I just got one so reading this makes me hopeful. Fallen out of love with gaming a bit in recent years
Check out “Dave the diver”. I’ve fallen out of love with gaming as well and I’ve been dropping a lot of hours into this game on my steam deck. Super unique and easy to pick up and put down. Feels fresh.
Will do sir
If you like platformers Bzzt just came out and would definitely run on the deck. For roguelikes I'd recommend Darkest Dungeon, Hades, or Rogue Legacy. For a straightforward RPG with 3D models but pixel art I'd recommend Octopath Traveller 2.
I also recommend Dave the Diver as well, fantastic game.
Also just ordered mine. Since I started working fulltime remote a year ago, I found myself not wanting to spend more time on my desk after work. That translated into me almost giving up gaming even though I used to love it.
Moving to a place where I can have a second desk would cost me one Steam Deck per month so I just went with a Steam Deck lol
I got one recently too, and it’s already helping me with this. I hope you find joy in it :). I never buy myself anything so I was worried I’d regret it… but I really like it so far.
Omg same, but it's been a rough year so this is my Christmas gift to myself I guess. Also glad to hear it's helping you :)
It’s been great for getting to games I’m not sure I would have otherwise. Ori and the Blind Forest was the perfect game to play through on it!
I hope you have a better rest of the year and beyond. This year stank a bit for me too, but there’s been some good things as well.
I got a retroid pocket 3+ for emulators and it's fuckin awesome. I feel like a steam deck may be in my near future lol
Almost all my gaming is on my SD now. Love this thing.
I came here to type that, so I'll just upvote yours instead. Such a versatile device, the Steam Deck!
Along these lines, i’m thrilled with the ps portal as well. was only $200, but the ps online streaming is so good. i used to use it on ps4 on my ipad with an external controller from 1200 miles away at legit decent frame rate and latency.
ps portal’s display is crisp and beautiful, it looks so much more gorgeous than the steam deck (because all the rendering is done on the ps5), and there are some games that i don’t even really want to play on the big screen format that the portal has made awesome because they’re wonderful on handheld format.
After using a dedicated bidet for the first time, I was an instant convert! But the after market ones installed in existing toilets just aren't the same. If I ever get the chance, I'll be adding one to any house I own!
You mean those handheld bidets like a tiny shower head on a flexible hose? I actually much prefer those over the ones mounted inside the toilet bowl. I can aim them wherever I want, and I find it handy for all kinds of non-bidet things - you can hose things down in the tub or sink next to the toilet, for example, or use it to clean the toilet bowl itself.
I mean the stand alone ones built in beside the toilet.
Something like this
Ahh, yeah, I don't like the notion of those. Never tried one but just conceptually it seems limited.
The kind I've got is just this, it's super easy to attach to an existing toilet and is quite handy.
I'm Italian and I must support @FaceDeer 's point, these are standard in my country (and they should be standard everywhere, damn barbarians) and they are definitely better than a spray nozzle attached to a toilet. You can also use them for other things, like washing your feet.
So you have a dirty crack, you got to get up, and waddle through the bathroom with pants on your ankles?
Yeah, I'm wondering about that. I'm a filthy TP barbarian but, how exactly does one make this style of bidet work?
I think there's confusion about which versions of bidet we're talking about. The kind I'm lauding, the ones like a little shower head, are attached to the toilet you're on. You don't need to go anywhere to use them, just reach over and take it from its holder.
How do you guys use that? I'm guessing you live somewhere where it's warm? That would be spraying ice cold water up my bum over here.
The opposite, actually - I'm Canadian. :)
All I can say is that if you've never tried a bidet before you'll likely be very surprised by how little sensitivity you've got to cold water down there. It's simply not uncomfortable or even particularly noticeable, either in my experience or in anyone I've talked to about it (which is admittedly not many - it's not a common topic of conversation).
The hand bidet was super cheap and the shipping was free, so I figured "why not give it a whirl?" And it worked out great.
How do you make it work though? You slip a hand behind you and aim at the crack at an angle so it sprays into the bowl?
ill second that, i thought it would be a problem but decided to just endure the cold because i didnt feel like running power over to the toilet but turned out not to be a problem at all. if anything its sort of refreshing lol
How? Aren't you using more water than normal dry wiping, which uses none?
It takes a lot of water and energy to make toilet paper. Well, a lot more than turning on my bidet for 10 seconds.
I would also add on that, unless you REALLY rocked that toilet, every poo becomes a single flush. Rather than potentially needing to double flush to avoid clogging it
While you're shopping for a bidet also shop for an Australian toilet. The half flush saves a lot more water too but the proper s-bend makes everything a single flush even if you rocked it hard.
and by rocked it I mean you filled it with mercury for some reason
One of those is a bathroom remodel and the other is twenty minutes with a wrench in a rental
What's this now? There are a number of US toilets that have the dual flush feature, but what's this about a modified S bend?
Literally no other countries have problems with toilets clogging. It's not a modified S, it's a normal one
Ahh, that's an interesting angle I hadn't considered. I wonder if there's a way to quantify the water savings this way, like a volume of water per TP roll or something. I feel like that could be a solid selling point to get more people interested in buying one.
I was curious a while ago and researched a little. Bidets are the environmental champ for butt cleaning.
Ten seconds? I think Mother Nature can understand if you wanna live it up a little bit more you know?
Came to say bidet. I have the poor man version .. 25 at Amazon. I suffer Everytime I have to go back to only tp when not at home. I feel like a savage caveman without one. Smearing poop is just nasty and uncivilized to me. I have used the fancy ones in Japan but really did not like the warm water. I prefer the shocking cold glaciar feeling of butt refreshes. To anyone reading this...get a bidet, ANY KIND... Try cleaning up peanutbutter from your arm with just paper to experience what we talking about .
Probably it doesn't quite count as a gadget, but repurposing my old PC as a home server. Firstly it makes a great mass storage solution making all my media accessible from any device, no matter what architecture it is and what apps it can run. I also self-host Home Assistant, Syncthing, Radicale, Navidrome, Jellyfin and UrBackup. The ten years old 2 core Pentium with 8GB of RAM can do it all, it's much cheaper to run than half a dozen subscription services and I have total control over my data and privacy.
wow that's amazing. so it's connected to all other PCs in the house? did you have to buy a lot of new storage?
Bidet for sure. A good one in the $300-400 range. It is such a gamechanger to always have a clean ass. And without TP, the toilet never clogs and you aren't spending extra on TP. Also helps with hemorrhoids if/when you get those, as TP is really rough on your asshole/not good for you.
I still have some TP for guests, but with the dryer built in, it really isn't needed.
Also, a bidet is a lifesaver if you like extreme hotsauces. Basically, it's the only piece of daily furniture that makes me go "God, I'm so glad I bought this" for literal years since I got it in the pandemic. No cold toilet seat during winter. Heated seat that doesn't slam. Hot water. Hot air blow dryer. Self-cleaning.
Came to say bidet, but I have the poor man version .. 25 at Amazon. I suffer Everytime I have to go back to only tp when not at home. I feel like a savage caveman without one. Smearing poop is just nasty and uncivilized to me. I have used the fancy ones in Japan but really did not like the warm water. I prefer the shocking cold glaciar feeling of butt refreshes. To anyone reading this...get a bidet, ANY KIND... Try cleaning up peanutbutter from your arm with just paper to experience what we talking about .
Well, you can spend 300-400 or you can buy a "portable bidet bottle" and clean your asshole with warm water. You'll still need to use some toilet paper (or maybe a towel) to dry, but you'll be spending $15 more or less and you can carry it with you when you travel.
Have you ever used one of these? I thought about getting one for backpacking trips; TP becomes a major consideration on those, and - frankly - I often have all the time in the world to wait, and airdry, and enjoy the view. At least, on summer trips. But I've wondered how well they work in practice.
i have a backpacking bidet (culo clean specifically) and I would say it gives mixed results. basically, you need to practice and develop a technique to "get the most" out of it in terms of water usage, how clean you can get, etc. I don't have a normal bidet so i have nothing to compare it with and maybe my technique isnt so good. mine gets me mostly clean but i still need a square of toilet paper to make sure in almost every case. better than not having it, but not the results I was hoping for.
I've been using a 0.5L one for years now. Usually it's enough, but there are times that when I dry (with toilet paper) I see that I need a little more cleaning and then I either finish with the paper or refill the bottle and try again.
How well do they self-clean? How often do you need to clean it manually?
I've cleaned it twice just to feel good about it, but it's been sparkling aside from some hard water deposits, which came off pretty easily. It always runs water over it after use, and the nozzle angle is so steep, it doesn't get poo on it. I have a toto one. (I've had mine since about mid 2021)
I still clean the toilet seat and the underside of the seat though, which can get a bit of pee on it if you're a guy. I'm a bit of a clean freak too, so when I say clean, I mean clean, lol.
A countertop water boiler. It turns out I go through just about 4L of tea a day and now I spend a lot less time boiling water. And when you refill it and it comes to temperature it plays Fur Elise
edit: typo
You mean a kettle? How did you not already have one?
Very uncommon in the US at least.
They're a little different. Kettles are small (1-2 liters) will heat water until it's boiling and then shut off(or have the user disconnect the heat source)
Water boilers hold a larger amount of water (3-5 liters) at a consistent temperature with a button to dispense it.
I upgraded from a kettle to a zojirushi water boiler and I've never looked back. The thing is incredible. Absolutely worth the price.
It's because the USA power standards are not suitable for kettle life. The 110 voltage on their power means it takes ages to come to the boil. The idea of putting a few cups of water into a kettle, pushing a button and having boiling water inside a minute does not exist.
That's why these tabletop things are useful: yes they take ages to initially boil, then they maintain that temperature. 110 volts is fine for that task.
There are 240v outlets in the USA, but they're usually only used for things with heavy power draw (clothes dryers, EV chargers, electric hot water heaters, etc). Some areas have 208v instead of 240v though.
But yeah, boiling water is slow in the USA and a lot of people do it in the microwave (whereas I never saw anyone ever do that in Australia). We've got a Breville espresso machine that has instant hot water, which is useful for some of the use cases we'd use a kettle for.
No, these devices hold water at the appropriate temperature for long periods of time using extremely good insulation. They provide hot water on-demand after reaching temperature and are used in a way that is somewhat different from kettles.
No, I mean the things I linked to. They're like small countertop hot water tanks. I also do have multiple kettles.
And Zojirushi sells parts for their appliances! So instead of having to buy a brand new boiler, I just got a lid for my 15 year old boiler. I’ll always give business to companies that support their products like that
+rep for Zojirushi. My water boiler lid recently began chipping and pretty much disintigrating and on their website I saw they even have replacement parts for discontinued products. Very cool of them
would a raspberry pi count? i've been self-hosting a nextcloud instance and my RSS feed for a while now and i've really been enjoying it
Arduino in the same vein. There's a great "30 Days Lost in Space" tutorial set, but even to play around with by yourself for cheap, you can get an off brand (the hardware is open source!) Arduino Mega for 20 bucks. All sorts of cool programming and electronics fun.
Ditto on the Arduino. I built a pickup winder for electric guitar, and it's more than made up for its price in entertainment alone.
Heck yes. I never want to use the internet anywhere but my house because my husband installed a Pihole and it’s the best thing evaaaar.
Steam Deck. Without question. I don't think I would have been able to cope with the last year and a half of my life without it. This year has been very rough and I have been able to escape life while still spending time with my family. Top-tier psychological maintenance for me.
