​First thing you notice about the "Dragon Glassware Diamond Whiskey Decanter, Premium Designer Decanter with Glasses for Spirits and Wine, 25 Ounces, Gift Boxed" is that everything is boxed with great care.  Each cut out in the packing material has no wiggle room.  In fact, it is slightly difficult getting the glasses out because it is packed in so perfectly.

I have a novelty style decanter already that has a skull decanter and some very cool skull glasses.  It is more fun that elegant and this set fits the role of really presenting a great bottle of scotch with some panache.  My only complaint is that it only has two glasses, but I will buy a couple more to fill in the set.

If you know someone that drinks whiskey, I think this is a fantastic gift that is unique and beautiful.  Of course, it is a great gift for yourself, too!

For full disclosure, I received this set for free in exchange for a review for Amazon and I get paid if you click and buy from Amazon links. 

Here is a review I wrote back in 2017 and never posted for some reason!!

​I got the chance to review the Das Keyboard 4 Professional for Mac, Soft Tactile and jumped at the chance.  I have been using a Logitech Solar Keyboard, but I have always wanted to try out a mechanical keyboard and price always stood in the way.

The Das keyboard is a beauty.  It has a minimalistic design, but still has a few tricks up its sleeves.  The anodized aluminium top panel gives it a professional feel and look.  Instead of a kickstand, it uses a magnetic red ruler that attaches to the bottom of the keyboard to raise it 4 degrees.  Personally, I prefer this to the flimsy legs that can be propped up on most keyboards, but if you need more rise, you would need to seek another way to prop it up.   This version incorporates a 104 key US layout, which I prefer.  I use the number keys a lot.

The keyboard is thin (for a mechanical) and modern, so it it doesn't have special macro keys or LED backlighting.  However, they have given us some nice media controls.  You have direct access to features like mute, play, pause, next, and previous track.  However, my favorite feature is the large volume knob that gives you perfect control over the volume because it clicks with each change in volume.  They even included a dedicated sleep button right on the keyboard.

Still use this keyboard with my main computer setup (2018 Mac mini).  I love it.  I have a second mechanical keyboard for my PC in the same room and its keys are much deeper.  I think the DASKeyboard is the perfect depth for my writing habits.  Very happy with this keyboard and don't envision changing it unless something breaks.  

Well, it is a new year, so time to give some thought into my goals for this year.  The last 2 or 3 years have been a blur.  However, I am hoping that 2020 is a year to settle down and maybe take it a bit easier.  We will see because it seems that life changes spring upon you when you least expect it.  

A few years back I wrote a similar post to this one and it was satisfying to see things on the list get crossed off.   Therefore, without further ado, here is my list of things I would like to accomplish in 2020:

I have had more time to post lately, so that has lead to a new approach to simply make time to post new reviews and opinions.  I have always kept this blog somewhat non-personal, as unusual as that is for a personal blog, but maybe this next year, I will sprinkle a bit more of my daily life into the mix, so it puts my reviews in more context.  My main goal is to try to post at least once a week.  We will see if I can keep that up, but it at least gives me a target to shoot for.  

I had this on my list of goals for years now and it just seems so time consuming that I will have to find an approach to make this happen without so much time involved.  I think that will lead to less quality, at first, but I think that everyone kind of starts with something a bit shoddy and as they learn new techniques, the quality rises.  I have to let that process happen rather than just recording something and throwing it in the trash because it doesn't meet my standards.  I think I did that with my recent office setup video, which I still feel wasn't my best work, but at least it got my main point across.

I am going to start putting more time into photography in my free time.   At one time, I did a daily photo and I may get to the point where I post something on Flickr almost daily, but I need to get out more and get more photos.   I have already started that a bit as 2019 wound down, but I want to keep that up as weather gets better.  Also, I want to look into ways to make money off my work. I haven't visited sites like Shutterstock in years, so I think I will revisit them if only for inspiration.

I would say that I want to lose weight, and that is true, but I also want to spend more time enjoying the outdoors, taking my pups to the park, etc.   I have settled down a bit and that has put me back into some old habits of hitting the couch when I walk in the door and staying there most of the night.  This year, I want to spend more time enjoying nature, even when that is just my own backyard.  My gal and I had a ritual of spending time outside in the morning enjoying our espresso as summer was winding down and I want to pick that up in the spring and keep it up. 

