It's been said that the only difference between men and boys are the price of their toys.
I don't know if that's still true, but I do know that I've always been into gadgets.
Raised on video games (I remember when Space Invaders and PacMan showed up next to pinball machines), I've always had a thing for electronics.
I owned the first cartridge-based video game system that didn't require overlays on your television screen. This was the predecessor to the Atari 2600.
And I was fifteen years-old when I bought my first computer, a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I.
I remember spending hours playing the Coleco handheld football game.
Yes, I've always been into gadgets.
The level of sophistication and power in today's gadgets has changed dramatically, but I'm still just a big kid when it comes to my appreciation of them.
I thought I would take a few minutes to share my favorite gadgets with you.
1) TiVo
From time to time, someone will ask if I had seen such-and-such commercial. I almost always respond that I have not because I do not subject myself to the majority of television advertising. And I owe it all to TiVo.
I bought my first TiVo DVR in March 2000. As of this writing, that means I've had TiVo for ten years.
I remember being exposed to TiVo for the first time. It was love at first sight. I knew it was the only way to watch television and the future suddenly became the present.
The concept of time-shifting my favorite programs, having the device learn my behaviors, voting on which programs I liked and disliked, and setting up season passes made so much sense to me.
No video tape? Thumbs up.
Fast-forward past commercials? Two thumbs up!
When I first brought the TiVo into my house, my wife was puzzled as to what it was.
My kids immediately figured out how to use it. And it didn't take Mary long to get on board.
I've had two TiVos in my house for several years now. And whenever I am forced to watch television the old-fashioned way, I feel the pain of having to sit through commercials.
2) iPhone
I probably don't need to say much about this one. Only someone who has been in hibernation for the past two years wouldn't know why people love their iPhone so much.
I bought my first iPhone within thirty days of release in Summer 2007. In the past I had carried a T-Mobile Sidekick and a Palm Treo. The Treo was a nice device, but I knew the iPhone was the handheld computer I had been waiting for.
Always a fan of Macs AND PCs (yes, I have used both since they hit the market), I knew what I liked about Apple. And I had a hunch that this device would be everything they said it would be.
I paid $599 for my first iPhone. Just a couple months later Apple lowered the price to $399. People complained. I didn't. I saw the value and paid what I believed it was worth. The fact that Apple gave me a $100 credit for future purchases was a nice perk, but it wasn't necessary. The iPhone was worth every penny.
For the first time, I had a device that did almost everything I wanted it to do.
It was a cell phone (except when AT&T's coverage is poor).
It was a calendar, address book, notepad, clock, iPod, camera and so much more.
It was the first device that knew how I wanted to use it. It was so intuitive!
One year later Apple announced they would be making their software development kit available to third-party developers. Anyone could apply for a developer account and make applications that would be made available through the iTunes AppStore. Brilliant!
I knew that I wanted to be a part of this revolution and my team got busy working on apps.
To date, we have released a number of apps including iVote Mobile, My Button, The Joel Comm app, HammerTime, Mashable, iTrippy, GameDock, The KaChing Button and the now ubiquitous iFart Mobile.
Having a software development house has given me additional reasons to love the iPhone. But whether I developed software or not, I would still be enamored with it.
Every member of my family has an iPhone now. It has become an integral way for us to keep in touch, stay on top of our day, manage email, take photos, play games and enhance our lives. There have been times where you could walk into a restaurant and see all four of us "checking in" to the location with Gowalla.
What we I do without my iPhone? Don't ask me that question. You might trigger an anxiety attack of biblical proportions.
3) Bose QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones
If you would have asked me if I would ever have spent $350 on a pair of headphones, I am certain I would have told you "absolutely not."
That was until I began to travel more.
Nothing will make you wish you could check out and just enjoy your music than a fourteen-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. It's not just the occasional screaming babies either. It's the flight attendant's announcements. It's the "ding" of the seatbelt light or call button. It's the hum of the engines. It's the coughing of the other passengers.
The first time I put on a set of Bose QC3 headphones I knew I had to have them.
They fit wonderfully on my head, have a rechargeable battery that has lasted eight to ten hours at a time and they do a great job of cancelling out noise so I can chill out and enjoy the flight.
I take them with me in my laptop bag whenever I get on a plane and usually wear them throughout the entire flight. Whether I am listening to music or watching a movie on my iPod, playing Tap Tap Revenge on my iPhone or jacked into my MacBook, the sound quality is superb.
One time my battery ran out on an especially long flight and I tried the standard headsets offered by the airline. Oh my goodness. They were awful. Once you've used noise reduction headphones there's just no going back.
4) iPod Classic
Why would I carry an iPod with me when my iPhone has iPod functionality?
