For me, it's an electric toothbrush. It doesn't matter if you go with Sonicare or Oral-B, once you start using an electric toothbrush, regular toothbrushes don't ever feel like they clean your teeth properly. The smooth plaque-free top layer of your teeth that you can feel after using an electric toothbrush can't be replicated with a regular toothbrush.

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[+] 45 points 6 months ago (6 children)
  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago

    I bought a used one and it gave me the confidence I needed to move over to Linux. I tried Pop os and wasn't really feeling it, and now I'm on Mint and I'm mostly happy. I want to build a desktop and do cachy os instead of getting a PS6.

    Steam deck is an impressive little thing, but it's not quite powerful enough for what I'd like to do with it. I would trade the portability for more power. But a handheld PS4 is absolutely nothing to sneeze at!

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 6 months ago

    I am currently in the process of making an arcade cabinet for my Steam Deck! I bought it for my wife, but she basically stopped gaming for now. So, I decided to turn it into an arcade cabinet instead. Love that thing

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  • [–] 29 points 6 months ago (7 children)

    20 computers. I can’t stop getting more computers I need help there’s so many computers they’re in every room and they’re computing aaaaaaaa

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    I had this same disorder. I cured it temporarily by giving them away to everyone I know. Christmas, birthdays, Thanksgiving, everyone's getting a computer, doesn't matter if you already have one.

    They're starting to pile up again though and now I don't know what to do because all my friends and family won't talk to me because I keep giving them computers.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Wait, when did I leave this comment?

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago

    Someone I know (who isn’t close to me geographically) said their laptop just broke and now they only have their phone… I wish I could get to them. I have like six computers waiting to be used for stuff, the rest of them I’m playing with/learning with!

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  • [–] 25 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Does a bicycle count? Changed my life.

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  • [–] 24 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    DNS filtering. I'm using NextDNS, because I can't be bothered to be my own server admin.

    Why? It does a great job at filtering out ads, tracking the rest of internet cancer on mobile devices. Works no matter where you are. With pihole, you get the filtering only when you're at home, not when you're scrolling funny cat videos while waiting for the train.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago

    DNS adblocking is awesome! The other day I found it blocks ads in some OTT apps too lol. I use Mullvad DNS btw. Only problem is the server goes down now and then. I keep switching between Mullvad and Adguard.

    How do I use NextDNS? I use DNS over TLS since it doesn't require an app and can't find the addresses for NextDNS when I searched.

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  • [–] 20 points 6 months ago (10 children)

    I know it's an annoying cliche answer at this point but I really do love my air fryer, it got me out of a cooking rut and made me more creative. I've had it for a year and a half an use it 3-4 times a week.

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  • [–] 14 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    I am firmly of the belief that people with ADHD should be prescribed an air fryer.

    It is such an incredible tool because it almost destroys the mental barrier that something like the oven has. I actually make myself food now!

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Even just throwing tater tots into the air fryer makes 'em crispy on the outside with zero use of oil. About as healthy as you can eat potatoes and as easy as a microwave. Love it.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

    If you're reheating a pizza without an air fryer, you're just plain doing it wrong.

    2-5 minutes, no preheat, and it tastes better than the night before.

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  • [–] 19 points 6 months ago* (6 children)

    A dedicated portable audio player with support for high-res files (that's NOT running Android).

    You can't just doom scroll all day, no one can call you, you won't get any spam texts or emails on it. It's just you and your music.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago (3 children)
  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago*

    I've bought a Hiby R3 Pro II a while back and it's amazing. The build quality is top notch, the battery lasts for 20+ hours and it has basically everything one could need; USB-C, Bluetooth with Apt-X and LDAC, a good screen and a balanced output with plenty of power.

    Even rudimentary support for Tidal and Qobuz. The only downside is that there's no storage built-in, but you can use microSD cards up to 2TB.

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  • [–] 33 points 6 months ago* (7 children)

    Robot vacuum. My floors are spotless except for some areas you’d never walk on and I only need to do some spot cleaning every month or two.

