Best buy of 2020 ?
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Discussion

Composer62

Original Poster:

2,380 posts

115 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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It takes a lot for me to be impressed with gadgets and technology but one thing I bought this year has impressed me a lot - a Ninja Foodie multicooker.

Everything it does, it does really well, including air crisping, pressure cooking, baking, grilling and steaming to name a few.

I've done perfect risottos, made roast chicken in under an hour and made that delicious Scottish delicacy stovies in a fraction of the time they would normally take amongst many other things and everything turns out really well.

It's become my "go to" cooker now.

What's been the best buy for you in 2020 ? (Not confined to gadgets and technology)

STIfree

1,913 posts

188 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
quotequote all
Sonoff wifi switch.

Cut into any mains powered wire, wire in the little sonoff box (takes about 4 minutes), then it can be operated like any other smart device. Through Alexa etc.

Put one on the outdoor lights, set a rule on the Alexa app that it turns the lights on outside every day 15 minutes after sunset and then after midnight it turns them off.

It was about £7 delivered. But I've ordered a bunch more off Aliexpress at £3 a pop to fit to as many things as I can think of.



Puggit

49,794 posts

277 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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Bought a 'used' Skoda Octavia SE estate - 25 miles on the clock, 30% off list. All the gadgets my vRS didn't have.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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We both take medication that has a side effect of drying our airways. It gives us coughs, blocks our noses and prevents us getting a good night's sleep. O/H has been very badly affected and its been getting her down. At this time of year when we have the central heating the air is drier making us feel even worse.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a humidifer for our bedroom. Since then our sleep has improved, we no longer wake up with dry throats and life for O/H is so much better - problem solved.

dvs_dave

9,040 posts

254 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
quotequote all
STIfree said:
Sonoff wifi switch.

Cut into any mains powered wire, wire in the little sonoff box (takes about 4 minutes), then it can be operated like any other smart device. Through Alexa etc.

Put one on the outdoor lights, set a rule on the Alexa app that it turns the lights on outside every day 15 minutes after sunset and then after midnight it turns them off.

It was about £7 delivered. But I've ordered a bunch more off Aliexpress at £3 a pop to fit to as many things as I can think of.


If you’re using them for lighting, I’d suggest that a smart bulb is a just as cheap yet even easier thing to implement. And then you have the option to do different things with the bulb far beyond what a simple on/off switch can do. Such as dimming, ramping schedules, colour changing, different effects, and more.

PixelpeepZ4

8,964 posts

171 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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i'm sure we've bought better stuff but thing that most impressed us for the money was this £25 2.1 (stereo+sub) amp

Sits in the kitchen cupboard, runs two cheap 8" ceiling speakers and a sub from a no longer used Panasonic 5.1 AV amp) and is fed off a sonos connect

Total cost of kitchen audio £470 (£40 for the speakers, £30 for the amp and £400 for the sonos unit!)



it sounds remarkable, really impressed!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WS5FOAQ/ref...


vixen1700

29,013 posts

299 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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Tickets for Retromobile and Eurostar back in February, didn't think it would be our only time away this year.

Martin350

4,587 posts

224 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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LordGrover

34,163 posts

241 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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Headblade Moto.

Keeps my shiny bonce, erm... shiny. So much quicker, more efficient and all-round better than DE razor.


RC1807

13,674 posts

197 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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Looks less 'moto', but more 'ski mobile'

Couldn't it be called the "skidoo" or "shavedoo"?

MrJuice

3,770 posts

185 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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Definitely my pixel 5 which came with "free" Bose headphones

Headphones are awesome. I've never had a pair of decent headphones that actually fit and sound good

rfisher

5,063 posts

312 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
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Riley Blue said:
We both take medication that has a side effect of drying our airways. It gives us coughs, blocks our noses and prevents us getting a good night's sleep. O/H has been very badly affected and its been getting her down. At this time of year when we have the central heating the air is drier making us feel even worse.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a humidifer for our bedroom. Since then our sleep has improved, we no longer wake up with dry throats and life for O/H is so much better - problem solved.
ACE inhibitor presumably, probably Ramipril.

