Uses
An occasionally updated, non-exhaustive list of tools I use in everyday life. Inspired by uses.tech.
Last updated
Hardware
I’ve stripped down my gear drastically to fit into a smaller living space. This is what I currently own and use.
๐ป Computer Setup
At Home
- MacBook Air M1: Space Grey, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage. My daily driver at home.
- Mac mini M1: Space Grey, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage. Used in my desktop setup.
- Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse: I’ve been a Logitech fanboi for a while, and this mouse has served me well for many years.
- Logitech MX Keys for Mac Wireless Keyboard: Excellent non-mechanical keyboard option for Mac. Great battery life.
- Anker Prime 250W Charging Station
- Anker PowerPort 5 Desktop Charger
- Anker 7-in-1 USB Data Hub
- Seagate Backup Plus 5TB External HDD
At Work
- Windows PC
- Intel Core i5 12400F Processor
- Nvidia GEFORCE RTX 3050 Graphics
- 1TB SSD, and 16GB RAM
- 2x 27″ LG IPS Monitors (Inexpensive, unremarkable, works)
- Basic and inexpensive peripherals (perfectly serviceable)
๐บ TV & Audio
Home Theatre
- LG C4 48″ OLED TV: I’m obsessed with the perfect blacks on OLEDs, and cannot imagine going back to a non-OLED display. This TV also acts as the monitor for my Mac mini setup currently. It’s not ideal, but I’m making do with limited space.
- HISENSE AX3120G 3.1.2 Sound Bar: A downgrade from my previous 5.1 speaker setup, but soundbars are great for small spaces, and this one does what it says on the tin.
Headphone Setup
- Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX (HD 660) Headphones: Excellent open-back headphones with a great soundstage. Easy to drive.
- Schiit Modi 3+ DAC: Schiitโs entry level DAC with USB and optical inputs.
- Schiit Loki Mini+ Equaliser: Barely used, unless I feel a track really needs a bit of oomph. I generally prefer a clean and untarnished sound profile, but I like having the equaliser.
- Realistic 42-2110 Stereo Switcher: RadioShack gizmo from a bygone era. Works well for switching between my two amps.
- Schiit Magni Heresy Solid State Headphone Amplifier: Schiit’s entry level solid state headphone amp. Clean sound.
- Little Dot MKII Tube Headphone Amplifier: Affordable tube amp with an excellent warm sound profile.
๐ธ Music Production & Recording
Guitars
- Fender Player Series Stratocaster: Alder Body in Tidepool Finish, Maple Fretboard, 3x Single Coil Pickups. Great clean tones.
- Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard: Mahogany Body in Aged Gloss Finish, Laurel Fretboard, 2x Gibson Burstbucker Pickups. Raw energy, dirty sound.
- Epiphone Embassy Bass: Mahogany Body in Graphite Black Finish, Laurel Fretboard, ProBucker Bass Pickups. Probably my least picked up guitar.
- Morris W-18 Dreadnaught Acoustic: Spruce Top and Mahogany Back in Natural Finish. Well-made Japanese guitar modelled after a Martin D-18. Great bottom end.
Other Instruments
- Stylophone Pocket Synthesizer
- Fender Blues Deluxe Harmonica, Key of D
Amps & Interfaces
- Fender Champion 20 Solid State Combo Amplifier
- Vox amPlug2 Bass Guitar Headphone Amplifier
- Behringer UMC 404HD USB Audio Interface
Accessories
- Tiger Double Guitar Stands
- D’Addario Clip On Tuner
- AmazonBasics Dynamic Vocal Microphone
- Moukey MMs-1 Adjustable Microphone Arm
- Konig & Meyer Harmonica Holder
๐ฑ EDC
- iPhone 15 Pro 128GB: My daily driver since August 2024.
- iPhone 8 64GB: My work phone. Still going strong after many years of use.
- Apple Watch Series 10 GPS, 46mm Aluminium
- Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Headphones
- AirTag: My wallet tracker.
- weTag mini: Cheap alternative for AirTags, used with keys, card wallets, luggage, etc.
๐ก Smart Home
- Amazon Echo Pop
- Amazon Echo Show 5
- Tapo H100 Smart Hub
- Tapo P110M Smart Plugs
- Tapo T110 Door Alarm
- Tapo L510E and L530B Smart Bulbs
- Blink Outdoor 4 Security Cameras
๐ธ Photo & Video
- DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Handheld Gimbal
๐ฎ Gaming
- Sony PlayStation 5 Disc Edition: For unwinding with some casual gaming. Also my current 4K Blu-ray player.
- Sony DualSense Wireless Controller
Software & Web
Regularly used apps across platforms, and some websites I can’t live without.
โ๏ธ Writing
- WordPress
- Google Sheets
- Apple Notes
- Apple Journal
- Bear Notes
๐ด Recording
- GarageBand: An intuitive music recording and production platform for beginners like myself.
- Fender Tune: My tuning app of choice.
๐ง Listening
- Apple Music: I’ve been a subscriber ever since its launch in 2015. My preferred setting is HighRes Lossless (when available). Strictly no Atmos-mixed music.
- Overcast: My podcast app of choice.
๐๏ธ Film & TV
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Apple TV
- Prime Video
- MUBI
- Now
- ITVX
- BBC iPlayer
- YouTube
- Freevee
- Channel 4
๐ Diaries
- Letterboxd: My film discovery and diary app of choice. I don’t log TV on Letterboxd.
- Trakt: My TV show progress tracker of choice.
- JustWatch: For keeping track of film and TV show availability on streaming services in the UK.
- Goodreads: For tracking and sharing my reading progress, and maintaining wishlists.
๐๏ธ Design
- Adobe Photoshop: For poster designs, and other projects I help out with occasionally.
- Canva: For social media content production at work.
- pCon planner: For space planning and 3D layout visualisation at work.
- Behance: For showcasing my portfolio of poster designs.
- Redbubble and Ko-fi: For selling my poster designs.
๐ฏ Productivity
- Things: My to-do app of choice.
- CopyClip 2: A simple and effective clipboard manager for Mac.
- WPS Office: My preferred office suite on Mac. At work, on my Windows PC, I use Microsoft Office.
- Amphetamine: A powerful energy-saver settings controller for Mac.
- Finances 2: Personal accounts and budgeting app for Mac.
- Amazon Alexa: The control centre for all my smart home devices.
๐ก๏ธ Security
- Apple Passwords
- Google Authenticator
- Microsoft Authenticator
- Blink: Controls my security cameras.
๐ Browsing & Email
- Safari: My primary browser. I use Chrome and Opera at work on a Windows PC.
- Spark Email: My preferred app for managing multiple personal email addresses. At work I use Outlook.
โ๏ธ Cloud Storage
- Google Drive
- Google Photos
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
๐๐พHealth & Fitness
- Apple Health
- Strava
๐ Reading
- Kindle for iPhone
- Libby
- Libraries NI
- Substack
๐ค AI Tools
- Gemini
- ChatGPT
- Lovable
๐ Shopping & Rewards
- PayPal Honey
- Avios
- Co-Op Membership
- Nectar
- Rakuten Cashback
- PS Deals: Price tracker for PlayStation games.
โ๏ธ Travel
- Flighty: Powerful flight tracking app with real time updates.
- Booking.com
- Hotels.com / Expedia
- Airbnb
- Skyscanner
- Trainline
- EasyJet