Same. Long Covid has me tied to my bed and with the Steam Deck I can at least get some gaming to pass the time. It's awesome!
This one seems silly, but one really useful cheap thing I bought that I use much more than I thought I would is an electric kettle. (I should point out I'm in the US) I use it to make iced tea, my wife uses it for hot tea, and we both use it for boiling water for whatever cooking project needs it. We have a gas stove, and it takes about twice as long to heat up a liter of water as this kettle. It uses a normal US 120v outlet and I think it draws 1,000w. (Edit: I looked it up and it's 1,100 watts)
Seconding an electric kettle, even a cheap one was a game changer over not having one at all. Crazy how 99.99% of people I know as an American don't own one
Dear god, I won't even look at a kettle that's less than 2200w.
In fact ours gets so much use I just ordered one that I can shout at across the room to switch on
This is where the 120 volt power makes it a little worse for us Americans. 2200w would be 18 amps, easily taking most of the power on a breaker.
If kettles ever got more popular in the US maybe they could put 240v outlets in kitchens for kettles, but that would be a huge change.
At 110V that's a 20A kettle. So you aren't getting that high of wattage kettle in the US. Most standard US residential breakers are only 20A (some are only 15A) and they aren't designed to continuously run near the max amperage so the biggest we can run on a "normal" circuit is probably around a 1760W kettle but it would also have to be the only thing running on that circuit at the time.
plus one and I use it for a lot of non cooking where you want water of a specific temperature. Unclogging drains and filling the carpet cleaner comes to mind.. Its like I want 135 degree water. Oh also nasal irrigation water. Its great for it to have a wide temperature setting.
I use the older version of this Xduoo XD05 if I'm going "mobile".
Apple USB C dongle + Schiit Heresy is my combo, I love it
A home server. Originally a Dell R710, now a custom built desktop.
If I can possibly self host something now I will do that over using big tech proprietary services. I feel free.
Same. I'm almost completely off the cloud at this point and I love it.
Just don't forget backups! I use Borgbackup for mine.
I know some people don't want a home server because of the space it'd take up, but you can get pretty powerful mini PCs these days (look for ones with an i3-N305 processor) or buy cheap second-hand ex-office PCs on eBay.
For people that still don't want to have a physical server at their house, you can do a lot of the same self-hosting stuff using a VPS. If you live in an area with expensive electricity (like California or Australia), you can usually get a VPS with a modern processor, ~8GB RAM, and a decent amount of NVMe disk space for $5/month or less, which is easily what it'd cost you just for the electricity usage of a home server.
Last time I needed new headphones for going out, I bought a Shockz bone conducting headphone.
While the specific one I bought was the wrong choice (the Run I got is slick but needs a proprietary charging cable instead of the USB-C the Move uses, and they sound 100% the same), overall the concept is really good. I enjoy hearing people around me, for someone who more listens to podcasts and radio shows not music the quality is perfect, and I can wear these on my bicycle without having to worry I won't hear something.
Also, since they don't sit in the ear not enclose it it's easy to semi-forget them there as they're so comfortable, no stuffed feeling or sweaty ears. I sometimes just use them at home instead of shifting a podcast onto the sonos speakers. Just easier.
Yes. I love mine. I originally got some bone-conduction headphones to use at my job because I work in a high noise environment and they still work while you're wearing earplugs, but I use them pretty much constantly now. It's really nice to have my music or podcasts and still be able to hear when someone asks me a question, or to be able to hear traffic coming if I'm out walking or jogging.
I've had a couple pairs of them now and weirdly bone-conduction headphones seem to be the one electronic device that under promises on its battery life. I don't know if maybe I just got lucky, but the cheap no name set I got off Amazon promised 5 hours, but even after a year still regularly lasts 8 or 9. My Shokz Open Run Pros promise 10 hours, and I routinely get 15 or 16 hours. So that's nice.
I've heard of these for a while and general question for you and anyone else who's looked. What are the red flags? Nothing comes without risks and years of research has shown the hearing damage from traditional headphones. There has to be a rub with these. What are the negative rumblings of using these style of headphones. They have to be there. We just don't have the decades of research yet.
If I now say that your premise is wrong (headphones don't cause hearing loss, loud noises do, independent of the source), does that automatically answer your question? 😛
Now to dig a bit deeper into that, there is a lot of research into MIHL from using PLDs, and the key thing is always people turning up the volume higher than they normally would, usually due to the context of where they are. That is, we use our little headphones in noisy environments, and to drown out the noise we turn them up too much and start damaging our ears over time.
In that regard, bone conduction headsets are worse. They are intentionally fully open, and don't in the slightest bit try to reduce ambient noise. That is, if anything you'd be tempted to crank them up even higher.
I will however say that the models I've used all came with an interesting "safety" in this regard that stems from the way they work: At a certain and not that loud noise level, they start vibrating physicially off the skin during playback, in turn plateauing the achievable volume. I suspect however that this level is already beyond healthy.
So, in other words:
If you're concerned about hearing loss, keep the volume in sane reaches. If you also need to ignore outside noise while listening, this means getting enclosing and/or noise-cancelling headphones, not open ones like bone conducting. However, if keeping the volume low, say during listening at home, bone conduction is no different from other forms of receiving audio, both still stimulate the hearing canal hairs.
Agreed 100%.
Before I got my noise cancelling headphones, I was very aware of the volume that I have set when trying to watch a movie in a plane. After I got the noise cancelling headphones, I no longer have to set it that loud anymore.
That said, some airlines need to relook their volumes of their PA system. Some of them are shockingly louder than necessary. Lol
Yeah, I love my ANC earbuds. In pass-through mode, I can hear ambient sounds almost better than I can without them, especially on a bike where I can tune them to blank wind noise but allow voices and bells. And you're right about not needing high volume to hear music well. They have great sound quality, and the ANC is indispensible on airplanes.
The downside is cost; GP's bone-conducting headset is $90, and the other pair they mention is $60. A good pair of ANC earbuds starts around $200, and some of the better pairs are upwards of $300.
Worth the money, IMO, but if $60 is all you can afford, GP's might be the better bet than super sketchy-quality cheap ANC earbuds.
Robot vacuum. Autistic and ADHD and could never keep on top of keeping my floor clean. But I can now!
Been looking at these for a while but I can't seem to decide on one, any suggestions?
I've had a look, not purchased, but watched a lot of review videos and I'd recommend you to do the same as no one here is going to have really tried all the different models available.
Unfortunately, the price does seem to correlate with the quality and performance and the most expensive auto vacuums cost in the £300 region. They also will never be as powerful as a traditional upright, can't do stairs and of course you still have to empty them and take them up and down the stairs to do the different floors of your house. But yh, the price is the biggest reason I've not gotten one myself.
I had Neatos for years. They worked great until they didn't; I always had to do a lot of troubleshooting. Now I have a Wyze vacuum, which I think is a rebrand of a larger Chinese brand. It doesn't clean as well as the Neatos, but it's had no problems so far, and it was much cheaper.
There's plenty of reviews out there if you want to get into it, and it does seem like some of the more expensive ones out there have some really nice features. But if you've been on the fence for a while my advice is to pick a well reviewed affordable one and go for it.
Once you have something cleaning your floors you'll have more time to research which one is the ultimate vacuum.
Y'all this sound crazy, but the Bug A Salt is fucking awesome.
It's worth it if you can get a black Friday deal or something under 30$ because it's just a little salt when you shoot it and there's no guts on your wall, no dirty fly swatter, no chasing, no jumping, no reaching, and you feel like a sniper hitman.
Its not a toy. That shit hurts when you get hit lol
Flyscreen on my windows has stopped me ever needing to kill flies.
I think my window isn't sealed correctly in one of my rooms because somehow bugs can all come in even though there is a screen. It's frustrating because it means I can't leave them open for fresh air at night.
For flying bugs just use a mist spray bottle with water. Spray the bug with water first so it can't fly away. Then squish it. It's cheaper, the water evaporates, and for people with bad aim it's a lot easier to hit.
Cordless vacuum was a costly one but certainly made that chore a lot more easy and kinda fun. I planned to store it in a closet but I'd take it out every few days so eventually I started leaving it on the floor, it's not in the way there either.
On a similar note, robot vacuum.
It cleans quite nicely, is surprisingly reliable, and as a bonus you keep the floor less cluttered to make sure it doesn't run into stuff it shouldn't.
This year, my partner and I traded our large "traditional" vacuum for a robot + cordless stick vacuum.
Honestly, a great decision. Robot vacuum runs once a weekday, house has never been cleaner. Anything it doesn't get, we can quickly grab the cordless for.
Yeah I got one of those Samsung ones with the dock you set it in when not in use. It charges it up and empties the canister into it's own built in vacuum. I use it all the time to pick up the loose cat litter and quick vacuum jobs on the floors.
3D printer. At any moment in time I could just print something out and it would be ready by the time I finish eating. The possibilities are endless, plenty of free models online or just learn how to design yourself.
Edit: I currently use an Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro
What are some fun or useful things you print? I see a lot of prints online that are toys or action figures, and that's pretty neat but I usually am not impressed with the quality.
I almost exclusively print functional things so here's my list of things I've designed or printed:
Tubular key to bypass paying for laundry
Furniture leg extensions on almost all my furniture to give minimum 4" clearance for the robovac
Custom mounting bracket / spacer for mounting road sign to the wall with command strips
Tapestry mounting shim to clamp tapestry in binder clips to hang on the wall without ripping the tapestry
Rubber band powered sandal holders that stick to the wall and clamp onto sandals which can be used without using your hands / while holding something (I needed to keep my basement sandals from being eaten by my old robovac and I needed to be able to put them on and put them back without needing to put down anything heavy I'm taking to/from the basement, and the space required it to be flat against the wall)
Replacement shelf pegs for bathroom shelves which are normally only sold in 20 packs for >5$ when I only needed 1, the print cost like 1c instead
Replacement D-slotted electrical box key since the one that came with the box broke
Backyard lamp holder that attaches to the fence pole and provides a loop to hang a lamp
Replacement side panel clip for my PC case which came with 1 broken - manufacturer doesn't sell replacements
Custom piece for 2 sectional couch legs to slot into which keeps the 2 halves of my couch from sliding apart causing someone to fall in between onto the floor
Some of this could have been bought online but having a 3D printer really reveals how overpriced plastic stuff is. I rarely print something that costs me more than a few dollars in filament - and that's if it's a very large object, it's easily less than the shipping cost of an equivalent item alone, and small things can often only be found in large packs online while usually costing only a couple cents to print. And plenty of the stuff I print benefits from being able to be made custom and to the exact dimensions I need, for example the furniture leg extensions I made fit perfectly on the furniture legs and raise them up exactly as high as they need to be for my robovac to go under, not a centimeter more. A whiteboard marker caddy I made holds the exact number of markers I have / want to have and attaches under a light switch wall plate which I designed in order to avoid needing to attach it with command strips or screws (it gets clamped between the wall plate and the wall by the existing light switch screws). The first item I listed, the tubular key, was printed with the exact bitting needed for the lock (layer height of 0.05mm is enough vertical resolution for the key to work).
I dunno about other guy, but I came here to say 3d printer.
I've printed small plastic parts to fix the flush mechanism of a toilet for pennies. I've printed little utility items like hangers for parts to paint. Holders for dnd minis to make painting them easier. Storage boxes to organize small parts for various other hobbies. Giant realistic cock and balls turned into a trophy. Replacement parts for board games that have been lost or broken over the years. Custom dice towers and dice boxes for dnd dice sets. Etc.
