I see posts talking about good BIFL items but I don’t hear much about the other side of products that are bad or products you bought but don’t even use.
I read somewhere that GoPros and other action cameras are one of the least used purchases, so I figured “that should mean there’s plenty on eBay”. So grabbed up second hand bargain, played around with it for a couple of weeks, bought some extra batteries and other accessories, and since then it’s sat in the cupboard except for a single occasion.
Turns out you don’t need an action cam if you’re not getting any action.
Oh damn I totally forgot about that one. My dad bought a go pro and I could’ve used it to film my scuba diving event but we couldn’t figure out where to mount it.
Dick mount.
The good thing is GoPros are still good years later. Most of the action my GoPro 4 has seen was in the last 2-3 years after sitting for a really long time.
I had one that must’ve fallen out of my pocket when I got out of the car, because a few days later I found it half embedded in the dirt driveway after getting ran over. It was scuffed and scratched, but still worked! I don’t think the battery holds a charge anymore, but it is like 10 years old now
Do people actually use those to—erm—document the proceedings?
I’ve seen it done!
I won one at an office Christmas party, took a time lapse of my chia pet, put it in a drawer for a year and felt guilty, then sold it to a ski instructor. It’s kind of like taking a video of fireworks or a concert. Unless you’re doing some wild extreme sports, who’s editing and rewatching that kind of video?
A jet ski and a GoPro . And 10 years later we still have never used that kitchenaid stand mixer. It looks nice on the counter though.
Kitchenaid for kneading + measuring ingredients by weight = consistent bread
Back in the early 10’s I paid $200 for a year subscription license to Adobe Flash Pro, as I had convinced myself I was gonna learn to use it to produce sprite animations like the ones I grew up enjoying on Newgrounds. Never booted it once.
Flash as an embedded media platform was a blight on browser security. But strictly as an animation tool, it was pretty nifty. You can even use tools like Swivel to render Flash animations to video.
In the year of our lord 2024 there are probably way better tools than Flash ever was to do this sort of thing. But back in circa 2011 it was the best tool of its kind I knew of.
I’ve still yet to find a vector tool that works as well and easily as the one in flash. It was amazing. Ignoring the security, it was really way ahead of its time.
If you’re still up for some animation practice, Blender’s grease pencil is fantastic, free, and integrates with the rest of Blender very well
Blender has got to be one of the most hilariously vertically integrated apps I’ve ever seen. Next thing I’ll hear is it can file my taxes.
I’m confident there’s an addon for making motion graphics out of your taxes
For a free piece of software it has no right being as good and as easy to use as it is.
Cast Iron Pan - I don’t cook enough to justify it. Girlfriend at the time thought it was a good idea, and she used it a bunch, but now it’s just in the cabinet probably rusting up.
Humidifier - It gets really dry in here and it was recommended as a solution to my dry eyes. But it’s a pain to clean and refill, so it mostly just sits there.
Robo vacuum - It wasn’t great at navigating the apartment, so I didn’t use its auto schedule thing. Then the cat hair overwhelmed it. It is languishing in the closet. I got some use out of it, at least, driving it around like an RC Car, but I ended up buying a more robust manual vacuum cleaner
Bought myself a wireless charger but I never use it because I just plug in my phone anyways cause it’s faster.
My last 2 phones stopped charging through the ports. Keep that wireless charger, it may come in handy. Saved me from buying a new phone for at least a year.
Make sure there’s no lint and dust compacted in the bottom of the port if you haven’t already. It isn’t always entirely obvious but it can affect both lightning and USB-C and you can usually get it out with some careful use of a sewing needle.
Yup this is definitely the first thing to check. Unfortunately I think it was my need for bulky un-destructible cases, that bent my charging ports.
My last phone had the same issue, actually relatively cheap to get the port replaced at one of those tech repair places
I looked into this, but the closest to me was about 1 hour away. When I looked up the streetview, it was a guy’s garage with small shady sign infront lol
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Give my phone to some guy in his garage to fix or just use the wireless charger. Thats an easy choice every time haha
Depends on the phone. On some phones, it is on a separate tiny board which is cheap to replace. If it’s on the motherboard, it requires soldering, and it can be fucked if the copper pads get torn.
I use one every night. It keeps my phone in a predictable spot, and it always charges fully overnight anyways. It’s also less wear and tear on the port.
You can get magnetic plugs now, you just stick a little magnetic dongle in the port and leave it there and then the cord just magnetically attaches to the phone. That way you have the benefit of charging it fast. Plus not wearing out the port
I had one of those, but I work in construction, so I can’t use those.
