power is another good option. After messing about with bad wifi in a townhouse for a few years, EOP has been going strong for over a decade
- trafficante 4y agoIt’s definitely superior to something like a wireless backhaul but, if you have the capability, I’d recommend coax any day vs powerline. Speeds are much faster and (more importantly) far more stable.
- rockostrich 4y agoIf the house already has coax ran but no ethernet then MoCA adapters really are the way to go. For some reason that's how my 2021 new construction house was built and now I have wired connections in all of the rooms that I care about.
- panphora 4y agoI don't know which one OP uses, but I've heard great things about the NETGEAR Orbi Quad-Band WiFi 6E
- 4y ago
- bichiliad 4y agoThere's always a lot, but a few things really helped me this past year (all less than $200): - I got one of those Stagg kettles[0]. I make a lot of pour-overs, and a nice kettle neck gave me a lot more control than I expected. Coffee tastes the same, but making it is more fun. - Not Boring's "Habits" app is fantastic[1]. I've been trying to nail down a meditation practice, and this finally did the trick for me. It helps me stay on task without making me feel guilty for it. I've been meditating consistently every day for a few months now. - I got a copy of "Salt Fat Acid Heat" and read the whole thing[2]. It's made me a lot more competent at cooking than I was, and now other cookbooks make more sense and are less daunting. [0]:https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-ekg-electric-pour-over-kettle https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-ekg-electric-pour-... [1]:https://www.andy.works/product/habits https://www.andy.works/product/habits [2]:https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/ https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/
- Semaphor 4y ago> Salt Fat Acid Heat Heh. Wanted that for Christmas a few years ago, somehow my mom got confused and got me the not exactly similarly named "the science of cooking", which ended up being in the same ballpark, and helped improve my cooking anyway :)
- Neff 4y agoIn a similar vein - Ratio by Michael Ruhlman does a great job of breaking down the whys of recipes so you can start exploring and making things your own. https://smile.amazon.com/Ratio-Simple-Behind-Everyday-Cooking/dp/1416571728 https://smile.amazon.com/Ratio-Simple-Behind-Everyday-Cookin...
- Xcelerate 4y ago- $15 heat gun for lighting charcoal. Cheaper and faster than the alternatives, no unsavory extra flavors - Small Korin Konro. To go with the charcoal. Use this all the time for grilling small amounts of meat. - Pasta noodle drying rack to use for hanging kitchen wash clothes and dish rags
- Nemi 4y agoI am not trying to derail the conversation, but I just have to comment on the product you listed. I am clearly not the target market (I think?), but that marketing video on their home page “describing” what this is, has to be one of the worst marketing videos I have ever seen. I watched it and still have no idea what it does. I am guessing it allows you to switch the app that you are streaming? I give up… https://www.elgato.com/en/stream-deck-mk2 https://www.elgato.com/en/stream-deck-mk2 EDIT: I am getting downvoted but I am going to leave this up. I am really not trying to be overly negative, but I feel like this is a missed opportunity for a company that has clearly created something creative that appeals to a certain market niche. I know that sometimes it is hard for someone that is passionate about their product and wants to create good marketing material, but has a hard time describing things to those “outside” their circle. Hopefully they see this feedback and can use it to further expand their product’s reach.
- thiht 4y agoIt’s basically physical buttons you can customize. I use mine with a few useful shortcuts: - a global mute button - a screenshot button - a button to show/hide my terminal - and a few others depending on the focused app
- flappyeagle 4y agoIt allows you to program macros for streaming. Things like reconfigure your screen share, change the audio input levels and source, anything that you can imagine a television producer might want to do for their broadcast. It presents an array of hardware buttons with small displays in them to let you do all of that easily in a live broadcast environment.
- Terretta 4y agoWhy "for streaming" ? It's programmable key macros with visual key caps.
- sprice 4y agoLoop Quiet earplugs for sleeping.
- scottmcdot 4y agoHow're they better than foam?
- brokebroadbeat 4y agoActually a 2020 purchase but it keeps paying dividends: Pax 3 vaporiser.
- charlie0 4y agoWool sweatpants. Keeps me perfectly warm. Bose noise canceling headphones.
- post_break 4y agoLoseit app, I'm losing weight thanks to it. Withings scale, connects to wifi, logs my weight with zero work. Threw out all my socks and bought new.
- fauria 4y agoArcteryx Delta LT jacket. At first I thought it was an impulsive purchase, but it end up being the most versatile jacket I've had. Whenever I don't know what to wear or carry on a trip, I toss in the Delta LT and it ends up being really useful.
- kevstev 4y agoMy company gave me one of their jackets a few years back for being involved in some recruiting efforts. I honestly had no idea how expensive they were- I have an LT hood of some sort- their product line is absurdly convoluted, but I later found out it was about $260. I ripped mine in a bike fall a few months ago, but even after finding the price to replace it, was absolutely resolved to get anther. For a jacket that weighed nothing, it kept me plenty warm down to about 30F degrees, kept the rain out, and looked great. Its almost like magic how good these are.
- implements 4y agoAn electric under-blanket - you can lower bedroom temperatures (saving money at current European gas prices) and be quickly cosy in bed. Pair with a plug timer and wake up cosy, too.
- Semaphor 4y agoA refurbished Fujitsu FUTRO S740 (J4105 and 8 GB RAM) and 2 SSDs for a super low power home server and mini NAS. All in all less than $100 A weighted blanket (11 kg), after i had the chance to test one at a friend's. I'll miss it in summer when it'll be hot to use. A Rösle (German high end kitchenware brand) salad spinner. Pretty expensive for 80€, but every other is either too small or crappy (and we have salad for breakfast almost every day). Ended up being worth it.
- jackschultz 4y agoMeta comment, but I'm curious about the money range of $200-$1000. Many threads like this are for cheaper products (granted, upper limit here of $200 is higher than usual), and a lot of the answers are repeated. I feel it's hard to justify spending larger amounts of money in the range I provided, but in the end, there are times when the value absolutely is worth it. Finding those times is the difficult part.
- coolspot 4y ago32” 4k monitor - $550 Good standing desk - $500 Adjustable dual arm mount for monitors - $100 RTX 3090 to play with Stable Diffusion - $1000 Good reverse osmosis filter - $400
- thekiptxt 4y agoAsk! For me, I got 2 months of personal training for about that much (2 one-hour-sessions per week). I was hesitant because I thought personal training was too expensive given that there were so many resources online, but I’m VERY happy with the purchase. It forced me into the gym regularly for months, I didn’t have to think about what I’d be working out, and my trainer kept me honest, kickstarting a habit and confidence I’ve tried countless times to develop. Of course, YMMV and some trainers are terrible, but I would have happily spent much more.
- theshrike79 4y agoStanding desk with memory, not the ones with just the up-down buttons. I can just slap number 2 on the desk, push back and stand up. The table will stop exactly at my standing work position. Walking mat for said standing desk. A coworker of mine swears by this, I'm still considering one. They even walk while watching movies on the TV :D A proper working chair, your ass is going to be on it for 8+ hours. Don't skimp on it. Steam Deck. Seriously. It made gaming fun again. My gaming PC hasn't been booted since September when I got the deck. I can only do one thing with it, play games. It's always suspended on exactly where I left with the game I'm currently playing through. I can use it on the couch, toilet, train, vacation or even when there is downtime at work =)
- dublinben 4y ago
- snshn 4y agoAn electric insect swatter.
- Nemi 4y agoBose QuietComfort earbuds 2. I have a pair of QC20 wired earbuds that I have been using since forever. I have really bad hearing and ironically, I am very sensitive to loud noises (e.g., mowing, flying, road noise on road trips). I really like to have the best noise suppressing earbuds I can find. Last year I tried many different wireless ones as my QC20 were wearing out. I tried Samsung, Sony, and Bose QC earbuds 1. The ANC (Ambient noise cancelling) in the samsung and sony were just not to the level of my wired QC20’s. The Bose earbuds1 were actually better at ANC than my QC20’s. I was shocked, BUT I had so many problems with 2 different pairs I had to return them. It was all software issues as far as I could tell, but they either stopped connecting to my devices, or the left bud stopped working. Fast forward to the Bose QC earbuds2 coming out and I gave them a try. They are expensive, but the ANC is world class. The fit is also WAY better than anything else, including the earbuds 1. The nailed it. At $300 I would not hesitate to buy these again if I lost them.
- t0mas88 4y agoI've had those Bose wired ones for years as well, they were great. My attempt of finding good wireless ones ended at the Airpods Pro. Much better than any other wireless option at their time.
- eachro 4y ago- darn tough socks: these retail for 20ish a pair last I checked but they're super high quality - water boiler: can get a basic one for less than 30 bucks, or go with a higher end one for 100+. either way, having hot water readily available will change your life - kettlebell (20lb, 35lb): these go for like 30-40 bucks on amazon. there are a lot of compound movements you can do with kettlebells that will highlight various muscle imbalances you have. super easy to incorporate a few kb exercises into your workout routine
- hnburnsy 4y agoUSB rechargeable arc candle lighter $12
- tibbon 4y agoA really nice car phone mount with Qi/wireless charging was great for me. I've hated most of them I've used, finding them flimsy or just awkward. With this, I just throw my phone on there and go. https://www.proclipusa.com/ https://www.proclipusa.com/
- _gy5c 4y agocapresso infinity burr grinder (for coffee)
- hiddencost 4y agoPegboard. Ikea sells some good ones. A wall calendar. Felted house shoes (Kyrgies!!) that I didn't sweat in. Wooden clothes hangers. Humidifier. Small storage containers Expanded clay pellets for rooting plant cuttings.
- TaylorGood 4y agoTheragun + massage table
- stonecharioteer 4y agoI've bought a bunch of things, each of while is below 200. 1. Logitech MX Ergo Trackball mouse. I LOVE this thing. 2. Aftershokz Aeropex and OpenComm. I'm single sided deaf and these are the best I can get for listening to music or taking any calls. 3. Powered sunglasses, I can walk around sunny areas without squinting. 4. Books: the daily stoic.
- KingMachiavelli 4y agoA Moto M2 audio interface. Having a dedicated volume for my microphone is very useful and it has independent headphone and speaker outputs. I has great out of the box Linux support Most people who own a dedicated DAC would probably be just fine using this IMO. My automatic cat feeder will likely be the most useful of 2023.
