My Top Gift Purchases in 2022

Wow, another year of fun is flying by!

I've been known to be cheap - see https://nextlevelfi.com for stories. But there are some purchases that I find value in, so my favorite gift/holiday purchases for this past year that I'm enjoying:

1. Meta Quest 2 VR headset - yes, there were some name changes this year. Formerly called the Oculus Quest 2 before Facebook renamed their company Meta and dropped the Oculus name, this tops the list for purchases I've enjoyed this year. Beat Saber keeps me exercising, we're building in the metaverse for a school science project, & I was impressed how real it felt when trying out a VR version of Ninja Warrior called "Dungeon Warrior" in the game Bonelab. 

If you end up getting one, you can also get $30 in credits for games like Beat Saber by purchasing it using this link  https://www.oculus.com/referrals/link/dbeyond, or you can always buy from other places like Amazon https://amzn.to/3CMqvA9 

2. Apple Watch - I was hesitant to wear a watch again, but was really impressed by the features once I started using it. You can check out the Apple Watch at https://amzn.to/3bCY4fiYou, & can see my full review at https://ninja.ninjaforlife.com/2022/07/health-tech-watch-vr.html

3. Echo Buds Bluetooth earbuds - these are a great upgrade from my previous Bluetooth earbuds. The sound is great, & I can talk to friends/family while moving around the house https://amzn.to/3F4Lzpg

4. Mint mobile cell service - earlier this year I switched to Mint Mobile, & I'm so glad I did.

Mint Mobile plans start at $15/mo, with 4GB data & unlimited talk and text. I'm on the $20/mo 10GB plan, which is hard to beat. Use my unique link and you’ll get $15 added to your Mint account, and I’ll get free Mint too. Win-win  http://fbuy.me/thr8g

5. Google Pixel 6a extra cell phone - our cable Internet offered a new Android Google Pixel phone for $5/mo after discounts. The plan comes with 1GB data/mo, & I'm enjoying having that extra phone option for apps that don't have an easy iPhone app equivalent. For Android Google phone users that want to transcribe voice notes, check out Google Recorder. Also, the new beta OS lets you track new songs that it hears. Finally it supports sideloading for those with Meta Quest VR headsets https://amzn.to/3gDtMMm 

6. New beers to try - a few years back I set a huge goal for myself - to try 2500 unique beers. I'm happy to say I should reach the halfway point by end of this year. Luckily the beer stores & breweries to choose from continue to grow. I've also been using my PubPass beer passport for free beers at different breweries around South Florida. It only made sense that I would buy the 2023 passport, which also had a deal that came with a subscription to their app for even more beer deals. If you are a fellow beer geek that tracks new beers on the app Untappd, look for me @digitalbeyond https://untappd.com/user/Digitalbeyond. Cheers!

7. New drinks to try - we also had extra alcohol that a friend gifted, so it was fun finding new mixed drinks to come up with using tools like our Ninja blender https://amzn.to/3XGiOGv 

Bonus – I help my family contribute to their Roth IRA accounts. See https://nextlevelfi.com for more

I also continue to enjoy some past holiday/gift purchases like my Kindle, Echo devices, running shoes, & 40" 4K TV that I use as a monitor for my PC. See my previous post for more on those at https://welcome.gamerwarrior.com/2021/04/top-gift-purchases-this-year.html

What are some of your favorite gift purchases? Let us know on Twitter @AGamerWarrior https://twitter.com/AGamerWarrior

Apps To Have Fun

Apps To Have Fun: Mobile, Watch, VR, And More

As a kid, my goal was to maximize my fun time. As an adult, I saw that other things like responsibilities can get in the way. So it becomes extra important to make sure we take the time to have fun, even if it is just a short break.

Depending on your device of choice, you have options like:

• Mobile Game apps - I may not game hours at a time, but I do use apps to play word games & chess daily. There's also games like Tetris & Roblox.

• Mobile Music apps - I use apps to help me play instruments like piano, & picking the songs I want to play is definitely helping me stay motivated. Lately I've been learning to play theme music from movies, TV, & games. There are also apps for other instruments like guitar & ukulele. It took me a while, but on the ukulele I am finally getting used to playing some of the chords.

• Watch apps - after trying to avoid getting a watch, it was hard to say no when I was offered an Apple Watch through my health insurance. The watch lets me track all my activities like pool laps, respond to texts/calls, & even make it easier to track my disc golf scores. Read more at https://ninja.ninjaforlife.com/2022/07/health-tech-watch-vr.html

• VR games - there are a lot of great apps to try out, not just Beat Saber but even games through the web. Not only games, but also other immersive experiences to check out as well.

