I’m a movie geek. You probably know that. But I’m also a tech geek, so today I’d like to share my digital world with you. Here’s what I use and why; I hope you benefit from this too.

* I wish I was getting paid to advertise these products but alas, I am not. Sigh…

Hardware

I’m pretty much an Apple fanboy. There, I said it. Whenever I have to use a PC for something, my frustration rises to the point where I want to throw the machine at a wall. Here’s what I mean:

1. My Macbook Pro.

This is my third Mac laptop. It’s my baby. “Steve Jobs” gave it to me free when I hit the magic repair threshold—three major repairs—with my last macbook. I don’t do Apple stuff because they’re flawless. All computers break down and glitch. I do Apple because the customer service and coverage is beyond world class and I love the software.

2. iPhone 4s.

Had an iPhone 3s. Upgraded. Now have iCloud and am dating Siri. Amazing.

3. iPad 2.

This isn’t just a plaything. I preach from this baby, and man is it fun. Everything about my iPad is smooth as silk, and having three devices perfectly synced and compatible is amazing. This is another reason I do Apple. There are great single products out there but Apple’s growing ecosystem (including iTunes) is awesome. Nothing or no one out there even comes close… for now.

4. Apple TV.

Okay, this one is a birthday toy. It also represents my one major complaint with Apple: iTunes movie pricing. It’s digital, people. It works while you sleep. Give me HD movie rentals for $2.99.

5. Time Capsule.

The wifi hub of my digital life. My last router took a bit to configure. This one I plugged in. It asked me if I wanted to use my previous profile. I said yes. Okee-dokee. Done. Wireless backup, no fuss no muss. Awesome.

All these products are available on the Apple site.  

Software

Beyond Mac OS X, here are some apps I absolutely love. Each heading is also a link.

1. Evernote.

We use a classic file system to store stuff we’re currently working on or already have done, but where do we store ideas we don’t need yet? In more files? I did this for years, until I found Evernote. See a gift you might buy for your wife while shopping in a mall? Snap a pic and put it into Evernote. Have an idea for a blog post next week? Evernote. Collecting ideas for your next report? Evernote. And the desktop syncs with my iPhone and iPad, so I can add stuff or check info wherever I am. Beautiful.

2. iBrainstorm for iPad.

This is a sticky note program. You can colour code your notes, move them around with your finger, you name it. I use this app to jot down ideas so I can mess with them until order emerges from the chaos. Every sermon begins with stickies in iBrainstorm. Love it.

3. Penultimate.

I should probably look for a better app to replace this one, but I use this simple drawing program—with the capability to write on photos—as my Keynote substitute. I create a slide in Keynote of a Bible verse, take a screenshot of that slide, import it into Penultimate, and I’m off and running. What this enables me to do (via wireless mirroring on my iPad) is write directly on the verses—underlining and circling words live, like a coach in a football game.

4. Hootsuite.

I’m trying this for my desktop right now (mostly for twitter) and so far I’m not impressed with the learning curve required to learn the interface. Apple has spoiled me so that if something isn’t immediately obvious, it must be lame. This week will make or break this for me.

5. MarsEdit.

I wrote this post on MarsEdit, a desktop program for bloggers that enables you to compose your posts offline and sync them with your blog when you’re ready. This enables you to keep track of drafts and posts in progress without accidentally publishing them. I like it so far.

6. Social media.

My primary hangouts are Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Click on the links to find me on each.

7. Prezi. 

I haven’t actually tried this yet, but it’s on my list to figure out. An amazing app for creating ridiculously cool Keynotes that flow more like movies. A cutting-edge teacher friend of mine tipped me off to this. Thanks Chelsey!

8. Worms II Armageddon. 

I was a huge fan of the PC based game and I love the iPhone / iPad version of this game. Fun, classic gameplay.

What about you? What tech and apps do you love? I want to know!

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