These are what I use. Plus I can use the same cables for all kinds of different connecter types. Also, keeping that little plug doohickey in the charger port all the time acts as a kind of dust plug and keeps pocket lint and stuff from getting in there.
Those things are great because they also act as USB condoms meaning that no data lines are connected when you plug into a public USB port. Quite a benefit when out and about.
You do lose out on fast charging though.
This pretty much sums up how I treat my gf.
At least you’re keeping her port intact for the rest of us
This is communism.
I didn’t use mine for years until I got a wireless charger stand to use with my phone in landscape mode. I love it for my office desk. Combined with work focus, I only see a clock or large relevant notifications. I can answer work calls without messing with a cord. And when I leave at the end of the day, it’s charged. The old flat charger is still sitting in a drawer though.
For the wireless charger I got one of those Anker ones that hold it at angle like stand, so I put my phone on it while I’m at my desk. I can look at it and check any notifications that come in without having to pick it up. Saves me from having another cord on my desk.
Slower is usually better for the battery, use it if you charge at night. It also decreases the wear on the usb port.
Salt and Pepper grinder from a well recommended brand. Was like 80 bucks for the set and it’s not better than the ones I get from Sam’s Club. Infact it’s worse. Disappointing.
Infact
Not a word.
Not with that attitude
Who would downvote this? It’s true. It’s helpful. It’s free advice.
It’s true, but not helpful. If it was helpful it would actually tell them it’s spelt “in fact” and not just say: not a word
That would be spelling it out. For me, just saying it’s wrong, and letting someone find out why, that’s hugely more helpful than spoon-feeding Information.
Is is spelled spelled or spelled spelt?
Depends if you’re hungry.
this never happens to me because I’m poor
I’ve done it with paying for dental insurance but not going to the dentist because I can’t afford it.
nice
I bought a Steam Deck so I can play games while on the go. I just kind of forgot I’m never actually on the go, so 90% of the time it’s just gathering dust on my nightstand, because I’d rather play on my proper gaming PC when I’m at home.
I just got one and deciding to get one is very situational. I’ll sit outside with my dog for hours and I can’t bring my desktop outside. For me it’s been great. I wouldn’t recommend one to someone unless they know when they’ll use it.
I thought I’d use it commuting too, but I don’t. It’s just a little too awkward to bring on my commute.
I purchased it purely as an all-in-one indie game player for the television, that had a nice form factor. Was easy to connect with controllers, and relatively high-end.
I don’t really like playing on it’s joysticks and buttons, but that doesn’t matter when I only really use it docked.
It’s nice with a relatively high-end console when on the go. I usually bring a controller along for this, though.
It was expensive, but performs exactly as advertised.
This is the same reason I’ve never bought one. I love the concept, they are so cool. I use Linux on my desktop at home and at work. The thought of a powerful handheld Linux gaming PC for gaming on the go is so enticing, and I want to support Valve and the development of proton and gaming on Linux. But in reality I’m rarely “on the go”. I read articles on my phone when I’m on the train on my way to work. I watch videos on my android tablet when I’m flying on a plane for work. I have a Nintendo 3DS and an ODroid Go Ultra ARM emulation handheld gathering dust on my nightstand. I’d hate the thought of adding a steamdeck to the pile.
I think you’re making the right call. I bought a used Steam Deck and I love it and don’t regret it at all, but I think I’m more of the target demographic than you are. I built a PC 15 years ago when Windows 7 was launching and then upgraded it a few years later, and then replaced that with a gaming laptop that’s now very outdated. I’m sorta kinda tech savvy; a fucking doofus compared to somebody like you but a goddamn genius compared to most people I meet.
The Steam Deck proved to me that if/when I build a desktop, (and I want that to be soon but I keep getting surprise expenses lol,) then I’m ready to jump over to Linux as my OS. I was thinking Chimera for something that could effectively be a powerful modern Steam Machine with UI similar to Steam Deck, but Nobara looks more versatile for being a full PC instead of being a console that has PC capability. I have more faith in Nobara to be able to run a big project in a DAW like Reaper, plus I want the ability to stream on Twitch or do some basic video editing too, and it seems to be pretty accessible to a long-time medium-level Windows user like me.
Right now, most of my Steam Deck use is on the couch. My wife never really tried Skyrim, so she’s playing a file on the PS5 and I lay my head in her lap on the couch and play a different Skyrim file on the Deck. But I also play it on a train or take it with me when I go somewhere overnight. It can’t keep up with a modern PC or PS5, but it blows me away that it’s a handheld PC that’s about as powerful as a PS4. People bitch about the battery, but tweaking a few simple sliders can double or even triple battery life with relatively little compromise. It’s amazing but it’s a waste of your time and money lol.
