What is the most useful piece of tech you have purchased lately (or ever)?

[swill]

Chromecast. Perfect for my media needs...

[jamster]

Various SSDs.

HP Microserver- for anyone considering a NAS, consider one of these instead of a Synology/QNAP. Takes up to six drives (defaults at 4 but you get another 2 with modding), expandable to 16G RAM, CPU is far more powerful than off the shelf NAS boxes. Similar footprint to a NAS and still cost-effective.

[MagicSauce]

Loving my Steam Link right now.  It's not perfect yet but definitely does the job

What controller solution are you using?

I heard a ps4 controller works if you dont like the steam controller. Or you would have to get a xbone controller with the wireless dongle.

I am using a 360 controller right now.  Unfortunately, for some reason the with the Chinese knock off wireless dongle I have, the dpad inputs do not register when I have it plugged into the steam link directly.  So now I have a keyboard plugged into the link and the dongle plugged into my computer.  Kind of a pain right now but it is much cleaner than running a long hdmi.

[jaffers]

Loving my Steam Link right now.  It's not perfect yet but definitely does the job

Speaking of steam link, my grandmother got a telstra T box, which is essentially a crappy set top box, but I'm considering turning it into a steam link

[appleonama]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

[Bromono]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

What are these things

[xtrafrood]

I've used a 2mm Staedtler mechanical pencil for the past six years. I love it

[Dernubenfrieken]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

What are these things

Pesto is one thing that sucks on a ****ty blender/food processor. Same with hummus. Also makes things like soup or marinades easier.

Also milkshakes/mudslides/smoothies/etc come out better in a nice blender.

[Waateva]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

What are these things

Pesto is one thing that sucks on a ****ty blender/food processor. Same with hummus. Also makes things like soup or marinades easier.

Also milkshakes/mudslides/smoothies/etc come out better in a nice blender.

So true about pesto.  When I worked in the restaurant industry, we had a killer pesto recipe that was made in the Robot Coupe that I tried to replicate at home to no avail.

[Dernubenfrieken]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

What are these things

Pesto is one thing that sucks on a ****ty blender/food processor. Same with hummus. Also makes things like soup or marinades easier.

Also milkshakes/mudslides/smoothies/etc come out better in a nice blender.

So true about pesto.  When I worked in the restaurant industry, we had a killer pesto recipe that was made in the Robot Coupe that I tried to replicate at home to no avail.

Tried to make pesto in a mini blender the other weekend. Was absolutely not having it. The chunkiness was actually kinda nice though...

[Kerpadge]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

What are these things

Pesto is one thing that sucks on a ****ty blender/food processor. Same with hummus. Also makes things like soup or marinades easier.

Also milkshakes/mudslides/smoothies/etc come out better in a nice blender.

I haven't had a milkshake in ages. I'm gonna have to test the blender I currently have to see if it can do a decent job.

[appleonama]

This blender can actually blend ice in seconds I've been enjoying some delicious smoothies.

I also made hummus 10/10

[tbc]

my dell venue 8 pro.  windows 8 in 8 inches is best.
 
**** the haters.

[smarmar]

FRAPS game capture video recorder.
Being a laser show producer, a small bit of my job entails capturing videos of laser shows for client previews. Until quite recently I was going about it the olde-fashioned way by exporting the animations directly from the laser show software--a time-consuming, arduous bear of a task involving rendering times, file size limitations, and file converting. Now I simply expand the preview window within the laser software and record away!
Seriously, this little piece of software tech has saved me a lot of time and frustration, both in the past, and in the future.

[Signature]

FRAPS game capture video recorder.
Being a laser show producer, a small bit of my job entails capturing videos of laser shows for client previews. Until quite recently I was going about it the olde-fashioned way by exporting the animations directly from the laser show software--a time-consuming, arduous bear of a task involving rendering times, file size limitations, and file converting. Now I simply expand the preview window within the laser software and record away!
Seriously, this little piece of software tech has saved me a lot of time and frustration, both in the past, and in the future.

If you are looking for a similar program, I'd recommend dxtory. Much less bugs and better overall quality.

