Uses

I regularly get messages asking about the specifics of some piece of software or hardware I use. When they do, I send them this page (And you can too! The short URL for this page is kcd.im/uses).

Full disclosure, many links on this site are affiliate links.

Services

Fathom - My preferred tool for ethical analytics
Fly.io - An amazing hosting platform
Cloudinary - Fantastic image hosting
GitHub - Where I host my code. I also run CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions.
Sticker Mule - How I get a bunch of stickers of my OSS projects etc. printed for myself that I can hand out.
iwantmyname.com - Where I buy all my domain names.
Cal.com - For: "Grab a time whenever" link with consulting fees built-in.
Notion Calendar - My calendar app and it allows me to share my availability with specific blocks of time.

Tech

React - The most widely used frontend framework in the world
Remix/React Router v7 - The best framework to build a web app
Prisma - A fantastic ORM for Node.js (I use it with Postgres/SQLite hosted on Fly.io).
Zod - A great schema declaration and data validation library for TypeScript.
TypeScript - I can't imagine building JavaScript projects without TypeScript.
Testing Library - A great testing library for anything that interacts with the DOM.
Vitest - A great testing framework.
Playwright - I use this for E2E testing.
MSW - Next generation API mocking.
Prettier - I can't imagine life without it.
Radix UI - An accessibility-focused set of easy-to-use and easy-to-style components.
TailwindCSS - A great way to keep my styling consistent and stay productive.
mdx-bundler - Compile and bundle your MDX files and their dependencies. FAST.
XState - Any time I have a complex state problem, I use this.

Editor

Cursor - My preferred editor. Find my settings here: kcd.im/vscode
Night Owl editor theme by Sarah Drasner
Dank Mono font by Phil Plückthun

Chrome/Brave Extensions

Desktop Apps

You can find all the apps I auto-install when I setup a new MacBook in my dotfiles .macos script. Here are a few highlights (in no particular order):

Brave
Raycast
ScriptKit
Wispr Flow - Voice to text (AI)
BetterTouchTool
Vanilla
Itsycal
1Password
Terminal.app
Spotify
Slack
Discord
Workflowy
Gifski
Zoom.us
Front
Mimestream
Dropbox
Battery Indicator
ScreenFlow - Recording software
OBS - Live streaming software
RDM - For setting the screen size
Loopback - To record my desktop audio (and alias my microphone so I can tell which Camlink to use).

CLIs

Again, you can find everything that I auto-install when I setup a new MacBook in my dotfiles .macos script. Here are a few highlights:

Homebrew
hub (a better git)
ripgrep (a better grep)
tree
bat (a better cat)
delta (a better git diff)
night-owlish (theme for bat and delta)
serve
npm-quick-run
npm-check-updates

My Office

Kevin Shen - We Design Video Studios 🎥✨ @theKevinShen

Another studio designed & built! 🔥✨ This time, for the incredible @kentcdodds 😎 So excited for you Kent!! Stay tuned for a longer video we filmed with Kent soon 😉 Huge thanks to our team who stopped at nothing to make this happen @daryl_pascual @Viktorwithak @DatAshton

