2012: Products I can’t live without

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Back in 2010, inspired by lists created by tech geeks like Michael Arrington and Kevin Rose, I created a list of products I could not live without.

Today I present my updated list of products I could not live without.

  • Gmail
  • Google Docs
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Chrome
  • Mint (financial accounting software for the computer and mobile device)
  • iPhone 4
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Carbonite (automatic, instant online backup)
  • ZipList (a syncing mobile grocery list that we use for shopping)
  • Evernote (note-taking program for the computer and mobile device)
  • Dropbox (file syncing across my computer, mobile device and the cloud)
  • Asus laptop
  • Snapfish wireless headphones
  • WordPress (my website and blogging software)
  • Instapaper (saves webpages for later reading on computer and mobile device)

Some interesting comparisons between the 2010 and 2012 lists:

My 2010 list contained 14 items. This year’s list contains 16 items.

There are 7 items on the 2010 list that appear on this list as well, including the all the Google products, Mint, the iPhone (though the version has changed), and Carbonite.

ZipList has replaced Grocery IQ for my shopping list because it can sync between multiple mobile devices.

Twitter has replaced Facebook in terms of my indispensible social media tool. The amount of time I spend on Facebook is marginal. 

The mobile version of Chrome has replaced Opera Mini. It syncs open tabs between platforms and is just as fast as Opera.

Evernote replaced the pre-loaded note-taking program on the iPhone, which was so useless that it did not make my 2010 list even though I was using it on a daily basis.

WordPress replaced Typepad, which was another product so disappointing that even though I used it almost every day, it did not qualify as a product I could not live without in 2010.

YouTube has gained even greater importance in my life now that it is the primary means by which I can get her dressed in the morning and ready for bed at night without protest. A ten-minute episode of Charlie and Lola or Winnie the Pooh is just what I need to start and end my day without a fight.