Who are you, and what do you do?
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.
What hardware are you using?
The only devices which go with me everywhere are, of course, my Google Pixel 2, my keys in an Orbitkey, my Ridge 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.
My everyday computer is a mid-2016 13" Macbook Pro Retina with no extras.
I also have an ancient 5th generation Kindle which is good for reading eBooks when chilling out.
Any and all of this is slung over my back in a Deuter Race Exp Air backpack.
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.
For getting to and from work I ride a Rose Pro DX Cross-3000 bike. It runs with a Nite Rider Lumina Micro 250 & Solar rear light set, a Go Pro Hero 4 and 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.
And what software?
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.
Photos taken on the phone are automatically uploaded to Google Photos.
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.
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.
My browser of choice is, of course, Google Chrome loaded with my favourite plugins: Enpass, Join by joaoapps and Pocket.
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; Google Apps is used for Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Docs and Tasks; and Pocket for "tl;dr" functionality.
And last, but certainly not least, FreeAgent helps me out with all the paperwork for my company (invoicing, taxes, timesheets, accounts, etc.).
What would be your dream setup?
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.
I'd also love an adjustable height desk such as the Geek Desk.