Smash or Pass? (Tech Edition)

I'm not a tech early adopter. In fact, I consider myself a behind-the-bell-curve, tech minimalist and only acquire a few gadgets each year so I don't have useless shit collecting dust everywhere. When I purchase something I want it to be practical and used regularly to streamline some aspect of my life. In spite of intentions, I sometimes buy stuff that misses the mark on the problem it was meant to solve or maybe, as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" That said, there are times I hit the jackpot and find something that is worth recommending to the masses. This series is not a flex, but a genuine attempt to evaluate what I buy and determine whether I'd "Smash or Pass" on investing in it again.

Disclosure: In the cult of Apple since 2009 and haven't looked back.

1. Anker 726 USB-C Charger (Nano II 65W) - $49 - Smash!
   I bought this charger because there were too many devices in my power strip that needed a USB-C adapter and plug-in real estate was becoming a massive problem. With 3 devices that require USB-C power all fighting for space on my power strip, there's no way I could fit Apple's gigantic powerbrick + additional USB-C adapters + all the other powered things for my desk. I honestly bought this on a leap of faith after reading some reviews and having trust in the Anker brand. It's 50% the size of my Macbook powerbrick, but can simultaneously charge 2 USB-C devices! I use this everyday and recommend it for travel over the native power brick because its profile is just so much smaller and more convenient. Smash of the year!
2. Fully Remi Laminate Standing Desk (58"x27") - $566 (Retail $611) - On the fence

   

   Prior to buying the Remi standing desk, I had bought Fully's Jarvis Dual Monitor Arm the year before and freaking LOVED IT! Their products have a premium price tag, but they do the job exceptionally well and I never have any complaints. When I was doing research for a standing desk, I read/watched dozens of reviews before deciding to splurge on a Fully setup because a $600 desk is an investment. You can easily buy a very good manual standing desk for $200 and a budget memory standing desk for $250. So as a cost conscious shopper, I asked myself, do I really need a $600 desk? I ultimately convinced myself that this was a desk I was going to use for 20 years and it was worth the price tag because I loved their monitor arm and customer service. Also, if I was serious about a standing desk it was going to raise and lower itself with a button because I know how lazy I am. Eight months into use, I love the desk and use it everyday, but still ask myself if it was worth the price tag. Currently on the fence, but ask me again in 10 years!
3. Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphone - Free (Retail $249) - Pass!

   In the world of headphone noise reduction, I've always preferred passive isolation over active canceling. Maybe this is because I trust in passive isolation from djing with Sennheiser HD25's, but life motto #3 is also to never be at the mercy of charging to listen to music. This is why you still see me with wired IEMs 9 times out of 10 no matter how good TWS has gotten. My company gave us these bluetooth noise canceling headphones as a gift so I decided to try them out to flirt with a wireless setup. Truthfully I would never buy $250 headphones for myself, unless the sound quality was audiophile level good. Given that I have a ChiFi IEM pallet and all my dailies all cost less than $150, this headphone had a lot to prove. Sorry to say I was quite disappointed with the Bose QC45. First off, the sound stage is actually worse than my $50 Simgot MT1s. Secondly, maybe my head is too small, but I find these headphones quite uncomfortable to wear for any period of time. The Zen Zone mobile app that helps to manage pairing with multiple devices is buggy and cumbersome. Lastly, per life motto #3, this thing dies way too quick! If you want to spend $250 on headphones go invest in some ChiFi IEMs like the Moondrop Starfield or SIMGOT EN700 and I promise you will never feel the need to buy more expensive headphones. Heck, you can buy both of my recs for the same price as the Bose!
4. Apple Watch SE2 - $249 - Smash! 
   
   I've been dragging my feet on the wearables game because I felt like spending $300 dollars on a watch that still needed to be charged every night was insanity. But then Apple came out with the 2nd generation Watch SE, dropped the price $30, and I wanted a better fitness tracker for the Holoholo Challenge. So I retired my Fitbit Inspire 2 to my mom and bought the Watch SE2 on my trip to Portland this October. Btw, I highly recommend the Inspire 2 if you don't own an iPhone and want a budget fitness tracker. Conversely if you've bought into Apple's ecosystem/have an iPhone and need something to motivate you to be more active, then the only watch worth getting is the SE2 because of the cross-device integration! This watch definitely changed my daily behavior as I actually stand and walk more because of its reminders! One of my favorite features is the turn-by-turn maps integration where I can get directions from my watch based on navigation in my iPhone app. This is really handy for walking in cities I'm unfamiliar with. It also has a nifty calculator app that can easily split bills and calculate tips on a total.
5. Homepod Mini - Free (Retail $99) - Pass!
Apple sent me a Homepod Mini as an apology gift after my Macbook Applecare fix went off the rails via a 3rd party Apple retailer. (Note to reader: Don't ever use a 3rd party Apple retailer for Applecare fixes! Go directly through an Apple Store or steel yourself for a world of pain if anything goes wrong!)
Anyway, I didn't need anything from Apple, but I opted for the Homepod mini over 2nd generation Airpods because life motto #3 and having a Bluetooth 5 speaker for multi-device pairing was enticing. Truthfully, I use this thing less than once a month to play music because I dislike the lag between controls and operation. I even signed up for Deezer Premium so I could do the whole "Hey Siri, play Beyonce on Deezer!" integration, which turned out to be an utter fail for non-American artist recognition. Currently this device is an overpriced reminder system on my desk, which makes it a Pass (unless you got it as an apology gift from Apple, in which case you probably deserve 2).

So that's my 2022 tech review. A couple Smashes, a couple Passes, and one expensive standing desk I'm still on the fence about. Let me know any gadgets you recommend!