This goes along with #4, but it is specific to the pups.  They love to go for walks and I need to get off the couch, so it is a win-win.  

I have received a lot of products for review purposes that I have never reviewed on this site because of the whirlwind my life was in 2018/2019.  This year, I want to revisit some of the products that I still use and explain why I haven't moved onto something new.  As an example, I often have offers to test new keyboards and I have decided to just stick with what I have.  That is a level of satisfaction from my current keyboards that would probably make for a nice review.   I should say that I don't get a garage full of boxes every week to review.  The stuff I chose to review is stuff I want to keep, at least when I choose to review or buy it outright.  I see some of the top reviewers switching out phones on a weekly basis.  How good can their review be after using something for a week or less?  

I used to cook quite a bit and I have reviewed a lot of those cooking products I used in the past decade. I still love to do it, but a combination of stress and exhaustion got me out of the habit. I am going to make an effort to at least cook a meal on the weekend every week, if not more often than that. Maybe start there and add a day or two as I get more enthused about it. My mom was asking me why I haven't smoked a pork butt in a while and the answer is really just stress and wanting to chill on the couch. I have to change that this year.

I am a big sports fan, which have kept me in the grasp of cable TV for years.  As my Tivo account gets ready to renew, I think I am going to dump the service and return my cable card to Comcast.  I think a better option is to use a streaming service that can use my AppleTVs and Rokus.  Then I can turn them on and off depending on the season.  As an example, there are months in the middle of the summer that I watch nothing on TV, but that cost is still there.  With something like YouTubeTV or Sling, I can turn it on for basketball playoffs and March Madness and leave it off for the months I don't need it.  I am still trying to decide how to manage my local TV when I am not using one of these services and I may go with some sort of OTA recorder( Note:  I just got two new products for that to review, so check back if you have an interest).  

One of the biggest causes of stress this last year was my job.  It has been highly stressful to say the least.  That being said, it is just busier than it has ever been and that has meant more mental exhaustion as I head home.  I need to keep in mind how lucky I am to have the job.  One of my friends lost their job in 2018 and life hasn't been the same for them.  I guess I need to remember that when my head feels like it might explode!  LOL 

I have really been doing this a lot more lately now that I have my main systems (hopefully, I will have a post on that setup soon) really sending out great sound quality.  For my mental health, I think music is often a better way for me to relax when compared to television.  

Pretty much everything on this list is geared toward making me a happier and better version of myself in 2020.  lThe combination of using my brain, body, and heart to continue to switch things up is my main goal in 2020.    Hope you have a great 2020, as well, and accomplish all of your goals!  Thanks again for visiting this site.

I have been keeping track of my favorite tech on this site going back to 2011.  I thought it would be cool to show my top tech for each year since I started keeping track.

Note:  I received some items for free in exchange for my review and I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products on this site.  That being said, my reviews are solely based on my opinion.  I have never been asked to to provide only a positive review and I would not participate in any program with that condition.

What initially wrote:  iPhone 4S - While this was initially a disappointment because the rumor mill made it sound like we would all be using the "iPhone 5" to teleport ourselves to other dimensions and solving questions like "the meaning of life" (although Siri does try to provide us some answers to that question), the iPhone 4S is my favorite tech of the year.  With its camera, Siri, speed, etc.. it is a huge update from the iPhone 3GS.

In hindsight, I think this is still one of the best iPhones that Apple ever made in this size.   It introduced Siri before it had any competition.  The two layers of glass that were squeezed between the two steel antenna band was just gorgeous.  One of the only iPhones that I kept in my collection, though I haven't used it in quite a while.  

What I initially wrote:  This was my favorite new device in 2012.  While there were cameras that came to market with many more megapixels.  This camera has better low light performance, faster frames per second, and is just a better all around camera, in my opinion and for my needs.   Popular Photography also named it their camera of the year.

Yes, this was my workhorse until I change to Sony a couple years ago.  I actually still keep it around as a second camera since it is so darn good.  Since I mainly use Sony with a Metabones adapter, I can switch on and off Canon lenses without issue.    Just an amazing all around camera and if I didn't want to switch to 4k video, I might still be using it as my main camera.

