Uses

This is a Uses page — a non-exhaustive list of the tools that are part of my digital and analog environments. Some of the items were carefully chosen, whereas others are included because... they are still working. I'll keep this list up-to-date, as a reminder to use and consume things as mindfully as possible.

Desktop

• ThinkPad 13 Laptop. What I have at the moment. It works, but not necessarily a favorite.
• Ubuntu Operating system. I am a recent convert, honestly easier to use than what I would have expected.
• Mozilla Firefox Browser. Love Mozilla (even though they are getting slightly too commercial to my taste). I also use the integrated password manager.
• Thunderbird Mail Email management. Not the most modern UI, but it's open source and does the job.
• Surfshark VPN. There was a special offer at the time I got the subscription. Works great, even though I'm not sure about their privacy commitments.
• Visual Studio Code Code editor
• MarkText Markdown text editor. Clean and simple WYSIWYG text editor.
• Inkscape Vector design tool
• Figma Collaborative design platform
• Gargoyle Interactive fiction interpreter. Ubuntu-friendly and with a strong attention to typography.

Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S22 Phone. Beautiful vivid pictures with great zoom capabilities, the most modern phone I ever had. Too bad that the repairability score is so low.
• Telegram Messaging service
• WhatsApp Messaging service. Using WhatsApp mostly because it is used in my community.
• Feeder RSS reader. It's open source and works great.
• Google Maps Map-related things. I use it to find restaurants, cafés and as a regular GPS. I'll need to look for an alternative at some point.
• PlantNet Plant identifier. What a life changer! The database of pictures is huge, so the identifier works really quite well. You won't be able to identify sub-species accurately though.
• Stellarium Planetarium. A magic world opens with this app on your phone.
• Clue Period tracker. Just started using this app. So far, so good.
• Microsoft Lens PDF scanner

Web services

• Nextcloud Cloud file storage. Very powerful Google Drive alternative, I use the cloud for file / calendar / contact / task management and short-term storage.
• Framapad Collaborative text editor. A very good Google Docs open source alternative.
• GitHub Code host
• LanguageTool Style and spell checker. It's open source and works crazily well.

Media

• BenQ TW535 Projector. Good image quality, relatively silent.
• Celexon Tripod Economy Projection screen. Very big foldable projection screen. Theoretically portable, but it is insanely heavy. You also need to be tall to set it up more easily.
• EDIFIER R1280DB Powered Bluetooth Speakers. Active speakers that work with turntables and also connect via Bluetooth. Beautiful wooden-style cover.
• DENON DP-300F Automatic turntable
• Kobo Aura H2O E-reader. I had this e-reader for years and I am very happy with it.
• AKG Y500 Headphones. Not the comfiest headphones, but can be used wired and wireless. The squishy thingies are getting old.

Other gadgets

• LaCie Rugged Mini Portable hard drive. Compact and sturdy hard drive, reliable (so far).
• HUION Kamvas 16 (2021) Pen display. I don't use it as much as I'd like to, but it works great.

Kitchen

• Messermeister Oliva Elite Chef's Knife Chef's knife. I use this knife for everything. I love the smooth feel of the handle.
• Messermeister Oliva Elite Bread Knife Bread knife. Best bread knife I ever had.
• Le Creuset round Cocotte Cast iron pot. I have the older version of this cocotte. It's a classic that works great.
• Marcato Atlas 150 Manual pasta maker. A high-quality, manual pasta maker.

Travel & sport

• Patagonia Torrentshell Rain Jacket Rain jacket. Great waterproof jacket for cycling or hiking.
• Chrome Industries Bravo Backpack Waterproof backpack. I have one of the older versions of this backpack. It's big, waterproof and has a foldable top. The only downside is that it is already quite heavy when empty.
• SCARPA Veloce WMN Climbing shoes. Super soft and comfy, love them. The only problem is that the sole gets used faster.
• SCARPA Vapour V WMN Climbing shoes. A great all-rounder climbing shoe. I have sensitive toes and need the extra toe-space that this shoe allows for.