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Ask HN: What sub $200 product improved your 2023
Someone asked this [0] at the end of last year and I found it really useful for gift ideas. Figured it was worth another go!
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34272687
- Euphorbium 3y agoWeighted blanket
- shinycode 3y agoDoes it really makes a difference ?
- duckkg5 3y agoA 15 lb weighted blanket is the best sleep I’ve ever gotten
- petee 3y agoDepends on the kind of sleeper you are. Personally I can't sleep even in the summer without some amount of weight from fabric on me, which I know doesn't make much sense but it is what it is. My roommate tosses alot when sleeping and a really heavy blanket keeps her still, which she says helps her get a deeper sleep
- tgv 3y agoI have the same preference, especially when falling asleep.
- upon_drumhead 3y agoI can't use it at all, but my partner loves it and now packs it when we go on trips.
- danielbln 3y agoI have a 7kg weighted blanket that sits on top of my regular blanket at night and I love it. I feel like don't wake as easily, and overall sleep better. And it's so comfy.
- The_Colonel 3y agoIt feels more cosy, but I can't really say if it makes me sleep better.
- infecto 3y agoAgreed just don’t go too heavy. I did and I am unable to move under it.
- TMWNN 3y agoUnRAID Pro license.
- pdn1 3y ago$23 Bluetooth earbuds (late to the party)
- mock-possum 3y agoWhat brand / model??
- pdn1 3y agoThey are so cheap I had 3 different brands.... Waiting on over-the-ear ones right not because all other ones end up falling
- QuantumGood 3y agoI bought four from different vendors over about 6 months. Every one of them had one bud fail within weeks.
- PAPPPmAc 3y agoI generally hate dealing with bluetooth headphones (extra non-replaceable batteries to die then die! Extra drain on your phone battery! Run a unique ID tracking beacon all the time! Have a fight every time you want to switch sources! Pay more for inferior sound quality!), but the difference between the no-names and the mid-tier brands is shocking. I've used a couple cheap wireless earbuds all of which were _awful_, and some over-ear TaoTronics headphones that are bluetooth-or-wired which are pretty OK, but I decided to try going up a tier and got a pair of Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds on sale for a bit over $50, and their ANC is _fabulous_, their pairing only rarely does something frustrating (they'll remember two different devices, which helps), they're actually reasonably comfortable despite being a larger object supported from the ear, etc. One thing I realized the first time I had them on a flight is that the _lack_ of a simple way to hook them to a standard 3.5mm source is limiting - it means they can't take over for as many tasks from a wired pair as they otherwise could. On the topic of headphones for loud environments: I've had mine for several years, but Plugfones (I have their Guardian model) are also a worthy object; earbuds which are also ANSI S3.19-1974 29db NRR hearing protection. Really nice for both noisy environments and working with power tools.
- user052919 3y agoI'll add my own: prescription sunglasses. Game changer.
- dexwiz 3y agoDo you normally wear glasses?
- user052919 3y agoI need them to drive and I wear them at work. I didn't appreciate how much I was missing them outside until I got some.
- ww520 3y agoYes. They are great for driving. My vision plan has an annual allowance and I had used them for prescription sunglasses.
- nslice 3y agoLove this too!
- marconey 3y agoThe Wera Toolcheck Plus has been a great addition to my toolbox Generally now grab it first, when a job comes up! https://products.wera.de/en/ratchets_and_accessories_zyklop_mini_zyklop_mini_1_tool-check_plus.html https://products.wera.de/en/ratchets_and_accessories_zyklop_...
- shinycode 3y agoGreat product I recommend as well
- simple10 3y agoPlus one. Great tool set for the price.
- ClarkMarx 3y agoA toolset for a mechanic with an on-the-go lifestyle. Great to take to the local pick-n-pull.
- dw_arthur 3y agoDamn that's nice. If you don't need the sockets the Icon mini ratchet set works well for $39 and it also has a flexhead.
- sergiotapia 3y agoHow do you buy it? Want to grab one for my brother, but there's no purchase button? Weird
- Cockbrand 3y ago
- shams93 3y agoMy Thinkpad Yoga 11e running Manjaro, got this refurbished for $160.
- cuu508 3y agoNew running shoes
- raajg 3y agoManual coffee grinder + French press
- thex10 3y agoNoise canceling wireless earbuds. I’ve had both a Jabra and a Beats… very happy with both. Nice for blocking out noise. No messy cables, can use with any device… I was skeptical, I liked my corded headphones fine. Just turns out these sound better and are way more useful for me.