- pkulak 4y agoI bought a used Dell office PC from FreeGeek for about 100 bucks, then installed Proxmox on it with Portainer. Now I've got a place to put all my crap that isn't AWS, which is not only easier, but faster, and way cheaper.
- x0x0 4y agoA dog recovery suit. It's a breathable, close-fitting suit that you use instead of a cone to prevent biting at healing wounds. Available for $25 or so on Chewy. Buddy had some surgery and would have been in a cone for 2 weeks (!!!), an utterly shit experience for both of us. This prevented that while making sure he didn't lick or bite at his stitches. It wouldn't stop a persistent dog like a cone would, but I felt like it gave me enough time to observe the behavior had he bit or licked and stop it without opening the wound. It's easily my best purchase of the last 5 years, except perhaps for my instant pot, which I use every day to make steel cut oats. https://www.suitical.com/products/recovery-suit-dog/ https://www.suitical.com/products/recovery-suit-dog/
- jimbobthemighty 4y agoA Bamix immersion blender; powerful enough to blend frozen fruit in my morning smoothies and safe for a deep pot of soup that needs blending. Also makes top notch Hummus.
- petepete 4y agoI got a Bamix for Christmas last year, I used it nearly every day. The main things I use it for are frothing milk for lattes, making peanut and cashewnut butter and making soups of all kinds.
- mdaniel 4y agoI only recently learned it's painless(?) to make oat milk with one of those; I got one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Milker-Kitchen-Wooden-mortar/dp/B00GA07HAK https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Milker-Kitchen-Wooden-mortar/dp...) but realistically I think any deep container and then straining out the oat pulp with a normal sieve would be just as effective. I haven't tried it with alternative milks (soy, rice, almond) because I'm happy enough with oat milk and it is incredibly inexpensive
- samsolomon 4y agoThis is a weird one—Fiskars 4-Claw Weeder https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-34-in-Aluminum-Handle-and-Blade-with-4-Claw-Weeder-339950-1001/206837521 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fiskars-34-in-Aluminum-Handle-an... Our dogs are frequently out in the yard, so other than spring pre-emergent I try to avoid herbicides. I bought it after a hand weeder broke pulling up crabgrass. This thing has oddly been one of the most satisfying purchases I've made in years. You put it in the ground, step on it and the thing easily pulls out weeds and only in the spot you put it. Then you get to shoot them off the claw. I have a bucket I try and shoot them into. It's oddly therapeutic.
- dcchambers 4y agoI refuse to use herbicides for a variety of reasons (pets, kids, and our property backs up to a creek and I try my best not to contaminate) but I despise pulling weeds the old fashioned way. Can't believe I've never seen this before. Definitely getting one - thank you!
- steve_adams_86 4y agoThese are great, and I use mine, but I discovered that much cheaper and more robust options exist which work as well. I actually found an all-metal option at around $40 CAD that my sister-in-law has was quite a bit nicer to use. So anyone interested in this, definitely look around!
- jftuga 4y agoThis works great for me! I use it to rip out dallisgrass weeds, which can not be pulled out by hand and they are very hard to kill with chemicals (at least without also killing your grass as well). After using this, those weeds never come back as this device completely removes the entire root. Highly recommend. Totally agree about it being therapeutic!
- pchristensen 4y agoThese are so satisfying!
- cableshaft 4y agoOur backyard definitely needs this, and I also hesitate to use herbicides because of pets (and insects and whatnot). Had no idea this existed. I'll definitely get one, thanks!
- IYasha 4y agoMost of products I buy are used ones, so almost everything falls in under $200 :)
- denimnerd42 4y agoshokz headphones for bike riding
- karmakaze 4y agoI've been thinking about upgrading my computer A/V but haven't taken the plunge. Seems like a bit of a potential rabbit hole for me. My item is a 65W GaN (gallium nitride) USB C/A wall charger. It can charge pretty much everything I own and is tiny compared to the Apple 65W charger. It has 1 Type-C and 2 Type-A but if you use more than one then the wattage splits (not 50/50 more goes to the C or one of the A ports).
- kderbyma 4y agoI bought a longboard and it was the most fun I have had doing an activity outdoors for years. it was a bit of trick to get used to it, but then I used it more than any other type of mode of transport. Great for balance, relaxation, and getting some exercise. And carving is so fun!
- _madmax_ 4y ago100% with you here, bought myself one and it's the most fun I've had outdoor since I learned to ride a bike decades ago.
- rcarr 4y ago2022: DevonThink - My digital life has never been so well organised. Omnifocus - My task management has never been so well organised. BusyCal - My time management have never been so well organised. Handheld Scientific BT-500 - Allows me to use my mechanical split keyboard wirelessly. So far in 2023: Nebo Notes - Allows me to write long form with Apple Pencil on iPad and convert it all to text afterwards far better than any other app on the App Store I've encountered. Creative BT-W3 Bluetooth Transmitter - Was getting stuttering with Bluetooth headphones on my MacBook that was making them virtually unusable. Connected the headphones to this and I now have zero issues.
- alejoar 4y ago> Was getting stuttering with Bluetooth headphones on my MacBook that was making them virtually unusable It's amazing how apple can't fix this issue, drives me insane. Never occurred to me to buy a bluetooth transmitter, but then why should I?
- rcarr 4y agoI agree with you. I was quite shocked that, with Apple's reputation and the amount I paid for this computer, that the bluetooth wasn't working as I expected. But then I try and remind myself that tech is hard and there are so many moving parts to try and juggle it's a wonder that any of it works at all and for the most part I'm pretty happy with it and wouldn't want anything else. If you do go down the transmitter route you may want to look at trying this out, makes selecting your sound output a breeze https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/ https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/
- justinator 4y agohttps://www.snorerx.com/ https://www.snorerx.com/ Seems to have quieted my snoring/sleep apnea to levels where people want to sleep next to me, and I can as well get a good night sleep. Sleep Apnea is no joke.
- kepano 4y agoSleeping mask ~$15 Becoming comfortable sleeping with a sleeping mask + ear plugs makes it possible to sleep anywhere.
- codespin 4y agowhich mask?
- tasty_freeze 4y agoI bought the MZOO brand off of amazon and like it over the other brands I've tried. Taking a 20 minute nap in the late afternoon helps my late day productivity that it makes up for the 20 minute nap. My original intuition was that with my eyelids closed how much darker can it be to have an eye mask. The answer is: a lot. Put on this mask and close your eyes for a minute or two, then remove the mask while keeping your eyes closed. It is like someone is shining a flashlight on your face. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KC5DWCC https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KC5DWCC These are inexpensive but they work well and I find the strap to be comfortable. The main differentiator vs some other brands is there is a big cup around the eyes. While sleeping (or trying to sleep) your eyes still dart around, and it is very distracting to have your eyelashes sweeping against a flat eye mask. Another brand that is inexpensive and is even darker is from "Albatross Health New England". It completely removes even the small amount of light that leaks in, but it has to be worn tighter to get that seal. The main thing I don't like about it is when adjusted for my particular head size, the adjustment buckle is sitting right behind one of my ears and if I am on that side it is uncomfortable. But for $10 it is worth a try: https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Blocking-Breathable-Comfortable-Traveling/dp/B095C7H62X https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Blocking-Breathable-Comfor...
- AdrianB1 4y agoA coffee maker and a pair of motorcycle jeans. The coffee maker is extremely easy to use (with capsules and a single button), while the jeans is something I was considering for 15 years, I always thought they are too expensive but then I bought it and found it extremely versatile, comfortable and safe.
- smcameron 4y agoA pizza peel, a pizza stone, a wire cooling rack, a kitchen scale, and some round plastic containers with lids for holding doughballs, and watching Vito Iacopelli on youtube. Now I can make pizza myself in my own home oven that is better than anything I can have delivered, and it's fun.
- krumpet 4y agoConsider a Baking Steel to take your pizza to the next level. https://bakingsteel.com/ https://bakingsteel.com/
- hbrn 4y ago$15 DisplayPort splitter to allow 120Hz on an external monitor for both PC and Macbook. Screen refresh rate has a huge effect on how enjoyable your experience is, whether it's working or gaming.
- jjice 4y agoMight be slightly over, but some cheap loadable dumbbells. I was never a weights guy, but these made it so I could get a simple workout in at home between meetings. They are annoying to change weights on, but everything is just a solid piece of metal, so they'll last forever. I'm by no means a strong guy, but I've significantly increased the weight I can lift over the course of the last year. For me, it's really awesome. My biceps and triceps have also gotten way more defined and it's really cool when people notice. Feels good to see a more physically defined body in the mirror.
- bonestamp2 4y agoSimilar story here! I got the PRCTZ brand dumbbell from walmart (online). I just got one ($75), and it's adjustable from 5-25lbs (they have a heavier version too). I started playing online video games with a friend and his son, and they do one exercise between each game. Pushups, sit ups, dumbbells, etc. After a 90 minute gaming session, I've also done one circuit of exercises.
- WXLCKNO 4y agoThis is a fun one because it can scale below and above 200. If you the loadable dumbbells (like Pepin) then yeah it's a bit of a pain but at least they can be expanded. I got the 5 to 90 lbs powerblocks (700 Canadian used..) but with the way they are built I'll be able to use them 50 years from now. Just a solid long term purchase.
- jjice 4y agoThe fast change on the powerblocks (and a few other adjustable dumbbells) is such a big selling point. Huge win over the loadable ones I have.
- WXLCKNO 4y agoDefinitely, I really enjoy the powerblocks. There are few things that are buy it for life anymore but weights seem to fit that category.
- 4y ago
- asasidh 4y agoA 5-55lb adjustable dumbells picked up on Amazon for less than $150
- codespin 4y agoI got adjustable dumbbells last year and it was the most impactful change of the year for me. It is amazing how far regular exercise goes.
- bcopa 4y ago1) Duck down pillows and nice bed sheets!! I sleep so much better. There's ton of options out there but I bought all my bedding stuff from Italic. 2) Merino wool underwear by Smartwool (or Icebreaker). Trust me on this one.
- iancmceachern 4y agoAeroplex Aftershokz bone conductive headphones.
