Software I use, gadgets that I love, and other things I use on the daily.
I often find myself chatting about the tools and gadgets that power my software-building adventures. Whether it's for boosting productivity or those guilty pleasures that make procrastination a bit more fun, I've got a bunch of favorites to share. So, dive into my carefully curated list and discover something new for your own toolkit!
Workstation
13-inch MacBook Pro, M1, (2020)
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 when launching Docker Desktop.
34-inch Dell Ultrasharp (USB-C) Monitor U3419W
The only display on the market if you want something HiDPI and bigger than 27”. When you’re working at planetary scale, every pixel you can get counts.
BenQ ScreenBar Halo Monitor Light
This light comes in great for those long hours in front of the screen. My eyes are thankful for it.
Kinesis Advantage360 Split Ergonomic Keyboard KB360
When it comes to all day comfort while coding away this keyboard is a life saver on my wrists. It only took a few weeks to get used to the split keyboard layout. Never going back to a regular keyboard.
Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse
Something about using the MX moues feels so natural. I love the scroll wheel and the thumb buttons. I use it for everything.
G-Drive 6TB (USB-C) External Hard Drive
Backing up your data is important. Backup, backup, backup.
Development tools
PhpStorm
I use PhpStorm for all my PHP development. It’s fast, has great support for Laravel, and has a great ecosystem of plugins.
Visual Studio Code
I use VS Code for all other project outside of PHP. It's a text editor what more can I say.
Fira Code NerdFont
I love this font. It has great ligatures and is a great font for coding.
Warp
I’m honestly not even sure what features I get with this that aren’t just part of the macOS Terminal but It's fast and it's simple. What more could you ask for? A great alternative to iTerm2.
TablePlus
Great software for working with databases.
Design
Figma
Great for just getting ideas out of your head and into the browser.
Productivity
Alfred
It's not the newest kid on the block but it’s still the fastest.
Raycast
It's the new kid on the block. It has great support for custom plugins from the community.
Notion
I use Notion for everything. It's my personal wiki, my todo lists, my calendar, and my notes.