Dev Blog

Following on from my previous post on tools, I thought it’d be worth creating a post on the gadgets I use daily.

iPod Nano

I got this just over a year ago, to replace my iPod 3rd gen, which was suffering from a very short battery life. I use the iPod to listen to podcasts in the car (Hanselminutes, This developers life, DotNetRocks, Runas radio, and a few others). It’s also used to play music to aid concentration (Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Random 80’s music, Gregorian chant, depending on the project).

Blackberry Bold 9700

My personal phone. Prior to this I had a Nokia N95, and wanted to move to something Smarter. I’ve had this nearly a year, and have not been disappointed. It has a great, responsive UI, and a great range of apps for it (ubertwitter, WordPress client, Facebook). I did consider the iPhone when I was looking to change, but it didn’t feel right for me. Another 6-8 months left on this phone before an upgrade is due, but even then, it’ll probably be either a newer Blackberry, or some form of WP7 device.

External Hard disk

A few months ago, I built an external drive. The recommendation came from a Tweet from Liam Westley, which was for an Akasa P2 series 2.5″ drive enclosure and a Western Digital Scorpio Black 320GB 2.5″ drive. The drive case has both USB2 and eSata connections, which means it’s really snappy for VM’s, which I use in abundance.

Crumpler Belly XL

I’m using this as I needed a big bag for my laptop, and plenty of space for all the associated gubbins. It has space for everything, and is comfortable to carry too. This I recommend to anyone who’ll listen.

Kindle

I recently got an Amazon Kindle (3g+Wi-Fi). I’m impressed by this device, it’s lighter than my PowerShell 2 Admin guide, has plenty of space for other books, and is really easy to read. I’ll be posting a review of the Kindle in the coming weeks, but suffice to say, I like it.

Finally, FiloFax Urban Personal

Strictly speaking, it’s not a gadget, as it’s not really technological, however, I use it alot, happily. There is something about being able to read and write things down, with a pen, also, it has space for me to make notes at various events (such as the upcoming DDD8a. While all of these tasks could be done using the Blackberry, there is something about having a tangible piece of paper, and it certainly feels tangible.