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Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

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Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#401

Post by madamelic »

murm wrote: post #289

Really good heaphones. It's been years since I bought them and I'm still amazed almost daily just how good music can sound. I'll admit that the cost upfront was not exactly cheap, but if you divide the price by the useful lifespan (my previous headphones lasted for 8 years) it becomes a no-brainer.

Sony WH-1000XM2, M3 and (I assume) M4 are some of the best and most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. My current M3s are going on 3 years old and plan on getting M4s when it kicks the bucket.

The only pair I've loved more were Sony MDR-XB500. I would kill for them to come back and especially in wireless.

I am not an audio snob but these sound great and most importantly, are extremely comfortable for long periods.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#402

Post by Jaym3s »

mettamage wrote: post #53

Some that come to mind. __Health__ Melatonin. There is no other way for me to go to bed and this knocks me right out (I use 0.2 - 0.4 milligrams). Sleep mask (no more waking up because a stray light hits my eye) I'd say sleep earplugs but I have a sound in my ear, but otherwise earplugs Mosquito repellent scent (for sleep as well). Silicon earplugs when going out, I never thought I'd get ear/hearing damage because I…

For those, like myself, where Melatonin doesn't work well. Try 'Calm' brand magnesium drink it relaxes me and keeps me asleep, without the need for ear plugs. I've tried the magnesium pills and they don't seam to work, the drink mixture does.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#403

Post by loco5niner »

is0tope wrote: post #62

Two things: 1. Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speaker. Compact and very loud, also has good battery life. Handy on hikes and similar. The waterproofing is excellent and I use it in the shower to listen to podcasts, etc. 2. Sony WH1000MX4 Bluetooth headphones. I was skeptical in getting a full set of headphones as I always preferred earphones. These things have amazing sound quality and noise cancelation which m…

> Bluetooth speaker.... Handy on hikes

Noooooooo. PLEASE enjoy nature and let others enjoy nature. You are missing out (and cheesing off everyone else)

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#404

Post by loco5niner »

sergiomattei wrote: post #165
moistly wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Handy on hikes Are you aware that other hikers hate you for this? I suppose you don’t care.

Not all! On my last hike we ran upon some folks with a Bluetooth speaker blasting music. I started dancing and having fun with the hikers...

While everyone else cringed, and was angry.

You may not understand this, but most other people go out to nature to enjoy nature. Blasting music kills the experience.

I'm guessing both of you are just kids whose parents missed this particular lesson.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#405

Post by radnor »

nickthemagicman wrote: post #205
Dracophoenix wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What breed of dog? How much is the insurance?

I got an Aussie. No insurance. I would just pay the 40 bucks for the vet visit if I need it which I haven't in two years of dog ownership so far.

As someone with experience in the veterinary industry I highly recommend pet insurance unless you can afford paying out-of-pocket for surprise procedures. It can be expensive.

Also, be sure to take your pet to a vet at least once a year for annual checkups and preventative care. Do not wait for a reason to go in. So many people call in to have their pet looked at when some weird symptom appears, only to discover that their pet now has an issue that could have been prevented if they had been visiting regularly.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#406

Post by ycombinete »

falcolas wrote: post #77

For voice recordings - Izotope RX8 elements. Found it for $9 right now. Aggravating mouth noises be gone. Magnetic charging cables. Some can't take advantage of the higher speed charging (only connecting V+ and ground), but it's unreasonably nice to have cables throughout the house that can support all of your devices. A comfortable mouse with enough buttons. A comfortable keyboard that just works, even if you don't…

What sort of voice recordings? Like voice notes in chat apps or voice overs?

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#407

Post by sergiomattei »

loco5niner wrote: post #404
sergiomattei wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not all! On my last hike we ran upon some folks with a Bluetooth speaker blasting music. I started dancing and having fun with the hikers...

While everyone else cringed, and was angry. You may not understand this, but most other people go out to nature to enjoy nature. Blasting music kills the experience. I'm guessing both of you are just kids whose parents missed this particular lesson.

I also go out to nature to enjoy nature. I also enjoy silence outside. You mind hikers with music and I don't.

You may not understand this, but there's such a thing as disagreement and preference.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#408

Post by TaurenHunter »

SkyPuncher wrote: post #254
corny wrote: post #130

Prescription glasses optimized for the distance to my computer screen. I was getting eye strain after even a short time in front of the computer. The new glasses completely solved the eye strain. I highly recommend it for anyone who is near sighted and uses a computer.

There's a change you have astigmatism. I purchased cheap glasses online and intentionally turned down the astigmatism correction. Significantly reduced eye strain. * During the day, I use my "correct" prescription. Even though it gives me a bit of eye strain. * At night, I switch to my adjusted prescription. Not as visibly clear, but significantly less eye strains. It's nice having a clear separation between "focus"…

How did you find the adjusted prescription numbers?

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#409

Post by RobKohr »

AndrewOMartin wrote: post #293
poulsbohemian wrote: post #188

This is kind of a combo... a wallet case for my iPhone plus coded door locks on my house. Now when I go out, I don't have any reason to carry anything beyond my phone and I never have to worry about keys. If I forget something at home, I can send the neighbor a temporary code to get into the house.

Have you checked whether your coded door locks have ever "starred" on the LockPickingLawyer YouTube channel? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm9K6rby98W8JigLoZOh6FQ

He has convinced me that really nearly all consumer oriented locks are easily picked.

According to cops that did a talk in a neighborhood I lived in though, usually criminals just kick in the door anyway. To be skilled in lockpicking probably means you are skilled enough in life that robbing houses isn't going to be your major vocation.

Re: Ask HN: What tiny purchases have disproportionately improved your life?

#410

Post by jeaguilar »

yangikan wrote: post #245
tenfourwookie wrote: post #100

I buy high mileage Honda minivans for no more than $3000 because they're dependable and cheap at high mileage. I generally get 100,000 miles out of them, so 4 mostly dependable vans and 400,000 miles for about $12,000. You'll lose $12K in depreciation alone just driving a new car off a lot. I've lived in them safely and comfortably for a total of about 3 years, living all over the western US from New Mexico to Montan…

Where do you park in the night?

Down by the river, of course.
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