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Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

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Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#691

Post by wolrah »

jrootabega wrote: post #574
modeless wrote: post #237

Gaming wireless headphones, not for gaming but for videoconferencing. Bluetooth headphones are universally terrible for videoconferencing because the Bluetooth standard sucks and requires downgrading to telephone audio quality whenever the mic is enabled. Plus terrible latency. Gaming wireless headphones that come with their own dongle completely fix these issues and are perfect for videoconferencing. Someday the Blu…

Headsets with a mic arm that auto-mutes in hardware also have the benefit that you can go to the bathroom, use the kitchen, etc. on mute, but still respond quickly if someone addresses you.

You'll want to be very confident that it actually mutes in hardware.

I thought my old headset (Logitech G930) did, until I found out the hard way that it was in fact just sending a software command to mute the mic at the system level, and that if the headset was turned on while plugged in to external power it would not properly communicate any inputs to the host system.

Audio still worked perfectly, but volume controls, the "G Keys", and most importantly mic mute did not work in this state. The red light at the tip of the mic would come on but nothing actually changed and audio was always being transmitted to the host PC (which I guess was always true, but the host PC now wasn't muting it either).

I found this out during a lunch break on a multi-day training session, where I let out a Barney Gumble class belch with my mic in the up/off position and the background chatter in the conference call fell silent until someone commented about how my lunch must have been good. After figuring out what happened I then wondered how much had been heard on previous days, but never got around to going back and listening through the session recordings to figure it out.

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#692

Post by wolrah »

Mumps wrote: post #670
grungydan wrote: post #651

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless it's a Logitech headset, in which case 90% of the time the functionality of the mic-arm-mute breaks at the software level requiring various troubleshooting dances before anyone can hear you again. How they can be such a leader in the peripheral space but still produce absolutely the worst garbage software will never stop being annoying.

I found out, after a full year-and-a-bit that Teams did not respect my Logitech G930 push-to-mute. How no colleague ever informed me, I can only speculate.

G930 got me too. If it's powered on while connected to external power (like a USB battery) it works as an audio device but none of the inputs work, including the mute command.

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#693

Post by red-iron-pine »

measure2xcut1x wrote: post #653

Rearview mirror at the top of my 52" curved widescreen monitor. I work at home in limited space with family around and there's always activity behind me, doors opening, etc. I also work with noise cancelling headphones. Hard to explain why, but the mirror stops my constant need to turn around to figure out what's happening. It took me a minute to hang, with fishing line and zip-ties. Way less cognitive overhead and f…

+1.

I've got a simple bike rear-view mirror, like $10 off of amazon. has a clip on thing, fits fine on my monitor stand.

Same goal -- I've got big ear covering headphones w/ noise cancelling, so you feel crazy isolated and it's hard to tell if/when people, my kids, the dog, etc. is around until basically they're on top of you.

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#694

Post by ciberado »

ramg wrote: post #312
klyrs wrote: post #79

A document camera. Just an ordinary webcam, but pointed straight down at a blotter. It's much nicer than all of the "whiteboard" options I've tried.

What is the camera mounted on? Do you have a picture of the setup?

I'm using a simple support arm[1]. It is not even a camera, as I mounted a smartphone running a remote webcam app[2].

[1] https://www.amazon.com/OXENDURE-Webcam-Stand/dp/B07RNHZYGW (look for a cheaper vendor) [2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pas.webcam...

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#695

Post by elkos »

bentcorner wrote: post #672
elkos wrote: post #548

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do have an Android tablet mostly sitting and a Linux laptop (running KDE) can I do it in a really seemless way?

I use Deskreen with Windows, it has a Linux version that probably works similarly. I think it leverages browser streaming tech. https://deskreen.com/ Easiest way to get it working is with a dummy plug (because it just casts displays, it can't create one), but maybe there's more options on Linux to fake a display in software.

Will check it out

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#696

Post by wink »

romanhn wrote: post #38

After working for almost 3 years with a barebones work-from-home setup (standup desk + laptop), I finally invested recently in some equipment to improve upon my crappy laptop camera and a room with little natural light. The difference in my video call quality is night and day. This is what I got: - A key light (Godox ES45) to throw a bunch of bright, natural white light at my face. Attached to the desk and positioned…

The problem is that all the old digital cameras I have at hand are either too old or not high-price-segment enough to support any sort of looping video through, which is a shame. I have 2-3 of those and while they're not awesome, the video would totally beat every laptop webcam...

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#697

Post by elkos »

butt____hugger wrote: post #667
elkos wrote: post #548

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do have an Android tablet mostly sitting and a Linux laptop (running KDE) can I do it in a really seemless way?

Only through apps that work as RDP/remote desktop. You can't use native X/wayland screens with Android unless you root it.

will check it out

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#698

Post by red-iron-pine »

romanhn wrote: post #38

After working for almost 3 years with a barebones work-from-home setup (standup desk + laptop), I finally invested recently in some equipment to improve upon my crappy laptop camera and a room with little natural light. The difference in my video call quality is night and day. This is what I got: - A key light (Godox ES45) to throw a bunch of bright, natural white light at my face. Attached to the desk and positioned…

> - A key light (Godox ES45) to throw a bunch of bright, natural white light at my face. Attached to the desk and positioned tilted above my head so that it doesn't blind me. I don't notice it when it's on.

I found a sunlamp aimed away or behind something helped me a lot. So much so that I got one of those kitchen countertop hydroponic kits that's time to go off usually when I start work.

The sunlamp + morning coffee perk me right up. Plus herbs and stuff.

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#699

Post by wink »

shortrounddev wrote: post #531
zh3 wrote: post #470

A Crystalfont 2x16 LCD with 4 cursor and tick/cross keys which sits just below the middle monitor of my triple-head programming setup. Normally displays date, time, media volume and incoming email/voicemail counts. When a call arrives it shows the Caller ID (and contact name if recognised). The keys are used to adjust media volume and mute/unmute (and in hot weather, the left/right keys adjust the speed of a pair of…

I used to work for a company whose core product took forever to build (in maven) but we had to build it all the time. A coworker hooked up a USB LED traffic light to his macbook and wrote a driver for it that would display yellow when building, green when successfully built, and red when there were errors.

Two companies ago we had an actual old traffic light hooked up to that, but that was maybe a bit over the top.

Re: Ask HN: What lesser-known accessories do you use with your computer?

#700

Post by rqtwteye »

mrweasel wrote: post #259
rqtwteye wrote: post #240

Left handed mouse. Saved me from RSI.

May I ask what brand and model? I'm left handed and a symmetric mouse it pretty much the best I can hope for in terms of a mouse.

Mine is from a company called Perixx. It’s pretty cheap and works well.
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