Onewheel XR. Thought they were dumb when I first saw them. But they are super fun and anytime I can go out and ride it makes me smile. I have ridden 300 miles already. In snow, dirt, sand and streets.
Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
361–370 of 1001 posts
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#362Unlikely to get upvoted here but a used Porsche Panamera with an extended bumper-to-bumper manufacturer warranty. As Doug Demuro says it's cheap, really cheap.
There's not a single brand new car costing, say, 75 K EUR or less that I'd have rather than that because the quality simply ain't there.
The ride comfort, soundsystem, sound insulation, interior quality, how it drives superbly (and can yet be used for some spirited drive if you fancy that), etc.
Best car I ever had. Next one is going to be another used Panamera, probably the plug-in hybrid. I tried the Porsche Taycan (their 100% EV) and it's amazing but I'll wait a bit until you can find used ones at bargain prices.
I'm a big fan of Tesla but, to me, the build quality simply ain't anywhere close: as in... It's not even remotely comparable. They are worlds apart. And as I don't rice at the greenlight, I don't care about the 0-60 perfs.
There's nothing better to cruise at 110 mph on the autobahn or to go pick up the kid at school.
It's high-end luxury with quality materials for less than the price of a new Camry.
By very far my favorite purchase of the last two years+.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#363Kettlebells and specific simple work program (The book "Simple and Sinister" by Pave Tsatsouline). I've never been much to exercise. No nonsense - only TWO different movements. I'm 40 and getting visible muscles first time in my life.
Yeah. 100 kettle bell swings and 10 get-ups, in 20 minutes, sounds pretty brutal.
I would rather call it effective than brutal. The intent is not to kill oneself with the exercise, but to do "just enough" and let the body tell you how much further you can go. Kettlebells are quite nice in that way - they strain you enough, and if it get's too heavy you quite quickly realize a lesser weight is the better option.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#364I bought a FlexiSpot standing desk a few months ago since I'm increasingly working from home: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FLEXISPOT-Standing-Height-Adjustabl...
I'm enjoying it so far. I recommend it.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#365LG 38UC99-W 38-Inch 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD+ IPS Monitor with Bluetooth Speakers http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01LW54S4U/donhosek It's amazing how much the extra screen real estate helps. Other than that, I've bought surprisingly little in the last two years other than food, clothing and gifts.
I switched from a 38UC99 to a 43" 4K (16:9) display. For me, the extra vertical space (35% more) makes it much more useful for programming-type work. For example, showing many lines of code or logs at once.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#366Cafelat Robot - a manual espresso maker (despite the name "robot", it's not electronic at all, it just uses pressure). It makes awesome shots, it's super easy to clean, and it's just really fun to feel the tactile feedback you can get when you're brewing a shot manually, because you can re-adjust your pressure on the fly to make the shot come out how you want it. My husband must have watched every James Hoffman video…
We got a Breville Barista Express when the pandemic started, and while the grinder leaves something to be desired, it pours consistent shots that still taste great for beginners.
Couple tips to future owners: 1. You can make the grind size more fine by taking the bean hopper off, and changing the dials on the burr(?) itself. Theres a couple of videos on YouTube that explain it better.
2. Buy a bottomless portafilter. Makes coffee a bit messier if things aren't tamped right, but the actual portafilter is way easier to clean, and it's a lot easier to troubleshoot shots (you can more easily tell if there's channeling or something else going on).
3. Let the machine run once or twice before pulling your shot, get everything warm.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#367Airpods Pro. Not traditionally an apple guy so didn't expect to like them, but the guy talked us into them while we were upgrading my wife's phone. Wow. These things are just way better than any other earbuds and so much more convenient and comfortable than headphones. The Bluetooth just works even when switching between my Android and MacBook. The noise cancelling is great as well, way better than my Sennheisers.
Same here. I bought them and figured I'd use them occasionally, but in the past year, they've been used 8-12 hours per day.
From work to chores to workouts, they live in my ears. Incredible value for the use I get out of them.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#368I've been improving my desk accessories since the COVID breakout.
Aeron Chair + IKEA IDÅSEN electric standing desk. With perfect height combination finally, I don't feel shoulder pain when typing. Unlike most standing desks, IDÅSEN is not wobbly at all.
A double-decker book stand. I sometimes get distracted when I use the computer so I started to spend more time on paper-based workflow. I have serious back pain when I am writing, and taking notes from textbooks is not pleasant because books are not only too far but tend to close themselves from time to time. The double-decker book stands[0] solved both problems perfectly.
Mac Pro. I used to have a PC and Macbook Pro and switch back and forth because I want Windows to play video games and macOS for the rest of the tasks. It was a mess. I also tried Hackintosh it was not good. With Mac Pro, I can reboot to Bootcamp pretty fast. TBH it's not a good deal but it did reduce the hassle so there's no regret. M1 is good and all but there's no Bootcamp and the GPU is not as powerful.
What didn't meet the expectation are the monitor mounts. Not only they didn't add any value for me, but also the maximum height is too low for me. Eventually, I go back to the old solution: Just put several thick textbooks under the monitors. (my personal choice: CLRS + CSAPP + HTDP + Computer Networking + Algorithms 4th :))
[0] https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nice-Bookstand-Desktop-Cookbook-Adj... (I couldn't find a purchasable link but the picture shows the idea, and there should be plenty of similar products on the market)
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#369Material goods: Ear plugs (silicone). Don't waste your money on noise-cancelling headphones, I have $200 ones and they don't compare to simple ear plugs. If you live in a moderately noisy area and you want peace and quiet, get them. They basically just make everything quiet. 24 from CVS = $10. OpenMove by Aftershokz - Bone-conduction headphones. Perfect for running and just good for listening to music. They work, the…
I never heard of bone-conduction headphones. They seem very interesting and I'd love to try them. Are they OK for calls, or only music? And also - is there any health issue I should be aware?
Bone conduction headphones are kind of like the opposite of noise cancelling. I like them primarily for sport use. Whether trail running, MTB, or in the gym, bone conduction headphones do not block outside noise. So wearing them I am more aware of my environment, which is important if people are coming up behind me on a trail.
Re: Ask HN: Favorite purchases of last two years?
#370Anova Sous Vide. Cooking perfect Chicken or pork chops every single time is an absolute joy. I don't eat as many steaks but also cooks them just the same. It's one of my go-to kitchen gadgets, and I cook most of my meals with it.
One concern I've had with Sous Vide is the concern of plastic leaching while cooking or marinading. I haven't researched it though - just an outstanding concern.