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Toys & Tech of the Trade: Rich/RAGE Works (2018)

Toys and technology for professionals.
Toys and technology for professionals.

Who are you and what do you do?: Billionaire, philanthropist, inventor…. I kid, I kid. I am the brains behind RAGE Works and the former host of My Take Radio which ended its 11 year run with 400 episodes. You'll occasionally hear me pop up on some of the other shows on the RAGE Works Network.

Base of operations a/k/a home:  The same borough as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Current mobile device: iPhone 8 Plus but moving to an iPhone X very soon.

What do you like/dislike the most about your current mobile device?:               Like: Not being at the mercy of carriers when it comes to updates. Awesome camera and a lot of app exclusivity.

Dislike: I miss not being able to customize notification sounds on certain apps and I miss the pen from my Note device. I'd love to see an iPhone Pro with an Apple Pencil stylus. If Apple did that, the phablet market would be in serious trouble.

Three mobile apps you can't live without: Overcast for podcast consumption, Instagram, and Spotify.

Show us your home screen:

Current Laptop or desktop: I am still using an AMD powered rig I built myself with an octo-core processor. I recently sold my Dell laptop which you saw in the previous column and plan on picking up a Macbook Pro to try my hand at Final Cut. (Plus I get to dip my toes into the Apple pool a bit further.)

Most used program/programs on laptop/desktop: Hindenburg Journalist to record podcasts, Auphonic to get all show files nice and level and Buffer/Grum to automate our social media posts.

Show us your desktop:

A screen shot of a computer screen with a purple light on it, showcasing the latest Tech innovation.

The first place you go when you open your phone or computer: Gmail is still the go-to due to the massive amounts of emails I get for both RAGE Works and personally.

One website you recommend to people often: I still recommend Feedly as the best one stop shop for all the sites you consume. Having the RSS feeds of all the sites I visit keeps me up to date on everything going on in tech, entertainment, etc.

Favorite piece of tech besides your phone/computer: I've made a massive push towards having a smart home so both Google Home and Amazon Alexa get the nod in 2018. They not only control my lights and thermostat but also stream my music and keep me up to date on news and weather when I wake up to start my day. Honorable Mention also goes to my Apple Airpods, which replaced my Bluetooth headset and never lose connection to my phone.

What's playing in the background while you work?:  It is still the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, albeit not as much. I usually have a Spotify playlist playing in the background while I edit or write. If I am in my office or driving to my day job it will be a podcast or e-book. Podcasts in my rotation currently are Renegade Radio, Ask Gary Vee and Noah Kagan Presents (which I'll add is incredibly underrated). 

Gamer?: Since 1985 and still at it.

What are you playing?: I am trying to finish Assassin's Creed: Origins and splitting time between Dragon Ball FighterZ, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition and UFC 3

Last gaming purchase: A vertical stand for the Xbox One S that is in the RAGE Works studio.

What item have you purchased recently that is less than $100 that has made your life easier or more enjoyable: A case for my Apple Airpods with a built-in carabiner to clip to my jeans. When I bought my Airpods, I heard tons of horror stories of people either losing both or one of them. The case keeps them secure and adds a bit of drag to keep the top from accidentally opening.

We've covered the tech so let's hear about some toys. Any toys or collectibles you're currently obsessing over? Transformers: Power of the Primes line is definitely on my radar for purchase after seeing the line at Hascon last year.

Favorite toy /collectible from your childhood and favorite toy/collectible you currently own: When it comes to my childhood I have to go with my Thundercats action figures. The Lion-O had light up eyes as did Mumm-Ra which for kid is awesome! I am currently in a Transformers and Voltron phase and recently got a Voltron set from the new Netflix show. The company is also releasing an 84 version of Voltron which I am currently building.

Who you like to see featured in a future column?: I definitely want to connect with previous peeps that have been featured to update their posts but we are also launching a podcast version of this column that will have a variety of interesting peeps. 

Where can people find your work and connect with you?: You can connect with me here on RAGE Works or you can find me on Twitter @RAGE_Works and on Instagram: RAGEWorks_Rich.