About Us

So yeah, we’re Digital Gear. We’re the folks who test out software and digital tools so you don’t waste your time on stuff that doesn’t work. Been at this since 2021, and honestly? We still get way too excited about new feature releases.

How We Got Started

It all began when I (that’s Alex) got tired of my friends texting me at 11 PM asking “which video editor should I get?” or “is this project management tool worth $15 a month?” After the 50th time explaining why free plans usually aren’t enough, I thought—why not just write this stuff down somewhere?

Three years and approximately 2,300 cups of coffee later, here we are. What was supposed to be a simple blog has turned into this whole thing where we actually have to update our bios and pretend we’re professionals.

What We Actually Do

We test software. Like, a LOT of software. My laptop has had more apps installed and uninstalled than I care to admit. My team begs me to clean up my desktop at least once a month.

Most days, you’ll find us:

  • Clicking through every single menu option in new apps (I found a bug in Notion last month that way!)
  • Comparing similar tools side-by-side (tried using 3 different video editors simultaneously last week—don’t recommend it)
  • Writing guides that don’t assume you have a computer science degree
  • Arguing about which keyboard shortcuts should be universal (Sam still won’t accept that Ctrl+Shift+Z makes more sense than Ctrl+Y)

We missed covering that big Adobe update last month because Sam was determined to test every single export option before publishing. That’s just how we roll—thorough, even when it means we’re not first.

Why We’re Different (I Think)

Look, I’ll be straight with you. We’re not perfect. Our site crashed for 6 hours last November because I tried updating WordPress plugins after two glasses of wine.

But here’s what we promise:

  • We don’t take money for reviews. Period. (Though we did once accept a mechanical keyboard as a gift, which was a whole ethical debate)
  • We actually USE the stuff we recommend. That project management app I’m suggesting? It’s running our editorial calendar right now.
  • We’ll tell you when something is unnecessarily complicated. Life’s too short for bad UX.
  • If privacy is sketchy, we say so—even when the tool is otherwise awesome.

The Humans Behind the Reviews

There’s five of us now. We didn’t plan it that way—just kept finding people who were equally obsessive about software:

  • Me (Alex): Former IT support who’s still traumatized by printer issues
  • Sam: Ex-developer who judges apps by their keyboard shortcut implementation
  • Riley: Designer who once sent a 12-paragraph email to a company about their color scheme
  • Jordan: Project manager who tests every tool by seeing if it can handle planning a hypothetical wedding
  • Taylor: Newest team member who maintains a spreadsheet ranking coffee shops by wifi reliability for remote work

Last month we had our quarterly meeting and spent 45 minutes debating whether dark mode should be the default for everything. (It should.)

Talk to Us, Please

Seriously, email us. Tweet at us. We’re actual people who respond—sometimes too quickly, according to my partner who complains about me answering work stuff at dinner.

Got a tool you think is awesome? Tell us! Think we missed something important in a review? Let us know! Just want to vent about software that drives you nuts? We’re here for that too.

Our newsletter goes out Thursdays, unless I forget and send it Friday morning with a sheepish apology. It’s mostly useful stuff with occasional rants about design trends I can’t stand.

Digital Gear is just a bunch of tech-obsessed people trying to make software less confusing for everyone else. No corporate speak, no BS, just honest opinions from people who care way too much about this stuff.