It's the end of the year again, and my social media is filled with friends' photos from their outings and annual summaries. As a desperate college student cramming at the last minute, I'm of course holed up in my dorm room revising (or rather, fishing). Since I have some free time, I thought I’d write my own annual summary to reflect on the junk I've collected this year, and this will also serve as my relatively formal first blog post.
Second-Hand Finds#
Handheld Consoles#
This year marks the official start of my journey into handheld gaming, fulfilling a childhood dream. Looking back, I bought PSP3000, Old Small Three, GBASP, Dual System Switch. I ended up selling the GBASP because the screen was severely aged.
PSP3000#
In March, I found a seller on a second-hand platform selling his Japanese version PSP3000. After some negotiation, I bought it for 320, which came with two Sony batteries and a Hong Kong version box. After receiving the console and consulting some experts in my group, I discovered that it seems to be a refurbished unit, which felt like a lucky find. Overall, its condition is quite good, though the screen is a bit yellowed (a common issue with PSP3000s, but the color space is not bad). It's great for playing some galgames and rhythm games (by the way, Hatsune Miku's rhythm game is quite challenging; it seems I'm only suited for simpler games). I also met my first group friend through this machine: Taishou, who helped me pick out the Old Small Three based on his experience and taught me how to check the console's functionality. I'm really grateful to him, and I wish him success in his graduate studies!
Old Small Three#
As we all know, collecting junk can be addictive, and so is collecting handheld consoles. After receiving my first handheld console in early March, I couldn't help but browse for a few days on the second-hand platform and ended up getting a blue Old Small Three with a Miku skin, which is super cute! It also came with a Crayon Shin-chan storage bag. Before I got the Switch, I played Taiko no Tatsujin and Pokémon on it, but unfortunately, the stylus isn't original, and it's quite short, making it inconvenient to play (sad). On Taishou's recommendation, I also tried Devil Training, which is quite interesting—perfect for a clueless college student to exercise their brain. As for its 3D functionality, I hardly used it after bringing it home due to severe angle limitations, but it didn't affect the gaming experience, so I didn't bother. I only found out that blowing into the microphone hole makes the game icons spin, which is really fun. I also customized it with a theme I found on BoVan, using my favorite Pokémon illustrations and the BGM from Unwhite Town. I even played Animal Crossing on the Old Small Three, using the spring song as my village theme ().
Please check out my terrible gameplay
GBASP#
I played the GBASP very little. On one hand, I used to play with a GBASP when I was younger, so I'm very familiar with it; I got it purely for nostalgia. On the other hand, the original screen is really hard on the eyes... there are large aging marks on the polarizing film, especially in the center of the screen, and its condition isn't great. It felt like a loss to replace the screen for this unit, so I reluctantly sold it. I might consider getting another one if the price is right; the GBASP introduced me to interesting games like Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, making it quite significant for me.
Switch#
With the increasing buzz around the new Switch, I felt it was time to collect a console to play with. After determining my needs and budget, I found a Japanese version of the Dual System Switch on the second-hand platform after several days of searching. I got it for 900 without a dock, which is quite good for a poor college student like me. I played Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, catching the tail end of the ninth generation. It's much larger than I imagined, especially compared to my other handheld consoles; it's like a big brick (in every sense). The controller is a bit fragile; a few months after I got it, the right controller stopped charging. After some research online, I found out this is a common issue with the Switch—too much bending of the ribbon cable leads to breakage. I bought a replacement cable on PDD, and after installing it, it was back to life—another good console.
Digital 3C#
In chronological order, the digital products I bought this year include Redmi AC2100 router, Redmi K20 Pro, Xiaomi Mi Band 4 NFC version, KPW3, desktop charging station, Xiaomi Tablet 4 WiFi version, Lenovo M3500Q mini PC, Huion HC16. Wow... I didn't realize how much I bought until I counted them; playing with these gadgets has taught me a lot of new knowledge online, and I'm addicted to tinkering. Looking at the order dates, I found that I bought them all after getting my handheld consoles, so it was a seamless transition ().
