Programmer Productivity Tips

1. Use a modern IDE such as Eclipse.
2. Content Assist (or Code Completion, tab completion, Intellisense, etc.)  Content assist provides you with a list of suggested completions for partially entered strings. In Eclipse type something in the editor window and then ctrl-space. (e.g in Eclipse: Preferences->Java->Editor->Content Assist->Advanced)
3. Code Templates: For example, type sysout and then ctrl-space and it spits out System.out.println(); with the cursor in the right spot. Type "for" ctrl-space and get a for...loop, type "try" ctrl-space and get a try...catch block.  (Eclipse: Window->Preferences->Java->Editor->Templates) 
4. Code Generation: Faster Java coding in Eclipse Galileo (IBM), Useful Eclipse Shortcuts (SO) , Eclipse Shortcuts (Vogella)
5. Compiler Warnings: Using Eclipse Java Compiler Errors/Warnings – Improving your code quality, CheckStyle
   
6. Syntax Highlighting
7. Focus (i.e. turn off email, browser, im when possible)
8. Google
9. Dual Monitors
10. Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems
11. Caffeine
12. Debugger Java Debugging With Eclipse (Vogella)
    
13. Sound isolating headphones
14. Design Patterns
15. XML Binding (no need to write DOM and SAX code any more)