Under $1000: A MIG welder with gasless wire (decent quality). It's like being in control of actual magic. Under $100: cheating a bit, a Corsair K95 RGB keyboard from the local tip shop. Amazing to type on.
Which brand welder did you go for?
Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
351–360 of 618 posts
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#352Earlier quoted context omitted.
The old (maybe incorrect) advice I was always told was that continuing to heat the coffee fouled the taste, hence the recommendation to use an insulated mug/thermos as opposed to a Mr. Coffee style warmed carafe. What makes this gadget different/better?
It would foul the taste because in an open carafe it distills the brew via evaporation. If you don't let the water escape the taste stays fairly stable.
That makes sense. The mug version of Ember (https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2) is open on top, which seems like a fancy Bluetooth version of an old-school mug heater.
I could see the sealed one (the "Cup") as working better though.
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#353Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean, but don't you need warm water and/or electricity? I can't see liking a bidet if it's basically just cold tap water shooting up my bum. Not sure that's going to do it for me. I've always thought that both hot water and electricity would be a minimal barrier to entry for a bidet. And that neither of these exist in a typical toilet closet. Am I fundamentally wrong about this??
it's really not that cold. i can't do cold showers at all and tap water bidet feels nothing like it.
Same, I don't even like washing my hands with cold tap water, but cold bidet water is no issue.
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#354Under $1000: A MIG welder with gasless wire (decent quality). It's like being in control of actual magic. Under $100: cheating a bit, a Corsair K95 RGB keyboard from the local tip shop. Amazing to type on.
Welding is a hobby I picked up a couple of years ago. It is indeed like magic!
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#355Earlier quoted context omitted.
Interesting, the dentists I have asked (4) all said it doesn't matter (Spain and Germany, maybe it's relevant) at all and it's up to personal preference.
I was traveling in the EU a year ago and was in need of a toothbrush. The one I picked up at an arbitrary pharmacy in Antony, FR has nothing special about it but has lasted (I mean the bristles are not wearing hard or splaying, getting soft, whatever the usual failure mode for a toothbrush is) in 12 months of use. And I'm usually pretty hard on my brushes. Why can't we in the US just have nice cheap things. Why is ev…
The usual problem with toothbrush bristles is they become microscopically worn down, so they don't scrape off plaque as effectively. Even if you can't see the problem, it might not be working as well as a fresh head will.
You can find electron microscope scans of fresh toothbrushes and worn ones in this[0] Applied Science YouTube video.
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#356Under $100: - A dumbphone. Even if I’m not using it anymore, it has shown me what life I could be living without distractions. My anxiety and stress levels went down from about the second day using it, I became much more aware of my emotional state and the environment around me, it was a noticeable shift. I no longer buy the arguments that we can control our smartphone addictions with will. The technology is too opti…
I think about this a lot! How did you overcome the compulsion? I quickly revert when I try to ween off any tech. What do you do instead?
I wrote about my approach here: https://sjer.red/blog/2023/screen-time/
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#357(lovely thread!) Under $100 - Ember Mug, same as many folks here: 4 years of service, 2 use of their customer service, bought another one for my wife. 100% will reshop when my current mug stop working or is not replaced anymore by their amazing support. - A memory foam pillow: Had to iterate to find the right one, but once you've it, you know it. You sleep better, less pain in the back/neck/shoulder - A vasectomy: ju…
The vasectomy gives you God status IMO, and dang, for cheap!
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#358It wasn't under $1k but you can do some options for close-ish to that: a cargo e-bike. It's been amazing and has let us remain a one car family despite two kids with a lot of activities. I adore it. About to hit 2k miles on it.
I experienced a lot of the benefits mentioned in the comments on this one but rather than an e-bike I just got a cheap used 50cc gas scooter
Its so much easier/faster for doing quick errands around the neighborhood
Taking the car now feels overkill in comparison
Just another option to consider rather than getting a second car
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#359Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it _that_ much better than a wifi-controlled two-zone electric blanket?
I've never tried a cooling electric blanket. My wife has struggled w insomnia for a long time, and the eightsleep tracking was almost as much a draw as the cooling.
This does cooling too? OK, I didn't realise that. I can see how that might be useful
Re: Ask HN: Life-changing purchases since 2020? (Under $100 and under $1000)
#360( Living in American public housing, we used our pandemic stimulus money to buy two RabbitAir MinusA2 HEPA air purifiers. At $600 each plus $95/yr (for filter change) they're utterly fantastic and the pre-HEPA stages are easily cleanable with a cheap air compressor and wet paper towels. The multi-stage filter system is quite quiet on level 3 (of 5) but will really blow at 5 and be nearly silent at 2. You can tell how…
The English language version of that saying rhymes better I think:
> Buy once, cry once.
I used to have a large Honeywell air purifier I special ordered to Australia that required a step down voltage transformer, it's really surprising how much better the air feels when it's truly clean.