Favorites 2021
First Blog post on the new squarespace 7.1.
I migrated from squarespace 7 to 7.1, but in that process I lost the blog I had since 2013. I’ve been using squarespace since 2013 for my personal site, and its sad I can’t migrate my old blog to 7.1.
New Year. New Start. I wanted to use this first blog to highlight some of my favorite Products (Digital & Physical) from 2020 to 2021.
Atom Everyday Mask
$12
I am so grateful to have already got the first dose of the vaccine and looking hopeful of returning to normal sometime near future. But before we get there, it's vital that we still do our parts of wearing Masks when going out and still practice social distances. My favorite mask is the Atom Everyday Mask, its offers up to 84.6 filtrations, close to an N95 mask, and it's comfortable that I jog with it. It is one of the best Masks out there, and it's been my essential item for the last year.
QNAP TS-653D
$699
I've been running a home server for over a decade. I started with a simple self-built PC/Server for my photography, turned into a full-fledge server running VMs and Plex for media. After I learned that I could rip my blu-ray collection and use Plex to stream it to all my devices around my houses, I was hooked. I was at a tipping point of running out of space 😅, so I started looking for an upgrade. I got the new QNAP TS-653D; it's small, quiet, and does so much with the built-in apps. I can now run Machine Learning on my photography and able to upgrade my connection speed to 2.5Gbe. I highly recommended it.
Nvidia Shield Pro
$199
I mentioned above that I used Plex to stream my ripped blu-ray collection; well, you need a device that can stream those high-bitrate Blu-Rays. A 4k Netflix compress stream is only around 25 Mbps, that not even close to a 1080p Blu-Ray bitrate at around 40 Mbps, and a true 4k Blu-Ray bitrate is almost at 100 Mbps. The Nvidia Shield Pro is like one box that streams it all. With a good Wi-fi mesh network or ethernet, I can stream all my Blu-Rays without any compression. Nvidia Shield supports all the high-end audio codex, including Lossless Dolby Atmos, and recently even Dolby Vision for TV’s that supports it.
AirPods Pro
$249
When I got upgraded to the iPhone 7 a few years ago, one of the significant features was not the phone but the wireless earbuds that cost an extra 200bucks. I was hesitant at first, but I finally bought it when it was on sale, and boy, did it change my life afterward. The AirPods is one of the best products they introduce recently. It's game-changing in terms of the User Experience. It's so simple to use that I got my mom a pair, and now she can't live without it. When it comes to the new upgrade version, I instantly bought it, and it's been great. I love the latest surround sound feature when I watch movies and also the instant pairing between devices.
The Learner (PER/se)
$14
The Learner is a daily journal that I got back in 2019, but I just started using it recently. The Learner is a toolkit that encourages a daily practice of self-reflective thinking and learning. I found it been great during Quarantine time, as I can write my daily thoughts to what has my attention. This little journal helps to keep my focus during this unprecedented time from work to deal with burnout.
Bose Portable Home Speaker
$249
When we shifted to working from home last year, I got the opportunity to listen to music without my headphones. I wanted to buy one of those portable smart speakers, but not sure which one to get. The HomePod is not portable, but I got one anyway recently😂, anyway I need one that I can move between different rooms. I end up getting the Bose due to its portability, but also it sounds excellent. The speaker comes with good drivers that play my classical collection with crystal clear separations.
Building for Everyone (Annie Jean-Baptiste)
$11
Annie Jean-Baptiste is currently Head of Product of Inclusion at Google, and she is someone I aspire to become one day. This book and "Making of a Manager" by Julie Zhao are my favorite books of 2020. Annie touches a lot on how they design products at google and put the users at the center. She covers many topics include building company culture to self-reflection when it comes to empathy and inclusion—an excellent read for any Product Designers.
