Tools and gadgets I use.
Just the favorites in my home lab if you're ever wondering.
Workstation
Sona - 16” MacBook Pro, 2020, 1TB Storage
This is my sidekick. I carry it everywhere I go. If I'm in a bind and need quick compute or if I need to watch a movie or doom scroll social media, I summon Sona. I've replaced the screen once after an unfortunate battle with gravity. Gravity won.
Warlock - Custom built L-CLASS from OriginPC
This is my main workstation. I built it to be a powerhouse for gaming, coding, and YouTube videos. It has a 13th Gen Intel Core i9. 64GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. I’ve been using it since November 2022. It’s still a beast.
Keychron Q6 Mechanical Keyboard
I don't think I can go back to a "normal" keyboard for gaming. The Q6 is a great keyboard for gaming and typing. I love the feel of the keys and the sound of the banana switches. I use it wired because I don't trust wireless for gaming.
MX Master 3 Mouse
I have a love-hate relationship with this mouse. I hate that I have 4 of them. It costs a pretty penny. I just love the design, functionality and ergonomics of this mouse. I always carry one in my backpack and when I don't have it, I feel slowed down. I have one dedicated for Warlock and at least one more in a drawer somewhere.
Development tools
Visual Studio Code
I still use Vim when I have no access to a more desktop oriented IDE. However, you can bet I will be using VS Code whenever I have access to that. VS Code is versatile, well supported and I appreciate the varying color themes that help reduce eye strain for me.
Drawio
I feel the need to call out Drawio. I like visualizing things and writing down ideas, I communicated best that way. Whenever I can put forth a visual representation of a project I am working on, it helps me move faster. Now, that is why I use drawio, a lot.
Design
Adobe Creative Cloud
Yup, I pay for the full suite. I use Photoshop, Illustrator, and everything. I hate it but also feels like I can't live without it. I've tried to use other tools but I always come back to Adobe. Yes, I have also cancelled and re-activated my subscription a few times.
AI Tools
ChatGPT
I find myself using it for search, sometimes in place of Google. It defifnitely beats Stack Overflow when I need to find a solution to a problem or need to understand a piece of code very quickly. I like that I can query follow up questions.
Midjourney AI
Generating images for my side projects has never been easier. Midjourney just gets the job done. Yup, occasionally, it generates a Charlie Foxtrot that is just mind warping!! ***shudders***