Following is the list of tools I use to make my life easier.
As a caveat, I am mostly active in the online software environment, so this list is heavily skewed in that direction.
1. Total Commander – geeky tool for file management. Features a “side by side” layout, making it easy to know what the source and what is the destination for what you are doing. Unlike the “copy/paste” concept in Windows Explorer. It has other neat features like super quick preview and edit capabilities.
2. FileZilla – Free FTP client – pretty basic – but it works.
3. Sublime – my go-to text editor. It has replaced NotePad++ because it has a more polished UI that is easier on the eyes. It has syntax highlight and a neat feature that shows you what has changed in the document, even if you don’t use a versioning system.
4. Photoshop – for my photo editing and image creation on Social Media and sometimes for personal photographs.
5. Voice Metter Banana – virtual sound mixer for Windows. It allows me to record a call, increase the volume of the people on the call, and mix in music when needed
6. GoldWave – a sound editor, used mostly to clear noise from audio, or for trimming. Sometimes I use Audacity – depending on what I am trying to do.
7. Grammarly – AI-powered spell checker to make sure my writing is not filled with typos and grammar issues.
8. Slack – manage project communications
9. Evernote – taking notes, research, learning, todo list. Its beauty is that it syncs on all of my devices, has tags, can search text into an image, and is fast!
10. Zoho Docs – alternative to Google Docs – online solution for spreadsheets and writing documents
11. Asana – for project management
12. Putty – SSH client for windows. Used for server management.
13. rsync – backup utility for my websites – creates versioned backups fast.
14. PhpStorm – long time favorite Php IDE – I like everything from JetBrains. They’re the best when it comes to creating software developer tools 🙂
14. ManyCam – virtual camera for Zoom calls – used to add titles, color correct my image, add filters and looks as PRO as possible
15. Cmder – console for Windows (replacement for cmd) – mainly because it supports colors, making debugging console applications much easier. It also uses much cleaner fonts. Not sure when Windows will get a decent default console app.
16. Fastmail – email provider that respects my privacy
17. ESET – internet security: antivirus, firewall, sandboxing, and all that jazz. I’ve been using this for ten years now, and I am a happy customer!
18. Duplicati – Windows space-efficient backup tool based on the Linux “duplicity” tool. It saved me one from a complete HDD failure.
19. Dropbox – cloud storage and sharing among devices.
20. Git and GitHub – software versioning system.
21. Figma – wireframes, mockups, design.
22. Google Calendar – mostly for reminders and sometimes for planning ahead skill development.
If you know better, faster, and more useful alternatives for these tools, let me know in the comments below. I am always looking to expand my arsenal! The categories I care about are productivity, software development, and design.