I wrote up a very big monitor selection guide at https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-good-monitor-fo..., I try to keep it up to date by supplying alternatives to the ones I've purchased. Some of the monitors I recommended were $330 when I bought them but are now $500-700, although sometimes they come back in stock at $350ish.
I made the switch around 5-6 years ago and still think it was one of the biggest upgrades for general quality of life improvements when using a computer.
The only reason I haven't gone 4k is because using one at 100% scaling at 27" or less isn't really feasible due to how small the text is and using a 36" one to be able to comfortably view it at 100% scaling feels too big for using it in a normal desk environment. Personally I'd rather have the flexibility of 2x 24-25" 2560x1440 monitors, plus 120hz / 144hz 2560x1440 monitors are very abundant if you're into games (although you can make a strong case that 120hz+ is very noticeable and useful for general usage too).
MacOS in particular does an excellent job of rendering 2560x1440 to a 4K screen, and the increased DPI over a regular 1440p 27" screen is very noticeable.
Another option if you're not a fan of 27" displays is a pair of 24/25" 4k screens which can be run at a scaled 2304x1296 resolution. This still provides a decent amount of space without text being too tiny. Alas, 4k monitors <27" are increasingly rare these days.
"Panel Lotto" (as I know it at least) refers to the company's policy regarding returning a panel that had dead pixels on arrival. Some policies don't allow customers to return those displays even if it has a dead pixel, as it wouldn't count as a defect. That's why it's a "lotto", it's pure chance if you'll receive a perfect display or not, and if you do you have no recourse.
I'm not sure how it works out in practice, I've never received any display with dead-pixels on arrival.
People keep saying this but I don't.. see.. it. Everything scales great on my setup. I could make one letter cover the entire screen if I wanted to - the DPI is not really relevant in that sense. You still have to set size up to your liking. And I do not have great eyesight (contacts/glasses).
Admittedly, DPI does play a part when you have multiple monitors with different resolutions. I have solved that by wrapping my launcher with a script that detects the screen, reads the DPI and scales accordingly. Which, to be fair, is not something you should expect people to do :p
My desktop uses an LG-27GL850 and an LG-27GN950. One is 1440p, the other is 4k. Both are 144hz. I first bought the 1440p, which is great, then I bought the 4k one. I wanted to keep the 1440p one for gaming, but as it turns out, I don't game, so I regret not getting two 4ks.
I did extensive research before getting these, and after a year with them side by side, I can for sure see the difference when I read text. The fonts (and everything) just pop more.
I would be completely fine with 1440p, that looks great as well, but since I am at my computer for the better part of my life, a few extra dollars was (and still is) worth it for me.
PS: 144hz was almost weird at first - the cursor and scrolling is so instant. Highly recommended.
It will probably be obscenely overpriced, but I'll probably get a few for work for people who don't like their curved ultrawides.
The 39" 4K I've been using since 2014 has spent many a year in pillarbox attempting to preserve my neck and eyes, but it's still ultimately too large. I'd love to replace it with some smaller high res non-widescreen panels.
I get a chuckle out of colleagues who ask for copious RAM today, and while I'll usually show them where they can put money to do what they actually need better, this kitchen analogy suffices for most of their use cases:
The hard drive, RAM, and CPU are like the fridge, the prep table, and the stove. In the days of high storage latency and low throughput mechanical storage, it took a few weeks to gather ingredients from the fridge and bring them back to your prep table, so it made sense to buy the largest prep table you could afford to save yourself the trip. However, your stove only had one or two burners, so you were still waiting around for one thing to finish cooking one thing so you could move on to another.
Today, high bandwidth, low latency storage like NVMe means you have an always-on instantaneous portal to the ingredients realm so there's no real need for the extra-large prep table. It's usually better to spend the money on more burners for the stove so you can keep it as busy as possible and get the most work out.
It's a vast over simplification, but I can't help but sigh when someone says they literally cannot do their job without 64GB of RAM and then choose a quad-core or some low-power series laptop.
If only i did it with a larger drove though... Im atruggling through my system drive on a 90gb ssd...
I resisted getting one for years because the one I had growing up was pretty bad. Nothing would dry, items would come out dirty all the time and it was loud and would "chug" for hours.
However, a good (not even fancy, just mid-range from a competent manufacturer) modern dishwasher is night and day. Doesn't even need special tablets, it just gets things clean, even on the eco mode, which is the only one I use. Its not the quietest on the market by a dB or two, but its basically not noticeable.
So much better than having a huge pile of dishes taking up the entire draining rack until dry enough to put away, getting splashed with more water every time the sink is used (and the water is medium-hard so that makes a mess, but the dishwasher has a water softener).
A thirty minute video explaining why tablets are bad and that you should simply use powder:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rBO8neWw04
Also, a follow-up video:
I picked up a year old Miele for 100€, it’s been chugging along like a tank.
The kitchen appliance that surprised me - my current house had a double oven when we moved in. The small top oven is just perfect - it pre heats as fast as a toaster oven and can fit a whole half sheet. It can toast just about anything in toast mode but takes up no counter space. We use it constantly. I would never have just bought one, because I would have focused on the two-oven aspect, which seems like an extravagance that would only come in handy at the holidays.
It was meant to be a Moleskine replacement. I draw a lot but I can't carry all sorts of pencils with me.
I made it a dedicated drawing and reading device. No notifications, no emails, etc.
Holy moly is it good. Procreate and Notability are incredible apps. Having different pens, layers and an undo button is fantastic. It replaced the paper pad next to my computer, as well as my Moleskine.
The size is perfect. I carry that thing everywhere. I rarely leave the house without it.
The best part is that it asks nothing of me. It never bothers me or does things worse than what it replaces.
Oh and fully committing to USB-C. It saves a lot of luggage space, and everything is a power bank.
