Uses This2024-03-15T07:29:21Zhttp://usesthis.com/Daniel Boganhttps://usesthis.com/interviews/naz.hamid/Naz HamidSoftware designer2024-03-15T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/naz.hamid/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Naz Hamid"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I’m <a href="https://nazhamid.com/" title="Naz's website.">Naz Hamid</a>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia" title="The Wikipedia entry for Malaysia.">Malaysian</a>-American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_culture_kid" title="The Wikipedia entry for third culture kid.">third culture kid</a>. My ethnic and cultural identity is important to me as an immigrant, and as someone who struggles with <em>how</em> to identify at times. Having lived in three countries (the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and the United States) and as a frequent traveler (pre-pandemic of course), I find it central to developing empathy with your fellow person, and my own worldview. </p>
<p>For a living, I’m an independent creative director and software designer. Earlier in my 25+ year career, I seemed to care a lot about this side of me, especially amongst peers publicly. In the last decade or so, I’ve been less concerned with my public work persona. I’ve focused on finding good people to work with first, on products that align with my values: generally positive for the world, and not contributing to materialism and the decline of the environment. </p>
<p>I care deeply about a healthy work-life balance and have given talks about it, and in those, I mention cycling and rock climbing. Alongside those: running, photography and recently, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overlanding" title="The Wikipedia entry for overlanding.">overlanding</a>. Those all contribute to me spending as much time as possible outdoors, experiencing the world and nature rather than sitting in front of a screen, which I already do too much of for work.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>I keep my set-ups as minimal as possible. I’ve drag out my hardware for as long as possible, investing in items at the time of purchase that provide the best value for the money.</p>
<p>Computing:</p>
<ul>
<li>A 2021 16-inch <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro</a> M1 Max. 32GB ram. Paired with an <a href="https://www.apple.com/studio-display/" title="A 27 inch display.">Apple Studio Display</a>. I wish the latter weren’t as expensive as it is, but I love having screen real estate. I switched to this set-up once the 16-inch MBP was available as I’ve been working remotely more when I’m on the road camping and in the backcountry or passing through cities and towns. When home, I’m plugged into the monitor, and on the road, I work from a drop down table I built on the back of our truck camper. I’ll ride this computer out for as long as possible. The previous computer was a 6-year old refurbished <a href="https://www.apple.com/imac-24/" title="An all-in-one computer.">iMac</a> 5K. And a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Keyboard" title="A wireless keyboard.">wireless keyboard</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Mouse" title="A multi-touch mouse.">Magic Mouse</a> that came with the iMac from years ago. </li>
<li>An <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad_Air" title="A tablet device.">iPad Air</a>, gifted to me from a client. I don’t use this as much, and I’ve had iPads in the past which I’ve returned. Mostly it’s a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20221226033709/https://www.netflix.com/" title="A movie rental and streaming service.">Netflix</a> machine for when my wife and I camp, and I use it to look at backcountry maps when we’re camping.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_14_Pro" title="A 6.1 inch iOS smartphone.">iPhone 14 Pro</a>. I’m on the Apple Upgrade program and since I design and help build iOS apps, I upgrade to keep up to date on the latest capabilities. This is my one concession to the upgrade cycle. If I stopped designing for iOS, I’d keep my phones for as long as possible as I have in the past. </li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirPods" title="Wireless in-ear headphones.">AirPods Gen 2</a>. I love these. This is my second pair after the first pair unfortunately died (Apple, please make moves into sustainable hardware with replaceable parts!). I used to wear <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/kef-m500" title="On-ear headphones.">KEH M500</a> headphones (which look far more Apple like in design than their AirPods Max), but I get pressure headaches from wearing on-ears too long, and AirPods work for my ears (one of them is smaller than the other), so head- and earphones have always been a difficult thing to nail. AirPods also allow for L-R balancing and that smaller ear is hard of hearing, so I can customize the audio profile some.</li>
<li>I use the above sitting in an <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/office-chairs/aeron-chairs/" title="A work chair.">Aeron chair</a> that’s 19 years old. At one of the start-ups I worked at in 2000 during the first dot-com boom and bust, the company couldn’t afford to pay us anymore, and some of us stayed on for a little while for all of our own various reasons. When the company finally vacated their offices, the founder gave us freight elevator and garage passes, told us they were vacating and that whatever was left in the office would be taken by the building in three day’s time. It was a very big hint to all of us to salvage what we could and try to make some money from what was there. I was able to procure 7 <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/lounge-seating/eames-lounge-chair-and-ottoman/" title="A chair.">Eames LCWs</a>, and 8 Aerons. I sold most of them off to afford rent and make up the loss in backpay. It still wasn’t enough, but this chair reminds me of the excess of those days and how far the tech industry has come (and how some things haven’t changed).</li>
</ul>
<p>Camera:</p>
<ul>
<li>I swear by the <a href="https://www.sony.com/lr/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx100m7" title="A 20.1 megapixel compact camera.">Sony RX100</a> series and have owned two. I am on a third, though that’s primarily used by my wife, Jen Schuetz. They are terrific cameras that pack a lot of quality in a small pocketable form. </li>
<li>Sony <a href="https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/full-frame/p/ilce7m3-b" title="A 24.2 megapixel digital camera.">Alpha A7III</a> with a <a href="https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel24105g-2" title="A camera lens.">24-105 F4 G Master</a> lens, and a <a href="https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel35f28z" title="A camera lens.">35 F2.8</a> lens. This is my current workhorse as my RX100s have seen a ton of action are are half-working (one even survived a bike accident I had when an Uber driver knocked me off my bike years ago).</li>
</ul>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>I’m generally software agnostic for the most part. Working with as many clients over the years as I have, I’ve used just about every tool there is, as I fit in with their software stack and culture. However, I do have a few essentials at this point in time that work very well for me. Again, I try to keep this all as simple as possible.</p>
<ul>
<li>I generally use most of Apple’s default apps. This includes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_(application)" title="The default Mac OS X mail client.">Mail</a> everywhere, <a href="https://www.apple.com/pages/" title="A Mac word processor and layout tool from Apple.">Pages</a>, <a href="https://www.apple.com/numbers/" title="A spreadsheet application for the Mac.">Numbers</a>, with Google products for client work.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.figma.com/" title="A collaborative design prototype service.">Figma</a>. No surprise here. They’ve done a phenomenal job in creating a design tool that opens up the ability to anyone to learn how to design — as long as you have access to a computer and the internet (which a lot of us in the industry take for granted). The beauty of having a web-based design tool is that you don’t need a Mac, a cracked version of Photoshop or the ability to afford the flat fee it used to cost decades ago. Also: not having to save your design file? Pure gold. </li>
<li>I’m typing this out in <a href="https://bear.app/" title="A note taking application for macOS.">Bear</a>. I am pretty much all in on Apple’s ecosystem as it’s just simpler as I use most of their in-built services. I dig Notes, and especially the collaborating and sharing feature, but not being able to change the font and themes pains me so much. Bear has that, tagging, and some other nifty features that makes it a pleasure to use. Not many apps really balance simplicity and just enough aesthetic well. I’ve tried <a href="https://obsidian.md/" title="Note-taking software.">Obsidian</a> as well, but I’m not much for organization — it seems like a really powerful personal knowledge base, but I am very mash-a-keyboard-in-a-file-search-later person.</li>
<li>I use iOS Camera a ton. I shoot RAW all the time. And editing it in <a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/id804177739" title="A photo editing and management app.">Lightroom Mobile</a> is a joy and gets me results that I’m always impressed with.<br></li>