The ability to see a need, take some measurements, and spend a few minutes in a cad software to have a replacement part that you otherwise can't find (or can't find by itself) is honestly amazing.
I just bought my first one, it'll be here in 3 days, I'm excited!
I've recently been working on a cube tomato project. I have those models up on my Printables account. I'm planning on uploading more useful stuff I print up.
The simplest thing I printed is the one I'm most happy about, I had a power bar dangling beside my bed for all my chargers and I printed 2 small clips and it holds it great.
I printed bookcase supports, an air filter and tons of custom boxes for electronics. I learned the basics of SolidWorks so I could design stuff for my printer (ender 3 S1)
Bone conducting ear phones, I have tiny narrow ear canals and can't get any type of ear bud to go in my ears, the bone conductors are a revelation for listening to audio books, radio and music when I'm out and about
Got a brand to recommend? Sounds awesome.
Shokz is a brand that makes them. I haven't had a pair but a student of mine had them and liked them.
Shokz are awesome. I also have finicky and small ear holes that don’t like earbuds that much, along with piercings that can get annoyed depending on the style. Shockz solves all that plus I can hear my surroundings. Pro tip for camping…wear the shockz WITH earplugs and play white noise or sleep music. It was the only way I slept during a bass music festival with after parties going until dawn.
My wife was a bone conduction earphone candidate for multiple reasons and I convinced her to try some. Her first pair from Shokz died relatively quickly, but they sent her a replacement without much hassle. She likes them a lot. Every now and then I steal them for a bit. I call it the "voice of god" because when you play something through them it's like telepathy. You can hear the outside unimpeded, but there's also this extra sound being injected into your head. Would recommend.
I have been using them for years.. reliability is questionable.. but their warranty is hassle-free. Got 3 pairs in one year .very little questions asked.
Shokz are awesome. I can't have my hearing impared at work for safety and just practical reasons but the shokz don't block my hearing so they're fine. The battery on them can also easily last through a whole 12 hour shift. I've had mine for a couple of years now and only just recently one of the buttons has started to act up, otherwise I've had no problems with them.
Mine are Shokz, I've had them a couple of years now with no issues at all, the battery lasts for many hours, I've never had then run out for.my use case
Refillable Salt and Pepper-Mills. I can "feel" now how much Salt or Peper I add to something.
Its kind of silly, but VR. I like hanging out in vrchat with my internet friends and it makes me feel a lot closer to them. Even when we're just talking and goin to cool worlds.
Was also gonna say this since expensive gadgets weren't excluded. I played a bunch of VR minigolf over pandemic to socialize with my irl friends who I couldn't hang out with and these days VR has been the center of more than half of the social gatherings at my place where I demo games and we pass the headset around for everyone to try different stuff. Seeing new people try VR for the first time never gets old.
Can you suggest what headset to get? Currently deciding between Quest and PSVR.
Not op but quest 2 is a great deal right now for cassual gaming. It works stand alone and with PC. I have also quest 3, but quest 2 is insanely cheap right now and will hold at least a couple of more years. The differences vs quest 3 do not justify the cost difference unless you are hardcore gamer. Imo
I went the whole hog and got the package with wife/wedding as well. Like you, It brings me joy every day, but was probably a lot more expensive than just getting a ring.
Actually, the wife came for free. Got a complimentary upgrade from the girlfriend package from her... The fool. I'd paid all I had three times over for her. 17 days ago, she got me another upgrade with the "newborn son" addon. Can't wait to see how that turns out in the long run. This one won't be free though.
Those addons are fun for about 12 years, but then they become really expensive with micro transactions like crazy, and later ending needing an entire college DLC. Start saving.
I have a couple of the same addons. I'm on day four thousand and something. Can confirm those addons are not free.
Congratulations on the new kiddo, and good luck! The learning curve on that one is steep, and the return policy is draconic, but it's still one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done.
Nah, that's boomer humor. Since it's not really expected that we have to get married, and divorce isn't as frowned upon, generally speaking most people who are married nowadays want to be.
Boomer humor it is.
In all seriousness, I wish their couple a very happy marriage and happy, healthy kids.
If you don't mind, how did the Fitbit motivate you to be more active? I've been considering one for a while but it doesn't seem like something I'd have a lot of utility for
Two ways:
One, it kinda gamified it for me, just having a score, meant I could go for a high score on days when I had the time for lots of steps/exercise. They build some in too, like streaks and hitting goals.
Two, the HR monitor definitely helped me push harder in cardio workouts. Knowing when I hit my max, and when it started dipping made even short workouts feel more effective (even if they weren't, placebo FTW).
Not for everyone obviously, but I developed a synthesizer habit some years ago, and right now is probably the best time ever for a beginner to get into it. Korg's Volca series, Roland's Aira compact, teenage engineering's Pocket Operators, Arturia's Microfreak, and Elektron's Model series are all affordable and a great way for a beginner to start making some cool-ass music. Beware developing a habit though. It only stays affordable so long.
My espresso machine. They're expensive. I do not know why they are, but they are. I hemmed and hawed for years about us getting one and finally decided fuck it. Im an adult, I want one, we can afford it.
In 2+ years the only times I have not made myself a cappuccino are when I have not been home to do so. It is one of my most used appliances. Espresso owns.
Which one you got?
Breville bambino plus. I love it. It's quarky with the cleaning (when it decides you need to clean it you CANNOT skip the clean cycle) but honestly probably for the best since if I could I'd just skip it too often.
Swapped out the head unit on my 2016 car for a touchscreen that supports Android Auto. I got spoiled using a similar one in my friend's rental car. It was only $600 installed at Best Buy. It's so nice not to have to fight with keeping my phone in a display holder where I can see the map, and now I can control my phone-streamed music with my steering wheel controls. Makes driving so much more pleasant.
I did this too around five years ago, but I installed it myself rather than paying for installation. I bought it from Crutchfield and they provided very good instructions.
It's harder to do in newer cars though, since the head unit has more of the car's systems going through it. Mine (2012 Mazda 3) only uses the head unit for what you'd expect - the radio, door/seatbelt chimes, and steering wheel controls.
The Panic Playdate. It’s just a really nice gaming console that is getting a lot of support from game devs. It’s one of the very few truly portable handhelds as it can easily fit in a pocket and the battery lasts forever too.
My super automatic espresso machine. Dead simple to use and so much cheaper than operating a keurig. I bought it because I’m awful at real coffee machines and need to have a single serve option. Being able to use whole beans has made it pay for itself in the 3 years I’ve had it.
Share a model please 😅
I use the Philips EP3221/44
I paid $700 for it but it’s available on places like Amazon $400.
Works great, minimal maintenance, and makes good enough coffee. The milk frother is fine but you won’t be making any latte art with it.
Somehow from what I've been seeing and talking with friends and on the web, the Philips espresso machines seem to be the most popular and the best/the shit these days. Maybe one day my Krups machine kicks the bucket and I get a Philips one and test it out to see how it goes.
Seconded! I must know
I bought a semi professional meat slicer , and a decent dehydrator. Now I make my own beef jerky and saving tons.
I've read several reviews that suggest DIY beef jerky is only slightly cheaper, and it's a surprising amount of work per pound. The TL;DR of those reviews was that it's just not worth it.
Has that not been your experience? I love to eat it but it's pretty expensive.
My dad used to make beef jerky, it was shit ton of work and he would buy expensive cuts of meat. So it was just as expensive.
Hanklight D4K for $50 was my first portable enthusiast flashlight. I'm currently 4 hanklights deep and they're loads of fun out in the country for spotting wildlife and general use with the open source Anduril 2 firmware (yes, flashlights can get firmware updates).
Ooh. I have an Olight Arkfeld Pro every day carry flashlight that I love. It's kind of flat and has a good clip for your pocket. Brightest mode is 1300 lumens and also has a blacklight and a 5mw green laser. Built solid as can be and has a lifetime warranty, including the built in battery. Love the thing.
Hank makes great lights, but I love OLights. I have 3 of those damned Arkfelds - I loved the UV one so much I got the laser version, and then they came out with the tri-function version!
It's such a great light! The UI is fantastic, the battery indicator is pretty, the UV is incredibly bright, and kudos to them for choosing a laser color other than red - green was a good choice. The battery lasts forever, the rectangle form factor is super comfortable to pocket-carry, and (of course) the 5-mode light is bright and clean. Oh, and that tail magnet is a beast! It's the only flashlight I carry, anymore.
That said, I'd give up some of that huge battery to slim it down. The original Arkfelds are OK, but the new tri-function is chonky. Doesn't stop me from carrying it, but it's right on the threshold. I could go for a smaller tri-function; the current battery is IMO overkill.
While I like the magnetic charger, I do wish it had a USB-C charge port. As is, having to travel with an extra bespoke charge cable sucks. It's my only real beef with OLights; contact charging is nice, but I'd trade it for versatility.
The proprietary charger is my only real negative about it. If not for that, I would take a slimmer version, like the old one over the bigger battery, but since I don't have as much access to my proprietary charger like I do with USB c all over the place I'm good with the bigger battery.
A smart switch for my espresso machine so it turns on a timer each morning so it's ready for when I get up, it takes about 25 minutes to fully warm up. Also I can turn it on or off using voice controls, great when I want another coffee later in the day.
Damn, that is a slow espresso machine. Mine takes like 1min.
Also, would that work for devices that need to have the "on" button pressed in order to turn on?
For example: Say I unplug one of my devices, while turned on. If I plug them again in the outlet, they will be turned off and I will have to turn them on again, even though they were on when I unplugged them.
My Bambino was ready in minutes. My Profitec Go takes a while. Very very dependent on the model. I wouldn't go back to the Bambino at all
I use two Zooz Zen15 with both my Moccamaster and Profitec. Been absolutely wonderful.
If so, quick question: Does it need a hub? Or can I just but the switch, install an app for it, then couple it with a home assistant?
No, its a smart thing switch as I have the hub, so its z wave. However I have a lot of smart home switches, lights and so on so that makes sense for me. Plenty of options if you do not want a hub now.
The espresso machine has a proper on off button so I just leave it in on position and the switch turns the power on and off
Lemmy needs a community dedicated to pointless debate over which flashlight is best. I'm about to permanently borrow somebody's ThruNite T1 but it's too heavy, I miss the mini Maglite I used to carry. Phone flash is fine, yes, but I miss a flashlight/torch without a fucking login procedure involved for fuck sake.
Fidget toys got a bad rep, especially after Fidget Spinners became trendy for the younger generation.
But just having a little thing I can toy around with has been great for my pens and game controllers, as in the before times my grabby hands would fiddle with them whenever I was thinking about shit and it was bad for their durability.
For less than a dollar? (ay, currency exchange rates) Yeah, one of the best things I bought.
I can confirm. I also have a fidget cube. my favorite side is the lightswitch one. 😊
I got a mechanical keyboard for Black Friday this year. So much better than scissor switches. I think I got one with a yellow switch. Feels quite cushiony while still having the clickity clack.
Massage gun. I thought they were an over hyped trinket until I tried one. Relaxed a muscle that hadn't relaxed in years.
If you're using it purely to relax muscles, then it is amazing. All the other claims about them seem to be BS though.
Seconding the massage gun, I had terrible muscle pain around my knee for over a year and after using one it went. I nearly fell off the bed as there wasn't any pain. I'm now trying to loosen up the ligament/tendon around the knee and in my hip as it's still tight....It's really nice to be able to go on a long walk and not be in pain or having to use sticks when going downhill
I know I may sound like an Amazon review, but the difference is amazing, and also reassuring as I thought I would be heading over hill into pain and general decrepitude....I'm also using it to loosen up the bf's knotty shoulders and bad back
My issue was also knee pain. I could never get my lower quads to relax. Massage gun got them on the first use. They're also great for trips where you'll be walking a lot.
