Everyday Carry
A non-exhaustive list of stuff that I use on a daily basis.
Hardware
I daily drive the MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) with M1 Pro chip, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. I use it for work, personal projects, and everything in between. The 14-inch display is a great size for me when on the move, and the ARM-based M1 Pro is a beast for development and creative work!
At home, this is connected to dual LG 27" 4K monitors via a Dell WD19TB Thunderbolt dock, providing 180W power delivery and dual 4K@60Hz output with Gigabit ethernet.
The DeskPi Super6C is a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster Mini-ITX board that supports up to 6 CM4s. I have populated it with 4 x 8GB Lite editions, 2 x 2GB Lite editions and 128 SanDisk SD cards for the boot drives.
I use it as a home lab for learning and experimenting withHashicorp products like Nomad, Consul, Vault, etc., Kubernetes, Docker, and other technologies. The CM4s are running Raspberry Pi OS (debian) and I manage them with Ansible from my laptop.
My secondary Dell XPS 15 9500 running Proxmox VE as a virtualization platform. This 15-inch laptop serves as additional compute for my homelab experiments and testing environments.
I switched to this fully customizable 75% layout Keychron Q1 V2 mechanical keyboard because I wanted something with QMK/VIA support. I've equipped it with Gateron Silent Yellow switches so I can type without disturbing colleagues during video calls - the tactile feel is great but they're much quieter than clicky switches.
The rotary knob is surprisingly useful for volume control and scrolling, and the 75% layout gives me all the function keys I need without taking up too much desk space. Having unlimited customization possibilities means I can tweak the layout for both coding and creative work.
I run dual 27" LG 27UK650-W 4K monitors at home, mounted on some basic monitor arms I grabbed from Amazon. The 4K resolution gives me plenty of screen real estate for coding with multiple windows open.
For my mouse, I use the Logitech MX Master 2S which is fantastic for productivity - the gesture controls and ability to switch between devices seamlessly makes it worth every penny.
I also keep a Canon Pixma wireless printer around for those rare occasions when I actually need to print something.
For audio, I switch between Apple AirPods Pro for quick calls and meetings, and my Sony WH-1000XM4s when I need to really focus. The noise cancellation on the Sonys is incredible - I can completely block out distractions when I'm deep in code.
I have a MAONO AU-PM420 USB condenser microphone for when I need clearer audio on calls or if I'm recording anything. For casual listening, I just use my Ultimate Ears speaker.
One of my favorite hacks is repurposing my old Nikon D5200 DSLR as a webcam using an Elgato CamLink adapter. The video quality is so much better than any built-in laptop camera, especially for important video calls.
My desk setup is pretty simple - I use a generic 160cm office desk that gives me plenty of space for the dual monitors and all my peripherals. The chair is nothing fancy, just a standard office chair that's comfortable enough for long coding sessions.
I invested in some Elgato Key Lights for better video call lighting - it makes a huge difference when you're on camera all day. For organization, I use some IKEA monitor stands and wall organizers to keep cables tidy.
The Elgato Stream Deck is one of my favorite productivity tools. I have it set up with shortcuts for frequently used applications, Zoom controls, and even some smart home controls. It's surprisingly useful for workflow automation.
My daily driver is the iPhone Pro 16, but I also keep a Nothing Phone (1) around for testing and development purposes. It's always good to have different devices to test on, especially when working on mobile-responsive designs.
I have an iPad Air (5th Gen) with 256GB and cellular connectivity. It's great for mobile productivity when I'm away from my desk, and perfect for consuming content during downtime.
The Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) keeps me connected without being too distracting. I mainly use it for health tracking and getting notifications without having to check my phone constantly.
Security is important to me, so I use YubiKeys for hardware-based two-factor authentication across all my important accounts. Having that physical key requirement adds a solid layer of protection.
I'm a big fan of Anker's GaN chargers - I have several scattered around for both home and travel. They're compact but powerful, and the fast charging is a game changer.
For travel, I always pack 3-in-1 MagSafe chargers and a GL.iNet travel router. The router is especially handy for creating a secure connection when I'm working from hotels or coffee shops.
Software
- macOS: Primary OS on MacBook Pro for development and daily use
- Linux (Debian/Ubuntu): For servers, containers, and development environments
- Raspberry Pi OS: On the DeskPi Super6C cluster for homelab experiments
- Proxmox VE: On Dell XPS 15 for virtualization and testing
For VPN services, I use Mullvad when I need privacy-focused browsing - their no-logging policy and privacy focus is exactly what I want. For secure remote access to my homelab, Tailscale is incredible - it creates a secure mesh network that lets me access my home services from anywhere without exposing them to the internet.
My primary editor is VS Code for its extensibility and robust features. I also use Claude Code CLI which has significantly enhanced my productivity with AI-powered coding assistance directly in the terminal.
I keep Neovim with LazyVim around for quick terminal-based editing. There's something satisfying about the speed and efficiency of vim motions.