<li><a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html" title="Photo management and editing software.">Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic for Desktop by Adobe Photoshop by Adobe</a>. I kid! The first four are correct. Adobe needs to do better with naming. I use it begrudgingly at times, but it’s really the best combination of photo editing and management that I’ve found. I wish there was something better, and miss <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture_(software)" title="Photo editing and management software for Mac OS X.">Aperture</a> a bit in that regard. I wish they’d bring it back in some form, and do for <a href="https://www.apple.com/macos/photos/" title="A photo editor for Mac OS X.">Photos</a> what they have done for <a href="https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/" title="An audio recording and editing tool for the Mac.">GarageBand</a> and <a href="https://www.apple.com/logic-pro/" title="A professional audio application for the Mac.">Logic Pro</a>. It does integrate with Lightroom Mobile well so I have a workflow that I can go back-and-forth on between desktop and mobile.</li>
<li><a href="https://buttondown.email/" title="A newsletter service.">Buttondown</a> for newsletters: Justin Duke, the sole creator is doing some great work and is the epitome of independent software. I publish Weightshifting, a newsletter I produce with my wife, about our camping and overland travels with it and it’s been great. Highly recommended over some of the less ethical services out there.</li>
<li>And since the demise of the bird site, I have embraced Mastodon, and <a href="https://tapbots.com/ivory/" title="A Mastodon client for iOS.">Ivory</a> by Tapbots is a lovely iOS app. </li>
<li>I still love RSS, and on desktop, I use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetNewsWire" title="A popular feed reader for the Mac.">NetNewsWire</a>, but have primarily used <a href="https://www.goldenhillsoftware.com/unread/" title="An RSS reader for iOS.">Unread</a> on iOS for years now. It’s such a simple and beautiful app, much like Bear. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.gaiagps.com/" title="An offline mapping service.">Gaia GPS</a> is an essential app I rely on for backcountry exploration, recording routes, and marking camp spots we’ve stayed or for the future. There’s a large history of pins and trails in the app now, and it’s pretty cool to see the places we’ve been.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>As mentioned above, I don’t obsess over gear. Just what I need to last a long while (which sometimes feels impossible with technology), but in an old school way, I’ve been embracing the limits of whatever technology I already own. The longer I can keep things going the better. </p>
<p>I suppose then, my dream setup are items that are fixable or have the ability to upgrade components or pieces as necessary, and not entire items as a whole. The climate and environment are things that greatly concern me and the the amount of waste that we have in the world have demonstrated that we need to move towards sustainability and durability in everything we own, and to keep that as minimal as we can.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/justin.duke/Justin DukeFounder/CEO (Buttondown)2024-02-26T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/justin.duke/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Justin Duke"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I’m founder and CEO of <a href="https://buttondown.email/" title="A newsletter service.">Buttondown</a>, the easiest way for you to start and grow a newsletter. My friends and I also purchase small software companies over at <a href="https://thirdsouth.capital/" title="Justin's VC company.">Third South Capital</a>.</p>
<p>In my free time, I spend a lot of time with my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/itstellybelly" title="Justin's corgi's Instagram account.">corgi</a>, watch basketball (go Heat!), and read.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>I’ve been working from home off and on for around five years now, and have had more than enough time to optimize the space.</p>
<p>Starting with the basics: my wife and I split an office and we deploy what we affectionately call <a href="https://www.workspaces.xyz/p/102-justin-duke-engineering-manager-at-stripe" title="Another interview with Justin about his setup.">“the double desk”</a>, which is two IKEA kitchen countertops atop three IKEA dressers. It sounds odd — because it is! — but looks nice and affords us a <em>huge</em> amount of space. We both sit on <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/jaervfjaellet-office-chair-with-armrests-grann-white-70521855/" title="A desk chair.">IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET chairs</a>, which are not Aeron-level luxury but very comfortable for the price.</p>
<p>In terms of technology: my daily driver is an <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">M3 MacBook Pro</a> that stays in clamshell mode, powered by a wall-mounted <a href="https://i.dell.com/sites/csdocuments/Shared-Content_data-Sheets_Documents/en/ca/NA-dell-ultrasharp-34-monitor-u3415w-product-brochure.pdf" title="A 34 inch screen.">Dell UltraSharp U3415W 34-inch curved monitor</a>. (The M3 was not <em>quite</em> worth the money in terms of upgrading over the M1, but it’s still the greatest laptop I’ve ever owned.) All of my accessories are boring: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Mouse" title="A multi-touch mouse.">Magic Mouse</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Keyboard" title="A wireless keyboard.">Magic Keyboard</a>, <a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods-max/" title="On-ear headphones.">AirPods Max</a> (which stand nicely on a mount from Walnut Apple.)</p>
<p>Other random stuff that you’ll find on my desk over the course of a given work week:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160413134343/http://www.bluemic.com:80/yeti/" title="A USB microphone.">Blue Yeti mic</a> for recording tutorials and podcast interviews</li>
<li>A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Deck" title="A portable gaming machine.">Steam Deck</a> docked on the official dock (current obsession: Tiny Rogues)</li>
<li>A frame with two sticky notes (one from my wife after our first date, one reminding me that every second counts)</li>
<li>An <a href="https://www.anker.com/products/a1611?ref=MagGo_lp&variant=40941875200150" title="A magnetic wireless phone charger.">Anker Foldable</a> for charging whichever various device I forgot to charge last night</li>
<li>A humble Amazon Basics notepad and <a href="https://www.muji.us/collections/pen-pencils" title="A ball-point pen.">Muji 0.38mm</a> where I jot down notes and to-dos throughout the day.</li>
</ul>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>In a given day, I’m wearing around seventeen or eighteen different hats, which means lots of context switching — and one of the things I’ve found <em>particularly</em> useful in terms of preserving my sanity is cutting down to fewer, more flexible tools that require less adaptation. The most notable ones are:</p>
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://www.helpscout.com/" title="A customer support service.">HelpScout</a>, a very good helpdesk/CRM tool that lets comms live outside my inbox without being imposed</li>
<li> <a href="https://culturedcode.com/things/" title="A task management application for the Mac.">Things</a>, a perfect suite of GTD/todo-tracking software for iOS and MacOS</li>
<li> <a href="https://mimestream.com/" title="A macOS Gmail client.">Mimestream</a>, for the stuff that <em>does</em> have to live in my inbox</li>
<li> VS Code (heavily customized), the only IDE that has let me jump between front-end and back-end and infra without having to re-orient myself</li>
<li> <a href="https://obsidian.md/" title="Note-taking software.">Obsidian</a> (even <em>more</em> heavily customized), for longer-term notes and more scattered thinking</li>
<li> <a href="https://texts.com/" title="A multi-platform messaging service.">Texts</a>, so I can maintain some semblance of inbox zero</li>
<li> <a href="https://ia.net/topics/ia-writer-for-mac" title="A full-screen writing tool for the Mac.">iA Writer</a>, for drafting emails, essays, and proposals</li>
</ul>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I feel like the glib, aspirational answer would be “exactly what I already have!”, which is more or less true — after years of tinkering and swapping and optimizing, I’m pretty pleased with the <em>mise en place</em> of my day-to-day work.</p>
<p>The two things I wish I could wave a magic wand and change, though:</p>
<ol>
<li>I really love the idea of a sit/stand desk (especially for the days where I’m mostly in meetings or in a consumptive mode), but it’s hard to square it with a wall-mounted monitor. I think in our next office I might switch to a sit/stand, though, especially as the amount of time I spend “in flow” decreases as I get older.</li>
<li>I find myself very envious of folks who have incredible webcam setups, with the crisp SLR and tasteful ring light and all of that. I don’t spend a <em>lot</em> of time on Zoom et al, but I find myself distracted by how <em>meh</em> my set-up is compared to my more aesthetically-enhanced peers.</li>
