Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

I get asked a lot about the things I use to stay productive or look like I'm staying productive. I've compiled a list of my go-to gear and tools and I hope that you find your next favourite thing here:

Workstation

  • 13” MacBook Pro, M1 Max, 16GB RAM (2020)

    I was using an Intel-based 13” MacBook Pro prior to this and the difference is night and day. Whenever I watched YouTube videos it would sound like a jet engine, but now it's silent. That and the battery life is incredible.

  • Dell U3415W UltraSharp Curved Ultrawide Monitor

    I was always #TeamTwoMonitors instead of an ultrawide but now that I've tried it I can't go back. You just need to pair it with a good window resizing/snapping app like Rectangle.

  • Xiaomi Mijia Lite Desk Lamp

    Recommended by a good friend and it's been a game changer for working at night. It provides warm/cool light and has a dimmer. It also helps with lighting on video calls.

  • Logitech MX Master 3

    I've been using this and previous versions of the MX Master for years. It's a great mouse and I would recommend it to anyone.

  • Sonos Move

    When I first saw the size of this thing I thought that the portability was a joke. But it's actually pretty great. I can leave it docked in my office or head up to the roof and bring my music with me.

  • Herman Miller Aeron Chair

    As much as I don't enjoy spending the entire day sitting in a chair, most of my day is spent sitting in a chair. At least now my back doesn't hurt.

Design

  • Google Slides

    I use Google Slides for lofi prototyping as it's quick and easy to collaborate with others.

  • Figma

    I started using Figma originally to edit SVG files, but I've enjoyed using it more. It's a great tool for designing and prototyping.

Productivity

  • Alfred

    My first install whenever I get a new machine. Not having it somehow feels like I'm missing a limb.

  • Rectangle

    I used to use HyperDock (RIP) until it stopped working on newer versions of macOS. Rectangle does what HyperDock did but better. I always forget it's not a system feature since I never have to worry about it, it just works™.

  • Todoist

    A simple but effective tool for to-do lists. I used to use Wunderlist until its acquisition and this is the closest thing to it.

  • 1Password

    This has really helped reduce the mental load of trying to remember so many different passwords for so many different sites. Being able to share passwords with family is also a huge plus.

  • Notion

    I stopped using it for a while when they were having their slowdown issues but have since come back. I use it for my personal wiki and writing down thoughts.

Development tools

  • Visual Studio Code

    From Notepad++ to Sublime Text to Atom to VS Code currently. I've tried the Vim route and it's not for me. I like the simplicity of VS Code and the extensions are great.

  • iTerm2

    I switched to iTerm2 a while ago and although Terminal seems to have everything I need, I haven't tried going back yet. I might have to do that someday.

  • Fig

    A handy tool for autocompleting commands in the terminal. I use it a lot for Kubernetes and kubectl commands.