A cheap robot vacuum.
My wife was against it, so I bought it in secret, let it run around the house during the day, and she was amazed at all the cleaning I was doing. A few months later, I let her into my dark secret, and now she loves it too.
Speaking of wife, I bought her a hooded blanket with an electric warming bag a few years ago. Within 3-5 minutes it's nice and toasty, and she's used it practically every day since I bought it.
I should be the first to get one of these, but I live in a split-level house. Until they can climb and clean stairs, probably not worth the hassle.
One of these months I'll get around to using the vacuum I do have...
Yeah, our problem is we have 4 cats. Vomit and occational butt-nuggets are a thing, and I don't want that smeared across the foor
Whirly-Pop popcorn pot. Perfect unburnt popcorn every time.
I'd like to mention a combo:
A Nvidia Shield TV 2019 Pro and a Synology NAS, they really are the perfect combo to sail the seas, or watch legal streams if you want to.
Both gadgets have been used daily since the day they were purchased, and that is a good sign lol.
The Shield TV uses hardware since 2015, and even when some could say it is failing into the enshitification territory due to the usual crappy decisions regarding putting ads in the stock launcher, it is to applaud that Nvidia still supports this thing officially though.
About the NAS, I have a two bay unit (bad decision) but it supports Docker and it has helped me to feel attached to Linux again.
Your usual multimedia selfhosted program that you have running in your overpowered server/rack, you name it, I could probably be using it too in my humble DS218+
If I had to choose only one I'd say the Shield, because along with Smart Tube Next already is 80% of my total usage lol (plus I had my NAS turned off for months because a recent fuck up, and I didn't have a PC to check it out, which is kinda solved now).
I’m on board with this. I did something similar putting a Synology 920+ and an Asus NUC style machine running Ubuntu in place of my old OptiPlex and WD MyCloud setup.
I’m now the primary content provider for a bunch of my family!
It is truly amazing how you can put a decent multimedia provider with minimal hardware, heck, my two units act as a PMS each, and it serves well enough my usage, my girlfriend and the one user that actually uses it remotely lol.
For sure! The only reason I upgraded is because the OptiPlex costs a lot to run in terms of electricity.
For stuff I pretty much run 24/7 I really wanted better power efficiency.
You can run Plex on a Raspberry Pi if you disable transcoding!
A spring assisted, liner lock, pocket clipped, flipper knife.
It is really useful to have a sharp blade in your hand less than one second after you think you need it.
Even a small knife is handy. Multitools are fine, but IME I only ever use the blade, and single-purpose knives are better at being knives than multi tools. My favorite knife is a MicroTech 70; I can carry it in any pants without it feeling bulky.
Flippers are good too; I do like the clean lines on the MicroTech(s).
Maybe it's because I used multi tools, but I can't relate. At different points about 20 years ago, I carried a cybertool and a Leatherman (not at the same time). In both cases, I used the screwdrivers, very occasionally the pliers. I never used the blades, though. I honestly don't know when I'd want a knife. Certainly not for a daily carry.
Two "gadgets" that I'm never without. My Leatherman multitool and my RovyVon Aurora flashlight. The multitool with locking blades is like carrying a toolbox on your hip. And that flashlight - it's 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, but it can kick out a beam that lights up things 1000 feet away. Or provide enough light to read by for 40 hours. Yeah, I can use the smartphone's flash, but it isn't bright enough to show me if the two eyes reflecting back at me belong to a dog or a bear. That's important where I live.
It's a common thing I read on here. All the swiss pocket knives, Leatherman and flashlights.
What are you people doing with those? I cannot remember the last time one of these items has been relevant to me.
I use mine on a daily basis just opening shit. Probably every week or so the pliers or screwdriver comes in handy. Last year it saved my ass when I had to fix the skid plate on my car in the middle of a parking lot after I slid into a curb and it got fucked up..
Leatherman Juice Pro here. I use it almost every day, mostly the knife & pliers, but the tweezers, screwdrivers, and scissors get used about once a week.
I see the people saying why carry one - if they need tools they'll just go to their toolbox. I do that too, but having this saves me the trip, and on more than one occasion, lots of time. I've done roadside car repairs with just the Leatherman, and around the house it's nice to have immediate access to a capable set of tools without searching. I've even grabbed the wrong tool, got to the top of the ladder, and then just used the Leatherman because it was there.
You might not realise how often you really would use these, and they barely take up any room.
Koss KSC75, I've been using them for almost 10 years now.
It's still one of the best "price per formance" on the market until these days.
But I want to add that its ability to act like on-ear headphones but you can choose to wear it over just one ear if you want it a very nice feature.
I've also been using them and I love them to death. They also got some great mod ability too. I've seen people make them so you can swap cables, add head bands, mics, even entirely wireless.
Just such insanely good headphones for 20$, I'd say they have like 70% of the fidelity of my $300 Sennheiser hd600
Second whoever said massage gun, nail on the head.
I however developed an addiction to 3D printing, it's as frustrating as it is fun but damn have I been busy...
An Ice Cream Maker. Been making my own Ice Cream for years now and its amazing. The cheap machines which requires you to freeze the bowl is nice, but the one with a heat pump built in is amazing. In 3 hours I can make batches of Mint, Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream.
Woah! I didn't know they made heat pump ice cream makers (for non commercial users) at a decent price.
Amazon sells them with the search term "with compressor". I got this one 2 years ago, it's pricey but you can get smaller ones with less volume for cheaper. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FXMW4AS/
My QNAP NAS drive. As well as storing all my media I also have various containers running all sorts... My Home Assistant instance, MQTT broker, ESPHome, zigbee2mqtt, Frigate, and Emby to name a few. It does so much for something so small and cheap to run.
Aeropress coffee maker. $30? Sure I'll try it. Best coffee I've made at home besides a real espresso machine
I bought a cheap plumbers torch a little over two years ago and it's been the most useful thing I've purchased.
Lights my wood stove quickly and without hassle, lights my offset smoker, lights my firepit and any other fires quickly and effortlessly. It's such a small thing but makes a huge difference in everyday life for me and my family. 4th of July is better without needing to constantly click a lighter that may or may not blow out from a gust of wind.
Years ago I got one of those iRig guitar input jacks for my iPhone. Having a wealth of tones and a basic DAW available to me for the first time really did a lot to help me expand my playing ability.
boox note3. it's extremely basic, and i mostly use it to hold recipes, but it makes a great e-reader as well!
wireless earbuds. make working out so much less boring!
shoe stretchers and shoe stretcher spray. saved me from having to return 2 pairs of expensive boots.
Wireless earbuds are a game changer
Stopwatch.
I can measure my computerless time, exercise time...and, of course, many other things 😁
Have you heard of smartphones? 😅
Honestly? I find a lot of things a smartphone CAN do aren't as convenient as they should be.
Like the stopwatch function is buried inside the clock app. So you can't open it quickly. And on top of that, instead of a tactile button you can rest your finger on and hit at a moments notice, the button on the phone is a touch sensitive area on a glass pane. It's just not as optimal as a dedicated digital stopwatch.
Not sure for iOS, but on Android you can put the stopwatch widget on your home screen if you use it a lot, makes it easier to reach. Not as easy as a dedicated stopwatch, but an option if you don't want one but use the feature a lot.
Takes time to reach the app. Takes one second to press one button on the stopwatch.
And I rather reserve the phone's battery for something else than for this purpose.
Also - I didn't know we were gadget-shaming here?
I am by no means gadget shaming, don't get me wrong. It's just I do all you mentioned there with a stopwatch on my phone, and personally I would never consider buying a dedicated stopwatch for this purpose. I'm happy you're enjoying yours though, may it last you long!
It also depends on how often you need to use a specific tool.
In my case, I use the stopwatch often enough to have it existing on its own 🙂
Not quite a gadget but I bought a sleeping mask some years ago and it has definitely made sleeping much easier.
I used to struggle a lot to sleep and having total darkness helps a lot, so I recommend giving it a try.
I have tinnitus, and bought a Bluetooth audio sleep mask so that I could sleep with the TV off and not keep my partner awake. That in itself was a game changer, but on top of that, I sleep way better with my eyes covered and I use it now even when I'm not listening.
(It's extra weird because I have thick eyelids and see black when I close my eyes even in a well lit room, so I never considered that I'd need one.)
Razer Kishi controller for an old Android Phone running various emulators.
olight mini led torch. Fits in my pocket and especially during winter months it is so useful.
I have two items I bought for my upcoming Aviation Maintenance training this December. A usb rechargeable flashlight and a 17-in-1 multitool, both which will come in mighty handy these next few years
I got it as a present rather than buying it myself but my tire pressure / tread depth measuring tool gets near constant use so it’s super easy to check on my car’s tires when I need to
@Fumbles Bose Quiet Comfort 35 headphones. Though I suspect the noise cancellation doesn't work as well. Also it's been several years, I wonder if they make new ones like they used to.
On that theme: MegaBoom 3 (without Alexa etc) speaker. Awesome bass and volume for a portable, waterproof. Great for bike parties and frankly a shower radio.
If you asked me 10 years ago I'd probably not expect to love any Bluetooth devices.
Didn't buy this (got as gift) but Nicron B74 flashlight, super bright
If it counts, definitely the Steam Deck. With that and emulators, it's like having almost every game I've ever owned in one portable machine.
In a similar vein, I love my ps vita. Hacked, it's an absolutely amazing console, and is able to boast the "actually fits in my pocket" award.
Similar here: Anbernic RG280V. Fits in a pocket. Plays everything up through PSX. I use it all the time!
Such a cool console. Sony butchered it, but theres still so much fun to be had with it. We got a GTA san andreas port by the community ffs
Yeah i have a modded psvita, scene is suprsingly active. You got ensō?
I just got one so reading this makes me hopeful. Fallen out of love with gaming a bit in recent years
Check out “Dave the diver”. I’ve fallen out of love with gaming as well and I’ve been dropping a lot of hours into this game on my steam deck. Super unique and easy to pick up and put down. Feels fresh.
Will do sir
If you like platformers Bzzt just came out and would definitely run on the deck. For roguelikes I'd recommend Darkest Dungeon, Hades, or Rogue Legacy. For a straightforward RPG with 3D models but pixel art I'd recommend Octopath Traveller 2.
I also recommend Dave the Diver as well, fantastic game.
Also just ordered mine. Since I started working fulltime remote a year ago, I found myself not wanting to spend more time on my desk after work. That translated into me almost giving up gaming even though I used to love it. Moving to a place where I can have a second desk would cost me one Steam Deck per month so I just went with a Steam Deck lol
I got one recently too, and it’s already helping me with this. I hope you find joy in it :). I never buy myself anything so I was worried I’d regret it… but I really like it so far.
Omg same, but it's been a rough year so this is my Christmas gift to myself I guess. Also glad to hear it's helping you :)
It’s been great for getting to games I’m not sure I would have otherwise. Ori and the Blind Forest was the perfect game to play through on it!
I hope you have a better rest of the year and beyond. This year stank a bit for me too, but there’s been some good things as well.
I got a retroid pocket 3+ for emulators and it's fuckin awesome. I feel like a steam deck may be in my near future lol
Almost all my gaming is on my SD now. Love this thing.
I came here to type that, so I'll just upvote yours instead. Such a versatile device, the Steam Deck!
