Tech and Tools of 2024: My Gear, Software, and Workflow Updates
This post is a retrospective look at the gear I received as gifts or purchased intentionally for my daily life and adventures. I also share some of my workflows for backing up phone photos, ripping CDs for high-quality streaming, and managing to-dos. This post is inspired by some of the tech folks I follow, and for the past couple of years, I have wanted to write one. Fortunately, this year, I got some cool gadgets, so I decided to give it a try. Since this is my first time writing such a review, I am only mentioning the new things I acquired in 2024. If I continue to write in the future, I may also mention things I have continued using from previous years, either in the same or a different post. I hope you will find something useful here.
I have no intention of selling you any of the products below, and none of the links are affiliate links. So, if you click on them, I will not get any promotion money. All the photos embedded in this post are mine (except the banner image), which I shared through Imgur.
Adventure
GoPro
I turned 40 this year, and my wife absolutely nailed it with my birthday gift—a GoPro HERO12 Black action camera. Hands down, it’s the coolest and most exciting gadget I’ve ever owned. It perfectly completes my outdoor gear, and I take it everywhere I go on adventures—whether it’s hiking, kayaking, or camping.
This year alone, I’ve shot a bunch of videos for the Outdoorsy Indians YouTube channel, and I’ve even taken it along on family trips, like our visit to Hershey Park.
Honestly, a GoPro (or any similar action camera) is a must-have for anyone who loves the outdoors. It’s way cheaper than a smartphone, built specifically for rough adventures, and if it breaks, you’re not losing nearly as much as you would if you smashed your phone. Also, if I’m using my smartphone, I’m always in fear of breaking it, dropping it in a lake or the sea, and then not being able to get back home since my phone is my only navigation device.
I got the adventure kit bundle for my GoPro, which included a floating hand grip (the Handler), a head strap, a helmet mount, a thumb screw, a compact case, and two batteries. I also picked up a floaty for extra cushioning and flotation (with or without the Handler), a chest strap, a clip mount for my backpack, and a SanDisk 512GB Extreme micro SDXC card.
So far, I’ve been using the Handler, the clip mount, and the floaty extensively, and they’ve all worked perfectly. The two batteries have been a lifesaver since shooting in 4K drains them quickly. The micro SD card has also been great—it’s fast and holds enough footage for multiple trips without needing to delete anything.
Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board (iSUP)
After waiting for about a year, I finally got my first inflatable stand-up paddleboard (iSUP)! It’s from a company called ROC, and I ordered it on Amazon. The package included a dual-action hand pump, a carry bag, a kayak seat (so it can double as a sit-on kayak), an ankle leash, and paddles that can switch between SUP and kayak mode.
I absolutely love paddling—it’s the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation, depending on what you’re in the mood for. The board is super stable, and once inflated to the recommended pressure, it feels as solid as a hard-shell board. I went with an inflatable because it’s so much easier to store and transport. Living in an apartment and driving a Honda Civic doesn’t exactly work for big, bulky hardboards.
While the hand pump does the job, it’s definitely a workout—and I didn’t want to be tired before even hitting the water. So, I got myself an electric pump that plugs into my car and inflates the board in about 10-15 minutes.
Here are two videos I made for Outdoorsy Indians, where I reviewed the ROC iSUP: I Bought my First Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) (मैंने अपना पहला स्टैंड अप पैडलबोर्ड (SUP) खरीदा) and Trying a Kayak Seat on my SUP (SUP-YAK). Check them out!
Sunglasses
Not exactly an adventure item, but definitely an everyday necessity—I can’t drive without sunglasses. I prefer polarized lenses, which are usually pricey if you go for a good brand. This year, though, I discovered the SUNGAIT brand on Amazon, and they’re making affordable polarized sunglasses with metal frames. I got this pair, and it’s become my daily go-to. So far, I’m loving it!
Fishing
After having my fishing rods stolen from my apartment garage (which I wrote about in a previous blog post), I decided to restock and picked up two Ugly Stik GX2 Custom Spinning Combos from Dick’s Sporting Goods—one with ultra-light action (4’) and the other with medium action (6’6”). 2024 turned out to be a great year for fishing, and I got to experiment with a variety of lures and techniques, from Maryland lakes to the Chesapeake Bay.
Watches
This year, I picked up two new watches—both Casio digital—and both were gifts from my wife. That brings my collection to 8 watches that I actually use regularly. If you’re curious, here’s a spreadsheet of every watch I’ve ever owned, except for one I lost way back in my teenage years.
The reason I wanted these Casios is that I’m pretty much done using a smartwatch as my daily driver. I still use it at night to track my sleep and health stats, but that’s about it. Honestly, I got tired of juggling multiple gadgets that constantly need charging, or worse, finding them dead when I need them most. Now, I wear the smartwatch at night and throw it on the charger when I wake up. If I forget to charge it, no big deal—it doesn’t mess up my day.
What I love about these new Casios is how hassle-free they are. One has a 10-year battery life, and the other is solar-powered, so I don’t have to worry about charging them for years—probably ever. At this point, it’s more likely the watches will fall apart before their batteries run out!
Casio Illuminator AE1500WH
It’s not a G-Shock, even though it looks like one. For its price, it’s impressively sturdy and packed with features like a 10-year battery life, 4 alarms, dual time, a backlight, stopwatch, and a timer. It’s also water-resistant enough to handle swimming without any issues—I’ve personally used it in pools, lakes, and at the beach, and it performed flawlessly.