• Console - consoles like Nintendo Switch have lots of great games to play together like Mario Kart.

• PC - many games these days you can play from different devices, but sometimes the experience can be better on a PC. Playing games like Roblox on PC lets you play using a mouse & keyboard while others are limited to the controls through a mobile device.

What apps are your favorites to have fun? Let us know @AGamerWarrior

Ultimate Beat Saber VR Challenge

So I found a new ultimate fitness challenge - beating one of the hardest levels in the VR game Beat Saber.

If you haven't already seen it, check out the video "What The Cat!? by Camellia (Expert+)" under the VR playlist at our channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChf64Zj-RbjPhlKf6J00kVA/playlists

Games like Beat Saber are a great workout. I have a long way to go, but gave myself a realistic goal - 6 months to beat it or I lose a bet.

The device starts at $300 for 128GB & you can opt for the 256GB version for another $100.

If you end up getting one, you can also get $30 in credits for games like Beat Saber by purchasing it using this link https://www.oculus.com/referrals/link/dbeyond, or you can always buy from other places like Amazon https://amzn.to/3CMqvA9 

See you in the metaverse :-)

Gaming The Metaverse

So we are officially owners of our first VR headset - Oculus Quest 2.

Originally planned for our younger daughter, we found out post-purchase that it is intended for age 13+ & requires a Facebook account.

The immersive experience is mind-blowing, so it became a gift for me this Christmas. It gets intense, so you'll definitely want to ease into it the first few days.

Games like Beat Saber are incredibly addicting, but luckily I'm good after a few quick rounds for a while.

The device starts at $300 for 128GB & you can opt for the 256GB version for another $100.

If you end up getting one, you can also get $30 in credits for games like Beat Saber by purchasing it using this link https://www.oculus.com/referrals/link/dbeyond, or you can always buy from other places like Amazon https://amzn.to/3CMqvA9 

See you in the metaverse :-)

Holiday VR Gaming Wishlist

The holidays are approaching fast! Since I've enjoyed a lot of gaming over the years & like to plan, I wanted to have my gift wishlist for the holidays planned early this year.

We have been playing the Nintendo Switch more https://amzn.to/3qbKip8 & even bought a year of the $35 family online plan https://amzn.to/3016tUd to play old console games (NES, SNES), & new games like Tetris with friends. But lately I've started obsessing to get something new for the holidays.

So VR is nothing new, but is finally becoming more accessible due to a couple of changes:

• Entry-level - if you ever tried the $20 headset to use your phone in VR, it obviously doesn't compare to the headsets that cost thousands. Luckily we have the Oculus Quest 2 starting at $300 for 128GB https://amzn.to/3CMqvA9

• Total immersion - running into walls with small spaces has been a problem in the past. But now you have accessories like VR treadmills, & there is a Black Friday special going on now on the Kat Walk C https://www.kat-vr.com/products/kat-walk-c

We plan to get a VR headset for the holidays, but in the meantime I signed up for the Xbox Game Pass for PC. Normally it is $10/mo, but the special right now is a 3mo subscription for $1 https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/p/pc-1-month/CFQ7TTC0KGQ8

This subscription gives you access to hundreds of games like Undertale, Tetris Connected, Overcooked 2, & Doom Eternal. There are also upcoming games like Forza Horizon 5 & Halo Infinite that I plan to try out.

One thing I did realize is the amount of space these games now take up, so I may also look into adding an external hard drive, which luckily can be had for under $100 for a 1 Terabyte (TB) fast solid state drive (SSD) https://amzn.to/3qnUqeu

So what games are you playing lately? Let us know on social

Best disc golf game ever

My latest hobby is disc golf, & I recently I was able to score an under par (-1) for my best score ever. Even at the recreational level, I would have expected a solid year before this would have happened. I believe much of this has to do with programming my mental state, doing other activities that have calmed my mind, such as paddleboard & playing ukulele. You can check out the score at https://udisc.com/scorecards/X4Xnl36QXJ

Stop Losing Things with AirTags

Have you ever struggled to find something you just had a minute ago - such as a phone, keys, or other valuables? While learning to master disc golf, our group frequently runs into this issue with our discs. 

I was tempted to invent my own DiscFinder, but then we discovered the Apple AirTags, which are: 

• Inexpensive individually, or even less for a 4-pack 
• Water resistant 
• Trackable via an app / sound

When lost can use NFC from other devices to help find it, including Android 

The battery is also easily replaceable versus other solutions out there. 

This should be perfect for what we need. You can check out the Apple AirTags using this link https://amzn.to/3AiD0BQ. 

What is your favorite product that provides an abundance of value? Let us know in the comments