Recommendations you can check.
Freelance web developer and instructor behind the Dive Into Docker course; writes tutorials on deployment and dev environments at nickjanetakis.com.
9 things
Audio-Technica AT2005Hardware Audio-Technica
I use an Audio-Technica AT2005 dynamic microphone. In my opinion it’s the best screencast / podcast microphone you’re going to find unless you spend $800+.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
FlexiSpot standing deskHardware FlexiSpot
I use a FlexiSpot adjustable / motorized standing desk standing desk and stand about 90% of the time. Been doing this for about a decade. I liked it so much that I have 2 of them
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
Arch LinuxSoftware Arch Linux
Vanilla Arch is a great canvas of a distro to build an OS designed for you. It gives you enough flexibility to pick and choose exactly what you want.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
Huion H610 ProHardware Huion
I use a Huion H610 Pro drawing tablet and stylus. I’m not an artist by any means but it’s excellent for writing hand written slides and notes.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
Toshiba Chromebook 2 CB35Hardware Toshiba
It’s great for a portable device which doubles as a $350 laptop capable of doing development work on the go.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
Logitech C920Hardware Logitech
I use a Logitech c920 webcam for recording video. It captures 1080p video and looks reasonable enough with normal lighting.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
Microsoft PowerToysSoftware Microsoft
For launching applications, I used Keypirinha in about 2017 and then I switched to Microsoft PowerToys in May 2020.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
KeePassXCSoftware KeePassXC
For password management I used a command line tool called pass. I switched to KeepassXC in mid-2025.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
FirefoxSoftware Mozilla
I used Opera as a browser in 2006 for ~8 years, then I tried Firefox and went to Chrome until March 2025 when finally I switched back to Firefox.
His long-running 'The Tools I Use' post, which he keeps updated and which ends with a timeline of when and why he switched tools.
2025-12-30·nickjanetakis.com ↗
Every entry is a verbatim quote and a link to the public post it came from. Nothing is paraphrased. If it is not on record somewhere public, it is not here.
The verdict is what they actually said: loved and liked are explicit; recommended means they told others to get it; uses means they only say they use it; read is a book on their public shelf with no verdict; mixed and disliked are kept too.
A dashed affiliate link, sponsored or their own label means the post disclosed a relationship. It is shown, never hidden.
The shading behind a date shows how dated a recommendation is for its kind of thing.
The shading behind a date shows how dated a recommendation is, for its kind of thing. Fully green is recent. It drains a quarter at a time as the post gets older, and is empty once it reads as dated.
What counts as old depends on the thing. A laptop praised four years ago has been replaced twice; a book loved twenty years ago is probably still loved. The shading is gone after about:
Stripes mean the post carries no date and the date shown is an estimate. No date at all, no shading.