- stewx 4y agoCheap and awesome stuff: - Phone mount for my car - Silicone wall protector for where my fridge door hits the wall - Misting spray bottle for brushing my child's hair - Mold/mildew removal gel (lysosome-based) - Silicone cable holders for the edge of desks, nightstands, etc for charging cables https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07WQN3134/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07WQN3134/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_...
- femto113 4y agoDo you have a brandname/source for the mold removal gel? Big problem in our condo and have tried several things without much success.
- stewx 4y agoThis is what I bought. It's a random Chinese brand but I haven't seen anything else like it. Works great. Almost too good to be true. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09NLY6XXG https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09NLY6XXG
- Insanity 4y agoSomething silly off the top of my head... We bought a “dog backpack”. We have a pretty small dog but love longer walks or strolling through smaller shops. With the backpack, he can go with us anywhere and it has been a really fun experience. Also our dog hates walking in rain (he will refuse to move). Now he goes in the backpack, we put a scarf / other clothing over it and we can go on for a bit until we find shelter.
- gadders 4y agoFor a minute I thought you were making your dog carry your shopping for you.
- iancmceachern 4y agoThey have those too, working dogs love them
- iancmceachern 4y agoWe got one of these, ita great for us when we need to bring a dog back that got injured on our ride/run
- CosmicShadow 4y agoWe bought a dog stroller, which helps for when he stops wanting to walk, or is too bad, but it's a pain to take when he does go the whole way (it's a cheap one that has many design flaws). I kind of wish I got the backpack, but I think he would have hated it and made it unusable.
- Insanity 4y agoOur dog seems to love it. If we get the backpack out and open it up, he will jump in on his own and curl up there. He does also love his crate and a carrier we got for flights, so he is used to it. But as with anything, YMMV. Best to do whatever is comfortable for your dog.
- 4y ago
- mperham 4y agoA back roller, like this: https://www.amazon.com/RumbleRoller-Texture-Massage-Self-Myofascial-Release/dp/B07HWKGQY8/ref=sr_1_13 https://www.amazon.com/RumbleRoller-Texture-Massage-Self-Myo... I've had lower back pain for 10 years now. Rolling on top of this for a minute once per day was painful at first but after 4-5 days it felt fine and I've had no back pain since. I believe it realigned my vertebrae. Now I roll once a week or so to keep things aligned.
- klondike_klive 4y agoDo you roll with the roller horizontally aligned or vertically? Although I really like the idea of cracking my back into line I worry about the shear forces generated on each vertebra while rolling with it horizontal. On the lower back, specifically, where there aren't ribs to spread the load.
- lobocinza 4y agoI'm having good experiences with a lacrosse ball for smaller muscles.
- FatActor 4y agoWinco fish spatula. Super flexy and thin. I can now make eggs the way I like them (over easy, zero browning) without destroying the egg or chasing it around the skillet like when I use bigger spatulae. Plus also much better for fish, oddly enough: the flexibility matters a lot.
- throwaway743 4y agoLogitech Master MX 3. Perfect for anyone with bigger hands that ache after a while of mild mouse usage. Also, long/free and side scroll features are super nice.
- rPlayer6554 4y agoA fountain pen! I got a LAMY safari and it's so nice to write with. It's expensive for a pen although cheap for a fountain pen which can get expensive. I was peckish about buying it for 20 bucks but now that I use it I'm eying a $200 LAMY 2000.
- iancmceachern 4y agoYes! Fellow pen nerd here, love the hobby and writing with a ballpoint now seems archaic.
- rrishi 4y agoi have multiple lamy 2000s. they're great. i also recommend faber castell loom
- christophilus 4y agoSame, but I got the Muji aluminum pen. I love that thing. It’s way better than I thought it’d be.
- gofreddygo 4y agoWhat ink do you recommend ?
- jhinds 4y agoA small portable scanner. I don't take it anywhere I just got a portable one due to it's size so I can stick it in a drawer. I've been able to save a bunch of space and get rid of 99% of documents in my filing cabinet by making a digital copy and getting rid of the physical ones. Now when I get an important document I scan it save it to a few places and get rid of it.
- robert_tweed 4y agoWhy not just a scanner app for your phone? They work pretty well. I have a flatbed scanner that I keep stored away most of the time, until I need to scan a bunch of stuff quickly. If I need to scan the odd receipt, I use Tiny Scanner.
- jhinds 4y agoThe main reason was I had 2 filing cabinet drawers filled with paper and wanted something that could be relatively hands off. I was able to do double sided paper and load multiple pages at a time (24 pages before it didn't work well) so it was easy to burn through the them. I've tried a scanner app before for one off things and have had okay success with them. I guess now the backlog is burned down I can compare the two for things that are just a couple of pages.
- digianarchist 4y agoAdobe Scan is great but make sure to backup scanned documents. I kept storage on the app and lost a lot of documents.
- ToxicMegacolon 4y agoWhich one did you get?
- jhinds 4y agoI ended up getting the Canon imageFORMULA R10 off of amazon but there are a few similar options. Does double sided scanning and I was able to load 24 pages at a time.
- daveyjonezz 4y ago- Proper cycling / mountain biking glasses. The amount of air that slips in from the sides with normal glasses can tire your eyes on longer rides or at high speeds. - Safety razor. No longer do I have to buy $30+ cartridge refills but rather 100 packs of blades for ~$10 - A pickleball paddle. The game really is addicting and so far the community has been welcoming.
- theshrike79 4y agoI started the Safety Razor life around 2006 or so. Bought a 100 pack of blades then. I'm still going through that pack... Managed to break one handle though =)
- christophilus 4y agoStarted using a safety razor maybe 10 years ago. Still haven’t gone through all of the blades I bought back then. This is maybe one of the best inexpensive purchases I ever made.
- the-alchemist 4y agoSafety razor. I got this one: https://hensonshaving.com/ https://hensonshaving.com/ Pretty happy with it so far. Small learning curve.
- NoboruWataya 4y agoA rice cooker. I was sceptical for a long time, because we can just cook rice in a normal pot? But the result tastes a lot nicer and feels surprisingly more convenient, and keeping rice warm for longer periods is also handy. As a result we eat a lot more rice (and are less tempted to just order in when we're feeling lazy). Also, a Hario V60 + Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle, really upped my coffee game. Though if you include the Timemore C2 grinder it probably comes to just over $200.
- joemountain 4y ago+1 for rice cooker. I was anti-extra-appliance for a long time and firmly in the just-cook-rice-on-the-stove, but not anymore. We use the $20 simple cooker to make rice, farro, sorghum, wheat berries, and all sorts of other grains which we can then simply add to almost anything to make a heartier meal.
- pertymcpert 4y agoIt's one of those things that people from cultures that don't eat rice don't understand until they get one. There's a reason why every asian household has one.
- Ekaros 4y agoWashing the rice is slightly annoying, but process otherwise couldn't be simpler. Get the measuring cup full of rice add water, maybe some bouillon and press button. Some bit later rice kept at temperature.
- theshrike79 4y ago+1 for rice cooker. Definitely get the ones that have thermos-like insulation and can keep the rice warm for a long time. The really cheap ones have a "keep warm" feature that just burns the rice on the bottom.
- sytelus 4y agoWhich brand/model would you recommend?
- 4y ago
- aloukissas 4y agoLogitech Lift mouse ($57.47 shipped). Tossed the highly non-ergonomic Magic Mouse that was starting to give me hand/wrist pain. Having also used the MX Master 3 before, I even prefer the (cheaper) Lift. 200% recommend.
- samwillis 4y agoThe Magic Mouse is the most F-ing stupid design, it makes me embarrassed for the Apple designers, and I'm a fully paid up Apple user. I have a MX Master 3 is by far the best mouse I've used, proudly sits on my desk covered with Apple products...
- sngz 4y agodid you have to install the software to use the mx master 3? i've been reading a lot of negative reviews about the software eating up a ton of resources, but without the software things like horizontal scrolling doesnt work etc.
- samwillis 4y agoI did, and I haven't noticed any issues with resource usage. I only really use it for CAD, most of the time I use the touchpad on my MacBook as I prefer the ergonomics of the keyboard+touchpad even when plugged into multiple screens.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y agoMagic Mouse wasn't designed to feel good, it was designed to look good. It's a fashion accessory disguised as a peripheral.
- jessekv 4y agoHuge fluffy wool slippers that go up past my ankles: $30 I used to feel cold in the winter, no matter how high I set the thermostat. Now I feel cozy with the heat barely running. I even think they cured my winter gloom. Turns out I was just loosing a lot of energy through my feet. ヽ(´▽`)/
- evulhotdog 4y agoWhat brand did you buy?
- jessekv 4y agoI bought Alwero wollen pantoffel boots, but they're pretty generic.
- hasbot 4y agoNot 2022, but in 2021 I switched all of my clothing to synthetic including socks and underwear. This made living in a high humidity area (90+ pretty much every day) soo much more comfortable.
- theshrike79 4y agoI went the opposite way and switched to merino wool everything. I sweat like a pig and synthetics make me freezing cold when they're sweaty. Wet wool is still warm and dries _really_ fast.
- sarahdellysse 4y agothis is really interesting and something I hadn't thought about. Could you provide some examples? I wanna look more into this
- bradford 4y agoExOfficio men's underwear is my go-to brand.
- Kadin 4y agoInteresting. I think this shows what a change there's been in synthetic materials in the last 20 years. The standard advice I used to hear was to never wear synthetics in hot climates, because they'd be terribly uncomfortable! Instead you were advised to wear only natural fibers in the heat, particularly cotton and linen, because they were more "breathable". What I also find interesting is that many of the 'new' synthetics, including the "Bamboo" derived ones, are basically updated versions of Rayon, a fiber that had a terrible reputation in the 80s and 90s (and was typically associated with very cheap faux-silk clothing that was hard to wash and harder to keep unwrinkled). Some of my older family members were shocked to find out that the high-tech synthetics were made from wood pulp in a manner similar (although obviously much improved) to the 'manufactured silk' of the early/mid 20th century.