They keep adding features under the same price point that make giddy with possibility.
Check out this screenshot http://db48x.net/temp/Screenshot%20from%202019-12-09%2013-27...
See where it says “avio 3.53µs” and “avq 0.61”? That’s 284,000 IOPS even with nothing queued up. With any other drive you would be lucky to get a tenth of that at QD1. Even better, this is a mixed read and write workload; most drives are fastest when you are only reading or only writing.
I posted about it, and somebody from Intel said, not surprising, that model was crap. Apparently the only products Intel goes to any effort to make reliable are the ones meant for data centers. So, no more Intel for me.
* Number one, a bed. You're spending a third of your life in the thing.
* Get a chair. I shouldn't have to tell people who work with computers to get a chair.
* (things that go on your skin like clothes and cosmetics)
* Apart from that, beautiful things, emotional things, tools.
His (minimalist) message is to get rid of everything else.
[1] https://www.wired.com/2011/02/transcript-of-reboot-11-speech...
In "Pushing Tin", Billy Bob Thornton's character took his folding chair with him wherever he worked. That must have been based on some real character.
When I bought it, I was just looking for a sleeker and more ergonomic keyboard with a split design, but the ability to easily reconfigure every key on the layout brought a new meaning to the word "ergonomic" for me.
It means that when a particular motion or shortcut that I frequently use is puts too much strain on my hands, I can simply change the layout to make the keys more natural too use. And it's just an overall incredibly well made product.
I'd recommend a split keyboard to anybody who has their fingers on keys for more than a couple hours a day. My shoulders and upper back feel so much better, and I swear I even look better because my posture has improved. Much less tendon pain as well.
Furthermore, I'd recommend the EZ or the Moonlander to anybody who can spend the money. I'm sure you get a large part of the benefit from a cheaper split board, but the thumb clusters and custom keybinds are really really nice.
https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/
I'd be interested to see a comparison between the UHK, Moonlander, and Dygma Rise. They all seem to be converging on the same design principles.
I agree, though; having a good split keyboard has been a requirement for me since I first got the original MSFT natural keyboard.
However, I feel it's like configuring VIM - mixed feelings with the defaults but once you set everything "your way", then there's no way back.
I couldn't believe how ergonomic tmux key bindings can be with moonlander's magic.
My allergies no longer exist.
Edit: A few people have asked for recommendations. I recommend the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH for larger spaces and Blueair Blue Pure 411 for smaller spaces. For the air monitor I have the Qingping.
The current summary is that most of them are wildly inaccurate with false positives and you might just be better off checking your outdoor air quality from the EPA using their app.
Would love for someone to provide a better recommendation.
"The Best Home Air Quality Monitor for 2022 | Reviews by Wirecutter" https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-home-air-qua...
I have the Dylos monitor which does monitor particle count so you can see it drop when your air filter is working https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F2YM8SM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_...
* Ikea Standing desk (I never sit). I know plenty of people who use these for sitting, simply because the height of the desk is finally suited to their specific frame.
* As many monitors as will make you happy (to each their own, but I'm happy with 2)
* Kinesys Freestyle 2 keyboard (wired, I hate wireless things, I never want to think about batteries)
* A laptop stand to lift my laptop - it turns out this made an enormous impact to my neck
* Monitor stands - most monitors are stationary, but the wrong height, even when compared with arm layout in an ergonomic setup.
* Kensington Expert Mouse
* Wacom One tablet - Now I can draw on digital whiteboards in Zoom, or even on shared websites and it's significantly better than the mouse experience.
* Sony WX-1000XM3 headphones - I use it for both music and the noise cancelling. Just having in on an cancelling noise has been an incredible improvement
* Whiteboard - This is by far the most important one in this list.
It's funny, I feel exactly the same. When friends have asked me to explain why, I struggle to justify it. It's just a minor feeling of security -- one less thing to maintain.
The only piece of hardware I've considered moving to wireless is a headset for gaming with friends, but it hasn't happened thus far. Maybe if the End Times come and my ATH-M50x stop working.
Ikea's other non-standing desks are also often adjustable, but with tools. So not good if you want to experiment with height, but if you know your preference they have better price/quality ratio.
I really like this approach! Some people want more, some people want less. There is no universal right answer! But monitors are so relativity inexpensive (when compared to their potential performance/quality-of-life increase) that if you work on a computer a significant part of they day, they are a no-brainer for optimization!
Except there's no scroll wheel to zoom in/out. Which makes it difficult to use in programs like Inkscape and KiCAD.
Does anybody have a good alternative (external scrollwheel perhaps?)
I very much second that choice in keyboard, I had the freestyle 2, and now I also have the new mechanical version of it. I have really long arms, seemingly and most keyboards, even ergonomic split ones mean I either have to push my elbows together, or angle my wrists weirdly, or sit really far away.
With the Kinesis Freestyle, I can just arrange the halves wherever it feels right for them to be. And I tend to move them around relative to each other over the day, which apparently is a good thing, since it causes me to hold my wrists and elbows differently across the day, just like a dynamic sitting or standing posture.
I think it's a correct direction.
I can use my keyboard during Linux installations in wired and in wireless mode I can switch between notebook and 2 Android devices with shortcut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umO-Bwzl3f0
I also control software like blender using those, even my emacs use that. It is always in the same place and once you learn it, you are so fast.
I also use sheets of paper and color pens.
The video looks interesting, haven't seen joysticks/controllers being used in such a fashion. What kind of devices (brands/models) do you use if you don't mind sharing?
Cost all of around $40, is a genuine joy to use, and keeps all of my knives sharper-than-sharp.
I started out with a very expensive knife (Wusthof classic 8", around US$150 or so at the time) but nothing to sharpen it with, and this was a mistake.
