# uses: a list of tools i use

i like the idea of https://uses.tech, might as well do such a page for myself. so this is a list of random stuff i use or recommend. i don't list everything, only stuff i deem worth mentioning. the items are in alphabetical order.

software:

• archlinux as the operating system on my personal computers. though i use an ubuntu-like proprietary linux on my work machines because i don't have a choice there.
• calibre for converting between ebook formats (epub -> mobi).
• firefox as my browser both on desktop and phone. the android chrome is unusable because it doesn't allow installing ad blockers. additional notes at @/firefoxtweaks.
• i3 as my window manager.
• git for revision control for my small repositories.
• go programming language. it's a get stuff done language, i would be totally lost and depressed without it. my todo management, backup daemon (@/gdsnap), time tracker, etc are all custom tools written in go.
• mpv for watching videos.
• noto sans font in the browser. it looks decent and has very good unicode coverage. sans bit is important, i don't get why non-sans fonts exist.
• mutt for personal emailing.
• sqlite for database. i rarely need databases but if i needed one, i'd use sqlite for its simplicity.
• terminus bitmap font in xterm.
• tmux as my terminal multiplexer.
• ublock origin browser extension to make the mainstream web somewhat usable.
• vim as my editor. i don't really use plugins but i've configured a few keybindings to make my life easier such as running goimports or clang-format through the current buffer.
• xterm as my terminal emulator.

hardware:

• clothing: unmarked cargo pants, black unmarked t-shirt, black unmarked zipper hoodie. i don't want to think about clothing.
• daskeyboard model s as my keyboard with brown cherry switches. i'd totally want the blue ones but unfortunately i don't live alone. the keyboard i'm using is 10+ years old and still works fine. i tried using ergodox ez but gave up on it after 4 years, see @/kbd.
• glasses with interlocking hinges. i find such hinges cool. my current one looks somewhat like this: https://titaniumoptix.com/glasses/women/eyglasses-frames-w/stainless-steel-w/steinar-spring-hinge-clasp-system-eyeglass-frames/. of course i bought mine like 10x of that price because i am that easily scammable by the opticians. :(
• haibike trekking 10 high as my e-bike for my commuting needs. i'm relatively happy with the kiox software it comes with too.
• kindle for ebook reading. i'm still on third generation. i really should get one with backlight though.
• muji a6 wirebound notebook for my freewriting. for a long time i used the dotted version but now i switched to the ruled ones because they are cheaper. i don't need the flexibility of the dots for freewriting anyway.
• muji 0.38mm blue black gel pen for my freewriting sessions. feels smoother, less "scratchier" than the signo dx 0.38mm. note that muji's 0.30mm version are scratchy too. muji 0.38mm is the best.
• pixel6 as my smartphone. i got it from my workplace as the corporate phone. ugh, it's a very slippery phone and i hate the protruding camera. i don't recommend this phone if you want only simple phone like me.
• raspberry pi 4 as my always running machine for managing my notes from anywhere.
• sennheisen hd 555 as my headphones. i've picked this up in a supermarket about 15 years ago on a whim without much research. super happy with it ever since. very comfy!
• shoes: skinners comfort 2.0. i love to feel the ground. i'd would love to go completely barefoot if i wouldn't get super dirty and people wouldn't give me dirty looks all the time (don't ask how i know). i use a vivobarefoot tracker and wildling fundo for my winter and rainy-day needs because the skinners one gets wet too easily.
• thinkvision p27h-20 as my monitor. it's a simple monitor but i'm happy with it. doesn't have any ugly leds in the front when on nor when off.
• vorso mk1 spinning top as a desk toy for my fiddling needs.
• zotac magnus one erp74070c (13th gen intel core i7-13700, nvidia geforce rtx 4070), 64 GB ram, 4 TB ssd (samsung 990 pro with heatsink) for the occasional gaming desires.

services:

• cloudflare's workers and d1 for some of the blog server functionality. i recommend checking cloudflare out, it has many interesting cloud services for free. more notes about this at @/cloud.
• codeforces: i do a programming contest about once in a quarter mostly for nostalgic reasons.
• duckduckgo as my search engine. it's super customizable and the settings can be saved into url parameters. you can then use it in incognito window without the annoying cookie warning popups. even ads can be disabled in its settings. my current search url is "start.duckduckgo.com/?kak=-1&kao=-1&kaq=-1&kp=-2&kc=-1&k1=-1&kaj=m&kax=-1&kap=-1&kau=-1&ks=m&kw=s&q=". just append the search query to the end.
• fly.io runs my blog server for free. more notes about this at @/cloud.
• github as a free backup for my github repositories. i'm quite happy with the service so far and i really like github actions. i use them to auto-update this website after i push a change.
• gmail as my email hosting with addy.io as a frontend to my email address. i wrote more about this in @/emailhost.
• leetcode's daily challenge so that i don't get too out of shape in coding.
• netflix for non-free tv shows and movies. thepiratebay.org (+ a private tracker) for stuff not available on netflix. the media companies should really get their shit together. fortunately downloading is completely legal in switzerland where i currently reside. you pay a hefty radio+tv tax each year and you have a private copying levy on storage so might as well make the taxes worth it. not that i torrent much, movies and shows no longer interest me. a handful youtube channels can satisfy my video cravings.
• steam for my gaming needs. i avoid uplay and eaplay games though. [long rant omitted]

notes for my future reference:

• cantook as an ebook reader on android. this is what i'd use if i'd be reading on a phone.
• fanless zotac mini-pc is probably what i'd use as my desktop if i weren't forced to use corp machines. i like quiet stuff. i already use one for driving the living room tv and i'm super happy with it.
• feedbro as an rss reader. i actually don't use an rss reader because i find them too addictive. but if i were using one, i'd probably use this one since it's all local. not perfect but it's the least annoying from all the others i've tried.

published on 2024-01-03, last modified on 2025-04-29

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