- dkarl 4y agoThe odor problem with synthetic clothing has been solved as well. Fifteen years ago, synthetic workout clothes stank after you owned them for a couple of months. People shared all kinds of tips online for removing the stink or delaying its development, and I tried many of them, but nothing really worked. Now none of my workout gear stinks after being washed. I even own a synthetic shirt that I've worn day after day without washing on multiple backpacking trips over years, and it doesn't retain any odor after washing.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- hughw 4y agoFor $99 at Target we bought a mattress warmer with a timer just as the Bomb Cyclone dropped our temps to 10°F. Most effective $99 I've ever spent -- our Texas house cannot stay above 60°F in that weather. Someday the same product will be controlled by a Home API and your phone and BTLE and cost $99/year for the app, but for now it has escaped the relentless march of "progress".
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- iancmceachern 4y agoA "milk frother" to make matcha lattes at home
- digitalsanctum 4y agoPrints of photos I've taken and the materials (I'm a woodworker) to frame and hang them in my house. Double whammy in terms of pride and great way to keep good memories fresh. Tools and hardwood which makes it easier to be in the shop (my garage) and not in front of a computer. When I'm in there all my life's woes fade away and always come out in a better mood than when I went in.
- eiiot 4y agoI'm a student, so I write a lot, and the rOtring 600 mechanical pencil is incredible. I've not used a single genetic #2 pencil since I bought it last year, and I don't plan on using one ever again. The feel of the pencil is super solid, and rOtring also handles small lead sizes much better than any other brand I've used (especially .35mm) which means I rarely break my lead. Other than the pencil, maybe my Peak Design everyday backpack? I got the v1 used on eBay for ~$100 and I've used it for maybe two years now. It's still a decently student-specific purchase, though.
- steve_adams_86 4y agoI use the same bag (also bought 2 years ago) and I'm not a student. It's great for transporting things to and from work, and I travel with it too. I suspect you'll find it useful for a while! It's so easy to organize for all kinds of trips. I love the dividers, and I generally feel way safer keeping electronics in that bag over others. Also, I bought a mechanical pencil (more specifically a lead holder, I guess) 20 years ago and I still have it and use it. They're such a great investment. Mine isn't rotring-nice, it's just a little blue staedtler thing, but it has been a great tool. It's essentially this one: https://www.staedtler.com/us/en/products/technical-drawing-instruments/technical-pens-drawing-ink/mars-technico-780-leadholder-m780/ https://www.staedtler.com/us/en/products/technical-drawing-i...
- ycombinete 4y agoI bought a 600 (0.5mm) recently, as well as a Uni Kuru Toga (0.7mm), with the automatically rotating lead.[0] The Kuru Toga’s point stays sharper than the rotring while I write, and always has the same edge. I wasn’t prepared for how well it’s “engine” works. It sits a bit more comfortably in my hand as well. Aesthetically I still prefer the rOtrings look, feel and weight. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_OXoxymeho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_OXoxymeho
- petrolejboj 4y agoRetroid Pocket 2+
- voyager1 4y ago- standing desk; standing burns twice more calories than sitting; I went with Ikea's Trotten model for 220€ (its cheaper but requires a lot of manual hand rotation to change the height and it forced me to stand up longer; it was hard for me to stand and work and because I don't have a simple button to lower the desk, it forced me stand up longer) - tennis ball to massage my back by leaning with it on the wall - laptop stand, external keyboard and external trackpad; for better posture during standing and sitting; trackpad is more comfortable for me than mouse) - vitamin D supplements for the winter - smartwatch or smart band to keep basic track of sleep and fitness; I went with Xiaomi Mi Band 6 - smart weight to keep track of my weight and set goals; I went with Mi Body Composition Scale
- vegasje 4y agoI had been using a laptop stand for a long time, but just upgraded this week to a laptop desk mount. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BDQQVN2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BDQQVN2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_prod... This has been a total game changer for me, as I could never find a stand that would get the laptop up as high as I wanted. My posture has never been better!
- onecommentman 4y agoI’ve been using LEVO tablet stands for five years now. Pricey but <$200, and nary a complaint. Used on all sorts of iPads and will outlast a few of them. No wear evident and only one tightening over five years…made me pleased in 2022.
- thedougd 4y agoWhen you can no longer get your thrills from a tennis ball, the double lacrosse balls are amazing.
- dabernathy89 4y ago- Waterpik - i have 2 implants (molars) and i'm disgusted at how long I went without the waterpik. It gets stuff out that brushing & floss just can't. - Baratza Virtuoso (bought used). Our Encore was starting to be inconsistent after a few years, and the Virtuoso was a noticeable upgrade.
- digianarchist 4y agoA lot of dentists will tell you that a Waterpik doesn't replace flossing.
- unmole 4y agoThere is no evidence that flossing has any beneficial effect.
- tsol 4y agoIt doesn't, but it also can clean things that flossing can't.
- dabernathy89 4y agoI still floss (not as regularly as before), and yeah, the waterpik doesn't replace it.
- dmcginty 4y agoA few of my favorites: There's a set of string lights in my apartment that were left installed when I moved in. They look pretty nice and they provide decent illumination in an area that's difficult to light, but I virtually never used them because I needed to plug them into an outlet in order to turn them on. I finally bought a device that goes between the plug and outlet with a cord to a pushbutton switch. I now use the lights daily and I have no idea why it took me 6 years to fix a problem that could be solved for around $10. A bluetooth OBD2 monitor for my car. It can read engine codes and other diagnostics, and it can clear a lot of check engine warnings. It less than a single visit to a mechanic. This one is way less general, but I finally bought a treadle feeder for our chickens. There were several bird flu scares over the past year and our old open-tube feeder would attract a ton of wild birds (plus the occasional rat). The treadle feeder requires the chickens to stand on a treadle which opens a cover over their feed, and they learned how to use it pretty quickly. I'm amazed at how effective it's been; we're going through significantly less chicken feed now because the wild birds were eating nearly as much as our chickens were.
- justin_oaks 4y agoI'll also recommend getting a bluetooth OBD2 scanner. There are a bunch of them available in the $12 to $20 range. It seems absurd to go to mechanic to know what the "Check engine" problem is.
- foruhar 4y agoI bought a 30x magnifying glass with LED lighting for $16 on Amazon. I didn't know I needed it but I now use it daily. I find the magnifier super handy to grab for reading tiny print on things like USB chargers. My reading glasses don't help in such cases even if I happen to be wearing them. I have 40x one too put it's more like jeweler's loupe with a very short focal length so less useful on a day to day basis.
- twoWhlsGud 4y agoSounds useful! In a pinch many cell phones have a macro capability that can substitute for a magnifying lens– something to keep in mind when you don't have a magnifier.
- modeless 4y agoIs a phone camera's macro mode not good enough for occasional use? It's kind of wild that my phone has telephoto and macro with more resolving power than my eyes on both ends (and I have normal vision).
- koheripbal 4y agoI got a pair of magnifying glasses with an LED - the kind that dermatologists use. It's great for taking splinters out of little kid fingers.
- twoWhlsGud 4y agoPrescription sunglasses with photochromic lenses. (Under $200 at Costco if you can find a sunglass frame there that fits you.) Like most people I had written off photochromic lens technology decades ago (too slow to respond to light changes). But the current generation is much better (they've gone through something like eight of them by now) and I do a lot of utility cycling in the Pacific Northwest. And that means that you can go through everything from bright sunlight (OK maybe not bright by most peoples' standards :-) to overcast to darkness in a trip to the grocery store. Having a single pair of glasses that can take me through all of those conditions is surprisingly liberating. One limitation to be aware of is that the material in the lenses responds to ultraviolet light. Which means that they really only work outdoors. So you're still going to need a separate pair of sunglasses for driving.
- throw1234651234 4y agoA solid computer chair mat that doesn't bunch up or shed. $15 wireless phone charger. I don't buy anything, but these basics helped. Things over that amount that I think would be meaningful - good vacuum, good screen, good chair. Renting dumpster to throw away junk.
- senthilnayagam 4y agoI bought 3 things with total under 100$. been working from home for last 2 years, due to space constrains adding big office style furniture is not feasible . back pain is starting for me, a small adjustable table which I can work while sitting in sofa, a small laptop stand which I can keep on my bed, and a good natural latex pillow if I am lying on stomach and having my elbow on it.
- rqtwteye 4y agoBread machine. Making bread with a mixer is fun but takes a lot of time. With the bread machine there really is no reason to buy preservative and sugar laden bread from the store.
- jonahbenton 4y agoAre these good these days? I LOVE bread and had bought several of first automatic bread makers in the 1990s. I really tried to use them but they really didn't produce good bread at all reliably. Curious if they work well now. Which one did you get?
- progval 4y agoIn France, everyone seems to have a Moulinex; and I've never heard anyone complain about theirs. I'm very happy with mine ("Moulinex Pain Plaisir"), though I'm slightly annoyed some programs (kneading-only and baking-only) cannot be put on a timer.
- jonahbenton 4y agoThanks! Interesting, not for sale retail in the US.
- askvictor 4y agoThe no-knead (or low knead) recipes from J Kenji Lopez Alt are incredibly simple and incredibly good. You need to plan, but the actual active time spent is a couple of minutes. Works great if you're working from home.
- tartuffe78 4y agoI got a retractable screen door for my bedroom door that goes to our back porch. Instead of a swinging screen door it just unhooks and rolls up to the side, and can be pulled back out. It's great for getting a breeze on nice days, without letting mosquitos in. There was one on the front door when we bought the house, wish I hadn't waited so long as it was super easy to install. Will probably get one for the door to the garage as well this year.
- plutoplanet 4y agoThis HOCl generator has been amazing for removing household odors and reducing cleaning supply usage. Lots of applications. Great hack for natural cleaning supplies. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B26KK4K2 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B26KK4K2
- Rumel57 4y agoKindle Paperwhite. I increased my reading so much with it.
- steve_adams_86 4y agoThis was my 2020 buy that was a game changer. I really, really love the e-reader experience. Being able to dim it down at night and read myself to sleep is very pleasant.