- alsodumb 3y agoI've had noise canceling headphones for a while now, and I love using them in flights, but somehow I could never get to use it all the time to focus like some of my friends do. I am definitely not an expert in this area, and I have no evidence to argue for this, but somehow it feels like actively producing sounds to cancel out the noise and blasting it into your ear all day (i.e., when noise cancellation is on) can't be good.
- lolinder 3y agoTheoretically the sounds they produce cancel out the noise before either sound wave reaches your ear. I know some people experience some discomfort due to pressure changes, but the volume of the noise cancellation shouldn't be an issue by itself.
- The_Colonel 3y agoFor people who dislike the "plugs", I can recommend Huawei FreeBuds (base version, not Pro). They are open design, very comfortable to wear for long periods. They have ANC, due to open design, it's not perfect, but still quite noticeable.
- deadbabe 3y agoA Nutr machine so I can make quality nutmilks at home instead of buying store bought stuff loaded with nasty preservatives and very few nuts per serving.
- bobnamob 3y agohttps://forscore.co/ https://forscore.co/ iPad pdf reader & annotator designed for sheet music. As a “tech” husband helping out a non technical musician wife it’s a game changer
- baron816 3y agoThis box cutter tool, which is <$12 https://a.co/d/aOxoVOp https://a.co/d/aOxoVOp. It makes opening packages so much easier. It doesn’t have a blade, so it’s much safer to use than scissors or a knife.
- dw_arthur 3y agoA better tool for basically the same price is a OLFA LA-X. It's a Japanese designed box cutter which has a retractable blade on one end and large dull metal pick on the other end for quickly stabbing packages open.
- binarymax 3y agoOLFA is great. I got a box of 12 touch knives and I always have one with me.
- graton 3y ago> https://a.co/d/aOxoVOp https://a.co/d/aOxoVOp Plain URL for the more cautious/suspicious people :) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M1XZXGU https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M1XZXGU
- straight-shoota 3y agoIf it doesn't have a blade, how does it cut then?
- verve_rat 3y agoI'm assuming it is the same as using your keys to open a package?
- dragonwriter 3y ago> It doesn’t have a blade It says it has a "ceramic blade" that "stays sharp up to 11x longer".
- latchkey 3y agoOne of my amazon packages randomly came with some warehouse workers blade that must have dropped in there. These are really nice!
- cehrlich 3y agoCO2 Monitor to let me know when I need to let some new air into my office. Mine is a TFA Dostmann 31.5009, but any model with an NDIR sensor should be fine, there are many choices around 70-150 EUR.
- tonymet 3y agoCO2 poisoning is very common. It leads to fatigue, headaches/migranes and concentration issues. Most people don't recognize it and try to cope with caffeine & pain killers. I noticed that sitting in a tightly closed office surrounded by monitors , CO2 was being trapped around me . I started testing with blood oxygen monitor and could reliably predict low blood O2 based on the above symptoms. tl;dr keep your door and/or windows open and use a fan to circulate air into your desk area. It's very easy to reach high CO2 concentrations in a small room when you are surrounded closely with monitors (flat surfaces)
- porphyra 3y agoKeeping door and windows open while it's very cold or very hot outside can lead to extremely high heating/air conditioning bills. Meanwhile, high quality energy recovery ventilators that can exchange air with the outside without ruining your insulation tend to be a lot more than $200.
- cehrlich 3y agocracking everything wide open for 5 minutes doesn't have too bad of an effect on temperature in my experience, and gives you good air for a few hours.
- xnx 3y agoMy home has very poor ventilation so I periodically will open the windows and blast a box fan to "flush" the dirty air out. If done quickly, there's not much thermal loss.
- 3y ago
- zeroxfe 3y agoA subscription to Waking Up: wakingup.com
- ethanbond 3y agoHis approach to meditation is just so much better than any other I’ve found. It’s actually in inquiry into your mind instead of just “look now you’re calm!” The Alan Watts series also has been amazing. I’ll admit I was reflexively offput by Watts just given his pop culture popularity, but wow he has some incredible ideas shared in a really remarkable way. Well-earned popularity.
- zeroxfe 3y agoI really like both the Adyashanti series.
