EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

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wuxmedia
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by wuxmedia » Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:33 pm

I don't run so... No comment on the spazzy colours. Given the amount of dayglow people on the roads I guess that shit sells. I treated myself to some walking shoes and between old school leather and hobnails it's the same sort of thing. Yes I'm wearing Snazzy walking shoes! Nah
I just wanted something calm coloured without yellow and black zig zags all over them. Found some in the sale, some iowa ones. They seem solid, waterproof and grippy af. Good deal of cash even though they were in the sale. The Salomon's I found at a charity (thrift) shop lasted forever (still ok. Bit slim on grip anyway
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by pidsley » Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:32 pm

Remember when Polar heart rate monitors (with the strap that goes across your chest) were the latest fitness thing? Fitness people love gadgets.

And why do running shoe manufacturers have to come out with a new model (and discontinue the old) so often? Just about the time I find a shoe that works well for me, it's gone. I understand planned obsolesence and shiny new shit syndrome, but I have even had to change brands because of this stupid policy, so they are actually losing business. When I ran a lot it really pissed me off.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:30 pm

To change the subject, I got these from my better half and of course the chocolate for my birthday. My birthday was in July but I actually got them earlier in the lockdown. :P
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by wuxmedia » Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:48 am

sweet!... not the chocolate so much :)
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Tue Dec 01, 2020 3:47 am

My better half ordered our first e-book readers. It will be our Christmas presents and it coincided with Black Friday or whatever you call it.

https://www.amazon.de/PocketBook-Speich ... B07VP62LZC

And it runs Linux.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by wuxmedia » Tue Dec 01, 2020 2:25 pm

ooh nice. time to read lol :D
I just got a samsung galaxy watch. It's pretty cool
I haven't yet found a face which looks decent on it. Haven't played with it much.
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by gutterslob » Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:48 pm

@Ivan
I think you'll like this.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Sun Dec 20, 2020 10:11 pm

^ Oh my goodness!!! Beautiful.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by gutterslob » Fri May 14, 2021 4:51 pm

I recently picked up a Watch Demagnetizer. Cheap (like $10 including deliv) and does what it's supposed to, but it's not technically EDC.

So why am I posting? Because it's fucking therapeutic. Makes me feel like a Bond Villain every time I press that red button and watch the red bulb light up. Now I just leave it plugged in on my desk and press it like 300 times a day while yelling "Kiiiilll Hiiim" in a Russian accent. Brilliant!

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by wuxmedia » Mon May 17, 2021 3:07 pm

^ Can you put an Apple watch on it?
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Mon May 17, 2021 3:42 pm

A good friend of mine is really into Vostok watches and customization. One example of his growing collection.
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by gutterslob » Thu May 20, 2021 5:43 pm

Vostok collectors are a dedicated bunch, no doubt. Their watches are crazy thick though.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by wuxmedia » Fri May 28, 2021 8:14 pm

seems off topic but I splurged on some samsung earbuds + (they were a bit cheap as the pro-"£>$£)+ had come out) so they are really good. compared to my €30 Ankers. We shall see though. sound wise they play nasty shitty jungle just the same. I would think that expensive headphones are wasted on me...
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Sat May 29, 2021 10:39 pm

^ If you really dig deeper you will be surprised how good real headphones sound and you still do not have to exaggerate price wise. I think or hope Gutterslob will second what I said. ;) But it is true, if you really do not care then it would be in vain.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by gutterslob » Sun May 30, 2021 3:53 pm

^^ Earbuds are still EDC, so not off-topic.

^ Yeah, seconded.

There's obviously a lot of variables at play - for all you know the improvement you're hearing might just be the eartips on the more expensive pair providing a better seal, or perhaps a difference in transmission codec (eg; you Ankers might have defaulted to SBC while the Samsungs employ AAC or aptX) - but you usually get what you pay for in terms of dynamics (and built-in DAC circuitry for wireless models), up to a point. Where that point is right now, with inflation and chip shortages, I have no idea frankly.

