Apps, Tools, and Gear I Use

This post was originally posted on maxpou.fr.

This page is somewhat inspired by Wes Bos' Uses page. Keep in mind that I'm mostly doing Frontend development and I'm also a nomadic worker. In other words, I'm 100% remote and I travel. A lot.

Hardware

• MacBook Pro (13-inch).
• No extra screen. I've found myself more focus with only one screen.
• Roost Laptop Stand (note: I don't use it when I work from a coffee shop!).
• Magic keyboard 2 and the Magic trackpad 2.
• Notepad where I write my daily MIT.

As a digital nomad, I don't have space for a desk on my backpack! ;)

IDE

• VS Code is my favourite text editor so far.
• The theme I use is Material Theme which I customised.
• Full list of plugins that I Can't Live Without.

All of my config files (VS Code settings, bash aliases, git config...) are accessible on my dotfiles GitHub repository.

Browser

My main browser is Brave. It's a great, fast and safe Chrome alternative. I also use the following plugins:

• uBlock Origin - Best adblocker I've found.
• Pocket (Save to Pocket) - Read it later.
• LastPass - Password Manager.
• Devtool extensions: Vue.js and React

I used to have Wappalyzer... but I've found this extension quite curious so I removed it!

Terminal & Command Line Apps

I mostly use my terminal in VSCode. Otherwise, I use iTerm (not a big fan!). My terminal theme is af-magic.

This is the list of plugins/apps I use:

• Zsh with Oh My Zsh. Oh My Zsh is a framework for managing zsh configuration.
• Lighthouse (CLI) - Auditing, performance metrics, and best practices for Progressive Web Apps.
• Hub - a wrapper for Git command (Git+Hub=GitHub)
• vtop - an alternative to activity monitor.
• Tree - to generate a tree (like the Tree Windows command).
• n - a super handy tool for node version management.

I also use Vim from time to time.

Desktop Apps

I have a very minimalistic approach when it comes to my dock. If I don't use an app -at least- once a day, I remove it from the dock.

I also use these applications:

• ProtonVPN and I pay for it! It's kind of mandatory to get a VPN when you travel in some Asian countries.
• Giphy Capture is my go-to screen recording when I need to share something with my colleagues. I found it simple to use.
• OBS - screen recording but for a longer video. I don't use it much...
• Sequel Pro - when I need a GUI for MySQL.

Blogging

My website is made with Gatsby.js and gatsby-starter-morning-dew. I also use these applications:

• Grammarly - Helps me to remove typos / proofread my posts
• Hemingway - "Hemingway App makes your writing bold and clear."
• Squoosh - Image compression
• Remove.bg - Remove background on png

Other Gear

Having a good backpack is essential when you travel the most of your time. I use the Minaal Carry-on 2.0 (with packing cubes). I love it!