Just went down the aliexpress rabbit hole again. Theres really everythinf for some of really niche things that i wouldnt ever buy, but some things really do look appealing. I wonder what do you guys use daily thats worth lets say under $20

  • j_roby@slrpnk.net
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    A decent headlamp. Flashlights are well and good, and sometimes necessary too. But if you’ve ever had to do something intricate with both hands in the complete dark, a good headlamp can be so much better in those situations

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      100%. I found one with grooves, so you can tilt and lock on whatever angle you like. Going to use as secondary light soirce on my bike rides and camping trips

    • DeadpanSlim@lemmy.world
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      I worked with a guy who wore a headlamp nearly all the time. When people would ask about it he would always tell them “There are only two reasons NOT to wear a headlamp. Either you don’t have a head, or you don’t have a headlamp.”

      I will never forget this.

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      What are you doing in the dark that’s so intricate? Genuine question.

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        In most places, lights are placed on the ceiling. This is fine for generally lighting a room, but if you need to do something intricate that’s not directly under the ceiling lamp it can be hard to see. Even simple things like plugging in some cables under the desk.

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          I guess I don’t do anything away from desk lamps. Thanks for the explanation.

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        I’ve done fibre optic splicing entirely under the light of a headtorch. I don’t think you could get much more intricate than that.

    • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
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      I got a Lightbar brand “lightbar pro”, so good. The only downside to it is that there is a design flaw where there is no strain relief on the main power cable so twisting it will lead to failure. I don’t know if they fixed it since I bought mine, but some glue on the power wire should sort it out.

      You get a nice wide diffuse light so you can see all around you and what you are working on. It isn’t the best for distance, but most of the time I am working I need to see my surroundings and what I am working on.

    • assembly@lemmy.world
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      Completely agree on this. For some reason I’ve gone through like four at this point. They seem to break for some reason. Even tried the REI route with the black diamond brand and they don’t seem to last. I need to find a better brand.

    • TAG@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Great for walking the dog at night, in suburban or rural settings. A phone flashlight is annoying to juggle while also controlling a leash and impossible when I need to scoop poop.

    • momentary
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      And you can get such small ones now! My spouse has one she keeps in her purse where the strap is just a thin wire that retracts into the unit. It’s not even uncomfortable! Needless to say I’m jealous!

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        Is it the petzl zipka? Because if it isn’t I’d love to know what it is. I have one, but they’ve apparently stopped making them, and it’s so much better not having an elastic strap.

  • Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone
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    Knipex adjustable shifter pliers

    They adjust and lock to all the metric sizes and in my industry climbing towers and working at heights, having to carry the minimum is amazing.

    these

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      Great tool but not cheap. Infact you probably couldn’t find a more expensive version. Knipex however is worth it. Generally my advice is to first buy a cheap tool and replace it with more expensive one after it breaks but with pliers it’s pay once, cry once situation. These are truly BIFL tools. The 100mm mini cobra pliers are awesome aswell.

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          Exist. I have kids who constantly break things. I have a house where things often need minor attention. The knippex cobra xs pliers are tiny and weigh less than the pliers on a multitool like a Leatherman.

    • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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      Faaacts, I have one at work and a personal one. Can one buy tools accidentally? I needed to get a bike head-nut off, all it had were two parallel indents on the perimeter.

      Saw this for $50 at Sears, been in love with them ever since. W/o question one of my favorite and most useful tools. Sheesh I sound like such a shill haha

    • polle@feddit.de
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      LOL, are you me? I recently put that thing in my backpack, because you never know.

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      Seriously-- I kinda wanted one for a long time, but I just assumed they were expensive. They are not. You can install it yourself. If you do so, you will never go back, and it will change your life for the better.

      Bidet.

      • Piecemakers@lemmy.world
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        Why did I read this in Ryan Reynolds’ voice? Even had that moment at the end where he looks directly into the camera.

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        I just bought one… you’re personally responsible for my absolute joy…or will receive all of my hate. I’ll update

    • jet@hackertalks.com
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      100%.

      I live in a country where every bathroom has a bidet. Or a bum gun. They are miracles.

    • Senuf
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      Back in time, a long time ago, when I was 19 and spent about a year traveling abroad, I learned that a bidet in the bathroom isn’t a standard everywhere. Couldn’t understand why.

    • bean@lemmy.world
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      I think many people assume it’s those seats. Like in Japan… at least I did. But this is not correct, not all of them are. In my country we use these ‘wands’ which work when you turn on the sink faucet. Has a little finger trigger. It’s very convenient, clean. I’ll never go back!!