    Dishwashers are awesome too, watch Technology Connections’ video on YouTube if you think your dishwasher doesn’t do a good job. It’s likely just how you’re using it. Priming the hot water before running, using powder detergent instead of liquid or packs (booo), and using the pre-wash and rinse aid will have even the gnarliest dishes coming out spotless.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    I was so excited when first got a roomba 5 or 6 years ago, but that faded so fast after it turned into an endless stream of notifications that it was caught under furniture, stuck on a cliff (the edge of a rug), full of dirt, couldn't find its base, or trapped under a maze of dining room table legs.

    I love the idea, but man that was $500 wasted. I'm sure they are better now, but I cant bring myself to buy another one.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 6 months ago* (4 children)

    Love my robot vacuum! As someone who works 12+ hours a day, it's such a life saver. We have had our Roborock for 4 years now and it has 0 issues. Any issues I had were easy fixed by just opening the thing up and cleaning inside.

    Absolutely love watching Technology Connections. Dude improved my dishwasher game by 400%

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    My first roborock met the fate of dog poop and an idiotic husband who thought he could just hose it πŸ™ƒ my second one is doing great.

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  • [–] 15 points 6 months ago

    There's actually a pretty cool community sort of tangentially related to this! !buyitforlife@slrpnk.net

    Anyway, my pick is definitely just a GOOD mp3 player. Whether that be an open hardware one you can crack open and repair, a proprietary one that can at least be Rockboxed, or bare minimum a proprietary one with a good iFixit rating.

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  • [–] 29 points 6 months ago (16 children)

    Electric kettle. Fast at boiling water, especially if your stove heats slowly. Great for things like tea or instant noodles/lunches.

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  • [–] 27 points 6 months ago (14 children)

    This is quite a strange comment to see as there isn't a single house in the UK that doesn't have an electric kettle in it.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    Over here, you'll find a pot of water on the stove more common. Our regular outlets are 120v, but our stoves are typically 240v. A water kettle here would be about half as fast as our stoves (generally speaking). Over there, yeah, with 240 being the standard, a kettle makes a lot of sense.

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  • [–] 6 points 6 months ago (8 children)

    Are we both thinking the same kind of kettle or is it British/American English different? What I'm talking about is a pitcher with an electric heating unit in the bottom?

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  • [–] 10 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    Yeah that’s the one. Literally every household.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    I think they would be more popular in the US if they worked as quickly here. I have one, but it takes about 4 minutes to heat 2 cups to boiling. It's still worth it to me, but it's not much faster than the stovetop for us. There's something about the electric service in the UK that allows electric kettles to heat much faster there.

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  • [–] 10 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    240V vs 120V. For an equivalent amount of current, 240V supplies twice the amount of power to the heating element.

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  • [–] -1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Not a fan of microplastics or extra unnecessary gadgetry..

    Seems like silly waste to be the next lemming without any substantial difference to the age old system of boiling water, same with rice cookers.

    Unless I don’t hav a stovetop they’re basically not needed, a waste of money and another point of plastic contamination.

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  • [–] 14 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    Just mentioned this in another thread, but the XTEInk X4 is one of the most focused and portable e-readers I’ve come across. Less than $100 and isn’t locked down so you can load custom firmware on it. For anyone like me who finds most e-readers go unused because they don’t go with you, I’ve yet to find a better option.

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  • [–] 14 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    An analog watch. Nothing fancy, just a cheap Casio or Timex or whatever.

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  • [–] 3 points 6 months ago

    Ive had the same Timex for about 20 years now. Had to replace the strap a couple times and the battery, but the time keeping works like a charm and keeps perfect time. Mine is the leather strap with a white face and also shows day of the week and date. Not bad for a watch that cost me $20 a lifetime ago.

    I do use a smart watch when im exercising though.

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  • [–] 14 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Stick blender! I delayed buying one because I thought the regular blender I had was enough, but this one is so convenient for sauces and soups.

    e-reader: another item I delayed buying for too long because I believed paper books were better. I bought a Kobo and ended up reading more often.

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  • [–] 13 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    Portable Bluetooth label maker. Not a necessity, but you can use it outside of typical application for lots of fun things!

