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.
Workstation
15" MacBook Pro, 32 GB RAM (2019)
Although not quite as quick as the new M1 or M2 MacBooks, my 2019 MacBook Pro still gets the job done and is whisper quiet even when enduring some heavy loads.
Logitech MX Keys Advanced Full-size Wireless Scissor Keyboard - Black
I recently acquired this keyboard after having an Apple Magic Keyboard for years, and I love the heftiness and quietness of this keyboard while typing. 10/10 would recommend checking it out.
Samsung 32" Curved Monitor with Quantum dot
This is a fantastic monitor if you are in the market for a large monitor with a 2560 x 1440 resolution at an affordable price. However, the lack of ports can be a bit annoying. But it gets the job done 👍
Logitech M720 Triathlon Wireless Optical Mouse - Black
Great mouse for the price. The one downside is that it does not have a way to side scroll which can be frustrating at times when you have large files.
Development tools
Postman
Postman is by far my favorite tool for testing APIs as I work on them and has a multitude of tools for developing and automating the testing of your APIs.
VSCode
I have tried other editors such as WebStorm and Sublime, but after getting all the settings and extensions I could need, I don't think I will ever be leaving VSCode... unless I am working in Java or .Net. In that case, IntelliJ or Ryder from JetBrains is your best bet.
Render
If you are not interested in configuring your own CI/CD pipeline with Jenkins then I would also recommend checking out the service Render. Render is a unified cloud to build and run all your apps with free TLS certificates, a global CDN, DDoS protection, private networks, and auto deploys from Git. This is a great service when getting to MVP first is a priority.
Polypane
Imagine if you could simultaneously view your project on hundreds of different screen sizes. While also running accessibility tests, and also checking your dark light mode. Sounds like I dream right? Well, the developers at Polypane made that a reality 🙌
Mux
If you are ever working on a project that involves lots of videos, then I would highly recommend checking out Mux before turning to YouTube or Vimeo. Mux is an API that enables developers to build unique live and on-demand video experiences.
Warp
Warp is a blazingly fast, Rust-based terminal reimagined from the ground up to work like a modern app. You can edit your commands like in a modern code editor with selections, cursor positioning, and completion menus. It even has GPT-3 powered AI search that will convert natural language into executable shell commands. It's like GitHub Copilot, but for the terminal.
Jenkins
Jenkins is an open-source automation tool for providing continuous integration and delivery environments for any combination of languages and source code repositories. I have used it at multiple companies and is great to work with, but can be a bit complex to work with.
Design
Figma
Being a Software Engineer and not a Web Designer I really appreciate that Figma is easy to use even for people who aren't designers. My favorite use case is to re-size SVGs to look better in my projects.
Productivity
Alfred
Alfred is an application launcher and productivity application for macOS. Alfred Workflows are especially awesome for eliminating repetitive tasks.
ScribeHow
ScribeHow is an amazing tool for creating intuitive step-by-step guides. Turn on the Scribe recorder, go through your process, then turn off the recording. Scribe then automatically creates a how-to guide, complete with screenshots, instructions, and clicks.
Daily Dev
It can be really difficult to keep up with the latest trends in development which is why I love the Daily Dev extension so much because it has all the latest dev news in a single location.