  • pugsnroses77@sh.itjust.works
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    rice cooker. i have one that i use like a fancy crockpot so i can leave the house and come home to hot food. mandolin or a food processor is a close second, makes chopping veggies a breeze

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      My issue with food processors is they take more time to clean than they save.

      Which one do you use?

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        Rinse after use, then its a matter of wiping down in hot soapy water.

        Never let the debris dry in the food processor or you’re gonna have a bad time. Same with blenders.

        If you can’t reach the crevices you can also run it with warm (not hot) soapy water to clean the crevices.

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            Those little brushes they make for cleaning straws have so many other uses, I swear.

            Edit: just realized you said “bottle” and not “little,” sorry about that lol

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          Yeah, if you can’t soak it, get that food off before it dries. This is why I prefer kitchen tools that you can take apart. I replaced my Foreman grill with a griddle with removable plates and love it, even though the Foreman had a bit more cooking area. Plus I got waffle plates and also got rid of the waffle maker that I rarely used because it was such a pain to clean if you ever overestimated how much batter it needed.

      • pugsnroses77@sh.itjust.works
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        i use a mini kitchenaid i got for $50 a few years ago. its easier to store n clean bc its tiny. it isnt good for big batches but is perfect for a few carrots and onion, or a handful of spinach. then i usually just swish it all with warm water and im good to go. i clean while i cook so its basically all done by the time im eating.

        • Dave@lemmy.nz
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          I guess I just don’t find it hard to chop things with a knife, which is very easy to clean. I have a food processor, but getting it out of the cupboard takes almost as much time as dicing an onion with a knife.

          • pugsnroses77@sh.itjust.works
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            i think for me is im a disaster and usually will end up with veggie particles all over the counter and floor and then have to spend time cleaning that up else the cat gets his far face all over it. on top of that i have a super tiny food processor which makes getting it in and out super easy. if i only had my larger one i could not see myself bothering with it.

  • TurboDiesel@lemmy.world
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    A decent reusable steel water bottle. Doesn’t need to cost a lot, and really cuts down on dishes at home

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      How does it reduce dishes? Water bottles are one of the more annoying things to wash, in my experience, because my hands aren’t small enough to fit anymore.

      Edit: Yes, I have a bottle brush. It’s just that it’s a bit of a hassle to soap it from dry and then have to dry it somewhere before storing it again. I wash everything else with a rough sponge normally.

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        Get a metal one and put it in the dishwasher. Or get a bottle brush.

        Also, occasionally filling it with white vinegar and letting it sit overnight can help clean deposits.

        ETA: In general putting plastic in the dishwasher is not advised.

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        I see you’ve never had a partner with ADHD! Going around collecting all the half-drank water glasses in our household used to be a full-time job.

        • radix@lemm.ee
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          I have not! In fact, I’m usually the one carrying around water glasses because they’re less hassle to drink from and far easier to (visibly) clean than any other vessel is. I try to limit myself to two or three in the house though…

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            Unfortunately we’re both the problem, so there would just be glasses EVERYWHERE. Carrying one bottle around just made more sense

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          It’s a pain to take a tool out (and wait for it to dry) just for one or two bottles.

          • Piecemakers@lemmy.world
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            You’re not serious. 😬

            It’s a brush. Shake it vigorously for 10-20 seconds and it’s dry enough. FFS. I hope you’re not serious.

      • EarthShipTechIntern@lemm.ee
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        Local DI (deseret industries-a Mormon goodwill equivalent) has them for $1.50. Pick your lid, thermo flask, size, straw or naw. Get 6 for $9. Or buy 1-2 a bunch of times. My only transportation is cycling (other than busses/trains). Hydration is essential for proper functioning on all of these.

    • AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz
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      Man I hate these. They make water warm up instantly (unless vacuum insulated) and I could just one a single glass the whole day, or multiple days.

  • ch00f@lemmy.world
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    Magnetic soap holder.

    You shove a little metal bit into your soap bar, and the bar dangles from a magnet on a stand that holds it over the sink.

    Soap dries quickly, no scum in the soap dish, any drippage falls right into the sink.

    Only downside is the magnet falls out when the bar gets smaller, so you have to mash the old bar into the bottom of the new one to keep from wasting it.

      • Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee
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        Agreed. Chopsticks make it so much easier to fold up my salad greens and minimize the amount of salad dressing I get in my beard and mustache.

        • Piecemakers@lemmy.world
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          Use less dressing? I mean, if your salad is dripping, you might wanna look at your ratios there. 😅

          • Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee
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            Never said it was dripping. It just rubs against facial hair while eating. Ice cream, sandwiches, beverages, lots of foods have an interaction with facial hair. It’s something I live with because it’s not that big of a deal and using chopsticks makes it even less so.

