40 Cool Tools I'm Digging (for my 40th bday)

Last week I turned 40, and to celebrate, here are 40 of my favorite things 👇

In no particular order, but mildly categorized...

Kitchen

1 - Waffle Fry slicer

There's no better way to make potatoes at home. This creates great thick waffle fries, which we use in the air fryer. Don't forget to soak in water for 30 mins, then dry, then cook! (removes starch).

2 - Scrubdaddy

Try the Scrubmommy. Try the Grilldaddy. The entire lineup of brushes/sponges is LEGIT and I'm made at myself for not discovering them sooner. DON'T BUY THEM ON AMAZON (they're fake half the time!!)

3 - Ippodo Matcha Tea Powder

Cheap pre-packaged matcha tea = meh. Tastes like grass. World-class matcha = SO GOOD. Tastes like expensive, smooth grass.

4 - Hario V60 coffee dripper

As a coffee fanatic, this is the best pourover dripper I've found. Make sure to get the plastic one! (heats up the fastest/easiest, which is important)

5 - Cheap knife sharpening stones

As somebody who cooks a fair bit and has nicer knives, some whetstones are a must. This $25ish kit is SO much better than those little V-shaped sharpeners.

Everyday Carry (EDC)

I tried the bigger, expensive notebooks, and found I never wrote in them. Field Notes are smaller, cheaper, but they can ALSO be collected, which is super fun. I'm rocking the limited edition Turquoise from Draplin right now.

7 - Nahvalur Nautilus fountain pen

I thought I was going to dive deep down the fountain pen rabbit hole--but then I found 2-3 pens that were just perfect, and I stopped. The Nahvalur (it means Narwhal) Nautilus IS SO CLEAN and amazing to hold and write with. I got the Cephalopod Black.

8 - Muji Gel Pen 0.38mm

The best feeling "cheap" pen I've found. Made in Japan.

9 - Hitch & Timber Pouch

The Field Notes, pens, etc, live in this hand-made pouch. It screams "Look at me, I'm a tactical dude"... Even if you're a nerd like me.

10 - Olight Baton 4 (flashlight)

Every human should own at least one GOOD flashlight, and this is mine. It's tiny with a charging case, (which charges the battery 5 times), and has INCREDIBLE functionality built into ONE button. Gets insanely bright. They routinely go on sale!

Audio

11 - PreSonus Eris (desk monitors)

Speakers = built to sound good. Monitors = built to sound accurate. But mostly the same thing, and these are FANTASTIC for near-field listening (i.e. sitting on your desk). I have the 3.5" version (size of the woofer). They're "active," aka you don't need an amp. Just plug stuff in and listen to incredible sound.

12 - Apple Airpods Pro 2

I have hearing damage, and need hearing aids (damn you, drumline years). I tested "real" hearing aids--AND the new hearing aid functionality from the Airpods, and I prefer the Airpods. Plus they're just great earbuds, of course.

13 - Wiim Mini or Wiim Pro (streamer)

If you wanted to get into budget hifi, you'd buy 3 things: used speakers, a used amp, and a streamer. Think of these as "connects bluetooth audio streaming to amps/dacs/speakers/etc that don't have Bluetooth." The Wiim Pro also has a built-in DAC and way more inputs!!

Health & Fitness

14 - GoRuck Sandbags

There is something super primal about sandbag training, and I absolutely LOVE these things. Great for mobility & strength training. I have a 15lb and 60lb (pay extra for the v2 sandbags, they have way more handles).

15 - Friday Pickleball Paddles

This my beginner paddle recommendation. They come 2 for $100, which is PERFECT for trying to convince your spouse to learn to play with you 👍🥒

16 - Under-desk treadmill

Standing desk + treadmill = burning calories while you work. SO GOOD. $99 is a stupid good price for what this will do for your life. That link is the exact one I have.