</ol>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/decryption/Anthony AgiusWriter, Editor (The Sizzle)2024-02-16T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/decryption/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Anthony Agius"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>My name is Anthony, but most people probably know me as <a href="https://decryption.net.au/" title="Anthony's website.">decryption</a>, the online handle I've used for almost 3 decades now. I write about computers for a living! While I do a bit of freelance writing here and there, my main job is <a href="https://thesizzle.com.au/" title="A tech news newsletter.">The Sizzle</a>, a daily newsletter that goes out to 1,350 people daily who pay me to tell them about the latest tech news from an Australian point of view. I also have a side-gig <a href="http://discourse.decryption.net.au/" title="Anthony's service for helping people run Discourse forums">hosting Discourse forums</a> for online communities.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>Primary rig is a 2021 16" <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro</a> with 16GB of RAM and an M1 Pro SoC. Quite possibly the best laptop I've ever used - amazing battery life, great performance, high quality display, easy to slip into a bag, keyboard is usable and the trackpad smooth as butter. Despite being a serial upgrader of computer hardware, I can't see myself buying a new laptop any time soon, the Apple Silicon Macs are that good.</p>
<p>It spends most of its time hooked up to an <a href="https://www.apple.com/studio-display/" title="A 27 inch display.">Apple Studio Display</a>, which is less impressive due to the cost, but as someone that spends all day looking at text on a screen it's hard going back to a non-Retina display and the Studio Display is one of the few displays that sits in the 200-240 PPI sweet spot.</p>
<p>Also on my desk is a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230517042000/https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/mx-keys-wireless-keyboard.920-009294.html" title="A keyboard.">Logitech MX Keys keyboard</a> (with a numpad!) and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20200818170656/https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/mx-master-3.910-005620.html" title="A wireless mouse.">Logitech MX Master 3 mouse</a>, sitting on top of a large generic desk pad so I don't scuff up the desk. I used to have a mechanical keyboard but the noise got really annoying when on a call or when listening to music, so I simply got the keyboard that matches the mouse I already had! I looked into getting an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Keyboard" title="A wireless keyboard.">Apple Magic Keyboard</a> so I could have Touch ID support, but the keyboard itself is pretty average with horrible "key feel" that wasn't comfortable for me, so the MX Keys stays. </p>
<p>A vital part of my setup is a pair of <a href="https://www.kaliaudio.com/lone-pine-studio-monitors" title="Studio speakers.">Kali LP-8V2 studio monitor speakers</a> hooked up to a <a href="https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-658-bluos-streaming-dac/" title="An amp.">NAD C 658 streaming pre-amp</a>. I listen to music most of the day and find it difficult to concentrate without some tunes playing in the background. The Kali speakers while not pretty and rather large, are awesome value for money for the sonic accuracy they achieve. I paired them with a 2nd-hand NAD C 658 simply because it's one of the cheapest devices that supports <a href="https://www.dirac.com/live/" title="Software for improving audio.">Dirac Live room correction EQ</a> without requiring any software running on my computer. </p>
<p>Home network consists of a bunch of Ubiquiti stuff - <a href="https://store.ui.com/us/en/collections/unifi-dream-machine/products/udm-pro" title="A gateway/firewall.">UDM-Pro router</a>, <a href="https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/us-48-750w" title="A networking switch.">US-48-750W 48-port PoE switch</a> and four <a href="https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/uap-ac-lite" title="A wifi access point.">UAP-AC-Lite's</a> scattered around my house, which has multiple ethernet ports in every room.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS" title="An operating system for Mac hardware.">macOS</a> is my platform of choice but only really out of habit these days. There's not much I do on my computer that can't be done specifically on a Mac or better on a Mac to be honest. To produce an issue of The Sizzle and manage customers/marketing/billing I use a range of tools:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://feedbin.com/" title="A feed reading service.">Feedbin</a> - RSS service that syncs the 1000s of feeds I subscribe to between multiple devices and also has a nice web interface itself.</li>
<li><a href="http://madeatgloria.com/brewery/silvio/reeder" title="A feed client for the Mac.">Reeder</a> - best RSS reader app I've used, but only on Apple devices.</li>
<li><a href="http://pinboard.in/" title="A bookmarking web service.">Pinboard</a> - anything interesting I see on the internet I bookmark it on Pinboard for safe keeping and easy retrieval later.</li>
<li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230814151226/https://kagi.com/" title="An ad-free search engine.">Kagi</a> - excellent search engine that's replaced Google for me when I want to look something up or do some research.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sublimetext.com/" title="A coder's text editor.">Sublime Text</a> - I write everything in a text editor rather than a word processor, then paste it elsewhere should I need to share it.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.make.com/" title="A service for creating automations.">Make.com</a> - a no-code platform that automates so much of The Sizzle for me, absolutely invaluable for a coding hack like me.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.chargebee.com/" title="A billing and subscription service.">Chargebee</a> & <a href="https://stripe.com/jp" title="A payment service.">Stripe</a> - without these I wouldn't be able to take money from people on the internet or manage their subscriptions.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mailgun.com/" title="An email service.">Mailgun</a> - there's plenty of email API platforms around but Mailgun is one of the few to have a built-in mailing list feature.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.discourse.org/" title="An open-source discussion platform.">Discourse</a> - a really modern web forum software package that I self-host as a community for Sizzle subscribers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I'd love three of those <a href="https://www.apple.com/pro-display-xdr/" title="A 32 inch professional monitor.">Apple Pro Display XDR monitors</a> hooked up to a fully loaded <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Studio" title="A small form factor computer.">Mac Studio</a> and perhaps a pair of <a href="https://www.genelec.com/8361a" title="Speakers.">Genelec 8361A speakers</a> to go with it - maybe if I ever found a large sack of cash on the side of the road I'd use it to purchase those extravagances. What would be fun is to have such a large budget that I could buy whatever piece of gear mildly interests me and just try it out for the hell of it, even if I didn't need it or have any intention of it replacing what I'm already using. While I love working from home in my little study, somewhere isolated with a nicer view, like an ocean or a forest would be delightful.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/xe.iaso/Xe IasoStreamer, developer, technophilosopher2024-02-01T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/xe.iaso/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Xe Iaso"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I'm Xe Iaso, I'm a technical educator, <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230525093711/https://www.twitch.tv/" title="A video broadcasting service.">Twitch</a> streamer, vtuber, and philosopher that focuses on ways to help make technology easier to understand and do cursed things in the process. I live in Ottawa with my husband and I do developer relations professionally. I am an avid writer for <a href="https://xeiaso.net/" title="Xe's website.">my blog</a>, where I have over 400 articles. I regularly experiment with new technologies and find ways to mash them up with old technologies for my own amusement.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>For hardware, I use a <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro</a> (M2 Max), an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad_Pro" title="An iOS tablet.">iPad Pro</a> with a keyboard, a gaming desktop with a <a href="https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-9-5950x" title="A CPU.">Ryzen 5950X processor</a> and a <a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/40-series/rtx-4080-family/" title="A GPU.">4080</a>, two <a href="https://www.zsa.io/moonlander/" title="An ergonomic mechanical keyboard.">ZSA Moonlander keyboards</a> and some pretty professional audio equipment. I am an avid VR enthusiast and play a lot of video games.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>I somewhat jokingly call my microphones my 0% keyboards, because I use a piece of software called <a href="https://talonvoice.com/" title="Voice-control input software.">Talon</a> in order to do enhanced dictation with them. One of the best ways to understand Talon, is that it lets you control a computer with your voice. This includes things like programming. When you combine this with other tools like <a href="https://www.cursorless.org/" title="A VS Code extension for working with Talon to write code with your voice.">Cursorless</a> in <a href="https://code.visualstudio.com/" title="A development IDE.">VS Code</a>. This means that you're able to do everything that you can with your hands faster with your voice.</p>