- theshrike79 4y agoI've been Team Kindle since the very first models that had a keyboard. I'm at a level where my kindle broke down when I took it out during lunch (half of the screen updated, other half didn't), I just grabbed my phone, ordered a new one then and there and kept reading the book on my phone's Kindle app :D I went from maybe a book a year to 20-24 books a year. It's easy to keep always with you, it weighs the same even if you're reading Brandon Sanderson's latest 1600 page tome and it's always on the exact page you left it at. And if you read longer book series that end in a cliffhanger, you can tap to buy the next one, grab more tea and continue reading even if it's 2 in the morning and you need to work the next day :D
- eiiot 4y agoThe best thing about a Kindle is that it removes the barrier to reading. When I have to carry around a paperback all the time (and a bookmark) I just end up taking out my phone instead. The Kindle allows for replacing the phone with a book, so I don't end up scrolling Twitter (or HN) for the 8th time in an hour. Also: Kindle users should check out Libby[0] - it's like a public library but for eBooks, and you can probably sign up through your local public library. It's great for books that might be interesting, but aren't an immediate read. [0]: https://libbyapp.com/ https://libbyapp.com/
- kjerzyk 4y agoI'm still hoping to find a list of all libraries you can sign up to online. I found one in New York and Essex (UK). I will probably never get through all the books they offer but I want MORE! :)
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- davidito 4y agoThis year I purchased bulk latex foam noodles ("LaNoodles") from CozyPure, plus two high-quality cotton zippered pillowcases with wool batting from another store. I was already a believer in Talalay latex as a mattress material, which is what my current bed is made of. I stuffed two queen-sized pillows to almost bursting with the LaNoodles. One I place in between my thighs, and the other is my normal head pillow. They are ridiculously thick but I no longer have knee pain or neck pain and sleep much better.
- entropicgravity 4y agoThe Sony SRS-12 (or SRS-13) very small bluetooth speaker; $35ish. Judging by this speaker being sold out in many big box stores before Xmas it seems a lot of people has a use for this. In my case I have a small computer (asus pn51) that runs my dumb TV. When everyone else is in bed but I still want to watch basketball I turn this speaker on and perch it easily on my shoulder. I can hear it just fine but it's inaudible from 3 or more feet away. Everyone is happy. Marital bliss for $35 is a good deal.
- zulln 4y agoWhy not use headphones?
- entropicgravity 4y agoBecause then I won't hear anything else that might be going on in or around the house.
- pdxpatzer 4y agosee bone conducting headphones like Shokz products mentioned in a different comment in this thread
- sandreas 4y agoI just realized what a huge amount of stuff i bought in 2022 :-) - G3 Ferrari pizza oven with this tutorial[1] for original neapolitan pizza - INIU BI-B63 25000 mAh Powerbank with 65W to charge my notebook - TS 100 / Pinecil [2] soldering iron with open firmware [3] - Baseus quad port 100W USB-C power supply (CCGAN100US) - $5 Sinilink USB switch with wifi and open firmware [4] - GL.iNet GL-MT1300 (Beryl) Travel Router with OpenWRT firmware - Bühnen HB250 hot glue gun - 10m velcro cable tie - VAFOTON magnetic usb-c cable (USB-C Magsafe with 100W PD) - $100 WLToys 959-B 1/18 RC Car with 70km/h / 43mph (aliexress) - ANBERNIC RG353M retro handheld console (aliexpress) [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-jPoROGHGE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-jPoROGHGE [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eme_AUayLp8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eme_AUayLp8 [3]: https://github.com/Ralim/IronOS https://github.com/Ralim/IronOS [4]: https://templates.blakadder.com/sinilink_XY-WFUSB.html https://templates.blakadder.com/sinilink_XY-WFUSB.html
- StevenNunez 4y agoI need this Magnetic USB-C in my life. I hate that Apple removed magsafe!
- sandreas 4y agoI tend to not link products on hackernews (advertising) - but if you ask for it, I'll post the one I bought in germany...
- the-alchemist 4y agoYes, please. :) I got a 3rd party MagSafe replacement, but I didn't trust the quality of the pins.
- NegativeLatency 4y agoWhat do you use #4 for?
- sandreas 4y ago
- User23 4y agoA water safe bathtub pillow.
- replwoacause 4y agoA bidet
- iancmceachern 4y agoA good fountain pen
- MisterBastahrd 4y agoTwo things: Shaving soap and a Ninja Creami. So after an abrupt breakup of a long term relationship, I decided to evaluate a lot of my habits and methodology for doing things and decided I wanted a new routine. I've put on a bit of weight over the years, and as most adult males on the wrong side of 30, I'd grown facial hair as a way to hide the features of my face that I was uncomfortable with. But I want to look in the mirror and like what I see, so to facilitate that, I shaved all the hair off and invested in a skin care and shaving regimen. I want to be more accountable to myself and decided that looking at my chubby face every day was a way to get motivated. So while I now have a 4 part facial care strategy for my skin (cleanser, differin, moisturizer, sunblock), I also have a new shaving routine. My razor is nothing fancy... I've tried Dollar Shave Club and been disappointed because it has TOO many blades and gets clogged too easy, but I also really wanted a shaving brush. So I picked up a badger hair brush and a set of Proraso pre-shave cream, shaving soap, and balm. I'd never used the product before but saw ads in old barber shops I'd go to as a kid. Shaving used to always irritate my skin, and I expected it to be doubly so because I hadn't set razor to face in forever. To my surprise, I had no irritation at all. Completely smooth and not a single nick or red bump. I don't think I've ever been more happy with a set of products. At the same time, I was looking to eat healthier. And I love ice cream. So why not make a healthier version of ice cream without spending a fortune? High end restaurants usually have one or multiple pacojet systems in them. Pacojets are basically glorified ice shavers that shave ice down inside of a small container. Restaurants use them by freezing ingredients in containers to make ice creams and sauces. Well, the Ninja people created their own cheaper version in their Creami system. I've made chocolate ice cream by throwing some sweetener into a bowl with cocoa powder, agar agar, and coconut milk. I've made a sorbet by tossing a can of fruit into the container with juice or syrup, by tossing banana chunks into strawberry or guava nectar, etc. Really, its only limitation is that you're limited to the containers you have on hand and the ingredients. I even saw a recipe for pumpkin pie ice cream and I've made bananas foster sans ice cream and just tossed in some heavy cream for a nice treat. It's vastly more convenient than having an actual ice cream machine.
- claviska 4y agoHuge plus one for Proraso. Absolutely the best shave of my life.
- vaughan 4y agoGallon drink bottle with a drinking tube.
- krumpet 4y agoLong johns! While Seattle doesn't get that cold during the winter, the combination of 40 degree weather and moisture sure feels colder than it is. And our office is constantly swinging between warm and chilly for some odd reason. Having an affordable base layer is a big win.
- nitwit005 4y agoDrawing tablet. Surprisingly good for the price. I did get a stand for it that pushed it over $200, but not strictly needed.
- angry_moose 4y agoHeated Mattress Pad. It's like an electric blanket built into your bed, with dual temperature zones and an on/off timer. As someone in a northern climate with a less-than-ideally insulated house its a life changer.
- dkarl 4y agoThis was a game-changer for me and my wife. Previous, I'd be laying naked on top of the covers, too hot to sleep, while she was under a thick comforter in pajamas asking me to turn the heat up another two degrees. Now she'll let me keep the house cool enough that I can even get under a sheet.
- torstenvl 4y agoI bought my first robot vacuum and it's pretty great (eufy 11S for $110). It is as dumb as these things come. It has no navigation other than IR on the front to not bump into things. It doesn't connect to wifi. I'm not concerned about it sharing data because it has no way to do so. I turn it on once or twice a week as I'm about to leave for work. When I come home my floors are in decent shape. It saves me about an hour a week on sweeping. Minimum wage here is $12/hour so even if that's what I made, it would pay for itself in less than ten weeks.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y agoI thought about getting a robot vacuum, but I have long-haired cats which are prone to coughing up hairballs, and I don't want my cleaner to smear one of those all around the room.
- tootie 4y agoHigher-end models can handle not only pet hair, but they are much pricier.
- theshrike79 4y agoFancier models use a camera to detect all kinds of shit (literally) so they can avoid it. Not counting the hairball issue, a robot vacuum is perfect for a home with hairy pets, cuts down on the amount of random pet hair everywhere quite a bit. Just have it run every weekday on a timer so you don't forget. Psychologically it's easier to just run through the house and throw stuff out of the robot's way than it is to chase it down and poke it to stop running - and then YOU have to vacuum manually =)
- Sohcahtoa82 4y ago> Fancier models use a camera to detect all kinds of shit (literally) so they can avoid it. ORLY.jpg I might have to look into that then.
- justinsaccount 4y ago
- tibbon 4y agoHaving a UMIK-1 measurement microphone for use with REW (or similar) has been really great for my year. I'm building a recording studio at home, and having the quick ability to capture and measure data about my room over time has been fantastic. I've also used it to measure the volume of some things, and profile why a few of the rooms in my house were too echoey which led to remediation techniques. https://www.minidsp.com/products/acoustic-measurement/umik-1 https://www.minidsp.com/products/acoustic-measurement/umik-1 I also got a FLIR infrared camera, which was a little bit more than $200 - but there are cheaper models that would have done the trick just as well realistically. My home was built 140 years ago, and some ability to inspect heat-creating things through walls has been useful. Another really useful one in this price range was a Logitech MX ERGO trackball. I like how it requires less space and solid surface than any mouse. I also like the angle it puts my hand at. Multiple device support is good.
- megamark16 4y agoI didn't buy this, I inherited it from my dad, but now that I have one, if it broke I would immediately go replace it, and that's a nice DeWALT cordless drill combo, with two batteries and a charging station. In the past I have always had cheaper cordless drills, because spending $150+ on a cordless drill seemed kinda silly, but I use this thing all the time, everywhere, for all sorts of stuff.
- nucleardog 4y agoWould definitely recommend for anyone that does more than the bare minimum. Or anyone that only does the bare minimum but has some cash to spare. The gap in reliability, quality and functionality between the little Ikea drill or $50 Black and Decker and even a low end Dewalt is _huge_. The gap between that and a $300+ drill is _mostly_ in longevity and its ability to stand up to sustained abuse. Keep an eye out around father's day. There's pretty consistently sales on tools, or at least some sort of deal. I picked up tools up on fathers day a while back and it was was on sale _and_ included two extra free batteries. The batteries charge quickly enough that I've never been able to run them down before the other could charge. I fought with cheap power tools for years before I finally bit the bullet and I regret not doing it sooner.
