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

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

    I was using an Intel-based 13” 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.

  • NuPhy Halo65 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard

    This is by far the best in-stock mechanical keyboard I’ve ever used. They recently released the Gem80 keyboard with 1000mhz polling rate which I’m eager to buy.

  • Logitech MX Master 3s Wireless Mouse

    It’s very ergonomic and fits perfectly in my hands. Plus the horizontal scrolling wheel is very useful when reading code. But sometimes I use the MackBook trackpad for a smooth experience.

Development tools

  • VS Code

    I like to customize the file icons and themes every now and then, and VS Code is really good for me. But I’m keeping an eye on CodeEdit and Zed too.

  • MacOS Terminal

    I’ve used other terminals before but I always switch back to the native Terminal app. It’s fast and I don’t really need any extra features.

Design

  • Figma

    Great experience, free and easy to share with others.

Productivity

  • Spotlight

    I’ve tried Alfred and Raycast, but Spotlight just looks better and has everything I need.

  • Rectangle

    I come from Windows so having a window management tool is handy for me and this one is free and have great shortcuts.

  • Bartender

    Great tool for hiding your unused apps in the menubar.