Wear it

17 - Barefoot shoes (Vivobarefoot Primus Lite)

Once you start using barefoot shoes--it's hard to go back. Literally. Your feet & shoes literally change shape (and get way, way stronger). I have the Primus Lite for everyday use. I'm going to buy barefoot boots next winter. Xero is another good barefoot brand.

18 - Under Armour Tech shirt

Why did nobody tell me how good Under Armour is?! After years of buying the cheapest "exercise shirts" ever, I recently got a UA "tech" shirt, and I've been blown away. They have several different styles in the tech series.

19 - Vuori sweatpants

Yes, they're really worth the hype. I got the Ponto Performance Jogger, and I wear it every. single. day. No shame. JOIN THEIR EMAIL LIST for a coupon (if you're already on their list, get a temporary email.)

Shed + Truck

20 - Seat Covers (Rough Country) & Husky Floor Mats

I'll group these. This is the first vehicle I have ever purchased floor mats (heavy-duty rubber) and seat covers (functional neoprene, not fashion) for--and I'll NEVER have another vehicle without these.

21 - Yeti Cooler

This is another one of those "does a cooler really need to cost that much" items, but the answer is yes. Yeti coolers are just so good. I started with a Tundra 65, which was too big/heavy. I downgraded to the Tundra 45 in Georgia Bulldog red.

22 - Cheap "deck box" storage

Our outdoor storage is kinda small, and I like my shed space! I went to Home Depot and bought the biggest wicker storage box I could (130L or so). Loved it so much I bought another one 6 months later.

Desk

23 - DIY NAS + Unraid

NAS = "Network Attached Storage" aka my own little server--complete with 🏴‍☠️Plex🏴‍☠️ (Google it), and "cloud storage." I'm using Unraid (software) to run it, and although it's DEFINITELY been a learning experience (highly techy!), it's worth it! I followed this guide and bought the cheapest components possible from Aliexpress.

24 - DJI Wireless Lav Microphones

I've sold most of my microphones, and just keep the ATR2100, Rode NTG4 (permanent fixture in my office), and the DJI mics. These little beauties JUST WORK. Highly portable, case-charging, sound great, and work with phone, laptop, and DSLR. SO GOOD. I have the older version (Mic, not Mic 2).

25 - NuPhy Halo65 Mechanical Keyboard

At this point, companies straight-up mail me their keyboards, so I have 40-50. The NuPhy keyboards are the best pre-built keyboards on the market. I have 6 NuPhy's, and they're all great, but I prefer the 65% layout.

26 - Kailh "Deep-Sea" & "Box Jade" switches

One of the best things about mechanical keyboards is that you can swap out the "switches." See this video. I've tried dozens of switches. If you really want a QUIET keyboard, go with the Kailh "Deep Sea" switches (sound test). If you like loud (clicky) switches, the Box Jades are my fave. (sound test)

27 - Kindle Paperwhite

I do love holding an actual book--but I bought this when I was going through a 14-book series where the paperbacks wouldn't open all the way--and they were uncomfortable to hold. Now I use it every single day, and the battery lasts months. BUY THIS REFURBISHED! I got mine for HALF the price and it's been perfect.

28 - Novelkeys Desk mats

If you work at a desk, you need a desk mat. I have a few cheap FELT mats from Amazon, and they're great. But I also have a NASA-themed mat from Novelkeys which feels fantastic.

Bed & Bath

29 - Cheap Shower Caddy

Keeping shower stuff on the bathtub ledges always drives me crazy. This cheap set on Amazon sticks super well and works great.

30 - Quip Toothbrush

I used one of the cheaper electric toothbrushes from Quip for 3 years, and it was great. But the newer oscillating version is way better, and still pretty affordable. The Quip brushes are SO much easier to clean that other brands.

31 - Cheap sunrise alarm clock

Wake up with light (that gets steadier brighter over 15 mins). Can play white noise as well. FULLY dimmable display is a great feature, though the initial light was just 25% softer haha.

