About

About Julie and the rest of The Gadgeteer team

Julie Strietelmeier
Owner, Editor in Chief
[Columbus, Indiana]

I was born a gadget freak. This is a fact that can be proven by looking at a note written by a teacher on the bottom of one of my grade school report cards. “…Julie continues to bring little toys and things to school to trade with the boys…” Lucky for me, my parents never condemned my love of tech. My Dad actually encouraged it, by allowing me to dismantle old household devices in order to retrieve the magnets from their motors. As for computers, I started out with a Texas Instruments TI/994a computer, then several Commodore 64’s, an Atari ST, various home built Windows boxes and currently a 24″ Apple iMac. My PDA and phone usage is in constant flux. I get bored easily and can never get enough new devices to try.

After running 3 successful dial-up BBSes (Bulletin Board Systems – remember them?) from 1990 – 1996, I started The Gadgeteer as a small hobby site on the Geocities free community pages back in the summer of 1997. By December of that same year, I purchased the domain name of the-gadgeteer.com and within 3 years, The Gadgeteer grew to become one of the most trusted product review sites on the net. Recognized by Microsoft, the Wallstreet Journal and many other industry sources as the site to go to for real hands-on reviews without the fluff…

Since 1997, we’ve reviewed hundreds of products and I want to express my appreciation to the 140 product reviewers (with Judie Lipsett being the number one contributor for over 6yrs until leaving to start her own site Gear Diary) that have contributed to this site over the years. The wide range of expertise from these folks has contributed to the credibility of our product reviews. So thanks again to everyone who has contributed thus far to The Gadgeteer. And now, here’s information about the rest of my team:

Rob Tillotson
Web Developer, Contributing Editor
[Odenville, Alabama]

Ever since my parents bought me a VIC-20 at age 13, I’ve been addicted to computers and technology. After spending far too many years in college I now do Python and Ruby on Rails software development, and I wrote and maintain the custom CMS used to run this site. My love of portable gadgets started when an Apple developer showed me his pre-release Newton, and since then I’ve had a 200LX, too many Palms to count, and now a Windows Mobile smartphone. Now, I spend my days working at home, surrounded by a collection of PCs and Macs and five gaming consoles (eight if you count the portable ones).

Mark Adkins
Contributing Editor
[Omaha, Nebraska]

I got hooked on technology in the mid-70’s using Commodore PETs to learn BASIC on. Since then, I’ve managed to have, use, modify, or destroy pretty much any techno-gadget made- BetaMax to TiVo, 8-track to iPod, Timex-Sinclair 1000 to Fujitsu Lifebook. I work as an Adaptive Technologist, matching gadgets to the needs of people with disabilities, which gives me the chance to mess with a lot of stuff I’d never be allowed near otherwise. I now own way too much- MP3, GPS, cell phone, digital cameras, Palm PDAs, and can proudly boast that we have more computers in our house than we do people!

Ryan Preston
Contributing Editor
[Columbus, Indiana]

I have always been less interested in how a gadget functions compared to how its functionality can best serve me. From playing Pitfall on our Mattel Intellivision 16-bit videogame system and learning DOS commands, as a kid in hope of manipulating my grades, ala Matthew Broderick in War Games, to implementing global software applications for a major corporation, it has been a long, strange trip. The Intellivision, our family’s first VCR, then computer, an original Nintendo, my first cellphone, laptop, PDA (Palm V), digital camera, TIVO and MP3 player, these are a some of the devices that are associated with my journey’s milestones. Interested to see what new gadgets will accompanying me in the future.

David Rees
Contributing Editor
[Renton, WA]

Like a majority of the folks here at The Gadgeteer, I’m a lifelong tech-person too. It started with the original Pong and has progressed to the 24″ iMac, 17″ Macbook Pro, Blackberry 8800 and the list goes on & on. I am truly addicted to the tech-adrenalin rush, always searching for the coolest new tech-toy. So much so that when my wife and I got married we had to negotiate me starting a second job/small business to fund my habit. I will be representing the West Coast on this very Midwest/East Coast centric crew.

Claire Strodtbeck
Contributing Editor
[Lafayette, IN]

I haven’t been a geek as long as the rest of the team here, but I certainly am now! It all started when I was in junior high and would debug QBASIC projects for the school’s computer teacher. I ended up majoring in Computer Information Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and graduated in 2006 with an unofficial focus on website design and development, with a little systems administration thrown in for good measure.

I interned at Cummins, Inc. in 2005 and designed a couple data-driven websites for one of the engineering groups there, and am now a full-time website designer and developer for the IT department at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. I’ve been here since April 2008 and love it!

I’m a gadget freak, but I’m also a major computer geek – I love computer hardware and anything that plugs into a computer. I have three laptops and three desktops, plus my iPhone for on-the-go geeking out. I also run my own website (and my own Linux VPS to host it) at http://blog.abettergeek.com, where I write about website development and various software applications I find that just make life easier.

