CO2 Monitor to let me know when I need to let some new air into my office. Mine is a TFA Dostmann 31.5009, but any model with an NDIR sensor should be fine, there are many choices around 70-150 EUR.
CO2 poisoning is very common. It leads to fatigue, headaches/migranes and concentration issues. Most people don't recognize it and try to cope with caffeine & pain killers.
I noticed that sitting in a tightly closed office surrounded by monitors , CO2 was being trapped around me . I started testing with blood oxygen monitor and could reliably predict low blood O2 based on the above symptoms.
tl;dr keep your door and/or windows open and use a fan to circulate air into your desk area. It's very easy to reach high CO2 concentrations in a small room when you are surrounded closely with monitors (flat surfaces)
It's important to note these two issues (high CO2 and low oxygen) only go together in the most extreme scenarios and CO2 can be impactful long before O2 levels noticeably decrease or start affecting your blood O2 levels. For CO2 to be extremely high and causing headaches, dizziness, and nausea it's around 0.1% to 0.2% (more often represented as 1,000 to 2,000 ppm due to the low typical concentration of ~420 ppm globally). On the other hand, air is 21% oxygen (by volume) and at 10x the difference above different (so 1%) less it's not even considered oxygen deficient yet.
While I'm writing the comment, it's important to note you will almost certainly notice high CO2 content but you very likely won't notice low O2 content. Think about inhaling a helium from the balloon tank. You know there is very little O2 in it at all, you can even hear how it changes your voice, but you can keep breathing more in and out until you pass out cold and not even "sense" the lack of O2 until seconds before you pass out you start feeling very lightheaded. On the other hand if you breathed in CO2 like that you'd immediately notice and feel awful. This is because the body doesn't detect how much O2 you're taking in it detects how much CO2 you're able to get rid of. All this is to say, if you have low blood O2 levels don't necessarily expect to be aware of it.
The third thing I'll mention, since it seems inevitably someone comes by and reads "CO2" and confuses it with CO (carbon monoxide), is CO and CO2 are different things with different ppm values and different outcomes. It seems inevitably in the conversations CO will kill you in less than an hour at 1000 ppm, with effects from long term exposure possible at far less than that. If you have an appliance that burns fuel to function you really should have CO detectors, even if your state doesn't mandate one. If you don't get a CO2 monitor the worst that'll happen to you is you'll not feel as great (assuming CO2 isn't so bad your problem is actually there isn't enough oxygen left).
I just noticed this got pretty chopped up saving between a couple edits so here is a cleaner version if anyone needs it:
It's important to note these two issues (high CO2 and low oxygen) only go together in the most extreme scenarios. CO2 can be impactful long before O2 levels noticeably decrease or start affecting your blood O2 levels. For CO2 to be extremely high (causing headaches, dizziness, and nausea) it only needs to be in concentrations around 0.1% to 0.2%, more often represented as 1,000 to 2,000 ppm due to the low typical concentration of ~420 ppm globally. On the other hand, air is 21% oxygen (by volume) and at 10x the difference of 1%/10,000 ppm less than normal the air is not even considered oxygen deficient yet.
While I'm writing this comment, it's important to note you will almost certainly notice high CO2 content in your environment but you very likely won't notice low O2 content until it's well too late. Think about inhaling a helium from the balloon tank. You know there is very little O2 in it at all, you can even hear how it changes your voice due to the displacement, but you can keep breathing more in and out until you pass out cold and not even "sense" the lack of O2 until seconds before that moment when you feel lightheaded or your vision starts to fade. On the other hand if you breathed in CO2 like that you'd immediately notice and feel absolutely awful. This is because the body doesn't detect how much O2 you're taking in it detects how much CO2 you're able to get rid of. All this is to say, if you have low blood O2 levels don't necessarily expect to be aware of it.
The third thing I'll mention, since it seems to inevitably come up, is "CO2" (carbon dioxide) should not be confused with "CO" (carbon monoxide). CO and CO2 are very different things with different ppm values of concern and different outcomes when they are out of range. CO will kill you in less than an hour at 1000 ppm with effects from long term exposure possible at far less than that. If you have an appliance that burns fuel to function you really should have CO detectors, even if your state/goverment doesn't mandate one. If you don't get a CO2 monitor the worst that'll happen to you is you'll not feel as great (assuming CO2 isn't so bad your problem is actually there isn't enough oxygen left).
