I wanted to create a place where I could talk about the different tools I use whilst doing my job and in my personal life which I like. They may be to do with software development, productivity or just cool things!

I got the idea from kmikiy, the author of SpotMenu, which appears on my list.

I do my work on a Mac, so most of this will be Mac specific, although most tools will have versions on both.

Productivity

• Notion - The note taking app that I use currently. Probably the most feature rich and nicest looking app I have used to take notes. Also has a mobile app to keep notes on the go. The free plan is more than enough for personal notes.

• Notable - The note taking app I used to use. I liked it because you could write all of your notes in markdown, making version control via git very easy. Markdown does however have limitations, and there was also no mobile app. It is also free and open source.
• Rectangle - Rectangle is a Mac application that lets you easily resize windows using keyboard shortcuts. I use Cmd + Optn + F to make a window full screen so often. Again it is free and open source.
• Kap - Kap is a screen recording app which I use to make videos and gifs of my work. It is free and open source.
• 1Password - 1Password is a password manager which I use to store and generate passwords. 1Password is my favourite password manager, as you can also store one time passwords on it. Also it is available on all devices, so you can access your passwords anywhere. 1Password is not free however, you do have to pay an annual or monthly subscription.
• Express VPN - Express VPN is a vpn service which gives you very fast connections to lots of locations around the world. Express VPN also requires a monthly subscription fee.
• iGlance - iGlance is a system monitoring tool which lets you see your Macs current stats in the menu bar at the top.
• Tree Style Tabs - This is a browser add on for Firefox, which groups tabs together, allowing you to collapse tabs you are not using. Very helpful if you tend to have lots of tabs kept open all the time, and want to organise your open pages.

Software Development

• VS Code - VS Code is my editor of choice for pretty much everything that isn't Java. I use it for editing scripts, taking quick text notes, viewing json and so on. It has lots of brilliant plugins, and because it's from Microsoft it has lots of integration with Azure. I also write my blog posts in markdown in VS Code, as well as all the code for the blog.

• IntelliJ - IntelliJ is the main IDE I use at work. It is great for Java, and also has lots of useful plugins. It is a very powerful IDE, and has amazing version control built in. I use IntelliJ's built in tools to check and commit my code, as it is really clear and helpful.
• iTerm - iTerm is a terminal emulator for Mac which has some good features that I definitely do not make the most of!
• Postman - Postman is a helpful application that lets you make calls to APIs. You can save variables to make quick successive calls and add tests for the responses. Postman also has automated testing where you can run whole journeys and assert on what you expect in response. I use Postman extensively at work and also used it a lot for my apprenticeship final project.
• Oh My Zsh - OMZ is an open source framework for ZSH. ZSH is what has replaced bash on newer macOSs. Oh My ZSH lets you use loads of plugins and themes to make the command line even better. Personally I have the git plugin which tells you which branch you are in and if you have made any changes. I also use features like auto suggestions on commands and their custom profile to create shortcuts. I wrote a blog post about zsh plugins previously which you can check out for more info.

Databases

• DBeaver - DBeaver is a powerful database tool. It can handle pretty much all popular databases. I just recently started using it.
• TablePlus - TablePlus is another good database tool, I like the look of it and the features it has. It would be my go to tool, if it wasn't limited in the free version. With free alternatives like DBeaver I can't bring myself to pay for the full version.

Fun

• SpotMenu - SpotMenu is a super cool bit of software for macOS. It connects to spotify and shows you the current playing song in the tool bar at the top of the screen. Clicking on it reveals controls and the album art. I love listening to music, especially while writing code, so this one is a must for me.

• Pixlr - Pixlr is a free online picture editing tool. It has many of the same features as photoshop, but runs entirely in the browser. They have Pixlr X for casual editing and Pixlr E for more advanced use.
• OpenEmu - OpenEmu is a free, open source video game emulator for macOS. It uses downloadable cores to emulate lots of consoles whilst still being fairly lightweight. Connecting controllers is easy, I play using my PS4 controller!
• OneCast - OneCast is a bit of software that lets you stream your Xbox to different platforms, a feature that is usually restricted to Windows PC. They have a free 14 day trial, after which you have to pay for a licence. I used it for the 14 days and found it worked very well with minimal lag.

Browsers

• Firefox - I currently use Firefox as my main web browser. I found Chrome was eating too much RAM and just became a little slower in general. Partner this with Firefox's focus on privacy and the decision to switch over was easy. I have had no trouble moving to Firefox, and would highly recommend it.
• Opera GX - Opera GX is a special version of the Opera web browser that is customised for gamers. The best feature is that you can limit how much CPU and RAM the browser will use, which is handy when trying to run games and ensure that your resources aren't being taken up elsewhere. The browser is also pretty sleek and fast.

I will keep this list updated as I find more interesting and useful tools.