I almost never use mine on the go, but I love it for playing on the couch or in a hammock.
I use my steam deck because I want to play on the couch or in bed or something and I can just instantly start playing when I pick it up. I’ll leave it suspended in a game, so I hit the power button and 2 seconds later I’m back to playing.
Same thing here, but I bought it when winter was coming. I’m nomadic during the warm season so the true test for me will be when that happens.
I got a switch to play games in bed but it pisses off my girlfriend.
A few dozen boards games, some crazy expensive. The most recent one was the Witcher which was a Kickstarter campaign. I bought a label maker, small zip lock bags, spent a few hours punching out paper tokens and and sorting everything. Haven’t played a single game.
I made a habit of checking out Goodwill for boardgames. Best one yet was King of Tokyo for maybe $10. Like new condition.
Or the board game geek marketplace. I usually look up all the games the seller has listed to get a bit lower price on several and save on shipping.
I’m a big thrift shopper, but I can never bring myself to buy things with a lot of parts (like board games) because every time I did there was something missing :(
I got into collecting games too. Sold about 70% of my collection in 2020 when quarantine came around and I had to face the fact that I was piling stuff on stuff and most were still sealed and unused.
Tabletop gaming is just too big of a time commitment for some of the more modern games, unfortunately, especially when I can just grab a pen, some dice, and a module from the web and play DND.
Ah yes, I also have the hobby of buying and sorting boardgames.
It is actually a pretty fun game if you do get a chance to play it!
I want to try a solo game because I don’t have friends that are interested. But it’s daunting. I also own both Gloomheaven and Frostheaven.
Sony WF-1000XM5s. I feel like I’m going crazy because all the reviews online said they were the best of the best. That they were near perfect.
And yet, the usability sucks. They connect to my phone while they’re in the case and closed, the noise cancelling cuts on and off, and sometimes they just refuse to connect until I put them back in the case.
The Sony headphones app also really sucks.
The sound quality is admittedly fantastic, but usability is just so frustrating.
Similar experience for my xm4s. Great sound, they’re comfy, but the app is dogshit and the buttons/ touch controls physically hurt me to use.
Strange, I used em for a while and never had any of those issues
I like all the options the Sony Headphones app provides, but the WF-1000XM5s have some serious connectivity issues. Constantly connects while in my pocket or I have cut outs while listening to music. The XM4s were much better.
Slip on / low top rain boots.
I thought I would use them for walks in muddy forests, but it’s not usually muddy enough when I go to justify wearing them for a full hike, and they’re not comfortable to walk in for long distances.
I also thought I would wear them around the fishing ponds, but I enjoy taking my shoes off and wading in anyway. I can just go further than the boots would allow.
Bose Quiet Comfort II true wireless headphones.
I’d been toying with the idea forever. My earbuds are old, a little bulky, have some connectivity issues when one disconnects and it takes a lot of fussing to get them reconnected. So I decided to spend the money.
I get them from B&H. I get home, put them in, one of them has some sound issues—but other than that, the sound and fit were perfect. Like, they were my glass slipper. They fit perfectly, the seal was perfect, they wouldn’t ever hurt my ears after extended use…I was shocked.
But.
Having issues with one, I started messing with them, seeing if could get support or troubleshoot. Of course the first thing in the box is a QR for their app. Now, I never fuck with physical products apps. If I need an app, chances are I won’t use your shit. But I really wanted these to work, so I go to the app, and dig through the privacy policy.
Two addenda later, they’re trying to get me to sign the most obscene privacy policy ever. Listen to/record everything I play, collect a profile on me, listen to any ambient noise around the microphone, and weirdly, “map my head shape and movements?”
I deleted that app as quickly as I could. So I go to their support page on their site. Get into a chat with their customer service bot. It says, “replying to this message is agreement to our privacy policy.” So I open the link, read it…it kinda seems reasonable. Just talking about using my chat responses for training, standard. But then THREE layers of addenda deep I find here trying to get me to sign THE EXACT SAME FUCKIN POLICY.
I ran those fuckers back to the store. But not before trying to get someone on the phone about the legal matters. Yeah, nah. They wouldn’t connect me to someone in their legal dept. In fact, the very request seemed to puzzle them to no end.
FUCK BOSE. READ YOUR PRIVACY POLICIES.
Is it possible to accept to those terms but disconnect the app from internet access completely so that prevents any calling back to the server? I believe you should be able to run it without internet.
Still a shame that there exists such an invasive privacy policy. I use IEMs when I’m on the go and wired akg k371 when I’m at home.
Well, that’s actually what I was trying to find out. I tried getting their legal dept on the phone because I wanted to be 100% sure I could use those earbuds without ever agreeing to the policy. When they wouldn’t or couldn’t give me an answer, I said fuck them.
