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.
Everyday tech
iPhone 16 Pro
I've never taken so many pictures with a phone
iPad Pro 11" M1
The best iPad I ever had (started with an iPad 2 then an Air 2). Powerful, light, and the pencil is a game changer
Apple Watch Ultra
Upgraded from a Series 3. I think it's the greatest bang for the bucks when it comes to smart watches
Airpods Pro
Steelseries Arctis 3
This is the best headset I ever had and I keep recommending that line of product. The ski band is a game changer and the earmuff fabric is the best I've ever seen
Airtags
Office — Work
MacBook Pro M4 2024
Powerful, silent, and light—what more can you ask?
HP Z27 monitor
I absolutely love this monitor and the quality of the image. I think 27" is the perfect compromise of size. My only complaint is about the startup time
Elgato Stream Deck
Fun lil gadget to control Zoom and A/V setup
Elgato Wave 3
This mic has a great sound quality and works over USB-C. Really worth it if you're on Zoom or recording voice a lot
Elgato Facecam
It's _okay_ but I wouldn't miss it if I didn't have it tomorrow
Magic Keyboard
Magic Trackpad
I can't go back to mouse
Secret Lab Magnus Pro XL
This is the USS Nimitz class of desk and I love all the space and tidyness
Office — Personal
iMac 27" 2017
I upgraded to a 5K iMac when my 2011 MBP died. It's a 7 year old computer and is starting to show its age :(
Asus 19"
It's an old LED screen that I have for about 10 years now. It's not as great as it was but it does the trick
BambuLab A1 Mini
This was the 3D printer that convinced to get one for myself. It's magnitude better than everything else I had tried since 2013
Lacie HDD
I'm a Lacie fan and have multiple HDDs running for almost 10 years without a hiccup
Magic Keyboard
Magic Trackpad
Software
Firefox
Die-hard fan since 2004.
1Password
If you're not using a password manager yet, 1Password is a great option (albeit their UX and app quality are on a downhill slope
Backblaze
Backblaze brings me utter peace of mind by doing unlimited offsite backups. 100% worth it
VSCode
I was LTTP and moved from Atom but haven't looked back once
Starship
This makes my Terminal much fancier and easier to use
Gaming
Xbox Series X
It's not as mind-blowing as I thought it'd be but the loading speed, 120fps, and 4K HDR are pretty amazing
Oculus Quest 2
Got this from work and after a 1-year frenzy, I haven't used it a lot lately
Playstation 3
RetroPie
Aviation
iPad M1 11" EFB
I got a second iPad as my Electronic Flight Bag so I didn't have to bring my main one on flights in the off chance it'd be damaged
Lightspeed Zulu 3
Treated myself to a nice ANR headset when I obtained my Private Pilot Licence
David Clark H10 13.4
Started with a mid-range headset which I loved. It's now my headset for front-seat passengers
Photography — Digital
Canon EOS 6D
This is my workhorse DSLR and my first pro camera. It still shoots great and the images are still amazing
Olympus OMD M10 Mk II
I was looking for a smaller digital camera to carry around and got the Olympus as I believed the M4/3 would be a better option in the long run. I wasn't right.
Olympus E-PL1 (Infrared)
I bought this second hand camera and gutted it to turn it into an infrared camera
DJI Mavic Air 2
I don't fly drones as much as I used to but it's a great flying camera
DJI Phantom 3 Pro
My original drone back from 2015. It's an absolute tank and the images are still amazing
DJI Action 3
My GoPro Hero 3 Black not being what it used to be, and looking for an action cam for fun, I got an Action
Photography — Film
Mamiya RB 67
I restored this fully mechanical medium format camera (light sealing, leather pieces, etc... and love the quality of the images (don't love the 2 tons weight though)
Intreprid 4x5 Mk IV
After trying to build a Standard Camera from 3D printed parts and running into many issues, I bit the bullet and got the Intrepid. I should have done that from the start
Olympus M10
This is a camera from my Mom and I love how nifty it is
Canon EOS 650
Got this as a free add-on after buying a second-hand lens