I stopped using Directv a while back because it was just too expensive when combined with my internet.  I am using Comcast for both now, but I am even thinking about dropping the cable package all together since I stream so often these days.  I still think this was a revelation at the time, but streaming continues to change the face of all media. 

What I wrote:  Product of the year - Any time I get a new phone, it will most likely end up on this list.  The iPhone 6 plus is the phone I have wanted since I bought my first smartphone several years ago (Kyocera 7135).   It is finally large enough to be used for more than just email and music.   The main upsides are the fact that it now has a 1920x1080, 5.5 inch screen, TouchID/ApplePay  (which is amazing and probably deserves its own entry on this list), faster processor, better camera with optical stabilization, slo-mo video,  specific landscape mode with certain apps, fantastic battery life, etc...  See some of my impressions here and here.

Yes, this was one great phone.  I actually held onto my 4s until I got this phone, so I was simply waiting on this form factor.  If it wasn't for Airplay, I might have moved to Android.   However, this phone also brought us TouchID which is amazing even now.  I never did update to FaceID and with the talk of under display TouchID being rumored, maybe I won't ever have to?  

Yes, iPhone again.   It is hard to argue with this one though.  As I mentioned, they boosted the camera and added 4k video.  I know a lot of people still rocking this phone for the headphone port since it was removed a year later.   

I still have these spread around the house and even the very first model that required you to already own an Echo device (*unless you found the backdoor like I did :)) still gets daily use.  I feel like Apple really missed the boat on this since they had Siri around earlier, but Amazon filled that gap and is till reaping rewards from it. 

As we become more and more reliant on streaming, internet of things, etc..  The wifi we have in our homes will become more and more important.  I still have Orbi in the house (though I changed the main router to a version that connects directly to cable) and it works like a charm with fast speeds and coverage everywhere.   Still highly recommended.

2018 was the most difficult year to pick a favorite.   I added the Sony Camera and a wonderful Espresso machine to my gear list (see a link to every year's complete list in the "Wrap Up").  However, when you add tech that can literally save your life while still just looking like your everyday smart watch, it is just too much to overlook.  I did mention the lack of an always on display which was rectified with the iPhone 5, but I am waiting for something a bit more out of the box before I upgrade.  They have made the display much more responsive to the wrist turn in the Series 4, so it isn't nearly as noticeable as it was in the Original Apple Watch.  

Not much more to add to this post since it is so recent, however, check out my new office tour if you get a chance:

No dount that the last decade was filled with great tech (see the full list for each year by clicking on the year:   2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011).  In hindsight, there were a couple years where I could have picked something other than an Apple product, but they release these things late in the year, so my excitement level was peaked.   Also, is there anything more personal than an iPhone or Apple Watch that are typically with you 24/7?  

Make sure you review the rest of my lists because there was a lot of tech in all kinds of different categories that made an impact on my daily life.   

Note:  I receive items for free in exchange for my review and I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products on this site.  My reviews are solely based on my opinion.  I have never been asked to to provide only a positive review and I would not participate in any program with that condition.

Periodically, I like to create a new video with my current setup.   Since the last video I made was in 2016, I figured it was time.  The setup has several new updates.  I got a new monitor, new computer, and a few new gadgets.  Check it out below:

For convenience, there really hasn’t been much competition over the years for Apple’s Airplay combined with their hardware and software.  I remember searching for audio options that could send my audio files to any room in the house years ago.  At first, I tried Roku Soundbridge, but like so many other products along the way, it eventually got abandoned.   While Apple hasn’t updated their oldest Airport Express products, they still work with their current devices.   They have, of course, improved the entire hardware ecosystem and even updated to Airplay 2.    While I am still disappointed by their lack of a lossless music service (though, they support lossless CD quality files over Airplay), I still think the convenience factor is off the charts.  You can control Airplay from the HomePod, CarPlay, AppleWatch, iPhone, iPad, Macs, and AppleTVs and it is built into a plethora of third party products.  Therefore, the strength of their ecosystem, including Apple Music and iTunes, has to be recognized when it comes to music and no company has had a bigger impact on audio hardware and software than Apple in the last decade.  