<p>I used to be a fairly big <a href="http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/" title="A free open-source text editor.">Emacs</a> user, but VS Code is my main weapon of choice right now. In terms of editors, it is okay really. It doesn't have a lot of stuff that sets it apart from other things. Except for Cursorless, which lets you do AST-level editing with your voice. This is insane fuckshit magic from the future. Normally when you use your keyboard and deal with text, you are dealing with individual characters or even words at a time. Cursorless lets you operate on the language syntax in the nodes that the compiler for that language uses internally. There is such a huge gap between normal text editing and using Cursorless that it is difficult to explain unless you actually use it.</p>
<p>I run all big three operating systems across my devices. My laptops are MacBooks. I play games on Windows. I have a home theater PC running <a href="https://nixos.org/" title="A Linux distribution.">NixOS</a>, but also all of my servers in my basement run NixOS too. It ruins you. Really bad.</p>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>My dream setup would be some kind of AR experience where I have goggles that show me a screen and I use voice for the input as much as possible. I have done some experimentation using my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Deck" title="A portable gaming machine.">Steam Deck</a> for this, but I think I would need something a bit more beefy in order to run all of the language models on device. If only Nvidia believed in giving people reasonable amounts of VRAM.</p>
<p>It would be nice if I could use eye tracking in order to act as a mouse, but I would be fine with just voice input for everything. Needless to say though, I am very happy with the setup that I have right now. I think that it could be a lot better with just some minor adjustments that I've been working on making; but a lot of it is going to be building finesse in my tools rather than adopting new tools or building new tools entirely.</p>
<p>Computer science is a weird profession.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/amie.dias/Amie DiasDesigner (GitHub)2024-01-12T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/amie.dias/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Amie Dias"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I'm <a href="https://mastodon.design/@heyamie" title="Amie's Mastodon account.">Amie</a>, a designer who dabbles on code. I'm currently a product designer at <a href="https://github.com/" title="A Git code repository service.">GitHub</a> and have been working in the developer tools space for almost 5 years. Outside of work, I'm finishing my Master's degree on web technology.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>I use a 13-inch M1 <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro</a> for work and a M1 <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/" title="A very thin laptop.">MacBook Air</a> as my personal device. I dock it to a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230706201640/https://www.dell.com/en-lt/work/shop/cty/pdp/spd/dell-u2720q-monitor" title="A 27 inch 4K monitor.">Dell UltraSharp U2720Q 27"</a> with <a href="https://us.creative.com/p/speakers/creative-pebble-v3" title="2.0 speakers.">Creative Pebble V3</a> as my speakers. My webcam is the <a href="https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/webcams/streamcam.960-001289.html" title="A webcam.">Logitech Streamcam</a> in white. I use a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20200818170656/https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/mx-master-3.910-005620.html" title="A wireless mouse.">Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac</a> as my mouse and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Keyboard" title="A wireless keyboard.">Apple Magic Keyboard</a> as my keyboard. I juggle between the <a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/" title="In-ear headphones.">AirPods Pro</a> and the <a href="https://electronics.sony.com/audio/headphones/headband/p/wh1000xm3-b" title="Wireless over-the-ear headphones.">Sony WH-1000xm3</a> as my headphones.</p>
<p>My desk is a custom made white standing desk and I have a <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/office-chairs/mirra-2-chairs/" title="An office chair.">Herman Miller Mirra 2</a> chair in slate grey. I occasionally power walk on my <a href="https://www.walkingpad.com/products/walkingpad-p1-foldable-treadmill" title="A foldable under-desk treadmill.">Walking Pad P1</a> on my desk while reading emails.</p>
<p>I carry an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_13_Pro" title="A 6.1 inch iOS smartphone.">iPhone 14 Pro</a> as my main phone and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S22" title="A 6.1 inch Android smartphone.">Samsung S22</a> as my work phone. I've also been using my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad_Pro" title="An iOS tablet.">iPad Pro</a> from 2019 a lot more to write my thesis.</p>
<p>I also have a <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/switch/" title="A gaming console.">Nintendo Switch</a> docked to my screen for a post-work chill session playing Zelda.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://arc.net/" title="A web browser.">Arc</a> as my browser.</li>
<li><a href="https://cron.com/" title="A calendar service.">Cron</a> as my calendar.</li>
<li><a href="https://eagle.cool/" title="Software for managing reference images.">Eagle</a> for inspiration.</li>
<li><a href="https://obsidian.md/" title="Note-taking software.">Obsidian</a> with the Minimal theme.</li>
<li><a href="https://texts.com/" title="A multi-platform messaging service.">Texts</a> to manage my messages.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.zotero.org/" title="A research tool.">Zotero</a> for reference-managing.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.figma.com/" title="A collaborative design prototype service.">Figma</a> for design.</li>
<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/__noul__?pfhp=2c2ccb58-8a92-4713-a1c0-8b43b3090b49" title="A music streaming service.">Spotify</a> for the tunes.</li>
<li><a href="https://code.visualstudio.com/" title="A development IDE.">VSCode</a> with the Night Owl theme as my IDE.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I'm pretty happy with my setup at the moment, but I would love to upgrade my screen to something better like the <a href="https://www.apple.com/studio-display/" title="A 27 inch display.">Studio Display</a>. The built-in webcam and speakers are a bonus, I'm not too keen on external speakers cluttering my desk.</p>
<p>I'm also shopping around for a wireless mechanical keyboard for that clickety clack satisfaction, as I'm writing a lot more now.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/john.calhoun/John CalhounProgrammer, woodworker2023-12-24T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/john.calhoun/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="John Calhoun"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>My name is John Calhoun. I’m retired for the time being but worked as a programmer at Apple for about twenty-six years and wrote a few commercial computer games for the Macintosh before that. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_(video_game)" title="A video game about a paper aeroplane.">Glider</a>, a little paper airplane game, is the one you may have heard of if you are old enough. I have always had an interest in drawing and art in general, writing and playing music, dabbling in electronics, woodworking, and of course computers and coding. Surprisingly many of these interests have intersected at various times for various projects. For example, my woodworking and computer hobbies are assisting my current project to make a virtual pinball cabinet. Another example: I also enjoy modeling (like plastic model kits) and so taught myself <a href="https://www.blender.org/" title="A free, open-source 3D renderer.">Blender</a> and figured out 3D resin-printing well enough to have been able to create a simple model of a "space tug" (a 1970's NASA project that never got the green light from Congress, BTW). Writing computer games is also inter-disciplinary because it combines programming, art, music...</p>
