31–40 of 592 posts
A tiny bluetooth adapter for good old earphones. I know analog + wires is often simpler, but tangled broken wires are hell, being tethered removes opportunity for simple multitasking.
Has the advantage of a built-in parametric EQ which can make a big improvement for even the worst tuned headphones.
I can read programming books in the top half while taking notes or running code in a repl in the bottom one.
It's also okay coupled with gitpod or github teams (via codespaces) for "entertainment" or light coding.
A floor heating pad. $30 and my feet will never be cold at the computer again!
Anker PowerCore 26800 (26800mAh) - 3 USB outputs, 2 inputs for charging. Removed away all worry about not having phone charging capability if you're on the move. There's likely better options available now with USB-C inputs, but the product is still fantastic. Oral-B Genius 9000 - looked like an overpriced & gimmicky toothbrush (with AR + Bluetooth). It is, but the carry-case is useful to double as an extra shaver->U…
It has 2 USB A (Out) and a USB-C (In/Out), I can charge my Nintendo Switch, phone, wife's phone, tablet, kid's tablet, Earbud case and XPS 13 (@30W) on the go.
I also use it to power my Pinecil when I'm working away from a plug socket.
Very handy when we're out and about without the car.
It's also the max size you can carry on a plane for travel (100Wh is the max in many places) at 99.3Wh.
Air quality monitor and air purifier. Helps me to have cleaner air at home by e.g., reminding me to open the windows more regularly.
A good dishwasher. I resisted getting one for years because the one I had growing up was pretty bad. Nothing would dry, items would come out dirty all the time and it was loud and would "chug" for hours. However, a good (not even fancy, just mid-range from a competent manufacturer) modern dishwasher is night and day. Doesn't even need special tablets, it just gets things clean, even on the eco mode, which is the only…
A good coffee machine at home. Unbelievable ROI, one of my favourite purchases.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NPL7V7R/
The sound quality is surprisingly OK, they are more than good enough for Audible & podcasts, and you can comfortably lie on your side.
I bought them on a whim after considering options that cost 10x the price.
I've tried listening to speakers (can't hear when lying on my side), my phone (falls between pillows, gets tangled in my limbs), regular headphones (can't lie on my side, wake up with them being squashed beneath me). These stay put, are comfortable and actually work.
I won't wear them in public (for, hopefully, obvious reasons) but in the privacy of my own bedroom they've been a game-changer.
Did I mention they were only £17?
A good coffee machine at home. Unbelievable ROI, one of my favourite purchases.
Long, LONG ago I got a MicroSolutions 300 Megabyte External Hard drive, you could plug it in to a parallel printer port, boot the driver disk, and BAM... all of your tools were available. A decade ago, I got my first SSD drives, those were game changers. Boot times dropped like a rock, and performance went through the roof. I got a 32" HDMI monitor just before Covid hit... I'm VERY glad I did so. I've been stuck at h…
> I got my first SSD drives And to experience it all over again with proper nvme drives was very enjoyable indeed. Cold boots in about 5s now vs 20-60s with the old ssds of back then really makes shutting down/starting up into a very different experience again
Second this... Felt exactly the same as getting SSDs for the first time.