This app was the answer to playing multi-zone audio throughout the house.  It initially worked with Airplay, but has expanded to work with Casting, Bluetooth, and most recently, Sonos.  It also has a great iOS/Android app for controlling the program running on a computer or even sending audio to the computer by essentially turning the computer into an AirPlay receiver.   The upside to this app is that it works with any audio app on the computer or iPhone. 

Note 1:  I should give a shout out to Sonos for their multi-room options, but I never bought into that ecosystem.  I was always worried about their longevity and didn’t want to spend a fortune on devices that could get bricked if they went under.  Also, for years, their speakers and boxes were too expensive compared to Airplay devices.  I just never saw it is a decent value.  I do think they have filled in many holes over the years and brought their speakers down in price, but if you compare it to Airplay which was already built into my 3 receivers from 3 different companies, adding the $250 Sonos Connect to the system for streaming which was already had built in, didn’t make good financial sense.  I will still give them credit for being ahead of the curve for multi-zone options.  Though, they didn’t make this list.

There probably hasn’t been a technology with faster growth than Bluetooth over the last decade.  While I prefer Airplay and DLNA when I am on wifi, Bluetooth is the best option for using a battery powered speaker by the beach or when you want ultra convenience...especially when you don't have wifi access.   The fact that it is used in autos, speakers, headphones, and devices like the Echo means it is here to stay.   It has become so popular that companies have started adding it to stand alone streamers and home theatre receivers.   

Note 3:  I should mention Casting in this article, so here it is.  The reason I don’t consider it top ten is because of the discontinuation of the Chromecast Audio device.  It was really the best way to get great sound from Casting and with it gone, this tech evaporated from my list.  Also, compared to Bluetooth and AirPlay, it is severely limited in the number of services and devices  supported.

The Jabra Elite 75t are the truly wireless earbuds that fit the gap in price between the Apple AirPods and the AIrpod Pros.   Depending on your needs, you may be in the market for one of these three earbuds.

For full disclosure, I received these for free to review for Amazon and I get paid if you click and buy from Amazon links. 

If how earbuds sound is a major requirement, these are going to be one of the best options at this price point.  Some are reporting that they are bass heavy out of the box, which I think is a requirement for most on the go earbuds.  They are what people typically want for working out, running, etc because those activities lend themselves to music that has more beat than midrange.  

That being said, the great thing about these buds is the fact that you can tweak the EQ settings and probably get a sound that fits your needs for whatever type of music you listen to.   

The thing I really like about these earbuds is that after you tweak the EQ, you are not only rewarded with sound that fits your taste, but the out of the head sound is about the best I have heard from any in-ear headphones.

Despite the small design of these earbuds, they pack a lot of battery power.  You typically get around 7.5 hours and up to 28 with the carrying case.  Compared to AirPods (~5 hours and 24 hours with case), this is quite the achievement.  In other words, the 75ts are smaller and can get you almost a full 8 hour day of use.   

I have never been a fan of that Q-Tip hanging from the ears look of the AirPods.   In my opinion, they are ugly to say the least.  Yes, I am getting more used to the look, but they don't have the sleek design of the 75ts.  

One advantage to the AirPods is how easy they are to pair.  They still have that advantage when you first pair them or jump from one device to another.  I have use AirPods and BeatsX that have the W1 chip and it is pretty nice.  

With the 75ts, you have to go into Bluetooth pairing mode the first time you use them, so you don't have that cool GIF of the box opening on the screen.  However, I tested them with my iPhone 7 Plus and once they were connected, they would automatically connect the next time when you put them in your ears.   I also tested connecting them to my Mac mini.  Since they can connect to two devices simultaneously, you can just pause the Mac's audio and hit play on the phone and they will jump over automatically.  Pause the audio on the phone and hit play on the Mac and they jump to the Mac automatically.   

They can pair to two devices simultaneously, but they can be setup on 8 devices for normal Bluetooth pairing.   All in all, they may not have the coolness factor of the W1/W2 chip, but they get the job done with very little effort.

I haven't tested the AirPods in a while, but I remember them being decent for phone calls.  The Jabra 75ts are fine, too.  I don't use them that way very often, but when I do, I haven't had any complaints on the other end.   If it was a critical call, I would probably go with a wired option anyway.