<p>Lots of hobbies can take a lot of physical space in the home (and I suppose I have mastered none of them) but I find it impossible to stick to one hobby. There seems to be a kind of seasonal calling for one versus another. As an example, for some reason the woodworking projects and 3D printing appeal to me in the colder months of the year but by the spring I am tired of woodworking and am often drawn back to coding projects for whatever reason — electronic projects in the fall...</p>
<p>I <a href="https://engineersneedart.com/" title="John's website.">blog from time to time</a>. <a href="https://github.com/EngineersNeedArt" title="John's GitHub account.">GitHub</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/engineersneedart/" title="John's Instagram account.">Insta</a>.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>I wish with woodworking I could do everything with hand tools. Some years back I got a nice set of planes and chisels — this was fortunate because we moved soon after and for a year I did not have access to my power tools as they were still in storage while we were renting. I found that with just hand tools I could only make very simple things like a stand for holding rolls of tape, ha ha. I waited to do to do the furniture-size projects until we finally got a new house and I got my shop set up again with my table saw, etc.</p>
<p>I envy the people on YouTube that can make actual furniture with hand tools. For me though a lot of my woodworking involves nicer plywood (no hand-planing there!) and so the table-saw (or a really nice track-saw) is my primary woodworking tool. A router is a close second in utility (just recently got a nice soft-start Makita router that takes some of the terror out of the tool — for better or worse).</p>
<p>For electronics I tell people they really need to get a nice soldering station such as a <a href="https://www.hakko.com/english/products/hakko_fx888d.html" title="A soldering iron.">Hakko</a> and good, thin, solder. Years ago I started building electronic kits and thought that my soldering skills sucked. At some point I got a Hakko and immediately found out it was just my crappy Radio Shack soldering pen and crappy solder that were making for blobby, cold solder joints.</p>
<p>I also recently picked up a Greenlee stainless steel wire stripper and it has been a beautiful thing to use to strip wires for breadboarding-up circuits, etc.</p>
<p>With the likes of <a href="https://www.pcbway.com/" title="A PCB prototyping service.">PCBWay</a>, inexpensive Chinese electronics, and microcontrollers/single-board-computers like the <a href="https://www.arduino.cc/" title="Open-source prototyping hardware.">Arduino</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi" title="A single-board hackable computer.">Raspberry Pi</a>, we are truly living in a golden age for the electronics hobbyist. The list of projects I want to do is longer than what I have time for. <a href="https://pi-hole.net/" title="Linux-based ad blocking software.">Pi-Hole</a> anyone? Teensy-based MP3 player? Software-defined radio? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAME" title="Arcade emulation software.">MAME</a> cabinet? Visual Pinball cabinet? An all-sky camera?</p>
<p>For 3D printing I really don’t have anything to contribute as I am still rather a novice at it. I definitely prefer the resin to the filament since my interest is modeling and only the resin can get that level of detail. I’m seeing increasingly, BTW, modelers on YouTube assembling and painting 3D printed kits. There have been “garage kits” for a long time but it was a niche and esoteric thing. Now modelers themselves can download .stl files and print kits in their own garage, ha ha. Brave new world.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>I refuse to subscribe to software. Corporate rent-seeking has become way, way too prevalent these days. So I seek out fair-priced commercial software or open-source projects whenever I can.</p>
<p>Affinity make an excellent suite of apps with their <a href="https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/" title="Photo editing software.">Affinity Photo</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_Designer" title="A vector graphics editor.">Affinity Designer</a> and <a href="https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/" title="Page layout and design software.">Affinity Publisher</a> apps. I bought and use all three. <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230419034642/https://www.pixelmator.com/mac/" title="An image editor for the Mac.">Pixelmator</a> (the original version, not <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230523091827/https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/" title="An image editor.">Pixelmator Pro</a> although I own that too) is my go-to graphics app for anything pixel-artsy.</p>
<p>These companies have to put food on the table so I understand when every so-many years they release a completely new version and ask that you pay for it again. (Or not if you’re happy with the current app you own and it keeps running despite OS updates.) I definitely prefer that business model. No one is seemingly picking my pocket every month whether I used their app or not.</p>
<p>I already mentioned Blender — that is open source. I use it for 3D modeling the designs I want to print in 3D resin. I know there are CAD tools out there that might be a better fit for the kind of "hard surface" modeling I do (proposed NASA spacecraft from the 1970's) but I have never found a free CAD tool that I have had the time to become comfortable with. (And like the rent-seeking I find abhorrent, I also distrust the free (for now) software that big companies tease.)</p>
<p>The learning curve on Blender though is insane. It’s something I come back to every 9 or 10 months and each time I feel I get a little but more comfortable with it. Definitely watch some YouTube tutorials to see what workflows the pros use. I learn something almost every time I watch another Blender tutorial.</p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20220324205847/https://kicad-pcb.org/" title="Open-source CAD software.">KiCad</a> is an excellent open-source CAD program (I guess that is what you call them) that I use for my electronic projects. It too has a bit of a learning curve but there’s something magical about designing your own PCB on a home computer, exporting it as a Gerber file, uploading the file to a certain-company-in-Taiwan and getting back a circuit board that looks like it could have shipped commercially. Again, in many ways we are already living in a fantastic future.</p>
<p>By the way — a kind of software — there is <a href="https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Popular-Electronics-Guide.htm" title="An archive of electronic magazines.">a fantastic site</a> that has scans of electronic hobbyist magazines going back around 100 years. I have pulled down a number of older issues of <em>Popular Electronics</em>, the <em>Electronic Experimenter’s Handbook</em> and more. When I want to relax I do some mining for some electronics gems there. There are plenty of educational articles throughout that explain electronics for the novice. And of course there are all manner of projects — some classics like Don Lancaster’s TV Typewriter just as an example. There’s a kind of fascinating history of electronics there as well — early issues using vacuum tubes of course, lots of point-to-point wiring. Transistors in cans come along, later SCR’s (I guess a kind of stop-gap component that is no longer used). TTL gives way to CMOS... the microcomputer comes arrives on the scene...</p>
<p>Coding games I of course lean on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xcode" title="An IDE for Mac developers.">Xcode</a> since as a former Apple employee I had been using it since version 1. If I do work on other platforms I found Microsoft’s free <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20180617165945/https://www.visualstudio.com/" title="A Windows development environment.">Visual Studio</a> to be fine. I even like <a href="https://code.visualstudio.com/" title="A development IDE.">Visual Studio Code</a> — even on my Mac platform (editing for Arduino or in <a href="https://www.python.org/" title="An interpreted scripting language.">Python</a> for example).</p>
<p>When I want to write a cross-platform game I found I really enjoy the <a href="http://www.libsdl.org/" title="A cross-platform multimedia/gaming library.">SDL framework</a>. It’s in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language)" title="A compiled programming language.">C</a> and is low-level enough to stay out of your way — but still manages to abstract the graphics context, windows, events. I’ve only ever compiled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS" title="An operating system for Mac hardware.">macOS</a>, Windows and Linux versions of games with SDL but I understand there are other platforms you can compile for as well.</p>
<p>I learned just enough <a href="https://cmake.org/" title="An open-source cross-platform build tool.">CMake</a> to create makefiles that will work cross platform. For the Mac I still rely on the Xcode project to describe how to compile/link, but Visual Studio is C-Make-aware and allows for building my projects on Windows a breeze. (I tried <a href="https://www.jetbrains.com/clion/" title="A C/C++ IDE.">CLion</a> for building for Linux — it too could ingest C-Make files and worked — but once the free 30-day trial ended I decided I couldn't justify paying rent on the software).</p>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I <em>have</em> my dream setup for electronics, programming. I wish though I had an entire Quonset-hut like shop for my woodworking so I could get my garage back for other things. For that matter I wish I had an entire studio that I could move all my hobbies into (so I can give a large part of our house back to my wife).</p>