If I could do it again I'd recommend young cooks on a budget start out with a $20 IKEA knife and a stone to keep it sharp. You'll get better long term results than you would with an expensive knife on its own any day of the week.
This is very, very smart advice.
The only thing I'd add is to learn proper knife techniques: how to hold food keeping your fingers away from the blade. Never take risks with a well sharped knife.
Battery lasts about 2 weeks which is impressive.
No matter how high end your headphones, bookshelf speakers, or studio monitors are, they will never be able to punch you in the chest in quite the same way as a decently sized dedicated subwoofer.
It's a night-and-day difference for listening to music and watching movies, or even just listening to human voices in youtube videos.
Just, be careful not to bother your neighbours with it.
A non-mechanical keyboard. I moved off of cherry style switches, and went with a topre clone. For me, the cherry mechanism makes too much noise when keys return back up. For me it was high pitched noise. A much more thocky keyboard actually keeps me from having noise induced headaches on heavy typing days.
Blue light reduction apps on phones, tablets, and monitor and blue light reduction coating on glasses. This removed a ton of eyestrain. Yes, my phone and iPad now have a reddish brown hue to them, but most of the time, I don't care. I hardly notice it anymore unless I use my partners device.
A color accurate monitor (with a good reader/blue light reduction mode). Having a monitor that wasn't close to having correct colors, even across the panel was maddening. Old LCD monitors are the worst. I don't need color correctness all the time, so the monitor needs a good mode to turn down the blueness. Having a setting in the monitor makes it a breeze to switch back and forth as needed.
* Stadler Form George air washer. Not a full on humidifier, but does help keep humidity up in my dry bedroom. Also judging by the state of the water during my weekly cleaning it really does help to "clean" the air somewhat.
* More recently, a high quality drying rack (inspired by the drying rack article linked here a few weeks ago). Helps me keep humidity up in my apartment and prevents me from trying to hang partly-moist laundry on my doors. In general makes laundry day a lot more tolerable. Didn't realize it'd make such a difference to laundry satisfaction.
* A Roomba, currently S9 with the self-empty base that I've had for a couple of years.
* A Litter Robot. No more scooping, cats always have a fresh box.
I live in an apartment with high ceilings (upwards 3 meters), so it worked out really well. It saves up the space a standard drying rack would otherwise occupy (both when used and unused/folded), and I installed it right above my washing machine so I don't need to carry the wet laundry around!
The one from the polish store[1] was the only cheap one I could find, all the others were upwards 200€[2]
[1]: https://www.suszarki-lazienkowe.pl/pol_m_Suszarki-sufitowe-1...
There are some noise reducing headphones (like Airpods Pro or Sony Wh-1000xm*) which have ambient mode - mixing music with external noises which also work great for that scenario.
2) whenever possible, I try to buy used pro/prosumer/premium things. They will usually last for years and years, be more comfortable/pleasurable in use and will be repairable/maintainable when they do break down.
Did this also a long time ago. I still have my laptop connected which I flip open to use the webcam occasionally but I feel much more focused using 1 monitor.
Dual monitors were nice for quite a while but I don't think I can go back now that UW is available.
* eta: somehow didn't see wil421's comment before mine.
And then I just put one of my monitors right in front of me and now rarely use the second one. But when I need a second monitor I'm really happy I didn't sell it.
So layout makes a really big difference.
A decade ago, I got my first SSD drives, those were game changers. Boot times dropped like a rock, and performance went through the roof.
I got a 32" HDMI monitor just before Covid hit... I'm VERY glad I did so. I've been stuck at home with Long Covid for almost 2 years now, it makes it so much easier to see what's going on. It was well worth the money.
As for software, GIT is the best thing since Turbo Pascal. I assume you use it already.
Oh, and consider getting a 3d printer of some form, along with a CNC router. Those might come in handy for home projects.
And to experience it all over again with proper nvme drives was very enjoyable indeed. Cold boots in about 5s now vs 20-60s with the old ssds of back then really makes shutting down/starting up into a very different experience again
I ruined one wireless headset by ripping out the usb socket from the PCB after tripping over the charging wire. After getting a replacement I put the "magsafe" micro USB connector in and not only is it trip safe now, charging is soo much easier since the cable can be oriented either way.
After that unexpected success I also outfittet my MX Anywhere and my Kindle with them and just throw a few in my laptop bag for use on the go or to share with other people.
I have a PowerPort Atom 30W (about 1.5 inches on each side, or ~35mm.) It plugs into my M1 Air, and my iPhone charges off the Air's second USB-C port. Two cables and this tiny charger is all I need. There's a newer version, the Nano II, which is indeed slightly smaller, but some people claim that it has issues with various charging protocols so I don't see a reason to upgrade.
My only complaint is that for whatever reason, these don't seem to exist with EU plugs. There are GaN EU chargers, but they're not nearly as compact, which is disappointing. The US/China designs (the plug types are similar) are hyper optimized for every cubic millimeter, which is cool, but the EU ones are just the US/CN ones bolted onto an EU plug, which obviously wastes space.
Similarly switching things to USB-c and having a USB charging hub in high traffic areas is huge too.
- A large water bottle. I don't drink enough water and this has been game changing for me. I first got a 1 gallon (which I never finished) water bottle but learned that .5 gallon is the right size and I always finish it and often refill. I'd say pick one that meets your needs, but I've tested a number and can highly recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094X6N4PG/ It's easy to carry, has a built-in straw and cheap ($20).
- Multiple MacBook chargers. I purchased additional charger for my MacBook Pro at different parts of the house where I sit for long periods of time. Not having to go get my bag and dig out a charger is surprisingly rewarding.
- A second set of AirPods so I have one dedicated for work and one for the gym that I keep in my bag, rather than occasionally forgetting them. It also helps that I can swamp pairs if I have a particularly long day of meetings.
