Falko Joseph

Falko Joseph

Uses

Here’s a glimpse of the software and hardware I use on a daily basis. I often change my setup, so this list will evolve over time.

If you want to learn more about /uses pages, check out the amazing community over at uses.tech. It’s a great way to discover new tools and workflows.

Table of Contents

Workstation

  • MacBook Air 13” M2 (2022) 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD - Absolutely love this little machine. It’s super fast and the battery life is amazing. It’s the best laptop I’ve ever owned.
  • Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Headphones - Not the most high-end headphones, but for the price, it’s a bang for the buck. I use these all the time for listening to podcasts.
  • LG 27UD59P-B 27” 4K Monitor - At the time this was the most affordable 4K monitor I could find. I might upgrade this later to a 6K monitor, but it’s still pretty good.
  • Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac - This mouse is a classic among developers and designers. I’ve been using this ergonomic mouse for years and it’s still my favorite.
  • IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET Office Chair - The white version, it’s comfortable and looks great.
  • IKEA BEKANT Standing Desk - I have the 160x80cm version which has enough space for my monitor, laptop, and other stuff.

Apps

Here are some of the apps I use on a daily basis. I have a thing for nicely designed apps that look good and work well, and I’ve curated this list over the years.

Most of these apps are free or open-source but I also have subscription on Setapp which lets me use some of these apps.

Browser & Extensions
  • Arc Browser - Probably the best browser since Chrome happened.
  • Raindrop - A bookmark manager that I use for saving links and articles.
  • uBlock Origin - A free and open-source ad blocker. I mostly use it for blocking trackers and obtrusive ads. I do whitelist sites that I want to support though.
  • LastPass - A password manager that I use for storing and generating passwords.
Entertainment
  • Spotify - I use Spotify for listening to music and managing my playlists.
  • Apple Podcasts - I use this for listening to podcasts. It’s simple and it syncs across all my devices.
  • Elmedia Player - A replacement for both QuickTime and VLC. It’s my default video player.
  • Letterboxd - A social network for film lovers. I use it for tracking the movies I’ve watched and discovering new ones.
  • Showpal TV - A great iPhone app for keeping track of the shows I’m watching.
Screen Capturing
  • CleanShot X - A great screenshot tool for macOS. I use it for taking screenshots and recording videos.
  • Screen Studio - This app lets you create beautiful screen recordings. I mostly use it for creating demo videos.
Productivity
  • Apple Mail - Apple’s default mail client. I use it for managing my emails.
  • Apple Calendar - The default calendar app. It’s nice and simple.
  • Apple Notes - I use Notes for jotting down quick notes and ideas. It’s simple and it syncs across all my devices.
  • Obsidian - I primarily use Obsidian for writing blog posts on this website. It’s also a great tool for knowledge management.
  • Things - I’ve tried many, but I’ve settled on Things for good now. It has a clean design and it’s easy enough to use.
  • Setapp - A subscription service that gives you access to a bunch of apps. I use it for CleanShot X, CleanMyMac, and other apps.
macOS enhancements
  • Raycast - Excellent replacement for Spotlight. I use it for quickly opening apps and searching for files.
  • Magnet - A window manager for macOS.
Home automation
  • Apple Home - I use this for controlling my smart home devices. Mainly just Philips Hue lights for now.
  • Bosch Easy Control - I use this app for controlling my heating system at home.
Utilities
  • Caffeine - A small utility that prevents your Mac from going to sleep.
  • Handbrake - A free and open-source video transcoder. I use it for converting videos to different formats.
  • Clean My Mac - A handy utility for cleaning up your Mac. I use it for removing old files and freeing up space.

Design

  • Figma - My go-to design tool for UI/UX design. I use it for creating wireframes and prototypes before starting development.
  • Adobe Photoshop - I mostly use Photoshop for quickly editing images. I don’t use it as much as I used to, but it’s still a great tool.

Development

  • Visual Studio Code - My favorite code editor. I use it for writing code, markdown, and even for writing this page.
  • iTerm2 - A terminal for macOS. I use it for running commands and managing my projects.
  • Operator Mono Font - My favorite font for coding. It’s a bit expensive but it’s worth it.
  • ZSH - My favorite shell. I use it with Oh My Zsh for customizing my terminal.
  • Rapid API for Mac - A great API client for macOS. I use it for testing APIs and creating requests.
  • Petrify - Nice little tool for creating images from your code, which you can use in your blog posts or share on social media.
  • Transmit - An FTP client for macOS. I occasionally use it for accessing servers that don’t support SSH.
  • Git - There’s no development without Git. I use it for version control and collaborating with my team.
  • Amazon CodeWhisperer - AI powered completions for the command line. It makes navigating the terminal a breeze.

Project Management

With Compagnon Agency we use a combination of tools to manage our projects. Here are some of the tools we use:

  • Notion - We use Notion for managing our projects, but also as a knowledge base and CRM.
  • Whimsical - A great tool for quickly creating mockups and wireframes.
  • Slack - We use Slack for team communication and collaboration.
  • Google Workspace - We use Google Workspace for email, calendar, and file storage.

Other Gear

More setups