The Best Tech I Used All Year
These are the things that made work easier this year.
Most year-end tech lists are really about what’s new. This one isn’t. These are the products I actually relied on in 2025—the things I reached for day after day because they made my work easier and better. Some of them are brand-new. Others have been around for a while. All of them earned their place on this list because they became essential to what I do every day.
Here are the best pieces of tech I used all year:
AirPods Pro 3
This isn’t even close. Of all the headphones I’ve ever tried, there’s a simple reason I always come back to the AirPods Pro: they’re just better than everything else for how I actually work and live. They sound great, the noise cancellation is top-notch, and connecting them to your Apple devices is easy and frictionless. The AirPods Pro 3 are my favorite pair of earbuds and are easily the best tech I use every day.
The newest version didn’t reinvent the product, and that’s kind of the point. They continue to be comfortable enough to wear for hours, and adaptive transparency mode feels like magic as you use them throughout the day.
Apple did, however, improve the noise cancellation and overall sound quality. Plus, the new hearing aid assistance and heart rate features show that Apple isn’t done making one of its best products even better.
ReMarkable Paper Pro Move
If I’m going to replace a notebook, it has to feel like a notebook—and it has to be the kind of thing I’ll actually carry. That’s what the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move gets right. It’s compact enough to bring everywhere, but it still delivers that “paper-like” writing experience reMarkable is known for.
I use it for meeting notes, outlining, and capturing ideas when I want the focus of pen and paper without the distraction of a full-on tablet. There are no notifications, no app rabbit holes, no temptation to multitask. It’s just writing, reading, and thinking—exactly what I want in that moment. 
iPhone Air
I don’t know if the iPhone Air is a disappointment for Apple, though there have been plenty of rumors to that effect. I do, however, know that it’s not a disappointment for anyone who has used it.
I think it’s safe to say the iPhone Air is the most interesting and exciting smartphone in a long time—especially from Apple. It is so thin and light that it will surprise you every time you pick it up and hold it in your hand. And, for what it’s worth, you really do have to pick it up and hold it in your hand to appreciate just how delightful Apple managed to make a smartphone in 2025.
Sure, the battery leaves a bit to be desired, but it’s manageable. The only real drawback is the camera—which lacks the ultra wide and telephoto options. If you can live without those, the iPhone Air makes its case for one of the best pieces of tech I used all year.
M5 iPad Pro 11-inch
Everything about the M5 iPad Pro is overkill. The processor is just plain showing off for a device most people use for watching Netflix or browsing the web. The Tandem OLED screen is the best display Apple has ever made. In every way, the iPad Pro is better than it needs to be.
But, it makes this list because it’s essential to my workflow. The iPad Pro is where I edit podcasts (using Ferrite), read and research for my column, and do a fair amount of photo editing (using Lightroom CC). It’s also the perfect writing device when I want to reduce distractions and focus on getting words out of my brain.
Mac mini M4 Pro
I’m mostly a laptop person. I love my M4 MacBook Air, and it’s still the Mac I’d recommend for pretty much anyone who needs a great laptop at a reasonable price. But this year, I started using an M4 Pro Mac mini, and I love it. Paired with an Apple Studio Display, it might be my favorite computer I’ve used in a long time.
It’s my primary podcasting machine, which means I use it for audio recording, transcribing audio and video files, and a lot of photo editing. The M4 Pro Mac mini never feels like it’s breaking a sweat and has more than enough power for the AI-powered De-Noise and Assisted Culling features. Plus, it’s quiet, powerful, and takes almost no space on my desk.
Nomad 65W Slim Charger
I have a lot of chargers—more than anyone needs. Most of them sit in a drawer to be occasionally pulled out when I’m traveling. The one that stays in my bag all the time, however, is the 65W Slim Charger from Nomad.
It has two USB-C ports and will charge a MacBook Air and an iPhone 17 Pro without a problem. It’s also incredibly thin, which makes it perfect for pretty much any backpack or bag situation.
Anker PowerBank Nano
Along with chargers, battery packs are another thing I have far too many of are battery packs. I suppose that makes sense—I never want to be stuck with a device I can’t use because it runs out of battery. If I can’t plug it in, having a battery pack is the next best thing.