- A robust case for my MacBook Pro. I take my MacBook to and from the office, use it all around the house and have small kids. I've been through multiple cases, including the sleek expensive ones. For me, nothing beats this cheap one I found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083XZ3HP3/
- A rowing machine. The latest Concept 2 is ~$900 which is surprisingly cheap for a great workout I can do at how and relatively quietly while listening to a podcast or watching a game.
- A lapdesk. I use this daily and have multiple around the house wherever I end up sitting. They have fancy ones, but I've found the simple one is the best: just a piece of wood and a pillow: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K1L3RNK/
On the point about drinking water, I bought a desktop water dispenser, much more convenient than having to refill the water bottle.
Instead of the rowing machine, I'm considering a barbell with weights.
On the multiple equipment point, I fully agree. I got myself multiple hubs, one for each desk. No more carrying cables!
I fill it every morning and love it.
Mine: Air Pods Pro. Takes the edge off of traffic and other city noises while walking around. Makes it easier to consume audiobooks/podcasts. Plane/bus/train trips++.
Wool pants, shorts (with gussets) and boxer briefs (Wool and Prince). Gussets make movement easier (walking) and wool pants/shorts go longer between washes. BB can be hand washed in sinks while traveling and dry quickly. Bonus, you can wear wool wet in a pinch. Magic stuff.
Wool t-shirts from Duckworth.
Tilley Hat for beating the heat (SPF 50) (again, great for walking or biking). With straps so it doesn’t fly off in the wind. Handsome looks, not (that) dorky.
Brompton folding bike. Resisted this for years because I love non-folders but this thing feels like a proper bike, better even. Get it with a generator hub and lights and the six speed gearing (absolutely fine for hills, like in San Francisco).
USB-C 20 watt charger for the iPhone. My goodness this thing charges the phone (12 Pro Max) fast. Worth the money.
Thanks for listening.
It made me very sad, that we as a species appeared to have forgotten how to build a simple apparatus consisting of a light-bulb, a switch, batteries and wires. So then I got a Fenix. It's machined out of a single block of aluminum and it takes 18650 cells instead of triple A's. I've used it on a regular basis for the last decade and it still works every time I need it, the whole time I need it. No more technical taps.
My modern preference: One of the Olight Baton series. I've got an old one (I see the new ones even allow recharging batteries without removing them). The magnet in the back can be really useful if you need an improvised stationary light for working in the dark.
Also, if you need a detachable front light for your bike: Consider the Busch & Müller Ixon IQ Premium. This is the only sane detachable front light I was able to find. It provides enough light (10 and 80 lux, a rarity nowadays) and runs on replaceable batteries with a standard form factor (AA) that can be recharged without taking them out.
Also, a Logitech MX Master 2S, again because I use it all day, every day. They tend to become a bit stiffer over time it seems like, so I've had to replace them occasionally, but far, far better than Apple's approaches to mice or touchpads.
Three weeks after I got mine, my wife got one for herself :)
I somewhat recently upgraded to a larger monitor and have scaled up my fonts but I still feel like I am straining a bit.
BenQ ScreenBar Plus - It's just a light that goes on top of your monitor, but it makes working much more pleasant. There's probably a clone that's cheaper and does the same thing, but I'd buy this one again without hesitation.
About $200 worth of home workout stuff (exercise mat, adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands, pullup bar) - I had to stop running for a while due to some injuries and I hate going to the gym, so this has been a game changer in terms of staying fit.
I'd prefer to buy the BenQ, since AFAIK this whole concept was their idea - but the price is just so excessive that I couldn't justify it.
The oculus quest 2 - VR for the masses, so much fun, actually works well for the first time without $$$
The Intel Core CPU - multi core computing for the masses, huge performance and efficiency gains over prior gen merging pentium M tech
Most recently Apple Silicon, specifically the Apple M1 MacBook Air:
- it runs dead silent
- it runs cool on my lap
- it has a tiny charger
- but mostly the performance blows away all non plugged in laptops besides other m1s and most desktops consuming many more watts at much higher temps and noise level
Its amazing how much a difference having full performance while on battery makes compared to x86 counterparts. I was a linux on thinkpad guy for years but this made me flip back fullstop.
It’s kinda ridiculous that we put up with Intel for so long.
You mentioned the Pentium M which was the accurate choice.
The M1 has a better argument as being first but I probably would’ve selected the A series chips since the M series is really an extension of how great those are.
Folding Shopping Carts. Literally only had a car for the past 3 years so I could go grocery shopping (Before pandemic, took train to work. Parking wasn't free.) Now that I live in a place near a grocery store, I purchased a shopping cart, and don't really need the car anymore, which I sold last year. So, I don't care about gas prices, don't have to worry about maintenance, no insurance, and most importantly, I don't have to worry about parking!
I use the standard Blackmagic eGPU. But the Pro, Vega 56, (which was removed from sale) still offers the greatest __Apple supported__ graphics performance available for non-pro macs. IIRC, the most beefcake macbook pros don't beat performance on that Apple-supported eGPU that only runs with Intel machines.
There were many voices saying the dollars per performance weren't there, but they did not take into account the silent design and excellent stability of those products. Nor that there would be such a long wait for any officially supported alternative to get graphics to the Mini.
I started with a 4k but then went up to the XDR Pro Display on the 2018 Mac Mini. It remains a monster setup in a small, near-silent footprint.
It also improved my posture a lot from writing on a laptop (but for this objective, any keyboard would do the job ofc).
Ebook readers - I've been using them for years, and recent models with flat bezels are very much designed to break, but it makes reading electronic documents so much nicer than bright backlit screens. I've resigned myself to buying a new one every year until the technology comes out of patent and readers get nice unbreakable screens like modern cellphones.