[xtrafrood]

FRAPS game capture video recorder.
Being a laser show producer, a small bit of my job entails capturing videos of laser shows for client previews. Until quite recently I was going about it the olde-fashioned way by exporting the animations directly from the laser show software--a time-consuming, arduous bear of a task involving rendering times, file size limitations, and file converting. Now I simply expand the preview window within the laser software and record away!
Seriously, this little piece of software tech has saved me a lot of time and frustration, both in the past, and in the future.

If you are looking for a similar program, I'd recommend dxtory. Much less bugs and better overall quality.

FRAPS is a little ram/video ram hungry for my tastes. I'll have to check out Dxtory when I check out OBS. Thank you. Sometimes I need a low overhead screen capture program 

[bmilcs]

Intel i4790k, Trident X 16gb 2400mhz, Asus z97-a, Samsung 850 evo 256gb, msi 970 gtx, Fractal case, dual monitor mount

My first soldering station, multimeter, and solder sucker? God I love technology. Can't forget my Pok3r & KUL =]

What's a good resource for learning the basics of PCB's and it's terminology?

[smarmar]

FRAPS game capture video recorder.
Being a laser show producer, a small bit of my job entails capturing videos of laser shows for client previews. Until quite recently I was going about it the olde-fashioned way by exporting the animations directly from the laser show software--a time-consuming, arduous bear of a task involving rendering times, file size limitations, and file converting. Now I simply expand the preview window within the laser software and record away!
Seriously, this little piece of software tech has saved me a lot of time and frustration, both in the past, and in the future.

If you are looking for a similar program, I'd recommend dxtory. Much less bugs and better overall quality.

I haven't had any resource-hogging issues or bugs with FRAPS yet. But it's not like I'm using it during high-end gaming either; just using it alongside a low-resource laser program. I'll check out dxtory, though. Thanks!

[Kronos32]

An SSD, most definatly, it makes your life 250% faster and more efficiant.

... it also feeds my laziness

[LiquidEvilGaming]

http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Mobile-Fan-External-Cooling/dp/B00080G0BK  Thermaltake external USB fan..was a quick cheap quiet solution to keep my amazingly HOT ASUS router cool.  Works even better since it's USB powered it can use the USB port on the router to get it's power.

[widdlekitty]

a blender like a good one. holy cow the things you can make with a good blender

YES! I splurged on a Vitamix this past holiday. People thought I was crazy, until they tried it. I use it atleast twice a day.

[xtrafrood]

A mouse with more than 5k dpi. The Sentey Rev's dpi thumb button is impossible and the ceramic feet hate all surfaces equally but at least the dpi can go above 5k.

[bmilcs]

A mouse with more than 5k dpi. The Sentey Rev's dpi thumb button is impossible and the ceramic feet hate all surfaces equally but at least the dpi can go above 5k.

I can't imagine a mouse past 1200 dpi. How do you control it? I usually play games at roughly 15 in / 360... 10-12 in /360 when I want to mess around.

[eksuen]

My TI-89 Titanium graphing calculator. One of the best investments I've ever made.

[xtrafrood]

A mouse with more than 5k dpi. The Sentey Rev's dpi thumb button is impossible and the ceramic feet hate all surfaces equally but at least the dpi can go above 5k.

I can't imagine a mouse past 1200 dpi. How do you control it? I usually play games at roughly 15 in / 360... 10-12 in /360 when I want to mess around.

I've dabbled in skateboarding for like twenty years. I can handle small accurate motions, but if I have to move my wrists sideways with less than 1600 dpi it's GG for me. Maybe nerve damage I have no idea. I can control 6k dpi on a 20in monitor without a problem. I'll play mmorpgs @ 6000 dpi and FPS games @ 1600 - 3200 dpi. I also use 1600 dpi for small detail stuff like 3D modeling, etc.

It took some practice. I raised the dpi level every few days until I maxed out the mouse. I was using the sentey rev. at 7200 dpi which was crazy. At 6000-7200 dpi I barely move my wrist, which was my overall goal.

Ultimately I would want a contoured version of the CST L-Trac but that will have to wait for now.

