My super automatic espresso machine. Dead simple to use and so much cheaper than operating a keurig. I bought it because I’m awful at real coffee machines and need to have a single serve option. Being able to use whole beans has made it pay for itself in the 3 years I’ve had it.
Somehow from what I’ve been seeing and talking with friends and on the web, the Philips espresso machines seem to be the most popular and the best/the shit these days. Maybe one day my Krups machine kicks the bucket and I get a Philips one and test it out to see how it goes.
I use mine largely for TTRPG stuff, but it’s the little things that are really satisfying. Like throwing together a little bracket that needs to be exactly this shape, and then being able to test fit it, make adjustments, and print up the exact perfect thing that no one makes for the exact purpose you need it for.
I’d like to get a 3D printer but I live in a 1br apartment so I don’t have a great place to put it. I might be able to make space in the living room or bedroom but I’m a little leery of health concerns (seems like a bad idea to have something that’s melting plastic right where I’m sleeping or eating, is rather have it in a garage or basement or something)
A smart switch for my espresso machine so it turns on a timer each morning so it’s ready for when I get up, it takes about 25 minutes to fully warm up. Also I can turn it on or off using voice controls, great when I want another coffee later in the day.
No, its a smart thing switch as I have the hub, so its z wave. However I have a lot of smart home switches, lights and so on so that makes sense for me. Plenty of options if you do not want a hub now.
The espresso machine has a proper on off button so I just leave it in on position and the switch turns the power on and off
Damn, that is a slow espresso machine. Mine takes like 1min.
Also, would that work for devices that need to have the “on” button pressed in order to turn on?
For example: Say I unplug one of my devices, while turned on. If I plug them again in the outlet, they will be turned off and I will have to turn them on again, even though they were on when I unplugged them.
They might have a different style. I have one of these, and it definitely takes 20 minutes or so to get up to pressure.
I didn’t think about a smart switch, like GP. That’s a slick idea. OTOH, I turn the machine on and go do something else for a few minutes - I don’t find it an imposition.
Majority of any e61 espresso machine is like that, pretty much par for the course for anything other than budget non e61 or some of the new high end espresso machines that use some variation of electrically heated groups.
Mine will be “ready” after about 15 minutes but as an e61 group head is a heavy block it takes along time to get good thermal stability. Difference is I can steam and extract shots at the same time with 2bar steam and 9bar espresso, shot after shot.
My espresso machine has a proper on/off switch, so I just leave that set to on and control the power from the smart switch.
They nice machines but I wanted more consistent with its pressure and water flow, better steaming, not made by breville,and made with industry standard components that can last decades.
It’s a decent machine for the money but compared to its competitors from gaggia and rancilio what they lose in fancy programming or the pid or the easy steaming (which is still way off mine) they gain in actually having an opv (depending which one you have), build quality and self service.
I’ve seen far too many people have issues with breville stuff and then problems returning it. It’s not that good ones don’t exist it’s just that more reliable does.
To put your seven years into perspective I should be getting 30 to 40 years out of mine with some regular servicing.
a good compact umbrella is a core piece of kit. can just live where it is most accessible and can pop out when most needed. getting caught in a downpour is a good way to ruin a day
Swapped out the head unit on my 2016 car for a touchscreen that supports Android Auto. I got spoiled using a similar one in my friend’s rental car. It was only $600 installed at Best Buy. It’s so nice not to have to fight with keeping my phone in a display holder where I can see the map, and now I can control my phone-streamed music with my steering wheel controls. Makes driving so much more pleasant.
I did this too around five years ago, but I installed it myself rather than paying for installation. I bought it from Crutchfield and they provided very good instructions.
It’s harder to do in newer cars though, since the head unit has more of the car’s systems going through it. Mine (2012 Mazda 3) only uses the head unit for what you’d expect - the radio, door/seatbelt chimes, and steering wheel controls.
I did this last month in my 04 Honda CRV, such a massive upgrade. I don’t have steering wheel controls, and I didn’t want to tap a screen for volume control, so I went with the boss be7acp because it has a physical volume knob. Added a backup camera because why not.
It’s been a massive upgrade! Crutchfield is the bomb, installation wasn’t that hard, a bit fiddly getting to the wires for the backup and park, but I was done in a couple hours, backup camera included.
An Ice Cream Maker. Been making my own Ice Cream for years now and its amazing. The cheap machines which requires you to freeze the bowl is nice, but the one with a heat pump built in is amazing. In 3 hours I can make batches of Mint, Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream.
Amazon sells them with the search term “with compressor”. I got this one 2 years ago, it’s pricey but you can get smaller ones with less volume for cheaper. www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FXMW4AS/
Arduino in the same vein. There's a great "30 Days Lost in Space" tutorial set, but even to play around with by yourself for cheap, you can get an off brand (the hardware is open source!) Arduino Mega for 20 bucks. All sorts of cool programming and electronics fun.
