Tools

We all use tech and tools from ordering milk to running a business. Inspired by Ali Abdaal’s page, I am listing down all the tech and tools that I use on a daily basis. Of course, I am not a productivity nerd like him but I do use some tools as I crawl through the day.

This page will be updated from time to time as I keep changing the tools.

Phone

I am one of those crazy non-minimalist people who use two phones. I use a OnePlus 5 for my personal use. For my official use, I use the iPhone8 provided by my employer.

Both the phones are over three years old now and still behaving well so far. No tantrums. I haven’t been utilizing them to their full potential yet. I don’t see a need for an upgrade unless they break down.

Tab

I use an iPad Air but 2019 model. This is mainly used by my daughter for her online classes and learning, Skype calls with family and for binge-watching YouTube, Netflix etc.

With Notability, this has been immensely useful for downloading the pdf versions of text books and annotating them and also for scanning and uploading the test papers to Google Classroom.

Laptop

I bought a HP Pavilion x360 with 10th Gen Intel Core i3 last year after the pandemic set in. It is not the best configuration out there but we mainly use it for online classes, browsing internet and basic video editing. This laptop is more than enough for this requirement. We are no gamers.

Notebook & Pen

I do not have a preference for notebooks. I don’t journal. I use it mainly as a scratchpad to take quick notes, to write down the to-do lists in sudden surge of inspiration or to doodle a coconut tree during a boring meeting. The notebook that I use is AmazonBasics Classics Squared Notebook.

For writing, I have tried various pens but I keep coming back to Uni-ball Click Gel (0.7mm) black and Uni-ball Signo (0.7 mm) black. They look and feel wonderful on AmazonBasics squared notebook

Listening Tools

I have too many headphones and speakers. I love listening to music and watching movies using a good headphone / earphone. I prefer the wireless ones so that I can move around during calls or while doing the dishes. I am shortening the list to only three items that I use a lot

The original Airpods is my favourite go-to gear for listening. I purchased this about 3 years ago mainly to attend work-related calls. I spend 25-30% of my day on calls and meetings. Airpods have been a wonderful blessing so far. Of course, they are great only indoors.

When I attend meetings or consume media from my laptop, I use the Sennheiser PC8 headphones with a mic. This is an USB based headset and provides excellent clarity during calls. This is lighter and are comfortable for prolonged use. I purchased this recently after struggling with different options since the onset of the pandemic.

A Bose Soundlink II bluetooth speaker that was gifted to us 6 years ago. I use it at those times when I am in a mood for listening to some good Tamil songs. The sound output and clarity is top-notch.

E-book Reader

We bought a Kindle Paperwhite in 2016 and that is one of the best purchases so far. It has gotten a bit slower but is still going very well. As mentioned in this post, it is used a lot by my daughter and I couldn’t imagine buying and storing those many physical books.

Combined with the Kindle Unlimited subscription, this has been an excellent investment so far.

Smart Watch

I wouldn’t really call it a watch. It’s more of a band. I have been a fan of Fitbit since the first Fitbit flex was gifted to me in 2014. This band gives an illusion that you have accomplished something great when you hit your step goal.

Later, I bought Fitbit Versa. Mainly for helping me with notifications and tracking the sleep. And, it looked like an Apple Watch from distance. I used it for about 3 years before it broke.

I mainly wanted to track my sleep and resting heart rate which means I would wear it while sleeping. Fitbit Versa was a bit uncomfortable to wear the whole night. So, when it broke, I downgraded to Fitbit Charge 4. Fitbit Charge 4 is smaller, monochrome and doesn’t have fancy apps. But, it does track the essentials and is comfortable to wear while sleeping.