My Daily-Driver Tools in 2026

This is the small collection of tools I reach for every day. I work on a 13-inch MacBook Air with an Apple M5 chip, 24 GB of memory, and macOS 26.5.2, so I care a lot about keeping the screen focused and my workspace easy to move between.

It is not a definitive setup guide—just the tools that have earned a place in my daily work.

The main workspace

cmux

cmux is where each project gets its own home. I keep projects in its sidebar, then split the main terminal into two panes: Codex in one and my development servers in the other. It gives me one place to work without constantly rebuilding the same terminal layout.

Zed

Zed is my editor. It is where I spend my time reading and writing code, and it is the editor I naturally reach for when I open a project.

VS Code

I only open VS Code for Git changes. Its Source Control view makes it easy for me to review a change set because staged files and unstaged files stay clearly separated.

Codex

Codex is the AI coding assistant in my everyday setup. It lives in its own cmux pane alongside the dev server, so it feels like a natural part of the project workspace instead of another application competing for attention.

The browser

Zen

I originally started using Brave for its built-in ad blocker. My Raspberry Pi now runs Pi-hole to handle ad blocking across my network, and I keep uBlock Origin enabled in Zen for browser-level filtering. Zen's sidebar-first layout also helps me reclaim vertical space on a 13-inch laptop and keeps the browser easy to navigate without making the page feel cramped.

The supporting tools

Notion

Notion is where I keep my notes. It is the place I return to when an idea, a project detail, or something I want to remember needs a home.

Figma

Figma is my design canvas. When I need to work through an interface or turn an idea into something visual, it is the tool I use.

Eraser

I use Eraser for drawing diagrams. It is where I sketch the relationships and flows that are easier to understand visually than in a wall of text.

Raindrop.io

Raindrop.io is where I save and organize bookmarks, so useful links do not disappear into a browser tab or an unstructured bookmark bar.

Apple Passwords

I use Apple Passwords for everyday logins, passkeys, and autofill across my Apple devices.

pass

For terminal workflows, I use pass, the command-line password manager. It fits naturally with the rest of my command-line setup.

That's the setup

This list will change over time, but these are the tools I am using every day right now. The common thread is simple: every one of them has a clear job and keeps me focused on the project in front of me.