This page serves as a frequently updated list of hardware gear (like e-readers, smartphones, and cameras) that’s not tethered quite so closely to a computer. You can also see computer systems, computer peripherals, software and web services as well as stuff I’m just messing with.
(Last updated February 16, 2026)
An iPhone
The trade-in deals for new iPhones are so enticing. In 2024, I traded in my two-year-old iPhone 14 Pro for an iPhone 16 Pro in the slick white titanium color. It has the semi-useful action button and the constantly useful camera control button-ish thingy along the right side. I always take it around with a pair of Apple’s AirPods Pro (second generation). The integration with the iPhone and other Apple devices is insanely good, the sound quality for music and calls is pretty good, and the noise cancelling is just good enough.
Not-the-iPhone Phone
To really keep up with how the other half lives and maintain my knowledge of Android apps, I also have a Pixel 10 Pro XL running on Google’s low-cost Fi network. The 6.8-inch screen is humungous and the cameras are a tad better than the iPhone with software that’s more than a tad better (and incredible zoom powers). The jade green back cover is also stunning, although usually covered in a Belkin black leather case. The phone replaced a Pixel 7 Pro in December 2025.
Recharging rectangles
Traveling with phones and tablets and various other energy-sucking gadgets, I’ve found myself searching desperately for an electrical outlet on more than one occasion. So I have a couple of power banks I usually carry around. One is the Anker 521 Magnetic Battery, which is smaller than a deck of playing cards and magnetically attaches to the back of a wireless-charging capable phone, such as any recent iPhone. It also has a USB C port. The other is a Morphie Powerstation with a 10,000mAh battery and two USB C ports. It’s a little chonkier but charges gadgets more quickly than the Anker. Both banks have the 4 little lights on the side so you can make sure they’re charged up before you stash them in your bag. I recently added a little kit of cables in a cute carrying container from Morphie.
Flies through the air gadget
After watching my son enjoy his drone for a few years, I took the plunge and bought a DJI Mini 2 in 2020. It’s loads of fun to zip around the skies, though the pictures and movies it takes are not top quality and it doesn’t have a full suite of sensors to keep you out of trouble (I have only crashed into my house once and a tree once or twice).
E-book reader
I’ve been an unabashed fan of Amazon’s electronic book reader, the Kindle, since it came out in November 2007. I owned the original until June, 2009, when I upgraded to the larger screen of the Kindle DX. I upgraded multiple times over subsequent years through the Kindle Voyage 3G in 2014. But over time, I came to rely more on the iPad and stopped upgrading Kindles until… Amazon introduced the Kindle Scribe in September 2022. A Kindle with a 10-inch screen that you can also write on? Sign me up. I ordered one “write” away. I do miss the formerly included free cellular connectivity. I blogged about e-readers incessantly back in the day, as you can see under the “Kindle” category. I posted a review of the Kindle DX (2nd generation) on September 5, 2009 and the basic third-gen model on September 22, 2010.
Smart-ish speakers
Since owning an original Amazon Echo speaker with Alexa in 2016, we have added and subtracted various upgraded models and competitors. Google speakers never caught on with us and an original grey Apple HomePod sits in a corner unplugged and gathering dust. Amazon’s speakers have the most reliable connection with our Spotify account, among other benefits. So still online, we have an Amazon Echo Plus (second generation) in the kitchen, a larger Echo Studio in the living room, and I keep the cute, round Echo Spot on my desk to give me scores, weather, and solve the occasional long division problem.
Mirror-less camera
Seeking a camera that took great pictures with ease instead of complexity, in March, 2013, I dumped some better spec-ed cameras for the Fujifilm X-E1. It had fantastic, old-school analog controls and a great set of lens. Subsequent years brought various upgrades. In 2025, I upgraded to the X-E5, a tiny camera with a mighty 40-megapixel sensor, in-body image stabilization, and some super cool retro features (the “classic display mode” takes me right back to my Canon XT-1 circa 1979).
Coffee is not an option
Speaking of requirements, coffee is not optional to the writer on deadline — it’s a necessity. For such “emergencies,” and the usually scheduled morning cuppa, we have on hand the GE Profile Smart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker. It is considerably less fiddly and easier to clean and maintain that our old Breville Grind Control BDC650. It is also a little homely with its plastic flare. It does grind the beans fresh for each brew, which is critical for great tasting coffee.
Other stuff:
Systems Computer Peripherals Software and Web Services Just Messing With
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