Best of 2012: My Top 10 Gadgets

At the beginning of each new year I pause and look back at the gadgets that made the biggest difference in my tech life in the past year. There’s no question about it! These are my Top 10 Gadgets of 2012.

Cintiq 24 HD by Wacom

cintiq24HD

The 1st one that came to mind is the one that sits on my desk that I couldn’t imagine being without and that’s my New Wacom Cintiq 24 HD display/tablet by Wacom. Retouching in Photoshop on this thing is a dream.

See my video review here.

Get one here.

 

The iPhone 5

holding_iPhone5

The iPhone makes the list every year if for no other reason it’s probably the gadget that I use the most. However, with the iPhone 5 (while not a radical change from previous models) has the right balance between display size, weight, speed and battery life. My over 400 Apps on the thing get along just fine and it’s definitely a tool that I rely on throughout the day. It’s also my goto point and shoot camera.

See my review here.

 

Nikon D600

nikon_d600

While I did get my Nikon D4 at the beginning of 2012 and I use it in studio the most. I’m most excited about my D600 as my travel/backup body. It was the lowest priced full frame body for most of 2012 (until Canon matched the price with the 6D) and it’s just the right mix of features, size and weight to replace my D7000.

See my 1st impressions here

Get one here or here.

 

MacBook Pro Retina Display

My main work computer is and has been a MacBook Pro for a long time. When I got upgraded to the MacBook Pro Retina display it was as if Apple finally listened to my wishes and ditched the optical drive to make a MacBook Pro that is thinner and lighter. The addition of USB 3, 2 Thunderbolt ports, HDMI out and a beautiful Retina Display were all bonuses! Now that Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 4 and Premiere Pro CS6 have been updated to support it, I’m even happier!

See my 1st impressions here.

Get the configuration that I got here.

The Big Jambox

big_jambox

I travel with the original “small” Jambox. I take it to on location shoots as well. However, over the holidays I got to play with someone’s new Big Jambox that they got for Christmas and I’m really impressed. All the same features as the small one with a LOT more sound! Since it’s a Bluetooth speaker it can work with a variety of devices and unlike Airplay speakers there is no network required and that’s what makes it ideal for travel or taking to the park, beach, etc.

Get one here (I plan to!)

 

iStabilizer for Smartphones

It just goes to show you that not all gagets have to be big and expensive. I use this little gadget way more often than I thought I would because I’m actually shooting more video with my iPhone 5 than I ever thought I would.

See my review here.

Get one here.

 

Actiontech Wireless HD Streaming Thingy

Sometimes it’s the gadgets that blend in so well and that I don’t see, that become my favorites. I got the Actiontech MyWireless boxes to stream the HD signal from a TiVo in one room to an HDTV in another room that doesn’t have a cable connection. The Boxes work flawlessly!

See my review here.

Get one here.

 

USpeed 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub

Granted it’s not as exciting as an iPad mini or power strip or anything cool like that, but hey it works and I use it everyday. The Uspeed USB 3.0 Hub works great and has been problem free since I plugged it in.

See my review here.

Get one here.

 

iPad mini

The iPad mini has become a part of my daily tech routine. I find that I’m willing to carry it more than my full sized iPad Retina Display 3rd generation. While I not quite ready to give up the full-sized one yet, I certainly could get by with just an iPad mini.

See my 1st impressions here.

Get the one that I got here.

 

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad 2, 3, 4.

One of the reasons I’m hesitant to give up my full-sized iPad is that I absolutely love this Ultrathin (very light) Keyboard “Smart” Cover that Logitech has built. I use it ALL THE TIME and for those that argue you shouldn’t need/use a keyboard with an iPad have either never used this one or don’t type more than a few words at a time. The beauty of it is that like any other smart cover you can just rip it off when you don’t need it. (By the way only Sith deal in absolutes 😉 )

See my review here.

Get one here.


 

 

Top100

Also be sure to check out The Top 100 Apps of 2012 here

So What Did You Get or Give?

receivegift

photo compliments of iStockphoto.com

It’s that time of year again. My annual “So what’d you get?” I’ve been reviewing my favorite gadgets, services and photo gear all year long. Now it’s your turn! Tell us what you got this holiday season (tech wise) that you’re excited about or even tell us what you gave if you were acting as Santa? Use the comments section below. Tell us what it is, why you like it and provide links if you can? Did you get or give anything from my holiday gadget gift guide?

