Tools I use and recommend to others.

Here’s a list of some of the things I use regularly and really like.

Workstation

  • 14” MacBook Pro, M1 Max, 64GB RAM (2021)

    The new Apple chips are just better than the Intel ones. My computer fans rarely turn on, and I’m able to have a million things open. It’s a great computer.

  • Apple Magic Trackpad

    I only use a mouse when playing Minecraft with my kids. There is just something very pleasing to me about using the trackpad.

Development Tools

  • VS Code

    It’s good, and I don’t have any complaints. I still use Sublime Text here and there, but for the most part, I mostly use this.

  • Terminal

    I know people like iTerm, but I don’t even know the benefits I get by using it. So I just have stuck with the built-in terminal.

Design

  • Sketch

    I love the speed at which I can design things. It probably doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other design tools, but it’s lightweight and easy to use.

  • Affinity Suite

    I look at Affinity as a perfect alternative to the Adobe Suite. It’s cheap, easy to use, and very powerful.

Productivity

  • Things

    For more than a decade, the Things app has been helping me stay organized on tasks I need to get done.

  • Magnet

    Being able to use hotkeys to size your computer windows is so useful. Come on, Apple, why haven’t you figured this out and made it native?

Devices

  • Switch OLED

    Nintendo’s lack of quality family sharing pisses me off, but I can’t deny it’s one of the best gaming consoles ever made. It’s my go-to for video game fun.

  • iPhone

    The blue bubble in messages makes me feel like less of an outsider. 🤣

  • Beyerdynamic DT 770

    When I bought these headphones in 2002 for $150, every one of my friends thought I was crazy to pay that much for headphones. That price doesn’t seem too crazy now. I’ve owned a few pairs over the years, and they are truly brilliant headphones.

Adventure Gear

  • Burton Custom 162

    I’ve been riding a custom for a long time, and every time I try another board, it just doesn’t cut it for me.

  • Black Diamond Helio 105

    I’m not a great skier, but these things are light and great for uphill travel. I’ve been very pleased with them, and I think you would like them to.

  • Danner Mountain 600

    My dad had Danner boots when I was growing up. I’ve been rocking Danners since 1997 and have never looked back.

Board Games

  • Android: Netrunner

    Netrunner is a two-player asymmetric card game set in a dystopian future where four megacorporations control almost every aspect of daily life. Legendary hackers known as “runners” aim to fight the corps’ influence by hacking into their servers and preventing them from advancing their sinister agendas.

  • Terra Mystica

    Terra Mystica is an economic and territory-building game that rewards long-term planning and engine building.

  • Agricola

    Agricola is the classic game where players take on the role of 17th-century farmers and guide their families to wealth, health, and prosperity. Every game challenges players to make different strategic choices. The player who establishes the best farmyard wins!

  • Power Grid

    In the game, each player represents a company that owns power plants and tries to supply electricity to cities. During the game, players bid on power plants and buy resources to provide electricity to the growing number of cities in their network. It was one of the most brilliant market systems in a game.