- tibbon 4y agoWhen I bought my house I went deep into battery powered tools (Ryobi, but I think its all similar). I have 2-3 drills and 2 impact drivers. It is really nice to not need to change bits often, and with my ADHD having a few sitting around in the room where I'm actively doing heavier work is nice too. Lots of batteries, handful of other tools from them. Having multiple of some seemed very silly, but it really is so useful!
- pcurve 4y ago+1 for the cordless drill. I don't use it every month. But when I need it, oh I need it. Reciprocating saw is also useful to have it lying around, especially if you live in a single family home.
- theshrike79 4y agoI always have two drills: One for making holes, one for screwing stuff to said hole. Saves _so_ much time if you need to do more than a single hole + screw.
- atchoo 4y ago1zpresso K-Max manual coffee grinder. Excellent build quality and grind for the money. A joy to use every morning and I expect it will last a long time. Their large range of models is confusing and takes some time to understand but with enough youtube reviews, you can decode it. Might be a bit over $200 in the US but I think I bought it at a discount to roughly be at $200 after currency conversion. https://sigmacoffee.co.uk/products/1zpresso-k-max https://sigmacoffee.co.uk/products/1zpresso-k-max
- charlie0 4y agoJust need to throw in single origin recently roasted beans, and you'll never go back to Starbucks again.
- PheonixPharts 4y agoI'll second this. A common error people who love coffee frequently make is underestimating the value of a good grinder. My first grinder was a regular bean chopper, and when I upgraded to a capresso I thought I was finally at a better place for fresh ground (at the time I though $100 for a grinder was insane). I finally started looking for real high-end grinders (> $1k) because my espresso was still not up to snuff and all my barista friends kept telling me that the quality of my grinder was what was holding me back. Funny thing was, even though I was willing to spend $2k on a grinder, supply chain issues had other plans. Got the 1zpresso K-ultra and wow, each shot of espresso I pull now is a work of art. Even if you're not an espresso person it will make any way you serve the coffee taste notably better. Being manual is not even a big deal as it takes very little effort to grind coffee every morning. It's instantly replaced my capresso for not only espresso but pour over as well. I also have no plans to upgrade to a more expensive home option now.
- Semaphor 4y ago> A common error people who love coffee frequently make is underestimating the value of a good grinder. It’s probably the online-bubbles I’m in, but I’d say it’s the opposite: A common error in people who love coffee but don’t drink espresso is overvaluing a grinder. Almost every cheap one will be okay as long as it’s a burr grinder.
- Ekaros 4y agoNot last year, as I haven't bought anything cheap but: Rice cooker was nice unitasker. For making rice. I could use electric pressure cooker, but rice cooker makes it simple enough and I can make almost small enough amount at one time. Or not too much waste. Small handheld electric screwdriver from Lidl was reasonable purchase for cost. Not too much use, but was semi-useful during a move.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y agoIf you eat a lot of rice, a rice cooker is a must. My wife and I used to eat rice meals once or twice every week, and the dead simplicity of pouring in the rice, adding the water, and pushing a button and having perfect rice 15 minutes later is just such a time and effort saver.
- SirensOfTitan 4y agoI’ve never understood rice cookers, my wife and I have rice a couple times a week: 1. I add rice, black cardamom, a little butter, water, and a splash of apple cider vinegar to a large saucepan. 2. Turn on high heat until on the verge of boiling. 3. Cover, reduce heat, wait 20 minutes. I maybe save a handful of minutes by using a rice cooker. I don’t rinse, rice seems to have a better texture without it.
- thorin 4y agoIs the vinegar for the taste? I was told to cook hot for 10 mins then turn off heat and leave the lid on for 10 mins. Usually comes out pretty good. Twice as much water as rice. Rice cookers must be popular for a reason though?
- omershapira 4y ago• Instant pot with air fryer hat ($150) is now the primary use I have for my kitchen. I rarely buy processed food, and I rarely use a stove. Microcontrollers on pots, man. • Decent running shoes ($180). My entire wellbeing is better thanks to them.
- squarefoot 4y agoThanks for the info, I wasn't aware of the Stream Deck. It is also supported on Linux by Open Source library and app. Very tempting. https://github.com/timothycrosley/streamdeck-ui/ https://github.com/timothycrosley/streamdeck-ui/
- amalcon 4y agoA Japanese-style ryoba hand saw. I'm a hobbyist woodworker, and I didn't believe the hype until I tried one myself. I just have a $30-ish one, and it's like night and day compared to any other hand saw I've used. Having ripping teeth on one side, and crosscut teeth on the other, alone is worth it. Then, you get into how much less force they require and how rarely they bind.
- thedougd 4y agoI replaced my staircase and handrails during Covid. My Japanese saw and angle finder were the heroes of the job.
- dvirsky 4y agoWaterpik water flosser! I can't believe I didn't get something like that earlier. It's so effective and useful. Best purchase of the year for sure.
- pcthrowaway 4y agoChatGPT
- sampo 4y agoMeater plus, a wireless meat thermometer. We don't even do BBQ, just cook in the kitchen. The phone app shows meat internal temperature, oven air temperature, tells you how long to cook, estimated time remaining, and how long to let your roast, chicken or fish rest after taking it out of the oven. The app also keeps a log of your past cooks. If anyone from Meater reads this: Please add a feature to add a photos of the food to the cooks log.
- chromakode 4y agoSimilarly, I got a Combustion Inc. predictive thermometer: https://combustion.inc https://combustion.inc Looks similar to the meater, with more sensors. Having insight into the true core temperature of meat has been a step change in my cooking ability!
- ElijahLynn 4y agoThanks, can I just use it to measure the temperature of the oven? I don't eat meet but it sure would be nice to know what temperature my roasted potatoes cook best at and for how long. From my observations using an analog thermometer the set oven temperature often is inaccurate.
- sampo 4y ago> can I just use it to measure the temperature of the oven? You can stick the probe into a large potato. BBQ people call it a "sacrificial potato", when they put it inside their BBQ to measure the inside air temperature, before they even add the meat. The sensor at the tip of the Meater probe cannot stand hot (over 100C) temperatures, so it needs to be inside a food item. Whereas the sensor at the other end is meant to measure the air temperature of the oven or a BBQ. You might get better value from a product like this https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Bluetooth-Thermometer-Wireless-Rechargeable/dp/B08K2G5Y78?th=1 https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Bluetooth-Thermometer-Wirel... if you primarily want to measure the oven air temperature. For me, most of the value from Meater comes from the app, which tells me how long to cook and then how long to rest. I don't really bother to look at the temperatures, I just do what the app tells me to.
- 4y ago
- gennarro 4y agoNot the first to say this but: Sodastream. I wanted glass bottles so I didn’t think a sodastream was possible for me but it turns out there is a glass bottle Sodastream and Lu can get it on sale for a bit above $100. I have bottles and haven’t spent a penny on Perrier since buying it. Plus I can take advantage of my fancy home water filter. Reference: https://helpatmyhome.com/which-sodastream-and-soda-makers-have-glass-bottles/ https://helpatmyhome.com/which-sodastream-and-soda-makers-ha...
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- koheripbal 4y agoThere are DiY videos for going the cheaper route and just buying a large CO2 canister that will last you a couple years and hook it up to the same device after buying a couple valves. It's on my project list after I finish my kitchen reno.
- birdman3131 4y agoIts easy to use dry ice to refill a soda stream as well.
- tootie 4y agoI've seen these, but have no idea how to acquire dry ice.
- weaksauce 4y agoNot sure where you are but most big grocery stores will have them at the front or the meat department in a special bin. just ask for how much you want and they dish it out. i know ralphs/kroger/staterbrothers should have them.
- ed_at_work 4y agoA pair of Sennheiser Hd58x's from Drop. I never want to use ear buds again. Really loving the 'open back' experience, makes me feel less claustrophobic and the sound quality is amazing. Really enjoying just sitting around listening to music again.
- kokanee 4y agoThis won't be relevant for most readers, but my answer would have to be the $20 Gentle Leader for my dog. She is an incurable leash-puller, to the extent that the nerves in her face were damaged and her jaw was completely paralyzed for 6 weeks. Needless to say, our twice-daily walks were very stressful for me for over a year. After acclimating her to the Gentle Leader, the problem is entirely solved. The only downside is that passersby often mistake it for a muzzle and assume she's dangerous.
- a_t48 4y agoThe Gentle Leader is great. Growing up my family used it for Basset Hounds, which are both stubborn and full of torque.
- defulmere 4y agoI got my first set of noise-cancelling headphones in June 2022. I work from home in a small open-floorplan house and being able to mask the sounds of everything else going on has been a welcome change :)
- thiht 4y agoA new Kindle. I had an old model without screen light and really love the new one I bought. I love reading in my bed with the lights off.
- twerkmonsta 4y agoONO Roller An elegant little fidget/stress tool that is silent so perfect for use during meetings. https://onoroller.com/ https://onoroller.com/
- Sohcahtoa82 4y agoIt seems like there's been an explosion of fidget toys since the Fidget Cube and spinners gained popularity in 2016 and 2017.
- scott-smith_us 4y agoSodastream. I was tilting back five or six cans of diet soda every day. The cost and caffeine were getting to be a problem.
- hiidrew 4y agoelectric toothbrush is so worth it, and made me realize how much pressure I was putting on my teeth when brushing. and a tushy bidet is one of the greatest sub-$100 purchases you can make. easy set-up and nice to be clean down there.
- Kadin 4y agoI paid a guy a bit under $200 to pull Ethernet cables from my basement up to the attic of my house. Now I can keep heat-generating stuff like my storage server and the cable modem (surprisingly heat-intensive) in the basement, have a WiFi AP in the attic for great coverage in the yard, and I can easily drop lines down into rooms on the 2nd floor from above by just drilling a small hole in the top of a wall and feeding the Cat6 down, or put one into a 1st floor room by going up from the basement. Cat6 anywhere I want it, basically. It's something I've wanted for years and held off doing because I knew I was capable of DIYing it, and therefore I hesitated to hire it out. This was dumb. It took him an hour or so using various specialized tools ("fish bits", "fish tape", tall ladders, drywall saws, etc.), when it would have probably taken me the better part of a weekend and I wouldn't have done as clean of a job. He also knew from experience where the easiest place would be to get all the way from the basement to the attic, given my house's construction style. Definitely worth the two bills, and also now I have a "wiring guy" for future projects. I've already called him back to help run wiring for PoE outdoor cameras, another thing I've wanted for years but haven't bothered to execute on.