- QuantumGood 3y agohttps://help.wakingup.com/category/84-meditation-basics https://help.wakingup.com/category/84-meditation-basics "The main focus is Vipassana, where you’re taught to cultivate a quality of mind called “mindfulness,” which is simply a state of clear, non-judgemental, and undistracted attention, moment by moment, to the contents of consciousness."
- vinniepukh 3y agoa 3-in-1 wireless charging pad for $30 from amazon to put on my bedside table. now I wake up with my phone at 100% every time!
- tomcam 3y agoWould you link to it? Mine always die within a couple months
- crescentfresh 3y agoWhat devices do you use this to charge aside from your phone?
- quadcore 3y agoCanon selfy CP1500 (photo printer). For the colors, the lamination and the software. It's significantly better than competitors' (I use it to match colors when oil painting and Im picky like an engineer). My guess is that competitors have the same HW tech ("4pass thermic sublimation") but not the software and/or color sensors thing.
- anfractuosity 3y agoI've got a Selphy too, they're really good, kind of curious why they don't use black as an additional colour though (maybe it wouldn't make much difference?). Would also be nice to have larger versions too.
- tomcam 3y agoBifocals from Zenni. $39, stylish, get to brand them myself, and the lenses are better than my local boutique optician ever did at 40 times the price
- maxglute 3y agoAster (https://www.ibik.ru/ https://www.ibik.ru/) Surprisingly functional multiseat for windows. Lifetime license 50-100 for 2 seats depending on region. Partner's computer went kaput, and used this + steamlink to turn monitor into another computer. I see people online using this to play two seperate games on different "seats". Was planning to get seperate media centre PC, but this worked so well I ended up using money to upgrade PC components. Yeah, it's Russian software, but there's reddit posts dating back a few years. I can see how software/hardware vendors don't like multiseat since less sales, but I see a lot of sense in pooling budget for one extra powerful system instead of buying multiple compute devices. I wish Windows had native functionality. Edit: Upon search, I am surprised Aster has been mentioned only one other time, 6 years ago in all of HN. Only 4 pages worth of multiseat comment dating back 13 years.
- nulld3v 3y agoWow, I remember using this back when I was a poor high school student trying to share my GPU with my younger brother. I don't think I was able to get it working reliably though. Multiseat in general is just super niche. I wish it took off more and maybe it would have turned into an officially supported solution.
- maxglute 3y ago>Multiseat in general is just super niche That's what I thought, but I think compute/cores + gpu power + wireless networking these days makes solid case for multiseat. Instead of buying another media center computer, I have a faster main computer with better CPU + GPU, better home wireless networking to beam that capability anywhere in the house. Previously I already remote desktopped into my main computer via different screens around the house, but now my partner can do it while I'm using said computer as well. The extra money in main computer = I'm gaming at 1440p vs 1080p or rendering with 20+ threads instead of 12, while partner do their low impact media/browsing for less cost. At the point, instead of partner upgrading their PC, it's starting to look sensible to split into 3 seats, 1 for me, 1 for media centre, 1 extra for partner. Perhaps spend a few 100 on dedicated GPU for new seat instead of 1000+ on seperate system.
- 3y ago
- toomuchtodo 3y agohttps://shokz.com/products/opencomm2 https://shokz.com/products/opencomm2 I am on conf calls and video chats for several hours per day. These are a product I would pay for until I die.
- ethanbond 3y agoWhat’s the biggest improvement in your experience versus a more traditional setup? (Either over-ear with standalone mic or in-ear buds etc). Never tried bone conduction!
- toomuchtodo 3y agoMitigates further hearing loss from years of using buds. Also, when in a loud or crowded environment, I just put my fingers in my ears and can hear the other party crystal clear (vs potentially turning the volume up on buds to dangerous levels to compensate).
- llamaimperative 3y agoOh now that is something I never considered! Interesting idea. Might have to give this a shot at some point.
- petee 3y agoI have their OpenRun headset, and for voice the quality is great; music a little iffy but acceptable when considering not getting hit by a car. Battery is awesome, and I'm assuming thats the same for the Opencomm
- toomuchtodo 3y agoYes, I get almost a full day of talk time out of a charge.
- wenc 3y agoI have a pair of AirPods Pro 2 and I would say I get the same benefits plus more. They do cost more than this product though.
- TrevorFSmith 3y agoHands down my choice is the Pinecil soldering iron: https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/ https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-solde... It's less than $50, it runs FOSS (IronOS) so you own it, and it can be powered by USB or by via a barrel jack so it's ding dang handy.