First off, you have control of everything from skipping songs to controlling volume (with the AirPods, you have to summon Siri to control volume):

Secondly, it works with Siri and Alexa.  You simply hit the right earbud control twice.  I was pleasantly surprised that this will even work with my Mac mini.   With Apple Music, I can just double click the bud and tell it want I want to hear.  Very nice feature for a third party product.  

If you need noise cancelling, these don't have the feature.  You may be better of with AirPods Pros.  That being said, they have something called hear through.   Since these fit in your ear canals rather than hanging outside your ears (they have different ear tips for those with large or small ear holes), they have a certain amount of outside noise blocking as it is.  However, the hear through settings will allow you to have a conversation while music is playing because it lets in more of the outside world.   It uses a small mic to pick up the sound, so for the best music sound quality, it is best to leave it off.  However, if you are hanging out with a friend with these on, you can hear them if they want to talk.   The interesting thing is that even though they don't have noise cancelling, the app has different "Soundscapes" you can play like Ocean Waves, that should be great for blocking out noisy environments.

While I didn't discuss much about fit, these fit me right out of the box.  I almost forget when they are in because they are so comfy.  However, fit is so individualistic, it is impossible to say how they will fit from one person to the next.  

Personally, I prefer the design, battery life, and sound quality of these over the AirPods.  If I had to come up with one thing I don't like about them, it would be the fact that if you just want to listen to one while the other is charging, you can't do that with the right earbud.  You can take the left out and charge it and the right will still play, but the left won't play if you don't have the right one in. 

Outside of that, these are just about perfect.

As an amateur photographer, I have tested a multitude of different storage options.   I have always been a fan of Lacie's rugged drives, even before SSDs became popular.  You could throw them in a bag and not worry about them.  

LaCie Rugged SSD 1TB Solid State Drive — USB-C USB 3.0, Drop Shock Dust Water Resistant, for Mac and PC Computer Desktop Laptop is very, very fast.  In fact, I have tested all kinds of external drives and this has the fastest speeds I have tested.  Using a Blackmagic Speed test, I consistency got up and down speeds of over 900MB/s.   That is VERY impressive.   The box included both USB-C and USB-A cable connectors so it will plug into pretty much any laptop on the market.  The cables are thick and give a nice tight connection.   I am using this drive with a 2016 MBP and it works without a hitch.  Just plug it in and you are up and running,

There is a slight trade off in size and weight for the rugged design.  Obviously, when you add a thick protective cover around something, it gets more bulky.  I have included a photo of it next to a spinning drive and a Samsung SSD.    Personally, I don't mind the trade off for the extra peace of mind.  This will be my travel drive for the foreseeable future.  With its terabyte of space, rugged durability and super fast speeds, it is my ideal travel drive.  

Note:  I receive items for free in exchange for my review and I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products on this site.  My reviews are solely based on my opinion.  That being said, I have never been asked to to provide only a positive review and I would not participate in any program with that condition.

Well, as I mention in a prior article, Amazon got in the lossless/hi res music streaming game.  In my opinion, it lacked a lot of features and those issues pretty much doomed the service for me as soon as I had a better, affordable option.  First I am going to discuss why I am leaving Amazon and then I will discuss why I am choosing Qobuz instead.

Bit Perfect Audio

For people that care about audio quality, having bit perfect audio is a necessity.   What this means is that the application need to be able to perform bit rate switching on the fly.   The issue with Amazon is that their apps don’t have this basic feature on the Mac, PC, or even iOS.

Lack of an iOS Remote

If you are willing to live with the issue above, the second major issue for me was the inability to control what was playing on a computer with an iOS remote app.  This means you have to fire up your display and use a mouse/keyboard to chose what you want to hear.   I do have a remote app (Rowmote Pro) that will work in place of a keyboard and mouse, but that is not ideal.


Streaming from computer to device at lower resolutions 

With the exception of Bluesound Node, which has some of its own interface issues if what I have read is true, you are stuck with mostly Airplay or Chromecast streaming.  Neither will stream at the max resolution of the service.   I even invested in a Firetv with the hopes that I could stream at higher resolutions and no such luck.  It is capped out at 48khz even on their own products!