- sorum 4y agoSame here. Once you get used to having Ethernet ports in all rooms and wired WiFi access points...there's just no going back. If we move to a new house in the future, the CAT6 will be pulled into all rooms before the furniture arrives even.
- phren0logy 4y agoI've been making the same mistake. If anybody knows a good and reasonably priced "wiring guy/gal" in the Portland, Oregon area I'd be grateful.
- chromakode 4y agoI recently hired Integration Engineers (ie-pdx.com) for a similar job in PDX. They were fantastic to work with.
- mattst88 4y agoI used http://freedomcustomcommunicationsllc.com/ http://freedomcustomcommunicationsllc.com/ when I lived in Hillsboro. He ran 4 or 5 ethernet cables for $400 IIRC about 5 years ago.
- cookiengineer 4y agoInvested in 12V compatible desktop hardware. Solar powered, fanless and passively cooled. Never enjoyed a super quiet work desk so much.
- wildrhythms 4y agoCan you elaborate? What did you buy?
- cookiengineer 4y agoThe Intel NUC platforms are pretty nice for my use case. I use an old Thinkpad laptop with its docking station, and some Intel NUCs as my homelab devices and the multihead systems. The PCBs of the Intel NUCs have a 14V power port that can be used with a small step-up converter from eBay. As the docking station is also @13.9V, the same step-up converter can be used for it, too :) The monitors were a different story, because it was a bit more complicated. Had to test their PCBs a little before I found out how the power circuit works (so that I don't need ~230V there).
- anigbrowl 4y agoJetbrains IDE M5stack's line of ESP32 ucontrollers/peripherals Stupid cheap mass storage
- jimhefferon 4y agoWhat mass storage?
- anigbrowl 4y agoOh, multi-terabyte SSDs here, dirt cheap micro-SD cards there, no product in particular. It just blows my mind that I can buy many gigabytes of storage on a device the size of my pinky nail for the price of a non-fancy cheeseburger. The computer I first learned to program on had only 1k of memory and loaded data from a cassette tape.
- winrid 4y agoA vacuum canister for oil changes. Just sucks the oil out of the dipstick tube. Great for environment and my back. Best $50 spent this year.
- h4waii 4y agoMake sure to drain out the oil pan drain plug every once in a while to get the small shavings which should be stuck to the plug — it’s magnetic to hold on to them.
- winrid 4y agoIf you have that many shavings, motor is toast anyway. Not every car has a magnetic drain plug. Most cars I've owned didn't. Also, there's a reason you have an oil filter. The shavings don't go into the motor. Oil pump, maybe, but that's a given.
- thedougd 4y agoVery exited when I got one but one of my cars won’t allow the tube through. A transmission fluid change was ridiculously easy. Also great for small engines.
- winrid 4y agoYeah, was worried about that but it worked out. It'll make the DSG fluid changes easier.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- jonahbenton 4y agoA bit more than $200- An Oura ring. Some quantitative insight around sleep, heart rate, heart rate variation, temperature, etc. SUPER interesting to see how things change when sick, drink alcohol, etc. Also- I confess to not minding the tone/language the product uses for coaching purposes. It is not an asshole. Relatedly, tracking food/calories/water consumption in the (free- no need to pay them) Noom app has been useful quantitative insight as well. Rare that the free version of a paid thing has any utility whatsoever.
- fullstackchris 4y agoI just started tracking the same stuff with myfitnesspal, but I did see Noom as well. Do you have any experience with both? Maybe I'll check out Noom, myfitnesspal sometimes feels overly complicated.
- AdamGibbins 4y agoCheck LoseIt or Litesum, much more polished app than MFP. Lots in the US seem to rate Cronometer but in the UK its database is terrible.
- eps 4y agoI bought Oura a couple of years ago because it's a ring that runs Linux and gives you some insight into your life. Well, it does run Linux, but the rest - not so much. Did side by side tests with another sleep tracker and Oura was pulling its data seemingly out of its ass. Completely random stuff. After seeing that all other data it reported didn't instill much confidence either, nor did it correspond to what I was actually observing. So packed it up and stashed into a closet. It's still a cool gadget, but inaccurate to the point of being utterly useless.
- jonahbenton 4y agoYeah, I have definitely seen an evolution, shall we say, in their modeling and data aggregation and smoothing. Oura is doing a public "beta" of a new sleep model now and it is VERY different! But much better. So it goes. There are also inherent power limitations in the ring form factor compared to the watch, which impact data granularity. If you want to be monitoring apnea you really need seconds level resolution, and Oura is tens of seconds. Anyway, agree about limitations. It has still been very useful for me! Cheers.
- jk_tech 4y agoSmart Light Bulbs. As much as I dislike the inability to host the bulbs locally, it has done wonders for my sleep. I set them to slowly dim over a 45 minute period at night and slowly turn on over a 45 minute period in the morning. I have consistently gotten 8+ hours of amazing sleep and fall asleep + wake up so much easier now than I ever have before.
- mynameisash 4y ago> I dislike the inability to host the bulbs locally Only a few years ago, one could program MagicLight bulbs pretty easily. It seems their newer versions use a different protocol that hasn't been reverse-engineered, so you're stuck using their crappy phone app. I would probably consider spending a reasonable amount on bulbs if I could self-host -- mostly because I want arbitrary control/fine-tuning of them.
- ajot 4y ago> As much as I dislike the inability to host the bulbs locally Have you checked DigiblurDIY's Youtube channel, Discord server and subreddit? Some of these can run alternative firmwares like Tasmota, OpenBeken or ESPHome.
- mirchiseth 4y agoWhere is the AI that can parse thru 1000+ comments and make a summary post of all the products people love on this thread.
- obrajesse 4y agoPay someone on fiverr?
- BbzzbB 4y agoA wheatbuck pillow. Like 50 bucks, keeps it's shape, keeps it's chills (regular pillows come stoves to me), keeps my head straight without folding a pillow in 4, keeps some support of my head why I tuck my arm under so I don't put much pressure on my shoulder. Been travelling for 3 months and carrying it, makes every bed a good bed.
- sfmike 4y agoSo a Soba Pillow? :)
- BbzzbB 4y agoWell soba being buckwheat in Japanese, I think we might as well use the appellation that'll be informative to English speakers. :)
- obelos 4y agoI got one of these recently, and it's worked out even better than I'd hoped. The way I can nestle my head into it and it just holds it in place is unmatched by any other material I've slept on. The one thing I don't like is that it is loud while I'm nestling my head into place, and that can be a little shocking to my sleepy ears. Once I'm settled, though, it's very quiet and wholly comfortable.
- wlonkly 4y ago"Buckwheat", I think? It's common to make meditation cushions out of buckwheat hulls now, they're the perfect mix of firmness and formability.
- BbzzbB 4y agoHahaha yes, buckwheat. So many typos in my comment, my bad. I'm looking now for another sleeve to split my pillow's content in two and have one for my bum, that way I can be comfortable when working from wooden chairs, which are most common.
- rocket_surgeron 4y agoA huge (A0, 33-1/8 x 46-13/16 in-sized) 12-month calendar with the months laid out in long strips. I wasn't doing enough. Too much YouTube and reddit, so I stopped and decided to do things. I used different colored markers for different aspects of my life-- health, work, fitness, recreational travel, home maintenance, etc) and decided I had to do something every week. The different colors even accounted for down time. Too much color? Draw a nice relaxing blue line for a couple of days and do nothing. I went from being a hermit to a EMT-qualified volunteer at my local volunteer fire department on his way to Firefighter I training, a spotlight operator at a local community theater, an enthusiastic yogi, and by having the year laid out I can look at weekends with holidays and plan my year's travel months in advance. I make notes on when to plant what and have a pretty front yard. Digital calendars are nice, but they can't beat having a huge-assed poster right next to the front door with everything laid out in black and white and red and blue and green and yellow and........ If you feel like you're not getting the most out of life, get a huge-assed calendar, start googling local volunteer opportunities, write it down, and then do it. $30, including markers.
- gausshaus 4y agoHi, could you link to the one you got, or one similar to it? Amazon is lousy with hits for 'A0 calendar'.
- mrinfinite 4y agogenius
- jmcomets 4y agoFor me it was a watch. I bought a Fitbit Charge 4, originally to track my heart rate/steps since I've never owned one and always relied on my phone for time. With my phone generally on silent and by not checking it so often, I've found my use of social media/apps has reduced drastically this year. To the point that I recently forgot my phone at home, something that I didn't imagine possible.
- justusthane 4y agoThat was my experience as well with getting an Apple Watch! I thought that wearing a smart watch would be more distracting but it’s actually less because I don’t feel the need to have my phone in my pocket at all times.
- mempko 4y agoPineTime. Best 30 bucks. I missed notifications, but then got PineTime. Keeps me from missing important messages. Easy to use. Also hackable!
- argentinian 4y agoA buckwheat pillow. Not perfect and not for everybody, but I prefer it over other pillow types I tried. It goes well with a High Density Foam Mattress. I never wake up with low back aches since I started using a mattress of this material.
- emmelaich 4y agoGoogle Chromecast with Google TV. One tiny remote does everything, and damn cheap.
- toddm 4y agoProfessional bike fit, $175 from a seasoned coach/racer.
- scottmcdot 4y agoStainless Steel Toothpaste Tube Squeezer. My plastic one broke and this looks nicer as well as more durable. Perma image: https://imgur.com/a/qVNMcQs https://imgur.com/a/qVNMcQs eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/125026463849 https://www.ebay.com/itm/125026463849
- brailsafe 4y agoBaratza Encore burr grinder! I might upgrade soon, but it's served me incredibly well for a year. Also got a Craigslist road bike from the 80s for ~$250 cad (less than $200 USD). It's needed a few repairs but has absolutely been worth it and impactful to the year. Also a good compact air sleeping pad for backpacking. Haven't used it as much as I'd have liked, but its made a few moments much more pleasant.
