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Cool tools really work.
A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
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I am the Head of Community at Boltplus.tv, where I also host my very own free, online Star Trek quiz show. — Spanner Spencer
PHYSICAL
Mini Portable Keychain Light: A very minor purchase to take an order over the threshold for free delivery, this mini keyring light turned out to be the best item of the lot. The LED is incredibly bright, it charges from a USB-C (and we have those cables all over the house), lasts for ages, and the magnet on the back means we can keep it on the fridge for easy access.
XD Design Bobby Hero Regular, Anti-theft backpack, cherry red: I loved the style but felt this was a bit pricey. I bought it anyway, and it's been outstanding. The shape is excellent and sits quite high on your back, making it distribute the weight really well. It fits more than you'd think, and I love the built-in USB port that lets you put a power bank inside it even when it's zipped up. Pockets everywhere, streamlined (fits under an airplane seat), very rugged, and beautiful styling.
Gerber MP600 Multi-Plier Bladeless: I've had this for over 25 years, and it's still like new. With a bit of practice, you can use it one handed, including opening, closing and using all tools. One of the reasons it's lasted so well is the saw can be replaced with standard jigsaw blades, which is an invaluable feature.
DIGITAL
Joplin Multimedia Notes: Fantastic, free notes app that's fully encrypted and can be synced across all your devices. Works across computer, tablets and mobile. I have thousands of notes now, and sync them through a free Nextcloud account to keep it completely secure and private. A gigabyte gives you more notes storage than you could ever use.
Tab Digital Free Nextcloud: Nextcloud is a bit like Google Drive, but you can host it yourself. Or you can go to somewhere like Tab Digital which lets you have 8GB of storage in a Nextcloud account for free. Then you can also use it to sync your encrypted Joplin notes.
INVISIBLE
"Where is the universe?"
In the classic John Carpenter film Big Trouble in Little China, there's an invaluable quote from character Egg Shen that's the perfect way to stop stupid or obstructive questions and comments in their tracks!
"Where am I supposed to put this?" Channel your Egg Shen, and respond: "Where is the universe?"
"Where's that work you were supposed to be doing?" "Where is the universe?"
"Where's my coffee?" "Where is the universe?"
What’s in your NOW?
We want to know what’s in your now — a list of 6 things that are significant to you now — 3 physical, 2 digital and 1 invisible.
Shoshana Berger, Senior director at IDEO
01/1/21 Picks and shownotes