Favorite Tech & Accessories - Mid 2025

We're currently in the middle of 2025 and I have had the pleasure of spending time with some truly remarkable tech products and accessories that deserve proper attention. So I've compiled a list of items that have left a lasting impression on me. Some of them have not yet been featured on the channel while others are products that you've been requesting for a long time. So let's just dive in. With Amazon Prime Day just around the corner, I'll also highlight some special offers and discounts that I've secured from brands that I work with. Now if there's one accessory that really sparked interest during my get the most out of your iPhone episode, it was this case. The Taurus O-Stand Q3 Air. There are a few reasons this one stood out starting with the obvious, the look. Some of you said it reminded you of the iMac G3 and honestly, I see it too. But beyond the aesthetics, what struck me the most was how comfortable this case feels in the hand. It brings back that soft rounded feeling of the older iPhones. Super gentle to hold yet grippy enough thanks to what Taurus calls their dot matrix grip texture. It's subtle but effective and there are also smart touches you might miss at first glance, like the built-in airbags and reinforced corners that give it solid impact resistance. But the real star of the show is the integrated stand. Believe it or not, it has hidden gears inside and there's something incredibly satisfying about the click and the fact that it adjusts to almost any angle. The Q3 Air comes in three awesome colors and works perfectly with Taurus' own lanyard. So if you're into cases that do more than just protect, I'd definitely check it out below. By the way, if you end up enjoying this video, subscribe because why not? When I picked the Nothing Phone 3a a while back, I also stumbled upon the Nothing Ear Open, a pair of earbuds that quickly earned a permanent spot in my everyday carry. Like most Nothing products, they stand out not just because of the transparent design but because of the way they sit or rather gently hook onto the ears. Now, if traditional earbuds aren't your thing, this is a brilliant alternative. Assuming you're okay with the slightly futuristic look. Once they are on, they almost disappear physically and mentally. And with a built-in 30-hour battery life, they're easy to forget. Now, since they're open style, there's a bit of leakage but not too bad. The sound is genuinely impressive for the form factor and the built-in mics are fantastic. When I'm done, I just clap them back into the case and just move on. When it comes to desk accessories, a favorite of mine has to be the Opsbot Me 2 which is probably the cutest and the smallest 4K webcam I've ever had. Mine is in white but it also comes in two other distinctive colors. Despite the minimal aesthetics, the image quality in this little fella is super sharp. The autofocus is just as impressive and fast and the dual omnidirectional noise-canceling microphones keep my voice perfectly clean. Now, here's a quick test with the Me 2 and this is exactly what the image looks like. I personally think it looks very balanced and natural and I love how the camera handles all sorts of different challenges when it comes to artificial lighting and sunlight at the same time. Oh, and the audio is coming from the Me 2 as well. But it's these smart features that really set the Me 2 apart. For example, auto-framing keeps me centered even when I shift around and if I flip the camera vertically, it instantly switches to portrait mode which is perfect for live streaming on social platforms. On the other hand, the Me 2 also supports gesture controls like raising a hand to trigger target lock or zooming in and out. And all the fine-tuning, by the way, can be done via the Opsbot Center including personalizing the image settings and even face retouch. Privacy is covered too, literally with a magnetic cover that snaps into place when not in use. Low-light 4K performance is no slouch either which is a definite win in my book. And with Prime Day around the corner, Opsbot has prepped a 20% discount with my exclusive code which I'll be sure to link below. With the compact theme in mind, another tiny little helper that keeps me in check is the Plot Notepad. You can think of it as a wearable AI-powered notetaker that captures, transcribes and summarizes my thoughts, meetings and moments in real-time. At just 22 grams, it practically disappears into my routine as I can clip it, pin it, wear it on a lanyard or wristband and forget it's even there. The Notepin uses the latest from Chad GPT-40 and Claude to generate structured notes, highlight takeaways and surface action items instantly. It understands 112 languages, separates speakers and turns hours of back-to-back calls or meetings into organized, searchable insights. This little capsule can capture non-stop for up to 20 hours thanks to the built-in 64GB storage and it also has automatic mute detection and built-in Find My Support if it ever goes missing. Most importantly, it works without draining my phone's battery or hogging its storage and personally, the biggest help is the fact that it allows me to stay present as my second brain, quietly taking notes. By the way, for a limited time, you can use my code THISISE20 to get 20% off until July 7th following the link below. The next item that's quietly become one of my most valuable tools is the Holyland Lark M2S. Weighing at just 7 grams, this little wireless mic redefines what it means to be discreet. Thanks to its titanium clip, I can hide it almost anywhere, under a shirt collar, inside a jacket, even tucked behind gear. There are no visible logos, allowing it to work in plain sight, even when the shoot gets chaotic. Inside the case, there are two transmitters that charge by sliding neatly into a compact case, plus two receivers, one for the camera and one for the phone. The good thing is that Holyland has an app, so if I plug in the smartphone receiver, I can control the settings of the microphones through the app. For example, I can control the gain, sleep time, and also adjust the NC level. So if I'm outside and it's very loud, I might choose a high setting for the NC, or just keep it low and standard. The audio is recorded in 24-bit depth, which means, even if I'm in a less-than-ideal environment, the final result still sounds crisp and clear. Holyland also added Advanced Environmental Noise Cancellation, which helps me cut out low-frequency hums and rumbles, giving me that polished, professional sound. It works in open spaces up to 300m away, with zero interference that I've noticed, and the battery life is just as dependable. 