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 Max, 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.

  • LG Ultrawide and LG 4K

    I use a mix of LG monitors. In my experience, they have been the best bang for your buck, have the least amount of issues, and have the best support.

  • Logitech MX Keys Keyboard

    I use a Logitech MX Keys Keyboard. I like the feel of the keys (soft and quiet) so I don't get fatigue and the layout is great for typing with the full size arrow keys and number pad.

  • Apple Magic Trackpad & Logitech MX Master 3

    I switch back and forth when I get bored with one. I like the gesture support of the Magic Trackpad but the MX Master 3 has better battery life, is more comfortable for extended typing sessions, and is better when doing certain tasks like designing and editing which require lots of drag and drop.

Development tools

  • Cursor

    I use Cursor as my IDE. I have used VSCode for years so I am already familiar with the environment. Plus, being able to chat with AI and have it help code has been awesome.

  • zsh & oh-my-zsh

    I use zsh as my shell. I like the customization options, plugins, and themes of oh-my-zsh.

Productivity

  • Notion

    I use Notion for all of my note taking and task management. It's not the fastest but it's definitely feature packed. Plus, there are tons of community templates and integrations with other tools.

Artificial Intelligence

  • Cursor

    Mentioned above - an IDE with AI built in.

  • ChatGPT

    I have almost replaced Google with ChatGPT for all of my searching needs. It's faster, more accurate, and just all around better. Having the ability to ask follow up questions, clarify instructions, or generate ideas is a game changer.

  • Ollama

    I use Ollama to run my own local AI models. I have been testing out Llama 3.2 for chat, nomic-embed-text for document vectorizing, and qwen2.5 for code/reasoning.

Communication

  • Roam

    Roam is the virtual office of the future. It combines Slack, Zoom/Teams, Loom, and much more all into one place. If you work with a remote team, it's a must have.

Security

  • Bitwarden

    Everyone should use a password manager so they can create unique password - and not use 4 variations of the same password... I use Bitwarden to store all of my passwords. It's open source, works on all platforms, and has a family plan so I use it with my entire family.

  • Tailscale

    I use Tailscale to connect my devices to my own private network. This is how I surface all my custom services running on raspberry pis or my home lab server.

  • Nginx Proxy Manager

    This is how I expose all my services through the VPN.

  • Adguard Home

    This is how I block all the ads and trackers.

Home Automation

  • Home Assistant

    I use Home Assistant to control most of my smart devices and create automations. My favorite automation is turning on my kitchen lights (which shine into my driveway) when I enter the geofence around my house, so when I park my car (in a detached garage), I'm not walking up to a dark house at night.

  • Apple HomeKit

    I use Apple's ecosystem for other devices that I don't control via Home Assistant.