Author: Josh

Services:
Wonderlist: This cloud based to-do list is awesome. It has fantastic clients on iOS and Android. I use it to manage home, work, and hobby. I use the to-do entries to capture ideas for projects I want to build later.

Crashplan: I played with Crashplan’s non-cloud backup abilities and fell in love with it. We now subscribe to the family backup plan and supplement it with a local backup server. Our data is backed up twice! Linux clients are a big win here. The only downside to this is that the clients are written in Java and a little slow.

Google Play All Music Access: My friend Ivan Godwin got the discount “first adopters” rate for All Music Access. Since he started talking about it, I decided to try it. Having access to a seriously large music catalog has changed how I approach music. I try almost all the new music that comes out on a weekly basis. I still have a core play list of work and exercise music, but now I frequently add to it. I’ve found very bands / albums that are in Google’s catalog.

Books:
Effective Modern C++ (2014 Scott Meyers): After a long hiatus from C++ development, I picked it up again in 2013. This new version of a classic book is reasonable concise and captures a lot of the new ideas and concepts that are in modern C++. It’s not just limited to the syntax, but also covers some of the new standard library features. You can buy a copy from Amazon or read it on O’Reilly Safari.

Gear:
Sony Alpha a6000 :  I traded in a Sony NEX 3N for the A6000. The NEX 3N is slow and the kit lens is really not even good for a beginner. The A6000 is a huge step up. The quality, just from a fit and feel is far superior. The operational speed of the camera is light years ahead. I’ve only had the A6000 for a few months, but I don’t regret upgrading. I skipped the kit lens coupled the camera body with a Sigma 30mm prime lens.

MiniVNA Pro: I picked up this USB network analyzer to round out the analytical instrumentation on my work bench. This device connects via USB or Bluetooth and provides two-port analysis of passive RF circuits. The Windows desktop app is a bit clunky, but the price is right. My only complaint is that the unit should ship with the three termination options used for calibration by default.

Teensy 3.1: Small and fast ARM based Arduino compatible dev board. Fits directly onto a breadboard. This was my favorite until the Particle Photon came out.

Gregory Z35 Backpack: I needed a lightweight backpack for SOTA and hiking. I read some really great reviews about this pack’s suspension and ventilation. It’s all true: the ventilation is marvelous. I sweat a lot when hiking. This pack has a generous air channel right where your spine goes. With radio gear, I typically load this up with twenty pounds of gear. The Z35’s suspension has a wide, padded waist strap. This strap is better than most all packs in the same size class. I pair the Z35 with a Sea to Summit sil-nylon pack cover.

Wigwam Rebel Fusion Trekker Socks: I’m picky about socks. I tend to stay from most cotton clothes, especially cotton socks. This is a lesson that was instilled in me during several Boy Scout trips to Tuolemne Meadews. Cotton is death! These socks are 37% wool and the remainder is mostly nylon. Pure wool socks tend to make my feet sweat. The Trekker socks breath much nicer, and they stretch with your feet. I wear these around the house, to work, and even as liners inside heavily wool hiking socks.

Uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil: Hands down the best sub $10 mechanical pencil on the market. The auto-rotation mechanism actually works. The body feels nice and heavy; and there is no play in the tip.