You don't have to spend crazy money most of the time. Take that pair of Audio Technica cans Ivan posted earlier. I think they're ATH-M40s. You get a lot of quality for the price with those cans (they became a cliche rec for a reason), and a change to better earpads can work even more wonders. Send them to me and I'll open them up and replace the damping material, and then you'll have headphones as good as anything double the price, I guarantee.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Sun May 30, 2021 6:33 pm

^ Now we are talking. :) Yes, my cans are the ATH-M40x and it is a damn cliché but they are so practical and lightweight. They are not elite and you can argue about "audiophile" or not but I think for a beginner they are really great and cheap, just like you said. When I travel and at home I need closed headphones and they always come with disadvantages but I do not bother my surroundings with my music.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by wuxmedia » Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:50 am

^ This is it, my use case for the earbuds is total sound isolation. For example they are perfect when I mow the lawn, do metal grinding and ignore the kids on their day off (Wednesday)
I had a pair of Sennheiser HD 565 Ovation Headphones back when I could sit and just listen to music and they were amazing (for vocally non bass driven music of course as they have electrostatic drivers)
The ankers were fine once I got foam tips, which I might dig out for the Samsung earbuds. Only reason I don't use them is they just lost pairing anytime I put them in their charging case.
I preferred the form of the airpod style ones - I could stick the pointy bit in my ear when not being used (wife shouting at me) with these ones I'm not quite sure if they are in the right orientation.
I did try the 'ambient sound' sort of thing on the earbuds, but realised that the reason of getting one was to not hear anything :D
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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Mon Jun 07, 2021 8:12 pm

wuxmedia wrote:
Mon Jun 07, 2021 10:50 am

I had a pair of Sennheiser HD 565 Ovation Headphones back when I could sit and just listen to music and they were amazing...
Those are (were) great I think.

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by ivanovnegro » Sun Apr 10, 2022 2:19 am

I am trying to find some nice wireless in-ears for my better half. She has already great ones but only for use at home and they are Bluetooth headphones by Audio Technica. Now she wants something smaller for outside use and I have no clue where to begin because Bluetooth headphones, especially in-ears are not my knowledge area. I still prefer all my wired headphones even at the go.
They do not have to be the best sounding ones but should be decent enough and pretty all of them want me to use a fucking app. Speaking in Euros, between 50 and 100 is OK.
As of right now she has these two in mind, she was searching the web:

https://us.creative.com/p/audio-enthusi ... ier-air-v3

https://en.creative.com/p/headphones-he ... utlier-pro

Like I said with a damn app. Seems to be the norm nowadays and I guess the app wants all your contacts and your location.

So maybe someone of here has some tips, maybe Gutterslob? :)

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Re: EDC, gadgets and gear stuff

Unread post by gutterslob » Sun Apr 10, 2022 9:24 am

I don't really know what's in that price range, especially in the EU where stuff is expensive (even before VAT). What might be in your price range here in SEAsia after forex conversion might turn out to be much more expensive where you live.

Yes, almost all of them seem to need an app of some sort these days. You probably can use a lot of models without the app, but you might be stuck with a lower quality audio codec and lose the ability to apply firmware upgrades, as well as lose access to other functions like EQ, ANC, control config, etc.

The biggest issue I have with the apps are the trackers they use. Does your partner use Android or iOS? With iOS, you can check the App Privacy section in the App Store page for the specific app for what info it collects. Even then it's pretty obtuse info, honestly. Not sure if Android has the same. Maybe the permissions section in the app's Play Store page will give you a similar outlook. I don't see your partner as the type to log the domains connected and create a NextDNS profile to block them, though I could be wrong and she could have a superbly groomed neckbeard.

Only advice I can give is to buy from a store with a good returns policy. Better a physical store where she can test the fit. Females have smaller ears in general. As for audio, just make sure it supports AAC (iOS) or Apt-X (Android). Don't bother with SBC (because it's crap) or LDAC (sounds marginally better but sucks battery). Oh, and make sure they have good warranty coverage in your area, because these things can be unreliable (usually battery related).

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