My favorite tech buy is a good 3D printer.

The ability to imagine something, model it in 3D, and then send it to a box and have it “magically” become real via 3D printing will never not amaze me or stop being cool.

Plenty of other useful tech toys like a jellyfin PC or a 3D scanner, but the printer is the thing I enjoy the most.

A Tribit Bluetooth speaker. It’s waterproof, loud enough and lasts for many hours. I use it in the shower mostly, but it’s been a car speaker, landed in mud and been washed in the sink. Is good

Might get cooked here because it’s an apple product but I bought AirPod max 2’s and I initially hated them for the first day or so. I recently flew over 8 hours with them and god damn are the incredible. The noise cancellation is top notch, I couldn’t hear anything on the plane or in the airport. I wear them for hours at home in transparency mode and I really enjoy listening to music with them. I also use a MacBook for work and iPhone for personal use so the ability to switch devices so easily is a nice touch as well.

My Nintendo 3DS. I don’t use it often or regularly but when I do I’m glad I have it.

Another one for the Steamdeck pile. Honorary mention to the SNES mini I got my hands on years before that, which is what got me back into gaming.

My Moza direct drive wheel, pedals, shifter, handbrake and multi-function stalk. They have transformed my sim driving experience. And hate Meta all you like, but my Quest2 has likewise made sim driving all the more awesome. I’m looking forward to the Steam Frame, though, so I can ditch Meta altogether.

Also adding a vote for the Steam Deck. Outside of sim driving, it’s been my primary gaming device since I got it.

I love my modular synthesizer, although the cost of it is not good value for money so probably can’t count as my best tech purchase.

My sim racing rig has the same issue, it’s bought me thousands of hours of joy but is prohibitively expensive.

My ergodox mechanical keyboard is a solid contender. The original model, Hand built, cherry MX clears. It’s lasted easily 10 years and I hate typing on anything else.

But I think it’s probably my headphones. Beyerdynamics DT770 pro’s. They sound great, they’re super comfy, and not terribly expensive. I’ve had them for probably 10 years and I see no reason I won’t have them till the day I die

my lg g2, best phone i had. still using it as a daily driver after more than a decade

recently a used panasonic cf-rz6, extremely lightweight/tiny machine and runs linux perfectly

A portable power supply.

Enjoy the looks of envy when the people fighting over an outlet notice you’re plugged into your tiny, little power supply.

I bought a Lily58 DIY kit a couple years ago. I don’t think I could ever go back to using a full keyboard. It’s just so comfortable. My shoulders aren’t tense anymore. My hands aren’t bent out anymore. I’m not scrunched up like a ball when I type. Then switching layouts to Colemak-DH was another plus. The two things combined really helped my body relax in front of a PC.

Not a purchase, but Home Assistant is easily the most enjoyable gadget and piece of tech I’ve had in years. It’s ridiculously flexible and can do just about anything you can imagine.

I’ve been able to automate dumb devices (like an old top-of-the-line receiver) and give them smart features rather than spending thousands to replace them. Occupancy detection saves energy by changing thermostat settings when people aren’t home, and lights come on when we’re 60’ from the front door after a walk. Multiple leak detectors and a temperature sensor in the fridge let us know when something’s wrong before damage occurs. We get notifications when the dryer and washer cycles are complete allowing us to complete the laundry in one day instead of two.

The system is configured to change change interior light brightness and hue based on time of day so at 7PM we have bright room lighting and at 2AM it’s very dim. We get immediate notifications of package deliveries. Firewall settings are dynamically changed so devices that require Internet access only have it when they are actually in use. Integrations exist for VLC, Spotify, Jellyfin, Paperless, Apple, TVs, alarm systems, solar power systems, routers, automobiles, and hundreds of other brands and devices.

Yes, much of the same can be done with connected appliances, lights, and other smart devices, but what’s different about Home Assistant is all control and storage can be local. We have no cloud or corporate services involved for any of this. Google, Apple, Amazon and Samsung can’t one day decide to pull the plug on things we’ve already paid for.

The big problem with Home Assistant is there are so many uses you can easily end up spending way too much time tinkering and never get anything else done.

steamdeck and the skin and cover I bought. ironically the official dock is one of the worst.

Shinobi Tex mechanical keyboard - full size, trackpoint, feels amazing

Steam Deck, hands down. It rules being able to play PC games in bed with my partner by my side.

Noise cancelling headphones are incredible, using them in a noisy airport eliminated 80% of the discomfort of travelling