I consider the selection of gear I use to be incredibly important. If you're constantly fighting dying hardware, you're less productive and less happy, which means faster burnout.
Technology
| LAPTOP |
$900 total; $750 (reimbursed) + $150 aftermarket |
| Currently |
Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 |
| Notes |
See my Review of ThinkPad E16 Gen 1Review of ThinkPad E16 Gen 1
In November 2024, I was gifted a Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 by a good friend. This is my review of that laptop.
The laptop was selected as it's the standard issue laptop at my day job, which means ..., Runs Debian Linux (+KDE), Upgraded to 40 GB memory and 1.5 TB of NVMe storage. |
| Considerations |
Musts: Good battery life, keyboard, WUXGA display, good speakers, and fairly open firmware. |
| SMARTPHONE |
$500 (reimbursed) |
| Currently |
Google Pixel 9a - 128GB Unlocked |
| Notes |
Runs GrapheneOS |
| Considerations |
Must be capable of running GrapheneOS, cameras on Pixel phones are generally better than average, and multi-day battery life is important. |
| SERVERS |
$1900 each [multiple] (reimbursed) |
| Currently |
Minisforum MS-01 |
| Notes |
Highest spec option; Core i9-13900H, 64 GB memory, 12 TB of NVMe SSD per server. |
| Considerations |
Discreet, easy to ship, powerful for the pricetag, great for Proxmox when clustered, also good for encrypted comms infra. |
| KEYBOARD |
$300 |
| Currently |
System76 Launch Heavy Mechanical Keyboard |
| Notes |
Well built, will probably last many lifetimes if taken care of. |
| Considerations |
Customizable layout important for my double-jointed fingers and joint pains. Number pad is important for Chinese modifier keys and music controls. |
| ROUTER |
$160 |
| Currently |
Flint 2 (GL-MT6000) Wi-Fi 6 Home Router |
| Notes |
Selected due to native support for WireGuard VPNs and Luci access |
| Considerations |
Must be fast enough for serving thousands of requests per second from the internet. VPN integration is a must, Mullvad would be nice. |
Bags
| FARADAY BAG |
$10 |
| Currently |
Tuulin 2 Pack Faraday Bags for Phone |
| Notes |
Well built, good price to performance ratio. |
| Considerations |
Discreet, good signal blocking, easy to insert and remove a phone, and it doesn't raise suspicions or cause any issues at airports. |
| LAPTOP BAG |
$25 |
| Currently |
Voova Laptop Sleeve Black 16 Inch |
| Notes |
Works great with the 16:10 ThinkPad above. It's enough to hold a charger, mouse, spare SSDs, and nothing else. |
| Considerations |
Discreet, must fit snugly with the laptop and offer some protection from bumps and scratches. |