What I Use

(updated March 31, 2010)

I sometimes get asked what kind of gadgets, gizmos, computers, and video games I have and use, so here's the most current list.

Computers

Custom-Built Workstation
I have a particular affinity for custom-built computers, and for the last seven years, that is what I've owned.  I design my systems to handle the heavy load of video editing that I do and the graphics-intensive video games that I play.  My current rig is made up of the following:

Thermaltake Armor+ case
ASUS P5E3 Deluxe X38 motherboard
Intel Core2 Quad 2.4 GHz processor
4 GB DDR3 RAM
ATI Radeon HD4850 video card
2.5 terabytes of hard drive space (4 internal/2 external)
2 - 22" Samsung SyncMaster 2243BWX widescreen LCD monitors

Outside of that is a myriad of hardware:  Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard, Logitech X540 5.1 surround speakers, Epson printer and scanner,  SanDisk multi-card reader, and Logitech Quickcam Orbit MP webcam.

Toshiba Satellite laptop
This is the first and only laptop I've ever owned.  I came into the laptop game rather late, but the guts of this system were perfect for the things I do.  With an AMD Turion 2.1 GHz dual-core processor, 4 GB of memory, a 250 GB hard drive, and a very nice 15" screen, it's great for video editing, gaming, and movie watching.

Portable Devices

Motorola Droid
I've been singing many a praise for this beauty of a phone since I upgraded to it in November 2009 (my reviews are here and here).  This is the first smartphone I've owned, and it has definitely changed my habits when it comes to mobile data.  And with the phone running the Google Android operating system, it's seamless integration with the Google universe of applications makes my life much easier.

The apps I've been using most often vary week to week, but for me, the most popular ones would be Seesmic (Twitter), Google Maps (navigation), Pandora (music), TWiT.tv (video and audio from the TWiT Network), Google Listen (podcasts), and NewsRob (Google Reader news feeds).

Apple iPod Classic
The 6th generation, 80GB iPod Classic is one of my all time favorite devices.  This is the second iPod I've owned, and until this thing dies, I see no reason to replace it.  Because of the large hard drive, I'm able to store all my music on this device without having to pick and choose which audio files I want on there.  And since I can store all my music on it, I also consider it my main audio storage backup.

Canon Powershot SX1 IS
My newest digital camera, and a dream to use.  It has a 20x zoom, built-in hot shoe, shoots 10MP images, including RAW, and full 1080p video.  This will be my main still and video camera from here on out.

Canon Powershot SD630
This was the first digital camera I owned, and even today, I put it through just about every conceivable scenario a camera can go through, including some that it shouldn't.  It has taken literally hundreds of thousands of photos and hours upon hours of video.  Definitely one of the most used devices I have.

Video Games

I don't consider myself a hardcore gamer, especially when it comes to console gaming, but I am nonetheless I huge fan of video games.  I'm pretty much split down the middle between PC games and console games, and more often than not, I'll lean more into the PC side of gaming.

Nintendo Wii
This is the console I use most often nowadays.  Favorite games in my collection include Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, and LEGO Indiana Jones.

Playstation 2
I bought the PS2 solely for one purpose: Guitar Hero.  I'm a big fan of the game series, and I don't see myself ever getting any other type of PS2 game.  I have three Guitar Hero games (Guitar Hero 3, Guitar Hero World Tour, Guitar Hero Aerosmith), three guitars, the drum set, and the microphone.

Nintendo 64
A classic gaming system and immensely popular during my college days.  My favorite games in the collection include Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

PC Games
I am a devoted PC gamer.  Even with the huge dominance of console gaming, I still love gaming on the PC.  My favorites include the Age of Empires series, Crysis, and Unreal Tournament.  I am also eagerly anticipating the release of Starcraft 2.

Home Technology

Since buying my first house in August 2009, I have been remodeling it with technology at the core.  I have been a huge fan of the tech house concept for decades, and to finally have the chance to experiment on my own house has been a great experience.  The house will eventually have in-wall connections for ethernet, cable TV, and broadcast antenna in every room.  I am currently in the process of remodeling the basement as an office/video production/music recording/green screen/gaming man cave.

Internet and network
I have an 8 Mb Charter internet service coming into the house.  It's not the most desirable by any means, but it's the fastest I can get at the present time.  The home network itself runs on both wired and wireless connections (gigabit ethernet and 802.11n wireless).  I have built a central hub in the basement that houses the modem and both the wired and wireless routers.  It will also contain the splitters and amplifiers for the cable TV and HDTV antenna coax lines.  The hub is also designed to handle any future expansion of this network.

Entertainment Center
The entertainment center is comprised of a 40" Sony Bravia 1080p HDTV, a Magnavox Blu-ray player, and a Sony 2-speaker sound system.  Future upgrades include a full surround sound receiver and a custom-built computer for playing movies, music, and photos on the TV over the network.  I currently use my laptop to do this, but it would be nice to have a dedicated machine for those tasks.

Car Tech

My 2004 Dodge Stratus came with the factory default stereo system.  This was all well and good until I bought my first iPod.  I had seen many types of cheap iPod hookups that used the FM radio spectrum to play music through your car's stereo.  But in my opinion, no matter which station you tune your radio to, the audio quality is nothing short of pure crap.  So to use my iPod in the car, and get the best sound I can, I got the Harman Kardon Drive + Play iPod controller.  It connects directly into the back of the factory stereo and gives me control of my iPod via a dash-mounted screen and scroll wheel interface.  It also includes an auxiliary input jack which I now use to stream audio over the internet via my Droid phone.