For over a year now I have been lugging around an Anker PowerCore+ 20100 battery on all my trips. What makes this battery special is that it has a USB-C port that can charge a MacBook or other USB-C items such as Android phones or a Nintendo Switch.
Read MoreAs a kid, I always had a Mag Flashlight. They came in big and small, and I remember them always running out. With modern day advances in lighting (LEDs) and Batteries (Lithium) I decided to take a look at my flashlights, including making sure I have an Every Day Carry (EDC) flashlight.
Flashlights are very useful tools. For me it comes down to:
Last year I started testing out some flashlights from a company called Foursevens. They make a bunch of flash lights and below are the ones I've purchased.
Read MoreI remember when Digital Frames first came out. Everyone thought our houses would be filled with these things. However, after the first batch of frames, they all devolved to cheap pieces of junk, made from left over LCD parts and generally low resolution and aspect ratios that didn't match your photos.
These first generation frames also made it difficult to update photos. Often you had to use a physical memory card and as such the photos never changed.
This past year, while shopping at the b8ta store in Seattle (basically an OmarKnows retail store) I stumbled upon the Aura Frame.
Read MoreI have never found a camera bag system I loved more than the bags made by Peak Designs.
Peak Designs got their start on Kickstarter a few years ago, and have run some of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns. They are a fantastic company that makes truly exceptional camera products.
I currently own 3 Peak Design bags (in total I have owned 4).
Read MoreSince I was a kid, I've always enjoyed a nice pocket knife. About a year ago I was introduced to an Oregon based knife maker, James Brand. The first knife I purchased was The County, which comes in a beautiful walnut and stainless steal, but also in other colors such as white oak and ebony with a black blade.
Read MoreFor Christmas, I got a Joule Sous Vide tool made by local Seattle ChefSteps. I know absolutely nothing about Sous Vide, other than, I've had terrific Sous Vide prepared meats at many local Seattle restaurants. I also read a review by Serious Eats on the Joule, and they are big fans.
Read MoreI've always been intrigued by "digital ink" or the process of digitizing what I've written. I was a proud owner of an Apple Newton, and since then an original Windows Tablet PC where I would use OneNote to take notes with a pen. Today there are many devices that allow you to do this. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with its excellent Pen, as well as an iPad Pro 9.7 with the Apple Pencil. None of them really come close to that feeling of writing on real paper, with a real pen.
One of the biggest challenges I've found with "digital writing" is all the stuff that gets in the way. First there is the fact that you are writing on sometime heavy, usually awkward, with a screen that can get hot, and of course apps that are pinging you with notifications. The beauty of a pen and paper is that there is nothing to do really but pay attention and take notes. I find this rather helpful to focus.
In December of last year I picked up the Moleskine Smart Writing Set. This is a special Moleskine notebook and pen. The notebook contains special paper with small codes in it. The Pen is a real pen with real ink, but contains a camera that will record what you write.
Read More01 Gear: Love this new kids backpack from SF DSPTCH - Mini Utility Ruck
02 Apps: Trying out Zinc , a new Video "Read it Later" service ala Instapaper and Pocket
03 Apps: I love Bear a writing app for iOS and Mac. It’s replaced Ulysses.
04 Amazon: Reuse Amazon Boxes for Goodwill donations. Great idea!
05 Clothing: I seriously love these Wool Runners . They have been popping up all over the Microsoft campus.
06 Apps: Excited for Pana to launch a free version of their travel app . I love their concierge service
07 Apps: As a kid I loved simulator games. Mini Metro is super fun. Make a subway!
08 Gadgets: Just picked this up at the AT&T store. Looks like the perfect solution for bedside travel charging: Belkin Portable Valet Chargerfor Apple Watch and iPhone
09 Coffee: I have been waiting a long time for this Grinder. It's everything I've ever wanted - Baratza Sette 270W
10 Coffee: I backed this beauty of a Kettle for my pour over coffee
11 Coffee: Before I heard of acacia I thought my coffee scale was good - acaia Lunar
12 Gadgets: I’ll let you guess if I have already ordered a charging stand for my AirPods 😱
13 Money: Amazon and Chase just announced that you can now earn 5% back on Amazon purchases , up from 3%
14 Food: My brother-in-law introduced me to this amazing hot sauce called Yellow Bird and we love it. Written up in HuffPo
15 Gadgets: Not a lot of kids wearables our there but this looks great for young kids. Sarah (10) has a Garmin Vivofit that she loves.