Things I Use

These are the tools, apps, and services that I use in both work and life. I don’t list everything, just the things that make a material difference to my life or have been a delight to use. In some cases I have provided referal links.

Computing

• M3 MacBook Pro - My last laptop was the MacBook (12 inch) and I maintain this was the most delightful computer I have owned. I used an iMac for heavier computing tasks but after 7 years, I increasingly ran into software compatibility issues. I picked up an M3 MacBook Pro 735 days ago and I’ve been very happy with the machine since.

• iPhone 16 Pro - I’ve finally made the leap to USB C with the 512 GB model in White Titanium. Current age: 419 days.

Mac

• Hazel - effortless sorting of paperless bills
• 1Password - We rely on 1Password family plan for documents, passports, and passwords.
• Ice - A menu bar management tool. Replaced Bartender.
• Things - A beautifully simple personal task manager.
• Obsidian - An IDE for text files. Text files are powerful when you can link them together.
• iA Writer - distraction free writing
• iA Presenter - structured & beautiful presentations
• Infuse - video player for all video
• Raycast - Application launcher and general thing doer.
• CleanShot X - I take a lot of screenshots. Being able to edit them easily is a lifesaver.
• VSCodium - Free/Libre Open Source Software Binaries of VS Code
• Forgejo - Self hosted Git projects for things that don’t need to be in the cloud.
• Alacritty - terminal emulator
• Clop - automated image resizing

iOS

• Things - A beautifully simple personal task manager.
• Overcast - A podcast player that has saved me 377 hours with smart speed.
• Skritter - Learn to read and write Chinese (or Japanese) characters.
• Pleco - The only Chinese dictionary app you’ll ever need.
• Lose It! – calorie / nutrition tracking
• Flighty - all the info about your flights
• Marvis - smart playlists and scrobbling

Services

• Oura - appreciating the reminders to take it easy
• Fastmail - I have been absolutely delighted with Fastmail. As the name suggests, mail is fast. The interface is simple and I’ve yet to find a client, or a configuration they don’t support. Get 10% off your first year here.
• Backblaze - Per-machine pricing means I’m not worrying about how much data I back-up. Love that physically attached external drives are included in the price. I’ve not yet had to do a full restore, but have reliably restored folders and files on multiple occasions. Get 1 month free here.
• Tailscale - More than just a VPN. I use Tailscale to put all my devices on the same private network. Really handy to be able to use any device as an exit node for your trafic.
• Apple Music - I want to like Spotify but they seem to ignore the concept of albums in favour of playlists and this grates with my desire to keep my collection neatly organised.
• Readwise - Read everything, take notes, sync anywhere. Get yourself an extra free month.
• Mullvad - My VPN provider of choice. Combined with Tailscale, I’ve been able to remain online while travelling.
• omg.lol - a quirky, fun, home on the internet
• You Need a Budget - flexible budgeting app

Self-Hosted

• Comming Soon

Office

• Brother HL-L2375DW - We wanted a colour printer, but the cost (toner) and size of a colour laser printer pushed us towards going black & white. I picked up the Brother HL-L2375DW mainly for its size. It has been rock solid. We’ve tucked it in a cupboard, connected it to the network and it has been working reliably without the need for any additional software.

Desk

• Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk - solid standing desk
• Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad - TouchID without laptop being open
• Logitech MX Master 3 - solid mouse. Note: MX Master 3 has been superseded by the 3S.
• Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved WUHD Monitor - wide enough for video & screen sharing
• DT 770 Pro (80 Ohm) - great sounding and comfortable
• Kanto ORA - free yourself from tinny monitor speakers
• Elgato Facecam Pro - an OK webcam
• Elgato Wave DX - a microphone I can swing out of the way
• Qingping Air Monitor Lite - air quality has a noticeable impact on productivity
• Benq ScreenBar - discrete desk lighting

Photography

• Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 - beautiful photographic prints at home

• Pentax MX - A half-frame point and shoot. The default portrait format, limited controls, and ultra-silent shutter have made this a delightful camera to carry around.