Keeping door and windows open while it's very cold or very hot outside can lead to extremely high heating/air conditioning bills. Meanwhile, high quality energy recovery ventilators that can exchange air with the outside without ruining your insulation tend to be a lot more than $200.
My home has very poor ventilation so I periodically will open the windows and blast a box fan to "flush" the dirty air out. If done quickly, there's not much thermal loss.
Although a bit above $200, but I own an Aranet4 CO2 monitor (it also measures humidity, air pressure, and temperature). It has a great app that allows you to see historical data too.
I've been using it for a while already and I'm really happy with it.
I've been wanting to get a CO2 sensor for a while now, but I want one that interfaces with Homebridge or directly with Homekit. I'd appreciate any recommendations!
IronOS is actually a firmware, not a classical operating system.
The soldering iron is like many modern appliances a smart device and contains a RISC-V CPU on which the firmware runs.
I bought a Pinecil as well this year, and it's really a great tool, and I dare say much more versatile and powerful than many traditional soldering stations which cost much more.
I got the older TS100, for which IronOS was created originally, and it makes such a difference compared to a "dumb" soldering iron. I'm not very skilled in soldering, but the tool makes up for a lot of that.
Nevertheless, I would never have thought that I'd ever own a soldering iron requiring firmware.
Getting hot has a lot of complexity, actually: How hot does it get? How can you select the temperature and how accurate is that selection? How well does it maintain the selected temperature?
Simple soldering irons often don't even have temperature selection. And their predetermined temperature drops significantly when heat is transferred into the soldering pieces.
I can dial the Pinecil very accurately to anywhere between 100° C and 400° C, to provide the optimal temperature for the soldering job and it meticulously maintains that temperature (given the power supply is beefy enough).
Another nice feature is automatic stand-by when the tool isn't used. This preserves the tip, saves energy and lowers the risk of accidentally setting anything on fire. It automatically heats up blazingly fast when I pick it up again.
Pretty much this. Abridged for my little knowledge: I can easily set up my favorite temperature, and I can be sure that it's constant no matter how big the part I'm soldering. As a bonus, the soldering iron cools down when I'm not using it, making accidental touches less painful. Another bonus: there's a "boost" button for very stubborn solder joints.
I’m sorry but I still don’t get it either. If it’s hot enough, you’ll know it’s ready when it starts melting whatever you use to solder. Why would one need anything more?
As a general rule, anything that uses electricity to get hot is going to need to run a PID if you want it to maintain a stable temperature. Once you've got the microcontroller in there it's trivial to add nice little features like thermal runaway detection or auto cooling/auto heating when the iron is put down/picked up, which are a couple of things the pinecil does.
The link you provide states "Device Warranty: 30 Days". This is ridiculously short. Is this thing at all reliable? If yes then why such a "non-warranty"?
I have a different ratchet set from Wera, which is also really nice and handy. Wera generally makes excellent tools, especially for the price point. My only gripe is that the printed-on size information on the handles of their screwdrivers wears off quickly, which is especially annoying for Torx drivers.
A shavette/straight razor blade: even after deciding on going 100% bald I still love cutting my own stuff, so I decided to go down the rabbit hole of self beard cutting. Never had more fun, outlining my beard has become one of my favourite pastimes ever. And I can have my beard on point whenever I need to, at no cost. Paid ~20€ for the blade holder, and ~8€ for 400 blades. (Bonus addition: hair clipper. Just make sure you buy one that has a lever and enough RPM)
Audiophile IEMs: there's a lot of stuff under the 200€ mark that can make your ears feel previously undiscovered levels of joy. And if you're listening to music a lot of time, this is a damn good investment. Truthear and Moondrop have a lot of interesting affordable options.
Acoustic panels: if you play music on speakers a lot, getting your room to sound drier can really make you discover new levels of detail. Just don't buy the cheapest polyuretane ones, as they only cause random dips in mid freqs.
Smart watch/band: Nothing too fancy, just anything that can notify me of stuff so I can keep my phone away and avoid picking it up to read a simple text message.
