Roomba. Saved my marriage.
Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
121–130 of 165 posts
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#122A pressure cooker. I originally bought it because I wanted to grow mushrooms and needed to sterilize the substrate, but ended up using it mostly for cooking. Lots of meals that usually take too much time are suddenly very reasonable to cook. I especially use beans and other legumes a lot more than I did before.
I adore my instant pot. Also, strongly recommend this recipe to anyone reading: https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-lentil-curry/
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#123We just had our first child, and at multiple friends' recommendations acquired a Snoo bassinet. It's such a revelation that I can't imagine raising a newborn without one.
That's way too expensive for many people though.
Most of my friends bought theirs used, then sold it after 6 months when it was no longer needed, recouping most of their purchase price.
We're renting ours through their new rental program.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#124Can you explain what the air purifier does and how it has made such a big impact? Most of the ones I have seen seem to make claims that sound more like snake oil, or placebo effect at best.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#125Apple Watch - Allows me to view my blood glucose at any time. Dexcom CGM - This is the best way to constantly measure your blood glucose, though it is a bit expensive. Rileylink - This is an open source hardware device which intercepts BLE packets from my continuous glucose monitor and sends reverse engineered 433mhz communications to my insulin pump. This has a companion app (Loop) which tells me projected blood glu…
That's so cool. I'd love to read a longer post about the Rileylink and how you use it if you're interested in writing one.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#126AirPods Pro The original ones were awesome, but these ones are even better. Absolute game changer.
I'm really interested in getting a pair. If you don't mind, I have a few questions:
1 - If you put regular non-Apple earbuds in your ears and talk, does your voice sound different and off-putting?
2 - Do the Airpods Pro do this, and how are they for phone calls in general?
I'd really like to have them for phone calls and Zoom meetings, but regular earbuds make it hard for me to talk without being super conscious of how it sounds. Regular Apple earbuds don't have this effect, but they hurt my ears so I don't think regular Airpods would work for me. I don't think everyone has this problem though.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#127WinRar (Just kidding)
I know that's a Reddit meme, but not buying software that you use shouldn't be a joke. Especially if you're a developer.
On the other hand, when it comes to WinRAR, the majority of people use it not because of its unique features (like the RAR format) but because it's considered the mainstream archiving software and they don't know any better.
WinRAR isn't losing much sales because it's easy to use without paying; if it was harder to use without a license, people would simply use alternatives such as 7-Zip and it would become the mainstream archiving software and WinRAR wouldn't have the brand awareness they have now. I'm assuming RarLab knows this because otherwise they would've patched the loophole long ago.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#128I think most people's lives would be greatly improved by renting a dumpster for a weekend.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#129Sous Vide immersion circulator & vacuum bagger. Extremely versatile, makes cooking things that are hard to get perfect much easier (eg pork), not excessively expensive.
Instant Pot. Similar to above, but for a different set of foods.
Hot air rework station. SO MANY electronics repairs become possible with one of these.
Pet birds. I love them. Definitely not for everyone.
Engagement ring. The ring itself is just a symbol, of course, and the relationship can't be purchased. But it symbolizes a significant moment.
Re: Ask HN: Most life changing things that you bought?
#130contact lense implants. Changed my life. Can't wait for more bio upgrades