Along these lines, i’m thrilled with the ps portal as well. was only $200, but the ps online streaming is so good. i used to use it on ps4 on my ipad with an external controller from 1200 miles away at legit decent frame rate and latency.
ps portal’s display is crisp and beautiful, it looks so much more gorgeous than the steam deck (because all the rendering is done on the ps5), and there are some games that i don’t even really want to play on the big screen format that the portal has made awesome because they’re wonderful on handheld format.
best gaming purchase i’ve made in a long while
A bidet 💪 even a cheap one is nice.
After using a dedicated bidet for the first time, I was an instant convert! But the after market ones installed in existing toilets just aren't the same. If I ever get the chance, I'll be adding one to any house I own!
You mean those handheld bidets like a tiny shower head on a flexible hose? I actually much prefer those over the ones mounted inside the toilet bowl. I can aim them wherever I want, and I find it handy for all kinds of non-bidet things - you can hose things down in the tub or sink next to the toilet, for example, or use it to clean the toilet bowl itself.
I mean the stand alone ones built in beside the toilet.
Something like this
Ahh, yeah, I don't like the notion of those. Never tried one but just conceptually it seems limited.
The kind I've got is just this, it's super easy to attach to an existing toilet and is quite handy.
I'm Italian and I must support @FaceDeer 's point, these are standard in my country (and they should be standard everywhere, damn barbarians) and they are definitely better than a spray nozzle attached to a toilet. You can also use them for other things, like washing your feet.
So you have a dirty crack, you got to get up, and waddle through the bathroom with pants on your ankles?
Yeah, I'm wondering about that. I'm a filthy TP barbarian but, how exactly does one make this style of bidet work?
I think there's confusion about which versions of bidet we're talking about. The kind I'm lauding, the ones like a little shower head, are attached to the toilet you're on. You don't need to go anywhere to use them, just reach over and take it from its holder.
How do you guys use that? I'm guessing you live somewhere where it's warm? That would be spraying ice cold water up my bum over here.
The opposite, actually - I'm Canadian. :)
All I can say is that if you've never tried a bidet before you'll likely be very surprised by how little sensitivity you've got to cold water down there. It's simply not uncomfortable or even particularly noticeable, either in my experience or in anyone I've talked to about it (which is admittedly not many - it's not a common topic of conversation).
The hand bidet was super cheap and the shipping was free, so I figured "why not give it a whirl?" And it worked out great.
How do you make it work though? You slip a hand behind you and aim at the crack at an angle so it sprays into the bowl?
Yup, exactly.
ill second that, i thought it would be a problem but decided to just endure the cold because i didnt feel like running power over to the toilet but turned out not to be a problem at all. if anything its sort of refreshing lol
Warning. Purchasing a bidet will ruin travel because you don't feel clean the entire trip
I recently started carrying one of these in my travel kit. Absolutely recommended for just that reason.
https://culoclean.com/
It literally saves so much water. 💧
How? Aren't you using more water than normal dry wiping, which uses none?
It takes a lot of water and energy to make toilet paper. Well, a lot more than turning on my bidet for 10 seconds.
I would also add on that, unless you REALLY rocked that toilet, every poo becomes a single flush. Rather than potentially needing to double flush to avoid clogging it
While you're shopping for a bidet also shop for an Australian toilet. The half flush saves a lot more water too but the proper s-bend makes everything a single flush even if you rocked it hard.
and by rocked it I mean you filled it with mercury for some reason
One of those is a bathroom remodel and the other is twenty minutes with a wrench in a rental
What's this now? There are a number of US toilets that have the dual flush feature, but what's this about a modified S bend?
Literally no other countries have problems with toilets clogging. It's not a modified S, it's a normal one
That's my secret, I've got a 50 year old toilet with a five gallon tank. There's nothing this bad boy can't take down.
https://youtu.be/DGyaFzRciMA?si=AAOU8yHrWBnT0ti4
Ahh, that's an interesting angle I hadn't considered. I wonder if there's a way to quantify the water savings this way, like a volume of water per TP roll or something. I feel like that could be a solid selling point to get more people interested in buying one.
I was curious a while ago and researched a little. Bidets are the environmental champ for butt cleaning.
Ten seconds? I think Mother Nature can understand if you wanna live it up a little bit more you know?
Came to say bidet. I have the poor man version .. 25 at Amazon. I suffer Everytime I have to go back to only tp when not at home. I feel like a savage caveman without one. Smearing poop is just nasty and uncivilized to me. I have used the fancy ones in Japan but really did not like the warm water. I prefer the shocking cold glaciar feeling of butt refreshes. To anyone reading this...get a bidet, ANY KIND... Try cleaning up peanutbutter from your arm with just paper to experience what we talking about .
Probably it doesn't quite count as a gadget, but repurposing my old PC as a home server. Firstly it makes a great mass storage solution making all my media accessible from any device, no matter what architecture it is and what apps it can run. I also self-host Home Assistant, Syncthing, Radicale, Navidrome, Jellyfin and UrBackup. The ten years old 2 core Pentium with 8GB of RAM can do it all, it's much cheaper to run than half a dozen subscription services and I have total control over my data and privacy.
wow that's amazing. so it's connected to all other PCs in the house? did you have to buy a lot of new storage?
Bidet for sure. A good one in the $300-400 range. It is such a gamechanger to always have a clean ass. And without TP, the toilet never clogs and you aren't spending extra on TP. Also helps with hemorrhoids if/when you get those, as TP is really rough on your asshole/not good for you.
I still have some TP for guests, but with the dryer built in, it really isn't needed.
Also, a bidet is a lifesaver if you like extreme hotsauces. Basically, it's the only piece of daily furniture that makes me go "God, I'm so glad I bought this" for literal years since I got it in the pandemic. No cold toilet seat during winter. Heated seat that doesn't slam. Hot water. Hot air blow dryer. Self-cleaning.
Came to say bidet, but I have the poor man version .. 25 at Amazon. I suffer Everytime I have to go back to only tp when not at home. I feel like a savage caveman without one. Smearing poop is just nasty and uncivilized to me. I have used the fancy ones in Japan but really did not like the warm water. I prefer the shocking cold glaciar feeling of butt refreshes. To anyone reading this...get a bidet, ANY KIND... Try cleaning up peanutbutter from your arm with just paper to experience what we talking about .
Well, you can spend 300-400 or you can buy a "portable bidet bottle" and clean your asshole with warm water. You'll still need to use some toilet paper (or maybe a towel) to dry, but you'll be spending $15 more or less and you can carry it with you when you travel.
Have you ever used one of these? I thought about getting one for backpacking trips; TP becomes a major consideration on those, and - frankly - I often have all the time in the world to wait, and airdry, and enjoy the view. At least, on summer trips. But I've wondered how well they work in practice.
i have a backpacking bidet (culo clean specifically) and I would say it gives mixed results. basically, you need to practice and develop a technique to "get the most" out of it in terms of water usage, how clean you can get, etc. I don't have a normal bidet so i have nothing to compare it with and maybe my technique isnt so good. mine gets me mostly clean but i still need a square of toilet paper to make sure in almost every case. better than not having it, but not the results I was hoping for.
I've been using a 0.5L one for years now. Usually it's enough, but there are times that when I dry (with toilet paper) I see that I need a little more cleaning and then I either finish with the paper or refill the bottle and try again.
How well do they self-clean? How often do you need to clean it manually?
I've cleaned it twice just to feel good about it, but it's been sparkling aside from some hard water deposits, which came off pretty easily. It always runs water over it after use, and the nozzle angle is so steep, it doesn't get poo on it. I have a toto one. (I've had mine since about mid 2021)
I still clean the toilet seat and the underside of the seat though, which can get a bit of pee on it if you're a guy. I'm a bit of a clean freak too, so when I say clean, I mean clean, lol.
A countertop water boiler. It turns out I go through just about 4L of tea a day and now I spend a lot less time boiling water. And when you refill it and it comes to temperature it plays Fur Elise
edit: typo
You mean a kettle? How did you not already have one?
Very uncommon in the US at least.
They're a little different. Kettles are small (1-2 liters) will heat water until it's boiling and then shut off(or have the user disconnect the heat source)
Water boilers hold a larger amount of water (3-5 liters) at a consistent temperature with a button to dispense it.
I upgraded from a kettle to a zojirushi water boiler and I've never looked back. The thing is incredible. Absolutely worth the price.
Oh! Ok, you've sold me! :)
It's because the USA power standards are not suitable for kettle life. The 110 voltage on their power means it takes ages to come to the boil. The idea of putting a few cups of water into a kettle, pushing a button and having boiling water inside a minute does not exist.
That's why these tabletop things are useful: yes they take ages to initially boil, then they maintain that temperature. 110 volts is fine for that task.
There are 240v outlets in the USA, but they're usually only used for things with heavy power draw (clothes dryers, EV chargers, electric hot water heaters, etc). Some areas have 208v instead of 240v though.
But yeah, boiling water is slow in the USA and a lot of people do it in the microwave (whereas I never saw anyone ever do that in Australia). We've got a Breville espresso machine that has instant hot water, which is useful for some of the use cases we'd use a kettle for.
No, these devices hold water at the appropriate temperature for long periods of time using extremely good insulation. They provide hot water on-demand after reaching temperature and are used in a way that is somewhat different from kettles.
No, I mean the things I linked to. They're like small countertop hot water tanks. I also do have multiple kettles.
In the US most do not own a kettle
And Zojirushi sells parts for their appliances! So instead of having to buy a brand new boiler, I just got a lid for my 15 year old boiler. I’ll always give business to companies that support their products like that
+rep for Zojirushi. My water boiler lid recently began chipping and pretty much disintigrating and on their website I saw they even have replacement parts for discontinued products. Very cool of them
Example: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/spare_parts/item/8-CDQ-P010
fur elise? fleur de lis is the ⚜
would a raspberry pi count? i've been self-hosting a nextcloud instance and my RSS feed for a while now and i've really been enjoying it
Arduino in the same vein. There's a great "30 Days Lost in Space" tutorial set, but even to play around with by yourself for cheap, you can get an off brand (the hardware is open source!) Arduino Mega for 20 bucks. All sorts of cool programming and electronics fun.
Ditto on the Arduino. I built a pickup winder for electric guitar, and it's more than made up for its price in entertainment alone.
Heck yes. I never want to use the internet anywhere but my house because my husband installed a Pihole and it’s the best thing evaaaar.
Steam Deck. Without question. I don't think I would have been able to cope with the last year and a half of my life without it. This year has been very rough and I have been able to escape life while still spending time with my family. Top-tier psychological maintenance for me.
Same. Long Covid has me tied to my bed and with the Steam Deck I can at least get some gaming to pass the time. It's awesome!
This one seems silly, but one really useful cheap thing I bought that I use much more than I thought I would is an electric kettle. (I should point out I'm in the US) I use it to make iced tea, my wife uses it for hot tea, and we both use it for boiling water for whatever cooking project needs it. We have a gas stove, and it takes about twice as long to heat up a liter of water as this kettle. It uses a normal US 120v outlet and I think it draws 1,000w. (Edit: I looked it up and it's 1,100 watts)
Seconding an electric kettle, even a cheap one was a game changer over not having one at all. Crazy how 99.99% of people I know as an American don't own one
Boiling water is only for pasta to Americans
I wonder if they're more popular now. I took this in a Walmart in California. https://imgur.com/d5ae1Po Although about half of those are not electric!
Most Americans don't drink tea. The only things that I know they are used for are tea and instant noodles.