Retractable metal poker - got this off Amazon for my weed paraphernalia, listed as a metal toothpick. It's incredibly useful and has saved my ass countless times. Need to poke that reset button? Scrape some gunk out of a USB port? Clean your nails? It's good for everything except picking your teeth, which is just unnerving.
Fridge-magnet box opener - not really a game-changer, but very convenient!
My wife and I had too many times where we'd put our phones on the charger and in the morning realize it hadn't charged.
...not sure how that leads to never losing your phone though? I don't see the connection. How would wireless charging affect that? You still have the hardware you connect to.
This is what I use a set of precision knives for.
I get a lot of shoulder and neck pain and I don’t know how I managed before I discovered tennis balls for working out knots in my upper back. I lay on one, and move it around until I find the knots causing muscle strain in my neck. They have just the right firmness to give ratio to really work on tough knots near my shoulder blade that I used to use wall corners to try to work out.
- A dish draining rack: that's very inexpensive and I'm wasting way less time and space than before arranging dishes.
- A vertical desktop file sorter: exactly the same thing, but for papers.
- Thin, fingerless gloves I can type with: while this has not solved my dry hands problem in winter, it has helped a lot.
- Monitor and speakers stands: that has bought me a lot of desk real estate.
- Pan lids: cooking is faster, smells less, and consumes less energy; also some food is less dry.
And the thing I've been using for a few years now, but which has been waaaay above my expectations:
- A headset with ANC and multipoint Bluetooth: a real life changer for work, gaming and phone calls; the most expensive item in this list, but definitely worth the price for me.
Ooh, have a recommendation for this?
Can you share what speaker stands do you use?
Within a few days, I couldn't live without it. I could pause Live TV, and watch shows when I wanted to. I can't imagine any other way. When I see my 88 year old mother watching "live" TV, I get frustrated.
The second piece of hardware that was a "game changer" was a Toto Neorest toilet. No more wiping!
Downloading commercial-free shows on the original AppleTV was also awesome, and then once streaming started, there was no going back for me.
Bone conduction headphones. I can wear these all day and not feel my ears hurt.
A Samsung Galaxy S7 Plus tablet. It's got the most screen size for any tablet and I love reading tech books on it.
A kindle Oasis. I've used the Kindle Touch and Paperwhite but the Oasis is something else.
A grill-style sandwich maker. I can heat up anything and grill just about anything with it. It's amazing.
A proper König & Meyer sheet music holder (10068).
It's not foldable, but very stable. If you only ever used foldable sheet music holders, you don't even realize what misery you could simply avoid. Beside not dealing with falling sheets all the time, you can also properly write on it without descending into madness.
If you have to deal with larger pieces, something like the Berolina Manufaktur Magic Music Board will also come in handy.
Alongside with that: A magnet ring you can put your pencil into, so you can attach it to the underside of your sheet music holder. This way, it won't get into the way of flipping pages. Or, if you have to deal with the finicky ones, you can increase the stability of your sheets with it by fixing them with the pencil somewhat.
You do mostly get the same shots in one area so if you don't move around much it might get boring quickly. If you take weekend trips, or are nomadic, it will be a lot of fun.
Also our Urban Arrow cargo bike. We can get our kids the 3km to school in a few minutes while everyone else looks for a footpath to obstruct in their SUVs.
An nvme drive made everything boot faster
A good chair (either herman miller or steelcase) fixed my back pain
Mine too! If you're on a budget, there are plenty of individuals on Facebook Marketplace and similar that sell used Steelcase/Herman Miller chairs for about a third of retail price.
The more reputable used dealers will repair them before sale, as well.
They might well be cheaper; I switched to the digital signage one as my daily driver because my old 40" 4k's backlight PSU has become too weak to be useful and that model of screen got EOL'd (the desktop variant I mentioned above was released 2~3 months after I bought mine).
But unless you can color-calibrate yourself on the source, I'd recommend against the digital signage models as they don't offer any color profiles/factory calibration.
I've had both of these, they are both great:
https://smile.amazon.com/Bonavita-One-Touch-Featuring-Therma...
https://smile.amazon.com/OXO-Barista-Brain-Coffee-Maker/dp/B...
Combine one of the above with a burr grinder for freshly ground coffee, and use filtered water, and you've got the best home coffee with least effort.
When it's not making coffee, it doubles as a very therapeutic thing to clean and maintain for a couple of hours every couple of months.
* A small waterproof speaker for the bathroom which i use to listen to short podcasts ( like Revolutions by Mike Duncan, in the 20-30 minute range) during my morning routine, shaving, taking showers, etc
I can read programming books in the top half while taking notes or running code in a repl in the bottom one.
It's also okay coupled with gitpod or github teams (via codespaces) for "entertainment" or light coding.
Even earlier, the Canon EOS 300D "Digital Rebel" SLR. Single-handedly restored the joy in photography after a detour through early, limited digital cameras.
I started off with a Fingerworks trackpad; this is the company Apple bought to bring in multitouch technology. Then when Apple’s trackpads got big enough and supported enough gestures, I switched to those.
An insulated mug. I didn't think it would change the way I drink tea. Now I can bring it to my desk and take small sips. This helps me get back to work and stay focused, and probably reduces my overall consumption because I don't feel like I have to chug while warm and then go brew more.
I don’t suffer back pain anymore.
It's quite nice to use a wireless mouse with a large mousepad. A large desk is also a must imo.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NPL7V7R/
The sound quality is surprisingly OK, they are more than good enough for Audible & podcasts, and you can comfortably lie on your side.
I bought them on a whim after considering options that cost 10x the price.
