Gear on Nicole van der Hoeven

My Daily Tech for Productivity

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:05:50 +0100

Here’s a list of my daily tech for work and play– all the everyday tech gear I use in these categories: laptops, mobiles, tablets, ereaders, wearables, and audio. I like to get the best devices for my use cases, but I’m also willing to use multiple devices in each category if I have a need for it.

You can find all the gear I talked about in this video, along with other things I use, on this page.

My Remote Work Setup While Traveling for a Month

Fri, 19 May 2023 18:00:14 +0200

In this video, I go through everything that’s in my remote work setup while traveling for a month in 5 different countries– all in one backpack and one sling. I work remotely full-time, and in this trip I have three talks in one month, several meetups with friends and family, and livestreams to do. Here’s what I chose to bring with me to remain fully operational while also travelling.

For a list of everything I mentioned in this video, check out my Gear list.

My Tech Bag for Working Remotely

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 16:06:07 +0000

What’s in my tech bag? Here’s all the gear I bring with me for work and play, sometimes for months at a time, including my full digital nomad setup. This is also essentially my travel bag– just add a single packing cube for clothes and toiletries!

What's in my EDC Bag (2022)

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 12:47:32 +0200

What’s in my tech EDC bag? In this video, I show you the sling bag I bring around on a daily basis, and every bit of gear in it. This is my everyday carry for 2022, and everything I take with me to stay productive on the go.

Here’s everything I mentioned in the video above that I could find a link for:

Samsung Galaxy Active 2: my smartwatch
d20 spinner ring: a ring that acts like a 20-sided die for roleplaying games on the go
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: my primary mobile phone
Aer Day Sling 3 X-Pac: my sling bag of choice
Nitecore Tini 2 USB C flashlight: tiny USB-C rechargeable flashlight
Nite-Ize locking S-biners: for a little extra security for zippers
Orbitkey holder: to hold my keys
Nano bag 2.0: compactable bag
Kable Card: all essential cables and adapters, a light, a mobile stand, and a memory card reader all in one card
Aurtech bluetooth keyboard: portable bluetooth keyboard
Samsung Galaxy S Pen Fold Edition: stylus for my mobile
Sony WF 1000 XM3: wireless noise-cancelling earbuds
Spigen Arc Powerstation 20W: small GaN charger
Secrid mini-wallet: my minimalist wallet
Dispel Dice Lilac Song: a full-sized d20 I carry around
Sprawlopolis: small cooperative card game
LIE: fun party game for 2-6 players and is the size of a pack of gum
Victorinox Jetsetter: small, travel-friendly multitool
Mighty Hanks: microfiber on one side, cotton on the other
Burts Bees: lip balm
Small red Sharpie: mini marker
Joby Gorillapod GripTight Smartphone Micro Tripod: tripod for my mobile
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+: secondary mobile
Topo designs micro pouch: small pouch
Tile Mate Pro: bluetooth tracker
Trezor Model T: hardware wallet and security key

Top 10 Last Minute Tech Gifts (2021)

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 17:20:19 +0100

In this super last-minute video, I talked about 10 awesome bits of tech I’ve loved throughout this year, and why I think each of them would make great gifts for the techie in your life (or maybe even yourself).

Below are all the items I mentioned. I include affiliate links where possible, so I will get a miniscule commission if you buy something through my link. However, I wouldn’t be recommending these if I didn’t genuinely use and love them all!

Røde PodMic: https://amzn.to/3dKhflp
Røde PSA1 boom arm: https://amzn.to/3sdVSkK
Rødecaster Pro: https://amzn.to/3rYZnv9
Elgato Wave 3 USB condenser microphone and digital mixer: https://amzn.to/3GDo5oV
Keychron K6 mechanical keyboard: https://amzn.to/3s6cScz
Keychron K3 mechanical keyboard: https://amzn.to/3DL35Ln
Omnicharge 20c: https://amzn.to/31RP3KU
Elgato Keylight Air: https://amzn.to/3ynpjSp
Aputure Amaran MC bundle: https://amzn.to/3oOf2vh
You Need a Budget app (YNAB): https://app.youneedabudget.com/gifts
0Kindle Oasis: https://amzn.to/3IODEMr
Yubikey: https://amzn.to/3ETRvyH
Trezor Model T: https://shop.trezor.io/product/trezor-model-t
Kindle Oasis: https://amzn.to/3GIXas7
Leatherman Skeletool RX: https://amzn.to/3m0drks
Bose NC 700 headphones: https://amzn.to/3q3xD5W

Gear I Use

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 21:18:55 +0200

Gear I Use

One of my favorite obsessions is watching or reading about the gear other people use. I’ve watched almost every “What’s in my tech bag” video on YouTube, it feels like, and I’m always prowling blog posts that detail what someone is using. In case there’s anybody out there that is as interested in these things as I am, here’s an overview of the gear that I use to make videos, write both blog posts and code, and generally mess around on the internet.