Because my 60GB Black iPod stores so much music and video! I've got it loaded up with so many of my favorites.
Sure, I could load more music on my iPhone, but then I wouldn't have room for as many apps.
So I don't mind tossing the iPod into my laptop bag when I am getting on a flight. It pairs great with my Bose QC3s. They get along great.
I also like that I can put A/V cables into the headphone jack on the device and output video to a television.
I'm sure I'll eventually ditch my iPod, but it will have to wait until the iPhone holds at least 150 GB.
5) Sharper Image iJoy Human Touch Massage Chair
Originally sold by The Sharper Image stores, you can only order these online now.
You remember walking through the mall and seeing these little beauties in the store window.
Some guy or gal would be sitting in it with a look of bliss on their face as the rollers kneeded and pulsated against their tired, weary back muscles.
You just HAD to try it yourself.
Ahhhh.... wow, that feels nice.
Mmmm... I think I can stay here all day.
Yikes! It's HOW MUCH?
Sure, they were pricey. I would imagine their latest models are as well.
But having one in my home-office has been a great investment for me.
Paired with the leg/calf massager, I can relax from a stressful day in a very short period of time.
That makes the price tag worth it.
Are there other gadgets that I like?
Of course.
My MacBook, Blu-Ray DVD player, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii come to mind.
I'm also fond of my Flip Video camera, Sony DVD burner and my Home PC. I spend a LOT of time using the latter.
And I like to keep a close eye on what the next big thing is in gadget-world. I make monthly trips through Best Buy just to see what is available and I enjoy attending the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas every few years just to keep my finger on the pulse.
Gadgets and me. We've got a good thing going.
It's late, and time for me to retire to my iJoy massage chair...
What are your favorite gadgets?
TRS-80 FTW!!!!! Man, you took me way back. Floppy Drives, Portable PacMan, Coleco (Zaxxon), Intellivision, Frogger, Fireman Fireman and wack a mole on the hand held Mego. Gadgets Gadgets Gadgets. I'm encouraged to get my own list together. I wonder if I will have a future post about the Apps I have on my iPhone and soon, iPad! Thanks Joel
I definitely love my DVR and my iPhone. I wouldn't want to go back from the conveniece that both offer me.
I love gadgets as well.
Upstairs when you first walk into the house we have all our "cool gadgets" and plenty of nerdy posters and old school gaming consoles, flat screen TV, and a few laptops sitting about.
Oddly enough, in my workspace down here I like to keep it simple. I sit in a regular chair (moved the office chair upstairs to complete a six set office chair dining table) on an old computer with one thing on the wall.
Nice article to read. I can attest to owning at least two of those gadgets above and admit to wanting a few more too!
My iPhone hardly leaves my side; I use Twitter much more as a result (and it's very handy staying up-to-date with the Winter Olympics and checking in with foursquare too). My iPod classic stays at home but that's only because I recently received a Nano for Christmas.
I've broken their primary functions into two parts: the Nano holds all my podcast subscriptions (incl. video) and all my regular music/audiobooks/movie rentals from iTunes live on my Classic. I like to think I'm one short of a full deck, but I don't think I need the shuffle to go with my iPhone, iPod Classic and Nano - yet.
Hey good article, im also a gadget man and can remember the Sinclair ZX81/Commodore 64 and of course pac man. Looking forward too more revealing posts from you.
Hey great post, I never go anywhere without my iphone. Im simply addicted to it.
I would have to say my Iphone is #1, followed by my MP3 player. Of course the computer is where the work occurs, but is it really considered a gadget?
Wow, this is a great post. I use a Commadore 64 almost every weekend to run a surf board simulator. I think there are some pics of it at surfohio.com but talk about old school. Now I have an app for that! Seems there is an app for anything and if there isn't, that app that thinks for you will find one. :) Regards.
In a previous posting, you mention a hand-held video recording device that you used for all of your videos posted on your website, and highly recommended it to your readers. However, I cannot find that old posting, and cannot remember the name of the device that you used. It was a hand-held digital video recorder, about the size of a cell phone. Can you let me know what it was?
Agree, but there is also a difference, how often they play them
I love my iPhone- the all in one gadget! Id rather have this than have different kinds of gadget that has the features of iPhone.
I actually find ''Sennheiser PXC 450 NoiseGard Active Noise-Canceling Headphones'' much more better than ''Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones'' but thats just for me.
I have met and spoke to people that has even proven me that ''Bose 15'' are better
Funny as it is I am not going to change them to Bose
Sadly, I am not tech savvy or gadget savvy. That's why I hire guys like you who can do in 10 minutes what it would take me a week to figure out, if I figured it out at all!