              • Mobiuthuselah@lemm.ee
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                Why does this matter to you? You keep making assumptions and then trying to solve them as though it’s an issue. I’m just agreeing with OP that’s it’s easier to eat salad with chopsticks and especially for someone who has a beard. If you don’t have a beard and don’t fully understand why it would be easier, then it’s not really relevant to you, and that’s okay.

                • Piecemakers@lemmy.world
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                  And by that same logic: if I do have a beard and know what it’s like, then it is relevant and that’s okay, too. Especially when it might be solid advice, either way. Who knows. Up to you, really. 🤗

  • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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    Speaking as an American - an electric kettle. Just a thing that plugs into the wall and boils water.

    I use it for tea, of course, but I also use it any time I need boiling water for something, because it’s faster than a kettle sitting on the stove and it doesn’t use gas.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      As a Brit, it’s always weird as fuck to see people in American movies boiling an old tin kettle on the stove like they’re stuck in the 1950s.

      Even if you’re living in London’s smallest flat, and all you’ve got is a microwave, a mini fridge, a bed and a cupboard with a toilet in it, you’ve still got an electric kettle.

      • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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        It’s mostly because people in the US don’t drink much hot tea. Coffee is more popular here, and dedicated coffee makers are very common.

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          Also remember that American homes are quite literally wired different, and kettles aren’t as efficient fast as they are on the UK’s electric grid. They’re still far better than the stovetop, but the combined one-two punch of less need and stoves being “good enough” for most people most of the time just kills the idea in its tracks.

        • Shialac@lemmy.world
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          I thought its the lower voltage you use in the US, so electric kettles take double or more the time to heat up the water than in europe

            • adrian783@lemmy.world
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              power determines the boil time. power is voltage times current. its usually said current kills and not voltage, which is what you’re thinking. (which is not even entirely correct)

            • pokemaster787@ani.social
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              Overall power would determine boil time, but the issue is that at 120V you need twice the current of 240V to deliver the same power. The wiring in American homes isn’t rated to handle the amount of current it would require to deliver the same amount of power as most 240V electric kettles.

            • elscallr@lemmy.world
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              There’s a relation between voltage and current you don’t quite understand. They both matter. If you’re interested check out ElectroBoom, learnelectronics, and Great Scott on YouTube. Watch enough and you’ll get it.

      • TAG@lemmy.world
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        As far as I know, many Americans don’t even own a stove top kettle. If they need to boil water, they do so in a saucepan.

    • WashedOver@lemmy.ca
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      As a Canadian I now have 2 Electric kettles. Replaced my traditional electric kettle with a Gooseneck kettle for my pour over coffee. Still works great for tea. Also have a stove top gooseneck kettle for the camper when camping.

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    Floss picks. Flossing is actually more important than brushing and it’s really nice to have a pack of floss picks at your desk so you can floss absent mindedly while watching a video or even in bed.

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        Would be better with the 90 degree bend.

        But also PLA will grow bacteria after putting it in your mouth even if you wash it.

        • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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          I actually modified it in solidworks to have a nice curve, and open at the tips vs trying to thread the floss everytime.

          Bacteria? You’re brushing your teeth with a reused toothbrush. Besides, that’s what immune systems are for.

          • Aabbcc@lemm.ee
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            Different plastics have different properties, like how much moisture they hold. You can clean polypropylene but you’ll never clean off PLA

              • Aabbcc@lemm.ee
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                Feel free to google whether you should be putting petg in your mouth and then giving it time to grow bacteria and then putting it back in your mouth again.

                (you may be shocked by the answer)

                • JiveTurkey@lemmy.world
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                  I don’t think anyone is shocked. PETG is probably the best solution here since it can be food grade and transparent to help with disinfection via UV. Would probably be a good idea to limit each one to a month of use or something but it’s still better than the wasteful alternative.

                • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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                  I understand your point, and still disagree.

                  If I could injection mold it out of polycarbonate, I would. I’d still rather use this than mindlessly buy 150 plastic prongs, only 5% of each disposed piece being actual floss.

      • weeeeum@lemmy.world
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        I also thought that too and I’ve been looking for a reusable one now. I bought one but it’s too much of a hassle and frankly takes more time to change floss than actually flossing (have to unwind, remove from track unwind again, pull floss, rewind, align with track, rewind again and trim)

        • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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          There’s always a tradeoff: security or convenience, environmental destruction or convenience, healthy life or convenience…

          I don’t mind at least trying to do something right. But I don’t know other people’s lives so most I’ll do is ask them to consider or try something new.