I haven't gone as far as a straight razor, but I've just in the last few weeks switched to a DE razor coming from years of using cartridge razors with too many too closely spaced blades that clog then degrade and cause irritation.
I'm trying a Rockwell 6C (around $60) with its interchangeable base-plates for different aggressiveness on blade exposure/angle, and just started on a variety pack of blades to see what suits me - so far so good on the experiment, it's at very least not causing any more irritation and produces less waste. Shaving accessories _is_ a ridiculous rabbit hole of hipster consumerism, but doing better-than-default seems like it might be worthwhile.
Right now it's just for face, by my hair is rapidly approaching "Doonesbury's Old Surfer Dude" so the role might expand.
Or full sized cans - Sennheiser HD598 can be found for ~$100 and you get fantastic sound out of basically everything, beating many $400+ bullshit headphones
I too have the HD598, great open headphones: you can hear environment noises perfectly well, and they sound great.
When I need some insulation, I use the Audio-Technical ATH-M40X. Also sounding great, quite faithful, like the HD598. The price is similar.
A sous vide machine. It's just a fancy stick that circulates water at a precise temperature, but it makes the most delicious and tender chicken and fish that you'll ever make at home. You can start it in the morning and leave it going while you're out. Then dump the contents into a frying pan for a minute or two to sear the outside, and lunch/dinner is ready.
You do need a vacuum sealer, but the total investment is less than $150, which you can easily recoup when you find that you don't crave restaurant or takeout food as much as you used to.
Yes, it can be done. That's what I did for this year's Thanksgiving turkey.
My workflow these days is to buy a bunch of meat from Costco, then repackage it into portions with seasoning and throw it all in the freezer for later. In that case, removing all the air helps not just with buoyancy, but also with freezer burn.
America's Test Kitchen looked into it and it's just not a problem at the temperatures used in sous vide.
There are no issues in terms of taste or plastic leaching or anything of the sort, though if you're really paranoid you can always use Mason jars or silicon bags.
I use reusable food grade silicone bags I bought from Amazon. They are not vacuum sealed but I don't think that matters at all. As long as the portion of the bag containing the food is completely submerged the water pressure is sufficient to seal the bag around the food and ensure even heating in my experience.
I did not research it. The hottest temperature I use is 145F for chicken or pork ribs. Salmon is only 109F. If you have already looked into the use of plastic when cooking, which I haven't, and you know which temperature range is considered dangerous, then those numbers might help you.
Noise canceling wireless earbuds. I’ve had both a Jabra and a Beats… very happy with both. Nice for blocking out noise. No messy cables, can use with any device…
I was skeptical, I liked my corded headphones fine. Just turns out these sound better and are way more useful for me.
I've had noise canceling headphones for a while now, and I love using them in flights, but somehow I could never get to use it all the time to focus like some of my friends do. I am definitely not an expert in this area, and I have no evidence to argue for this, but somehow it feels like actively producing sounds to cancel out the noise and blasting it into your ear all day (i.e., when noise cancellation is on) can't be good.
Theoretically the sounds they produce cancel out the noise before either sound wave reaches your ear. I know some people experience some discomfort due to pressure changes, but the volume of the noise cancellation shouldn't be an issue by itself.
For people who dislike the "plugs", I can recommend Huawei FreeBuds (base version, not Pro). They are open design, very comfortable to wear for long periods. They have ANC, due to open design, it's not perfect, but still quite noticeable.
A Steelcase Leap V2, $150 (and 90 minute round trip pickup) using Facebook Marketplace. I probably got a little bit lucky, but it is definitely worth checking for things like this.
Also, a shout out to my friend who let me try his for 30 minutes since I couldn’t in a store.
I have a Leap V2 too from 2021 ($300 used). Best chair ever. So glad I got this instead of the much cooler looking Herman Miller Aeron -- the Aeron is amazing, but the Leap is more adjustable and has a more comfortable fabric seat.
Got a Leap from a user office furniture warehouse. Great buy for sure. Look up in your area there’s probably one too. They are usually in an industrial area somewhere. Just a giant warehouse with used office furniture.
I have one of these in my home office. Just press a button to switch from my work laptop to my PC, including all peripherals like speakers, webcam, mic, etc. My only complaint is that the audio behaves a little strangely. It buzzes and pops loudly when switching and during startup, and I’ve had to customize my audio configuration to account for some of the quirks, but it’s painless at this point.