15 in / 360... 10-12 in /360? What does that mean?

[KRKS]

15 in / 360... 10-12 in /360? What does that mean?

It means that to make a 360 you need to move 15 inches. This is usually used by CS:GO or CS 1.6 players, in other games people usually just give their dpi and in-game sensitivity.

[tp4tissue]

My TI-89 Titanium graphing calculator. One of the best investments I've ever made.

Yea, but it's way faster to use the emulator..

[tp4tissue]

Windows 7..

Been using it for years... no problems whatsoever.. I see no reason to go to 10.

[Bromono]

Windows 7..

Been using it for years... no problems whatsoever.. I see no reason to go to 10.

Nice! Let me get yo IP so I can exploit all those zero days.

[tp4tissue]

Windows 7..

Been using it for years... no problems whatsoever.. I see no reason to go to 10.

Nice! Let me get yo IP so I can exploit all those zero days.

pretty sure the ip has an obfuscation layer..  against direct hacking.

[Bromono]

Windows 7..

Been using it for years... no problems whatsoever.. I see no reason to go to 10.

Nice! Let me get yo IP so I can exploit all those zero days.

pretty sure the ip has an obfuscation layer..  against direct hacking.

I am assuming you are talking about NAT?

Or are you talking about the OSI layers?

[eksuen]

My TI-89 Titanium graphing calculator. One of the best investments I've ever made.

Yea, but it's way faster to use the emulator..

The physical calculator is a lot more compact and playing Tetris on it is much more enjoyable when I can hold it.  Plus, I bought it over a decade ago when I was in high school and one couldn't bring a laptop into class or exams.

[xtrafrood]

15 in / 360... 10-12 in /360? What does that mean?

It means that to make a 360 you need to move 15 inches. This is usually used by CS:GO or CS 1.6 players, in other games people usually just give their dpi and in-game sensitivity.

Ah, I see. I'm an RPG fan that occasionally plays some of the classic FPSs. Thanks.

[bmilcs]

15 in / 360... 10-12 in /360? What does that mean?

It means that to make a 360 you need to move 15 inches. This is usually used by CS:GO or CS 1.6 players, in other games people usually just give their dpi and in-game sensitivity.

Ah, I see. I'm an RPG fan that occasionally plays some of the classic FPSs. Thanks.

I'm a big TF2 player which runs off the same engine as CS:GO. I was a high sensitivity player before realizing low was used by a lot of the pros in CS:GO / TF2. I recently raised it to 10 in / 360 to help keep up my pace with the gameplay but 15 in was fantastic at learning to really control my movements. You can fine tune your aim when it requires more movement on your end.

[xondat]

Tech? Questionable whether it fits.

I bought the Incase Icon bag - holy **** this thing is awesome. It's lightweight, but can hold over 10kg of tech, clothes and folders/papers. You want a dedicated compartment for your glasses? Got it. Tablet AND laptop parts? Yup. Penholders? Absolutely.

It costs a decent chunk, but it has honestly been so helpful, especially when travelling.

[vkulla]

I jumped on the raspi 2 homeserver bandwagon recently and it's doing really well for my purpose. I use it kind of a download server with NZBGet which works great so far.

[bmilcs]

I jumped on the raspi 2 homeserver bandwagon recently and it's doing really well for my purpose. I use it kind of a download server with NZBGet which works great so far.

Googling this now =]

I have my old AMD desktop serving as my download server atm. It's stupid basic... just a Windows 7 OS tower w/ an SSD for processing and 1tb of HDD storage. It also utilizes usenet services that handle all of my downloads. I know nothing about genuine servers so this was the next best thing.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

I jumped on the raspi 2 homeserver bandwagon recently and it's doing really well for my purpose. I use it kind of a download server with NZBGet which works great so far.

Been considering one as a side project to mess around with, the local electronics store is what Radioshack Used to be back in the day and carries all sorts of things like that...give me a reason to give them some business.

