These 6 gadgets got way better without anyone noticing
In a world where everyone complains about everything that’s getting worse (often rightly so), it can be easy to forget about the things that are getting better. These changes overwhelm you over time, but looking back at where we were five or ten years ago, the benefits can seem enormous.
Even cheap flashlights now rule
Flashlights have become something of a status symbol among EDC users, and it’s not hard to see why. While we mere mortals are content to use our phones to light up the night, flashlights have become blinding, indispensable gadgets that suit a range of uses and price points.
For starters, the era of the USB-C rechargeable flashlight is upon us. Armed with the same lithium-ion batteries found in your smartphone, you no longer need to fiddle with disposable batteries or recharge your own cells. Many support fast charging, others can act as reverse power banks to charge other devices, and some even support wireless charging.
With the advent of high-power LEDs, it’s trivial for a flashlight to reach 20,000 lumens or more, although you’ll also have the choice of multiple brightness levels and perhaps even a secondary light on the side of the handle or red LEDs that won’t ruin your night vision.
They also come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny keychain-friendly flashlights to the Maglite batons you’d carry around at night as a warehouse security guard. Expect to pay around $15 for something small but decent, but beyond that there’s really no limit in terms of power and price.
- Dimensions
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1.47″ x 0.59″ x 2.44″
- Weight
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52.3g
This compact USB-C rechargeable flashlight features a rotating head, RGB lighting, and a magnetic base, making it the ideal everyday carry.
Robot vacuum cleaners have climbed
Early robot vacuums were expensive, struggled to find their way around your home, and offered subpar cleaning standards. Modern robot vacuums are expensive, capable of creating maps with lasers and cameras, and offer a level of cleanliness much closer to good inspection with a traditional human-operated model.
Although there is still room for improvement, things have improved considerably. In addition to better brushes, obstacle avoidance systems, and the ability to detect animal cries on carpet, many modern robot vacuums now also include mops. These detect what type of floor you have, vacuum up loose objects, then clean hard surfaces. This includes base stations for dropping off debris and water changing stations that wash mops and refresh tanks.
Mobile apps are also generally much better than before, allowing you to manually trigger precise cleaning patterns or set a schedule. Many brands can also be integrated into smart home platforms and triggered by automations, particularly Home Assistant, which has a thriving community working on such integrations.
8/10
- Dimensions
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13.8×13.8×3.9 inches
- Trash can capacity
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0.22 liters
The DEEBOT With a rolling speed of up to 220 rpm, this equates to 220 high-speed cleaning and rinsing actions per minute, effectively preventing streaking and cross-contamination.
Mini PCs no longer carry huge performance penalties
As chips become more efficient, the disadvantages of jamming them into a small package become less severe. This has had a big effect on the mini PC market, with these computers now sought after for everything from wireless web desktop replacements to performance servers and homelab darlings.
For many, the mini PC has replaced single board computers in a homelab environment because the price difference between a more powerful used mini PC and a Raspberry Pi is minimal. I bought a used Mac mini M1 in 2025 for $160; it has as much RAM as a high-end Pi 5 and way more power. I use it to run Home Assistant, Jellyfin, Nextcloud, and a whole bunch of other self-hosted money savers.
If you’re not building a gaming PC and don’t need a lot of space for a bulky graphics card, the mini PC is now a tempting prospect (especially if you’re a Mac user who doesn’t need the portability of a MacBook).
Wireless chargers are faster and easier to use
I bought a cheap Qi wireless charger a little less than ten years ago. It was slower than charging via wire and required a delicate touch to make sure the coils were aligned, otherwise you’d come back later to find that your phone wasn’t charging at all. The benefits were far from obvious, at least until the arrival of Qi2 and Apple’s MagSafe.
This new generation of wireless charger seems to have solved both problems, with charging speeds of up to 25W included in the latest Qi2.2 standard (with Qi2 itself supporting 20W). Thanks in part to Apple, the standard has also adopted magnets that mean your device clings to the charger so you know it’s definitely charging.
It’s a good time to embrace wireless charging, and speeds will only get better from here. You may be wondering why more devices don’t already have wireless charging.
Noise canceling headphones
The first pair of wireless headphones I tried about ten years ago were really impressive, but far from perfect. They had that audible hiss that was so common on early models, and they sounded terrible when you turned active noise cancellation off. A few years later I got my hands on Apple’s first generation AirPods Pro, at which point I was blown away.
And that’s where I stayed for six years until 2025, when it was finally time to upgrade to the AirPods Pro 3. While it’s not cheap, the active noise cancellation in this latest iteration is nothing short of stunning. It’s not Perfect (again), but it’s clear that Apple put as much work into changing ANC as it did into the rest of the refresh.
But you don’t need to spend Apple money to get a decent noise-cancelling experience. Similar priced options from Bose and Sony will also make you smile silly, but cheaper alternatives from Soundcore (Anker) and JLab offer solid budget options.
- Battery life
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Up to 8 hours (buds), 24 hours (including case)
- Charging case included?
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Yes
The latest generation of AirPods Pro features improved ANC, more comfortable foam tips, and a new heart rate sensor in addition to features like adaptive audio, conversation awareness, and offline live translation capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence.
Cheap smart home accessories
Not long ago, we were talking about smart home accessories using the moniker “Internet of Things” in a somewhat mocking tone. While jokes about Wi-Fi-connected toasters and refrigerators that turn your kitchen into a billboard are more relevant than ever, the advent of cheap smart home gadgets has been massive.
I’ve filled my house with cheap IKEA Zigbee devices, including smart plugs, light bulbs, and sensors. Most of them are $8 Tretakt plugs, which connect directly to my Mac mini Home Assistant server via an inexpensive mesh network adapter.
IKEA is currently in the process of transitioning to Matter over Thread devices, which means that all major smart home ecosystems are about to have access to the company’s range of incredibly cheap devices (since Matter’s whole point is interoperability).
Of course, there are other brands in the game like Aqara, Sonoff, and all sorts of no-name TEMU options (although quality can be hard to guarantee if you go that route).
Yes, RAM prices suck and Netflix is more expensive than ever. But many devices are constantly improving and getting cheaper at the same time, and this list proves it.
