Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.

Arkandel

So, folks... let's bring it out here since the holidays are approaching and many of us are looking to buy (or ask for) some cool things that won't end up in a bottom drawer somewhere.

What's on your list? Let's keep it reasonably affordable so no cars or anything, even though you can include higher end stuff like laptops if something stands out. Don't hesitate to mention fillers, little knickknacks or anything just plain neat.

And do us all a favor - if there's a link for your item or a sale, drop it in the thread.

Yay consumerism!

Auspice

I know some of you like the shiny-holo-stuff like I do.

Target has this bag that is a pretty awesome tote bag. Square bottom, snap closure across the top, a small zip pocket inside:

https://www.target.com/p/shopper-weekender-bag-wild-fable-153-silver/-/A-53523448 $25.

I'm hoping to pick it up on my next paycheck maybe (don't have anyone to buy gifts for me so I gotta get my own :P) since I've been wanting a good general shopping bag for small grocery trips and the like.

I also need a good gaming keyboard and I've eyeballed a few but I'll stare at whatever any of y'all post for ideas when I can afford one (my cheap-ass keyboard is dying. I keep having it stop responding mid-adventure in Destiny 2 which is no bueno).

Arkandel

The nVidia Shield is one of my go-to toys for this season.

As an example in my home rig I run a Plex server on my desktop where I download all sorts of media. I can stream it very easily via Chromecast to the TV with one caveat - the Android app defaults to video compression ignoring thr server's settings to play this at a local resolution.

The Shield is a superior option to other approaches (I don't wanna haul a laptop around, and even very portable computers to run this stuff (Raspberry Pie, etc) will need a bulky wireless device around to control them. nVidia gives a remote and a gamepad if I also want to play Android games on the TV.

Here's an easy link for US-ians out there since it's the season to be discounted: https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/nvidia-shield-tv-is-25-off-for-black-friday/ . There may be other better deals, too.

Sparks

@arkandel said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

The Shield is a superior option to other approaches (I don't wanna haul a laptop around, and even very portable computers to run this stuff (Raspberry Pie, etc) will need a bulky wireless device around to control them. nVidia gives a remote and a gamepad if I also want to play Android games on the TV.

It can also play PC games by streaming from your PC via Nvidia's proprietary Gamestream system, or Valve's Android TV Steam Link app, which is one reason I really like it.

Jennkryst

I should probably try to grab a new desktop. I am at about 4.5 years on the current laptop I got from a Kmart that was going out of business, which still works for my basic computer needs, buuuuut I have all these Steam Games I got on discount forever ago that I would like to play at some point.

Kanye Qwest

@sparks hwhat?!

Wretched

R.A.M. is the thing on my list this year, 16 just isn't cutting it anymore.

Auspice

@wretched said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

R.A.M. is the thing on my list this year, 16 just isn't cutting it anymore.

It's an SSD for me. ;.;

Too Old For This

RAM and a new vid card here. But that's more like tax time gifts than Christmas.

surreality

Floorspace.

This is not a thing someone can give, really, but it's #1 on my wish list. If anything, it means giving more crap in the house away, so I'm absurdly on board with this wish list item for all the reasons.

Sparks

@kanye-qwest said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

@sparks hwhat?!

So, there was (just discontinued) a piece of hardware called the Steam Link, a little puck you could connect to your TV and connect a keyboard/mouse or controller, and then stream your PC games to the TV via the Steam Link. The box has been discontinued as of this week (to much mourning), though I still have a few around. However, the software is available for Android, and so can run on any Android set-top box.

Nvidia has their own similar Gamestream system (built atop Nvidia Shadowplay), which requires Nvidia graphics cards, but the Steam Link system works with either Nvidia or AMD cards. They have a Gamestream client for Android which is only available on Nvidia Shield hardware (though there's an open-source variant called Moonlight).

The Nvidia Shield TV can, as a result, stream your PC games using either Nvidia's Gamestream (if you have an Nvidia graphics card) or Steam Link (if you have games in Steam). It can also run any other Android TV software, including things like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, etc.

Aria

These boots.

My boyfriend reads this forum, too, so I'm being subtle like a punch to the face. But I really want to not break my neck (or really, my foot again) walking across my office's stupidly huge, torn up parking lot that's turned into a nightmare because of the construction.

Look, @insomniac7809 - this is for you!

Arkandel

@aria said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

My boyfriend reads this forum, too, so I'm being subtle like a punch to the face.

I'm sure it's not that bad.

Look, @insomniac7809 - this is for you!

I take it all back.

Aria

@arkandel Hey. Hey. Last year, he got a beautiful art print of a map of Lancre from the Discworld, which was also one of the last things Terry Pratchett signed before he died, as verified by his daughter.

It was declared that I had Officially Won Christmas.

I'm pretty sure I get to just hand him shopping lists from now on.

Testament

Feels so small to say but all I want right now is the new The Expanse book coming out in Dec. Tiamats Wrath, I need to read it.

Auspice

@aria said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

These boots.

Those are sexy af.
But so expensive.
And it's 80F today so I clearly don't need winter boots.

I just need new boot-boots.

Wretched

@aria So where does he live so i can burgle,, er I mean admire said map?

Aria

@auspice said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

@aria said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

These boots.

Those are sexy af.
But so expensive.
And it's 80F today so I clearly don't need winter boots.

I just need new boot-boots.

The high today is 30F. It was 19F when I left for work and it's already snowed this year.

The last time I bought snow boots was when I lived in Sweden in 2005. I think it's time.

(Also, yeah. Expensive AF. Fortunately if they carry something like them at his store, he'll get a discount.)

Aria

Oh, hey. ALSO.

I know this is a double-post, but seriously, if you don't use eBates? YOU SHOULD. It's basically this company where, if you click to whatever site you're planning on shopping at from their referral link, they give a portion of the money they get for it. It also compiles sales and coupons on the site for you. I use their Chrome extension and whenever I'm shopping somewhere that has cash back or a coupon, I get a little pop-up asking me if I want to activate it. Then they pay you out once a quarter and I've literally gotten $360 back over the last two years on shit I was going to buy anyway.

I bought fancy electric toothbrushes for insomniac7809 and me today and it was like, "Hey, girl. Here's another 15% off that already bangin' sale price for no real reason and also we're gonna give you another 6% back in, like, March. That's cool, right? " and I was like, "Yeah, eBates. We're tight."

Auspice

@aria said in Holiday materialism! Let's talk gifts.:

I know this is a double-post, but seriously, if you don't use eBates? YOU SHOULD.

Honey is another one you should check out. With their extension, as soon as you load the site it'll begin checking for discounts, discount codes, etc. It's great if you're forgetful and all.

It'll also keep running on the site and be like 'oh hey this is the cheapest this item has been on Amazon in the past 60 days' or if you load in your Amazon wishlists, it'll email you when an item is at its cheapest. Like 'hey dawg, that keyboard you've been wanting? It's totes on sale rn.'