The Price Drop

Thanks to Amazon getting into the market, Qobuz just dropped its hi res streaming package from $24.99 to $14.99 a month.  Not as cheap as Amazon Music HD with a Prime account, but close enough for my needs.  This price drop made me give this service a shot.   While I still don’t think it is right to make people pay more just to be able to play music in the format it is meant to be heard, it is close enough for me at this point.   I would have never paid $24.99 for the service!  That pricing is outrageous in my humble opinion.

Audirvana

When Amazon first got in the market, I frequented the websites of Roon and Audirvana to see if they would work with Amazon.   Both services indicated that they didn’t see it on the horizon.  However, Qobuz already works with both audio apps.   While these apps aren’t cheap, $75 for Audirvana and $119 per year for Roon, they add great sound quality, access to your own music library, and both have remote apps on iOS.  

Personally, I decided on Audirvana for two reasons:  Price and UPNP streaming.   I was already looking for a way to get my ALAC files out of iTunes and had even tested both services.  So, I just needed a little more incentive to invest in one of them.   Audirvana is cheaper, and while it doesn’t have the great metadata features you get with Roon, it does offer fantastic sound quality.   

Also, Roon does not work with UPNP.  What does this mean?  It means that streaming is done with their own protocol or with Airplay/Casting.  I have three receivers and a Yamaha WXC-50 that all support UPNP streaming.  This means I can stream to all of these devices at 24/192 quality rather than having to live with a lower resolution.  It isn’t the most important thing, but having that kind of flexibility for less money just seemed to make more sense for my specific uses.

Qobuz app

Without Audirvana, the native Qobuz app is still nice and has Airplay, Bluetooth, and Casting built into the interface.  It will be more than enough for most people, so it is worth trying out, even if you have no interest in Audirvana or Roon features.  Even without Audirvana, the app is capable of bit perfect audio on iOS, MacOS, and Windows.  Not sure about Android.  

What about Echo Devices and HomePod?

Yes, I have both Amazon Echo devices around the house and a HomePod.  Neither support Qobuz without getting another device involved via Airplay or Bluetooth.   I don’t really care because I am keeping my Apple Music subscription and it works with both products and is ideal for CarPlay.

$25 A Month for Music?

Yes, I am increasing my outlay for music.  I may buy a year long sub to Qobuz which will bring down the average monthly fee a bit more.   However, I can’t eat out once with my girlfriend for $25, so it isn’t like we are talking about a fortune to have convenience when I need it or the ultimate sound quality when I have time to really listen to music.   I am not saying it is for everyone.  Most people will be happy with the lossy files on Spotify or Apple Music.   However, I have a lot of money invested in audio equipment and speakers/headphones around the house and this allows me to use them at their max potential.   

Below is the Qobuz app - notice the casting symbol in the corner:

Below is a landscape pic from the Audirvana app:

Below is Audrivana in portrait mode on the iPad:

As in past years (2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011), I am putting together a new list of my top tech.  The list contains my favorite things from the last year, even if they were available in prior years.  By "tech" I am basically including any new toys, apps, etc... that I find cool and/or useful.  

Note:  I receive items for free in exchange for my review and I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products on this site.  My reviews are solely based on my opinion.  I have never been asked to to provide only a positive review and I would not participate in any program with that condition.

Samsung 34-Inch CJ791 Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor -  After years of using a 27 inch iMac in my office, I decided to get a monitor that has more flexibility for my needs.  This fits the bill with USB-C inputs, HDMI input, etc.  It works with my Mac mini, Dell PC, and with everything plugged into my Onkyo receiver.  I can plug my MBP right into the USB-C and get a great image with power.  It is a substantial upgrade, for my needs, from the iMac.

Tamron 17-75mm lens- I mentioned my Sony camera in a prior top ten list, but this lens takes things to a new level and really makes for a nice compact setup for traveling when I want to get photos with something better than an iPhone.   The price for a fast f2.8 lens is really amazing.   

As a side note, Tamron now has a wide angle lens available and a 70-180mm on its way to market.  Don't be surprised if one or both of these lenses are on my top ten tech list next year.

