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

I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favourite things.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M3 Max, 64GB RAM (2023)

    I was using an Intel-based 16” MacBook Pro prior to this and the difference is night and day. I’ve never heard the fans turn on a single time.

  • 2 x Samsung 34-inch Curved Ultra Wide monitors

    Having 2 of these side-by-side is a bit of a luxury, but I have my personal MacBook attached to one and my work MacBook attached to the other, and with MacOS sharing the keyboard and mouse between the two, it's a great setup.

  • 2 x Invision monitor arms

    I have two of these, one for each monitor. They are solidly built and have a good range of motion. If I need to focus on one monitor I can push the other out of the way.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard + Magic Mouse

    They might appear to be fairly basic compared to some of the curves you find on other keyboards and mice, but I find them to be the most comfortable and reliable. They not only do the job, but they fit well with the rest of my setup.

  • Flexispot 8-in-1 Standing Desk Q8

    An incredibly sturdy desk that can be adjusted to any height you want. It has 4 memory settings, so I can switch between sitting and standing with the push of a button. It also holds my over-sized monitors and their monitor arms with no problem.

Development tools

  • Visual Studio Code

    The speed, simplicity and extensibility of VSCode is unmatched. I used to be a Sublime Text guy but I’ve been converted. I've been using it since the very early versions, and I've never seen a community coalesce around an editor and build so many great plugins like they have for VSCode.

  • iTerm2

    I’m honestly not even sure what features I get with this that aren’t just part of the macOS Terminal but it’s what I use.

Productivity

  • Raycast

    Billed as "Your shortcut to everything", and if you are a MacOS user, it really is.
    Once configured with your most used apps and scripts, it's a game changer.
    I use the Authy extension to get my 2FA codes without having to open the app itself, Command+Space, type "Authy", cursor to the code I need, hit Enter, and the code is copied to my clipboard.

  • Flow

    Flow.app is a Pomodoro timer that I use to keep myself focused. I don't rigorously follow the Pomodoro technique, but I do find that having a timer running and the Metronome ticking away in the background helps me focus when I have a critical task to complete.

  • Obsidian

    If you are a fan of markdown and always searching for a better way to organize your notes, I've found that Obsidian is hard to beat. It's a local-first, markdown-based note-taking app that has a ton of plugins and themes to customize your experience.

  • MacOS Virtual desktops

    This might seem like an odd one to include, but I use MacOS virtual desktops extensively to keep my work organized. Apple doesn't let you name your desktops, but I have a Stickie for a title and a TextEdit document for notes specific to that desktop. Each desktop has a specific purpose, and I find that it helps me stay focused on the task at hand.