Do you know of any that support HDMI 2.1 properly for 8K 60 Hz monitors? I currently just have a USB switch and two HDMI 2.1 cables, and manually change the input on the screen each time.
I have the Aten CS1944DP, a dual screen, 4K60 DisplayPort KVM with the ability to drive 4 computers. I use two 27” 1440p144 monitors.
Cable management is a bit of mess, but it’s fantastic to be able to switch between personal, work, client and something else computers with the flick of a button (or keyboard shortcut).
My mom got me a pair of AfterShokz (the former name of this brand) years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m on my third pair now, and I’m pretty brutal on them. I wear them every day for long periods, and I really enjoy having headphones that don’t make me feel cut off from everyone around me, but still let me listen to podcasts that might not be kid-appropriate while I’m doing work around the house. They’ve dramatically improved for listening to music over the years, but I swap them out with dedicated IEMs for that most of the time. I also have a pair of over-ear headphones at my desk when I really need to tune out distractions.
I have their OpenRun headset, and for voice the quality is great; music a little iffy but acceptable when considering not getting hit by a car. Battery is awesome, and I'm assuming thats the same for the Opencomm
What’s the biggest improvement in your experience versus a more traditional setup? (Either over-ear with standalone mic or in-ear buds etc). Never tried bone conduction!
Mitigates further hearing loss from years of using buds. Also, when in a loud or crowded environment, I just put my fingers in my ears and can hear the other party crystal clear (vs potentially turning the volume up on buds to dangerous levels to compensate).
The thing that I really like about fountain pens is that you can get a WAY finer line with one than you can with other pens. My favorite is the Pilot Kaküno, which is actually pretty damn cheap (in the ballpark of $15) but if you get the version with the extra fine nib it gives you (surprise surprise) a really fine line. I personally like it more than the more expensive pens I tried out, but I also never waded all that deep into the expensive end of the product pool. Spending more than $50 on a pen would shrivel my soul to ashes.
I can’t find it on Pilot’s website (hope they haven’t discontinued it), but it’s available on Amazon, etc.
Obligatory caveat: pen enjoyability is pretty subjective. I put a lot of value on stuff like how it feels when I’m writing and a fine line (so I can write tiny in margins, and just because it looks cool IMO), but your mileage may vary substantially.
My brother in law in a general contractor and raved about his new gyroscopic screwdriver a couple years ago. I bought one last month and it's easily the best thing I've bought this year. Under $100 and it's truly a must have. I have the dewalt one, not sure if any other brands make em.
I just took a look at the Bosch. It looks like you have to switch a button to screw or unscrew. The Dewalt, you twist counterclockwise and it unscrews, clockwise and drives the screw in. You don't have to manually switch directions.
The coolest part is the more you twist the screwdriver, the faster it will turn. You really have to use it to feel how awesome of a device it is.
Yeah, there's a switch to select direction. But it activates by pressure.
I'm either screwing a bunch of screws in or out, so it's not a big hassle to use the switch when you need the other.
And this thing generates so much torque, I feel kinda worried about twisting my wrist to select the direction.
I bought a dozen of above headphones for sleep, cheap low profile that is very comfortable to sleep in. Lays flat, no hot pressure points. Only issue is they're wired, and josling in bed means every few months I kill one from wrecking their cabling/connector. They had a cheaper discontinued bluetooth version of the buds I was using prior, but battery levels dropped to less than 8 hours and the battery warning (alarm) plays at 200% volume. I see Mee has a few higher end buds with bluetooth adapter for $80+, but they're still wired behind neck format with proprietary connector that would be cost prohibitive replace to frequently, especially if UI sounds still offensively loud.
Wondering if anyone knows a cheap chifi buds with same form factor that can be paired cheap bluetooth adapter that has quiet UI sounds. I've done a few rounds of searching and have came up empty.
A 96-sheet notebook + a Pentel needle-point pen. I've been feeling some strong headaches lately and the doctor's requested me to stay away from screens as much as possible. I've been using the notebook and this cheap yet nice pen to write down ideas and whatever. It's been a month now and the changes in terms of creativity and mental clarity are quite noticeable.