Software

32 - Better Dictation

Voice-to-text with a hotkey. Super accurate and a breeze to set up, and it's a one-time payment(!)

33 - MacWhisper

A more robust audio-to-text AI app, which recently added multi-speaker detection (making it great for podcasts, coaching calls, etc). I recently upgraded to Pro for that (one-time $50ish payment is amazing!). I'm pretty sure this has voice-to-text as well, so I could replace Better Dictation.

34 - Keyboard Maestro

Text expansions (with variables and other fancy automations), macros, and hotkey stuff. I think I use this 10x an hour when I'm working. On my Windows computer, I use Autohotkey. (which AI can help you code btw!!)

35 - Scratchpad

"Sticky note software" that pops up with a hotkey, and stays on top of other apps. Handy for quick notes (but has a ton of other advanced customization options, save-to-file, and more).

36 - Obsidian (for notes)

Broke = Notion. Woke = Obsidian. It's 10x more customizable and faster. It's offline-first and privacy-first, and saves all files in simple Markdown (making it easy to take with you). I save all my files to iCloud so I can sync between mobile/desktop, etc. WARNING: if you don't like Rabbit holes, stick to Notion, Capacities, Craft.do, One Note, or Apple Notes. I wrote this blog post / email in Obsidian!

37 - ChatGPT Plus

Claude and Gemini are still great whenever I use them--but at this point I have a lot of custom GPTs and chat histories that I want access to. I might drop down to the free version again, though.

38 - Cursor (coding IDE)

My code editor of choice. Their AI agent has been the best I've tried, and they keep add improvements every week. IT'S NUTS.

39 - Auphonic

I upload raw podcast audio, and it automatically adds intros and outros, remove silences, reduces background noise, adds compression, levels the audio, AND transcribes with AI models. EVERYTHING. And it's dirt cheap.

40 - Buzzsprout

Podcast hosting service of choice. I use them because I've been using them. I should probably look into free options again, as this is $18/mo.

Honorable Mentions

These didn't make the top-40, but they're a part of my everyday life!

14" Outdoor pizza over
Blackstone griddle (new to me!!)
Monthly car wash membership (I know I know I know)
Schitt DAC and Amp
Wharfdale Denton 85th anniversary
Fosi Audio DAC ZD3 & Amps ZA3
Mantis card game (same folks that made Exploding Kittens)
Fellow Ode coffee grinder
Vortex Plus air fryer
West Elm pillows
Zenni glasses
Apple Watch w/ cheap Amazon watch bands
Old-azz iPhone 12 Mini because IT'S THE BEST IPHONE FORM FACTOR and if you want me to upgrade you'll release another mini or pry this one from my cold dead fingers.
Book - I will teach you to be rich
Book - The Coaching Habit
Book - Anything you want (Derek Sivers)
Field Notes cedar box
Sony A7IV
Cheap ceramic space heater for my basement office
Godox continuous light
Aperature dome (mini)
Husky sit/stand desk with CASTERS
Cheap Ikea rolling side tray thingies with CASTERS
Rubik's Cube (speed of course)
Mandolorian-themed UNO cards
TCL mini-LED 65" TV (great for bright rooms. OLED is good for dark rooms)
App - Loom Pro w/ AI - worth it if you do a lot of Loom!
App - Wave App for financials
App - AffTracker.co (mine)
App - ListGadget.com (mine)
Mac App - Raycast for emojies
Mac App - Screen Studio
Mac App - Alfred
Mac App - Yoink
Mac App - Clop
Mac App - Better Touch Tool
Calendar - Apple Cal
Email - Protonmail(!)
VPN - Proton
Writing & Notes - Obsidian
Todo - Reminders
Browser - Chrome, but trying to switch to Firefox
🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

2 questions for you:

Should I do more "cool tools" content? VOTE BELOW IN THE POLL!
What'd I miss? What's on your favorite things list?

~Pete