Hey! If you got an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch as a gift, check out 10 Must Have Apps here.

Continue reading “So What Did You Get or Give?”

Last Minute Gift Ideas for 2012

Last minute gifts

You forgot _______________. It happens. That relative or friend walks through the door that you totally forgot to get a gift for and you feel bad. Yep, it happens. Personally, I wouldn’t sweat it. However, for those of you who do (you know who you are) here are a couple of things you can do to save the day.

First off it may not be too late to give an I.O.U.! Be sure to check out my Holiday Gadget Gift Guide here. Let them know it’s on the way and just won’t arrive in time. I’d be happy with a cool gift that’s coming!

 

 

iTunes Printable Gift Certificates

iTunes

When you go to hang up their coat, head to your computer and fire up iTunes. Then go to the iTunes Store and buy a “Printable” gift certificate. You can print it (quietly) on your printer, fold it and stick it in one of those emergency cards that you keep around. Oh yeah, you forgot those too. OK, a handwritten envelope will do. You can then explain to them that with this they can download music, books, movies, apps and more. Whew!

 

Amazon Printable Gift Certificates

amazongiftcert

OK, so the person that just walked in is not into digital entertainment. I get it! No problem. Head over to Amazon.com (here’s the link to get you directly to the gift certificates. This way you won’t be out of the room any longer than you have to be) and buy a gift certificate and print it out. Now they can go order whatever they want since Amazon sells just about everything.

 

Lastly pride yourself on avoiding the mall 🙂

 

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and get back to your guests 🙂

My 2012 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide (web version) is Here!

Last week I released my 2012 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide as an iPad App and as promised I’m releasing the web version today!

That’s right it’s my guide to help you with you holiday shopping for the gadget lover (freak) on your list. The way this thing started was each year towards the holiday season all my friends started asking me and emailing about what my picks were in various categories and of course the answers were usually the same. So I decided to compile a list and just email it to the folks that asked.

Once again I’ve put together a Holiday Gadget Gift Guide to help you pick out gifts for the techies and gadget lovers on your gift list. I’ve chosen Amazon.com simply because they are the one online retailer with not only the largest presence, but also the one that carries 99% of the items I recommend. Another advantage is that I can continue to add things that come up all the way up to the final days of the holiday season. In previous years I would always find some cool gadgets after the static gift guide was published. Now because they don’t carry every single item on my recommendation list, you can check for some Extras at the bottom of this post.

 

How did you pick the items that you recommend?

Simple! If it’s in my guide it’s because I either use it now, have used it in the past or one of my close friends or colleagues use it and I trust their opinion. Now in some cases there may be an item in the guide that is NEWER than the one I use and I had to list that one because my model is no longer available. Unless I’ve used it or know someone who has, it doesn’t get in PERIOD.

 

How does the gift guide work?

The guide is broken out by Category so that you can shop accordingly. This way you can pick your gift by the kind of person you’re shopping for. I know that sometimes you have to buy a gift based on a certain dollar amount or budget (like gifts for co-workers), so I’ve given you a couple of dollar amount categories too. Happy shopping and in case I don’t see you later, Happy Holidays to you and your family! You can go straight to my 2012 Holiday Gift Guide here.

Thanks for Downloading the iPad Version and Pushing it into the Top 20 on the App Store

Grab it here:

iTunes

 

Continue reading “My 2012 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide (web version) is Here!”

My 2012 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide is Here and it’s an iPad App!

Each year I put together my picks for the best Gadget Gifts to get that special someone on your Holiday Gift List. This year I decided to practice what I’ve been preaching and I’m releasing the guide as an iPad App as well as the web version. I built the App using Adobe InDesign CS6 and Adobe Creative Cloud. It’s interactive with videos, links and animation. The iPad App is a free download and while it’s focused on my top picks, you can access the full guide in the App as well.

Download it here:

iTunes

I’ll be releasing the full version of my 2012 Guide on the web next week.

Join Me Next Week for the 2012 Adobe Nordic Design Tour

It's time to hit the road again! I'm headed to the Nordic region next week for the Adobe 2012 Design Tour. I'll be joined by fellow Adobe Worldwide Design Evangelist Rufus Deuchler. We'll be hitting:

We plan to show the latest advancements in Adobe's design and digital publishing tools and may even do a sneak peek of upcoming technology here and there.  I hope to see you at our events and I'm looking forward to returning to the Nordic region! Register by clicking the appropriate links above.