Emmett’s 2020 Gift Guide and Giveaway

See the end of this post to learn about how you can enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of my “All In” package!

The 2020 holiday season is officially upon us here in the United States which means it’s time for my annual gift giving guide. I used to panic every year whenever my spouse, parents, and siblings asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I needed to give them an idea otherwise I’d end up with an ugly sweater or some random junk I would never use.

So to help alleviate some of my stress I started compiling my own holiday gift guide. It’s kind of like the big toy catalog you used to get as a kid, only this is for adults. I’ve made a list of items I think would be very useful or exciting for your fellow CATIA users, sorted by different categories. Some of these items I already use on a daily basis and others are things that are on my own personal wish list.  Enjoy!

CATIA BOOKS

First, I got to start off with a shameless shelf plug. If you want to learn how to program CATIA macros, check out my book VB Scripting for CATIA V5.

To improve your CATIA V5 design efficiency read CATIA V5 Tips and Tricks.

OK, now that we’ve got the self promotion over with, here are some other great books.

CATIA V5: Macro Programming with Visual Basic Script – the only other book you’ll find about programming CATIA macros. Read my full thoughts here.

OTHER BOOKS WORTH READING

Excel 2016 Power Programming with VBA is fully updated to cover all the latest tools and tricks of Excel 2016. Encompassing an analysis of Excel application development and a complete introduction to Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), this comprehensive book presents all of the techniques you need to develop both large and small Excel applications. Over 800 pages of tips, tricks, and best practices shed light on key topics, such as the Excel interface, file formats, enhanced interactivity with other Office applications, and improved collaboration features. If you’re having trouble programming macros in CATIA V5, I highly recommend you take a step back and try programming in Excel first, as it is much easier and there are far more resources available.

Will It Fly? How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don’t Waste Your Time and Money by Pat Flynn.  I’ve been following Pat’s blog and podcast for a number of years, and you might have seen some of his tips at work on my site. If you’re new to the online business world, this book is fantastic. Lots of practical steps to take to prove whether your idea has validity or not.

The Martian by Andy Weir. If you only read one (fiction) book this year, The Martian has to be the one. I absolutely love this book (and it’s even better than the movie). As soon as I finished it the first time, I immediately re-read it – something I’ve never done before. It’s about an astronaut (with a great sense of humor) who gets left behind on a mission to Mars and has to figure out how to survive. If you’re interested in space exploration, problem solving, engineering, chemistry, botany, or disco + 70s TV shows, I highly recommend you read The Martian. Maybe the best book I’ve read in the past five years.

Nowhere in the world is there a more bizarre theme park than Happy Fun Land and it’s mind blowing attractions: a drop ride with no brakes and a death simulator, just to name a few. Will the human test dummy survive his hilarious adventure through the world’s craziest theme park? This book cracked me up. And the engineer in me loved reading about the mechanics of some of the messed up rides.

TOOLS FOR THE JOB

TechSmith Snagit takes the hassle out of creating images and videos. Capture your screen, edit images, and deliver results. Snagit is also the only screen capture tool with built-in advanced image editing and screen recording. So you can easily create high-quality images and videos all in one program. Quickly explain a process, build visual-based documentation and be more engaging by adding images and videos to your communications. It’s the tool I use to create all the images for Excel Spreadsheets Help and well worth the price.

USB Heated Mouse / Hand Warmer. I’m not sure about you but the office at my day job can get really cold during the winter, especially after weekends or holidays. One solution I’ve found that helps is a heated mouse to keep you hand warm while not impacting my ability to get things done.

Dimmable Eye-care LED Desk Lamp. A great lamp and exactly what I was looking for in a new clip on lamp for my drafting desk. It has six different light settings so I can find the right lighting for all of my needs. It is well built, works great besides being stylish. Besides using at work can use at home as a reading lamp too.

Rocketbook Smart Erasable, Reusable Wirebound Notebook with Penstation – the last notebook you’ll ever need!

A good quality laser point. This laser pointer always comes in handy when it’s time for a meeting or presentation. Plus, it doubles as a toy to keep your cats entertained.

Wired Ergonomic Vertical USB Mouse – Designed to be utilized in neutral “handshake” wrist and arm positions for smoother movement and less overall strain helping alleviate wrist pain. OK, personally I’ve been finding it really hard to get used to get after using a conventional mouse for so long, but I’m going to keep trying. I know a bunch of designers who do use it and love it.

TECH, GADGETS, & TOYS

LEGO Star Wars Boost Droid Commander – This toy is right up my alley combining multiple things I love: Star Wars, LEGO, and programming. Kids can learn to code and develop creative problem-solving skill (fun for adults too)!

Dash and Dot – programmable robots. If you’re into programming things like CATIA macros and you want to teach your kids the joys of programming then I’ve found the perfect gift for you. These cute robots are designed to help introduce children to the wonderful world of programming. Oh, and they’re fun for adults too! Can’t wait to use this with my son in a few years. For now he just likes watching me drive it around with my phone.

Ethernet Splitter – Now that we’ve been working from home and home schooling a lot more often in 2020 we’ve upgraded our home office, but we needed more ways to plug into the internet. This splitter is cheap and works perfectly.

Fitbit Alta. Let’s face it – us engineers nowadays sit in front of a computer a lot. I didn’t realize how much I wasn’t moving until I started wearing a Fitbit. It now helps me to stay motivated by tracking all-day activity like steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes so I can stay healthy for my family. When I’m sick I can’t answer your emails and help you out, so I use Alta to help stay in shape and on top of my game!

Anker PowerCore Fusion – This is a portable power charger that plugs directly into the wall so it works as your regular charger, but is also a battery so you always have power on the go. I use this all the time and I love it.

Eat, Sleep, Code T-shirt

ALL-IN PACKAGE GIVEAWAY

I’m getting into the holiday gift-giving spirit, so I’ve decided to give away one of my VB Scripting for CATIA V5 All-In packages for free, a $97 value! To enter, leave a comment below using your name and email letting me know what’s on your 2020 holiday wish list: is there a special toy, tech, or tool you’re looking forward to getting? Or let me know what’s the one most important thing you want to learn how to do in 2021. Entries must be received by 11pm EST on December 25th, 2020 and a winner will randomly be selected on 12/26/2020. Limit one entry per person. Good luck!