ABOUT THIS EPISODE
We talk a lot about enterprise tech on this show. This week we flipped it: the tech we spend our own money on.
Anthony and Tanner each built a top 5 list plus one honorable mention, and neither of us knew what was on the other's list. Real-time reactions, real gear, and a price range that runs from $36 to a few thousand dollars. Anthony's list ran cheap and practical. Tanner's ran toward infrastructure. Somehow we ended up at opposite ends of the spectrum on almost every single pick.
ANTHONY'S LIST
5. Anker 65W charger bricks
4. Wyze camera system
HM. AliExpress soldering station with heat gun
3. Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer
2. CM3588 flash-based NAS
1. OpenClaw AI agent server
TANNER'S LIST
5. Segway Navimow robot mower
4. Tempest home weather station
HM. Password manager (family plan)
3. EcoFlow battery and solar
2. Lutron Caseta smart switches
1. Ubiquiti network gear
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro and the rules
03:55 Anthony #5: Anker chargers
05:40 Tanner #5: Robot mower
09:15 Anthony #4: Wyze cameras
10:40 Tanner #4: Tempest weather station
14:15 Why co-op people are obsessed with weather
15:20 Anthony honorable mention: Soldering station
17:30 Tanner honorable mention: Password manager
19:55 Anthony #3: Bambu Lab 3D printer
22:30 Tanner #3: EcoFlow batteries
26:45 Anthony #2: Flash NAS build
29:20 Tanner #2: Lutron Caseta and the Wife Approval Factor
32:20 Anthony #1: Running your own AI agent
35:30 Tanner #1: Ubiquiti
41:00 Wrap up
What's your number one piece of personal tech? Drop it in the comments. Got an episode idea, a question, or want to come on the show? Reach out on LinkedIn or email show@offthewirepodcast.com. Off the Wire covers cybersecurity, IT leadership, and technology for electric cooperatives and small business IT teams. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