If so, I suggest that you ask your GP to try a different ACE inhibitor.

There are many varieties and some don't cause coughing at all.

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

255 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
quotequote all
rfisher said:
Riley Blue said:
We both take medication that has a side effect of drying our airways. It gives us coughs, blocks our noses and prevents us getting a good night's sleep. O/H has been very badly affected and its been getting her down. At this time of year when we have the central heating the air is drier making us feel even worse.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a humidifer for our bedroom. Since then our sleep has improved, we no longer wake up with dry throats and life for O/H is so much better - problem solved.
ACE inhibitor presumably, probably Ramipril.

If so, I suggest that you ask your GP to try a different ACE inhibitor.

There are many varieties and some don't cause coughing at all.
We've switched from Ramipril and are on two different ACE inhibitors. Whatever the cause, medication or central heating, the humidifier solved the problem the first night we used it.

rfisher

5,063 posts

312 months

Thursday 3rd December 2020
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
rfisher said:
Riley Blue said:
We both take medication that has a side effect of drying our airways. It gives us coughs, blocks our noses and prevents us getting a good night's sleep. O/H has been very badly affected and its been getting her down. At this time of year when we have the central heating the air is drier making us feel even worse.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a humidifer for our bedroom. Since then our sleep has improved, we no longer wake up with dry throats and life for O/H is so much better - problem solved.
ACE inhibitor presumably, probably Ramipril.

If so, I suggest that you ask your GP to try a different ACE inhibitor.

There are many varieties and some don't cause coughing at all.
We've switched from Ramipril and are on two different ACE inhibitors. Whatever the cause, medication or central heating, the humidifier solved the problem the first night we used it.
thumbup

ARHarh

4,892 posts

136 months

Friday 4th December 2020
quotequote all
dvs_dave said:
If you’re using them for lighting, I’d suggest that a smart bulb is a just as cheap yet even easier thing to implement. And then you have the option to do different things with the bulb far beyond what a simple on/off switch can do. Such as dimming, ramping schedules, colour changing, different effects, and more.
Been using them for 3 years here. Got about 15 of them. Superb, smart bulbs are OK but you will find other people in the house will turn them off

Gio G

2,995 posts

238 months

Friday 4th December 2020
quotequote all
Naim Mu-so 2 - got me through lock-down..



G

thewarlock

3,285 posts

74 months

Friday 4th December 2020
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The thing that I've bought this year, and got the most enjoyment from?



Been working from home since March, so it's been important to get out and about, otherwise entire weeks can pass where I don't leave the house.

STIfree

1,913 posts

188 months

Friday 4th December 2020
quotequote all
dvs_dave said:
STIfree said:
Sonoff wifi switch.

Cut into any mains powered wire, wire in the little sonoff box (takes about 4 minutes), then it can be operated like any other smart device. Through Alexa etc.

Put one on the outdoor lights, set a rule on the Alexa app that it turns the lights on outside every day 15 minutes after sunset and then after midnight it turns them off.

It was about £7 delivered. But I've ordered a bunch more off Aliexpress at £3 a pop to fit to as many things as I can think of.


If you’re using them for lighting, I’d suggest that a smart bulb is a just as cheap yet even easier thing to implement. And then you have the option to do different things with the bulb far beyond what a simple on/off switch can do. Such as dimming, ramping schedules, colour changing, different effects, and more.
I have a bunch of smartbulbs indoors but they are at least double the price as the sonoff switch. The sonoff for the outdoor lights is the best option as it's maybe 5 spotlights that are all controlled off the one switch, rather than replacing 5 lights with smart bulbs.

_Rich_

966 posts

201 months

Friday 4th December 2020
quotequote all
Gio G said:
Naim Mu-so 2 - got me through lock-down..



G
Thats going to be my next 'expensive' tech purchase once i've saved a few pennies.

For me my LG OLED c9. Biggest regret was not buying it sooner, Bought during lockdown and just burnt through films/ random youtube 4k videos. The picture Is truly jaw dropping.

djcube

545 posts

99 months

Saturday 5th December 2020
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+1 for the Foodi Ninja. A marvellous thing.