I like to do photography and timelapse videos, so my favorite gadget is a collapsible tripod I can use with my phone. It doubles as a selfie stick and includes a carrying bag and an optional bluetooth remote.
“Lock laces” elastic shoestrings. Gives me a nice fit and I can slip my shoes on and off more easily.
I will definitely second that recommendation. They turn basically every shoe into a slipper.
I was skeptical when I read about them, but gave them a go. Reason being: my feet swell during the day, which means I was constantly loosening my laces throughout the day. Which isn’t ideal.
The Lock Laces help in that they’re always perfect: they flex with my feet and always have just the right tension.
They are popular with a wide range of people. Triathletes like them for fast transitions since you don’t need to retie your shoes. Marathon runners also love them since it means no more laces getting undone. And yes, they’re obviously great for old folks and people with disabilities.
I like them so much, I now put them on every new pair of shoes that I buy.
A dual USB C/USB A drive is always nice.
It makes transferring files from phone to phone or from phone to PC significantly nicer.
Shoutout to LocalSend if a purely software approach is applicable. Fills the same role very nicely, and is free.
Is anything wrong with using Quick Share to get files to a computer, or vice versa?
Not at all, it’s just what I’m personally familiar with.
I bought a nice pair of fingernail clippers. ~$15 Green Bell from Japan. You hardly have to apply any force to the lever at all, and the nail just slices off neatly and falls inside. Not like my old cheapo pair that went “KACHONK” and endangered anyone in my vicinity of shrapnel injuries.
I don’t know man, the kachonk is a valuable part of the experience for me, great tactile feedback
I guess I can see the appeal of that. But it’s pretty fun feeling like a nail salon samurai, too.
I have one of those Japanese nail clippers. I’m wondering how they make it cut so softly. Like even if it didn’t eat the nails they wouldn’t launch. Best clippers ever, even if it’s harder to get the edges.
Pretty sure they’re just incredibly sharp. The Japanese like to sharpen things.
I’m betting that it almost all comes down to sharpness and using better metal (harder, keeping it sharp)
Well Wet Bob, you made me laugh.
Microwave Splatter cover
Mantric Rechargeable Remote Control Knicker Vibrator I got on sale for 50% off. I’m not super into the whole public thing, but I’ve been using it way more than my magic wand, that fucking tip is shaped perfectly. Plus it would make an excellent phaser prop.
Not really what I was looking for but okay…
This is exactly what I was looking for. My day just got infinitely better.
Thanks for the laugh both of you.
Hey, you opened the door! 🤣
So does this gadget
It at least rings the doorbell
Yeah, I can see that, but it’s like $70. Yes, I looked.
Seems some if not all of the big online adult stores run frequent promotions, be that for “get a free X with purchase”, buy one get one or just flat “40% off one item” so wait for the right promotion and jump on it.
Oh I’ll jump on it ;)
I want to see an image of this but I don’t want it in my search history
Is it rumbly or buzzy (Low frequency or high)
Asking for a friend…
Plus it would make an excellent phaser prop.
Set to stun.
Fully functional
Dang it, 4 replies down and I’m horny already
More than the magic wand, you say? That’s quite the endorsement.
I can’t not see this now
I keep an extremely small 64GB USB-A/USB-C flash drive on my Keychain so I can move files between phones, phone to computer, or load movies and TV shows from a computer or phone and plug into a TV to play.
It’s only $10 and sometimes it’s very convenient to always have on hand the ability to move files around without the use of a network or the cloud or whatever. The size of it is extremely small.
Verbatim 64GB Store ‘n’ Go Dual OTG USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive for USB-C Devices – 2 in 1 Type C Thumb Drive https://a.co/d/40uW3fE
I remember when an 8gb flash drive was like $20. This is wild.
my first one was 128MB and it was > $100. this was when iomega zip drives were popular.
I remember upping my ram from 2MB to 4MB, while I had a 6GB hard drive.
So simple to siphon off stuff from the phone like photos to back up! And load it full with films.
It’s crazy how everything is so locked in.
Why I’m holding onto my note 20 ultra for the foreseeable future as well. Last samsung flagship with an SD card slot. It holds all my pictures, videos, and TV shows and movies on that little card.
This is good.
Also, though it’s more than $10, but my phone battery has gone to shit lately (f u Google for your shit pixels), and my anker mini power bank is carrying me right now: https://a.co/d/5lmsCiI
I have a Pixel 7 Pro and the battery sucks now. I want to wait another year because Verizon contracts are 36 months now. I hope my failing battery lasts that long.
