Tools of the trade (part 1 of 3)
I work as both a creative and technical person, so I like to work on a lot of different things (often at the same time.) My job is an associate creative director/writer at an ad agency in Richmond, Va where I try to focus on digital and experiential work. I also love programming for mobile and web, having already launched a couple of apps as well as the definitive guide to discerning if you roll like a ruff ryder.
Jumping back and forth between different projects requires an odd mix of tools (both hardware and software), plus I’m a big nerd, so I like testing new gadgets and apps. So I decided to document what I use to accomplish my work. It will be a 3 part series starting with what I carry in my backpack.
For my birthday this year, my wife got me a new Topo rucksack, an accessory bag to keep all my cables together and a utility bag where I keep all my iPad stuff together. It’s a great setup with plenty of pockets to keep things separated and organized.
A 13" MacBook Pro is the perfect laptop, especially now with retina display. Enough power for me to run Sketch, Xcode, a full MAMP stack and a node server, but portable enough for me to take anywhere and sit it on my lap.
Speaking of putting a Mac on your lap, those things get hot. I use a BookBook from 12 South as a laptop case and lapdesk. I’ve had it through several laptops and the wear and tear on it, while very minimal, actually looks kind of cool.
To power the MBP and my other gadgets, I use the Zolt. It’s a fairly new power supply that’s ultra portable and has built in USB ports to charge all my devices at once.
Speaking of power, I also carry the Anker PowerCore 10400 with me. It’s a great price (~$25) for how many charges my devices can get off of it. And it uses PowerIQ and VoltageBoost for smart charging, plus you can see how much power is left in the pack with a button press.
I clearly carry too many cables around, but my favorite is the one from Eastern Collective. It’s a longer cable so I don’t have to be right on top of a power outlet to use my phone, and it’s easy to spot.
My background isn’t in design, but I still enjoy doing it from time to time for the apps I build. Having a simple Wacom like the Intuos is easy to toss in the bag and expedites the design process for me.
I have a few different external hard drives for different reasons, but they don’t always travel with me. The Nifty drive actually fits in the SD slot of the MBP flush and holds a micro SD that is constantly mounted as an external drive. I use the 128GB microSDXC from SanDisk. It’s not the fastest, but it has a ton of space.
I bought the iPad mini when it first came out and then held out a few years until the iPad mini 4 to upgrade, and I’m glad I did. Retina display, great speed and multi-tasking, it’s an awesome tablet.
I always have my iPad with me, but sometimes I’m not sure where to sit it when I have my laptop in front of me. This handy piece of plastic solves that by mounting my iPad (or any mobile device) to the side of the my screen. When combined with the duet display app, it normally acts as a mobile second monitor for me with zero lag.
And when the iPad isn’t working as my second monitor (or Netflix machine), I use the BrydgeMini keyboard to make it an ultra-portable laptop.
I held out longer than most on moving over to an e-reader, but once I had the Kindle Paperwhite I never bought another physical book and I read twice as much. Perfect display for reading in daytime or night and the battery lasts forever.
This handy little keychain-size device allows me to share a single audio port with 3 sets of headphones.
I like testing random gadgets (as you might be able to tell from this article) and this is my newest one. Designed for concert goers, these in-ear headphones take live audio and alter it in real-time. It’s crazy what it can do, but I use them more often for meetings because I’m hard of hearing and it allows me to amplify the human voice a little more.
I’ve stayed strong with iPhone since I stood in line on launch day for the very first one. Although I think the 6/6s is a little too big, it’s a crazy amazing phone. And although I swap out different headphones periodically, I always have the white earpods that come with iPhones.
When it’s analogue time, a moleskin and a good pen is always with me. I like the Pilot Precise because it’s a good mix of a precise tip, but still feels like a normal pen.
I hate “wallets.” They get bloated quickly, wear out and if you keep them in your back pocket can cause legitimate back pain over time. So the thin wallet from Machine Era is perfect for me. It fits right in my front pocket, only lets you hold what you actually need and never seems have any wear on it. Plus, it’s nice the manufacturer is local to Richmond.
Last, but not least, for post lunch/pre meetings, these little toothbrushes to go are a breath saver. I have them in my bag, my car and a couple at the front door.
That covers the majority of stuff I carry around with me most days. I don’t use every thing in backpack daily, but definitely weekly. Part 2 and 3 will focus on the different software I use on my Mac and iPhone.
