For the last couple of years, it seemed that every new academic year was accompanied by buying expensive technology. This year is no different – my laptop was in major need of an upgrade, so I splurged a little bit and bought a new MacBook Pro. That purchase really made me value the place that tech has in my life, so I thought about doing an updated ‘Top 5 Tech’ post! If you haven’t checked out my last one – click here! Keep in mind – the tech here is a little pricey. I usually invest quite a bit in tech because I believe the more you invest, the more you can do with it and the longer it will last. If you guys are interested in a budget Top Tech, let me know in the comments and I’ll make sure to get one ready.
Number One: My iPad Pro (2018) and Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)
…I know – I included this one in my last post! But I have to say, this is definitely my favourite piece of tech. During the summer and the beginning of this term, it’s been incredibly useful. As you guys are aware, I partook in a consulting programme throughout the summer – and my iPad was an absolute STAR for meetings, virtual events, producing client reports and presentations. Could I do this on a laptop? Of course, but there was a certain pleasure completing video meetings on the iPad – generally the video and audio quality is clearer, I have the ability to multitask very well and it uses very little physical real estate – it’s just small enough to fit nicely on my little desk. It also gives me the ability to work and search for things on my laptop whilst also being in a meeting, essentially acting as a second screen.
I don’t even have to mention this, but its processing power and screen and audio quality is astounding. Editing photo, video and now audio is incredible on here and watching Netflix is a sheer pleasure. Of course, the Apple Pencil complements the iPad perfectly, and is essential for things like writing, drawing and editing relatively comfortably.
Number Two: My MacBook Pro (2020)
So, I recently took the plunge and upgraded my 2012 MacBook Pro to this year’s model. Normally, when there’s a laptop purchase in my family, we usually go for the base model of the MacBook Pro line up because it’s perfect for catering to our needs. However, this time around, I bought a more expensive model and I’ll explain my reasons why.
I want to take blogging and Instagram a lot more seriously – and this requires a little more manpower than the base model. On top of this, I recently started a podcast (you can check it out here) and that, of course, takes a lot of audio editing. Therefore, I decided to invest in a higher spec’d MacBook and so far, I’m loving it. It’s handling everything I’m throwing at it with ease and has become a great little companion. Naturally, it’s a much better computer than my previous MacBook, and is an absolute joy to work (and play!) on.
Number Three: AirPods Pro
Unfortunately, I managed to lose my Sennheiser C6.00BT Earphones so was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Apple had a student offer when you could get the original AirPods for free with a MacBook or iPad purchase or upgrade to the Pros for an additional cost. I decided to treat myself and grab the AirPods Pro and my. What a stunning pair.
I will be the first to say that they’re not the best audio quality for the price point – there’s definitely cheaper alternatives that audiophiles will prefer. I actually did mention in my last ‘Top 5’ post that I didn’t want to buy AirPods because I didn’t think the price and the audio quality were synergistic. However, the reduced cost made the Pros much more appealing and I do not regret my decision at all. They integrate seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem (and as you can see, I’m deep into it) and the active noise cancelling is heavenly. It’s perfect for getting into ‘work mode’ because I can’t hear anyone around me and enjoying some 8D music.
Number Four: Logitech MX 3 Anywhere for Mac
I did purchase a Windows PC last year and switching over to a MacBook has been slightly difficult for one reason – mouses are way more comfortable than trackpads. Mouses are much easier to edit and play with, whilst trackpads do run the risk of causing repetitive strain injury (RSI). This is a particular concern to me, because I do want to be able to edit podcast episodes on my MacBook and the tiny, repetitive edits you need to make when trimming audio does run the risk of causing RSI – not fun.
To prevent this issue, I decided to get the new Logitech MX 3 Anywhere for Mac mouse. This works seamlessly on MacBooks and iPads, making it easy to flow between the two. I believe it can also work on Windows, but I haven’t tried that out yet. It’s a USB-C to USB-C charging cable (#USBCAllTheThings) and a full charge powers the mouse up for 70 days. There’s a version of this mouse that not explicitly labelled ‘for Mac’ but is supposedly compatible, but I decided to go with this one because I did not want a USB receiver (they’re super ugly). I did contact Logitech to find out more about the differences. All the really said is that there’s a receiver with the Windows one, and the Mac one is – you guessed it – made specifically for Mac systems. I’m honestly still confused!
Number Five: Samsun Q2U Microphone
As a new podcaster, a good but inexpensive microphone is paramount for decent quality audio – I don’t want to deafen my listeners! I decided to go with the Samsun Q2U Microphone – and it’s genuinely incredible.
This microphone is a dynamic microphone, which means that it’ll only pick up sound that’s directly in front of it. Usually podcasters prefer to go for a condenser microphone – these pick up other sounds as well, and how much sound it picks up from a specific area around the microphone can vary quite a lot – I hope I explained that well! This is beneficial for podcasting because the host can interview someone in person and they only need to bring one mic. For me, however, I’m not meeting people to record interview due to the pandemic, and I wanted to minimise background noise in my recordings. Essentially, this makes the editing process much quicker and the sound quality and depth is slightly better than an equivalent condenser microphone.
This microphone also has two connection types. There’s a USB cable that allows me to connect the mic to my computer and record straight into there, but also has an XLR output which will allow me to connect it to a portable recorder. Usually external recorders record in better quality than computers, so I bought this mic to allow me to scale up and produce even better-quality episodes once I have the means to!
Conclusions
As I said in my last Top 5 post, technology has enhanced my university experience and now really is the central component to being productive but also for recreational use. The pandemic has definitely highlighted how tech can be used for interactive and modern learning, and it’s made me appreciate the products I have much more.
Do you have a favourite piece of tech? Let me know in the comments!
(Photo Credit: The Average Tech Guy, 2020)
The Anonymous Biochemist 