Don't let the pour over coffee crowd hear you. You'll be done for. A proper gooseneck kettle is like top 3 priority.
And if we do drink tea it's frequently iced, so timeliness of the boiling isn't a huge concern.
Why does America look like poor Poland villages. But even poor Poland Villages have electric kettles.
Why don't Americans use electric kettles? https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c?si=t7nyeDTJIuVDfsQq
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://piped.video/_yMMTVVJI4c?si=t7nyeDTJIuVDfsQq
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.
Most Americans have a coffee pot instead of an electric kettle. Coffee is a cultural staple in the US. Tea is not.
Dear god, I won't even look at a kettle that's less than 2200w.
In fact ours gets so much use I just ordered one that I can shout at across the room to switch on
This is where the 120 volt power makes it a little worse for us Americans. 2200w would be 18 amps, easily taking most of the power on a breaker.
If kettles ever got more popular in the US maybe they could put 240v outlets in kitchens for kettles, but that would be a huge change.
At 110V that's a 20A kettle. So you aren't getting that high of wattage kettle in the US. Most standard US residential breakers are only 20A (some are only 15A) and they aren't designed to continuously run near the max amperage so the biggest we can run on a "normal" circuit is probably around a 1760W kettle but it would also have to be the only thing running on that circuit at the time.
plus one and I use it for a lot of non cooking where you want water of a specific temperature. Unclogging drains and filling the carpet cleaner comes to mind.. Its like I want 135 degree water. Oh also nasal irrigation water. Its great for it to have a wide temperature setting.
A good pair of headphones and a decent amp and dac to power them. It's like discovering music all over again.
My personal recs: Modhouse Argon Mk3, Hifiman Sundara, Sennheiser hd6xx
Any recommendations for amp and DACs?
I got a Topping E30/L30 stack but you can't go wrong with a JDS Labs Atom stack or a Schiit Magni
I use the older version of this Xduoo XD05 if I'm going "mobile".
Apple USB C dongle + Schiit Heresy is my combo, I love it
A home server. Originally a Dell R710, now a custom built desktop.
If I can possibly self host something now I will do that over using big tech proprietary services. I feel free.
Same. I'm almost completely off the cloud at this point and I love it.
Just don't forget backups! I use Borgbackup for mine.
I know some people don't want a home server because of the space it'd take up, but you can get pretty powerful mini PCs these days (look for ones with an i3-N305 processor) or buy cheap second-hand ex-office PCs on eBay.
For people that still don't want to have a physical server at their house, you can do a lot of the same self-hosting stuff using a VPS. If you live in an area with expensive electricity (like California or Australia), you can usually get a VPS with a modern processor, ~8GB RAM, and a decent amount of NVMe disk space for $5/month or less, which is easily what it'd cost you just for the electricity usage of a home server.
Last time I needed new headphones for going out, I bought a Shockz bone conducting headphone.
While the specific one I bought was the wrong choice (the Run I got is slick but needs a proprietary charging cable instead of the USB-C the Move uses, and they sound 100% the same), overall the concept is really good. I enjoy hearing people around me, for someone who more listens to podcasts and radio shows not music the quality is perfect, and I can wear these on my bicycle without having to worry I won't hear something.
Also, since they don't sit in the ear not enclose it it's easy to semi-forget them there as they're so comfortable, no stuffed feeling or sweaty ears. I sometimes just use them at home instead of shifting a podcast onto the sonos speakers. Just easier.
Yes. I love mine. I originally got some bone-conduction headphones to use at my job because I work in a high noise environment and they still work while you're wearing earplugs, but I use them pretty much constantly now. It's really nice to have my music or podcasts and still be able to hear when someone asks me a question, or to be able to hear traffic coming if I'm out walking or jogging.
I've had a couple pairs of them now and weirdly bone-conduction headphones seem to be the one electronic device that under promises on its battery life. I don't know if maybe I just got lucky, but the cheap no name set I got off Amazon promised 5 hours, but even after a year still regularly lasts 8 or 9. My Shokz Open Run Pros promise 10 hours, and I routinely get 15 or 16 hours. So that's nice.
I've heard of these for a while and general question for you and anyone else who's looked. What are the red flags? Nothing comes without risks and years of research has shown the hearing damage from traditional headphones. There has to be a rub with these. What are the negative rumblings of using these style of headphones. They have to be there. We just don't have the decades of research yet.
If I now say that your premise is wrong (headphones don't cause hearing loss, loud noises do, independent of the source), does that automatically answer your question? 😛
Now to dig a bit deeper into that, there is a lot of research into MIHL from using PLDs, and the key thing is always people turning up the volume higher than they normally would, usually due to the context of where they are. That is, we use our little headphones in noisy environments, and to drown out the noise we turn them up too much and start damaging our ears over time.
In that regard, bone conduction headsets are worse. They are intentionally fully open, and don't in the slightest bit try to reduce ambient noise. That is, if anything you'd be tempted to crank them up even higher.
I will however say that the models I've used all came with an interesting "safety" in this regard that stems from the way they work: At a certain and not that loud noise level, they start vibrating physicially off the skin during playback, in turn plateauing the achievable volume. I suspect however that this level is already beyond healthy.
So, in other words:
If you're concerned about hearing loss, keep the volume in sane reaches. If you also need to ignore outside noise while listening, this means getting enclosing and/or noise-cancelling headphones, not open ones like bone conducting. However, if keeping the volume low, say during listening at home, bone conduction is no different from other forms of receiving audio, both still stimulate the hearing canal hairs.
Agreed 100%.
Before I got my noise cancelling headphones, I was very aware of the volume that I have set when trying to watch a movie in a plane. After I got the noise cancelling headphones, I no longer have to set it that loud anymore.
That said, some airlines need to relook their volumes of their PA system. Some of them are shockingly louder than necessary. Lol
Yeah, I love my ANC earbuds. In pass-through mode, I can hear ambient sounds almost better than I can without them, especially on a bike where I can tune them to blank wind noise but allow voices and bells. And you're right about not needing high volume to hear music well. They have great sound quality, and the ANC is indispensible on airplanes.
The downside is cost; GP's bone-conducting headset is $90, and the other pair they mention is $60. A good pair of ANC earbuds starts around $200, and some of the better pairs are upwards of $300.
Worth the money, IMO, but if $60 is all you can afford, GP's might be the better bet than super sketchy-quality cheap ANC earbuds.
Robot vacuum. Autistic and ADHD and could never keep on top of keeping my floor clean. But I can now!
Been looking at these for a while but I can't seem to decide on one, any suggestions?
I've had a look, not purchased, but watched a lot of review videos and I'd recommend you to do the same as no one here is going to have really tried all the different models available.
Unfortunately, the price does seem to correlate with the quality and performance and the most expensive auto vacuums cost in the £300 region. They also will never be as powerful as a traditional upright, can't do stairs and of course you still have to empty them and take them up and down the stairs to do the different floors of your house. But yh, the price is the biggest reason I've not gotten one myself.
Dereference this?
Roborock S8+ with the dock is awesome. It's a straight upgrade from the last gen flagship Roomba.
Way better mapping and battery life.
https://us.roborock.com/pages/roborock-s8
I had Neatos for years. They worked great until they didn't; I always had to do a lot of troubleshooting. Now I have a Wyze vacuum, which I think is a rebrand of a larger Chinese brand. It doesn't clean as well as the Neatos, but it's had no problems so far, and it was much cheaper.
There's plenty of reviews out there if you want to get into it, and it does seem like some of the more expensive ones out there have some really nice features. But if you've been on the fence for a while my advice is to pick a well reviewed affordable one and go for it.
Once you have something cleaning your floors you'll have more time to research which one is the ultimate vacuum.
Y'all this sound crazy, but the Bug A Salt is fucking awesome.
It's worth it if you can get a black Friday deal or something under 30$ because it's just a little salt when you shoot it and there's no guts on your wall, no dirty fly swatter, no chasing, no jumping, no reaching, and you feel like a sniper hitman.
Its not a toy. That shit hurts when you get hit lol
Do you not just have salt everywhere?
Flyscreen on my windows has stopped me ever needing to kill flies.
I think my window isn't sealed correctly in one of my rooms because somehow bugs can all come in even though there is a screen. It's frustrating because it means I can't leave them open for fresh air at night.
For flying bugs just use a mist spray bottle with water. Spray the bug with water first so it can't fly away. Then squish it. It's cheaper, the water evaporates, and for people with bad aim it's a lot easier to hit.
Flipper Zero - I'm not being devious with it. Yet.
Kidding - I bought it since I am a ham and I can find a dozen uses for it in the field.
It'd probably be worth it just to turn off the TV's that blare ads at you at train stations and such if it can do that.
they had TV b gone years ago. I'd wager it is still around or has many improved copy cats.
I'd have a ham sandwich
Cordless vacuum was a costly one but certainly made that chore a lot more easy and kinda fun. I planned to store it in a closet but I'd take it out every few days so eventually I started leaving it on the floor, it's not in the way there either.
On a similar note, robot vacuum. It cleans quite nicely, is surprisingly reliable, and as a bonus you keep the floor less cluttered to make sure it doesn't run into stuff it shouldn't.
This year, my partner and I traded our large "traditional" vacuum for a robot + cordless stick vacuum.
Honestly, a great decision. Robot vacuum runs once a weekday, house has never been cleaner. Anything it doesn't get, we can quickly grab the cordless for.
Yeah I got one of those Samsung ones with the dock you set it in when not in use. It charges it up and empties the canister into it's own built in vacuum. I use it all the time to pick up the loose cat litter and quick vacuum jobs on the floors.
3D printer. At any moment in time I could just print something out and it would be ready by the time I finish eating. The possibilities are endless, plenty of free models online or just learn how to design yourself.
Edit: I currently use an Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro
What are some fun or useful things you print? I see a lot of prints online that are toys or action figures, and that's pretty neat but I usually am not impressed with the quality.
I almost exclusively print functional things so here's my list of things I've designed or printed:
Some of this could have been bought online but having a 3D printer really reveals how overpriced plastic stuff is. I rarely print something that costs me more than a few dollars in filament - and that's if it's a very large object, it's easily less than the shipping cost of an equivalent item alone, and small things can often only be found in large packs online while usually costing only a couple cents to print. And plenty of the stuff I print benefits from being able to be made custom and to the exact dimensions I need, for example the furniture leg extensions I made fit perfectly on the furniture legs and raise them up exactly as high as they need to be for my robovac to go under, not a centimeter more. A whiteboard marker caddy I made holds the exact number of markers I have / want to have and attaches under a light switch wall plate which I designed in order to avoid needing to attach it with command strips or screws (it gets clamped between the wall plate and the wall by the existing light switch screws). The first item I listed, the tubular key, was printed with the exact bitting needed for the lock (layer height of 0.05mm is enough vertical resolution for the key to work).
I dunno about other guy, but I came here to say 3d printer.
I've printed small plastic parts to fix the flush mechanism of a toilet for pennies. I've printed little utility items like hangers for parts to paint. Holders for dnd minis to make painting them easier. Storage boxes to organize small parts for various other hobbies. Giant realistic cock and balls turned into a trophy. Replacement parts for board games that have been lost or broken over the years. Custom dice towers and dice boxes for dnd dice sets. Etc.
The ability to see a need, take some measurements, and spend a few minutes in a cad software to have a replacement part that you otherwise can't find (or can't find by itself) is honestly amazing.
I just bought my first one, it'll be here in 3 days, I'm excited!
