If you don't have any specific needs, are you sure it's worth spending that money on electronics?
Personally I hate the remorse that comes every few months when I go through a drawer and discover a barely used iPod touch or other device that I once thought might improve my life, but didn't.
I was worried about the same thing when I bought my point and shoot. But I used it like one use his cellphone. And the other thing is for a long time I wanted to hack new gadget like leap motion.
If it was me, it'd be a toss-up between a combination of: eReader, tablet, and a Nexus 4. Items to increase my learning efficiency (eReader/tablet) and productivity (Nexus 4).
And I would wait til October for the new Paperwhite and probably the new Kobo Arc.
Also I would want to put about 10-20% away into some sort of investment fund unless there were some items that offered a serious short-term productivity increase the money could rather go to. Just a general rule.
Find whatever makes you free, and do that. Gadgets are a small set of the tools that can make that possible. Knowledge is even better.
I see that bgar's already asked you what you have.
What do you want to do?
(For me, if constrained to gadgets, perhaps a DAQ card can open a lot of doors. Arduinos are cheap, LabJacks and fancier can get a lot more done with greater sensitivity. Got only $10 and an I2C interface? You can have an unreasonable quantity of fun with an AD7746. Seriously.)
i have saved up 1000$ to buy gaming consoles and equipment (LCDs, Leap motion , games etc). But it is mainly due to the fact that before becoming a professional i was never able to afford the latest consoles and games :P.
If you don't have a need for anything and that cash is burning a hole in your pocket, invest in tools or supplies
.
I mean real tools - Maybe a repair kit that includes all those fancy security screws and stuff to fix your iPhone, or some portable muilti-use power tool, so when you need em and have em (it's a good feeling). Best to get the stuff you know you will actually use.
Supplies - got a color laser printer? stock up on those pricy extra toner packs, buy that bulk pack of ink, get extra paper.
Ergo stuff, how about your workspace, need a better chair or desk (I got myself an adjustable standing/sitting desk, it was a good investment) Maybe dual LCDs?
Organization stuff - example - If you have a ton of DVDs filling up bookcases may I suggest Disc Sox - http://www.amazon.com/DISCSOX-DVD-POLY-SLEEVES--25Pack/dp/B0... Put your cover and DVDs in these things and you can cut your DVD shelf space by 75%, also you and your friends will know its your DVD because of the cool flexy case.
Safari Library Subscription - get on-line any time access to thousands of O'Reilly books and manuals - http://www.safaribooksonline.com/
I just purchased a pair of Westone UM3X in-ear monitors. I was cringing at spending $320 (best I could find on amazon) for headphones, but since I received them I never want to take them out.
For those of us that work with or use technology a lot during our days, I think there's something to be said about spending a little extra on the part that connects the human to the technology. Connecting these two very different things in a pleasing, comfortable, exciting way is not easy.
I'm guessing you're asking because you have a gadget allowance from a new job? If so, and assuming whatever you're buying needs to be at least slightly relevant to your job, looking around at what your co-workers bought may be useful. This doesn't mean you buy what your co-workers buy but at least you may get some ideas.
You're fine. If you MUST spend that money, put it towards DOING something rather than acquiring a thing. Maybe put it towards night school, or online courses. Or, craziest of crazy ideas, sock it away in the bank or your sock drawer.
If you find yourself running out of battery power, an extra powerpack can come in handy. I ordered one earlier from newtrent.com this year and use it a lot more than I thought I would. Lots more other manufacturers too if you do a quick search.
A course on 'stop being an insensitive douche', that is probably where you should start.
We have had posts about helping Syrian developers get jobs outside of Syria, people hit hard by economic crisis, people dying. But you don't care, you want to waste $1200 on crap you don't need. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fight_club/quotes/#quote_386...
This is an international place to share news about technology and how it can help us better our lives. These kinds of posts belong on Facebook, if anywhere. But to be honest, I think your 'friends' will not appreciate this type of bragging.
No. Just no. HN is a forum for hackers to talk and discuss anything that interests them, which may very well include the latest cool gadgets someone wants to buy. In fact, HN guidelines specifically say: Off-Topic: Most stories about politics.
HN is not the zero-sum, channel of communication-most-important that you think it is. This is not a zero-sum game.
HN is not a place where you badger other people for talking about a topic just because you think another topic is more "important." You don't yell at your friends for talking about startups instead of Syria. At least I hope you don't.
Are you upset because the wheels of capitalism continue rolling for the people that aren't under direct distress due to a bad situation happening elsewhere in the world, away from them?
Or are you upset because the first time you hit on the philosophical and existential elements of materialism it was in a brad pitt movie?
What, exactly, does Syria have to do with OP?
Given that there is something terrible happening at all times, do you find yourself fatigued after so many years of trying to convince everyone to stop living life and to start needlessly becoming anxious about a war they can't influence instead of looking for a new toy?
I eagerly await your response to the hundreds of consumer product reviews that get posted on HN on a weekly basis. I hope you can convince all of them, too, that they are out of touch and need to focus their attentions on whatever some pseudo-anonymous guy on the internet deems important at the moment.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1474454