Hosting and More!
These are the services I actually use to run this site and my life. If you sign up through any of these links, I get a small kickback and you usually get a discount too. Real recommendations from someone who uses every one of them every day.
🌐 My Web Host: IONOS
This site lives on IONOS shared hosting. It's where the PHP runs, where my markdown entries are stored, and where my domain is registered. Excellent VoiceOver compatibility — I manage the whole thing from my iPhone using FE File Explorer Pro and Textastic.
If you want your own website, use my link below. You get a discount on your hosting, and you help me pay for mine.
📶 My Carrier: Mint Mobile
Mint Mobile is now owned by T-Mobile — it's essentially T-Mobile's prepaid service at a fraction of the price. Mint uses eSIMs, so you can activate service over Wi-Fi without ever touching a physical SIM card. Perfect for unlocked phones.
Use code 15NOW at checkout for $15 off any 3-month plan, plus $15 in renewal credit.
🌿 My Gummies: The Calm Leaf
These are the hemp-derived THCP gummies I actually take. Federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, shipped to most states. The Torch Haymaker Blend is a live resin Delta-9 / THCP / THCx blend — strong, clean, and a long way from the days of sketchy gas station edibles.
Not medical advice. Just what works for me.
🔊 My Speaker: Anchor Soundcore 2
This is the Anchor Soundcore 2 Bluetooth speaker I use to listen to my music and podcasts. Big sound for the size, solid battery life, and easy to pair from my iPhone.
If you want to listen to my sound for $30, use my link and I may receive a small portion.
📱 iOS App Store Links
Every link in this section goes to the iPhone and iPad App Store. I don't make a dime off any of them. These are just the apps I open every single day to build this site, write these posts, and get my work done — all from an iPhone with VoiceOver. If you're blind and trying to do real work on iOS, this is my honest short list.
🤖 Claude — Coding and Writing
Claude is my most-used app, period. It's my coding partner for every PHP file on this site and my editor when I'm writing. I don't let it write for me — I write, and it catches what my dictation got wrong. Fully accessible with VoiceOver.
🎨 Gemini — Image Generation
Gemini is what I use to generate images for the site. As a blind guy making visual content, having something that turns a description into a picture is a real equalizer. Every generated image on this site gets credited.
📂 FE File Explorer Pro — My Web Space
FE File Explorer Pro is how I get into my IONOS web space over FTP. Upload, download, rename, delete — the whole site is managed from this one app. It's a one-time purchase with no subscription, which I appreciate more every year, and it works well with VoiceOver.
📝 Notes — Where I Write
Most of what you read here started in Apple Notes. It's already on the phone, it's free, it syncs everywhere, and dictation into it just works. You don't need a fancy writing app to write — you need something that gets out of your way.
If you got delete happy at some point and need to download it again, here's the App Store link. Your notes live in iCloud, so they come right back when you reinstall.
⌨️ Runestone — Plain Text Only
When I need a strictly plain text editor with no autocorrect and no smart quotes sneaking into my code, I use Runestone. Syntax highlighting for PHP, HTML, and markdown, and it opens big files without choking. Free, with a one-time premium unlock.
A note for the Android crowd: I don't use Android, so I can't tell you how any of this works over there. Claude and Gemini do have Android apps, but FE File Explorer Pro, Notes, and Runestone are iPhone and iPad only. I'm not going to recommend something I haven't used myself.