Redmi AC2100 Router#
On the recommendation of my friend Linsoap, I installed a router in my dorm. While my roommates had to reconnect and dial every time they turned on their computers, I was enjoying the convenience of direct connection and dorm WiFi. Technology changes lives (sigh). Of course, I couldn't skip the tinkering phase after getting it; I immediately installed OpenWRT, but the firmware version I found was too old, and it was the official firmware, which didn't have any useful plugins. I then searched for modified plugins, and there are many modified firmware versions by experts on the Enshan forum, especially for AC2100. But for some reason, I kept getting errors when refreshing the firmware, saying it didn't match my OpenWRT version. I had to start over with Breed, but I could only flash the original firmware I started with, which was a cyber chastity lock (). In desperation, I had to install plugins myself. After going through changing sources, learning how to use SSH for debugging, and searching for solutions to dependency installation failures, I ended up failing (sadly). I still couldn't install the dependencies needed for OpenClash; it seems to be a firmware issue. I was able to install AdGuard Home, but my router started crashing from time to time, and the WiFi quality deteriorated, showing that the network was unavailable. When I have some free time, I need to battle OpenWRT (angry) and resolve these long-standing issues.
Redmi K20 Pro#
To cut to the chase, it's excellent in practicality, versatility, and aesthetics—overall, it's a super large cup (not really). I don't know if anyone else has been tortured by the Sunlight Long Run app; for someone like me who doesn't like exercising, running even a little makes me feel like I'm going to die on the playground, haha. That's secondary, though; the main issue is that the BYD Sports World Campus app is so damn annoying—how can it have so many ads and require so many permissions?? Unable to tolerate this awful app, I complained to Linsoap, who told me that I could actually simulate running using FakeLocation, and he successfully did it with his rooted K40.
I digress; this incident sparked my desire to try a rooted device. Without hesitation, I started looking for a new phone. In the end, I settled on this true full-screen phone with a pop-up camera and alien technology—a 3.5mm headphone jack, the K20 Pro, with an 8+256 configuration, powered by the Snapdragon 855. It’s more than enough for tinkering. I won't go into too much detail about the tinkering process, as it was quite a journey; otherwise, I wouldn't finish this blog today. If I have time, I might write about the process of tinkering with it. Overall, I'm very satisfied with it; it's one of my favorite electronic products (confessing my love here).
Xiaomi Mi Band 4 NFC#
The standby king, the god of battery life—after a month, I checked and it still had power. I installed the MC theme pack and rainbow cat watch face from the Xiaomi community; it's super cute, haha. However, I can't unlink the bus card; the seller probably got it second-hand, and since I don't use it, it doesn't matter much.
Kindle Paperwhite 3#
I've always been a bit tempted by e-ink screen products, but the prices are too high, and I might not read even if I got one. However, after learning about e-readers during the summer vacation, I felt that the KPW3 could meet most of my needs. I got it during the summer to let my younger siblings read, and I found joy in tinkering while they could read comfortably without straining their eyes—what a win! The KPW3 feels great in hand; it's much lighter than I expected, and the battery life is excellent. There’s a bit of light leakage, but it’s not very noticeable. Coupled with ZLibrary, it’s very comfortable for my family to read. Initially, I thought about not jailbreaking this device, fearing that my family wouldn't know how to use it, but reading PDFs on the KPW3 is quite a hassle... In the end, I did jailbreak it and installed a few plugins to make reading more convenient.
Desktop Charging Station#
With more and more electronic products, I ran out of plugs and data cables. I thought about buying a GaN charger, but Linsoap recommended something called an open-source charging station. After checking it out on Bilibili, it perfectly matched my needs, and there are many replicas of it from various experts on the second-hand platform. With over 80 dual USB and dual Type-C ports, isn't this much better than a few hundred for a GaN charger? I hardly use fast charging except for my phone, so I immediately ordered this charging station, and it's quite good—highly recommended.
Xiaomi Tablet 4 WiFi Version#
Aside from the 1080p resolution and dual speakers on the same side, I'm quite satisfied with it. I don't expect it to play any games; it's great for streaming. Recently, it has become my go-to device for rhythm games, and although the refresh rate isn't high, my skills are average enough to manage.
Kindle Paperwhite 3 Lenovo M3500Q Mini PC (?)#
So far, this is the product I've spent the most money on for tinkering. With only DP and VGA ports, I haven't even seen its main page since I don't have a monitor, haha. I've bought various cables, adapters, and capture cards, hoping to eventually get it set up for NAS.
