Consultant CTO, Software Engineer, Developer Advocate, and Conference Speaker.

Software I use, devices I love, and other things I recommend.

Below is a list of hardware and software that I use on a regular basis, only one of which is an affiliate link which means I get paid or rewarded in some way if you use it to purchase, but rest assured these are all tools and services I actually use, and you can see me using them on stream.

Workstation

  • Macbook air M2, 24GB of RAM (2022).

    When not at my desk I use my Macbook Air m2, and it is fantastic! It is lightweight, fast, and really enjoyable to code on.

  • Mac mini M1, 16GB of RAM (2020).

    My day to day machine, which lives in my office, is my Mac mini M1. It is fantastic to use, and I have had no performance issues at all no matter how much I have pushed it.

  • 1 x Samsung U32R590 32 Inch Curved UHD 4K Monitor.

    I use my larger monitor split in half, typically with code on the left and web browsing on the right. Allowing me to quickly check things while working. I have found that using it this way is ideal for me.

  • 1 x Samsung C24F390 24" Curved LED Monitor.

    I have one nice sized screen which I can dedicate for the constant things throughout the day is super useful. This monitor is what I use to keep things like slack, discord, spotify and emails on. It is always in the corner of my eye, but leaves my main screen available for more dynamic application switching.

  • Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones.

    I used to use a gaming headset, but I find this one a lot more comfortable to use. It is light, has great sound quality, and my ears don't get hot like they used to!

  • ZSA Moonlander - Blue Switches

    Having switched to the moonlander a while ago, I couldn't go back. It is super comfortable to write on and I have configured the keys to what makes sense to me.

  • Shure MV7 USB Microphone

    This is my newest purchase, so that I can record better quality audio. Check back in to see my thoughts.

  • Corsair Gaming MM200 Cloth Gaming Mouse Mat Extended

    I absolutely love having a huge house mat on my desk, it means I never get that frustrating wrist jiggle when you realise you are at the end of your mouse pad!

  • Vinsetto Burlap 7 - Point Massage Office Chair Recliner Chair 130°Relax Head - Grey

    Words cannot describe how comfortable this chair is, with built in heating mechanism and massage functions ... Never under estimate the importance of the right office chair!

Development tools

  • PHPStorm

    For quite a while I fell out of love with PHPStorm, and preferred VS Code to it. However, recently, I have completely changed my mind and fallen back in love with what PHPStorm offers.

  • Arc Browser

    I am loving the Arc browsing experience so far, I have connected iCloud so that my settings are synced across devices also. This is the best browser I have used so far.

  • TablePlus

    I was a long term Sequel Pro user on a mac because it worked well, but after finding a few issues with the unsupported version I went to twitter and asked advise. Table Plus seemed to be the common pattern in peoples answers, so I went for it and have enjoyed the experience very much.

  • Warp

    I used to use the built in terminal for mac, however since switching to using the Warp terminal I have been more productive and find terminal usage increasingly easier. It works like a combined text editor and terminal, has workflows, and the input stacys at the bottom of the screen so it feels more natural to use.

Services

  • Codecourse

    My number one place to go for learning. Alex is a fantastic tutor and covers a wide variety of topics, I am a lifetime member and have not once regretted subscribing to this service.

  • Fathom analytics

    I can't say just how good fathom analytics is, because you wouldn't believe me. After years of frustration and privacy issues using Google Analytics I made the change to fathom and it has been delightful. I can easily set up and track goals, monitor site statistics, all without compromising my visitors privacy.

Productivity

  • Raycast

    Raycast is super easy to get started with, and has a tonne of integrations making getting around your mac, and other areas - really easy and convenient.

  • Notion

    I am a heavy Notion user, I use it at work and personally a lot. It gives me the flexibility to create documentation and plans in a form that works for me and my brain.

  • Cron

    An amazing calendar application that I have on my mac. I have quite a few calendars that I need to stay up to date with, from work and personal to a shared family, as well as publishing schedules and one for my consulting work.