- jmye 3y agoWhy does a soldering iron need an OS? I read the product page and I think I’m still missing something.
- eulgro 3y agoMost likely a RTOS, not a real OS.
- straight-shoota 3y agoIronOS is actually a firmware, not a classical operating system. The soldering iron is like many modern appliances a smart device and contains a RISC-V CPU on which the firmware runs. I bought a Pinecil as well this year, and it's really a great tool, and I dare say much more versatile and powerful than many traditional soldering stations which cost much more.
- jmye 3y agoGot it, thanks! That makes way more sense to me.
- Kailhus 3y agoI’m sorry but I still don’t get it either. If it’s hot enough, you’ll know it’s ready when it starts melting whatever you use to solder. Why would one need anything more?
- vineyardlabs 3y ago
- kshahkshah 3y agofor me, ponying up for a calendaring solution - vimcal.com
- myth2018 3y agoA 96-sheet notebook + a Pentel needle-point pen. I've been feeling some strong headaches lately and the doctor's requested me to stay away from screens as much as possible. I've been using the notebook and this cheap yet nice pen to write down ideas and whatever. It's been a month now and the changes in terms of creativity and mental clarity are quite noticeable.
- sungam 3y agoFountain Pen: https://cultpens.com/products/twsbi-eco-fountain-pen-white https://cultpens.com/products/twsbi-eco-fountain-pen-white Makes writing a lot more enjoyable for me
- lagrange77 3y agoThat's a nice fountain pen. I thought about getting one, too.
- water-data-dude 3y agoThe thing that I really like about fountain pens is that you can get a WAY finer line with one than you can with other pens. My favorite is the Pilot Kaküno, which is actually pretty damn cheap (in the ballpark of $15) but if you get the version with the extra fine nib it gives you (surprise surprise) a really fine line. I personally like it more than the more expensive pens I tried out, but I also never waded all that deep into the expensive end of the product pool. Spending more than $50 on a pen would shrivel my soul to ashes. I can’t find it on Pilot’s website (hope they haven’t discontinued it), but it’s available on Amazon, etc. Obligatory caveat: pen enjoyability is pretty subjective. I put a lot of value on stuff like how it feels when I’m writing and a fine line (so I can write tiny in margins, and just because it looks cool IMO), but your mileage may vary substantially.
- anfractuosity 3y agoI rather like my 'Mi Precision Screwdriver Kit', magnetic screwdriver set
- simple10 3y agoThis bike multitool. When not biking, it kinda doubles as a fidget toy for me. https://tacticagear.com/products/m-110-bike-multitool?variant=31969418281021 https://tacticagear.com/products/m-110-bike-multitool?varian...
- alvatech 3y agoA KVM switch with HDMI and USB, makes switching from personal and work computer so much easier
- porphyra 3y agoDo you know of any that support HDMI 2.1 properly for 8K 60 Hz monitors? I currently just have a USB switch and two HDMI 2.1 cables, and manually change the input on the screen each time.
- dflock 3y agoDon't do that, do this: https://haim.dev/posts/2020-07-28-dual-monitor-kvm/ https://haim.dev/posts/2020-07-28-dual-monitor-kvm/ - free and works great!
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- latchkey 3y agoDirect link to the repo: https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch
- slau 3y agoI have the Aten CS1944DP, a dual screen, 4K60 DisplayPort KVM with the ability to drive 4 computers. I use two 27” 1440p144 monitors. Cable management is a bit of mess, but it’s fantastic to be able to switch between personal, work, client and something else computers with the flick of a button (or keyboard shortcut). I’ve not heard or seen any 8K KVM.
- GloomyBoots 3y agoI have one of these in my home office. Just press a button to switch from my work laptop to my PC, including all peripherals like speakers, webcam, mic, etc. My only complaint is that the audio behaves a little strangely. It buzzes and pops loudly when switching and during startup, and I’ve had to customize my audio configuration to account for some of the quirks, but it’s painless at this point. This is the one I use https://www.avaccess.com/products/4ksw21-dm/ https://www.avaccess.com/products/4ksw21-dm/
- petee 3y agoA natural daylight alarm clock made my mornings a lot more tolerable (I'm up at 5am) I won't recommend a brand though, while the Philips SmartSleep has nice color and smooth gradients, its so basic it doesn't even have a backup battery
- orzig 3y agoA Steelcase Leap V2, $150 (and 90 minute round trip pickup) using Facebook Marketplace. I probably got a little bit lucky, but it is definitely worth checking for things like this. Also, a shout out to my friend who let me try his for 30 minutes since I couldn’t in a store.
