Last updated: 2026-08-02
This is the list of “interesting” hardware and software I regularly use. Apart from these, I run the basic set of Apple products, their built-in apps and iCloud.
Hardware
Dygma Defy
Split orthogonal mechanical keyboard with extra thumb keys. Great for reducing wrist strain and improving shoulder position while typing. It took a few weeks to get used to the split and orthogonal layout, but now it’s become second nature. I use it with both Mac and Windows machines and have programmed different layers to unify the shortcuts.
Logitech MX Ergo S
I used to suffer from wrist pain from using a traditional mouse, but after switching to the MX Ergo, the issues have almost disappeared. The extra buttons are programmable. I even use it for gaming now, apart from shooting games.
Sennheiser HDB 630
These wireless ANC headphones deliver audiophile sound quality. They come with the BTD 700 Bluetooth dongle that enables devices to use bluetooth codecs like aptX HD and aptX Adaptive. The ANC isn’t quite as good as the best from Sony or the Apple AirPods Pro.
Razer Keylight Chroma
I use two of these keylights set to maximum brightness as an alternative to a SAD light in winter. My wife says my mood is better when I use them. They’re also great for video calls, where the right lighting is as important as the webcam. The RGB colors are fun but I rarely use them.
Software (macOS and iOS)
Raycast
Raycast is an app launcher that is a Swiss Army knife for macOS and iOS. It has a massive collection of useful tools and an AI assistant. I use it for launching apps, finding files, clipboard management, system control, calculator, translation, bookmarking websites and more.
Codex / whatever the current highest value LLM subscription is
ChatGPT offers a fantastic subsidization when comparing subscription usage to the API prices. In particular, low-cost models such as 5.6 Luna at xhigh reasoning effort let me run many parallel agent sessions and schedule any automation I want without running out of credits. Codex itself has a decent UI, many plugins and a capable agent harness. That said, the space is evolving so quickly that I may switch to another tool offering an even better deal at any time.
Cursor
Cursor has impressed me with its AI-first features and responsiveness that GitHub Copilot doesn’t match. Coding agents rapidly execute tool calls and have access to a visual browser right in the IDE. Cursor also lets you send off multiple agents at once and compare their results. While I heavily use Cursor for coding, the words you read on this website are all my own.
Quarto
Quarto is a scientific publishing system that I use to create this website, my personal wiki and write papers. It lets you seamlessly mix text, code, formulas and visualizations. Previously I’ve also used it to run automated report generation for market research projects.
ia Writer
A minimalist markdown editor that I use for journaling and writing blog posts that don’t involve code. It doesn’t have distracting features and launches instantly when I type ia + enter into Raycast. The custom semi-monospaced font give it a unique, understated look. Sometimes I also use its grammatical highlighting feature to hunt for unnecessary adjectives.
NetNewsWire
NetNewsWire is the best RSS reader for macOS and iOS. It’s fast, has a clean UI, supports many feeds and syncs via iCloud. It’s almost unbelievable that it’s completely free. I’ve set up a workflow that syncs its database to a vector database and exposes it as an MCP Server, which I can then query with Raycast. If you’re looking for blogs to read, check my blogroll.
Obsidian
After going down the rabbit hole of finding the perfect note-taking app multiple times, I’ve settled on Obsidian. Notes are stored as plan Markdown files, which makes them portable and accessible for a local AI agent. The app is extensible and comes with a powerful link-building feature to create a personal knowledge graph. My only gripe is that indexing can be slow especially on mobile.
Hevy
Hevy is a great app for tracking strength training. It lets me track my lifts, sets and reps, and see my progress over time. It generates monthly and yearly summaries. In addition to the iOS app, it also has a web version and lets you export your data to CSV. I’ve disabled all social features.
Jomo
Jomo is an app to deliberately cripple your technology to stay in control of your screen time. I’ve set up rules on Mac and iOS that block social media apps at night and during workdays. Jomo also supports rule exceptions, but asks you to complete a challenge first, such as retyping a sequence of characters or facing yourself with the front camera. A little friction goes a long way in resisting small temptations.
The images from this page are copied from the respective marketing materials. If you are the owner of an image and would like it removed or exchanged, please contact me at paul@simmering.dev.