5:54 PM (UTC) · December 19th, 2024

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Desk Setup

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2024) - My laptop. More stats:
- Processor: Apple M4 Max with 16-core CPU and 16-core Neural Engine
- Graphics: 40-core GPU
- Memory: 128 GB
- Storage: 4TB SSD
- Nano-Texture Display
My desk is a custom made standing desk
Homelegance Daria 5-Tier Bookcase, 26" W, Brown - decor
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock - is the main box in my desk and all wires ultimately come together before going into my laptop.
Cable Matters Thunderbolt 3 Cable - This connects my laptop to the dock. It's the only cable to goes into my laptop.
LG 27MD5KL-B 27 Inch Ultrafine 5K (5120 x 2880) IPS Display with macOS Compatibility, DCI-P3 99% Color Gamut and Thunderbolt 3 Port, Black - I have 2 of these
Apple Magic Keyboard with TouchID
Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers - My computer speakers that sit on either side of my desk.
Mediabridge 3.5mm Male to Male Right Angle Stereo Audio Cable (8 Feet) - This connects my speakers to my dock
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Headphones - I don't use these often (the joys of a home office) but when I do, they're fantastic.
Safco Products Vue Mesh Extended-Height Chair 3395BL - This is my chair. It's not terrific, but it's hard to find a chair that is both comfortable and suited for a standing desk. (You'll probably want this Safco Products Loop Arms Set)
Floortex Cleartex UltiMat Polycarbonate Chair Mat - My chair rolls around on this.
Imprint CumulusPRO Commercial Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Mat - When I'm standing I put this on top of the chair mat. Otherwise I slide it to the side of my desk.

Camera

Sony Alpha FX3 ILME-FX3 | Full-frame Cinema Line Camera - My primary camera
Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art DG HSM for Sony E - My primary Lens
SONY Cinema Line FX30 Super 35 Camera - My angle camera
24mm F1.4 Art DG DN for Sony E Mount - My angle lens
CamLink 4k - To make my Sony Cameras work like a regular USB Webcam (I have 2 of these)
K&F Ball Head - 360° Rotating Camera Mount - My camera mounts
Elgato Teleprompter - Lets me look at camera while seeing screen
Highwings 20ft HDMI Cable - My HDMI cable (I have 2 of these)
Gonine Dummy Battery for Sony Cameras - My battery for my cameras
NEEWER Heavy Duty Clamp - The clamp for my camera mounts
IFOOTAGE Spider Crab Arm - My camera mounting arms (I have 2 of these)

On the Go

KOPACK Lightweight Laptop Backpack - I love this backpack I bought another one as soon as the first was destroyed in a onewheel accident.
Anker GaNPrime Power Bank, 10,000mAh 30W USB-C Portable Charger with 65W Wall Charger - This thing's pretty great!
USB C Hub Multiport Adapter: Ethernet, HDMI, USB-3 and USB-C - This stays in my backpack and I use it often when speaking at events or visiting people's offices.
Kensington Wireless Presenter with Red Laser Pointer - I've had this for years. I don't always use it, but when I need a laser pointer/wireless presenter tool, I'm glad I have it!

Home Stuff

Anker MagSafe Charger Stand, Wireless Charger, 3-in-1 Cube, 15W Foldable Fast Charging for iPhone 16/15/14/13, Apple Watch, AirPods - Where I put my phone on my desk. The other one goes on my nightstand.
Synology 5 bay NAS DiskStation DS1019+ - I use this to store all of my pictures/movies/music/etc. It's amazing.
Seagate IronWolf 3.84TB NAS SSD Internal Solid State Drive - These are phenomenal SSDs for the NAS.

Podcasts

Here are some podcasts I "use" to keep me informed and entertained while I drive, clean, and ride my onewheel.

YouTube

Here are channels I'm subscribed to:

Newsletters

Here are the newsletters I subscribe to:

Other

Self Drilling Drywall Plastic Anchors with Screws Kit - I used this to mount several of the things on the walls and ceilings in my office. They're solid, and you can screw them out if you make a mistake (which I wish I could say I've never needed to do).
Privacy.com - A credit card system that I use extensively to pay for things online.
Tesla Cars/Solar - I have two Teslas, a Tesla Solar Roof, and Tesla Powerwalls. Fantastic products, every one of them.

Smart Home & EV

Roborock - My robot vacuum and mop. Keeps the floors clean with minimal effort.
Tesla Powerwalls - Home battery backup for energy storage and outage protection.
Tesla Model 3 - My electric car. Love the tech and efficiency.
Tesla Model Y - My family's electric SUV.
Tesla Solar Roof - Solar panels built right into the roof for clean, renewable energy.