A couple of years ago, I came to the quiet realisation that I was, without a doubt, a certified tech nerd. They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one, but it didn't take long for me to realise that my obsession wasn't actually a problem at all.
I’ve always been drawn to gadgets—cameras, computers, and all kinds of tech devices.
My background is rooted in video editing and journalism, fields I studied from 2004 to 2006. I stepped into my first professional role as a video editor, cameraman, and photographer in 2007.
By 2010, I had transitioned into sports journalism, a move that allowed me to combine those core skill sets by shooting high-quality photos, capturing video, and occasionally cutting together edits. Back then, the demand for video content in sports journalism was relatively low, but as the industry evolved, multimedia quickly became the primary priority. If you couldn't seamlessly blend video, photography, and the written word, you simply weren't going to make it.
A Tech Enthusiast’s Journey: From Sports Writing to Apple Silicon Obsession
Despite being deeply entrenched in the sports world, a major spark ignited in 2020 when Apple announced its transition away from Intel processors in favour of custom Apple Silicon for the Mac lineup.
It represented a seismic shift in laptop performance and power efficiency. Just hearing about what those new machines could accomplish filled me with a fresh surge of passion—a feeling I hadn't truly experienced since my early days covering sports. Over time, that original sports-writing spark had naturally plateaued, and the fast-paced tech industry was suddenly becoming far more thrilling to me.
I found myself falling down endless YouTube rabbit holes, particularly content revolving around the new MacBook Air. I was no stranger to MacBooks, having used them for years—starting with a 13-inch MacBook Pro when I became a sports journalist in 2010, followed by a second unit in 2015 after dropping my original machine, and a third in 2019 after yet another accidental fall!
By 2022, I knew my enthusiasm had morphed into a full-blown obsession when I finally took the plunge and bought my first Apple Silicon machine: a rose gold M1 MacBook Air - I still remember that laptop fondly. After spending endless hours watching reviews and agonising over whether to spend extra cash on upgraded RAM or extra storage, I ultimately opted for the base model. It turned out to be the most impressive and capable computer I had ever owned, effortlessly outperforming every Intel-based MacBook Pro that came before it.
Since then, I’ve accumulated a modest amount of gear-related debt while constantly upgrading my tech arsenal. Over the years, I’ve gone through two drones, picked up a DJI Osmo Nano action camera (which quickly became my absolute favourite camera ever), acquired a Sony ZV-E10 4K camera, added an iPad A16 to my workflow, and eventually upgraded to a sleek 15-inch M5 MacBook Air.
My smartphone journey took a few scenic detours along the way. After starting on early Apple devices like the iPhone 5s, I switched over to Huawei around 2015, followed by a series of various Xiaomi and Huawei handsets.
However, last August, I decided it was finally time to dive back into the ecosystem, signing a new contract for an iPhone 16e. Even though it stands as the entry-level model in the 16 lineup, having it integrate effortlessly with the rest of my Apple hardware setup has been fantastic.
As a fully certified, unapologetic tech nerd, and the newly appointed Tech Editor at IOL as of the beginning of October, I feel like it’s exactly where I want to be.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL.
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