2018 Mac Mini - This Mac Mini made it possible to get rid of my iMac and go with a more useful setup at my desk.  I love the size and versatility of this little fella.  I guess the one shortfall is the graphics card, but I may update that via an eGPU, if I find I need it down the road.  Right now, I am happy with it for doing everything from spreadsheet work to running photo apps like Lightroom and Photoshop. 

Vanguard  VEO2GO235CB Tripod - I can't even explain just how useful a tripod that is light and will fold up and fit in a messenger bag is.  However, this has taken my photography up a notch because I can take it anywhere.  I took the picture below while using the tripod with my Sony camera and a Canon 100-400mm lens mounted on this tripod.

Amazon Music HD -  While they are still ironing out the kinks in the service, it is just fantastic to finally have a lossless service that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.  Also, I hope that Amazon's adoption of this format puts pressure on Apple to also put out a lossless music streaming option.   With the speed of the internet services getting faster and faster, it is really stupid to continue giving listeners only a lossy option.  Don't get me wrong, I would like the option to adjust the bitrate down for cellular, but this is a huge statement from Amazon. 

Topping D10 DAC - With Amazon offering a lossless music service with a bunch of "UltraHD" songs, it has became a great time to upgrade my DAC.  For me, this was the best, most economical solution because it accomplished two things:  1. It gave me a path for Hi Res audio out of the USB output of my Mac Mini and 2.  It has its own digital out, so I fed that into my Cambridge DAC Magic.  This allows me to continue using the DAC Magic's other inputs and filters without spending a fortune on a total replacement.

Secura Electric Bottle 4A Battery Powered Wine Opener with Foil Cutter 4A Battery Powered Wine Opener with Foil Cutter - My kitchen is getting pretty full with all the tech stuff I have received over the years.  That being said, this was worth the counter space.  It makes opening wine bottles easy and fun.  

Anova Culinary AN500-US00 Anova Precision Cooker - ​Smaller and more useful than my old Bluetooth model.  Not that that model was bad, but this gives me more flexibility to drop something in the water in the morning, then set it to start cooking from work.

Automax 100M Auto Feed Shredder - When I got a chance to review this shredder, I questioned adding it because of it size.  However, it has been awesome!   I have been going through a bunch of old bills and documents and shredding them.  It is fast and does the job!

BISSELL Cleanview Rewind Pet Deluxe Upright Vacuum Cleaner - Seems like I always have some new vacuum cleaner on my list and this year is no exception.  This does a great job of cleaning, but the thing I really love about it is the retractable power cable.  My prior vacuum cleaners always had that cord that had to be wrapped around it from top to bottom.  You couldn’t use the wand without removing it, either.  This makes vacuuming just a little bit less of a chore.​

HyperDrive USB C Hub- I have a lot of adapters, like any good MacBook Pro owner, but this one is my favorite.  I mainly like it because it feels like part of the laptop.  The adapters that use cables hang off to the side and you never forget they are there.  

First Aid Kit Home Comprehensive 25 Items 131 Piece Soft Case Bag - Right after I got this bag, we had an accident at the house and the bandages came in handy.  I mainly got this to keep in my Jeep, but I will have to replenish it before we hit the road!

As with past years, there was plenty of great new tech that caught my eye, but I resisted a lot of it.  The hardest thing to resist was the new Apple Watch with its always on display (hopefully I can continue to resist it for another year!!) and the new iPhone Pro.  I have to admit that the 3 lens configuration would come in handy.  However, I am still using my 7 plus and I am happy with it.  I prefer it to the new iPhone 11 (non-pro) because I like having a telephoto lens over an ultra-wide.  I am very surprised that they felt people would prefer to go even wider versus having a normal length lens.  I know I prefer the look of humans in photos with an ordinary length lens.  

I also like the 12.9 inch iPads.  As I suspected, they marketed this product with Adobe Photoshop, but here we are almost a year later and the app still isn't available to the public.   It was definitely worth holding out.  I have had time to move most of my photos to Lightroom CC and make them available on my older iPad.   I am already using it to edit, but before I shell out that kind of money, I need Photoshop.   


Note:  I receive items for free in exchange for my review and I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products on this site.  My reviews are solely based on my opinion.  I have never been asked to to provide only a positive review and I would not participate in any program with that condition.