Part 2: Okay, the reality is that this big fool of mine wrote the article and only published it now. By this time, I've already played with it (), installed FNOS, and it’s almost silent. However, the seller who sold me the machine wasn't very honest; this isn't really an M3500Q, but more like a 4350Q or M72E. Lenovo has released too many models, and when I asked the seller, he didn't know the exact model either.
Huion HC16#
This was an impulsive purchase. Previously, Linsoap started learning to draw with a graphics tablet, and it seemed quite fun. A few days ago, my roommate also mentioned wanting to draw on a tablet, so I browsed the second-hand platform and found a good deal, so I snatched it up. It hasn't arrived yet, but now I have something to play with during the winter break.
Part 2: When connected to the computer, it surprisingly works quite well for annotating PDF documents. It’s also great for reviewing questions or taking notes during finals.
Taobao#
I bought very little from Taobao this year; most of my purchases were from PDD and second-hand platforms. I mostly browsed during Double Eleven since my wallet is empty (sad). The electronic products I bought on Taobao this year include: Midea Air Fryer KZE5059, Sound Memory SM1Lite, Water Moon Bamboo 2, KZ Legend Saga, IQOO Z9 Turbo. The air fryer was bought for my mom, and I returned all three headphones. Wow, I really didn't buy much at all ().
Midea Air Fryer KZE5059#
It's quite useful; it's my first time using an air fryer, and the noise startled me a bit. Sometimes when I'm hungry, making some fries is really satisfying.
Sound Memory SM1Lite, Water Moon Bamboo 2, KZ Legend Saga#
I'll talk about these three together; they all cost the same, 99. The SM1Lite's plastic cavity is really quite poor; to put it nicely, it's suitable for listening while sleeping—gentle and not harsh. To put it bluntly, it's just bad. The Water Moon Bamboo 2 has decent sound performance, but the metal cavity is too heavy and cold in winter, and I read online that the paint on the surface is prone to chipping, so I decided to return it. The KZ Saga sounded pretty good when I first tried it on, especially the included ear tips, which are much more comfortable than the ones that came with the first two headphones. The bass is also good, but after a few days, it had a fatal flaw: when connected to my Xiaomi Tablet 4, the background noise was particularly loud... it directly affected the sound quality, so I had to return it as well.
IQOO Z9 Turbo#
Since my dad wanted to change his phone and his current one is a Vivo, I ultimately chose this phone. With a 6000mAh large battery and 80W fast charging, the screen quality is also quite good. Plus, with Taobao's 10 billion subsidy, I got the top configuration for just 1790, which is quite a steal. After using it for a few days, I found it pretty good; I installed Li Tiao Tiao for my dad, and it’s sufficient. However, why does OriginOS have so many settings? It’s making me dizzy, and how do I completely turn off system updates on OriginOS 4? I just want a stable system, haha. I found out that I can't completely disable it using the replacement update package method, and the ADB debugging method doesn't work on 4 either, which is frustrating.
JD#
This year, I bought the following electronic products on JD: Hisense R55, Midea Electric Fan SAH35MKL, Fiil GS Lite Open Bluetooth Headphones, Fiil GS Open Bluetooth Headphones, Flydigi Ice Wolf 2, Daling S800, two of which I returned.
Hisense R55#
I only found out when I returned home for the New Year that the TV at home was broken. My mom thought a new year should bring a new TV, or else there would be no TV for guests during the New Year. After checking the recommended configurations and parameters, I ended up buying this one. To be honest, when will they fix those annoying ads and the ridiculous membership fees? They won't even let you watch local channels without going to the broadcasting station to activate it—it's really heartless. If I weren't worried about not being home to tinker with the TV and my family wouldn't know how to use it, I would really want to adjust it properly; it’s frustrating to use, and the configuration is indeed good, but the built-in system is terrible.
Midea Electric Fan SAH35MKL#
To be honest, I was quite disappointed; it’s not much better than the fan I bought ten years ago. The fan blade is relatively small, and the maximum wind speed isn't very strong. It’s more of a product I’m too lazy to return and will just use as is.
