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Who are you, and what do you do?
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My name is Scott Wallace and I'm a hacker at heart. This means that I love technology and messing about with it until it does what I want it to -- not the other way around. I'm a "contracting IT Systems Engineer". I like to think that I specialise in automation but it's really just scripting myself out of work. I'm essentially a mercenary and will work for the highest bidder. My main area of expertise lies around the Internet and web technologies.
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What hardware are you using?
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The only devices which go with me everywhere are, of course, my Google Pixel 2, my keys in an Orbitkey, my Kore Essentials wallet, a Leatherman Squirt PS4, an Archer 1A V3 torch and my Garmin Fēnix 3 HR. When travelling, to reduce the amount of charging equipment required, I take an EC Technology 8-Port 60W 12A USB Charger with me.
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My everyday computer is a mid-2016 13" Macbook Pro Retina with no extras.
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I also have an old 5th generation Kindle which is good for reading eBooks when chilling out.
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Any and all of this is slung over my back in a Overboard Pro-Light backpack.
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For media consumption I have a Roku 3 hooked up to a 40" Samsung Series 8 LED TV. To control the TV and the Roku I use the awesome Logitech Harmony 600 universal remote. I cannot recommend these remotes enough. The living room also houses a Sonos Play:5 for streaming music and Sonos Play:1s in the dining room and kitchen.
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For getting to and from work I ride a Pedale88 Crono-S bike. I chose the Hiplok V150 to lock it up on casual rides. Podcasts are piped directly into my brain using AfterShokz Trekz Titanium bone conduction headphones.
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And what software?
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All the Macs run Mac OS X Sierra and content is kept in sync with Google Drive and Resilio for the more sensitive stuff. Software installation is scripted which makes setting up new installation a cinch. I always have an instance of iTerm2 v3, enhanced with HomeBrew, running and work wouldn't be the same without HipChat or WhatsApp (and VirtualBox for any VM requirements). Alfred 2 replaces Spotlight and enables clipboard history -- as well as a host of other functionality (it's great for those who love keyboard shortcuts). f.lux is a must-have for those who have trouble falling asleep at night.
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Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to Google Photos.
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Local media is served from The Cloud via an iMac with Plex Server to the Roku. Keeping the media library up-to-date is tasked to Sonarr and Radarr.
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Python is my language of choice but I also dabble in Go, C, BASH, PHP, and Java (for Android development). All recent code is kept on GitHub.
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My browser of choice is, of course, Google Chrome loaded with my favourite plugins: Enpass, Join by joaoapps and Pocket.
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I have tried to move my working set of software into the Cloud. All my website passwords are random and tracked in Enpass; I use either of di.fm or Google Play Music for listening to music; G Suite is used for Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Docs and Tasks; and Pocket for "tl;dr" functionality.
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And last, but certainly not least, FreeAgent helps me out with all the paperwork for my company (invoicing, taxes, timesheets, accounts, etc.).
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What would be your dream setup?
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A simple, light but fast computer that has access to the Internet from anywhere and acts as a WiFi-hotspot, even when closed. My mobile phone would be a combination of a PAN, the laptop and my watch. All powered with super-futuristic batteries that don't require charging as we know it today.. I'd also really love there to be a single movie and TV streaming service that provided all the world's content to anyone with a subscription and Internet access.
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I'd also love an adjustable height desk such as the Geek Desk.
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