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Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

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Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#221

Post by lprubin »

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #48

Oculus Quest 2 - despite the whole Facebook thing, coupling it with awesome games and experiences, it saved me from going mental during the autumn-winter-spring lockdown in Europe combined with the depressing weather of that time. Worth its weight in gold for that. Roborock Robovac - also worth its weight in gold since the whole lockdown WFH turned my apartment into a permanent office, kitchen, cinema and gym, the fl…

Getting an Oculus Quest 2 jumpstarted my workout regime after my gym closed during lockdown. I look forward to my workout time so much now. I got a $15 off brand silicon face cover to replace the cloth one to help with the sweat.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#222

Post by linsomniac »

maccard wrote: post #200

Moccamaster. Both my partner and I are both working from home these days, I'm not returning to an office and she's likely to be here 1-2 days a week even in a post-covid world. I used to use a chemex, and while I do prefer the coffee from the Chemex, making a batch in the Moccamaster is so much more convenient, and makes enough for us both for the entire morning.

Many of the Moccamasters can be used with a Chemex. I haven't tried it, but I recall seeing different ones listed as working with the Chemex. I think this was even on the manufacturer pages.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#223

Post by silicon2401 »

gjstein wrote: post #116

Philips Hue lights. I had wanted them for a little while for the novelty of it, but upon buying a couple my wife and I converted nearly all of our small apartment (except the bathrooms) to use their color-changing bulbs. Being able to change the light color and temperature has been surprisingly nice and has made our home much "cozier" under quarantine. We change the lights to dim reds and blues during movie nights or…

I recommend the Home Depot phillips color-changing lights instead. They're way cheaper, only like $20 per bulb. I love them because they're way brighter than most light bulbs but dimmable, let you choose a traditional color temperature, or let you do some fun colors. I don't use home assistants and using the Wiz app is fine.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#224

Post by Tijdreiziger »

ad404b8a372f2b9 wrote: post #162
gjstein wrote: post #116

Philips Hue lights. I had wanted them for a little while for the novelty of it, but upon buying a couple my wife and I converted nearly all of our small apartment (except the bathrooms) to use their color-changing bulbs. Being able to change the light color and temperature has been surprisingly nice and has made our home much "cozier" under quarantine. We change the lights to dim reds and blues during movie nights or…

My roommate changed all our bulbs to Philips Hue. The connectivity was really nice at first but they are so dim! It completely changed the mood of the flat at night. I'd advise people to check their current bulbs and make sure the lumen rating is the same before replacing them, if I recall correctly most connected bulbs are around 1000-1200 lumens, and top out at 1600.

Dim? The Hue bulbs I used were a lot brighter than the 'dumb' bulbs I replaced. This was a couple of years ago (before they had Bluetooth), not sure if they've changed the specs in the meantime.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#226

Post by enobrev »

maccard wrote: post #155
ryeguy_24 wrote: post #147

- Realforce R2 Mac Keyboard (I first thought a 300 dollar keyboard was bonkers, but typing on this keyboard gives me so much joy and makes me look forward to sitting down at my desk still after a year of use). - BMW X5 with CarPlay (just a great car and CarPlay makes life so easy) - Therapist (my wife has talked therapy up for a while and I finally tried it and I don’t want to give it up. It’s great to be able to tal…

If you spend any time in a car, having CarPlay (or Android Auto) is just _so much better_ than the default experience. I've a VW with Android Auto, and it's a complete game changer.

Absolutely agreed. Just got the AA Wireless dongle a couple weeks ago via an IndiGogo campaign and absolutely love it.

The music is a bit choppy using the dongle, so for long trips, I still plug the phone in. But when out running errands where I'm in and out of the car often, having Android Auto loaded by the time the car turns on with my phone still in my pocket is a game-changer.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#227

Post by dugditches »

ad404b8a372f2b9 wrote: post #171
Jakobeha wrote: post #128

Material goods: Ear plugs (silicone). Don't waste your money on noise-cancelling headphones, I have $200 ones and they don't compare to simple ear plugs. If you live in a moderately noisy area and you want peace and quiet, get them. They basically just make everything quiet. 24 from CVS = $10. OpenMove by Aftershokz - Bone-conduction headphones. Perfect for running and just good for listening to music. They work, the…

What brand ear plugs do you recommend? I bought some just last week on amazon (some foam ones from Howard Leight) and it was a toss-up which were good and which were bad according to the reviews and descriptions.

Earplugs are fussy things. But usually as long as they're not 'corks'(the old yellow foam cylinders)you should be fine.

Least with Howard Light it's GreensYou have to ensure you're putting them in correctly. Read the box. Roll the plug in your fingers, reach your other arm over you head to grab the top of the opposite ear, gently pull on the top of your ear, and insert the plug. You should feel & hear it expand forming a seal.

You can reuse foam ones a couple of times(can even get them corded), but be very, very wary of infections. And always put the same earplug back in the same ear(thus you don't spread anything).

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#228

Post by 100011_100001 »

enobrev wrote: post #201

Headphones: While Working at My Desk: Bose Noise Cancelling 700. Life-changing for me. While Working with Powertools: The ISOTunes SafeMax. Absolutely excellent for protecting my ears and they sound great when playing music through them. Slippers: Gecko-Man. The arch-support was very necessary. Turns out spending an entire year in regular slippers was bad for my feet. Bread Book: "Flour Water Salt Yeast". I've baked…

Bread Book...which one? Or is the name of the book "Bread Book".

I have been making sourdough for about 2 years as well, but I am looking to expend to more baking using my starter.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#229

Post by IgorPartola »

This was three years ago so a bit of a cheat, but I bought a motorcycle. It was life changing and I highly recommend it.

I bought a house with a chunk of land attached to it, and one of the best things I added to it immediately was a stone fire pit. It’s been a fantastic way to relax at the end of the day and to socialize.

A 3D printer to pass the time during the pandemic.

An air purifier and a humidifier. Air you breathe is important. Get it right. Related to this I got a neti pot. Ever get a tension headache after mowing the lawn or working with anything involving dust? For me rinsing out my sinuses afterwards really helps, even with using masks/respirators.

Good face and body lotion with sunscreen. Also good shampoo/conditioner. It really does make a difference in how you look and feel.

Plants. At least three potted plants per person per household.

A miter saw because wood working is both fun and a great way to same some money. Ditto plumbing supplies.

Got my girlfriend a bartending course through Bar Smart. What a great program. Combined with Smuggler’s Cove, a book on classic tiki drinks, it’s been a great way to bond over our love of craft cocktails.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?

#230

Post by BeniBoy »

* A Junghans Max Bill watch : its a bit noisy, but everytime I look at it it makes me happy. That sweeping hand, the dome crystal, the thin case.. Very solid (saphir version) as well, bumped it a few time, and nothing.

* A WBS pedal steel, got into it recently, and it's a beautiful instrument. A bit finicky to tune, but that might be my novice ears and not the instrument itself. Wolfgang seems very nice. Lead time is around 8 months.

* A Lewis Leather Jacket. Very heavy (horsehide), but that is some incredible craftmanship. Every detail is thought of, it's made in England, just be ready to wait a bit for them to make it.

Disposable income from the pandemic, a bit of consumerism ! I also Patreon the Aquarium Drunkard music blog, at least once a month they make me discover an incredible contemporary artist.

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