      • momentary
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        Awesome! Thank you so much, I have floss picks that I hate as they’re crappy and break or stretch out before I can do my whole mouth so I end up using two. Definitely printing this when I get home!

      • crabArms@lemmy.world
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        There are also wooden floss picks out there, for those who don’t have a printer but want to use less plastic.

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      I started doing this a few years ago, and it made a world of difference. I dislike the whole process of using regular floss; having to wrap it around my fingers and then try to maneuver it around inside my mouth, all while staring at myself in the bathroom mirror is a mental burden. Now I just keep a bag of floss picks in easily reachable places where I tend to spend the most time, and I’ve ended up with really good flossing habits.

      • sbv@sh.itjust.works
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        I’m in the same boat. I didn’t floss until I started using those little picks. I’ve looked into reusable floss holders, but none of them seem like something I want to regularly stick in my mouth.

        • crabArms@lemmy.world
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          A year’s worth of floss picks is the same amount of plastic as just a couple of bottles/containers. If you feel bad about the plastic waste but can’t find an alternative, you can always focus on getting fewer single-use plastic containers.

          There are also wooden ones; still making trash but at that point it’s equivalent to a bad toothpick habit lol

    • ghashul@feddit.dk
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      I’ve got one that’s basically a handle that dispenses the floss, so you just use it and then click a few times and there’s new floss ready for next time. Makes it a lot easier to get done.

    • TAG@lemmy.world
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      Dentist hate this one little trick… because it is not actually as good as flossing. Floss picks tend to have a very tight piece of floss. It is good for cleaning the surfaces directly between your teeth, but not the curved parts of the teeth.

      I hate regular floss (or rather sticking my fat fingers deep into my mouth), so flossing sticks are better than nothing.

      • weeeeum@lemmy.world
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        What I do to mediate that is sticking in the floss pick, turning it and pulling it out while under tension and whatever it doesn’t get will be removed by brushing. My dentist told me I have very healthy teeth (I actually don’t even brush very consistently (please don’t do this even though it happened to work out for me (I was depressed, just listen to your dentist))). I also floss the gap between each tooth twice, once applying pressure to one side and vice versa.

  • Dagnet@lemmy.world
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    Boneconduction earphones. They are cheaper than you think and I use mine to listen to music while swimming. Also great for music when you need to be able to hear to things around you (it doesn’t block any external sound, so don’t use in noisy environments)

    • Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world
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      it doesn’t block any external sound, so don’t use in noisy environments

      It’s actually because I work in a high noise environment that I got into bone-conduction headphones. They still work when you’re wearing earplugs.

      • Dagnet@lemmy.world
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        Nvr thought of that but wouldnt good earbuds with active noise canceling be better for you?

        • Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          No, it wouldn’t. When I say I work in a high noise environment I mean that I’m surrounded by enough machine noise that I wear ear plugs to protect my hearing. Active noise cancellation isn’t a substitute for actual PPE. It’d be cool if it worked that way, but sadly not.

          Bone conduction works great with earplugs though. The only minor downside is that earplugs make the bass frequencies stronger, so I need to open up the EQ settings and tweak things a bit if I’m listening to music, but that’s not really a big deal. I’m usually listing to podcasts or audio books at work anyway.

        • theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          I don’t think that they would be able to cancel the noise of an industrial environment and it would end up being a case of blasting sound into your ears to try and cover up the noise.

          These with ear protection saves your ears a lot more.

        • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          ANC plays the inverse of the soundwaves. So a loud noise isn’t made safe, it is just made inaudible and just as loud and harmful.

          They are not safety products, only sound deadening earplugs or muffs do that.

          • aksdb@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            Don’t the soundwaves cancel each other out?

            Anyway my bigger fear would be a short hiccup or outright malfunction and suddenly you stand unprotected within loud machines.

            • dustyData@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              They do, but not in the intuitive way one would think. They work because there’s a passive seal around the hearing, thus the headphones only have to cancel the smaller amount of noise that gets into your ear, not the full loud noise outside in the environment. This is why ANC need to have mics inside your ears.

              The problem is actually that the louder the noise, the louder the noise canceling would have to be. And at a certain point the passive seal cannot stop much of the outside noise, and if poorly designed, if the speaker tries to cancel that noise, it would be blasting massive soundwaves into your ears. But most consumer speakers can’t achieve that and don’t even try. So after a certain threshold, they won’t work and can’t help you with the noise. And the passive noise block is not even remotely good enough as a straight up earplug. So they are not considered protective gear, at least not the consumer devices, only aviation grade ANC is considered protective gear. But you’ll see that they have massive ear cover,s with huge speakers and drivers, and elastic tensors on the headband to absolutely seal your ears and some truly state of the art audio processing that would make the most snob audiophile blush in envy.