Edit: After a reader suggested I provide links to these items, I’ve included them below, and some are affiliate links. You are under no obligation to click these links, but if you do, I get a tiny percentage of the sale. Thanks!

Sections

There’s a lot here! I’ve broken it down into sections, so you can skip to the section you’re interested in.

Daily hardware
Home Office 1
Home Office 2
Everyday Carry
Remote Working Tech Bag
Remote Work Setup for a month

Daily hardware

(back to top)

Here are the main devices I use every day.

Computers

Macbook Air 15" (2023): 24 GB RAM, 2TB SSD, M2 chip - this is my main workhorse
Macbook Pro 13" (2020): 2,3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 32 GB RAM - secondary laptop
Mac Mini (later version here): M1 chip, 16GB RAM, 1 TB SSD - desktop, always on

Mobiles

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: 512GB - my main mobile, always with me
Apple iPhone 15: Pro Max - secondary mobile, always with me
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+: extra mobile

Tablets

Apple iPad Pro 11" (2020) tablet - still works great!

Readers

Amazon Kindle Scribe: my couch reader, for nonfiction and PDFs
Amazon Kindle Oasis: my bed reader, for fiction
Kobo Sage: for non-Amazon ebooks

Wearables

Oura: health and sleep tracking ring
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: smartwatch
American Express Prada wearable (not available for purchase separately): for contactless payments

Audio

Apple AirPods Pro: second generation, for Apple products
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: for non-Apple products

Home Office 1 (the Netherlands)

(back to top)

Video production gear

Not on desk

Elgato green screen (long, black metal object on the left side of the photo, on the floor)
Canon 6D Mark II with a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L (upper left, on tripod with teleprompter)
Manfrotto 290 tripod
TeleprompterPAD iLight Pro 10"
Neewer 5-in-1 reflective reflector set (gold, silver, white, black, and transparent)
Neewer two-way rotating aluminum light stand
Manfrotto universal smartphone clamp (mounted on light stand above desk)
Neewer Camera Monopod with rotating column for panoramic shooting
2 x Nanlite PavoTube 6C II tubes on the shelves in the background

On desk

Aputure AL-MC portable light (attached magnetically to the back of my external monitor)
Blue Yeti microphone - (pictured, but retired for the next item)
Røde PodMic microphone - my new main mic
Elgato Key Light
Canon M50 (between my laptop and monitor screens, used as my main webcam)
Elgato multi-mount (holding up the M50)
Blackmagic Atem Mini video switcher
Røde Wireless Go wireless microphone (secondary microphone when I need to move around)
Rødecaster Pro for crispy audio on calls and videos
Samsung Portable SSD T5, 1TB (always connected to my laptop) the drive I edit off
Macbook Pro 13" (2020), 2,3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 32 GB RAM - main laptop

Not pictured but in frequent use

Sony A6600 with Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens (main shooter, used to take this shot)
Røde Wireless Go II two-person microphones (used as on-board camera mics)
SwitchPod tripod
Peak Design Travel tripod: Pricy, but the only full tripod I use these days. Excellent for travel!

Other tech

Synology DS920+ 4 Bay NAS with 4 x WD RED 4TB drives (just outside the photo)
Amazon Echo Dot (on the bookshelf)
Google Wifi wireless extender (just outside photo)
2 x Nintendo Switch (on bookshelf; one Animal Crossing edition)
Nintendo Lite Zacien and Zamazenta edition (on bookshelf)
Amazon Kindle Oasis (bookshelf)
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (bookshelf)
Kobo Aura One (bookshelf)
Risa Electric Solid Tenor Ukulele, black (bookshelf)

Non-tech gear

Wyrmwood Gaming Cherry magnetic dice tower bundle including dice tower, personal dice tray, and dice vault
Kimi Rainbow Acrylic kalimba
Visconti Homo Sapiens Lava Midi, steel age fountain pen (the only fountain pen of many that I use regularly)

Non-video gear on my desk

I already listed the video-related gear on my desk in the first section above, but here’s everything else.

Samsung Galaxy S10 (secondary phone, primarily for timelapses and overhead videos)
Samsung Galaxy Wireless Buds, rose
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Apple Macbook Air 11" (2011, used as my presentation laptop)
Apple Magic Trackpad
Apple iPad Pro 11" (2020) tablet
Niz Plum Atom 68 electro-capacitive keyboard with Pikachu keycap
Logitech MX Master 3 the best mouse I’ve used!
Bose NC700 wireless noise-cancelling headphones
Oura health and sleep tracking ring

Home Office 2 (Portugal)

(back to top)

I live between two countries: the Netherlands and Portugal. Since I spend a few months in each place, that also means I need a place to work in each apartment! My home office in Portugal is larger but definitely less well-equipped. It’s a little embarrassing, but I thought it would be interesting to show a more realistic, in-progress setup.