<p>When I see one of those giant warehouse structures on the outskirts of town I wish I could own one. When I see a large, abandoned grain silo I also wish I could buy it, fix it up to make it livable, live in it.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/nirav.patel/Nirav PatelCEO (Framework)2023-12-05T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/nirav.patel/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Nirav Patel"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I'm the Founder and CEO of <a href="https://frame.work/" title="A hardware company.">Framework</a>, and I'm on a mission to remake consumer electronics to respect people and the planet. Specifically, I started Framework to build products that last longer by making them easy to repair and upgrade. We're just over three years in, and making great progress!</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>This is an easy one. I use hardware that we make. Usually, I'm dogfooding whichever product we're going to launch next. Currently, I'm switching back and forth between a <a href="https://frame.work/en/products/laptop-13-gen-amd" title="A 13.5 inch PC laptop.">Framework Laptop 13</a> (AMD Ryzen 7040 Series) and a <a href="https://frame.work/en/products/laptop16-diy-amd-7040" title="A 16 inch PC laptop.">Framework Laptop 16</a>.</p>
<p>Aside from laptops, I currently use an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_12" title="A 6.1 inch smartphone.">iPhone 12</a> that has at least one repair using replacement parts from iFixit. I spent three years as an Engineer at Apple, so I'm stuck on iPhones by habit. I started and led the hardware team at Oculus. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Quest_2" title="A VR headset.">Oculus Quest 2</a> was the last product I led the architecture of before leaving to start Framework, and that is another device I use regularly. My current favorite headphones are <a href="https://gradolabs.com/headphones/limited-editions" title="Limited-edition headphones made out of old whisky barrels.">Bushmills x Grado</a>, made from old whisky barrels.</p>
<p>Apart from gadgets, there are some hardware tools I like and use regularly. Mitutoyo calipers, a Fluke multimeter, a dirt cheap Rigol oscilloscope, a Pace soldering station, and a <a href="https://www.prusa3d.com/category/original-prusa-i3-mk3s/" title="A 3D printer.">Prusa MK3 3D printer</a>.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>Currently, I'm mostly using software that doesn't bring me joy. Because most of the engineers in Framework run <a href="https://ubuntu.com/" title="A Unix distribution.">Ubuntu</a>, <a href="https://fedoraproject.org/" title="A Linux distribution.">Fedora</a>, or <a href="https://nixos.org/" title="A Linux distribution.">NixOS</a>, I'm doing my dogfooding on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_11" title="An operating system.">Windows 11</a>. I spend most of my time in various parts of <a href="https://workspace.google.com/business/" title="A collection of Google's productivity tools.">Google Workspace</a> these days, but occasionally I get to have fun in <a href="http://openscad.org/" title="Open-source 3D CAD software.">OpenSCAD</a> and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20220324205847/https://kicad-pcb.org/" title="Open-source CAD software.">KiCAD</a> making open source hardware reference designs for modules.</p>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I'm fortunate to be in a position where it doesn't have to be a dream! We started with laptops, but our vision is to bring this mission to all of consumer electronics, one category at a time. I can't share what those are just yet, but you can imagine some of the categories I mentioned in the second question being there.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/adrian.hon/Adrian HonCEO (Six to Start)2023-11-22T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/adrian.hon/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Adrian Hon"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I’m CEO and lead designer at Six to Start. We’re best known for making <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombies%2C_Run!" title="A mobile fitness game.">Zombies, Run!</a>, a smartphone fitness game with ten million players, and we’re launching Marvel Move this summer too. I’ve also made games and weird interactive experiences like The Walk, We Tell Stories, and Perplex City.</p>
<p>Outside of my day job, I do a lot of speaking and writing about games and technology. Last year, my book critiquing gamification, <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/adrian-hon/youve-been-played/9781541600195/" title="Adrian's book about gamification.">You’ve Been Played: How Corporations, Governments, and Schools Use Games to Control Us All</a> was published. I recently wrapped up a monthly column for EDGE magazine, I do various bits and pieces for newspapers, and I have a newsletter, <a href="https://adrianhon.substack.com/" title="Adrian's gaming newsletter.">Have You Played?</a>, where I talk about a new game each week; my <a href="https://adrianhon.substack.com/p/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser" title="Adrian's newsletter post about Galactic Starcruiser.">12,000 word deep-dive</a> on Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser “Star Wars hotel” is the most popular one so far!</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>I use a <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro</a> 14” M1 Pro for all my work, with a <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK293LL/A/magic-keyboard-with-touch-id-for-mac-models-with-apple-silicon-us-english" title="A wireless keyboard with a biometric finger reader.">Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Trackpad" title="A trackpad for desktop machines.">Magic Trackpad</a>. The MacBook sits on a <a href="https://www.twelvesouth.com/products/curve-for-macbook" title="A laptop stand.">Twelve South Curve stand</a> next to my <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230706193100/https://everymac.com/monitors/apple/studio_cinema/specs/apple_studio_display_17_fp.html" title="A line of LCD/CRT screens.">Apple Studio Display</a>; I love how I can use a single Thunderbolt cable for power and data into the laptop. I occasionally test our apps, so I have a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_7a" title="A 6.1 inch Android smartphone.">Pixel 7a</a> and an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Watch#Eighth_generation_(Series_8,_SE_(2nd_generation)_and_Ultra)" title="A smartwatch.">Apple Watch Series 8</a>. </p>
<p>If there’s no-one else around to disturb, I’ll just use the Studio Display mic and speakers for everything, but otherwise I listen to music on <a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods-max/" title="On-ear headphones.">AirPods Max</a> and do calls on <a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/" title="In-ear headphones.">AirPods Pro</a>. The built-in webcam on the Studio Display is good enough since I have good natural lightning where I work, but if I’m on a really important call, I’ll usually mount my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_13_Pro" title="A 6.1 inch iOS smartphone.">iPhone 13 Pro</a> with a <a href="https://www.belkin.com/iphone-mount-with-magsafe-for-mac-desktops-and-displays/MMA007btGY.html" title="A mount to attach an iPhone to a display">Belkin iPhone Magsafe Mount for Mac Desktops</a> on the Studio Display for that sweet depth of field, and use my <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160413134343/http://www.bluemic.com:80/yeti/" title="A USB microphone.">Blue Yeti mic</a> with pop guard.</p>
<p>Also on my desk: an <a href="https://www.elgato.com/us/en/p/stream-deck-mk2-black" title="A programmable keyboard with 15 LCD keys.">Elgato Stream Deck</a> with shortcuts for apps and websites and controlling <a href="https://zoom.us" title="Video conferencing software.">Zoom</a>, plus a Magsafe charger in a <a href="https://www.twelvesouth.com/products/forte-for-iphone" title="A wireless charging stand for iPhones.">Twelve South Forté desktop stand</a>, plus an Apple Watch fast charger on top. There’s an LED bar lamp with swing arm clamped to desk which cycles between different light temperatures, which is handy during the long Scottish nights.</p>
<p>Furniture-wise, <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20230420184717/https://www.fully.com/standing-desks/jarvis/jarvis-adjustable-height-desk-bamboo.html" title="A standing desk.">Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk</a>, and I sit on an old second hand <a href="https://www.steelcase.com/products/office-chairs/leap/" title="A chair.">Steelcase Leap chair</a> whose arms are disintegrating.</p>