What stands out most for me is the large, clear display, which makes it incredibly easy to check the time with just a quick glance, especially during outdoor activities. If you’re someone who spends a lot of time outdoors and needs a reliable, tough watch that won’t break the bank yet can handle moderate wear and tear, this is an excellent choice.
Casio Pro Trek PRG 270-1CR
The Casio Pro Trek PRG-270-1CR is an above $100 rugged outdoor watch built for adventurers, featuring Triple Sensor Version 3 technology. It combines an altimeter (measuring from -700 to 10,000 meters), a barometer for weather predictions, and a digital compass with 16-point directional accuracy. A built-in thermometer measures temperatures from -10°C to 60°C, ensuring reliable performance in various conditions.
Powered by Tough Solar technology, the PRG-270-1CR charges with any light source and runs up to 9 months on a full charge, even without further exposure. Its 100-meter water resistance makes it suitable for swimming and snorkeling, while its low-temperature resistance ensures functionality down to -10°C. The resin case and band provide durability without adding bulk, and the watch weighs just 67 grams.
Additional features include sunrise/sunset data, world time for 31 time zones, a 1/10-second stopwatch, a 24-hour countdown timer, and 5 daily alarms with a snooze option. The auto LED backlight ensures visibility in the dark, perfect for nighttime activities.
Audio
iFi GO Link DAC and Amplifier
This year, I picked up the iFi GO Link DAC and amplifier, and it’s been an incredible upgrade for my audio setup. I use it with my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Sennheiser HD6XX headphones, and the improvement in sound quality is remarkable. The audio is much cleaner and more detailed, making it perfect for enjoying music on the go. For anyone wanting to take their mobile audio experience to the next level, this little device is definitely worth considering!
ASUS ZenDrive V1M External DVD Drive and Writer
The ASUS ZenDrive V1M has been a great addition to my audio setup this year. This external DVD drive and writer, with its built-in cable storage and USB-C interface, makes ripping audio CDs to FLAC files simple and efficient. It complements my setup perfectly, allowing me to digitize my CD collection and stream high-quality audio files via Plex on my home server. Compact and reliable, it’s an ideal tool for preserving and enjoying physical media in a digital format.
Software
Kdenlive
Kdenlive has been an absolute game-changer for editing my GoPro videos. It’s free, cross-platform, and runs seamlessly on both my Windows and Linux machines. What really sets it apart is its native support for GoPro .lrv files as proxy clips—something that’s surprisingly tricky to manage even in more advanced software like DaVinci Resolve.
When working with high-resolution videos like 4K and above, using these low-resolution proxy clips makes scrubbing through footage and editing so much smoother. Upon export, the software automatically uses the original high-res files, so the final output retains its full quality. Thanks to this, I’m still able to edit high-resolution videos on my 2018 Dell Inspiron laptop—something that would be impossible otherwise.
For hobbyists and even semi-professionals, I think learning Kdenlive is a better choice than relying on proprietary software, even if those tools are currently free. As a FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) project, Kdenlive will always remain subscription-free, making it a future-proof option in the long run.
While we’re on the topic of video editing, I also came across HandBrake while exploring Kdenlive. HandBrake is an open-source video transcoder that’s great for converting video formats and adjusting resolutions. I haven’t used it much since Kdenlive’s proxy clips let me work smoothly with high-resolution files, but HandBrake is a fantastic FOSS utility to have in your toolkit for any video conversion needs.
Tasks
Tasks is an open-source to-do list and reminders app for Android that works offline, which is why I like it despite not being cross-platform. I use it as a widget just a swipe away from my home screen for quick access to my daily offline to-do lists. For shared lists, like with my wife, we use Microsoft To Do. The app is available on Google Play and F-Droid—I installed it from F-Droid. While it has plenty of advanced features, I keep it simple for straightforward task management, and it works perfectly.
Vibe
Vibe is an open-source, cross-platform software for offline audio-to-text transcription using machine learning models like OpenAI Whisper. It also supports features like summary and context generation through APIs for popular models. I recently started using it to transcribe church sermons, and I’ve been impressed with the results.
The transcription speed depends on your machine’s capabilities, especially if it has GPU support. On my 7-year-old Linux machine, it takes about two hours to transcribe a 45-minute recording, but it would run much faster on a newer device. Vibe offers transcriptions in multiple formats, including .srt, .txt, .html, and .pdf. I usually export the text as plain text, .srt, and .html files. While Vibe allows you to use the Claude model for summaries, I typically rely on ChatGPT for that task.
Workflow
FolderSync
FolderSync is a simple and effective file syncing and backup solution for Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux users. I used to rely on Amazon and Google Photos for backing up my phone photos, but in 2024, I stopped using them due to Google ending its unlimited storage and my growing privacy concerns. My old photos are still there in private mode, but I plan to gradually delete them over time.
Now, I use the FolderSync app on my Android phone to perform a one-way sync of all newly created photos to an external hard drive attached to my Linux home server. This sync runs automatically every night at midnight. The setup has two major advantages: first, the photos stay on my own devices, reducing any privacy concerns, and second, since the sync runs at midnight, I have plenty of time to delete unwanted or bad photos from my phone before they are backed up.
For redundancy, I periodically copy the photos from the home server’s hard drive to two additional portable hard drives using Grsync (a graphical user interface for rsync). This way, I usually have three copies of my photos, and I can safely free up phone storage whenever needed. While there are more advanced tools available, like Syncthing, I found FolderSync to be the most straightforward, low-maintenance, and reliable solution for my needs.