Why yes, I do indeed have clothes hanging on a rack behind my desk to try and soak up sound.

Desk

Elgato Key Light Air x 2: I bought two of the smaller key lights than what I have in the Netherlands, because this room is larger and requires more light
Hidrate Spark Pro: bluetooth water bottle
Samsung 32" 4K UHD monitor: a bit overkill on the size front, but nice
Apple iPad Pro 11": This is from 2020, but still going strong
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2: 15 programmable keys for shortcuts and macros
Keychron K6: hotswappable, RGB mechanical keyboard
Logitech MX Anywhere 3: my travel mouse
Blackmagic Atem Mini: my video switcher
Røde Rodecaster Pro II: my audio mixer
Røde PSA1: the best mic arm
Røde Podmic: great XLR microphone
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+: my secondary phone
Baseus 17-in-1 USB-C Docking Station: for connecting my laptop to all the peripherals
Nintendo Switch Lite in coral: my travel gaming console
Fully monitor and laptop arm: arms to hold my monitor and laptop
Macbook Pro 13" (2020): same laptop that I bring around with me
Sony A6600 with Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens (main camera that I take with me from the Netherlands)
SwitchPod DSLR Tripod: best travel tabletop tripod

Free-standing

Fully Jarvis standing desk: bamboo-topped motorized desk
Neewer 77 inch tripod: basic tripod
Neewer Photo Studio Backdrop Support System: I hung an acoustic curtain and some clothes on this to help with echo for now

Not pictured

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: used to take this photo

My everyday carry

(back to top)

What about what I carry every day?

Samsung Galaxy Active 2: my smartwatch
d20 spinner ring: a ring that acts like a 20-sided die for roleplaying games on the go
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Aer Day Sling 3 X-Pac: my sling bag of choice
Nitecore Tini 2 USB C flashlight: tiny USB-C rechargeable flashlight
Nite-Ize locking S-biners: for a little extra security for zippers
Orbitkey holder: to hold my keys
Nano bag 2.0: compactable bag
Kable Card: all essential cables and adapters, a light, a mobile stand, and a memory card reader all in one card
Aurtech bluetooth keyboard: portable bluetooth keyboard
Samsung Galaxy S Pen Fold Edition: stylus for my mobile
Sony WF 1000 XM3: wireless noise-cancelling earbuds
Spigen Arc Powerstation 20W: small GaN charger
Secrid mini-wallet: my minimalist wallet
Dispel Dice Lilac Song: a full-sized d20 I carry around
Sprawlopolis: small cooperative card game
LIE: fun party game for 2-6 players and is the size of a pack of gum
Victorinox Jetsetter: small, travel-friendly multitool
Mighty Hanks: microfiber on one side, cotton on the other
Burts Bees: lip balm
Small red Sharpie: mini marker
Joby Gorillapod GripTight Smartphone Micro Tripod: tripod for my mobile
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+: secondary mobile
Topo designs micro pouch: small pouch
Tile Mate Pro: bluetooth tracker
Trezor Model T: hardware wallet and security key

My Remote Working Tech Bag

(back to top)

If I need to go somewhere to work, my EDC bag won’t cut it! Here’s what I bring with me to work and play remotely:

Aer x Ministry of Supply Lunar Pack
Platypus soft bottle. Similar here.
PacSafe Retractasafe 250
iWalk 10,000 mAH USB C power bank
Critical Role Nott the Brave face mask (2 pack)
Apple iPad Pro 11"
Apple Pencil
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea (card game)
Kindle 2022
Popsockets PopGrip
Nintendo Switch Lite
Aer Day Sling 3 X-Pac
SwitchPod
Peak Design Tech Pouch
Keychron K3 travel pouch
Nuphy Air 60 keyboard
Roost laptop stand
Nedrelow Magic Sleeve
URWizards soft wool felt dice tray
Shure Aonic 215 wired sound isolating earbuds
Logitech MX Anywhere 3: travel mouse
2 x Lexon Mino X bluetooth speakers: awesome USB C-rechargeable bluetooth speakers that can be paired together
Logitech Spotlight Wireless Presentation Remote. Similar here.
2.5mm to 3.5mm audio adapter. Similar here.
Yubico Yubikey 5C security key
Yubico Yubikey 5C nano security key (always plugged in to laptop)
8Bitdo Zero 2 bluetooth Switch mini controller
Anker USB C cables
USB C adapters. Similar here.
Røde Wireless Go wireless microphone system
UGreen GaN 100W USB C charger
Hyper Drive USB hub. Updated version.