<p>That’s my setup for my day job and writing. I play a lot of games for my newsletter and journalism, so I have all the things: a <a href="https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps5/" title="A game console.">PlayStation 5</a>, <a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-us/consoles/xbox-series-x" title="A game console.">Xbox Series X</a>, original <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/switch/" title="A gaming console.">Nintendo Switch</a>, <a href="https://play.date/" title="A portable game console with a crank.">Playdate</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Quest_2" title="A VR headset.">Meta Quest 2</a> with <a href="https://www.meta.com/us/quest/accessories/quest-2-elite-strap/" title="A strap for the Quest 2 VR headset.">Elite strap</a> and extended battery, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_TV#5th_generation_(4K)" title="A media player.">Apple TV 4K</a> 64GB (2021), and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Deck" title="A portable gaming machine.">Steam Deck</a> 512GB (plus Steam Dock). </p>
<p>Most of these are plugged into an <a href="https://www.lg.com/tvs-soundbars/lg-OLED55C8PTA" title="A 55 inch OLED TV.">55” LG C8 OLED TV</a> that itself is connected to a <a href="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/arc" title="A soundbar.">Sonos Arc</a>, <a href="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/sub-mini" title="A subwoofer.">Sub Mini</a>, and two <a href="https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/era-300" title="A speaker.">Era 300</a> surround speakers. There’s also an <a href="https://www.8bitdo.com/pro2/" title="A wireless game controller.">8Bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth controller</a> for the Steam Deck.</p>
<p>I do most of my reading on an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad_Pro" title="An iOS tablet.">iPad Pro 11”</a> (2021). Oh, and I have a trusty <a href="https://support.brother.com/g/b/producttop.aspx?c=as_ot&lang=en&prod=hll2360dn_eu_as" title="A laser printer.">Brother HL-L2360DN laser printer</a>.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>We have a pretty normal setup at work: <a href="https://slack.com/intl/ja-jp/" title="A collaboration service.">Slack</a>, <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira" title="Issue/project tracking software.">Jira</a>, <a href="https://www.notion.so/" title="A collaborative wiki service.">Notion</a>, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" title="Online syncing and storage.">Dropbox</a>, <a href="https://workspace.google.com/business/" title="A collection of Google's productivity tools.">Google Workspace</a>, that sort of thing. I’m an evangelist for <a href="https://meetingbar.app/" title="A macOS menubar app for easily joining meetings.">MeetingBar</a>, an app that tells you when your next online calls are coming up and lets you connect to them with a single click. Since Six to Start is completely remote, it’s a godsend. Also: <a href="https://tapbots.com/pastebot/" title="A macOS app for storing clipboard contents.">Pastebot</a> is amazing, I don’t know how writers and editors cope without it.</p>
<p>My own blog is hosted on <a href="https://wordpress.com/" title="Weblog publishing software.">Wordpress</a>. I used to self-host but keeping it updated was a pain and quite expensive. My newsletter is on <a href="https://substack.com/" title="A paid newsletter service.">Substack</a>, and I have a custom email on <a href="https://www.fastmail.com/" title="An email hosting service.">Fastmail</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notes_(Apple)" title="A note-taking application included with Mac OS X.">Apple Notes</a> and <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/mmc0cd794a/" title="A to-do list included with Mac OS X.">Apple Reminders</a> are probably my most-used apps for my non-day job stuff. I’ll write 10,000+ word essays in Apple Notes because it has rock-solid syncing between all my devices, so I can jot down ideas and edit from anywhere. It’s pretty scary that it doesn’t have revision history, though. I’ll use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs" title="A web-based office suite.">Google Docs</a> and, rarely, <a href="https://www.apple.com/pages/" title="A Mac word processor and layout tool from Apple.">Apple Pages</a> for everything else.</p>
<p>I wrote my most recent book in <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190626125457/http://www.literatureandlatte.com:80/scrivener.php?" title="A Mac text editor aimed at writers.">Scrivener</a> but, if I’m being honest, I could’ve done most that in Apple Notes too, it’s just that it made me feel more of an Actual Writer to be using Scriviner. </p>
<p>I use <a href="https://www.boastr.net/" title="Mac software to add custom multi-touch gestures.">BetterTouchTool</a> to create shortcuts on my keyboard and trackpad; three-finger swipes for volume control, remapping keys to control apps, and so on. <a href="https://v2.airbuddy.app/" title="An app for improving your AirPods use on your Mac.">AirBuddy</a> is really helpful for forcing my Airpods Pro to connect to my computer for calls when I’ve been listening to podcasts on my phone.</p>
<p>I do a lot of my internet reading via RSS, using a combination of <a href="https://feedly.com/" title="A feed reader.">Feedly</a> and <a href="http://madeatgloria.com/brewery/silvio/reeder" title="A feed client for the Mac.">Reeder</a>; other long articles get saved to <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20221226091924/https://www.instapaper.com/" title="A web tool for saving pages to read later.">Instapaper</a> or Apple Books. I have a lifetime membership to <a href="https://www.plex.tv/" title="Media center software.">Plex</a>, which works really nicely running on my MacBook, even when it’s asleep.</p>
<p>Finally, <a href="https://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/" title="Software for recording any audio source on a Mac.">Audio Hijack</a> for recording my system audio for podcasts; SwiftScan on my phone for scanning in paper documents (there are probably better apps but I got a lifetime membership ages ago); and <a href="https://tapbots.com/ivory/mac/" title="A macOS Mastodon client.">Ivory</a> for posting to <a href="https://mastodon.social/about" title="A decentralised social network.">Mastodon</a> and reading <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluesky_(social_network)" title="A decentralised social network.">Bluesky</a> via the <a href="https://skybridge.fly.dev/" title="A service for bridging Mastodon and Bluesky.">Sky Bridge</a> “magic server”.</p>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I like buying new tech, but to be honest I’m pretty happy with my setup. If everything blew up tomorrow however, I’d get an <a href="https://www.apple.com/pro-display-xdr/" title="A 32 inch professional monitor.">Apple Pro Display XDR</a> with an <a href="https://www.insta360.com/product/insta360-link" title="A 4K webcam.">Insta360 Link webcam</a>, and MacBook Pro 14” with M2 Max chip.</p>
<p>I might get a nicer <a href="https://www.upliftdesk.com/e7-led-desk-lamp-with-clamp-by-uplift-desk/" title="An LED lamp with a clamp.">Uplift LED Desk Lamp E7 with Clamp</a>, and I’d definitely get a new <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20190508113942/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0141G9IHY/" title="A desk chair.">Steelcase Gesture office chair</a>. The one thing I don’t have is a proper gaming PC, but I hate using Windows and having a box lying around, so maybe I’d get the new <a href="https://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-strix/rog-strix-scar-17-x3d-2023/" title="A 17 inch gaming PC laptop.">Asus ROG Strix Scar X3D laptop</a>.</p>
<p>I used to think my current TV was a bit dark, but then someone pointed out I could just turn off Eco mode to boost the brightness, so now it’s fine. Still, I like the look of the <a href="https://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-oled65g3pua-oled-4k-tv" title="A 65 inch OLED TV.">65” LG G3 OLED TV</a>, which supports VRR and is even brighter.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/fabien.sanglard/Fabien SanglardDeveloper2023-11-09T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/fabien.sanglard/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="Fabien Sanglard"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>I am Fabien Sanglard. Born and raised in France, I lived in Canada for 10 years and now I am based in California. I program computers and cell phones for a living. Online, I am better known for the articles I publish on <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/" title="Fabien's website.">fabiensanglard.net</a>, and books I authored such as the <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/gebbwolf3d/" title="Fabien's book about Wolfenstein 3D."><em>Game Engine Black Book: Wolfenstein 3D</em></a>, the <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/gebbdoom/" title="Fabien's book about the original DOOM game."><em>Game Engine Black Book: DOOM</em></a>, and <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/cpsb/" title="Fabien's book about Capcom arcade games."><em>The Book of CP-System</em></a>. Besides programming, reading a lot of code, and explaining stuff, I enjoy rock climbing and spending time with my two cats.