              They do make some of those for ground crews, construction sites and heavy machinery, but they insists that they are only effective if paired with a sound baffle earplug.

            • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Noise cancelling earbuds or similar do not protect your hearing.

              They do not make a loud noise quiet. It does not matter if they are working or not. All they do is make noise seem quiet, you are still being exposed to the same level of noise.

                • Death_Equity@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  From your source:

                  While noise-canceling technology can effectively reduce the perception of external sounds, it does not necessarily eliminate the potential for hearing damage.

                  In noise-canceling headphones, a microphone captures external sounds, and the internal speaker generates a counteracting sound wave that is 180 degrees out of phase. This process effectively nullifies the external sound at ear level. However, it is important to note that the sound pressure from external noise sources still exists even with active noise cancellation in place.

    • theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      My greatest purchase of the last decade I reckon. I first tried them 9 years ago and since then I am onto my 6th pair, no because they break easily but simply because I use them for between 8 and 10 hours every single day.

      I do a lot of running and cycling and they allow me to be aware of idiots in cars whilst being able to listen to music or books whilst I ride / run. I use them at work with ear defense in so I can still hear what my machine is doing.

      They are light, comfortable and really just the best way to listen to stuff for me.

      Do you use aftershokz?

      • SocialEngineer56@notdigg.com
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        1 year ago

        Not OP but I do use AdterShokz! I bought them during Black Friday sale last year and love them! I also do a lot of running and cycling - very nice to have the background song playing while also being aware of my surroundings! I also do a lot of late night walks listening to podcasts - I feel much more comfortable knowing I could hear someone approaching me.

        I listen when to music / podcasts doing chores around the house. My wife doesn’t realize alot of the times and starts talking to me and I miss first half of what she said. I told my wife when buying them I’d be able to hear her now! Turns out I listen too loud still and can’t comprehend what she is saying when first talking while headphones are still playing. So… don’t use that as buying excuse :)

        • theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          I don’t know if that is volume based though as I do exactly the same and even when the volume is down low it is like my brain is tuned into listen on that level and so I miss the first sentence of what is said from an outside source. At least I can hear they are there however!

          They really are great for so many applications. I used to do Acid a lot more than I do these days and they were fucking great for a trip and out walking in the woods. I could have them on a good volume to soundtrack my walk but whilst also being able to hear nature around me. Just perfect for trippy walks.

      • Dagnet@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I use a generic one from aliexpress, even the voice alerts are in chinese lol

      • crabArms@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        When I looked into them, a lot of people seem to speak highly of Shokz/aftershokz. I haven’t used them so can’t make a personal recommendation.

        One thing to note is that if you want them for swimming you need to get ones with built in storage bc Bluetooth can’t really penetrate water

        • momentary
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          1 year ago

          Thanks for the excellent tip, never would have occurred to me that water would cause a problem for the Bluetooth signal!

      • Dagnet@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        No idea, I bought a generic one on aliexpress that is ‘good enough’, wouldnt recommend

  • ranok@sopuli.xyz
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    1 year ago

    Pretty niche, but a citrus squeezer. I cook a lot of Asian food and it’s much better to put half a lime in the squeezer at a time than try and hand squeeze the juice out.

  • GraniteM@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Driving gloves. Some halfway decent calfskin gloves make it nicer to drive, whether the steering wheel is hot in the summer, cold in the winter, or if you’re going to be driving long distance. Not sure if real leather will be less than $20, but seen some cheap fingerless work gloves make driving more comfortable.

    Clip on sunglasses that fit on my eyeglasses. Super easy to clip on, cost about ten bucks. So nice to not have to squint as much.

    Dim light bulbs. Nearly every bulb in my house is as dim as I can manage. Some are salt lamps and some are those flicker fire bulbs. Either way, it makes the light at night a little warmer and a little dimmer, and all around a lot more cozy, which really is what one wants. Keep a couple of the overhead bulbs at the brighter end in case you need them, but dimmer bulbs make me a lot happier at night.

  • _dev_null@lemmy.zxcvn.xyz
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    1 year ago

    A convoy s3 flashlight with uv emitter, about $15 US.

    I have a geriatric puppy who’s starting to “leak”, and this flashlight is really quick and easy to tell where needs to be cleaned up. Way easier than shining a regular light, missing and slipping on a puddle.