My Remote Work Setup for a month

(back to top)

Here’s what I bring with me when I need to be able to work while travelling continuously for a month. This setup lets me create videos, run livestreams, do programming work, and do presentations at conferences with minimal bulk and maximal functionality.

Platypus soft bottle. Similar here.
Samsung Galaxy Active 2: my smartwatch
Le Chivée USB C portable wireless charger for Samsung Galaxy Active 2 watch. Similar here.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.
Apple iPad Pro 11".
Apple Pencil
Nedrelow Magic Sleeve
3 x Dispel Dice d20s.
Nuphy Air 60 keyboard
Logitech Spotlight Wireless Presentation Remote. Similar here.
Apple Magic Trackpad.
2 x Lexon Mino X bluetooth speakers: awesome USB C-rechargeable bluetooth speakers that can be paired together
Røde Wireless Go wireless microphone system
Roost laptop stand
Macbook Pro 13" (2020), 2,3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 32 GB RAM - main laptop
Yubico Yubikey 5C nano security key (always plugged in to laptop)
Sony A6600 with Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens (main shooter)
Peak Design Travel tripod: Pricy, but the only full tripod I use these days. Excellent for travel!
Elgato Cam Link 4K.
USB C adapters. Similar here.
Peak Design Tech Pouch
Anker USB C cables
Lume Cube Panel Mini LED light.
Joby Gorillapod GripTight Smartphone Micro Tripod: tripod for Lume Cube
Samsung X5 2TB SSD. Better here - T7.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
(not pictured, but since added) Logitech POP Mouse: travel mouse, even though I hate that it requires an AA battery.

My WFH desk and office setup

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 21:18:55 +0200

One of my favorite obsessions is watching or reading about the gear other people use. I’ve watched almost every “What’s in my tech bag” video on YouTube, it feels like, and I’m always prowling blog posts that detail what someone is using. In case there’s anybody out there that is as interested in these things as I am, here’s an overview of what my home office looks like and the gear that I use to make videos, write both blog posts and code, and generally mess around on the internet.

I’m only mentioning larger items of note that I use frequently.

Video production gear

Not on desk

Elgato green screen (long, black metal object on the left side of the photo, on the floor)
Canon 6D Mark II with a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L (upper left, on tripod with teleprompter)
Manfrotto 290 tripod
TeleprompterPAD iLight Pro 10"
Neewer 5-in-1 reflective reflector set (gold, silver, white, black, and transparent)
Neewer two-way rotating aluminum light stand
Manfrotto universal smartphone clamp (mounted on light stand above desk)
Neewer Camera Monopod with rotating column for panoramic shooting
2 x Nanlite PavoTube 6C II tubes on the shelves in the background

On desk

Aputure AL-MC portable light (attached magnetically to the back of my external monitor)
Blue Yeti microphone
Elgato Key Light
Canon M50 (between my laptop and monitor screens, used as my main webcam)
Elgato multi-mount (holding up the M50)
Blackmagic Atem Mini video switcher
Røde Wireless Go wireless microphone (main microphone, even for voice calls)
Samsung Portable SSD T5, 1TB (always connected to my laptop) the drive I edit off
Macbook Pro 13" (2020), 2,3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 32 GB RAM - main laptop

Not pictured but in frequent use

Sony A6600 with Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens (main shooter, used to take this shot)
Røde Wireless Go II two-person microphones (used as on-board camera mics)
SwitchPod tripod

Other tech

Synology DS920+ 4 Bay NAS with 4 x WD RED 4TB drives (just outside the photo)
Amazon Echo Dot (on the bookshelf)
Google Wifi wireless extender (just outside photo)
2 x Nintendo Switch (on bookshelf; one Animal Crossing edition)
Nintendo Lite Zacien and Zamazenta edition (on bookshelf)
Amazon Kindle Oasis (bookshelf)
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (bookshelf)
Kobo Aura One (bookshelf)
Risa Electric Solid Tenor Ukulele, black (bookshelf)

Non-tech gear

Wyrmwood Gaming Cherry magnetic dice tower bundle including dice tower, personal dice tray, and dice vault
Kimi Rainbow Acrylic kalimba
Visconti Homo Sapiens Lava Midi, steel age fountain pen (the only fountain pen of many that I use regularly)

Non-video gear on my desk

I already listed the video-related gear on my desk in the first section above, but here’s everything else.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (secondary phone, primarily for timelapses and overhead videos)
Samsung Galaxy Wireless Buds, rose
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ (primary phone)
Apple Macbook Air 11" (2011, used as my presentation laptop)
Apple Magic Trackpad
Apple iPad Pro 11" (2020) tablet
Niz Plum Atom 68 electro-capacitive keyboard with Pikachu keycap
Logitech MX Master 3 the best mouse I’ve used!
Bose NC700 wireless noise-cancelling headphones
Oura health and sleep tracking ring