[Marizen]

I know my Razer Naga had a huge impact on my WoW skills. I can't play WoW without it. Too bad the scroll wheel is crap now because I've had it for about two years. I have a backup Naga (the special edition green one that I thought was only going to be made for a little bit, but I still see it at Best Buy almost every time I go there) but for some reason the side buttons feel different, like not as clicky.

Astro A40 + Mixamp Pro TR for Xbox One. Definitely comes in handy at night, and I use it on both Xbox and PC.

Other than that, I have a lot of stuff, but most of it hasn't made a huge impact on any particular thing.

[FlukeNukem]

A portable USB power pack.  Everything uses usb to charge anymore and it's so nice having an extra 10000 mah in my gadget bag in case anything is low on power.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

[davkol]

I believe a good pen-enabled convertible laptop is a great thing. I love my thinkpad X200T for reading papers. I don't think I can downgrade to 16:9 aspect ratio though, thus I'm stuck with X201T at best… lack of on-board USB 3 ports bothers me a bit.

On a different note, I'm extremely happy that I stumbled upon several old Sennheiser headphones (HD 25 and HD 565) a few years ago, that lead me to my holy grails, late-80s' Sennheiser HD 540 Reference (open) and HD 250 Linear (closed). They're the most comfortable cans on my head ever, I love the sound signature… and I don't feel any motivation to spend a fortune on new gear.

[chuckdee]

A portable USB power pack.  Everything uses usb to charge anymore and it's so nice having an extra 10000 mah in my gadget bag in case anything is low on power.

Definitely.  I got one from dell for my xps that powers the laptop and anything else I can plug into it.  18000 mAh comes in handy.

[Darkshado]

I'd have a really hard time giving one specific piece of tech, maybe SSDs...

This one is context specific and I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet: a local SIM card with data when travelling abroad.

No need to scrounge around for questionable open wi-fi, you can blend in a bit more with the locals (got asked for directions a few times, which I did not expect at first), want to know more about a historic figure or place? Just fire up an app like Field Trip and voilà, self-guided tour of anywhere. Looking for restaurants, museum and transit schedules? Done. Translations on the fly? Voilà.

(Plus you can play Ingress.)

[iLLucionist]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

Good one. No longer scraping mouses over my wooden desk.

[FLFisherman]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

Good one. No longer scraping mouses over my wooden desk.

Are you saying you don't like that grating sound of plastic on wood?  )

I didn't have a mousepad at work for a while. When I finally got one the difference was night and day. Not sure how I went so long without.

[iLLucionist]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

Good one. No longer scraping mouses over my wooden desk.

Are you saying you don't like that grating sound of plastic on wood?  )

I didn't have a mousepad at work for a while. When I finally got one the difference was night and day. Not sure how I went so long without.

I know exactly what you mean. I have a roccat hiro 3d now... it is sooo smooth.

[tp4tissue]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

Good one. No longer scraping mouses over my wooden desk.

Are you saying you don't like that grating sound of plastic on wood?  )

I didn't have a mousepad at work for a while. When I finally got one the difference was night and day. Not sure how I went so long without.

I know exactly what you mean. I have a roccat hiro 3d now... it is sooo smooth.

Gotta get giant cloth pads..  they're best for low sen.. and comfort..

[iLLucionist]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

Good one. No longer scraping mouses over my wooden desk.

Are you saying you don't like that grating sound of plastic on wood?  )

I didn't have a mousepad at work for a while. When I finally got one the difference was night and day. Not sure how I went so long without.

I know exactly what you mean. I have a roccat hiro 3d now... it is sooo smooth.

Gotta get giant cloth pads..  they're best for low sen.. and comfort..

Good tip.. advise on what to buy exactly?

[xtrafrood]

Gaming mousepad probably. In come configs/budget ranges it makes more difference than the mouse itself.

Good one. No longer scraping mouses over my wooden desk.

Are you saying you don't like that grating sound of plastic on wood?  )

I didn't have a mousepad at work for a while. When I finally got one the difference was night and day. Not sure how I went so long without.

I know exactly what you mean. I have a roccat hiro 3d now... it is sooo smooth.

Gotta get giant cloth pads..  they're best for low sen.. and comfort..

Good tip.. advise on what to buy exactly?

The washable kind )