I've tried listening to speakers (can't hear when lying on my side), my phone (falls between pillows, gets tangled in my limbs), regular headphones (can't lie on my side, wake up with them being squashed beneath me). These stay put, are comfortable and actually work.
I won't wear them in public (for, hopefully, obvious reasons) but in the privacy of my own bedroom they've been a game-changer.
Did I mention they were only £17?
The mac pro is ~2.5x as fast in compilation but more importantly it doesn't lose responsiveness when the CPU is fully loaded, so I can still browse the web while waiting :D
EDIT: I said 2016 MacBook but it's the 2019 16" (2.3 GHz/8Core/i9) and to be clear, I know the 8-core Mac Pro on paper, has faster clocks, but it's surprising how much of a difference the thermal headroom makes to responsiveness and productivity
9" or so screen, full blown windows 11 laptop, extremely well built, solid. I upgraded it to Windows 11 Pro myself just for fun so I could RDP to it and control it remotely.
I bought it for narrow use case (need to control hardware device that doesn't have mobile app) and extremely pleased on how fully functioning, well built it is.
It could fit into large enough pocket and if you're in need of SMALLEST device as fully featured Windows-based computer - that's the answer.
Drawbacks: no webcam (this is plus for me actually) and small battery life (ask me which power bank i chose to solve this issue).
Previously I had bad experience with ink jet being the ink keep drying up, and laser is always better for black and white. However two use cases really make it worth to remember turn on ink jet and clean it regularly: - print photo by yourself, like passport photo, photo needed by forms. You may still need to adjust color/brightness a little bit, but it's way better than CVS. I didn't realize you can print 4x6 with this kind of quality. - print greeting cards. with quality paper it's looking very good.
I use Cannon MX 922, regular 4x6 photo paper. For greeting card I use 44lb Epson Premium Presentation Paper MATTE.
There's likely better options available now with USB-C inputs, but the product is still fantastic.
Oral-B Genius 9000 - looked like an overpriced & gimmicky toothbrush (with AR + Bluetooth). It is, but the carry-case is useful to double as an extra shaver->USB option, it's got a long battery life, and it has a good number of modes for brushing.
Oculus Quest 2 - initially I wasn't sure if it'd be a gimmick, but it's an effortless & fun way to burn calories
I bought a ColorMunki a few years back to correct the overly blue display on my only Razer Blade and it fixed so many issues with my photography and having color discussions with my designer--giving me the confidence to know it's not my screen that was the problem. I've since had friends borrow it and even TN panels can really use the color improvement. I've also used it to correct hotel TV color recently and you'd be amazed at how much of difference it can make. I know it's a WIP, but the color management in Wayland cannot come soon enough to me.
RIP BlackBerry Key2.
It is not as satisfactory for technical books, or anything with a lot of illustrations, but for standard novels it was a real game-changer.
The dark color was unexpectedly useful because it provides a clean and dark but well-lit area for scanning documents with my phone, including checks for deposit on a banking app.
Most common tasks : Writing long email (i have this bad habit), replying/giving feedback on IM apps, Editing blog posts, Quick note taking, Transferring notes from pocket diary to digital software (Athens in my case)
I bought it from the now-defunct Hober folk web radio, one of the earlier internet radio stations, which only recently finally turned off their stream. Here's an archive page describing the mouse pad: https://web.archive.org/web/20021013110318/http://banqa.uaqa...
As a writing pad, it’s a perfect set of functions and is the origin device of all my ideas.
Thumb cluster modifier keys.
Staggered Ortholinear keys.
Split, tented, cupped keywells.
Remappable key assignments.
Basically forcing you to touch type properly.
Those are all individually amazing, but together a revolution.
You can do better key remapping with software or qmk style firmware these days. There's more choice than ever for hardware variations with all or some of these features, but this was my entry point and I'll always be grateful.
This has made meetings from home amazing. No headphones or mic issues.
A four-input KVM switch. Lets me switch between my main machine, my work computer, and a couple of other things easily.
The VIC-20 my parents bought me when I was 5. No games, just BASIC on that rinky-dink thing. But it made me a programmer.
It's coping and not a cure, but it's very high quality coping. And I couldn't do it without something to measure sleep - bad nights often have me wake up wired, and 9 hours in bed don't mean much without knowing how much of that I tossed and turned, which I don't always remember.
A really good daypack. I was using book bags for family days out, but they were uncomfortable and impractical. When the National Trust reopened their outdoor spaces during the pandemic, I sunk £80 into an Osprey backpack. It has made a huge difference. I used to get very sweaty, and I have a broken collarbone that would ache. These are no longer issues for me. It has made being out in nature for a full day even more enjoyable.
Bose Sleepphones II. I got them for a good deal on open box clearance. I usually listen to a sleep story on Calm.com to get to sleep. I have these for if I wake up in the middle of the night. They're comfortable, and great at blocking sound. I don't love the sounds–they're a bit overcompressed and some have really obvious looping points–but the things work.
Having high quality silence and/or music available in my pocket at all times was definitely more of a game changer than I expected.
Using a 8K 55" tv as a monitor.
I usually run it scaled, so I have basically the pixel area of a 4k screen but with retina resolution. Everything is crisp and large enough that even content placed in the corners is easy to read. Truly a game changer for work, so much so that I am puzzled why there are basically no 8k proper monitors available at sensible prices. This TV was manufactured and shipped halfway across the world where I bought it brand new for less than 1000 usd. And its a TV, with a TV OS, remote control, TV tuners and whatnot - HDR even. A normal monitor without all the TV stuff and sensible inputs (I have to use HDMI 2.1) should be even cheaper.
Reduced my engaged driving time by like 90%. Coming from a history of <$1k vehicles, it’s amazing IMO that most of my trips to and from places now consist of me setting the cruise speed (even in midtown) and letting my vehicle worry about stop and go traffic. Could not recommend enough.