</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>It depends on the mood of the day. I can use <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/the_beautiful_machine/" title="Fabien's post about his quiet PC.">The Beautiful Silent PC</a>, my wife's <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/mjolnir/" title="Fabien's post about his wife's gaming PC.">Mjolnir</a>, or <a href="https://fabiensanglard.net/d2r/" title="Fabien's post about his Diablo 2 gaming PC.">the Diablo 2 machine</a> if I need Windows, which I try to avoid as much as possible. If I am restless and need to roam, I have a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20201225130617/https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/ThinkPad-X1-Carbon-5th-Generation/p/22TP2TXX15G" title="A lightweight PC laptop with a 14 inch screen.">Carbon X1 Gen9</a> running <a href="https://ubuntu.com/" title="A Unix distribution.">Ubuntu</a> and a <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro M1</a> which also runs Ubuntu via a <a href="https://mac.getutm.app/" title="Virtualisation software for macOS.">UTM</a> VM. For the screen I use a huge 32" BenQ. I tried to find an excuse to buy an <a href="https://www.apple.com/pro-display-xdr/" title="A 32 inch professional monitor.">Apple XDR</a> but failed. I built an amazing standing desk with a countertop from Home Depot and raising legs from Amazon.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>To write HTML for my website, I use <a href="http://www.sublimetext.com/" title="A coder's text editor.">Sublime Text</a>. If I am on a Mac, I use <a href="https://cyberduck.io/" title="An FTP/SFTP client.">Cyberduck</a> to sync (I work straight on prod, that's right). On Linux, it is a dream to keep things in sync via <a href="https://code.google.com/archive/p/macfuse/wikis/MACFUSE_FS_SSHFS.wiki" title="An SSH file system for MacFUSE.">sshfs</a>.</p>
<p>For the books, it is the same setup except that I need to compile my <a href="https://www.latex-project.org/" title="Typesetting software.">LaTeX</a> to PDF with <a href="https://tug.org/applications/pdftex/" title="Software for creating PDFs from TeX files.">pdfTeX</a>.</p>
<p>For both mediums, I draw with <a href="https://inkscape.org/" title="An open-source vector graphics program.">Inkscape</a> and perform image manipulation with <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html" title="A bitmap image editor.">Photoshop</a> (sadly Mac only).</p>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>This is what I described above.</p>
https://usesthis.com/interviews/asmr.beauty/ASMR BeautyVideo creator2023-10-27T00:00:00Z
<p><img src="http://usesthis.com/images/interviews/asmr.beauty/portrait.jpg" width="500" height="325" alt="ASMR Beauty"></p>
<h3>Who are you, and what do you do?</h3>
<p>Hello! I’m Melissa and I run an ASMR channel on YouTube called <a href="https://youtube.com/@asmr_beauty" title="Melissa's YouTube account.">asmr beauty</a>.</p>
<p>For any of you who haven’t heard of it, ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and is often described as a tingling sensation someone feels in certain situations or watching certain content. </p>
<p>My channel focuses on filming real appointments around the UK as a form of ASMR to help people relax!</p>
<h3>What hardware do you use?</h3>
<p>I use a series of iPhones to film my videos, and <a href="https://rode.com/en/microphones/wireless/wirelessgoii" title="A wireless microphone.">RØDE Wireless Go II mics</a> for the audio. I started off trying different things like an IC recorder and DSLR, but I found that iPhones were best in terms of getting consistent results with very little configuration. As I film with real-life practitioners often in tight spaces, I don’t have much control over the lighting, so I sometimes have to film in pretty low light, and the iPhone seems to handle it with very little fuss. It’s also a very cost-effective camera as I can buy second-hand iPhones for pretty cheap! I currently have an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_XR" title="A 6 inch smartphone.">iPhone XR</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_11_Pro" title="A 5.8 inch iOS phone.">11 Pro</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_14_Pro" title="A 6.1 inch iOS smartphone.">14 Pro</a> as my three main cameras.</p>
<p>As I do a lot of editing while I commute, I use an M1 <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/" title="A very thin laptop.">MacBook Air</a> (in Rose Gold) as my main machine! It’s close to the base model, but I configured it with 16 GB of memory to make sure it’ll be able to cope with editing demands. It’s a great balance of performance and portability, and I think it’s been a great purchase!</p>
<p>Editing on a commute wouldn’t be possible without good noise-cancelling headphones (especially for ASMR videos!), for which I use <a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/" title="In-ear headphones.">AirPods Pro</a>. The amount of noise they can shut out is crazy, and really let me make the most of my time on trains.
Of course, I wouldn’t be able to edit without saving my footage first, but no amount of built-in storage would really be enough for the amount I film though, so I edit off a <a href="https://www.westerndigital.com/products/portable-drives/sandisk-extreme-usb-3-2-ssd" title="A portable SSD hard drive.">1TB SanDisk Extreme SSD</a>. (I’ve been luckily unaffected by the firmware problems!) I’m a little paranoid about losing this as I go around London though, so I have a secondary hard drive where I keep backups of the entire disk. Older footage in general goes into another hard drive; I now have so many that I have a hard drive drawer at home!</p>
<p>When I’m at home, I also connect my Mac to an external display (LG27UK) to get a little bit more space to edit. My keyboard and mouse are pretty basic, being spare Apple keyboards that I had lying around from I think around 2005? (keyboard: A1048, mouse: wired <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Mighty_Mouse" title="A wireless mouse.">Mighty Mouse</a>). I did have to splurge on a <a href="https://www.caldigit.com/ts3-plus/" title="A Thunderbolt dock.">Caldigit TS3 Plus dock</a> (again bought second hand) so that I can plug in more hard drives at once; something that’s quite important when I’m making compilation videos from footage I took years ago!</p>
<p>Another thing I invested in was a nice chair; I have a <a href="https://store.haworth.com/products/zody-office-chair" title="An office chair.">Haworth Zody</a> which is probably the most comfortable chair I’ve ever owned. I didn’t invest in such a nice desk though, and I have a small IKEA table as a desk. If I’m filming any videos at home, I also sometimes use a <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20160413134343/http://www.bluemic.com:80/yeti/" title="A USB microphone.">Blue Yeti</a> for the audio instead of the RØDE mics, depending on whether I’m speaking close to the mic or not.</p>
<p>Other than that, I sometimes borrow my boyfriend’s <a href="https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/" title="A laptop.">MacBook Pro</a> to render videos as this can take a while when the video was shot in the dark I’ve done some heavier de-noising and colour grading. Having all my footage and <a href="https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve" title="Colour correction software.">DaVinci</a> projects on an SSD really helps in this aspect as I can get the same environment just by plugging my hard drive.</p>
<h3>And what software?</h3>
<p>I’m not a big fan of subscription software in general, so my thumbnails are made in <a href="https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/" title="Photo editing software.">Affinity Photo</a> and my editing is all done in DaVinci Resolve! For Davinci Resolve, I initially picked it because it was free and seemed a bit of a step up from <a href="https://www.apple.com/imovie/" title="A Mac OS X video editor, included in iLife.">iMovie</a>, but I bought the Studio version when I had some footage with flickering and I needed the deflicker effect. It’s an amazing bit of software and it runs great on my MacBook Air, letting me edit on the go. I could not be happier! It’s also amazing for colour grading, which has let me save bits of footage that looked terrible on my phone as I’ve learnt some basic skills over time.</p>
<p>I spend almost as much time organising places to film as well, so just as much time is spent keeping track of everything in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notes_(Apple)" title="A note-taking application included with Mac OS X.">Apple Notes</a> and emailing people on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gmail-email-from-google/id422689480" title="A client for the email service.">Gmail app</a> for iPhone!</p>
<h3>What would be your dream setup?</h3>
<p>I’m quite happy with my home office setup as is, especially as I do most of my work on the go! I do however always appreciate faster hardware, and it would be nice if I didn’t need to borrow my boyfriend’s laptop for heavy rendering jobs, so I’d probably enjoy having a faster laptop! </p>
<p>Actually, for a dream setup, I think it would be pretty cool if <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/davinci-resolve-for-ipad/id1581363826" title="A video editing and colouring app.">DaVinci Resolve on iPad</a> covered all of my editing and colour grading needs; the Macbook Air is light and portable but not <em>quite</em> as easy to take around as an iPad!</p>