Being the Geek that I was, I remember the days when I would carry around a bag filled with the gadgets that I might need. Now, being the Geek-Dad I am, I carry around a bag filled with the things my kids do need – with little room left for my things.
I’m very much the, “it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it” kind of person. So, finding ways to reduce the number of things I carry around has often been a challenge. Thankfully, gadgets these days are shockingly small. And with every iteration, these gadgets are getting even smaller still – making much of what I used to carry in a bag now capable of being stuffed into one pocket.
Now in addition to “Helpy Features”, as I find ways to cut down the size and number of things that may need to be carried everyday, I’ll highlight them in my new “Reduce” Category.
Here are a few gadgets that inspired this category as they’ve significantly reduced my personal daily payload without reducing usefulness.
The Photon-Micro Light II
Not much bigger than a U.S. Quarter, the Photon-Micro Light II is an incredibly small LED flashlight that has a brightness level (4.5 Lumens) that can illuminate an entire room.
The SanDisk Cruzer Fit USB Flash Drive
Several years ago I was carrying a whole “compact” 32 GB FireWire hard drive to give myself the means to move or store large files. Now that same amount of storage is available in a flash drive about the size of a 5 Cent Coin. (Also available in 64 GB)
The Era by Jawbone Bluetooth Headset
Having a pair of headphones is a staple accessory in my personal mobile inventory. Since Bluetooth headsets can now do much more than just take calls, my headset can fill in for a bulky pair of headphones when I need to travel light. The Jawbone Era delivers crystal clear “HD Audio” suited for listing to music, audiobooks, and watching movies. It’s charging case even has a loop that can clip to my keychain.
In fact, all these items can be conveniently clipped to my keychain. Now the gadgets that would take up a corner of my bag can now fit into a corner of my pocket.
The Photon Micro-Light II is $12.
The SanDisk Cruzer Fit 32GB USB Flash Drive
The ERA by Jawbone Bluetooth Headset with Charge Case
