Been awhile since I saw a thread like this and they’re always good for at least one or two things I’ve never heard of before. Bonus points if the software is open source and cross platform. Extra bonus points if you link to where we can see it/get it.
My contribution: Destiny which is an anonymous, P2P, E2EE file sharing app - its basically a GUI for a Magic Wormhole implementation. Works on Linux (tarball or appimage), Win, Mac, Android (inc f-droid) and iOS. Only downside is it’s not been updated for 2 years.
I’m surprised how many people don’t know about a Linux utility called “fuck”. When you make a mistake on the command line and get an error, you just type “fuck” and it looks at what happened and suggests a fix. If this looks correct - and it almost always is - you just hit Enter and it types that in for you. Best thing ever!
ClickBook - dunno if it’s even available anymore, but like 20 years ago it was either a standalone or add-on that formatted Word docs for printing. I think it cost $35. You could lay out say a tri-fold brochure or a folded-in-half and stapled booklet and it would rotate, combine and print the pages in the correct order. My wife and I used it endlessly to produce publications for our kids’ school. If your printer could only print on one side, there was a quick setup procedure that would would figure out how you should rotate or flip the stack of pages to do the second side. I haven’t used Word in years so for all I know it might have these capabilities natively now, but in its time ClickBook was probably the most worth-it program I ever bought.
Pixelorama, a good, open-source pixel art program
Freedom - https://freedom.to/
A very powerful cross platform website/app blocker with a lifetime membership option. Works well for blocking multiple fediverse domains.
sl is a classic command line program for something harmlessly pointless
calibre for digital library software (cataloging books/docs/articles)
Comic book reader, it’s a cbz/CBR comic book archive reader that tries to do the panel/smart auto zoom that used to be a part of comixology until Amazon bought it to kill it as competition to their shitty books app
https://www.sportismygame.app/ Helped me get of my fat ass and move every once in a while
A windows app that shows you the space things are taking up on your computer so you can easily delete them. Usually helps me clear out a ton of space.
dua-cli is good for this.
I prefer WizTree. It’ll show you space usage, but you can also search for files, and it’s incredibly fast.
LocalSend is open-source and great for file transfer (or even just sending text) between my devices.
Never occurred to me to even look for such a thing!
Everything, the only thing that makes Windows usable.
For Windows users, I want to recommend PowerToys: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/
The “toys” that I use a lot are: PowerToys Awake: to keep my laptop awake even if I’m away from keyboard for a while.
Fancy Zones: to create my own layout of windows, especially on the ultra-wide monitor I have at work, it’s easy to have 3 smaller windows next to each other according to my layout.
Mouse Utilities, I often can’t find my mouse cursor, just pressing a hotkey will literally spotlight the cursor.
Quick Accent, especially for multi-lingual people this is really handy, though it takes a bit to get used to its working.
FancyZones is literally the only thing I’m missing from Windows after switching to Linux. I’ve looked around stack and reddit but have only found posts asking for that functionality, haven’t found a solution. Is there a DE/window manager/etc that has similar functionality?
I use fancy zones, and also the one that finds your mouse cursor as I’m always losing it, and the always on top mode for when I don’t want a teams call to vanish while I do something else
Be like me, just make your mouse cursor neon green and huge.
URLCheck on Android. Displays a popup on opening links allowing editing the URL before opening (with such features as removing chosen parameters with one button), applying transformations like Shitter→Nitter, http→https, sharing the URL, copying and selecting the application to open the URL in. Oh, and if you decide to open in Firefox or Fennec, you have the option to open in the incognito mode. Can’t imagine using Android without it now. Absolute gamechanger
From the store, or else where???
F-Droid. IzzyOnDroid has a tad quicker releases
https://logseq.com/ a personal knowledge base with markdown and has a whiteboard feature. I live in this program now. From daily little notes and reminders to full on script writing. It’s a little clunky but it works with my brain. Other similar programs are notion, obsidian and anytype.
I can second logseq but it has a bit of a steep learning curve. Not impossible but you have to learn how logseq wants you to use their software and then it becomes powerful.
What’s your take on how they want you to use their software? I throw down bullet points in the journal, tag them with big overarching themes, and link to old journal entries sometimes. Am I missing something important?
I’m used to journaling by topic but Logseq wants you to journal by date. So you start by journalling on the date saying you’re working on
x
and then you link tox
and then put details there.It’s a bit round about it you’re not used to it.
It’s an android app that uses your display to make a “glow” to light a room rather than using the camera flash like a torch.
It’s in F-Droid.
Obviously the camera flash is more powerful if you’re outside or whatever, but using the display this way is way better inside. That tiny little dazzling pin-prick of light is just… unpleasant.
With candle you can also set whatever color you like. Red is nice to avoid waking people or ruining night vision.
I discovered this app when we had twins and waking up to nurse them overnight. Gonna sound weird if you’ve not been through this but basically they won’t really wake up they make a gentle sooky noise, and you put a bottle or boob in their mouth and they suckle while they sleep. If you turn a light on they’re gonna wake up which is sub-optimal.
This is the first app in this thread that made me go “I need this!” and immediately downloaded it!
Thanks!
It’s weird how much i like this app.
It’s free / open, solves a problem elegantly, and I use it all the time.
One of the first type programs I got when i got an original iPad touch. Loved it!
If any of you still aren’t using YT Revanced… why?! So yeah, that one, cause God knows my limit for insipid and repetitive ads is extremely small.
Because I don’t watch videos on my phone.
YouTube has broken uBlock and Firefox. Still works on Edge, but I’d rather not switch browsers back and forth. Yes, I’ve cleared my cache.
Anyone?
Is it because of your religion or…?
I’d like to add grayjay
Oooh, thanks for the recs!