They were great headphones. But I didn’t even want to chance that kind of invasion. And I doubt there’d be any way I could be sure of a company clearly willing to violate my privacy so hard would not be collecting that data without my consent. Using their fuckin site was a minefield in itself because they were trying really fuckin hard to get me to sign that policy—not even sign it, just tacitly agree to it by responding to one message in order to get help. Too dicey for my liking.
I would try denying it network permissions (if you’re on android) or just simply putting it on airplane mode and disconnecting all network to it.
Holy shit, was never aware of this. Will stay far away from this brand!
Fuck yeah! Enjoy your lunch!
You did not miss much don’t worry. I have them as well, their NC capability sucks, and they run a master slave setup meaning the right unit must be present to operate, you can’t only use the left unit. I regret buying mine
Well, crap, I love my Bose QC II, but…I didn’t read the PP and now I don’t want to use them…
We live in fucked up times. I don’t have the patience to read through privacy policies, so I basically have to avoid buying anything that has any kind of sensor on it.
Whoa.
Those potato spaghettifiers. Fuckers break when you try to push potatoes though. Waste of money.
What? Are you talking about a potato ricer?
I like my name better.
You need to cook the potatoes first.
I usually stop cooking the potatoes whenever a fork can split them. Apparently that is not enough?
Cut them in chunks before you boil if you’re going to rice them anyways. They take forever to boil whole.
Well, for the rest of my life I’m calling these potato spaghettifiers, thank you for that.
A gaming chair, one of those that look like racer chairs. It basically destroyed my back, worst purchase of my life
I remember going to the Tokyo Game Show some years ago. They had some to try out. I was so excited. I expected to sit in it and feel “you are home.” Instead I felt “get the fuck off me.”
Probably because in a real racing seat there’s a harness to keep you from slouching. I used to have terrible lower back issues with a Recaro bucket seat I converted for a desk chair. Never had a problem with it driving for hours when it was in my car (may it rest in pieces). Then it dawned on me that the seatbelt was maintaining my posture. Added a lap belt and the back problems abated.
Not only that. A racing chairs is not intended to be good for your back. It has a very different use, it protects you in the case of a crash. So unless you often get into car accidents while gaming, better to buy a chair that is specialised at ergonomics, not impact protection .
My race seat is super comfortable and it’s a fixed back.
And it holds you against lateral G force with the gussets, which isn’t necessary sitting still.
To be fair, the gaming chair also holds you against lateral GeForce
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Best advice Ive heard on chairs "Fuck gamer and racer style chairs. Look for something that screams “Im going to fire 3000 people over Zoom in this shit”
Yes! Puffy gloss leather boss chairs ftw! I don’t have one right now only because there’s no space for another proper workplace in our apartmentsm
I learned about the companies selling refurbished Aerons on eBay and picked one up a couple years ago for $400. Love it!
Chairs are one of those things that you need to drop serious money on if you sit more than a few hours a day. Focus on chairs for office work and expect to pay over $1k.
Same but a gaming mouse. I came from a cheap office mouse that was amazing but ended its (long) lifespan. Replaced it and wow this mouse sucks. Yes it has RGB but every single time I scroll with it, it causes my finger to hurt like crazy, which is a REAL problem in this era.
I did exactly the same. Even the kids wouldn’t sit on it haha
I have a “gaming chair” and I hate it. Still use it though until I can get enough money to get another one.
Yep, same. Worst chairs you can buy by a wide margin. Cheapest IKEA chairs is worlds better than the priciest gamer chair.
I had the same experience and ended up donating it to a friend. What I found that was actually comfortable is a $1,400 office chair that I got a good deal on.
It’s funny that I hear this a lot but I’ve been using my dx racer since 2017. I am quite skinny though so that might help. I’m wearing through the fake leather now though, looking to get something new by the end of this year. But the damage is mostly my fault for sitting half crossed legged, sometimes while wearing shoes.
My Amazon Kindle books. I figured out way later that I didn’t actually own them! How absurd.
You can pirate books. Use Calibre and build your library. I have over 2000 books. Doesn’t take much storage either.
That’s what I do. Wanna share some? Maybe we could do a swap of our favorite 10 or something.
And you can still read them on your Kindle, too. You just convert the epubs to the kindle format (using Calibre), then plug your Kindle into your computer. So easy, why would I ever buy a book again?
You can just send epubs to your kindle.
Or even better setup your kindle e-mail address in Calibre and e-mail the books to the personal document cloud. That way the books will sync to all your kindle devices and the kindle app.
Wow, I didn’t know this was possible!