The Anker PowerBank Nano is a 10,000 mAh battery pack with a built-in, retractable USB-C cable. It also has a USB-C and a USB-A port for connecting additional devices. The reason it makes this list is that it’s small and packed with enough battery to charge an iPhone twice. It also puts out 45W, meaning it’ll power a MacBook Air while you’re using it.
Sonos Arc Ultra + Sub Gen 4
For years, we’ve used a pair of original HomePods as a part of our home theater system. Connected to an AppleTV, it’s a simple setup that works incredibly well. This fall, however, we set up a Sonos Arc Ultra and a Sub Gen 4, and it’s impressive.
It’s not quite as simple as using a pair of HomePods, but eARC support means you just connect an HDMI cable to your TV and it works great. For a relatively simple home theater setup, it’s hard to beat the Arc Ultra and Sub Gen 4.
Third-Generation Apple Wireless Keyboard
Yes, my favorite keyboard is more than 16 years old and takes two AA batteries. I’ve tried dozens of keyboards, trying to find something that I like enough to have ready for the day that my Apple Wireless Keyboard inevitably stops working. The thing is, I’ve been using it almost daily since 2009, and it still works just as reliably as it did when it was brand new.
I stick with it for one simple reason—I just prefer the way it feels. For someone who writes as many words as I do, that’s really the only thing that matters. Sure, it’s annoying that I have to swap out the batteries every six months or so, but it’s a small price to pay for a piece of tech I enjoy using as much as this keyboard.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Continuing with the idea that great tech doesn’t need to be new, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 continues to be what I wear almost every day. Mine was one of the originals that has a fully functional blood oxygen sensor, which happens to be a thing I use pretty regularly.
The real reason this is on the list is that, even after two years, my Ultra 2 is still rocking 92 percent battery health. I never have to think about charging it, or worry whether I’ll make it through the day. It’s my favorite version of the Apple Watch, and I plan to keep this one until it won’t hold a charge anymore.
Nespresso Vertuo
We care a lot about coffee at our house, and we have a half dozen or so preferred ways of making it. Our go-to is a Breville Barista Pro, which is how we make our morning Americano most days. But it’s not at all uncommon for us to make a French Press, or AeroPress, or Pour Over.
For a quick cup, especially on the go, we recently added a Nespresso Vertuo Plus to our counter coffee station. That “on the go” part is especially important since we’re almost always running to an event or sports practice for one of our four kids. The Vertuo Plus does a great job making everything from a double espresso to an Americano or a full cup of coffee. It’s not going to replace the Breville, but its ability to make a variety of different drinks makes it one of our favorites this year.
This issue was first published at my Inc.com column.
An update and something new.
You’ve no doubt noticed that this newsletter has been pretty quiet. It’s been more than a year since I wrote regularly here, but I wanted to share this last piece in hopes that you’ll find something valuable to add to your tech-life balance.
I also want to let you know about something new I’m working on called Creative Effort.
Launching in January, Creative Effort is a newsletter, podcast, and—eventually—community, all designed to unpack the answer to one question:
Where do creative ideas start, and how do they become something real in the world?
Specifically, I’m interviewing some of the most creative people in the world to learn more about how they take ideas and turn them into something real.
The Newsletter
Creative Effort will publish three times a week:
1. Creative Process
Stories, frameworks, and lessons that help you do your best work.
2. Creative Tools
Practical guides to the tools, workflows, and systems that make creative work possible.
3. The Interview
Longform conversations with people who make things for a living. This edition doubles as the weekly Creative Effort Podcast.
The free tier includes the weekly interview and podcast episode.
Subscribers to the paid tier get two additional weekly newsletters, a monthly bonus podcast, and guides, templates, and other resources.
The Podcast
The Creative Effort Podcast features in-depth interviews with creators, founders, artists, technologists, and storytellers. Guests include people whose work is gettable—names you already know from the worlds of tech, media, photography, and storytelling—as well as emerging voices whose ideas deserve a bigger stage.
I’m incredibly excited about the lineup of people who have already agreed to be a part, and I wanted to give all of you a heads-up before it launches to the public next week.
Thanks for being a subscriber, and I hope to see you there.