Have the fold.
Stupid expensive phone that lost half its battery life in less than a year.
It’s not rocket surgery, just have an option to limit charging to 85% like Samsung does.
I guess simple math is too hard for Google.
Not a pixel, but I literally just replaced my note 20 ultra battery like 2 hours ago. I have all the equipment and knowhow to rip phones apart that don’t want to let you. I believe most of the pixels aren’t too bad to get into and battery replace if you ever get a wild hair in you to give it a shot. Just fyi, go with an oem battery. Pretty much all aftermarket ones are terrible. Also be careful of the loads of counterfeits and used sold as new batts on eBay.
Did you just get everything from ifixit or what?
No, but it’s a great source to get stuff if they can get the parts, and all their tools should work well. If their batteries aren’t OEM ones, they won’t try to pass them off as such.
I’ve been fixing cell phones since the 90’s, along with a lot of other electronics, so most of my equipment has been a hodge-podge of sources I’ve collected over the past 25 or so years.
In the case of the battery I just got for my N20 Ultra, there is no source I could come up with that sold in the US and also seemed verifiable or completely trustworthy so I had to take a risk and order through a supplier off ebay. The pictures looked legit and like what I know the oem’s look like, and they had the correct looking adhesive and protective coverings on the batt, plus I messaged the seller back and fourth a couple of times and they stayed on their claim they had new oem batts, even after I’d mentioned I would capacity test the battery and leave them a review.
Now, I still won’t know for sure for a few more days. I’ll drain the batt to phone shut off and then charge to 100% plus 2 more hours a couple times, and then drain to shut off and charge it to 100% + 2 hours one more time while leaving the phone off and using my in line voltage/mah tester. Knock off batteries never get very close to an oem batts capacity.
My wife has a different style by them and it has served her very well for two years.
A pi zero w. Need a wireless Android Auto adapter? Flash the right image. Need a Klipper controller for a 3D printer, flash the right image. Need to add a wireless thumb drive to any device that you can drop files to over the network? Flash the right image and run a few commands. They are very cheap and insanely versatile. I originally got a handful for $5 each and am still finding uses for them.
I’m gonna go buy one for that wireless android auto, I never even considered a dongle let alone a DIY pi dongle! do you have a link for that wireless thimbdrive one too? and/or is there an easy way to browse other interesting images/tasks you can do with the pi zero w?
https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/articles/pi-zero-w-smart-usb-flash-drive
It gives instructions for starting from a desktop OS, I just started with a headless OS to begin with. Then you can skip disabling the desktop and go straight to setting it up.
I use it for sending files to my resin 3D printer that doesn’t have wifi built in. I just power on the printer before I prep files and then I can save them to the printer over the network.
For finding more uses, probably searching Hack-a-Day. That’s probably how I’ve found these over the years.
How do you hook up to it?
I tried a similar board once (Orange i96 ?) that was cheap and had no video nor ethernet, just wifi and usb and I was never able to hook up to it in any way (ssh or some video over wifi).
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-imager-imaging-utility/
This tool makes it easy to flash images as well as pre setup WiFi and ssh on the image.
For the Android Auto you only need the image and Balena Etcher.
Hey thanks!
They have kind of significantly risen in price though since those $5 days!
I’ve got two just lying around. What image can I use for the Android auto adapter?
book holder opener
The old Pier 1 Imports back scratchers. They use to sell for 75¢.
My dad had a bunch of these when I was a kid. Super durable and great as back scratchers or just a stick to play with. I bought a few after finding them online and love having them.
I got some that were nicely finished bamboo but they didn’t have enough of a sharp edge at the business end to really give a good scratch like the ones from my youth. Fortunately that was easily rectified with a couple seconds on a belt sander.
I’ve 3D printed A LOT of similarly shaped scratchers and give them away randomly to people - they are wonderful to have. I even have some in my car and at my office lol. I slapped my name on them in the Slicer software so people remember where they got it!
It looks like it could even double as a poop knife!
Ha! I have one of these sitting next to me on my desk. It’s multi-function, as it works great for reaching up and opening and closing my curtains too.
A nice pepper grinder! Makes every meal better
The Unicorn has pepper output like I’ve never seen with any other grinder I’ve used. Got tired of breaking cheap ones every so often and tried spending 20 or 30 bucks once or twice randomly on better ones, but nothing worked half as well as after I found that one.