• Fujifilm x100vi - First digital rangefinder I’ve owned since the smartphone came along. It’s early days but I’m loving the manual controls.

• Canon EOS 6D Mark II - This was my first foray into full-frame photography and it has been a delight to use. It also appears to be the last camera to include GPS built in.

• Canon EF 40mm F/2.8 STM - This is the lens I use most when travelling.

• Canon EF 24-70mm F/2.8 II USM - This is the best lens I’ve ever owned. Great for portraits but also great for general photography. Only downside is the weight.

• Peak Design Capture - When walking around cities with children I need my hands free. I was carrying my camera in a backpack and never getting it out to use it. The Capture lets me carry the camera where I can reach it. Great for practicality, less so for style.

• The Print Space - The best print service that I’ve found. If you are new to photo or artwork printing, make sure to order their sample pack. It’s a beautiful collection of prints with different inks on different papers. Use this discount code for 50% off your first order: QLJD8D5.

• Analogue Wonderland - My go-to for all things analogue, film, and processing. I’ve had nothing but good experiences. Referral link will give you a free roll of film.

Transport

• Tern GSD - We don’t have a car, instead we have a Tern GSD. Two kids and shopping, in all weather. The Tern GSD has been our primary mode of transport for several years now. We’ve carried camping gear and a child. We’ve helped friends with school pick-ups. We’ve carried supplies for a party. The bike has been a dream to ride.

Clothing

• Arcteryx SV Jacket Blue Tetra - I haven’t bought an outdoor jacket in over 15 years. But faced with temperatures of -24ºC in Beijing last winter I went looking for a new jacket. I’ve loved everything about this jacket; the colour, the fit, the wind resistance, the ability to put the hood up over a helmet, the placement of pockets, the list goes on.

Accessories

• Peak Design Everyday Case - Delightfully slim, comfortable to hold. The attahment point is flush with the case which means you can still use other MagSafe accessories without removing the case.

• Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount - The combination of magnets and a simple locking mechanism mean this mount pulls the phone out of your hand and locks it into position. One handed removal whilst wearing gloves makes this a dream.

• Osprey Talon 33 - A comfortable backpack that can hold everything a family of four needs for a day out.

• Ucon Acrobatics Hajo Medium Backpack - Comfortable, waterproof, made from recycled bottles.

Piano

• Roland FP 30X - Full size weighted keys, compact, and sound that can fill a room at home. We’ve loved this as a first piano. The simplicity and the lack of visible features keep it relatively distraction free for anyone just starting out. Would be nice to have the ability to record to wav files, but this is far from essential.
• MuseScore - If you need to write (or play) music, MuseScore is a delight to use.
• SimplyPiano - Learn to play the piano from scratch. For eager parents out there, the app assumes your children are able to read. There are points where written instructions scroll past along with the music. Once you get over that hurdle they can play unattended. Get 1 month free here.

Evaluating

• Fellow Carter Move Mug - for cold mornings by the football pitch

Retired

• 2025-10 - Adobe Creative Cloud - Photography Plan - no longer using it
• 2025-10 - Ivory - stopped using Mastodon
• 2025-10 - ScreenFlow - using CleanShotX
• 2025-10 - Audiohijack - not actively podcasting
• 2025-10 - Loopback - not actively podcasting
• 2025-10 - Fantastical - returned to Apple Calendar
• 2025-09 - Bookwyrm - switched to The Story Graph
• 2025-08 - Dell UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor - one monitor was enough
• 2025-08 - Logitech Brio 4k - switched to Elgato camera
• 2025-08 - Maestral - switched back to Dropbox for emoji in filenames
• 2025-05 - Chronicling - stopped tracking
• 2024-09 - Gitea - switched to Forgejo
• 2024-09 - Drone CI - switched to Forgejo
• 2024-09 - iPhone 14 Pro – upgraded
• 2024-06 - Pastebot - functionality in Raycast
• 2024-06 - Bartender - controversial switched to Ice