Toothpaste squeezer (I realize the juice is often not worth the squeeze, but it's fun to squeeze out the last few bits of toothpaste): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SHL6P8V
Surprisingly functional multiseat for windows. Lifetime license 50-100 for 2 seats depending on region. Partner's computer went kaput, and used this + steamlink to turn monitor into another computer. I see people online using this to play two seperate games on different "seats". Was planning to get seperate media centre PC, but this worked so well I ended up using money to upgrade PC components. Yeah, it's Russian software, but there's reddit posts dating back a few years. I can see how software/hardware vendors don't like multiseat since less sales, but I see a lot of sense in pooling budget for one extra powerful system instead of buying multiple compute devices. I wish Windows had native functionality.
Edit: Upon search, I am surprised Aster has been mentioned only one other time, 6 years ago in all of HN. Only 4 pages worth of multiseat comment dating back 13 years.
Doesn't this violate most Windows Licenses? Windows simultaneous multiuser support on all NT-based OSes but it was normally disabled by policy unless you paid for the Server license. This is why Windows RDP normally locks the local desktop when you connect remotely rather than spawning a parallel session. I remember there were some US-based startups doing this but they ran into legal issues once they got past a certain point.
This company appears to be Russian so they can ignore the legal issues, but it would be bad to use this in a situation where MS might want to enforce their license.
I have no idea. General consensus from what I read is it's Russian, and very hacky, but works great. Even on Windows Home, no need Pro, or virtualization route where you have to split core/resources. They seem to primarily sell to developing countries, especially computer labs where I presume Microsoft don't care, or fine with people pirating if it means using Windows.
Wow, I remember using this back when I was a poor high school student trying to share my GPU with my younger brother. I don't think I was able to get it working reliably though.
Multiseat in general is just super niche. I wish it took off more and maybe it would have turned into an officially supported solution.
That's what I thought, but I think compute/cores + gpu power + wireless networking these days makes solid case for multiseat. Instead of buying another media center computer, I have a faster main computer with better CPU + GPU, better home wireless networking to beam that capability anywhere in the house. Previously I already remote desktopped into my main computer via different screens around the house, but now my partner can do it while I'm using said computer as well. The extra money in main computer = I'm gaming at 1440p vs 1080p or rendering with 20+ threads instead of 12, while partner do their low impact media/browsing for less cost. At the point, instead of partner upgrading their PC, it's starting to look sensible to split into 3 seats, 1 for me, 1 for media centre, 1 extra for partner. Perhaps spend a few 100 on dedicated GPU for new seat instead of 1000+ on seperate system.
It is a shame Windows gates this behind their business edition(s) as it could really cut down on waste, especially now that streaming is becoming practical.
I recall trying this with Linux and it worked reasonably well.
Yes I can see this previously being limited and setup specific if it means being confined to wires/same room, but with decent wireless, people are running this with cheap headless client like Pi+Moonlight or Steamlink on monitors in another room. Even a few years ago I had to run a network cable to my steamlink. But now it's streaming at 1080p60 with very little latency and frame loss. But so far, diverting $$$ to have a faster computer with more cores, and better GPU, and faster wireless networking, and a faster media centre than I would have otherwise cobbled together has been win-win-win.
I got a couple of pocket operators, about $175 in total. Opened up a whole world of electronic music for me. Serious gateway drug. I'm composing again after decades of dry spell.
Wyze Smart Deadbolt. $79, secure, and convenient. You never have to worry about losing a key again. I live in a cold area and it works reliably. The auto lock is so nice so you don’t worry about if you locked the door. Also great to allow guests or contractors in if you can’t go home to let them in. Makes my life so amazing.
Yeah, smart locks are nice. I have Nuki 2 and am equally happy. Even though it disconnects from the wifi, get huge latency on notifications and battery lasts only 2 months at most, the autolock and opening door with fingerprint is total addiction and works flawlessly. If all other features worked as promoted for that price, I would buy it for all the doors. A friend of mine wasn't so lucky, his Nuki blocks constantly and drains battery after a couple of days...
I was always behind an open door during the day until I bought Nuki. Now I am always locked and surprisingly, after only 6mo of usage I am very uncomfortable when autolock is not enabled.
