I am a gadget fanatic. I have so many tools and toys it is on the verge of too much (for my wife, it’s been too much stuff years ago….meh). Here are 5 gadget under $100 that I think benefit ministry. this list is not a justification to go shopping with the Church CC, you may be able to borrow some of these items. If you need to buy start with Amazon to get an idea of the real cost, then go to ebay and see if you can find it NEW or gently used.
1) GPS: My goto GPS is Google maps or Waze on iPhone but with today’s limited data plans it is probably better to have a GPS with the latest maps built in. I already hear some of you saying, “Get the Garmin GPS app (or something like it) and download North America to your Phone maps!” I do not own any pay-for GPS apps that download maps but I have not heard great things. I love my traditional Garmin GPS, it is a great tool on missions trips and events. Today you can find some with built in traffic reports and lifetime map updates. The Garmin 40LW is under $100 (sorry, not traffic or lifetime maps).
2) Kindle: I love my Kindle app and I love my Kindle. I bought a Kindle touch, the one before “Paper White” on ebay. While Paper White is really cool, I wanted the text-to-search feature, Amazon took that and the headphone jack away of the Paper White. I think I like reading from a hard copy a little more than reading off a screen but I LOVE having my library with me everywhere I go.
3) Bamboo Duo: Best iPad pen ever in the history of the world (am I over selling?). I am not getting paid to say this. I have one a Bamboo Duo, I paid for it, I use it every day. I like the feel and the weight. Down side…I do through a replacement head about every 2 months (you can get a 3 pack of replacements for about $9).
4) Rechargeable Speakers: Just had a tailgate party with our students at a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) game. It was great cooking out, throwing a football, and eating with my students but having music in the background makes it better. I went to target and bought a rechargeable, portable speaker system that I was able to plug my iPhone into, it is wireless too (bluetooth). I do not recommend buying online unless you have seen and tested the unit…you want it to meet your needs!
5) Google Voice: Google Voice (GV) is free and I do not use it to make phone calls. I have my GV phone number floating around to a few people the reason I have an account is their free visual voicemail. As a Verizon customer I would have to pay $3 for this feature. With GV I just turn it on and it is done. It is not flawless but now I can get voicemail in a meeting, it come to me as a text (or in the app) and I read it.
What is your favorite sub $100 gadget that helps you in ministry?