I've recently been working on a cube tomato project. I have those models up on my Printables account. I'm planning on uploading more useful stuff I print up.
https://www.printables.com/model/573244-cube-tomato-mold-v3
The simplest thing I printed is the one I'm most happy about, I had a power bar dangling beside my bed for all my chargers and I printed 2 small clips and it holds it great.
I printed bookcase supports, an air filter and tons of custom boxes for electronics. I learned the basics of SolidWorks so I could design stuff for my printer (ender 3 S1)
Mobile telephone. Does all kinds of fancy stuff, it's even got a torch!
Bone conducting ear phones, I have tiny narrow ear canals and can't get any type of ear bud to go in my ears, the bone conductors are a revelation for listening to audio books, radio and music when I'm out and about
Got a brand to recommend? Sounds awesome.
Shokz is a brand that makes them. I haven't had a pair but a student of mine had them and liked them.
Shokz are awesome. I also have finicky and small ear holes that don’t like earbuds that much, along with piercings that can get annoyed depending on the style. Shockz solves all that plus I can hear my surroundings. Pro tip for camping…wear the shockz WITH earplugs and play white noise or sleep music. It was the only way I slept during a bass music festival with after parties going until dawn.
My wife was a bone conduction earphone candidate for multiple reasons and I convinced her to try some. Her first pair from Shokz died relatively quickly, but they sent her a replacement without much hassle. She likes them a lot. Every now and then I steal them for a bit. I call it the "voice of god" because when you play something through them it's like telepathy. You can hear the outside unimpeded, but there's also this extra sound being injected into your head. Would recommend.
I have been using them for years.. reliability is questionable.. but their warranty is hassle-free. Got 3 pairs in one year .very little questions asked.
Shokz are awesome. I can't have my hearing impared at work for safety and just practical reasons but the shokz don't block my hearing so they're fine. The battery on them can also easily last through a whole 12 hour shift. I've had mine for a couple of years now and only just recently one of the buttons has started to act up, otherwise I've had no problems with them.
Mine are Shokz, I've had them a couple of years now with no issues at all, the battery lasts for many hours, I've never had then run out for.my use case
Refillable Salt and Pepper-Mills. I can "feel" now how much Salt or Peper I add to something.
Its kind of silly, but VR. I like hanging out in vrchat with my internet friends and it makes me feel a lot closer to them. Even when we're just talking and goin to cool worlds.
Was also gonna say this since expensive gadgets weren't excluded. I played a bunch of VR minigolf over pandemic to socialize with my irl friends who I couldn't hang out with and these days VR has been the center of more than half of the social gatherings at my place where I demo games and we pass the headset around for everyone to try different stuff. Seeing new people try VR for the first time never gets old.
Can you suggest what headset to get? Currently deciding between Quest and PSVR.
Not op but quest 2 is a great deal right now for cassual gaming. It works stand alone and with PC. I have also quest 3, but quest 2 is insanely cheap right now and will hold at least a couple of more years. The differences vs quest 3 do not justify the cost difference unless you are hardcore gamer. Imo
A wedding ring. Enlightens my life every day.
You just need the ring?
I went the whole hog and got the package with wife/wedding as well. Like you, It brings me joy every day, but was probably a lot more expensive than just getting a ring.
Actually, the wife came for free. Got a complimentary upgrade from the girlfriend package from her... The fool. I'd paid all I had three times over for her. 17 days ago, she got me another upgrade with the "newborn son" addon. Can't wait to see how that turns out in the long run. This one won't be free though.
Those addons are fun for about 12 years, but then they become really expensive with micro transactions like crazy, and later ending needing an entire college DLC. Start saving.
I have a couple of the same addons. I'm on day four thousand and something. Can confirm those addons are not free.
Congratulations on the new kiddo, and good luck! The learning curve on that one is steep, and the return policy is draconic, but it's still one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done.
Blink twice if you're in danger
Nah, that's boomer humor. Since it's not really expected that we have to get married, and divorce isn't as frowned upon, generally speaking most people who are married nowadays want to be.
Boomer humor it is.
In all seriousness, I wish their couple a very happy marriage and happy, healthy kids.
The cheap (est, I think) fitbit. Dropped a 100lbs and it was a big part of the motivation.
Same.. 35kgs for me.. I've put about 10kg.back.on..but im less active than I used.to be to get the weight off
If you don't mind, how did the Fitbit motivate you to be more active? I've been considering one for a while but it doesn't seem like something I'd have a lot of utility for
Two ways:
One, it kinda gamified it for me, just having a score, meant I could go for a high score on days when I had the time for lots of steps/exercise. They build some in too, like streaks and hitting goals.
Two, the HR monitor definitely helped me push harder in cardio workouts. Knowing when I hit my max, and when it started dipping made even short workouts feel more effective (even if they weren't, placebo FTW).
Have you done solo exercises or with others?
Not for everyone obviously, but I developed a synthesizer habit some years ago, and right now is probably the best time ever for a beginner to get into it. Korg's Volca series, Roland's Aira compact, teenage engineering's Pocket Operators, Arturia's Microfreak, and Elektron's Model series are all affordable and a great way for a beginner to start making some cool-ass music. Beware developing a habit though. It only stays affordable so long.
My espresso machine. They're expensive. I do not know why they are, but they are. I hemmed and hawed for years about us getting one and finally decided fuck it. Im an adult, I want one, we can afford it.
In 2+ years the only times I have not made myself a cappuccino are when I have not been home to do so. It is one of my most used appliances. Espresso owns.
Which one you got?
Breville bambino plus. I love it. It's quarky with the cleaning (when it decides you need to clean it you CANNOT skip the clean cycle) but honestly probably for the best since if I could I'd just skip it too often.
Swapped out the head unit on my 2016 car for a touchscreen that supports Android Auto. I got spoiled using a similar one in my friend's rental car. It was only $600 installed at Best Buy. It's so nice not to have to fight with keeping my phone in a display holder where I can see the map, and now I can control my phone-streamed music with my steering wheel controls. Makes driving so much more pleasant.
I did this too around five years ago, but I installed it myself rather than paying for installation. I bought it from Crutchfield and they provided very good instructions.
It's harder to do in newer cars though, since the head unit has more of the car's systems going through it. Mine (2012 Mazda 3) only uses the head unit for what you'd expect - the radio, door/seatbelt chimes, and steering wheel controls.
The Panic Playdate. It’s just a really nice gaming console that is getting a lot of support from game devs. It’s one of the very few truly portable handhelds as it can easily fit in a pocket and the battery lasts forever too.
My super automatic espresso machine. Dead simple to use and so much cheaper than operating a keurig. I bought it because I’m awful at real coffee machines and need to have a single serve option. Being able to use whole beans has made it pay for itself in the 3 years I’ve had it.
Share a model please 😅
I use the Philips EP3221/44
I paid $700 for it but it’s available on places like Amazon $400.
Works great, minimal maintenance, and makes good enough coffee. The milk frother is fine but you won’t be making any latte art with it.
Somehow from what I've been seeing and talking with friends and on the web, the Philips espresso machines seem to be the most popular and the best/the shit these days. Maybe one day my Krups machine kicks the bucket and I get a Philips one and test it out to see how it goes.
Seconded! I must know
I bought a semi professional meat slicer , and a decent dehydrator. Now I make my own beef jerky and saving tons.
I've read several reviews that suggest DIY beef jerky is only slightly cheaper, and it's a surprising amount of work per pound. The TL;DR of those reviews was that it's just not worth it.
Has that not been your experience? I love to eat it but it's pretty expensive.
My dad used to make beef jerky, it was shit ton of work and he would buy expensive cuts of meat. So it was just as expensive.
It was great jerky though...
Hanklight D4K for $50 was my first portable enthusiast flashlight. I'm currently 4 hanklights deep and they're loads of fun out in the country for spotting wildlife and general use with the open source Anduril 2 firmware (yes, flashlights can get firmware updates).
Link to Hank's Site
Ooh. I have an Olight Arkfeld Pro every day carry flashlight that I love. It's kind of flat and has a good clip for your pocket. Brightest mode is 1300 lumens and also has a blacklight and a 5mw green laser. Built solid as can be and has a lifetime warranty, including the built in battery. Love the thing.
https://www.olightstore.com/arkfeld-pro-flat-edc-flashlight
Hank makes great lights, but I love OLights. I have 3 of those damned Arkfelds - I loved the UV one so much I got the laser version, and then they came out with the tri-function version!
It's such a great light! The UI is fantastic, the battery indicator is pretty, the UV is incredibly bright, and kudos to them for choosing a laser color other than red - green was a good choice. The battery lasts forever, the rectangle form factor is super comfortable to pocket-carry, and (of course) the 5-mode light is bright and clean. Oh, and that tail magnet is a beast! It's the only flashlight I carry, anymore.
That said, I'd give up some of that huge battery to slim it down. The original Arkfelds are OK, but the new tri-function is chonky. Doesn't stop me from carrying it, but it's right on the threshold. I could go for a smaller tri-function; the current battery is IMO overkill.
While I like the magnetic charger, I do wish it had a USB-C charge port. As is, having to travel with an extra bespoke charge cable sucks. It's my only real beef with OLights; contact charging is nice, but I'd trade it for versatility.
The proprietary charger is my only real negative about it. If not for that, I would take a slimmer version, like the old one over the bigger battery, but since I don't have as much access to my proprietary charger like I do with USB c all over the place I'm good with the bigger battery.
A soil moisture measuring device to tell when plants need watering. 2 for $10 on amazon.
I bought one too andI love mine. I feel like my plants like it too!
Do they really work?
Yes they work well. No batteries needed. They give clear indication of dry/moist/soggy. I was over-watering and killing plants before I bought one.
Why wouldn't they? It just measures electrical resistance of the soil, less moisture means more resistance. Nice and simple.
I have cheap one connected to arduino, and small water pump conected to it too. It works nicely.
A smart switch for my espresso machine so it turns on a timer each morning so it's ready for when I get up, it takes about 25 minutes to fully warm up. Also I can turn it on or off using voice controls, great when I want another coffee later in the day.
Damn, that is a slow espresso machine. Mine takes like 1min.
Also, would that work for devices that need to have the "on" button pressed in order to turn on?
For example: Say I unplug one of my devices, while turned on. If I plug them again in the outlet, they will be turned off and I will have to turn them on again, even though they were on when I unplugged them.
My Bambino was ready in minutes. My Profitec Go takes a while. Very very dependent on the model. I wouldn't go back to the Bambino at all
I use two Zooz Zen15 with both my Moccamaster and Profitec. Been absolutely wonderful.
I went with the Breville machines mostly cause they’re fully ready in like 3-30 seconds
Is it a Switch bot?
If so, quick question: Does it need a hub? Or can I just but the switch, install an app for it, then couple it with a home assistant?
No, its a smart thing switch as I have the hub, so its z wave. However I have a lot of smart home switches, lights and so on so that makes sense for me. Plenty of options if you do not want a hub now.
The espresso machine has a proper on off button so I just leave it in on position and the switch turns the power on and off
Paramotor
Edit: And you should get a paramotor too so I have someone to talk to about it on Lemmy lol
How does one get into this hobby? Hell this looks like something I'd want to go setup a beach chair somewhere and watch.
Find a local instructor USPPA rated if in the US.
If they’re any good, they will be happy to let you come out and watch!
Lemmy needs a community dedicated to pointless debate over which flashlight is best. I'm about to permanently borrow somebody's ThruNite T1 but it's too heavy, I miss the mini Maglite I used to carry. Phone flash is fine, yes, but I miss a flashlight/torch without a fucking login procedure involved for fuck sake.