Fiil GS Lite Open Bluetooth Headphones, Fiil GS Open Bluetooth Headphones#
I’ll mention these two together. Since my ears are quite small, I wanted to try open-back headphones, but they felt too insecure. Plus, the headphone cavity kept pressing against my ear (which Baidu says is called that), making it very uncomfortable. Also, the sound quality was surprisingly poor... I just couldn't accept it. I bought the Fiil GS purely to see if LDAC made a significant difference, but the result was that there was almost no difference. Considering the price, I decided to return both of them.
Flydigi Ice Wolf 2#
At the time, I bought this to compare with the Mojiang Liefeng, and I ended up keeping it. First of all, the Ice Wolf looks better than the Mojiang; the white Mojiang I bought looks too pale compared to the Ice Wolf, which isn't very appealing. Secondly, while the Mojiang's wireless charging base is a major selling point, my dorm desk has limited space, and it takes up too much room. Lastly, I prefer the round directional pad of the Ice Wolf 2, while the Mojiang has a cross key, and the buttons on the Ice Wolf 2 feel better to press. Although the Mojiang has incredibly low wired latency, considering my needs, I decided to keep the Ice Wolf 2.
Daling S800#
Both the price and sound quality are within my acceptable range. They’re great for use in the shower, and I don’t have to worry about not hearing outside sounds while exercising. However, wearing them for too long can still press on my ears, so they’re more suitable for showering or exercising.
Pinduoduo#
This year, I bought the following electronic products on Pinduoduo: New Alliance M87Pro V2, Original Road No Trace Generation 1, Edifier W820NB Dual Gold Standard Version, Export to Domestic Twitter Recommended Ergonomic Mouse, Mojiang Liefeng Game Controller, 31993 Chip Small Tail, Oppo Enco Air3, Cooltech 10000mAh Magnetic Power Bank. Wow, that doesn't seem like a lot (confused). Actually, it's mainly because I bought a lot of accessories on PDD, which gives the impression that I bought many electronic products there. If I count them, there aren't many large items.
New Alliance M87Pro V2#
For the sake of my roommate's sleep quality, I specifically chose a silent switch keyboard, which is quite silent, using peach switches. The battery life is also good, and I’m not sure about the latency since I haven’t specifically tested it. It works well with my laptop, and not having a numeric keypad doesn’t affect me much, so I chose the 87 layout.
Original Road No Trace Generation 1#
If I had known, I would have gone for the Original Road (triggering regret tears). Okay, jokes aside, this thing just makes noise; the cavity is quite bloated, but I still prefer having a wired headphone, and anyway, for 6 yuan, I can't complain.
Edifier W820NB Dual Gold Standard Version#
It’s good, the sound quality is decent, and the noise cancellation is barely sufficient. It’s not too tight on the head, and the battery life is average but not particularly exaggerated. With a good protective case, it can last for a few years.
Export to Domestic Twitter Recommended Ergonomic Mouse#
This thing is quite cost-effective (), for 25 yuan, it even has side buttons. Other than the scroll wheel having some issues, the anti-slip pads are not well aligned, causing it to stick to things underneath. It does its job well, and I recently saw that the seller has a new batch of products, haha. Interested friends can check it out; searching for "export American mouse" should yield results.
Mojiang Liefeng Game Controller#
I compared it with the Ice Wolf 2 earlier, so I won't elaborate further.
31993 Chip Small Tail#
I really have no expertise in HiFi; I saw someone on Bilibili recommending this while junk hunting, so I bought one to try. For me, the difference is just that the sound got louder (?).
Oppo Enco Air3#
I still couldn't resist buying TWS, but the supposedly comfortable Oppo Enco Air3 also made my ears feel bloated. Maybe I’m just suited for smaller cavity headphones like Edifier.
Cooltech 10000mAh Magnetic Power Bank#
The K60 doesn't stick well (crying), and the magnetic ring I put on my phone case barely holds it. The battery life isn't as long-lasting as I imagined; I can only say it's suitable for Apple users.
Conclusion#
I actually finished writing this before the New Year... I sat here for two or three hours, and I feel pretty good about it (the result is that I finished writing before the New Year but didn't publish it... and now it’s only being published). This is basically an annual summary of all the electronic products I bought this year, and it’s my first time writing so much in Markdown. I lost motivation halfway through... Of course, if you can see this, that’s pretty amazing, haha. Thank you for reading! 🥰
Finally, I wish everyone a Happy New Year, good health, and may the new year bring you more wealth!!