Tools: Other Gear
This page serves as a frequently updated list of hardware gear (like phones and cameras) that’s not tethered quite so closely to a computer. It’s stuff we’re using in and around the house, stuff we rely on and (for the most part) trust. It replaces a page I used to maintain over at aaronpressman.com. You can also see computer systems, computer Peripherals, software and web services as well as stuff I’m just messing with.
(Last updated March 12, 2010)
Mandatory Knowledge Worker Blackberry
In October, 2009, when I switched jobs, the new gig supplied me with a fairly modern and spiffy Blackberry Tour 9630 running on the Verizon wireless network. It’s slender and reliable though the keyboard is a bit more scrunched than on my previous Blackberry Curve 8310. Otherwise, it’s pretty much a standard-issue Blackberry with all the strengths and weaknesses of the platform. Still not great for use with Macs but I don’t care about that so much anymore since:
Almost mandatory not-for-work iPhone
I held out for a bit on the iPhone but when I switched jobs in October, 2009, and had the option to transfer my work AT&T contract to a personal plan, I jumped at the chance to get on Apple’s mobile platform. I bought the 32GB white iPhone GS which ought to hold me for a while. It’s currently inside of Griffin’s hard case in the gravel-colored “chilewich” pattern, which my wife says looks like a table cloth. Oh well.
Digital single-lens reflex camera
We’ve had several Canon digital cameras in our house over the past few years and they rarely let us down. Canon has a proprietary picture processing chip inside each one that delivers the truest and richest colors I’ve seen. For a June 2006 business trip to Alaska, I decided that it was time to invest in a digital SLR model, so I bought Canon’s low-end Digital Rebel XT. It’s able to save images in the RAW format. Even more important is the speed. It has no start up lag, no shutter lag and is able to leap tall buildings — I mean — able to shoot a bunch of pictures in a row. RAW pictures take up huge amounts of space and I’ve been happy with a generic-looking, 8-gig compact flash card purchased from Newegg. In 2007, I upgraded from the stock zoom lens to Canon’s wunderbar 50mm 1.4 EF lens, which is so fast it could outrun a cheetah. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. I keep the big Rebel XT in a delightful red bag called “The $3 million home” from Crumpler Bags. I blogged briefly about cameras on July 8, 2006. The only nagging problem is the camera’s too-small sensor, which makes the excellent 50mm lens more of a telephoto than I wanted, as blogged about on July 1, 2008.
We’ve owned several models in Canon’s digital Elph line and they’ve all been rough and ready to snap shots almost anywhere and produce pretty darn good output. Currently, we have the amazing Powershot S90, picked up with help from some Amazon gift certificates in March, 2009. It takes better pictures than many D-SLRs, saves them in the RAW format and has a nifty and innovative control ring around the lens that I can’t stop fiddling with. I’m still getting used to the whole no viewfinder aspect, however. The S90 replaced an ancient SD400 which served us well and now moves on to Kidland.
Tiny voice recorder
Some years ago on a reporting trip in New York, my trusty mini-cassette tape recorder gave up the ghost and managed to destroy an important recording. Seemed like a sign from the gods that it was time to go digital. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find something highly portable and running on disposable batteries that was also Mac compatible. I ended up buying a Sony ICD-P320. It has plenty of recording time, runs on a pair of standard AAA batteries and features just a couple of easily operated buttons. But its Windows-only software is horrible. A total disaster. And did I mention it only runs on Windows? Must be replaced one of these days.
Cordless phone of bliss
In 2005, I upgraded the home office phones to the wonderful Uniden TRU8866 system. It’s a cordless phone operating in the 5.8 GHz band, so it doesn’t interfere with wifi and isn’t affected by the microwave oven. It handles two lines, has many typical bells & whistles like caller ID and a 100-number programmable memory. The base unit has one portable handset and a speaker phone but no corded handset. I’ve since added two more stand-alone handsets that can also be used as intercoms or room monitors. The handsets also function as excellent speaker phones. And they look good, too.
Cheap phone line
We used to pay Verizon some exorbitant sum for a second phone line. When I stopped working at home full-time, it wasn’t deductible — or justifiable — anymore. I did test some voice-over-IP services and decided to add a line from the Gizmo Project. I connected the line to our regular telephones using an amazing little box from Sipura (also a Cisco company). The tiny silver contraption plugs into our router with an Ethernet cable and into our phones with an ordinary phone cable. Setting it up right was a bit of a beast but now we have two dial tones, one that costs about $50 a month and one that cost $35 A YEAR. Quality on the Gizmo line isn’t perfect, but it’s an amazing bargain none the less. Also see my Gizmo service write-up.
Coffee is not optional to the writer on deadline — it’s a necessity. For such “emergencies,” I have on hand in my office Nespresso’s fine D290 brewer which uses those cute little pods you can only buy from Nespresso. It makes damn fine hot coffee and froths the milk, too. I’m a fan of that crazy $11,000 coffee maker that Starbucks uses called the Clover s1. But barring a lottery victory, the Nespresso will remain the office caffeinator for the foreseeable future. I blogged about the D290 on May 27, 2008.
Other stuff:
Systems Computer Peripherals Software and Web Services Just Messing With
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