Not needing a key but still having a backup in case it stops working is awesome.
It is expensive though, Nuki without fingerprint reader and dor sensor is less than $200 but with everything price is around $450
This box cutter tool, which is <$12 https://a.co/d/aOxoVOp. It makes opening packages so much easier. It doesn’t have a blade, so it’s much safer to use than scissors or a knife.
A better tool for basically the same price is a OLFA LA-X. It's a Japanese designed box cutter which has a retractable blade on one end and large dull metal pick on the other end for quickly stabbing packages open.
In Switzerland, the public post company provides a service[0] which scans your incoming letters (i.e. their content, not just the envelope) and makes it available via the web and an app. I started using this service last December and am very happy. Kinda looks like I am forcing digitalisation upon organisations who don't want to make progress on it :D
It costs 9.99 CHF per month, hence within the limit of the post, and very much worth it.
It seems I have not been clear enough: This service opens your mail and scans the actual content of the letters to PDF files. It's not just the address box or the envelope!
That USPS service you posted is already available for free from Swiss Post as well.
Portable 16" monitor with 4k resolution and USB C passthrough. Very handy when travelling. It makes me much more productive when working from a hotel room or anywhere else, and it's just about the size of a 16" laptop, but thinner.
I bought the 1080p variant. It makes a great preview monitor for video signals, camera output etc.
I'm considering buying a 4k version with touchscreen for travelling, which fits well to the 4k touchscreen on my laptop. Not sure if I actually need touch for a side monitor, though. Or even 4k for that matter...
4K makes a lot of difference to me, just because I can change resolutions without ever seeing pixels. I don't have the touchscreen version, and I don't miss that functionality. But I see that it might be useful for some applications.
I got into Audiobooks this year. I first listened on headphones or just phone loudspeaker (thought it's OK for voice).
Then I bought JBL Go 3 and it's a different experience. The speaker is compact, lightweight and has a nice design. Sound quality / loudness is fully sufficient for voice and does a great job for its size for music as well. It's waterproof, now I listen even while showering. The only downside is lack of battery level indicator.
BTW, Audible subscription is a surprisingly good deal. You can have basically any book for $10 (even those which cost $30 on Kindle).
I used a JBL Flip 4 speaker to listen to audiobooks and podcasts while floating in the pool for a while. Bluetooth doesn’t penetrate more than a few centimeters into water, so I’d just put my phone in a dry bag, tie it to the side of the speaker, and set it adrift. Way less clunky than a headset and worked great
There's $100 waterproof bone conduction headphones with built in storage that works great. Speech is pretty trippy and well suited for bone conduction. Only issue is you have to find mp3s of audio, which usually means sailing high seas.
There are, but that limits the number of people listening to one, I don't like the feeling of wearing headphones though, and I didn't want to lose sync with podcast/audiobooks either :)
"The main focus is Vipassana, where you’re taught to cultivate a quality of mind called “mindfulness,” which is simply a state of clear, non-judgemental, and undistracted attention, moment by moment, to the contents of consciousness."
His approach to meditation is just so much better than any other I’ve found. It’s actually in inquiry into your mind instead of just “look now you’re calm!”
The Alan Watts series also has been amazing. I’ll admit I was reflexively offput by Watts just given his pop culture popularity, but wow he has some incredible ideas shared in a really remarkable way. Well-earned popularity.
A Nutr machine so I can make quality nutmilks at home instead of buying store bought stuff loaded with nasty preservatives and very few nuts per serving.
Philips Sonicare 7300 electric toothbrush - this thing is awesome, every time I brush my teeth they feel super clean and smooth like porcelain. $149 one of the best purchases I ever made. https://a.co/d/2fFJgow
Another product that improved my life is AirPods, if you’re into the Apple ecosystem they’re worth every penny.
Canon selfy CP1500 (photo printer). For the colors, the lamination and the software. It's significantly better than competitors' (I use it to match colors when oil painting and Im picky like an engineer). My guess is that competitors have the same HW tech ("4pass thermic sublimation") but not the software and/or color sensors thing.
I've got a Selphy too, they're really good, kind of curious why they don't use black as an additional colour though (maybe it wouldn't make much difference?).