9 hours of continuous use per mic or receiver, with the option to extend it up to 30 hours thanks to the case. So yeah, definitely something to shortlist from the description below. Now to the PlayStation Portal, a device that surprisingly has sparked a ton of joy for me. The reason I bought it was simple. I felt bad for my PS5. As someone who's constantly on the move, it was almost heartbreaking to see it collect dust in the studio, and at the same time, I didn't want to sell it, but I also wanted to use it. So instead, I gave it a second life through Sony's own remote play solution. You can think of the Portal as a giant, dual-sense controller with a gorgeous 8-inch display sandwiched in the middle. And despite some of the controversy surrounding it, I've honestly had nothing but fun using it outside the studio. With my PS5 wired into a stable connection, I've been able to enjoy and even hotspot the Portal and run games like Warhammer pretty much anywhere. But the standout feature for me, the thing that really sets it apart from every other portable console I've tried, is that it feels like a PlayStation 5. That same dual-sense tech that is in the standard PS5 controller is baked in here. Immersive haptics, adaptive triggers, responsive vibrations, and even that dynamic tension that you just can't get elsewhere. It's not just portable gaming, it's PlayStation portable gaming, and that really makes all the difference. Staying on the course of gaming, the ROG Flow Z13 has been the other device that I've fallen in love with. I already have a full review on the channel which I'll link at the end of this video, but in a nutshell, this is easily the most powerful 2-in-1 I've ever used. It's built like a tank, with a futuristic design that looks like something out of Cyberpunk 2077, and packs desktop-level power into a 13-inch chassis that somehow still pretends to be a tablet. This isn't one of those sleek featherweight tablets. It's unapologetically thick, and for a good reason. Inside, you've got AMD's Ryzen AI Max Plus chip running the show with unified memory access across the CPU and the GPU. That means zero bottlenecks when switching between editing, gaming, and multitasking, as everything just flows. Whether I'm working on some graphics, editing a video, or jumping into a game of Cyberpunk at high settings, the Flow Z13 doesn't just keep up, it just thrives. And the fact that it transforms from a workstation to a legit gaming rig to a media machine in seconds is what makes it special. It's not trying to be an iPad, it's not trying to be a laptop, it's something entirely different. And that's why I like it. The only reason I temporarily stepped away from the Flow Z13 is because of my pre-ordered Microsoft Surface Pro, which finally arrived. This is the smallest model in the new lineup, and switching from the Flow to this, honestly, was kind of a shock. These two couldn't be more different. Where the Flow is purposefully chunky and powerful, the Surface feels like it was designed by a minimalist with a thing for symmetry. It's slim, featherweight, rounded, and beautifully unibodied. A device that leans much closer to the iPad territory in terms of size and aesthetics. Of course, this isn't a gaming rig. It runs on the Snapdragon X Plus with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which, by the way, is the max config for this size. But that's just totally fine. You see, this is a proper tablet that just happens to run full windows, and for people on the go, that's more than enough. Compared to every Surface I've used in the past, this feels like the most polished version yet. The 12-inch size hits the sweet spot in my book, and while it no longer offers SSD expandability, it is just so much fun to use. So, full transparency, when I first ordered this, I knew nothing about the specs. I just saw 12 inches and I had to buy it because I love small 2-in-1s. And for the most part, I thought this is a 60Hz panel. But as it turns out, if I go to Display Settings and scroll down to Advanced Display, there is an option to turn on 90Hz. So, it turns out, this is 90Hz. Nice! The new keyboard layout, unfortunately for me, is in German and it definitely needs replacements. But the design of this accessory is fantastic, and the typing experience is excellent. And I actually really like the flexible hinge that smoothly rolls away. There's no pen garage in this particular keyboard, but snapping the slim pen magnetically to the back feels way more secure than Apple's solution, so no complaints there either. I'm working on a full review of this one, so if you got questions, drop them below and I'll be sure to cover them. The next piece of tech that has completely redefined how I think about smartphones, and the one that I've genuinely enjoyed every minute with, is the Oppo Find N5. At just over 4mm thin when I fold it, it feels like something from the future. This thing doesn't just keep up with other phones, it leaves both traditional flagships and most foldables in the dust. It's about as thick as a USB-C port, and yet it's easily a two-day phone for me. When I need to get work done, it's more than capable. And when it's time to unwind, the entertainment experience is even better. Of all the phones that I've used over the years, this one stands out in a way that's noticeable not just for me, but everyone around me. The camera output, for example, especially for portraits and group shots, has friends asking me to use my phone when it's time to capture a moment. And that speaks a lot. As of right now, this is the benchmark I'll be using to compare every other phone that follows, including the upcoming Z Fold 7, which I hope can keep up. If I had to nitpick, there are only two things I wish were better. First, the speakers. They sound nice, but they're just a bit too quiet for my liking. Second, and more importantly, I really wish the screens got brighter outdoors. On bright summer days, that's one area where this otherwise phenomenal device feels just a step behind, yet hardly a reason to consider other phones as of now. Now, I can't skip the Nintendo Switch 2 in my mid-year favorite tech episode, as after all, this is a Solar Eclipse kind of a console that has already sold over 3.5 million units. To me, this is the natural upgrade and the entertainment piece of tech that my kids and I will enjoy for years to come. Personally, I find it a bit on the larger size, but regardless, there's a ton to brag about as Nintendo really nailed the recipe in my opinion, especially with the magnetic joycons. Aside from the remastered titles, I'm super excited to see what will come next and maybe witness a refreshed UI as this one feels a bit dated in 2025, but hey, it's just a game launcher after all. Be sure to check out my Flow Z13 episode right here, as well as my initial detailed impressions on the OPPO Find N5. Some exciting news are coming to the Wynote app, which I'll share in my upcoming newsletter, and as always, like and subscribe to the channel, it's been an absolute pleasure, this is E… over and out.