Tools I Use
Computer Setup permalink
Logitech K750 solar-powered, wireless keyboard permalink
Love the feeling and sound of these keys. I could be doing my taxes on this thing and it would sound like I was performing an ASMR album. It's also very reliable, I've never had to wait for it to charge or do any troubleshooting.
Large Wooden Desk permalink
I've tried all sorts of desks over the years, from the fancy semi-automated standing desk, to modern glass desks, and temporarily settled on a very boring, but functional 4'W x 3'L wooden desk, that I'm happily using now. Don't know the brand, but it's not too unique from other wooden desks.
Generic Computer Chair permalink
Can't find a brand on this one either, but as long as you find a chair that's comfortable, height-adjustable, pelvic-tiltable (the pelvic-tilt is crucial to avoid back pain and find the partner of your dreams), breathable, ergonomic, and mesh backed, to allow your back to breath after long, intense coding sessions; then you should be good.
HP 25f external monitor permalink
This 25" monitor helps me be more productive when doing web development work and most other online things.
T-90 Giant Spider Inceptor mouse permalink
After decades of using generic mice, I finally decided to upgrade to a gamer mouse and will never go back. This mouse has sensitiviy adjustment, so I can easily change the movement speed, for doing different types of work, (for example: artwork, vs browsing), a double click button, and super ergonomic feel to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
Rav External Power Pack permalink
Battery pack to charge my appliances. Comes in handy when traveling or if I forget to charge something and don't feel like waiting for it to charge in a wall socket. It holds 26.8 amp hours of power.
Text Editing permalink
Google Docs and Sheets permalink
I love having everything in the cloud (and locally). It makes accessing all my documents easy from any computer, and also makes me feel good, knowing that if I spill coffee on my computer, my documents will live on.
Apple Notes permalink
Speedy, simple, and has a search function. Very reliable.
Visual Studio Code permalink
Tried a lot of editors, but like using VS Code the best because of its extensive features, plugins, built-in terminal, and appearance.
Mini Notepads permalink
I carry a little notepad with me everywhere to capture good and bad ideas, and to work on ideas when I need a break from the computer.
Bic Multi-Colored Pens permalink
I like adding a little color to my notes with these pens, I think it makes them more organized and memorable. I also like having the redundancy of four pens in one.
Web Design & Photography permalink
Nikon d3400 permalink
Entry level DSLR camera that takes decent pics
Adobe XD permalink
Use this program to design websites and build websites from other peoples' designs.
Moqups permalink
Also use this for designing websites. I think it's more user friendly than Adobe XD.
Adobe Photoshop permalink
Use this for designing websites and editing photos. Mostly editing photos.
Be Funky permalink
If you're too cheap for photoshop, you can use this free photo-editing program.
XnConvert permalink
I use this to do bulk conversions between different filetypes.
Music permalink
Avantree E171 Sports Earbuds permalink
I've used a lot of earbuds over the years, and these are my favorite so far. They have great sound quality, are indestructible, comfortable, relatively inexpensive, and have ear loops so they don't fall out when running or doing other high-impact things.
Audio-technica ATH-M20x Headphones permalink
I use these when working on the computer, making music, and moving the lawn. They provide top-quality audio quality at poverty-level pricing. Their over-the-ear fit is also very comfortable and does a nice job reducing outside noises.
GarageBand permalink
Use this for simple audio recordings on my phone
Logic Pro X permalink
Use this to make music online. It's basically the full-featured version of garage band.
Graphite 49 MIDI permalink
Basic digital piano that has everything I need to interface with a music program like Logic or GarageBand. I plan to upgrade soon to something bigger with better touch response.
Reading permalink
Kindle permalink
This is what I read most of my books on. Love how easy it is to take notes, and it doesn't blast my eyes with blue light at night, which helps me sleep better.
Sleep Tech permalink
Orange UVEX blue-light blocking goggles permalink
I use these goggles when I'm working on the computer late at night to improve my sleep and to spook my neighbors.
Flux permalink
This software gradually decreases the blue-light your computer produces as the day progresses to help you sleep better.
Sleep Melodies permalink
Customizable sleep app that you can use to produce your own relaxing sleep sounds.
Security permalink
LastPass Password Manager permalink
It can be easy to get in the habit of reusing passwords for convenience and give up security. This cloud-based password manager can solve this problem by creating random passwords for you and saving them in a secure safe in the cloud that you can access from anywhere.
Private Internet Access VPN permalink
I work at coffee shops a lot and use the pubic wifi. Unfortunately, almost all public wifi networks are unencrypted, which means people could see any of my network activity, including financial transactions, if they wanted to. By using a VPN, you're able to encrypt this traffic to increase your digital privacy and security on public networks.
WordFence permalink
Use this to secure WordPress sites and prevent armies of robot hackers from brute-forcing their way into my databases and injecting malicious code.
Cloudflare permalink
Cloudflare offers a very generous free-tier for small and growing websites that allows you to serve your content over their expansive and fast content delivery network (CDN) while simultaneously protecting your site from bots that try to overload your servers or perform other types of digital attacks.