I've found that I'm pretty sensitive to the taste of water (good and bad). I don't mind the water in many places, but it can be very hit or miss. Over the years, the amount of water I would drink tended to change quite a bit from location to location.
Instead, I use a reverse osmosis water filter to get completely neutral water every time I know there isn't anything reducing the amount of water I drink.
It's HUGELY affected the amount of water I drink over soda, milk, tea, etc.
The amount of practical learning that has enabled has been so worth it. (Think ansible, gitlab ci/cd etc).
Bluetooth keyboard and wireless mouse. I have (maybe unreasonable) dislike for cables on my desk. Currently my Thinkpad is raised on a mount, with just one USB-C cable coming out. It hides nicely under the mount's arm.
[1]: https://www.alza.cz/sport/sharp-shaper-spiral-push-up-bar-d5...
I love the laptop factor, but I need a good GPU sometimes. There are ways to plug one using USB-C, and I wanted to go for that first.
But my little bro, a gamer, told me it was a waste of money. For $29 a month, I can get a remote beast of a computer with Windows 10 on it and use it as much as I want.
At first, I wasn't convinced. Primo, I'd have to upload all of my stuff. Secondo, what about the latency ?
Well, I'm not playing multiplier online games, so it turns out the latency is imperceptible for my use cases. It's not your typical VNC setup, they optimized their client and protocol and I sometimes forget I'm not on a local machine.
Second, OVH is behind the brand, so their uplink is crazy good. Which means uploading and downloading things is very fast. Sometimes it's even better to stream movies from the shadow and watch it remotely than to use my local connection O_o
Eventually I saw the $2000 GPU I wanted to buy, and realize that it would take me more than 5 years of shadow usage to reach that price. After which my GPU would get old anyway, and I would need another one.
Bonus: it takes no space on my desk, doesn't make noise, doesn't heat, and I can use it when I travel, so I have the buffed up GPU at my disposal at my clients sites, in holidays, anywhere with decent wifi.
Because yes, the latency is good enough that I actually don't bother to plug my ethernet cable anymore: wifi works fine. Hotel wifi sucks though :)
Unlike gaming streaming services, you are not limited to a gaming provider, you can reuse your steam account or gog games. You are actually not limited to game, you have a full Windows 10 at your disposal. You can do video edition, model training or 3D rendering. Not crypto mining though, according to the terms of use. In fact, nothing that requires background tasks as the computer shuts down as soon as no human use it (I assume they make money by sharing the hardware).
But if you do want to play, it's nice. I tested Borderlands 2 with all settings cranked to the max, it works smoothly, including a with a controller plugged with BT into the laptop!
It's not without any problem, obviously:
- one or twice a day, the image will glitch, and I will lose control for a few seconds. So don't do remote surgery or bank your MMR on it.
- the linux client just doesn't work on the lastest Ubuntu. I have to reboot every time to my windows session.
- I'm in France, so YMMV, since I have no idea how good the ping to their server is from the US. Work fine from Germany.
- if you alt tab for too long the shadow client (from the laptop windows, not the shadow windows), it will consider you are not using the machine and disconnect (probably part of their business model). I lost data this way.
- the GPU you get depends of where you are. Some get a P5000 with 16GB GDDR5X, some a GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X and some a RTX4000 with 8GB GDDR6
- if it gets through, it can act as a VPN. Unfortunately, the ports it uses may be blocked.
- their support is google-level terrible. If the answer is in the FAQ, you are good to go. If not, you are on your own.
[1] Wii Balance Board:
I imagine there are heavier duty ones though, that use a mechanism other than that tubing.
Haven't had to use a mouse since. Never did like mice as used to find when overly focussed on something I'd end up half way across the desk without noticing.
My productivity is up so much that I bought two M1s (one for office and one for home)
* Microsoft X6 keyboard - the original hot action key
- svn st, svn diff, svn ci -m “”<space><back><back> as an example of the very frequent things replaced by a discrete key each
The Pocket integration has also been expectantly useful for reading various articles.
The Capisco Hag chair is even better. Tens of ways to sit/stand on it. Which is perfect for me since I can’t sit still.
10+ hours of battery life, absolutely silent outside of load, more powerful than my desktop, cheap, and works on any OS.
b) Bose Sleepbuds II - comfortable, tiny earbuds that last all night and play white noise or repeating melodies.
c) Anker PowerConf - video conferencing speaker which means you aren't having to fiddle with headphones and the giant red light makes it easy to see when you're muted.
d) Mogics Power Donut - combination travel adapter, power extension board, extension cable and USB hub in one tiny device.
2. Snow pants that I can pull on over my regular pants to keep warm during the winter.
3. Puncture resistant bike tires.
4. Carbon fiber bows for stringed instruments.
- A single 27" 2569x1440 screen on a monitor arm. Had a 34" Ultrawide, an Apple Cinema Display and several combinations of multiple displays, but that's my sweet spot. Would love to have 5k, but these are still too pricey.
- Metabo PowerMaxx BS 10.8v cordless drill. Almost as powerful as a big one but so small and light that it's suitable for delicate work and cramped corners. I've used it to screw small servos to an acrylic robot backplate and drill 12mm holes through 100mm of wood.
- Philips Hue: I'd never have thought how much of a difference being able to have warm, dim light in the evening and cold, bright light in the afternoon makes, but it's huge. Also makes it easy to have half a dozen dimmed small lamps instead of a single big one. I have LED strips behind my screen that have cured my nightly headaches.
- A small Victorinox Alox knife with just a blade and bottle/can opener/flat screwdriver. Lives permanently in my coin pocket and I wouldn't have believed just how often this comes in handy. It's also totally non-threatening, which is a must in an office environment.
