Ask HN: Cheap gadgets that have made you more productive?
I recently got a pear of dead cheap Edifier W800BT headphones as a spare.
I wouldn't expect that they would be so useful I think I missed out I didn't had Bluetooth headphones for a while.
Are there any other cheap gadgets that you people would suggest to someone on a budget (like 100$)?
10 comments
[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 40.0 ms ] threadA quality notebook to write your ideas or take notes during meetings.
At work I often take notes during meetings, and it happens sometimes that I can't remember details of a particular topic that I discussed at some point in the past, but I have some notes about it in my notebook.
Or if you have ideas now and then, carrying one around can give you somewhere to write them down before you forget about it. If you happen to be an artist, the paper has good quality and you can draw sketches on it.
It has a good quality overall and a nice texture in the paper and covers.
[1] https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/taking-notes/cornell-no... [2] https://bulletjournal.com/ [3] https://www.tinyrayofsunshine.com/blog/bullet-journal-guide
A door sensor on the fridge has caught me a few times when a bottle falls and makes it not shut right.
(Note: I really don't like that they're a closed platform that depends on the cloud, and I very much hope Matter/CHIP gives us a similarly cheap and reliable alternative. I also did have one incident where a missed trigger sent me home by Uber thinking I had left the front door open).
Tile trackers are even cheaper and have been a massive improvement to my life.
Until it mysteriously disappeared, a Rite in the Rain pressurized pen was pretty awesome for $12. Most pens dry up if only used once in a few months and then you have to sift through 5 dead ones every time you need one, which is often in a hurry.
3D printers can be had for less than $100 used.
Bluetooth headphones are definitely amazing, I'd never want to go back to wired.
Logitech Bluetooth mice with 24 month battery life are amazing.
A Kindle or Kobo reader is definitely worth it. DRM is problematic but many books don't use it, and the convenience factor is a big deal.
The LARQ water bottle is about that price and always stays fresh with UV light.
The Ultramasx true HEPA mask is impressive. I went 2 years riding busses in the peak of the pandemic without getting sick.
For any item you take places, the proper protective case is probably worth having. I usually buy thr case at the same time as I buy anything new.
More often though, extra objects seem to be less than helpful. I don't do kitchen gadgets, I don't do DIY tech infrastructure at home, I generally don't use simple functional items if a phone can replace it, I don't use corded tools, I don't do wired if I can do wireless.
I've gotten as much milage from eliminating simple functional items and replacing them with an app as I have from buying them.
I think we need to explore this multiple falling bottles situation
I've also had a bag of cereal closed with a clothespin lay in such a way that the clothespin blocked the door.
Pocketbook has some great offering as well, DRM is problematic until you remove it ;)
I work in sales and it has been a godsend with quick access to documents, FX rates, time zones, launching apps, text snippets etc
various coffee making gadgets
having a surplus of charging devices
a pop socket & other phone holding accessories (aka a stand so you're not leaning your phone against your coffee cup. I see you.