My pepper grinder was $35, got it from a woodworker at a local farmers market, definitely worth it.
Nice salt is great too!
Kosher salt ftw, I have a little dish with a lid, looks great on the counter but is also super functional
I resisted, but now I’m a believer in Maldon salt.
The best.
For salt I just grabbed a small diner style salt shaker, it’s really cute and makes it easy to control portions
My Glucusent book light, I use it every night when I read before bed. It is the best book light I’ve ever had and I absolutely love it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09PR1BTM7
Ooh, thanks, I’ve been wondering about getting a book light, but I haven’t used one since the '90s and they were kind of terrible then.
LEDs and rechargeable batteries have changed everything. Mine lasts for many hours before it needs to be recharged. And it only takes a little bit to recharge it.
This is my go-to reading light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GG42WXY
Oooohhhh that looks very nice. Although the battery is much smaller than the Glucosent.
Get into locksport!
I’ve tried this one but really prefer Sparrows more. After a day or two with picking with that clear lock, it becomes pretty loose. Also, doesn’t feel like a lock at all. Sparrows cutaway locks still allow you to see the pins but it also feels like a real metal lock.
I wish there was a place for people to send random locks they break off or find to newbies like me. Buying a lock just to pick it feels insane, but I also want to feel that delicious click out of 1
Get a practice lock that you can re-pin. They’re cool so you can see what it’s like to have spools or serrated pins. I messed with one for a while and then was like “I wonder how much harder it would be to pick my front door lock instead of this cheap practice lock?” Turns out, the front door lock is ridiculously easy compared to a practice lock.
Turns out, the front door lock is ridiculously easy compared to a practice lock.
Yeeeaaaah… I’ve spent like literally 3 minutes learning to pick, and that’s all you need to just scrape SO MANY front door locks. So many locks are just so bad
Try picking your front door… could be very instructive ;-)
Go to those love-bridges where tourists buy and attach padlocks on it…
It’s called “love picking” btw
Sadly they cleared the only one near me, before I knew about it or I’d have dumpster dived it
Wait a week!
You can check local locksmiths. Some might be willing to sell cheap junk locks that are still good for picking. Or buy a core that can be repinned.
I was outside a tiny locksmith store the other day and considered it! Social anxiety won the battle that day though. I’ll try!
Maybe look for a habitat for humanity ReStore?
We don’t have those here, but charity shops are a good idea thanks
I really want to, and every time I look into it I feel like I’m in for a £200+ initial investment that I’m not really up to at the moment.
Getting started is closer to a tenth of that— the starter kit linked is $10 pre shipping from a brand that is generally considered overpriced in locksport. Buying locks is the expensive part but you probably have a couple of padlocks to start with. And for those £20, you can get the knowledge and basic skills to open the vast majority of locks.
I’d personally recommend JimyLong’s starter kit if you can catch it in stock but hook and turner will work. Then don’t buy anything else until you know exactly what lock you want a thinner hook or different pick for; that set would open about any lock you can find in store. Spending £200+ to start out is more lockpick consumerism than an actual on ramp since you’d likely be bogged down by too many tools.
Thank you, that’s very helpful advice. I’m based in the UK so will need to find a different supplier, but it’s good to know I can start out with a couple of tools instead of a giant roll of things.
Good luck! You’ll pop open your first lock in no time
21 dollars shipping ._.
DYMO Embossing Label Maker
They’re like $9 on Amazon and I label everything. I have 2 myself, and they’re also my go-to for white-elephant parties.
Once I went on leave and the fella who filled in for me got a few complaints that he was slow. He said it was because I hadn’t labelled my store room properly. I added a few dymo labels around the place. The next time I went on leave he got a few more complaints and gave the same explanation, so I added a few more. After the third time I left the room looking like this picture and he shut up.
I guess I should rephrase.
I label a lot of boxes and spice containers but nothing unhinged lol
I’m not sure if that says LEGO or LEAD
Managed to pick up an attachable bidet toilet washlet for around $16. Worth every penny.
Bidet master race.
Got myself one with heated seat, heated water (tankless water heater, not a connection to a hot water tap that takes ages to warm up), and even a hot air dryer thing that I only really use in the winter.
Cost a hundred bucks, best hundred bucks I’ve ever spent, I’ll never go back.
Cold water ones are good too, more practical even, but the water gets cold here in the winter, make your brown eye blue lol