I'm obsessed with visual consistency, so I use the Catppuccin theme across all my applications. Paired with MonoLisa and Nerd Fonts, everything looks clean and cohesive.
I use Ghostty as my terminal - it's GPU-accelerated and handles the Catppuccin theme beautifully. The performance and customization options are fantastic compared to the default macOS terminal.
For my shell, I run Zsh with Zinit as the plugin manager. It's fast and lets me customize everything exactly how I want it. My prompt is powered by Starship, which gives me all the context I need at a glance.
Some CLI tools I can't live without: Homebrew for package management, Atuin for searchable shell history, and 1Password CLI for secure credential access from the terminal.
For package management, I'm all about speed, so pnpm is my go-to choice. It's significantly faster than npm and handles dependencies more efficiently. When I need to switch between Node.js versions for different projects, nvm makes that process seamless.
I've moved away from Docker Desktop to OrbStack for container management - it's much lighter weight and faster on macOS. I also use Podman for more security-focused container work.
When I need to work with databases, DBeaver is my preferred tool. It supports pretty much every database I've ever needed to connect to, and the interface is clean and intuitive.
For API testing, I love HTTPie - it's so much cleaner than curl for quick API calls. When I'm designing system architectures or sketching out ideas, I bounce between Diagrams.net for formal diagrams and Excalidraw for quick wireframes and brainstorming sessions.
- Calendar: Notion Calendar for seamless integration with project management
- Notes: Notion for structured documentation, Apple Notes for quick thoughts
- Email: Spark for intelligent email management and scheduling
- Communication: Google Chat for team messaging, Google Meet for video calls
I use Helium as my main browser. It's a privacy-focused Chromium-based browser that blocks ads, trackers, and phishing by default. The split view feature and native support for all Chromium extensions make it perfect for my workflow, and I appreciate that it doesn't track or analyze my browsing.
My essential extensions include uBlock Origin for ad blocking (the web is unusable without it), "Don't F*** With Paste" because I hate when websites disable pasting, and Disable Cookies for better privacy control when I need it.
For password management, 1Password is absolutely essential. Having secure, unique passwords for everything and being able to access them seamlessly across all my devices makes browsing so much more secure and convenient.
Rectangle Pro is essential for my window management - I can't imagine working without keyboard shortcuts to snap windows to precise positions. Having dual monitors means I need reliable, quick window positioning, and Rectangle Pro delivers exactly that.
My menu bar was getting cluttered with all the apps I use, so Hidden Bar keeps everything clean and organized. I can hide the less important items and only show what I actually need to see.
Raycast has completely replaced Spotlight for me. The app launching is lightning fast, the clipboard history is incredibly useful, and the workflow automation capabilities keep expanding my productivity options.
For screenshots, Shottr is fantastic - I can quickly annotate, add arrows and text, and share them without having to open a separate editing app. It's perfect for documentation and quick visual communication.
I use Backblaze for my primary backup strategy because it's incredibly cost-effective for long-term storage. For collaborative work, Google Drive is still my go-to since most teams I work with are already using it.
rclone is my secret weapon for file synchronization. I can automate encrypted file transfers between different cloud providers, which gives me flexibility and redundancy that I can't get with just one service.
I bounce between Spotify and Apple Music for music streaming - Spotify has better discovery algorithms, but Apple Music integrates better with my Apple ecosystem. I usually keep both subscriptions active because they each have their strengths.
For entertainment, I watch a lot of Twitch streams, especially gaming content and coding streams. It's a great way to discover new games and learn from other developers.
When it comes to gaming, I use Steam for PC gaming and my PlayStation for console exclusives. PlayStation 4 controllers work great for both platforms. Some of my favorite games include the Call of Duty series, The Last of Us, the Uncharted series, and Red Dead Redemption - I'm drawn to games with strong storytelling and immersive worlds.
Philosophy & Principles
I'm obsessed with customization - I want my tools to work exactly how I think they should. That's why I gravitate toward things like the Keychron Q1 with QMK/VIA support and Neovim. If I can't customize it to fit my workflow, I'll usually look for alternatives that offer more flexibility.
Visual consistency is really important to me, which is why I use the Catppuccin theme across all my applications. Having a cohesive color scheme makes everything feel more polished and reduces visual fatigue during long coding sessions.
I'm always looking for ways to be more efficient. Tools like Raycast, Rectangle Pro, and Starship are specifically chosen because they remove friction from my daily workflows. If I can automate something or make it faster with a keyboard shortcut, I will.
I believe in investing in quality for things I use every day. Spending money on premium peripherals that I'll use for 8+ hours daily pays dividends in both productivity and health. A good keyboard, mouse, and monitor setup is worth every penny.
Security and privacy are non-negotiable for me. I use privacy-focused tools like Mullvad VPN, uBlock Origin, and hardware 2FA with YubiKeys because protecting personal and professional data is essential in today's digital landscape.
My homelab setup exists primarily for hands-on learning. I learn best by doing, so having a place to experiment with technologies like Kubernetes, the Hashicorp stack, and container orchestration helps me understand these tools much better than just reading documentation.