Uses

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I am frequently asked about the hardware and software I use to do my work.

This page represents my bread and butter tools, the things I use every day. They change from time to time, but usually the changes aren’t too drastic.

I recently switched from Apple hardware to Linux, so this page has changed substantially to reflect that.

On to the the tools!

Code Editing #

• Sublime Text has been my go-to editor for over a decade now. Yes I have tried VS Code, but they don't quite have the speed I’m used to with Sublime.
• I also use Sublime Merge fairly often, even though I'm fully proficient in command line git.
• I use Fira Code as my default font, mainly because I love ligatures. ≠ > !=
• I use Solarized and Dracula as my main themes everywhere. I like Solarized for code, Dracula for other types of content.
• I use Alacritty for my terminal emulator. It’s lightning fast and simple.

Desktop Apps #

• Where to even start? Over the years I have discovered that I need a second brain. OmniFocus used to do that for me, but when I started using Linux full time, I needed to find another solution. Now I use Obsidian, and I love it. It actually works better for my purposes than OmniFocus did.
• I use Toggl for tracking my time, and I still wish it had an 'e' in its name.
• I'm a huge fan of application launchers. Currently I use Ulauncher.
• I use Gimp and Figma for image editing.
• I have a Raspberry Pi NAS that I use for all sorts of things. In particular backups and private git repositories. Building a private local server is extremely useful, I recommend it.
• In addition, I use the Keybase filesystem for confidential information, anything that benefits from heavy encryption.
• For password management, I use a custom solution with Pass and Keybase. I have a series about this on YouTube. It's overkill for most people, but I like it. :D
• Brave is both my web browser of choice and my search engine of choice.
• I use Thunderbird for email. Geary looks nicer, but it’s not as private nor as customizable.

Hardware #

• In 2020 I abandoned Apple and purchased a System76 Thelio Mira, and I love it. It’s a wonderful machine, and it’s very nice to be free of all abrasive Big Tech ecosystems.
• For my main monitor, I use a 32” 4K monitor, the Dell P3222QE. Apple's external monitors have lagged behind, and this monitor matches my Macbook Pro with clarity and brightness for a fraction of the price.
• My desk is a Jarvis Standing Desk with a bamboo top. I want to make my own top one of these days, but haven't made the time yet.
• I sit on a Steelcase Gesture. It was a big investment, but I love it. The arms are easily adjustable, which has helped me fix my shoulder pain, as well as my wrist pain.
• I’ve had issues with wrist pain from using a mouse, so now I use a Kensington Expert Trackball Mouse, which works well for me.
• I am becoming more and more of a mechanical keyboard guy, and I currently use an Ergonomic Keyboardio with a Colemak layout. I think this is the single most valuable purchase I've ever made, because it has seemingly single-handedly fixed my wrist pain. Way cheaper than wrist surgery, and a better long-term solution too.

I often times work out of coffee shops and co-working spaces, so I keep a couple of things in my backpack for that:

• Roost laptop stand
• Keyboardio Atreus

Video Work #

• I use Kdenlive for recording and editing.
• My mic is a Shure MV5. One of these days I'm going to upgrade, but this does the job for now.
• I use a Sony a5100 Mirrorless Camera for my videos. Allows me to get depth of field and a decent resolution for pretty cheap. My wife and I also take it out and use it as a camera!

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