The Anarchist Tool Chest. Its a book about hand tool woodworking and letting go of the notion that you need to buy every tool they make just to make something out of wood. The author espouses a lifestyle I think we all could do a better job of living. Which is basically own fewer, nicer things made by local artisans and craftsman.
I heard somebody on a YouTube video (wittworks) explain why things like woodworking and stuff speak to so many in our profession, "If you work with your mind, you need to rest with your hands". This book helped me unlock a hobby that helps me relax after being at a computer all day without thinking I need a 4000 sq ft wood shop and 10's of thousands of dollars.
I like this question because I come at it from a very different lifestyle. I’m a digital nomad and I have mostly lived out of a backpack and carry on for the past 10 years. My philosophy is that things have to be worth carrying and they should be very easily replaceable if anything gets lost, stolen or breaks. A few of my under $100 favs: Universal GaN travel adapter: One of those square bricks that converts from any…
Same here with the GAN charger. I got myself a 145W GAN charge with one Type-A USB port (charges mouse, bluetooth speaker, toothbrush, body trimmer etc, max 18W) and two Type-C USB ports (45W (charges N100-based Tablet), 65W (charges Ryzen 7 -based HP Laptop)) - it can charge all these things at the same time, while generating almost no heat, no electrical noise. It weighs much less than the 3+ chargers/cables needed by the original setup. I'm amazed about how efficient the GAN charger is. My only irritation with them is that when you plug something in, it re-negotiates all the connections to decide how much power to deliver to each port, so when that happens the devices see a disconnect/reconnect event which can be irritating at times (which can also happens when a device reaches 100%.. and then dipping to 95% and then reaching 100% again.. over and over). But overall best money I've spent on my tech backpack goodies. And maybe 240W/8K/20gbps USB-C cables.
Leatherman skeletool knife. Small, rugged, has just the right number of tools on it. I’ve had one for about ten years and it goes in my pocket every day. The one time I managed to break the pliers on it by abusing them really badly, Leatherman replaced the tool under warranty no questions asked.
this is straight up the best multitool. knife pliers screwdriver covers so many life moments. always put this thing in my little pocket in my jeans lol haven't had one since it got confiscated at tsa oops. habit. miss this thing
~€25, Moondrop Chu 2 headphones. Really good quality for the price, with a bit of care have lasted me for ~3 years now. When one side was going quieter, I could unscrew and clean it. The clear plastic cord is yellowing now unfortunately, will try to buy a new one. ~€80, Anbernic RG35XXSP: Handheld games console that runs (mostly) open source linux distros. Reinvigorated my retro gaming on the go when the OG consoles…
The work sharp precision knife sharpener. I got tired of dealing with wet stones and having to soak them and get the right angle. This sharpener can sharpen a chef knife razor sharp in less than 5 minutes.
Can you adjust the angle for different knives? I have one of these in my cart.
yes, you can adjust angles between 15 and 30 degrees.
The work sharp precision knife sharpener. I got tired of dealing with wet stones and having to soak them and get the right angle. This sharpener can sharpen a chef knife razor sharp in less than 5 minutes.
Which model?
I use the elite one that is currently $129 on Amazon
The backup phone is a good idea, I do this too but unfortunately some banking apps refuse to allow more than one "authorized device" for 2FA :/
+1 I tried the backup android phone thing and I got blocked from logging into my Chase and Fidelity apps on my phone!!! Took like 2 weeks with support and a visit to a physical bank branch to resolve the issue.
My workaround is I use SMS 2 factor for banking and use my Google Voice number.