- wenc 3y agoI have a Leap V2 too from 2021 ($300 used). Best chair ever. So glad I got this instead of the much cooler looking Herman Miller Aeron -- the Aeron is amazing, but the Leap is more adjustable and has a more comfortable fabric seat.
- brianjking 3y ago$150 for a Leap v2 is an incredible deal. Great chair, I used mine for many years.
- moltar 3y agoGot a Leap from a user office furniture warehouse. Great buy for sure. Look up in your area there’s probably one too. They are usually in an industrial area somewhere. Just a giant warehouse with used office furniture.
- sowbug 3y agoA sous vide machine. It's just a fancy stick that circulates water at a precise temperature, but it makes the most delicious and tender chicken and fish that you'll ever make at home. You can start it in the morning and leave it going while you're out. Then dump the contents into a frying pan for a minute or two to sear the outside, and lunch/dinner is ready. You do need a vacuum sealer, but the total investment is less than $150, which you can easily recoup when you find that you don't crave restaurant or takeout food as much as you used to.
- dragonwriter 3y ago> You do need a vacuum sealer, No, you don't, zip-top bags with the excess air pushed out by water pressure and sealing after most of the bag is submerged work quite well.
- sowbug 3y agoYes, it can be done. That's what I did for this year's Thanksgiving turkey. My workflow these days is to buy a bunch of meat from Costco, then repackage it into portions with seasoning and throw it all in the freezer for later. In that case, removing all the air helps not just with buoyancy, but also with freezer burn.
- yeeeloit 3y agommm, delicious zip lock plastic cooked to perfection.
- dragonwriter 3y agoAs opposed to the same plastic vacuum sealed and heated the same way?
- sn9 3y agoYou don't cook at temperatures where this is a problem.
- sergiotapia 3y ago
- kalesh 3y agoSpending tracker - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spending-tracker/id548615579 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spending-tracker/id548615579. Really simple, offline & with a one-time purchase option.
- GeoAtreides 3y ago3M Peltor Premium Plus Earmuffs X3A https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/v101190004/ https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/v101190004/ They're light, stylish and work amazing. The world quiets down and it's (way, way) easier to go into the flow.
- Luc 3y agoGood idea. If only there was a good solution for glasses wearers...
- GeoAtreides 3y agoI have a friend who wears glasses and they say they can wear both at the same time with no problems. The (glasses') temples are pretty thin, though.
- Luc 3y agoCool, thanks!
- 1letterunixname 3y agoThese type of muffs can be problematic when they limit communication or impair situational awareness. Many applications are better off with a pair of amplifying earmuffs. As an example, Walker's Razor Slim are good for sustained and impulse noises, and don't impede communication or situational awareness. With everyone using them, you can talk to people farther away. They do impair speech direction localization and conversation discrimination because the phase of sounds aren't preserved exactly as they were.
- nslice 3y agoWyze Smart Deadbolt. $79, secure, and convenient. You never have to worry about losing a key again. I live in a cold area and it works reliably. The auto lock is so nice so you don’t worry about if you locked the door. Also great to allow guests or contractors in if you can’t go home to let them in. Makes my life so amazing.
- majkinetor 3y agoYeah, smart locks are nice. I have Nuki 2 and am equally happy. Even though it disconnects from the wifi, get huge latency on notifications and battery lasts only 2 months at most, the autolock and opening door with fingerprint is total addiction and works flawlessly. If all other features worked as promoted for that price, I would buy it for all the doors. A friend of mine wasn't so lucky, his Nuki blocks constantly and drains battery after a couple of days... I was always behind an open door during the day until I bought Nuki. Now I am always locked and surprisingly, after only 6mo of usage I am very uncomfortable when autolock is not enabled. Not needing a key but still having a backup in case it stops working is awesome. It is expensive though, Nuki without fingerprint reader and dor sensor is less than $200 but with everything price is around $450
- ww520 3y agoA trip to a repair shop to fix the rash scratches on my car’s wheel rim with polishing, claying and a repaint, costing $55. All other offers of the service were in the $100~$200 range.
