Philip Uses...
Inspired by Wes Bos's Uses page, here's a list of the tools and software I use regularly. Check out uses.tech to see what everyone else /uses
Software
- Whether I'm on a Mac or PC, I use Visual Studio Code almost exclusively, with a little bit of
vim
here and there. - I like the Synthwave '84 VS Code Theme.
- Some VS Code extensions I rely on are:
- Foam: VS Code + Markdown + Wikilinks for your note taking and knowledge base
- Markdown All in One: All you need to write Markdown (keyboard shortcuts, table of contents, auto preview and more
- Tabnine AI Autocomplete: 👩💻🤖 JavaScript, Python, Java, Typescript & all other languages - AI Code completion plugin. Tabnine makes developers more productive by auto-completing their code.
- Prettier: Code formatter, auto-formatting code on save so I don't have to.
- Font: CaskaydiaCove NF: A fork of Cascadia Code which has been supplemented by Nerds Fonts
- 1Password is where all my user accounts are stored. Business account for work and personal account for personal and home accounts.
- Davinci Resolve for video editing duties. This is something I picked up during lockdown to produce videos for local church when in-person meetings were not happening.
Hardware
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I keep an iPhone 15 in my pocket, upgrading from an iPhone 13, and a 2018 iPhone XR before that.
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For general computing duties I switch between two devices, a work-issued 2021 M1 Mac Book Pro 14" and my personal Microsoft Windows 11 on my Lenovo Thinkpad E14 gen 2.
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A Samsung 34" CH89 LED Monitor stands on an articulated arm and provides an ultrawide view on my activities, often arranged in three column layout.
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ZSA Moonlander is a split keyboard with great for ergonomics to open up the shoulders with a nice ortholinear key layout. Programmable with QMK or their online configuration tool, Oryx and an easy to use firmware flashing tool Wally.
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Keychron K1 SE is a great wireless mechanical keyboard that can be paired with several devices and also connects and charges with a usb-c cable.
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Logitech MX Ergo Wireless is comfortable in my large hand, with precise cursor control and quick switching between two paired computers.
Audio / Video
- Canon m200 - A compact mirror-less camera sends clean 1080p output via micro HDMI, routed through a cheap HDMI USB capture card to provide webcam input. Powered with a battery replacement kit for always-on power.
- A 2022 audio upgrade with the Rode VideoMic Go II and the Rode Connect companion app for more audio routing flexibility with a bit less bulk as this connects directly via USB and doesn't require an additional audio interface.
- The Rode M2 microphone has a super-cardioid condenser pattern which means it does a great job of rejecting background noise, including my keyboard typing sounds. The Rode PSA1 was the best reviewed at the time of purchase and does a great job holding the microphone exactly where I want it.
- Focusrite Solo V3 connects the microphone with 48v phantom power and occasionally a secondary audio source. Headphone jack on the front with convenient volume control and USB-C power and connection to the computer.
- Audio Technica ATH-M50x are a great, comfortable pair of headphones with a neat curly cable.
- Bose QC45 (upgraded from Bose QC35II for the USB-C charging) has great battery life, excellent noise cancelling and are comfortable to wear all day.