The Vivaldi browser is based on Chromium (like most other browsers these days) and is available for a multitude of platforms. The appeal of Vivaldi is its power user features not found in competing software. I take a look at Vivaldi 2.9.
Bandizip is a useful file compression and extractor utility
Bandizip is a file archiver that can compress and extract in a variety of formats which include .zip, .rar, .7z, and way more than I can list. It was only available for Windows for many years, but there is now a Mac version as well. It’s got a few useful features that make it stand out from the endless list of other software in this category.
Nano Adblocker is the best ad blocker for browsers
Nano Adblocker is an ad blocking extension for Chrome. Used in conjunction with the support extension Nano Defender, you will never run into advertising on the web again. Find out why I recommend Nano over uBlock Origin and Adblock Plus. Edit: I no longer recommend it because the extension was SOLD and is now considered malware.
Cryptee is a private Google Docs and Evernote
Cryptee is a private Google Docs or Evernote that works in the cloud. It also has private photo storage for those not wanting to trust Google, Facebook, or others with their data. Let’s take a look and see what how it works.
OurGroceries is a shopping list service for mobile and web
OurGroceries is available for iOS, Android, smart assistants (Alexa/Google) and the web, making it a really convenient way to keep a shopping list and share it with others. See why it’s a great choice for sharing your lists.
Bitwarden is an open source password manager that’s free
Let’s be real, there is no shortage of password managers on the market. Some are paid while others are free. Bitwarden is mostly free with some bonus features as an affordable premium option. As a person that was always hesitant to start using a password manager, let’s look at why I took the plunge and now rely on it for all my passwords, credit cards, and secure notes.
Outlook Mobile gives Gmail users dark mode and more
Outlook Mobile for Android and iOS is the best Gmail alternative that features a dark mode. Seeing Microsoft become friendly with all platforms and services has been quite a change from how things used to be. Let’s take a quick look at Outlook Mobile and see why it’s currently my default mail app of choice.
PDF-XChange Editor is a great free PDF editor
PDF-XChange Editor is a wonderful free piece of software for Windows in an ocean of PDF software editors. There are so many out there it can be difficult to choose and people most likely looking for one only seek them out when they suddenly have a PDF they need to edit or a form to fill out. Let’s take a look at what makes this one the most decent.
WPS Office is the BEST alternative to Microsoft Office
WPS Office is a free and paid alternative to Microsoft Office. It includes support for the three main types of office files: documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. It is available for most major operating systems (Windows, macOS, and Linux), but I am focusing on the Windows release. There are also mobile versions. Let’s take a look and see why WPS Office is the biggest reason you don’t need to spend money on Microsoft Office.
Opera Browser is a feature-filled alternative to Chrome
The Opera browser has been around since 1995, but since that time it has gone through so many changes and is very different than how it was in the 90s or even the 2000s. I take a look at Opera 65 and see how it fares against competing web browsers.