- bewestphal 3y agoA chair cover. I have a faux leather chair and it would flake, leaving particulates everywhere. Obligatory noise cancelling headphones. Get a good pair. Apple OEM chargers. They work so well for fast charging.
- wenc 3y agoMuji porcelain toothbrush holder (ingenious design with natural drainage, no gunk accumulation): https://www.muji.us/products/porcelain-toothbrush-stand-d6a5 https://www.muji.us/products/porcelain-toothbrush-stand-d6a5 Toothpaste squeezer (I realize the juice is often not worth the squeeze, but it's fun to squeeze out the last few bits of toothpaste): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SHL6P8V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SHL6P8V Egg poacher (no loss of egg content, unlike other poaching methods): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G821F4Q https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G821F4Q iPad stand for the kitchen (for following recipes -- works better than scrolling recipe pages on my phone): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091KWQD8B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091KWQD8B
- elijaht 3y agoI love the toothbrush holder :)
- dw_arthur 3y agoSofrin HS10 headlamp $20. https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-hs10-mini-headlamp-1100lm https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-hs10-mini-headla... All those times you're trying to use a flashlight around the house you probably would be better off using a headlamp. You can also use this as a flashlight too if you're weird like that.
- chasebank 3y agoGyroscopic Screwdriver My brother in law in a general contractor and raved about his new gyroscopic screwdriver a couple years ago. I bought one last month and it's easily the best thing I've bought this year. Under $100 and it's truly a must have. I have the dewalt one, not sure if any other brands make em. https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCF682N1-Gyroscopic-Inline-Screwdriver/dp/B011WRUODC?th=1 https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCF682N1-Gyroscopic-Inline-Scr...
- straight-shoota 3y agoI bought a Bosch GO this year, my brother as well. Should be the same kind of tool. It drives the screw in (or out) if you apply pressure to it.
- chasebank 3y agoI just took a look at the Bosch. It looks like you have to switch a button to screw or unscrew. The Dewalt, you twist counterclockwise and it unscrews, clockwise and drives the screw in. You don't have to manually switch directions. The coolest part is the more you twist the screwdriver, the faster it will turn. You really have to use it to feel how awesome of a device it is.
- straight-shoota 3y agoYeah, there's a switch to select direction. But it activates by pressure. I'm either screwing a bunch of screws in or out, so it's not a big hassle to use the switch when you need the other. And this thing generates so much torque, I feel kinda worried about twisting my wrist to select the direction.
- 0xCAP 3y agoA shavette/straight razor blade: even after deciding on going 100% bald I still love cutting my own stuff, so I decided to go down the rabbit hole of self beard cutting. Never had more fun, outlining my beard has become one of my favourite pastimes ever. And I can have my beard on point whenever I need to, at no cost. Paid ~20€ for the blade holder, and ~8€ for 400 blades. (Bonus addition: hair clipper. Just make sure you buy one that has a lever and enough RPM) Audiophile IEMs: there's a lot of stuff under the 200€ mark that can make your ears feel previously undiscovered levels of joy. And if you're listening to music a lot of time, this is a damn good investment. Truthear and Moondrop have a lot of interesting affordable options. Acoustic panels: if you play music on speakers a lot, getting your room to sound drier can really make you discover new levels of detail. Just don't buy the cheapest polyuretane ones, as they only cause random dips in mid freqs. Smart watch/band: Nothing too fancy, just anything that can notify me of stuff so I can keep my phone away and avoid picking it up to read a simple text message.
- PAPPPmAc 3y agoI haven't gone as far as a straight razor, but I've just in the last few weeks switched to a DE razor coming from years of using cartridge razors with too many too closely spaced blades that clog then degrade and cause irritation. I'm trying a Rockwell 6C (around $60) with its interchangeable base-plates for different aggressiveness on blade exposure/angle, and just started on a variety pack of blades to see what suits me - so far so good on the experiment, it's at very least not causing any more irritation and produces less waste. Shaving accessories _is_ a ridiculous rabbit hole of hipster consumerism, but doing better-than-default seems like it might be worthwhile. Right now it's just for face, by my hair is rapidly approaching "Doonesbury's Old Surfer Dude" so the role might expand.