Andy Chen
Contributing Editor
[San Francisco, CA]

Gadget freak?  Oh yes.  I’m amused by them, but only a select few make the cut!  Call me picky.

I’m currently a Fire and Life Safety Officer for the State of California.  I’m also a registered EMT, former Electronics Technician for the FBI, and spent 10 years in the architectural acoustics and audiovisual world specializing in user interfaces.  When I’m not reading stories to my preschooler son, I’m training for a side career in voice over work.

I’ve been an Apple fanatic since my first Apple ][+ clone in the early 80's.  Worked for Apple for a short time during college in the early 1990's.  My main machine is a 15" Macbook Pro, and I don't go anywhere without my iPod Touch and Macbook Air with the nifty solid-state hard drive.

I'm also a diehard mobile phone fan.  I've been a Blackberry addict for a while, and I'm currently the Bluetooth Forum moderator on HowardForums.

Bill Kuch
Contributing Editor
[Amherst, NH]

My fascination with technology predates the Internet, solid state memory, GUIs, cell phones and many other devices we take for granted today.  My career began as a technician for arguably the first personal computer, the PDP-8.  Since then I’ve witnessed the evolution of I/O from teletypes to voice; storage from drum to SSD; and networking from ARPANET to the World Wide Web.  Along the way I’ve been keenly aware of the benefits of high tech and have adopted many of the offerings.  My first home computer was a PDP-8A.  I bought a Sharp Zaurus for a PDA before Palm came on the scene and subsequently purchased each evolution of the Palm, and am now looking for a replacement for my T/X.  I love wrist devices and have owned a Seiko wrist
computer, Timex Datalink watch and Suunto MSN Direct watch.  I’m looking forward to the first practical wrist cell phone.

The fun part of my career was living overseas, especially in Asia, because they would get the latest technology before the U.S.  I used to hang out at the electronic shops in Hong Kong and Singapore during my off time and would get to try out stuff. Unfortunately, I wound up buying it, which didn’t make my wife always happy.

Now I keep in the loop by doing some consulting, reading THE GADGETEER and playing with the media centers, MP3 players, VOIP phones and other assorted “toys”.  If you would like to swap stories about punch cards and paper tape, I’m your guy.

Smythe Richbourg
Contributing Editor
[Cary, NC]

My love for gadgets was obvious as a child in the ’60s, when I’d play with all the Man from U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart and James Bond toys, often building my own when I didn’t have money to buy them. I’d take small boxes and jars and create elaborate stories of functionality, how this was a robotic spy camera, or this was a tiny gun. As an adult, my first computer (purchased in 1987) was a MacPlus, which I would carry to work in a backpack on Monday and return home on Friday. (The bag probably weighed close to 30 pounds, including the mouse, keyboard, and the “massive” external 40 MB external hard drive!!) My next computer was one of the first PowerBooks, the 140, which started my love affair with laptops. Ever since this unit, I’ve only owned laptops for myself. I’ve had some iMacs for the family, but I’ve never purchased a computer with an external monitor. I am fortunate, in that most of my jobs since 1990 have provided the most current laptop for me to use: a BlackBird (PowerBook 540), a PowerBook Duo 2400, Pismo, TiBook, AlBook, and MacBook Pros. (I had to order the first generation so that I could test them for the rest of the company. Yeah, it’s a tough job….) I’ve had a wireless network at home since last century.

When the Newton came out, I had to have one. I was allowed to use one during work, but after a few models, decided I needed one of my own. I owned two, and upgraded each (legally), before Apple killed the device. I then bought the first of 4-5 Palms, and carried one every day until July 29, 2007. I’ve had both an original and 3G iPhone. (Bicycle accident with the first one. No, I wasn’t using Google Maps at the time.)

Being in tech Support, I’ve had to test and explain how to use hardware and software as part of my job. I’ve been active in user groups since about a year into owning that Mac Plus, and am still active, currently serving as VP with the Triangle Macintosh User Group. This allows me to write, speak about, and generally have fun playing with all sorts of toys – I mean tools. I started writing about mobile software with my first Palm (Documents to Go version 1.0), but have beta tested and reviewed products ranging from children’s software to medical and banking programs. (I have two daughters in their 20’s who don’t admit their geek heritage, but are very adept with their MacBooks, iPods, and digital cameras. Their mom can hold her own as well, often being the one advising her fellow nurses on handheld or internet technology. When we go on vacation, everyone carries their own laptop, and we’ll usually find a wifi hotspot for lunch, so that we can all check email, Facebook, Flickr, etc.)

I really enjoy helping someone go from being furious at how “this stupid [piece of technology] is driving me crazy” to understanding how to use it, and then saying “I don’t know how I lived without it.” Ah, yes, my work here is done.

