brian baggett dot com

Inspired by Michael Arrington’s yearly list, I figured I’d take stock of those technologies I used the most in 2009:

GMail

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, GMail made desktop email irrelevant in addition to forcing other free webmail providers to step up their game. Between the web interface, a great iPhone interface that effectively mimics the web interface, and IMAP access there’s no other email client I would use. I’ll also throw in Google Calendar and Google Contacts as well simply because of the free, automatic syncing with the iPhone.

iPhone 3GS

Speaking of which, despite its imperfections like Apple’s idiotic app approval policies, it’s the computing device I use more than any other since it’s always with me. I’ve probably spent nearly $200 in the App Store in 2009 and I only had an iPhone for 9 of the 12 months of 2009.

Facebook

I never thought I’d use this and I find the walled-garden approach of the site to be AOL’ish, but I can’t deny how useful this has become in keeping touch with folks. I should have put Twitter on the list because I use it all the time, but Twitter doesn’t have the reach for my network of friends that Facebook does. Simply put, Facebook is the site even my parents use and Twitter isn’t. I post something to Twitter and one or two folks may see it. I post something on Facebook and I get a ton of comments.

Google Reader

Without it, I would find it impossible to keep up with what’s going on in the world. It’s also the biggest timesuck in my life … even more than the XBox 360.

CrossLoop

VNC in a tidy, easy-to-use package. I make all my family members install this as it’s my go-to tech support conduit. It makes connecting to another person’s computer a snap as it’s dead simple to use and it’s cross platform.

Skype

I bought many of my relatives webcams and installed this on their computers. If I want to talk to them and still see them, I can. I video chat with my brother in Mississippi the most.

Dropbox

My impetus for using this initially was being able to keep files that I use for helping my parents with their various technologies in easy reach. For example, I have images of their TV remotes and AV setup that I can access from anywhere including my iPhone. The 2 GB they provide for free is sufficient for now, though I wish their premium plans were a little more affordable.

Delicious

Without Delicious, I’d forget half the things I see on the Internet.

Google Voice

Automatic transcription of voicemail, the ability to block unwanted callers, and the ability to send text messages from the web. If Apple would only allow the app into the App Store, though I have high hopes for the Voicecentral Black Swan edition.

Tomato

I breathed new life into my old routers with this software. I now have a consistent interface across all my networking equipment and I’ve just installed TomatoVPN so that I can connect to my home network from anywhere.

SABnzbd+

The easiest to use Usenet client ever. I use it everyday.

PlayOn and ORB

With PlayOn, I stream my movie collection to my PS3 and XBox 360′s. With ORB, I do stream it to my iPhone.

WordPress

It’s powering this blog, so I guess I have to put it on the list