AdGuard Home is better since it supports DNS over HTTPS, which prevents your internet provider from seeing and intercepting your DNS queries (which they can do even if you use a third-party DNS service like Google or Cloudflare). You can get DoH working on PiHole but it’s a lot of manual work.
It’s even easier with AdGuard Home though, since it uses DoH via Quad9 out-of-the-box. People usually use solutions like PiHole and AdGuard Home because they don’t want to mess with it at the command-line, just via the web UI.
At first, solo, very solo. Like I'd even avoid my wife until I felt comfortable, because at my size (was over 300lbs) certain things were embarrassingly difficult. As I lost some, and more importantly found workouts that worked for me, I started venturing out, now I do a lot of group classes (dance stuff mostly). Even though I'm still often the biggest, I feel a lot better about myself overall so I enjoy it and I've found some very supportive studios with awesome vibes.
That's awesome. Yeah, definitely a rollercoaster for me, winter gets harder since walking was/is a big part of my routine. But even 25kg must feel great. I love feeling like I've kept some of the muscle, but lost a beer keg worth of extra weight every time I climb some stairs or carry something heavy.
If you don’t mind, how did the Fitbit motivate you to be more active? I’ve been considering one for a while but it doesn’t seem like something I’d have a lot of utility for
Two ways:
One, it kinda gamified it for me, just having a score, meant I could go for a high score on days when I had the time for lots of steps/exercise. They build some in too, like streaks and hitting goals.
Two, the HR monitor definitely helped me push harder in cardio workouts. Knowing when I hit my max, and when it started dipping made even short workouts feel more effective (even if they weren't, placebo FTW).
Fuck Bezos, but this fidget spinner with a tiny built in knife. It’s actually pretty durable and I’ve used both sides a lot. It’s also a great fidget spinner for me since I clip my keys to my waist.
Even a small knife is handy. Multitools are fine, but IME I only ever use the blade, and single-purpose knives are better at being knives than multi tools. My favorite knife is a MicroTech 70; I can carry it in any pants without it feeling bulky.
Flippers are good too; I do like the clean lines on the MicroTech(s).
Maybe it’s because I used multi tools, but I can’t relate. At different points about 20 years ago, I carried a cybertool and a Leatherman (not at the same time). In both cases, I used the screwdrivers, very occasionally the pliers. I never used the blades, though. I honestly don’t know when I’d want a knife. Certainly not for a daily carry.
InstaPot. It makes a lot of things so much easier to cook. Rice, lentils, potatoes, eggs… I use it mostly for that. No need to stand there stirring, looking at the clock. Fire and forget and always perfectly cooked.
Hanklight D4K for $50 was my first portable enthusiast flashlight. I’m currently 4 hanklights deep and they’re loads of fun out in the country for spotting wildlife and general use with the open source Anduril 2 firmware (yes, flashlights can get firmware updates).
Ooh. I have an Olight Arkfeld Pro every day carry flashlight that I love. It’s kind of flat and has a good clip for your pocket. Brightest mode is 1300 lumens and also has a blacklight and a 5mw green laser. Built solid as can be and has a lifetime warranty, including the built in battery. Love the thing.
Hank makes great lights, but I love OLights. I have 3 of those damned Arkfelds - I loved the UV one so much I got the laser version, and then they came out with the tri-function version!
It’s such a great light! The UI is fantastic, the battery indicator is pretty, the UV is incredibly bright, and kudos to them for choosing a laser color other than red - green was a good choice. The battery lasts forever, the rectangle form factor is super comfortable to pocket-carry, and (of course) the 5-mode light is bright and clean. Oh, and that tail magnet is a beast! It’s the only flashlight I carry, anymore.
That said, I’d give up some of that huge battery to slim it down. The original Arkfelds are OK, but the new tri-function is chonky. Doesn’t stop me from carrying it, but it’s right on the threshold. I could go for a smaller tri-function; the current battery is IMO overkill.
While I like the magnetic charger, I do wish it had a USB-C charge port. As is, having to travel with an extra bespoke charge cable sucks. It’s my only real beef with OLights; contact charging is nice, but I’d trade it for versatility.
The proprietary charger is my only real negative about it. If not for that, I would take a slimmer version, like the old one over the bigger battery, but since I don’t have as much access to my proprietary charger like I do with USB c all over the place I’m good with the bigger battery.
Right? If it had a C charging port, it wouldn’t need the big battery.
I’ve been carrying and using the tri-function since it arrived, at the end of October. It’s still at 4 bars. I haven’t tried to run it down, but it’s an absurd amount of battery.
PTX Products Matte White and Neon Green Fidget Cube a.co/d/4lLZJry
Note there’s more than a cube. As someone with two ADHD boys and myself with ADHD there’s lots of options and they’re almost all cheap just find what works for you