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 favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M1 Pro, 16GB RAM (2021)

    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, even under the incredibly heavy loads I put it through with our various launch simulations.

  • Aurora Sweep Keyboard

    The Aurora Sweep is a minimalist layout with only 34 keys. It is a very compact, lightweight and portable board. Redesign by splitkb.com of the popular Sweep (Sweep Bling MX) by David Barr and contributors.

  • Apple Magic Trackpad

    Something about all the gestures makes me feel like a wizard with special powers. I really like feeling like a wizard with special powers.

Development tools

  • Visual Studio Code

    Lightweight simple code editor in minimalist style

  • 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.

  • Beekeeper Studio

    Great software for working with databases. Has saved me from building about a thousand admin interfaces for my various projects over the years.

Productivity

  • Notions

    Using a daily notes system instead of trying to keep things organized by topics has been super powerful for me.