    Somebody park like an asshole? Leave a fun message for them!

    Got something you want to personalize? Custom stickers of whatever you want!

    Wanna leave memes around in public for people to find? You already have templates saved!

    Want to advertise yourself or someone/something else? Boom, instant QR codes.

    I've been having fun with the mini I originally got for work, about to buy one that prints larger labels.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago (3 children)

    Any particular model you can recommend?

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    I started with a Nelko one for $20-ish, but they have a free/paid system where you don't get all the stickers/fonts unless you pay a yearly fee. Next one I'm looking at is this one that specifically advertises no mtx.

    Ultimately the main thing you want is a laser printer with thermal paper. Won't print in color, but it's much less hassle without ink carts and the only thing you'll need to replace is sticker rolls.

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  • [–] 13 points 6 months ago

    This is more of a tool, but I have a set of 4” knipex cobra pliers that are perfect for around the house. Just small enough to fit into about any space, super grippy, and you can easily make minute adjustments to the plier spacing. I’ve used them more than any other tool I own.

    Oh, and noise-canceling headphones (ideally over-the-ear). Instant quality of life upgrade.

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  • [–] 13 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Pressure Cooker. I have one from Fissler and it’s my go to for so many dishes that normally would take ages to cook.

    It’s also so convenient to throw dried lentils in there and have them ready in half the time lol.

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  • [–] 11 points 6 months ago

    Digital bath thermometer. I love my baths and I can get to my exact desired temperature of 43.5 degrees c every time. Great 5 quid purchase.

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  • [–] 11 points 6 months ago

    Electronic countertop scale for the kitchen. Start cooking by mass rather than trying to decide if that's a half a cup packed or unpacked.

    If you regularly store things in jars, a canning funnel. So much easier to pour sauces into jars without spillage.

    Bone conduction headphones. Listen to music or talk on the phone hands-free while still leaving your ears open to what's going on around you.

    If you've got sore muscles, a percussive massage gun. It looks like a horse vibrator, but it does wonders on a sore back.

    A warhammer. Don't get a sword unless you are actually trained and know how to use and maintain it. A warhammer isn't going to get bent, chipped, or rusty, and even if it does, it's still a warhammer and will still smash things just fine. Don't smash melons or coconuts unless you're prepared for the biological mess that will get left behind; smash blocks of ice frozen inside of old yogurt tubs instead. Wear goggles.

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  • [–] 10 points 6 months ago (9 children)

    Cordless drill. I was a die hard corded guy but then I tried a friend's one during a big move. Went out and bought one the next day.

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  • [–] 7 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    I really don't like the proprietary batteries each company use for their cordless tools though. I don't want to be locked into 1 company and I don't want to buy 8 different batteries.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    While I agree that vendor lock in sucks, getting a universal standard open source tool battery is not likely to happen. I decided to go with the Milwaukee M18. They have a huge variety of tools available, and they all use the same interchangeable battery. I have a drill, an impact driver, a circular saw, and hedge trimmers.

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  • [–] 1 point 6 months ago

    Somewhat tempted to go with corded and a generator. Large battery could work but they cost a lot more if you want high watt output and realistically it's not going to be used super frequently outside of cable reach.I

    The money saved by not buying a battery with every tool would be huge too. Some won't even let you buy without a battery...

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    To be fair, the early ones were pretty crappy compared to what they have now.

    At the start, you really couldn't use it for real work. The convenience came at a huge cost.

    These days all but the most extreme tasks can be done with cordless.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    I also recommend a cordless impact driver. The amount of torque you can generate with a drill is limited by your ability to hold the drill. The amount of torque you can generate with an impact driver is magnitudes more. Great for driving screws, tightening nuts, I've even used it for drilling through wood with a spade bit.

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  • [–] 9 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    If you're in car land, a good solid jump pack.

    I recommend Napa .

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    [+] 16 points 6 months ago (3 children)
  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    I found gas struggles to do low temps too, minimum power in the smallest ring is still too hot for rice unless you want to keep stirring it. Induction I just get it to a boil then leave it on low and it won't burn without stirring and leave it for 15 mins.

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