- out_of_protocol 3y ago> Audiophile IEMs Or full sized cans - Sennheiser HD598 can be found for ~$100 and you get fantastic sound out of basically everything, beating many $400+ bullshit headphones
- jacknews 3y ago
- schwartzworld 3y agoI got a couple of pocket operators, about $175 in total. Opened up a whole world of electronic music for me. Serious gateway drug. I'm composing again after decades of dry spell.
- The_Colonel 3y agoI got into Audiobooks this year. I first listened on headphones or just phone loudspeaker (thought it's OK for voice). Then I bought JBL Go 3 and it's a different experience. The speaker is compact, lightweight and has a nice design. Sound quality / loudness is fully sufficient for voice and does a great job for its size for music as well. It's waterproof, now I listen even while showering. The only downside is lack of battery level indicator. BTW, Audible subscription is a surprisingly good deal. You can have basically any book for $10 (even those which cost $30 on Kindle).
- rimunroe 3y agoI used a JBL Flip 4 speaker to listen to audiobooks and podcasts while floating in the pool for a while. Bluetooth doesn’t penetrate more than a few centimeters into water, so I’d just put my phone in a dry bag, tie it to the side of the speaker, and set it adrift. Way less clunky than a headset and worked great
- maxglute 3y agoThere's $100 waterproof bone conduction headphones with built in storage that works great. Speech is pretty trippy and well suited for bone conduction. Only issue is you have to find mp3s of audio, which usually means sailing high seas.
- rimunroe 3y agoThere are, but that limits the number of people listening to one, I don't like the feeling of wearing headphones though, and I didn't want to lose sync with podcast/audiobooks either :)
- underseacables 3y agoI got the JBL Flip 6 for audiobooks! I compared the 4 to the 6 but the 6 had two tweeders that really allowed for crisp narration.
- esbeeb 3y agoAn RPi 4, 8GB. I run heimdall, calibre-web, nginx, and PiVPN/wireguard on it.
- snvzz 3y agoSimilar, yet different: VisionFive 2 (RISC-V). Runs all sorts of tasks.
- Cockbrand 3y agoPortable 16" monitor with 4k resolution and USB C passthrough. Very handy when travelling. It makes me much more productive when working from a hotel room or anywhere else, and it's just about the size of a 16" laptop, but thinner.
- brianjking 3y agoOoh, nice, which did you purchase?
- Cockbrand 3y agoThis one: https://www.uperfectmonitor.com/products/4k-portable-monitor-uperfect-15-6-inch https://www.uperfectmonitor.com/products/4k-portable-monitor... Got it on eBay with a coupon for just under EUR 200. Really happy with it so far.
- straight-shoota 3y agoI bought the 1080p variant. It makes a great preview monitor for video signals, camera output etc. I'm considering buying a 4k version with touchscreen for travelling, which fits well to the 4k touchscreen on my laptop. Not sure if I actually need touch for a side monitor, though. Or even 4k for that matter...
- Cockbrand 3y ago4K makes a lot of difference to me, just because I can change resolutions without ever seeing pixels. I don't have the touchscreen version, and I don't miss that functionality. But I see that it might be useful for some applications.
- speedylight 3y agoPhilips Sonicare 7300 electric toothbrush - this thing is awesome, every time I brush my teeth they feel super clean and smooth like porcelain. $149 one of the best purchases I ever made. https://a.co/d/2fFJgow https://a.co/d/2fFJgow Another product that improved my life is AirPods, if you’re into the Apple ecosystem they’re worth every penny.
- november84 3y agoWorth mentioning, if you do get a sonicare or any elective toothbrush, go much more slowly than you think. Makes all the difference in the world.
- latchkey 3y agoIf you don't like airpods but want the apple ecosystem, the beats fit pro are a nice alternative. https://www.beatsbydre.com/earbuds/beats-fit-pro https://www.beatsbydre.com/earbuds/beats-fit-pro
- kennu 3y agoMaxiNutrition Hydration Tabs. Much easier to drop into a glass of water than powder-form electrolytes (no messing around with a spoon etc). Also something to keep in your pocket/bag on a longer bar night. I can't guarantee the nutritional value being a nonexpert but at least the convenience is great.
- hiyer 3y agoWhat's the advantage of this for hydration when compared to plain water?
- Cockbrand 3y agoIt's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes. - well, at least the electrolytes part is true. When you sweat heavily, you lose minerals and salts, which can become detrimental to performance or even dangerous to your health during intense workouts. Hydration products [claim to] replenish these.