David Flowers
Contributing Editor
[Chattanooga, TN]

I’m a long time tech person and gadget and gaming enthusiast with an engineering and architectural background. I cut my teeth on Atari 2600’s and Tandy 1000’s. My first programming was on a Vic 20 when I wrote a simple Basic executable to output a list of my album collection at age 12. I’ve programmed in Basic, COBOL, Pascal, HTML, PHP, and many other languages. My first PC gaming experience was on a Commodore 64 as I would anxiously countdown the minutes until my text driven variable outcome adventure game loaded from my Radio Shack cassette deck, bathed in the light of the 13” black and white television I used for a monitor. There’s a graveyard of PC’s, Nintendo’s, Sega’s, Atari’s, joysticks, racing wheels, and any other gaming gadget or console you can imagine in my wake. For 5 years I hosted a successful call-in and educational radio show covering Building Science and technology in residential and commercial construction.

By day I’m a technical writer, marketing director, on-site IT tech, webmaster, estimator, and whatever other hat needs wearing at a boiler control and mechanical engineering service company. I’m also an avid musician and audiophile and have extensive experience in recording engineering and was doing PC based multi-track recording in Windows 95 on a Pentium 200mmx processor when it was not only unfashionable, but not very practical either. There’s probably as much PC based recording gadgetry and cutting edge music gear in my closet as gaming gear. My wife doesn’t understand why I still have a practically brand new Palm m500 sitting in a pristine box with all the original package contents that I refuse to let go of. But all of us here understand perfectly; now don’t we?

James Branch
Contributing Editor
[United Kingdom]

I started my I.T. life back in 1987 with a Commodore 64, swiftly moving to the Amiga 500 and 1200, but got my first (What I could call ‘real’) PC in 1991…. a Packard Bell 486 DX running Windows 3.1 and from then on, I was hooked!

I’ve been working in the I.T. sector in the U.K. for over 10 years now.  My career started as a junior technician for Sage Software (Working in house as part of the I.T. tech teams, not developing their software as such) repairing PC’s and doing the boring jobs that nobody really wanted or could be bothered to do!  It was my first taste of work in the I.T. sector since leaving college (Where I studied I.T. and Business believe it or not!) so as far as I was concerned, I had the best job in the world!

After a couple of years I left Sage as a Desktop Support Engineer and worked for a number of I.T. companies, with most of my concentration and dedication being aimed at PC, Server and Network support/design.

I’m currently working as part of a two man I.T. support team, so tend to get my hands dirty with not only network design and support, PC & Server repair/maintenance, but I also maintain VoIP telephone systems, have mastered Sharepoint (MOSS/WSS Design, Document Library and Workflows), setup Virtual Servers using VMWare & MS Virtual Server, systems administration, Unix maintenance, and I like to dabble in SQL now and again…. just for my sins! 

I tend not to go very far without my iPod shuffle and can’t live without my Blackberry 8820 – it’s like an extension to my right (or even left!) hand!

As you can probably gather, I’m also addicted to gadgets….  I have quite an impressive collection of toys now, which seem to take up too much space at home!   I’ve gone through more digital cameras that I care to think of, had far too many Palms, games consoles, smart phones and an impressive of collection of PC’s and laptops!  Not a bad thing though I guess, but my wife might think otherwise! 

When I’m not playing with gadgets or on the internet, I’m spending time with my gorgeous wife and three children (all boys!) who’ll no doubt grow up to be gadget freaks too, I hope! 

You can always find me checking my e-mail, Twittering or mooching around Facebook, or indeed finding the next gadget(s) to review!

It’s an absolute pleasure to be part of The Gadgeteer team!

Janet Cloninger
Contributing Editor
[Greensboro, NC]

When Julie issued her call for new reviewers in July this year, she said she was looking for “gadget freaks” who didn’t have to be “overly techy, geeky, or a hardcore hacker”. She had just described me! I’ve had a life-long love of gadgets, starting with my little toy poodle that could walk, bark, and turn flips. I don’t have very deep technical knowledge of anything, but I do have a good user’s appreciation and understanding of various types of gadgets.

Over the years, I’ve had more than my share of audio/visual equipment. I finally ended up with just an iPod Touch, an HD TV, and a DVR. The first home PC I owned had 4 MB of memory and a big, honking 40 MB disk that had to be partitioned so the operating system could handle it! Unlike many people here, I’m still using Windows PCs. Eventually I discovered PDAs, but I found I mostly used them to read ebooks. Over the years, I’ve switched to buying ebooks almost exclusively, but I have moved to the Sony reader hardware. I currently have a Sony PRS-600, and I am on a constant search for the perfect case for it. I’ve never been a fan of smartphones. I prefer separate devices for my electronic needs. I never want to find myself deciding if I have enough battery to read another chapter without shutting down my phone. And multiple gadgets means I am always on the search for the perfect gear bag/purse to carry them all in. I also have a deep, geeky love of office and school supplies.

I live in Greensboro, NC with my husband and daughter, and our little dog, too.