I Reviewed It and Still Use It, the Dan-Edition

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We were having a conversation among the site’s editors last week with regard to items that we reviewed. It’s one thing to use an item for a few days or a week or two (which is the average) and quite another thing to use it for a month or two or three. There are times when an item looks great in the initial review but then there are some issues that arise with it down the line. Of course, if there’s any radical change in our perception of an item after using it for a while we will update the post or write another one, but it does beg the question — what items have we reviewed here on Gear Diary and, weeks and months later, continue to use. Which is the reason for this new series —

I Reviewed It and Still Use It.

A good percentage of the things I use on a daily basis right now are items that I reviewed here on the site. Some were sent as review units and the companies were kind enough to allow me to use them for an extended period of time in order to really get a sense of the item and others are things that I personally bought for daily use.

There are so many of them that I reviewed and still use that, for this inaugural I Reviewed It and Still Use It post, I’m only listing a few. There will be others (so by no means are the items I’ll mention here the only ones), and I look forward to reading about the items other team members reviewed and still use in the weeks to come.

The Padster Original

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I love this bag. I love the fact that it’s designed specifically for my iPad but it’s also large enough to carry some additional items. I love the fact that it does not look like a MURSE. I love the fact that the flap that goes over the opening is not secured so that it’s easy to access what’s inside but the main compartment has a zipper so that everything can be enclosed and secured when needed.

I like the look of the bag and I like the feel of the bag, and I also love the way it’s designed which actually fits in with my work style quite well. There is just enough organization on the interior of the bag for me to put some of the key items I always carry and know exactly where they are. In addition, there are zippered areas on both the front and the back for those things I may need to stash momentarily but have access to at a moment’s notice.

So why is this bag is something that “I reviewed and still use”? Because it is aesthetically pleasing and functionally top-notch. Oh, and one other reason – every few days Elana looks at it and says, “Have I told you I love this bag?” She has fantastic taste, so the bag MUST be nice.

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300

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I am doing my best to go paperless these days. This is especially the case since I got the iPad and I’m slowly scanning as much of my library and files as possible. Especially since I now use Evernote and Dropbox I feel secure in the fact that my documents are backed up and accessible across all of my devices. Mix in the fact that even if a document isn’t directly on my iPad I can quickly pull it down from the cloud and it just so much simpler to have everything in electronic form. To do that you need a good scanner. And I love this particular Fujitsu scanner. I have an older and larger version of it that can handle up to 50 sheets at a time but I find myself going to this particular model more often than not. It’s small, easy to use, fast, makes beautiful electronic versions of documents, and best of all it’s highly portable. I don’t even need to plug it in since it is bus-powered when the need arises.

In addition, I find the reliability of this particular scanner to be superb. I’ve used it quite a bit and it looks and functions as if it were brand-new. I can’t recommend it strongly enough.

JHAudio JH5 Custom In-Ear Monitors

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Most of the time I want a headset that has an in-line microphone ( I love my Etymotic HF2s) since I might be listening to music one minute and either making a phone call, using DragonDictation, or making some sort of voice note the next. But there are times when I simply want to listen to music and on those occasions, I love using these custom-made headphones that I reviewed at the beginning of the summer. They sound incredible they are remarkably comfortable and they’re simply a pleasure to listen to. Yes, as I said in my review, they are a bit on the pricey side but they sound fantastic.

Eos Converge Multi-room Wireless Audio System

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I reviewed the Eos Converge Multi-room Wireless Audio System when my house was still under construction. As a result, I tried it out in a temporary way in those rooms that actually had power. (Most didn’t at the time… don’t ask…) We are still under construction but our rooms now have power… and the master bath is finally done (almost). As a result, I am really making use of the system and love it. The speakers that are part of the system are on the other side of my home study so the sound is fuller and richer than if they were right there staring me in the face.

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And the Eos Portable Stereo Wireless Speaker/receiver sits hidden in the new cabinetry in the master bath. Open the cabinet, turn it on, and the music flows. And thanks to the iPhone Remote app, my iTunes account on the iMac downstairs is fully accessible. It is awesome.

The list could go on and on but I’ll stop here for now. But we’re just getting started because a lot of the things that we’ve reviewed… all of us still use.

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

2 Comments on "I Reviewed It and Still Use It, the Dan-Edition"

  1. RT @GearDiarySite: I Reviewed It… and Still Use It… The Dan-Edition http://goo.gl/fb/SqMEJ

  2. Great roundup of gadget staples by @dmcohen frm @GearDiarySite titled "I Reviewed It and Still Use It" http://bit.ly/bdVE6F

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