Mac Harris is a club and festival DJ currently living in Ulaanbaatar. He grew up in Texas, USA and has lived in India and Holland before moving to Mongolia last year. He’s visited over 65 countries and is obsessed with travel and all things electronic, from gadgets to music. Here are his 10 Essential Items:
1. Traktor Kontrol S8
This next generation DJ controller ditches the old school CD-like spinning wheels for color LCD screens and touch sensitive control strips, letting me leave my laptop closed and focus on the music. It’s the first hardware to support the new STEMS file format that separates the bass, vocals, drums, and melody for live remixing at the club or in the studio.
2. KnowRoaming SIM card sticker
As a frequent traveller, staying connected abroad always meant high data roaming charges. This tiny sticker attaches to my Mobicom SIM card and tricks my phone into being a local one when I land in a new country. It saves over 90% off data roaming charges and they also offer daily-unlimited plans. You can still receive calls on your Mongolian number while abroad too!
3. Withings Smart Body Analyzer
It looks like any other scale you’d find in a bathroom, but every time you step on it’s glass surface your body fat, lean mass, BMI, and precise weight are measured and recorded wirelessly in an app on your smartphone and laptop. Check graphs and charts of your fitness progress on the go, set goals with reminders and achievements, and even share this data with your doctor if something’s not right; all automatically.
4. Passport
I consider myself lucky to have an American passport which grants me visa-free travel to 172 countries around the world. I've filled up two books already, my third one here had extra pages sown in so there's more room for new countries to stamp it.
5. TrakDot Luggage Tracker
I drop this little palm-sized gadget into my suitcase before a flight and never have to worry about losing my luggage again. It uses GPS to track its location and pings my phone telling me if it made it to my destination with me or not.
6. V-Moda Crossfade LP Headphones
These versatile Pro-DJ headphones have excellent sound reproduction and isolation to keep outside noise at bay in loud environments like nightclubs and airports. An indestructible steel headband, ceramic drivers, and soft leather ear cups give it a premium edge.
7. Solar Powerbank by Poweradd
Everyone needs more battery life on his or her gadgets these days, but what about when you’re out in the Gobi hundreds of kilometers from a power outlet? This power bank has a high efficiency solar panel that fully recharges in sunlight, powering up your phone and tablet at the same time.
8. Apple Watch
I love Apple Watch for tracking all my fitness workouts, checking into hotel rooms abroad with no key cards, summoning an Uber taxi with my wrist, paying for a meal with Apple Pay, and checking Facebook messages without having to take my phone out of my pocket. I’ve wanted a gadget like this since I was about 5 years old. The future is now!
9. Smart Door Lock by Samsung
If you’ve ever lost your house keys like me then this will be a lifesaver. It replaces your home door lock and handle with a sleek digital security device that uses RFID ‘tap keys’ that you keep in yourwallet like a credit card. Lose your wallet too? Idiot. No worry, just type in your secret passcode on the panel and your door opens magically.
10. My Pug, Laddu.
A dog is a man’s best friend, but pugs are in another league. They’re basically little snuggle balls that emit rays of happiness and sunshine. Yes he snores like a freight train, but his humanlike facial expressions tell me exactly what he’s thinking (dinner time?) and his extreme loyalty means I’m never alone.
Mac Harris is a club and festival DJ currently living in Ulaanbaatar. He grew up in Texas, USA and has lived in India and Holland before moving to Mongolia last year. He’s visited over 65 countries and is obsessed with travel and all things electronic, from gadgets to music. Here are his 10 Essential Items:
1. Traktor Kontrol S8
This next generation DJ controller ditches the old school CD-like spinning wheels for color LCD screens and touch sensitive control strips, letting me leave my laptop closed and focus on the music. It’s the first hardware to support the new STEMS file format that separates the bass, vocals, drums, and melody for live remixing at the club or in the studio.
2. KnowRoaming SIM card sticker
As a frequent traveller, staying connected abroad always meant high data roaming charges. This tiny sticker attaches to my Mobicom SIM card and tricks my phone into being a local one when I land in a new country. It saves over 90% off data roaming charges and they also offer daily-unlimited plans. You can still receive calls on your Mongolian number while abroad too!
3. Withings Smart Body Analyzer
It looks like any other scale you’d find in a bathroom, but every time you step on it’s glass surface your body fat, lean mass, BMI, and precise weight are measured and recorded wirelessly in an app on your smartphone and laptop. Check graphs and charts of your fitness progress on the go, set goals with reminders and achievements, and even share this data with your doctor if something’s not right; all automatically.
4. Passport
I consider myself lucky to have an American passport which grants me visa-free travel to 172 countries around the world. I've filled up two books already, my third one here had extra pages sown in so there's more room for new countries to stamp it.
5. TrakDot Luggage Tracker
I drop this little palm-sized gadget into my suitcase before a flight and never have to worry about losing my luggage again. It uses GPS to track its location and pings my phone telling me if it made it to my destination with me or not.
6. V-Moda Crossfade LP Headphones
These versatile Pro-DJ headphones have excellent sound reproduction and isolation to keep outside noise at bay in loud environments like nightclubs and airports. An indestructible steel headband, ceramic drivers, and soft leather ear cups give it a premium edge.
7. Solar Powerbank by Poweradd
Everyone needs more battery life on his or her gadgets these days, but what about when you’re out in the Gobi hundreds of kilometers from a power outlet? This power bank has a high efficiency solar panel that fully recharges in sunlight, powering up your phone and tablet at the same time.
8. Apple Watch
I love Apple Watch for tracking all my fitness workouts, checking into hotel rooms abroad with no key cards, summoning an Uber taxi with my wrist, paying for a meal with Apple Pay, and checking Facebook messages without having to take my phone out of my pocket. I’ve wanted a gadget like this since I was about 5 years old. The future is now!
9. Smart Door Lock by Samsung
If you’ve ever lost your house keys like me then this will be a lifesaver. It replaces your home door lock and handle with a sleek digital security device that uses RFID ‘tap keys’ that you keep in yourwallet like a credit card. Lose your wallet too? Idiot. No worry, just type in your secret passcode on the panel and your door opens magically.
10. My Pug, Laddu.
A dog is a man’s best friend, but pugs are in another league. They’re basically little snuggle balls that emit rays of happiness and sunshine. Yes he snores like a freight train, but his humanlike facial expressions tell me exactly what he’s thinking (dinner time?) and his extreme loyalty means I’m never alone.