- kennu 3y agoUsually plain water is fine but sometimes you need a bit of extra electrolytes to rehydrate. I wouldn't drink too much of them though.
- maxglute 3y agoThis is more of request for recommendation for sleep headphones. https://www.meeaudio.com/M6G2 https://www.meeaudio.com/M6G2 I bought a dozen of above headphones for sleep, cheap low profile that is very comfortable to sleep in. Lays flat, no hot pressure points. Only issue is they're wired, and josling in bed means every few months I kill one from wrecking their cabling/connector. They had a cheaper discontinued bluetooth version of the buds I was using prior, but battery levels dropped to less than 8 hours and the battery warning (alarm) plays at 200% volume. I see Mee has a few higher end buds with bluetooth adapter for $80+, but they're still wired behind neck format with proprietary connector that would be cost prohibitive replace to frequently, especially if UI sounds still offensively loud. Wondering if anyone knows a cheap chifi buds with same form factor that can be paired cheap bluetooth adapter that has quiet UI sounds. I've done a few rounds of searching and have came up empty.
- etrautmann 3y ago+1 for cheap wired sleep headphones! Changed my life listing to brown noise with no worries about battery life. Also the manta sleep mask
- yablak 3y agoPersonal Capital... It's free but belongs on this list: https://www.personalcapital.com/ https://www.personalcapital.com/
- colinprince 3y agoI bought this wooden utility cart for about $200 Canadian: http://winsomewood.com/products/89933 http://winsomewood.com/products/89933 it has helped me immensely in the kitchen in the last few months
- robbs 3y agoA set of nice flashlights. Why walk around in the dark? Some that I like: Sofirn SP36 BLF, LT1, SC21, HS10. Wurkkos TS10 (and I’ll be getting a TS11 soon.)
- snvzz 3y agoLove my hexbright. If they were still being made, I'd get more.
- MichaelNolan 3y agoI can’t believe it’s already been ten years. My hexbright is still kicking. I’ll miss it when it will finally dies on me.
- snvzz 3y ago>I’ll miss it when it will finally dies on me. It will never. Most common faults have well documented repairs. Worst case scenario you can get a new PCB made. You'd have to physically destroy the enclosure to really lose your hexbright. I don't think anyone makes replacement ones. But as I understand it, even that is documented, and the source hexagonal prism is common, so at least it's not impossible.
- oska 3y ago> Why walk around in the dark? Walking around in the dark outside can actually be really nice. Your eyes adjust and, of course, it's never completely dark (moonlight, starlight, etc). Torches (flashlights) are fine, but ppl tend to overuse them, in my experience.
- daft_pink 3y agoFlow Club. Hands down the best thing I've ever done in my life.
- scoofy 3y agoWorx ZipSnip 'Electric Scissors' (read: cardboard gun) $45, makes cutting down cardboard, even thick stuff, a breeze: https://www.worx.com/4v-zipsnip-electric-scissors-wx082l.html https://www.worx.com/4v-zipsnip-electric-scissors-wx082l.htm... Govee smart electric (ceramic) space heater: https://us.govee.com/collections/space-heaters/products/govee-smart-heater-with-wi-fi-bluetooth https://us.govee.com/collections/space-heaters/products/gove...
- rpozarickij 3y agoBose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker I was blown away by the sound quality produced by this relatively small speaker. It has very rich bass and other frequencies sound very good too. I often carry it around my apartment and use for things like music, audiobooks, calls (unfortunately the built-in mic isn't that good), etc.
- theanonymousone 3y agoIn Switzerland, the public post company provides a service[0] which scans your incoming letters (i.e. their content, not just the envelope) and makes it available via the web and an app. I started using this service last December and am very happy. Kinda looks like I am forcing digitalisation upon organisations who don't want to make progress on it :D It costs 9.99 CHF per month, hence within the limit of the post, and very much worth it. [0] https://www.epost.ch https://www.epost.ch
- loco5niner 3y agoFor those in the US, the USPS (postal service) provides this for free. Yay! Probably because of theft problems :-( https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Informed-Delivery-The-Basics https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Informed-Delivery-The-Basics
- theanonymousone 3y agoIt seems I have not been clear enough: This service opens your mail and scans the actual content of the letters to PDF files. It's not just the address box or the envelope! That USPS service you posted is already available for free from Swiss Post as well.
- loco5niner 3y agoOh, you were clear, I just missed it. Cool service :-)