{"id":110585,"date":"2023-12-21T09:52:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T17:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=110585"},"modified":"2025-07-20T05:30:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T12:30:33","slug":"the-backblaze-team-recommends-tech-that-saves-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/the-backblaze-team-recommends-tech-that-saves-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"The Backblaze Team Recommends: Tech That Saves the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Everyone has their arsenal of indispensable gadgets and apps they absolutely couldn\u2019t live without, and we had a feeling the folks here at Backblaze would have a lot to say about the subject. We tapped the smart, savvy minds that keep our storage cloud up and running, and discovered a treasure trove of insights into the tech essentials that power their daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From budgeting apps to text editors to humble charging jacks, our staff share the tools they can\u2019t live without. So, without further ado, let\u2019s dig into the gear that keeps our collective gears turning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech for Staying Connected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Solutions Engineering Director, Troy Liljedahl<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n
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As a Mac guy, I love my Airpod Pros and the way they work seamlessly with my iPhone, Macbook Pro, and iPad. But things get a little wonky when you try to use them outside of the Apple ecosystem. I tried many different wireless earbuds and settled on the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Earbuds<\/a>. I’m a big fan of The Wirecutter<\/a> by the New York Times (and they’re big fans of us<\/a>) and they had these at the top of their list. I love the sound quality, noise canceling, and excellent battery life. My Airpod Pros are still my go to when I’m out of the house, but when I need a good headset at home for my PC and other non-Apple devices, these have become my go to earbuds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior Director, Marketing, Yev Pusin<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n
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You know what I hate? Getting my phone out at inopportune times. You know what I don\u2019t mind so much? Glancing down at my Google Pixel Watch<\/a> to see that the cold call I\u2019m receiving is being answered by my phone\u2019s call screening and I don\u2019t have to pick it up. Whether it\u2019s the first version or the second, I have grown accustomed to having something on my wrist that acts as an extension of my phone. True digital bliss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Technical Evangelist, Pat Patterson<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I use my webcam a LOT: Zoom and Google Meet with coworkers, FaceTime with family and friends, webinars with the Backblaze community of developers and admins, and quick-start videos for the Backblaze YouTube channel. Ever since I got my PlexiCam Pro mount<\/a> about a year ago, it’s been my secret weapon in every one of those interactions. It’s a transparent plexiglass webcam mount that hangs from the top edge of my monitor, allowing me to position my webcam in my eyeline, just above my focus. To anyone on the call, I appear to be looking directly into the camera. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At $85, it’s not cheap, but it’s well designed and constructed, and feels like it will last forever. Highly recommended for anyone who spends a lot of time flicking their eyes between the screen and the webcam!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech for Devs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Senior Site Reliability Engineer, nathaniel wagner<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ah, the age old debate of Emacs versus Vim: the two most widely used editors for Linux operating systems. I solidly planted my flag on team Vim once I learned how to save and exit the program. ;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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