!flashlight@lemmy.world , perhaps?
What about which fleshlight is best?
Honestly?
A fidget cube.
Fidget toys got a bad rep, especially after Fidget Spinners became trendy for the younger generation.
But just having a little thing I can toy around with has been great for my pens and game controllers, as in the before times my grabby hands would fiddle with them whenever I was thinking about shit and it was bad for their durability.
For less than a dollar? (ay, currency exchange rates) Yeah, one of the best things I bought.
I can confirm. I also have a fidget cube. my favorite side is the lightswitch one. 😊
A bedside arm for mobile phone. No more uncomfortable phone holding for bedtime youtube session.
Same. It has really helped my neck, too. I used to need to prop myself up on a pillow so that my arms wouldn't fall asleep. Now, it's no problem.
I got a mechanical keyboard for Black Friday this year. So much better than scissor switches. I think I got one with a yellow switch. Feels quite cushiony while still having the clickity clack.
Massage gun. I thought they were an over hyped trinket until I tried one. Relaxed a muscle that hadn't relaxed in years.
If you're using it purely to relax muscles, then it is amazing. All the other claims about them seem to be BS though.
Seconding the massage gun, I had terrible muscle pain around my knee for over a year and after using one it went. I nearly fell off the bed as there wasn't any pain. I'm now trying to loosen up the ligament/tendon around the knee and in my hip as it's still tight....It's really nice to be able to go on a long walk and not be in pain or having to use sticks when going downhill
I know I may sound like an Amazon review, but the difference is amazing, and also reassuring as I thought I would be heading over hill into pain and general decrepitude....I'm also using it to loosen up the bf's knotty shoulders and bad back
My issue was also knee pain. I could never get my lower quads to relax. Massage gun got them on the first use. They're also great for trips where you'll be walking a lot.
A cheap robot vacuum.
My wife was against it, so I bought it in secret, let it run around the house during the day, and she was amazed at all the cleaning I was doing. A few months later, I let her into my dark secret, and now she loves it too.
Speaking of wife, I bought her a hooded blanket with an electric warming bag a few years ago. Within 3-5 minutes it's nice and toasty, and she's used it practically every day since I bought it.
I should be the first to get one of these, but I live in a split-level house. Until they can climb and clean stairs, probably not worth the hassle.
One of these months I'll get around to using the vacuum I do have...
Yeah, our problem is we have 4 cats. Vomit and occational butt-nuggets are a thing, and I don't want that smeared across the foor
A cheap little projector I got using Amazon vouchers from my birthday. Is it perfect? No. Is it still great for watching movies and sport? Absolutely.
Which brend and model didyou get?
Whirly-Pop popcorn pot. Perfect unburnt popcorn every time.
I'd like to mention a combo:
A Nvidia Shield TV 2019 Pro and a Synology NAS, they really are the perfect combo to sail the seas, or watch legal streams if you want to.
Both gadgets have been used daily since the day they were purchased, and that is a good sign lol.
The Shield TV uses hardware since 2015, and even when some could say it is failing into the enshitification territory due to the usual crappy decisions regarding putting ads in the stock launcher, it is to applaud that Nvidia still supports this thing officially though.
About the NAS, I have a two bay unit (bad decision) but it supports Docker and it has helped me to feel attached to Linux again.
Your usual multimedia selfhosted program that you have running in your overpowered server/rack, you name it, I could probably be using it too in my humble DS218+
If I had to choose only one I'd say the Shield, because along with Smart Tube Next already is 80% of my total usage lol (plus I had my NAS turned off for months because a recent fuck up, and I didn't have a PC to check it out, which is kinda solved now).
I’m on board with this. I did something similar putting a Synology 920+ and an Asus NUC style machine running Ubuntu in place of my old OptiPlex and WD MyCloud setup.
I’m now the primary content provider for a bunch of my family!
It is truly amazing how you can put a decent multimedia provider with minimal hardware, heck, my two units act as a PMS each, and it serves well enough my usage, my girlfriend and the one user that actually uses it remotely lol.
For sure! The only reason I upgraded is because the OptiPlex costs a lot to run in terms of electricity.
For stuff I pretty much run 24/7 I really wanted better power efficiency.
You can run Plex on a Raspberry Pi if you disable transcoding!
I started out with a DS220+ and soon bought a 4 bay DS920+ for my media center with the 220+ on backup (as in system backup) duty 😁
3d printer
Last generation emulation console (A*bernic). All history of video games up to PS1 in my pocket/backpack <3
A spring assisted, liner lock, pocket clipped, flipper knife.
It is really useful to have a sharp blade in your hand less than one second after you think you need it.
Even a small knife is handy. Multitools are fine, but IME I only ever use the blade, and single-purpose knives are better at being knives than multi tools. My favorite knife is a MicroTech 70; I can carry it in any pants without it feeling bulky.
Flippers are good too; I do like the clean lines on the MicroTech(s).
Maybe it's because I used multi tools, but I can't relate. At different points about 20 years ago, I carried a cybertool and a Leatherman (not at the same time). In both cases, I used the screwdrivers, very occasionally the pliers. I never used the blades, though. I honestly don't know when I'd want a knife. Certainly not for a daily carry.
A Blunt Metro umbrella. Makes me happy every time I get to use it. It's aesthetically pleasing, it oozes quality, it's easy to bring with you.
This comment feels like an ad
Two "gadgets" that I'm never without. My Leatherman multitool and my RovyVon Aurora flashlight. The multitool with locking blades is like carrying a toolbox on your hip. And that flashlight - it's 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, but it can kick out a beam that lights up things 1000 feet away. Or provide enough light to read by for 40 hours. Yeah, I can use the smartphone's flash, but it isn't bright enough to show me if the two eyes reflecting back at me belong to a dog or a bear. That's important where I live.
It's a common thing I read on here. All the swiss pocket knives, Leatherman and flashlights. What are you people doing with those? I cannot remember the last time one of these items has been relevant to me.
I use mine on a daily basis just opening shit. Probably every week or so the pliers or screwdriver comes in handy. Last year it saved my ass when I had to fix the skid plate on my car in the middle of a parking lot after I slid into a curb and it got fucked up..
Leatherman Juice Pro here. I use it almost every day, mostly the knife & pliers, but the tweezers, screwdrivers, and scissors get used about once a week.
I see the people saying why carry one - if they need tools they'll just go to their toolbox. I do that too, but having this saves me the trip, and on more than one occasion, lots of time. I've done roadside car repairs with just the Leatherman, and around the house it's nice to have immediate access to a capable set of tools without searching. I've even grabbed the wrong tool, got to the top of the ladder, and then just used the Leatherman because it was there.
You might not realise how often you really would use these, and they barely take up any room.
Fidget cube, helps me get through boring but informitive youtube content.
chinese handhelds. always have my rg nano with me
Koss KSC75, I've been using them for almost 10 years now.
It's still one of the best "price per formance" on the market until these days. But I want to add that its ability to act like on-ear headphones but you can choose to wear it over just one ear if you want it a very nice feature.
I've also been using them and I love them to death. They also got some great mod ability too. I've seen people make them so you can swap cables, add head bands, mics, even entirely wireless.
Just such insanely good headphones for 20$, I'd say they have like 70% of the fidelity of my $300 Sennheiser hd600
Second whoever said massage gun, nail on the head.
I however developed an addiction to 3D printing, it's as frustrating as it is fun but damn have I been busy...
An Ice Cream Maker. Been making my own Ice Cream for years now and its amazing. The cheap machines which requires you to freeze the bowl is nice, but the one with a heat pump built in is amazing. In 3 hours I can make batches of Mint, Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream.
Woah! I didn't know they made heat pump ice cream makers (for non commercial users) at a decent price.
Amazon sells them with the search term "with compressor". I got this one 2 years ago, it's pricey but you can get smaller ones with less volume for cheaper. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FXMW4AS/
Chulka chuks https://www.chukachuks.com one more way I can pretend i'm a musician.
My QNAP NAS drive. As well as storing all my media I also have various containers running all sorts... My Home Assistant instance, MQTT broker, ESPHome, zigbee2mqtt, Frigate, and Emby to name a few. It does so much for something so small and cheap to run.
I know some of these words.
Aeropress coffee maker. $30? Sure I'll try it. Best coffee I've made at home besides a real espresso machine
I bought a cheap plumbers torch a little over two years ago and it's been the most useful thing I've purchased. Lights my wood stove quickly and without hassle, lights my offset smoker, lights my firepit and any other fires quickly and effortlessly. It's such a small thing but makes a huge difference in everyday life for me and my family. 4th of July is better without needing to constantly click a lighter that may or may not blow out from a gust of wind.
Years ago I got one of those iRig guitar input jacks for my iPhone. Having a wealth of tones and a basic DAW available to me for the first time really did a lot to help me expand my playing ability.
Wireless earbuds are a game changer
Stopwatch.
I can measure my computerless time, exercise time...and, of course, many other things 😁
Have you heard of smartphones? 😅
Honestly? I find a lot of things a smartphone CAN do aren't as convenient as they should be.
Like the stopwatch function is buried inside the clock app. So you can't open it quickly. And on top of that, instead of a tactile button you can rest your finger on and hit at a moments notice, the button on the phone is a touch sensitive area on a glass pane. It's just not as optimal as a dedicated digital stopwatch.
Not sure for iOS, but on Android you can put the stopwatch widget on your home screen if you use it a lot, makes it easier to reach. Not as easy as a dedicated stopwatch, but an option if you don't want one but use the feature a lot.
Much less convenient for me.
Takes time to reach the app. Takes one second to press one button on the stopwatch.
And I rather reserve the phone's battery for something else than for this purpose.
Also - I didn't know we were gadget-shaming here?
I am by no means gadget shaming, don't get me wrong. It's just I do all you mentioned there with a stopwatch on my phone, and personally I would never consider buying a dedicated stopwatch for this purpose. I'm happy you're enjoying yours though, may it last you long!
It also depends on how often you need to use a specific tool.
In my case, I use the stopwatch often enough to have it existing on its own 🙂
Not quite a gadget but I bought a sleeping mask some years ago and it has definitely made sleeping much easier.
I used to struggle a lot to sleep and having total darkness helps a lot, so I recommend giving it a try.
I have tinnitus, and bought a Bluetooth audio sleep mask so that I could sleep with the TV off and not keep my partner awake. That in itself was a game changer, but on top of that, I sleep way better with my eyes covered and I use it now even when I'm not listening.
(It's extra weird because I have thick eyelids and see black when I close my eyes even in a well lit room, so I never considered that I'd need one.)
Razer Kishi controller for an old Android Phone running various emulators.
olight mini led torch. Fits in my pocket and especially during winter months it is so useful.
I have two items I bought for my upcoming Aviation Maintenance training this December. A usb rechargeable flashlight and a 17-in-1 multitool, both which will come in mighty handy these next few years
I got it as a present rather than buying it myself but my tire pressure / tread depth measuring tool gets near constant use so it’s super easy to check on my car’s tires when I need to
@Fumbles Bose Quiet Comfort 35 headphones. Though I suspect the noise cancellation doesn't work as well. Also it's been several years, I wonder if they make new ones like they used to.
On that theme: MegaBoom 3 (without Alexa etc) speaker. Awesome bass and volume for a portable, waterproof. Great for bike parties and frankly a shower radio.
If you asked me 10 years ago I'd probably not expect to love any Bluetooth devices.
Didn't buy this (got as gift) but Nicron B74 flashlight, super bright