It’s that time of the year again when we stop and remind ourselves what we are grateful for:  living in paradise, having a loving family, owning the greatest pet ever.

As a SuperGeek,  I am also grateful for tech tools that make my life easier and more fun:

iPhone
I am grateful for my iPhone.  Its maps lead me out of the most obscure places,  its chess application exercises my brain while I am waiting for my son at the pediatrician’s office,  it advises me what to eat and it delivers New York Times articles before the carrier does.

On a recent trip to Uruguay, I could call my brother who lives in Philly and my staff in Honolulu for free, using iPhone Skype app!

Google
If you read this column regularly, you know I am a big fan of Google.  Google embodies all the things I like: simplicity, power, results.  If your small child asks:  Why are leaves green?, Uncle Google instantly delivers scientifically correct answers and illustrations.

If you use Google docs instead of Microsoft Office, you can access your files from anywhere in the world and collaborate with your family or co-workers on the same projects.

If you need to convert a currency, watch a funny video of a baby dancing to Beyonce’s latest hit, keep track of the volatile stock market, shop for board shorts (See Google Products), consolidate your 5 email accounts, or create a simple website (Google Sites), you can do it well and for free.

Netbook
As a person who is always on a road, always working, and always wanting to stay plugged in, I really appreciate my little Fujitsu netbook and carry it all over the world.  Yes, at 7 years old, it is a grandma of current netbooks, but it allows me to work go online in some third world countries without having to hop on public computers , which are unsafe.

Online shopping
I don’t shop very much and I abhor shopping crowds in general.  However, sometimes I must buy an airplane ticket to New Mexico to visit my mom, buy a bluetooth device for my iPhone, and buy supplies for my martial arts business. Again, I travel a lot and always need to reserve hotels, cars, buy airplane tickets and tickets to events.  If it weren’t for kayak.com, hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Priceline.com, I would spend countless hours on the phone and driving around before each trip.

Thanks to Amazon + Kindle, I don’t need to go to a book store anymore. Retailmenot.com and Fatwallet.com have the best deals and online coupons.

Twitter
Since I am always busy and on the run, yet still curious about the world, Twitter is perfect for me.  I follow the major news organizations and people I find fascinating .  Twitter can provide news from around the world and close to home in convenient snippets. Yes, I still prefer a fresh newspaper on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  However, during the work week, I don’t have this kind of time.  Twitter allows me to stay current with minimum time investment.  Naturally, I use Twitter it via my iPhone.