People sometimes ask what I use, and pages like this are a nice tradition around the web, so here's mine. My rule for tools is simple: they should be low-maintenance and stay out of the way, so I can spend my time on the work rather than the setup.
Computers and devices
- MacBook Pro: where the real work happens.
- iPad: mostly for reading, and for notes away from the desk.
- iPhone: everything else, wherever I am.
Desk
- Apple Studio Display
- Apple Magic Keyboard
- Logitech MX Master and Apple Magic Trackpad: the mouse for precision, the trackpad for gestures.
- Sony WH-1000XM headphones: noise cancelling for when I need to focus.
- Beyerdynamic DT 30 IE: in-ear monitors for travel and calls on the go.
How I capture ideas
Everything starts in a paper notebook. It's my daily dumping ground for quick thoughts, to-dos and half-formed ideas, and most of it never needs to go any further.
When something keeps coming back or turns into a bigger project, it earns a place in Octarine. That's where my long-term notes and thinking live, and where drafts for this blog start too. Keeping the bar high means my notes stay worth browsing rather than becoming another inbox.
Reading
- Margins: tracks the books I read. Simple and clean, and it does one job well.
Staying organised
- Things 3: keeps my own tasks calm and in order.
- Google Workspace: email and calendar, and what the businesses run on.
Everyday apps
- Helium: a fast, uncluttered browser.
- Raycast: launches everything quickly from the keyboard.
- Claude: a thinking partner for ideas, writing and planning, and a builder for tools and pages like this one.
- Apple Passwords and Dashlane: I'm gradually moving everything over to Apple Passwords.
Cameras
- Fujifilm X-E5: the everyday camera that comes along for the ride.
- OM System OM-1 Mark II: for wildlife and rough conditions, when I need something tough.
Last updated October 2026.