- SeanLuke 4y agoWasn't purchased in 2022 but I was just now talking to my wife about how great a purchase this had proven over the years. A Black Condor T&T Pouch. I tossed the map insert in the middle, the drawstrings inside, and the Molle attachment loops in the back, and it has served as a really fantastic organizer for pens, mechanical pencils, knives, erasers, Macbook dongles, precision screwdrivers, spudgers, and so on. Tough as nails. $30, available in lots of places.
- chromakode 4y agoPeak Design mobile case + magnetic desk stand charger + other mounts. My phone is now always charged and I can transition from desktop to car to tripod to bike seamlessly.
- karaterobot 4y agoI guess I'm a bit late for this thread, but this just occurred to me because I had to pick up a package: I got a little sign with the UPS, Fedex, and Amazon logos on it that says "deliver packages here". I put it on my porch, so that the guy drops the package where I can see it through the window. I think it cost $10. Before buying that sign, here are places where I've found packages: * My yard, helpfully hidden behind a flowerpot to fool thieves (and me) * My neighbor's yard for some reason * The sidewalk in front of my house * Right in front of my outward-opening door, so that the package blocked the door from opening. Ever since getting the sign (~6 months) all my packages have been dropped in exactly the right spot. I think the logos are important, because it draws the guy's attention.
- philwelch 4y agoOld houses used to have passthrough doors built into them for things like ice, milk, and coal to be delivered. I'm really surprised this feature hasn't made a comeback for package delivery.
- nazgulnarsil 4y agoWomier low profile brown switch keyboard. Does wired, 2.4ghz, and 3 bluetooth modes at the press of a button. Was the winner after trying lots of mechanical keyboards. Tape mod and o-rings (about 20 minutes of work) and it feels and sounds incredible. Privacy film so that I can leave more window blinds open on the windows facing the street. Elastic laces for some of my shoes to make them slip on. A silicone face scrubber for gentle exfoliation on a regular basis. Honeycomb style seat cushion. Used for meditation, car, floor sitting, etc.
- braingenious 4y ago<$1 wedding bands off Aliexpress
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- braingenious 4y agolol at the downvotes. Saved a bunch of money to spend on our house, honeymoon and shared projects, but sure, take the time out of your day to downvote somebody that views marriage differently than the downvoters. Surely they have a monopoly on happiness that can only be expressed by clicking the down arrow. I can only imagine the depths of their marital bliss based on expensive jewelry.
- sfmike 4y agoupvote, you achieve the symbolic gesture of a ring, while maintaining wallet girth and if one is lost or worn out cheap to replace. sounds like a great buy.
- braingenious 4y agoYep! That’s the philosophy! Rings are just stuff with the minimal practical value of signaling one’s marital status. As a piece of stuff they’re something that could be lost and replaced, wholly different from people or relationships. The ephemeral nature of a cheap ring is meant to evoke the importance of the intangible value of an invaluable relationship. The stuff and the important relationship are intentionally separate.
- insane_dreamer 4y agoIt was given to us as a gift, but I would say our Breville Bambino espresso machine. We were already making morning cappuccinos or lattes ourselves with an Italian "moka" stovetop, but this is considerably better, especially when coupled with a decision to buy better quality beans from local roasters (we're lucky to be in a city with good quality roasters and coffee shops). We're getting as good or better as we could get in a good local coffee shop (and I don't mean Starbucks) for a fraction of the price, plus the convenience. Also, to defray the higher cost, and for health reasons, my wife and I cut our afternoon coffee. Less is more. (Update: After writing this I checked online and it turns out the Bambino costs $350, so not sub-$200, oops.)
- telcal 4y agoGot the same model a year ago and it's been fantastic. We use it multiple times a day. It's so much better than the french press we were using before.
- ilamont 4y agoA roll of medical tape. Tape mouth at night with a short strip before going to sleep. Snoring eliminated. For real. Wonderful sleep for everyone.
- tasty_freeze 4y agoCan you suggest a specific brand? Do you have any issue with tape residue, or skin irritation after using it night after night?
- joaomacp 4y agoA basic KVM switch [0]. Got tired of switching my mouse, keyboard and monitor cables between my work laptop and my desktop PC. This makes it a 1 button press. 0: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08NVKHRRT/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08NVKHRRT/
- ThatMedicIsASpy 4y agoSynergy/Mouse without borders not an option?
- joaomacp 4y agoDuring the day desktop PC is off and I work on my laptop, then I turn it off and switch to the desktop PC. With synergy one would always have to be on.
- palidanx 4y agoI have adult braces, and this has been a godsend ($30 USD) https://www.amazon.com/Cordless-Portable-Irrigator-Rechargeable-Waterproof/dp/B09BN66WKK/ https://www.amazon.com/Cordless-Portable-Irrigator-Rechargea... Basically I can waterfloss after eating and not have to pull out ortho picks and a toothbrush
- emodendroket 4y agoBeyond the obvious uses, a high chair was a great purchase because our daughter would start crying every time we tried to set her down to eat dinner, so only one of us could eat at a time, but once we got the high chair and she could be sitting at eye level with us, she was content to sit and let us eat.
- iamgoat 4y ago$305 for a scythe (snath + blade) to replace a gas-powered riding trimmer. Quite a different experience coming from a loud, heavy, bouncy, overly-destructive machine to a much more elegant, surgical, and meditative tool. No need for noise cancelling earphones, can listen to audio book/podcast/news/birds, and is more wildlife friendly (deer will walk and graze past me over avoiding the area entirely for one). Super relaxing once you figure get into a good form and rhythm. It's a slow-and-steady effort giving me a better position to observe the field or my thoughts. Looking forward to using it on fresh, green growth this spring since I had received mid-summer when the grass was already tall and dry.
- seltzered_ 4y agoHow long did you have to wait for your scythe? It took about six months in 2021 of waiting to get one, due to snath manufacturing delays in canada. Love it around trees and certain areas where i want to retain full length clippings but still need a mower until i figure out an appropriate blade for it.
- iamgoat 4y agoWasn't too bad for me though I was a bit worried because I needed it before fire season was in full-swing. ~35 days from order, June 1 to 1st week of July (onescytherevolution.com). Yeah real great for navigating around trees. And avoiding other natural plants that grow in the middle of grasses allowing them to flower and provide food for pollinators/arthropods. This year I'm looking at getting a peening hammer and related tools to improve the blade. The one I have is quite soft. A second blade would be nice for thicker black-berry, bramble type stuff.
- hot_gril 4y agoRing cameras. Gave me peace of mind while away from home and caught my landlord entering my apartment unannounced once while I was away. Gave one to my parents, who reluctantly accepted it. Caught and deterred would-be burglars entering their house 2 months after setting it up. I used to manage my parents' old-style security cameras, and now I realize what important features they lacked. It takes a lot for a system to catch people in the act, regardless of how high-quality your cameras are and how much disk space your DVR has, and convenience matters too.
- rcgorton 4y ago[dead]
- Sohcahtoa82 4y agoA new mechanical keyboard. My previous keyboard was a Bloody B840 that I won at a contest at a PC gaming event (PDXLAN). The switches were designed to feel and sound like MX Blues (very clicky), but the frame of the keyboard would let out a terrible metallic ping with every keypress. I replaced it with a Keychron V6 keyboard with TTC Silent Bluish White switches. Now the keys have a nice thokkish bump with each press. Much quieter, and I love the way it feels.
- Lawtivity 4y agoMy upgraded PC setup. I can now do bigger and better things.
- fargle 4y agoA high quality bit: https://theperfectbit.com/product/1-perfect-bit/ https://theperfectbit.com/product/1-perfect-bit/ did wonders!
- pacomerh 4y agoCeramic Earth Pan by Ozeri
- michaeltimo 4y agoA 20 meter lan cable which I bought it for less than 10$. I have now much more stable connection.
- SergeAx 4y agoA powerful compact GaN USB-C charger. Freed my backpack from bulky laptop charger, and can at the same time charge both laptop and a phone. Strong win-win.
- nojvek 4y agoBought a LiDAR based vaccum cleaner from Amazon over holidays for $250. It does both mopping and cleaning. Our house stays a lot more cleaner, I didn’t realize how much it would add to quality of life not having to do such chores. It does a decent job and goes back to charge.
- ojkelly 4y agoI’m gonna second the streamdeck. Contrary to (seemingly) everyone I liked the Touch Bar MacBooks. I barely ever used the function row, but the software that came by default wasn’t the best. But pock.app was perfect. It put alt-tab visually on my keyboard. My daily driver is now a Mac mini, and Touch Bar MacBooks time has passed. The stream deck replaces that functionality really well. If you don’t have one, but think it could be helpful—it’s probably worth a shot. There’s nothing like a dedicated for a specific action.
- eiiot 4y agoI never used pock because I felt like I lost a lot of the default functionality that comes with the touchbar. What did you use it for specifically?
- heresjohnny 4y agoI pay 135 bucks a month for access to a co-working space. It’s got amenities such as unlimited coffee, call booth, ping pong table, gaming console, etc. Not to mention an environment of friendly people (mostly contractors) who want to be just as productive as you. Working from “home” and on side-projects has become a breeze this way.
- chegra 4y agoSurgical Tape. I read Breath by James Nestor[1]. One of the suggestions is to put a one inch tape over your mouth during the night. It prevents mouth breathing and reduce instances of sleep apnea. I tried it; I start feeling refreshed after 3 days. You can give it a try, surgical tape is like $5USD. 1. Point 20 - https://www.chestergrant.com/summary-breath-by-james-nestor https://www.chestergrant.com/summary-breath-by-james-nestor
- gofreddygo 4y ago16 GB RAM ($60) + 1 TB SSD ($70) upgrade for my personal 2012 MacBook Pro (yeah 10 years!). Upgraded to Mojave. Works so much better than I expected. Feels much better than the touchbar macbook I used at work for 3 years. Now looking for a good battery to keep it in shape. (Posted from this very laptop)
- yigithan 4y agoLuggage with four wheels. It is liberating in airports.
- brettp242 4y agohits://bulletpitch.xyz and it is free
- mikestaub 4y agohttps://www.therabody.com/us/en-us/theragun-mini.html https://www.therabody.com/us/en-us/theragun-mini.html
- Block77 4y agoHumidifier