This year I've got a few more gadgets to talk about compared to last year which is nice.
To re-establish the ground rules a gadget is defined as:
a small mechanical or electronic device or tool, especially an ingenious or novel one.
To me a gadget is just an "electronic device or tool" but it can extend to anything thats helps me get things done. Similar to the entertainment post it doesn't necessarily have to be released this year it just has to of had an impact on me this year.
Here are my favourite gadgets that I've used or discovered in the past year:
- Apple iPhone 15 Pro
- Belkin 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad
- Sunbeam Iced Coffee Machine
- Bridgestone golf balls
- ChatGPT
- OpenEmu
- lazygit
The iPhone is an obvious choice but I can't not include it here. I got the new phone in June and have obviously used it a lot throughout the year. The better battery and camera have been great. Apps run smoothly without any lag. It performs so reliably and does exactly what I need a phone to do.
The 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad was actually I present I got for Christmas from Emma but I already love it. It ensures my AirPods and iPhone are fully charged and ready to go everyday.
The coffee machine has been around for a while (I think we bought it in November last year) but it has fully become part of my routine every morning this year. I love the simplicity of it and it makes a nice cool glass of coffee.
I get all my golf balls from lostgolfballs. I get the hundred pack. It's assorted brands but many of them are Bridgestone. There's something about the feeling of hitting a Bridgestone ball that I really like. Maybe getting a pack of Tour B balls might be a good idea. I do also like the Callaway Chrome Soft balls too.
In tech, 2023 was the year of AI. It took over everything from a marketing perspective and every company now seemingly has some kind of chat bot. For me, 2024 was the year where I really started using ChatGPT to it's full potential. For work, for ideas even now it's become a way to search the web. It's a Google killer. ChatGPT is now one of my most used pieces of software.
I've used OpenEmu for years but this year I played The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in it. OpenEmu makes playing these kind of difficult retro games tolerable with save states. The whole app feels very Mac-like which I love.
lazygit was an awesome upgrade for my usage of git especially at work. It's such a simple but powerful tool and makes all of my source control so much easier to reason with.