- A tiny flashlight on my keychain. I use this a lot in the darker months, it's so much quicker to get to than fumbling with my phone.
- Victorinox Bike Tool: A 6mm or so hex key, a bit adapter that goes onto either end of the hex key, a number of metric bits (hex, philips, torx) and a pair of plastic tire levers. Snaps together into a package so lightweight and small that I actually have it with me when I need it and versatile enough to be useful, with bits for just the screw heads I actually have on my bike.
- A tarp poncho for summer/fall hiking. Much airier than a rain trousers/jacket combo, keeps me dry even in torrential downpours, backpack fits underneath, plus it doubles as a simple shelter in a pinch with a few tent lines and a hiking pole. Has saved the day more than once.
- A proper microphone (Elgato Wave 3), turns out I sounded like shit on calls and such but no one had the heart to tell me, but finally someone did and I got that microphone, mostly because it has an integrated pop filter (that also works). I've compared recordings with the old setup and the new microphone and it's night and day. I can't quantify it, but I believe not sounding awful has made at least some positive difference in how people interact with me. These days, audio is often as not the only way people get to perceive me.
- A TS80P USB-C soldering iron. I run this off a spare Macbook power adapter, so my soldering setup hardly takes up any space now. Being able to dial in just the temps I need has made for much better and more consistent solder joints, and I haven't even started digging into custom firmware.
I'm a beginner/intermediate hobby guitarist. Makes the guitar sound much better. Makes it easier to keep guitar tuned
1) My kneeling chair. Between the pandemic and a new job started a few months before, I am at my desk more than ever. I wondered about the ~acute angle between legs and torso in a regular chair, so I borrowed a kneeling chair from a friend. I figured I'd go easy on it/me and use it for just 15 minutes at a time at first. After a quarter hour or so, I switched back to my chair and was immediately all NOPE NOPE NOPE! Bought my own, adjustable one, later that day. Amazing. Best $100 ever spent.
2) My Delonghi bean-to-cup coffee maker. Had been looking for one after falling in love with the really high quality ones at European hotels, but didn't have a spare €7000. Found this Magnifica on sale at CostCo 5 years ago. Its nits and nuisances are so minor, I accept them happily: Great coffee, every time, exactly as I like it (grind and water volume are adjustable). Best $1000 ever spent. So good, it was one of only two possessions I wrote into my separation agreement. The other was....
3) My Jeep. In 2009 I replaced my car with a old-style CRV and loved the extra height and clearance. I started to venture a little further afield. I had friends who off-loaded, and it intrigued me. Knowing nothing and knowing I wanted to try more serious off-roading, in 2014 I made myself the gift of a JKU Rubicon. Drove it through a swamp the first night and was hooked. It has literally changed my life. I did not know I was handy, or could be handy, now I wrench on it myself and like a lot of members of my club, I'm learning to weld (though more slowly than I would like), and I've gotten pretty good at trail repairs, macgyvering things well enough to get someone off the trail, whether that means just out of the way, or as far as a trailer, or maybe even home.
I also did not expect to be really, really good at it. I've been a trail leader with my club for years, am club secretary, and am one of the guys who figures out new trails in our area, some of them, well, insane (really technical off camber climbs, high damage probabilities, etc.).
And the people! Literally all walks of life and all views, and all amazing.
King of the Hammers just ended; yesterday was my high holy day. My Jeep introduced me to KotH. My Jeep introduced me to some of my best friends, people who would drop everything at a moment's notice and help (my moving crew was all off-road buddies). My Jeep introduced me to going nowhere slowly, to rock crawling, and to discovering views otherwise accessible only by strenuous multi-day hikes. My Jeep is the reason my post-divorce house has an oversized garage stocked with tools. My Jeep is the reason I do so much of my own hands-on around the house.
Between the relaxation that comes from really technical rock crawling and the confidence that comes from both doing that and from cutting holes in to and cutting things off of a very expense piece of machinery, and from the camaraderie and friendship and love within my off-road family, my Jeep has literally changed my life.
Best never ending expenditure ever. Just Empty Every Pocket.
(The fourth? Anti-climactic, but a set of Bose noise cancelling headphones. They were my daughter's welcome gift when she started a new job, but she already had a set, so she passed them on to me. I would never have believed they were anywhere worth the price, it all seemed such hype. I was wrong. They are very cool, very comfortable, and work very well. Best hand-me-down ever. :->)
An ergonomic Anker mouse that stops me getting RSI
Remarkable 2. For reading and drawing stuff e.g. new kitchen arrangement.
its the only way to get quality when it comes to certain items.
I now own 3. :)
Synthstrom Deluge: so incredibly deep and complex, it also started life as a simple tool that is now becoming a lynchpin in my studio operation - not just for drums and sequencing, also for recording quick takes and samples and so on. This machine has replaced the DAW for pure creative modes.
NORN+Grid: Again, was purchased for one thing and is now being pressed into use for so many other purposes, un-dreamed of previously.
Arturia AudioFUSE Studio: THIS was just supposed to be a neat desktop mixer that fit on the table, but it has become so, so much more - the STUDIO in the name is no nonsense! Again, way more power than expected, and it has expanded beyond the original purpose of having a quick desktop mix available - now practically everything in the studio is going through it (ADAT for the win) and it is the central console for production. I haven't touched the other mixers in weeks ..
Ducky One S2 mechanical keyboard - compact but a delight to code on
SSDs will inevitably destroy spinning rust. The war was over long ago but spinning rust is still a thing.
The next one that's happening right now is digital cameras. Consumer film is roughly around 87 megapixels. The pros use stuff that's in the gigapixels but 88 megapixels is the line to beat. Samsung S22 Ultra 5G has 108MP rear cam. This is a new generation that will make waves and it's happening now. Film still matters for your stanley kubricks but its not anymore.
