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Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

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Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#331

Post by mastermedo »

gmays wrote: post #194

Some things for me: - A large water bottle. I don't drink enough water and this has been game changing for me. I first got a 1 gallon (which I never finished) water bottle but learned that .5 gallon is the right size and I always finish it and often refill. I'd say pick one that meets your needs, but I've tested a number and can highly recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094X6N4PG/ It's easy to car…

This is some heavy duty stuff you listed here.

On the point about drinking water, I bought a desktop water dispenser, much more convenient than having to refill the water bottle.

Instead of the rowing machine, I'm considering a barbell with weights.

On the multiple equipment point, I fully agree. I got myself multiple hubs, one for each desk. No more carrying cables!

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#333

Post by jcarpio »

Some great answers here.

Mine: Air Pods Pro. Takes the edge off of traffic and other city noises while walking around. Makes it easier to consume audiobooks/podcasts. Plane/bus/train trips++.

Wool pants, shorts (with gussets) and boxer briefs (Wool and Prince). Gussets make movement easier (walking) and wool pants/shorts go longer between washes. BB can be hand washed in sinks while traveling and dry quickly. Bonus, you can wear wool wet in a pinch. Magic stuff.

Wool t-shirts from Duckworth.

Tilley Hat for beating the heat (SPF 50) (again, great for walking or biking). With straps so it doesn’t fly off in the wind. Handsome looks, not (that) dorky.

Brompton folding bike. Resisted this for years because I love non-folders but this thing feels like a proper bike, better even. Get it with a generator hub and lights and the six speed gearing (absolutely fine for hills, like in San Francisco).

USB-C 20 watt charger for the iPhone. My goodness this thing charges the phone (12 Pro Max) fast. Worth the money.

Thanks for listening.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#334

Post by Cr0s »

Retr0id wrote: post #241

A subwoofer. No matter how high end your headphones, bookshelf speakers, or studio monitors are, they will never be able to punch you in the chest in quite the same way as a decently sized dedicated subwoofer. It's a night-and-day difference for listening to music and watching movies, or even just listening to human voices in youtube videos. Just, be careful not to bother your neighbours with it.

The bothering other people bit is what i feel is mostly stopping me from using anything but a headset. I do have experience with subwoofers and there is a certain joy when they hit you, but the thought of the whole neighbourhood hearing my excellent taste in music bothers me somewhat.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#335

Post by hn_go_brrrrr »

Arkanosis wrote: post #311

The list could be very long, but here are a few things which I have started using lately and which have proved more useful than expected: - A dish draining rack: that's very inexpensive and I'm wasting way less time and space than before arranging dishes. - A vertical desktop file sorter: exactly the same thing, but for papers. - Thin, fingerless gloves I can type with: while this has not solved my dry hands problem…

I'd appreciate you sharing your dish drying rack recommendation. I've still got the one I bought in college. Never occurred to me there might be better versions.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#336

Post by Kon5ole »

mangoTangoBango wrote: post #245
Kon5ole wrote: post #172

Wireless ANC earbuds. (Airpods pro or similar) Having high quality silence and/or music available in my pocket at all times was definitely more of a game changer than I expected. Using a 8K 55" tv as a monitor. I usually run it scaled, so I have basically the pixel area of a 4k screen but with retina resolution. Everything is crisp and large enough that even content placed in the corners is easy to read. Truly a game…

Which Model TV are you using? All I could find on bestbuy was a $1600 8k tv.

The model name of mine is LG 55NANO956. Sadly it seems to be discontinued and all replacements are larger and/or more expensive. :(

I can understand that actually, I don't think 8k at 55" makes much sense for TV content since you can't see the difference between 4k and 8k at normal tv distance when the screen is so small.

It makes a ton of sense as a retina-resolution monitor though! I half suspect that was the plan for the panel, and that some other market factor caused it to end up in a small run of surprisingly cheap TV's instead.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#337

Post by elliottkember »

jcarpio wrote: post #333

Some great answers here. Mine: Air Pods Pro. Takes the edge off of traffic and other city noises while walking around. Makes it easier to consume audiobooks/podcasts. Plane/bus/train trips++. Wool pants, shorts (with gussets) and boxer briefs (Wool and Prince). Gussets make movement easier (walking) and wool pants/shorts go longer between washes. BB can be hand washed in sinks while traveling and dry quickly. Bonus,…

I love all the wool recommendations. Wool was everywhere where I grew up and I’ve been introducing all my California friends to it. I bought a beautiful wool blanket a couple of months ago and it’s such a treat

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#339

Post by Cr0s »

more_corn wrote: post #299
diego_moita wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> start out with a $20 IKEA knife and a stone to keep it sharp. You'll get better long term results than you would with an expensive knife on its own any day of the week. This is very, very smart advice. The only thing I'd add is to learn proper knife techniques: how to hold food keeping your fingers away from the blade. Never take risks with a well sharped knife.

Cut with the claw or you'll be cutting with a claw. Tuck your fingertips under and rest the flat of the blade against your knuckles. It should not be possible to reach the tip of a finger with your blade. Check some youtube videos and practice. Establishing good knife skills is not only good for safety but makes cooking faster and more pleasant.

The claw is such a simple but effective technique that I am sometimes surprised it's not more widespread. I can't remember the amount of times I saw people using knives looking like they are about to cut themselves with the next movement of the knife.

Re: Ask HN: Any piece of hardware that was more of game changer than you expected?

#340

Post by sowbug »

A large, dark deskpad. It marks the area of my desk where only mouse and keyboard are allowed and other detritus is prohibited. Trying to use a mouse while subconsciously shoving junk aside can be done. But it's like coding while you have to pee: you won't be fully in the flow until you fix it (no pun intended).

The dark color was unexpectedly useful because it provides a clean and dark but well-lit area for scanning documents with my phone, including checks for deposit on a banking app.

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