Equipment and tools I use to stay productive and have fun.

I'm a big fan of tools and gadgets that help me be more productive and have more fun. Here are some of my favorites.

Workstation

16” MacBook Pro, M2 Pro, 16GB RAM (2023)
The M2 Pro is a beast. I can't believe how much faster it is than my old Intel-based MacBook Pro. I still use my old one when traveling but this is my main machine now.
LG 27" 4K IPS Monitor
I spent a lot of time trying to find a monitor that was the perfect size and resolution for me, with USB-C hub that allows my macbook to plug in and charge from a single cord.
Sabrent USB 2.0 Sharing Switch
I constantly need to toggle my mouse, keyboard and camera between my work and personal computer, and this nifty little switch makes it a breeze. I tap the button and everything switches over to my second monitor.
nuphy Air75 Mechanical Keyboard (Blue Switches)
I picked up this little keyboard on a whim and it’s been great. I really enjoy the compact form factor for the times I need to bring it with me into the office. This is my first mechanical keyboard and I'm really enjoying the blue switches.
Razer DeathAdder v2 Pro
This mouse is fine - it's honestly better with a PC than a Mac. I previously used a magic mouse but had to work from a Windows workstation for a while, and I got used to the ergonomics of a more traditional mouse.

Sony a7 III + Sony 2/28 + Sigma 1.4/35
This is by far my favorite camera I’ve ever owned. I use it for photography, videography, and as a webcam for meetings. The blurred background is fantastic, and Sony provides software and drivers for using it as a webcame. I'm still building my lens collection after switching from Canon, and so far I'm quite happy with the Sigma 1.4/35.
Elgato Key Light Air
As fantastic as the Sony camera is, it's almost useless for video calls without good lighting. This light is fantastic and has a companion app that lets me control it from my computer over wifi. Compact, reasonably priced, and easy to use.
Shure MV7 Microphone
A fantastic microphone for video calls and recording. It's USB and XLR, and I use it for all of my calls and recordings. I also really enjoy plugging my headphones into the microphone so I can confirm the audio quality and volume.
Manfrotto
I purchase all of my tripods and camera accessories from Manfrotto. I've used them for nearly a decade and have never been disappointed. They're a bit more expensive than other brands, but the quality is worth it. I own their Magic Arm, Monopod, Gimbal, and a mini tripod for my desk microphone.
Adobe Lightroom
I'll be honest, I hate Adobe with the fire of a thousand suns, but Lightroom is the best photo editing software out there. I use it for all of my photography, and it creates easy sharable albums for family and friends.

Visual Studio Code
I don't have to say much about this one. It's the best code editor out there, excellent ecosystem of plugins, and it's free.
TablePlus
A fantastic, simple database client that supports all the databases I use. It's fast, reliable, and has a great UI.
Medis
Another fantastic database client, but for Redis. I use this one when I need to do anything with Redis, which is often on SpaceTraders.
Chrome Remote Desktop
I was so happy when I discovered how simple this was to set up and use between my macbooks and PC. It's free and allows me to jump between my work and personal computers with ease.

Figma
Sorry Sketch, but Figma won me over and I've never looked back. It's the best tool for designing interfaces and collaborating with others, and every company I've worked at in the last 5 years has used it.
Midjourney
This one is controversial but I find Midjourney to be a fantastic collaboration tool to brainstorm and generate images when time is a constraint and the ideas are small. It's not perfect, but I've had a lot of success generating logos, placeholder images for websites, and exploring visual concepts for SpaceTraders.
Tailwind UI
My mind is still blown away by the amount of value the Tailwind folks have given away for such a low price. I'm always brainstorming business and product ideas, and Tailwind's UI templates help me very quickly draft up a visual concept for a new product or feature.

GitHub Copilot
I'll be honest, I was very excited about Copilot when it was announced, and it's proven to be the most productive tool I've used in a long time. It's not perfect, but I'm easily twice as fast at writing code with it. It's just a really smart auto-complete, so you need to know what you're doing to use it effectively.
ChatGPT 4
You can probably guess I'm a huge proponent of AI in development and creative work. ChatGPT 4 is a fantastic tool for generating code, writing, and brainstorming. I use it for everything from drafting emails to generating code snippets and game concepts for SpaceTraders. I literally can't imagine working without it.
Obsidian
I've moved all of my note-taking and knowledge management into Obsidian. It's a fantastic tool for organizing and connecting ideas, and I use it for everything from drafting articles to brainstorming new features for SpaceTraders.
Linear
I've used a lot of project management tools, and Linear is by far my favorite. It's simple, fast, and has a fantastic interface. I use it for everything from managing SpaceTraders features to tracking my personal tasks and goals.

Yamaha CLP-725 Clavinova Digital Piano
Our family recently purchased this digital piano and it's been fantastic. I've been playing guitar for 10 years and wanted to learn piano, and this has been a fantastic instrument for learning and practicing. Beautiful sound, weighted keys, and it looks great in our living room.
Taylor Academy 10e Acoustic Electric Guitar
I've had this guitar for nearly half a decade and it's been a fantastic instrument. I really enjoy the sound and feel of it, and the built-in tuner and pickup are fantastic.