I generally hate dealing with bluetooth headphones (extra non-replaceable batteries to die then die! Extra drain on your phone battery! Run a unique ID tracking beacon all the time! Have a fight every time you want to switch sources! Pay more for inferior sound quality!), but the difference between the no-names and the mid-tier brands is shocking.
I've used a couple cheap wireless earbuds all of which were _awful_, and some over-ear TaoTronics headphones that are bluetooth-or-wired which are pretty OK, but I decided to try going up a tier and got a pair of Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds on sale for a bit over $50, and their ANC is _fabulous_, their pairing only rarely does something frustrating (they'll remember two different devices, which helps), they're actually reasonably comfortable despite being a larger object supported from the ear, etc.
One thing I realized the first time I had them on a flight is that the _lack_ of a simple way to hook them to a standard 3.5mm source is limiting - it means they can't take over for as many tasks from a wired pair as they otherwise could.
On the topic of headphones for loud environments: I've had mine for several years, but Plugfones (I have their Guardian model) are also a worthy object; earbuds which are also ANSI S3.19-1974 29db NRR hearing protection. Really nice for both noisy environments and working with power tools.
A bit late to the party, but in case you track replies, I can recommend the Avantree "Audikast Plus" device. Negligible weight, it gives you Bluetooth capability for two simultaneous headphones as long as you can plug it into a 3.5mm jack. I have been carrying it in my travel bag for years (the current model looks identical but is Bluetooth 5.0 compatible) and it makes our flights and hotel trips a delight (sound experience, I meant).
> they're actually reasonably comfortable despite being a larger object supported from the ear
On that note, there seems to be an explosion of "open-ear earbuds" going on right now - just between October and November, the amount of designs on Amazon seems to have doubled. These sit on your ear instead of inside it, and are a ton more comfortable. I couldn't stand normal earbuds and have been sticking to wraparounds, but these open-ear designs work for me.
A set of nice flashlights. Why walk around in the dark? Some that I like: Sofirn SP36 BLF, LT1, SC21, HS10. Wurkkos TS10 (and I’ll be getting a TS11 soon.)
Walking around in the dark outside can actually be really nice. Your eyes adjust and, of course, it's never completely dark (moonlight, starlight, etc).
Torches (flashlights) are fine, but ppl tend to overuse them, in my experience.
All those times you're trying to use a flashlight around the house you probably would be better off using a headlamp. You can also use this as a flashlight too if you're weird like that.
These type of muffs can be problematic when they limit communication or impair situational awareness. Many applications are better off with a pair of amplifying earmuffs. As an example, Walker's Razor Slim are good for sustained and impulse noises, and don't impede communication or situational awareness. With everyone using them, you can talk to people farther away. They do impair speech direction localization and conversation discrimination because the phase of sounds aren't preserved exactly as they were.
I was blown away by the sound quality produced by this relatively small speaker. It has very rich bass and other frequencies sound very good too. I often carry it around my apartment and use for things like music, audiobooks, calls (unfortunately the built-in mic isn't that good), etc.
MaxiNutrition Hydration Tabs. Much easier to drop into a glass of water than powder-form electrolytes (no messing around with a spoon etc). Also something to keep in your pocket/bag on a longer bar night. I can't guarantee the nutritional value being a nonexpert but at least the convenience is great.
It's got what plants crave. It's got electrolytes. - well, at least the electrolytes part is true. When you sweat heavily, you lose minerals and salts, which can become detrimental to performance or even dangerous to your health during intense workouts. Hydration products [claim to] replenish these.
Depends on the kind of sleeper you are. Personally I can't sleep even in the summer without some amount of weight from fabric on me, which I know doesn't make much sense but it is what it is.
My roommate tosses alot when sleeping and a really heavy blanket keeps her still, which she says helps her get a deeper sleep
I have a 7kg weighted blanket that sits on top of my regular blanket at night and I love it. I feel like don't wake as easily, and overall sleep better. And it's so comfy.
Similar. I dipped my toe in the competitors, but honestly the ease of use and interface combined with how much more productive I am after using it. I recommend flow club.
A trip to a repair shop to fix the rash scratches on my car’s wheel rim with polishing, claying and a repaint, costing $55. All other offers of the service were in the $100~$200 range.
