Applications

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darktable running on macOS.
This open-source Lightroom alternative processes RAW files locally and never asks for a subscription

Why pay when you can get all of this power for free?

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Nextcloud interface on a laptop screen with two Raspberry Pi devices in the background.
Nextcloud replaced half the services in my homelab

Stop running isolated apps in your homelab—Nextcloud does all of it now.

A Windows laptop with the Terminal open.
CLI apps aren't just for Linux—these 5 run fine on Windows too

Windows 11 might not be as great out of the box, but it gets close when you add a few programs.

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Navigation apps logos.
I tested 6 Google Maps alternatives—this is the one I'm sticking with

It's time to move on from Google.

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A laptop screen with an Excel workbook showing a QR code in the center.
I didn't think Excel could handle these 3 tasks—but it did

Excel isn’t just for accountants: it can create folders, generate QR codes, and pull useful information in seconds.

A hand holding a 3D Excel icon alongside an hourglass and a blue alarm clock, against a spreadsheet-themed background.
I made a dynamic Excel timeline in 10 minutes (and you can too)

Transforming a simple line chart into an adaptable timeline is easier than you think.

A man and woman smiling in Darktable.
I canceled Lightroom and tried Darktable—these 4 features won me over

After canceling Lightroom, I found Darktable's approach changes everything.

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The Ollama website open on a laptop.
The 5 coolest open-source projects I've discovered in 2026

Big AI breakthroughs aren't the only interesting things happening.

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Photoshop Featured Image
I thought I knew Photoshop, but these 3 under-appreciated features proved me wrong

Photoshop can be a lot more versatile than you think.

Nextcloud interface on a laptop screen with two Raspberry Pi devices in the background.
Nextcloud is the all-in-one Dropbox replacement that actually works for my entire family

Stop paying for four cloud subscriptions—Nextcloud does it all from your home server.

The PNY Duo Link V3 flash drive plugged into a MacBook Pro sitting on a wooden table with the USB-A side sticking out slightly.
Stop using Rufus to make bootable USBs—this free, open-source alternative makes them far more useful

Your USB drive should be able to store and boot as many operating systems as its storage capacity allows.

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A laptop screen showing a conditionally formatted PivotTable in Microsoft Excel.
I love Excel's PIVOTBY function—but this one feature keeps me using PivotTables

PIVOTBY is great for analysis, but PivotTables still have the edge when formatting needs to adapt to data changes.

A computer monitor showing a website with a white text and a black background.
I tried rebuilding my hand-coded website with Astro—here's what worked and what didn't

My Neocities website was in dire need of a redesign, so I built a new page as a pilot test. Here's what worked and what didn't.

Laptop screen with a customized Quick Access Toolbar in Microsoft Excel.
5 more Excel VBA toolbar shortcuts that work in every spreadsheet I open

These reusable shortcuts handle pasting, navigation, cleanup, indexing, and timestamps from any standard Excel workbook.

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A skewed screenshot of the spotify_player app in a terminal, showing a track playing with a graphic equalizer and a list of tracks below.
I replaced Spotify with a CLI music player and the only thing I missed was the algorithm

This app is perfect for all-day music sessions, when you just want it to get out of the way.

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A new old stock Philips Go Gear on a table with several comic books.
I bought a Philips GoGear MP3 player in 2026, and it changed the way I listen to music at home

I bought an early 2000's MP3 player because I wanted to relive the past. But what I got was something that changed how I listen to music now.

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2014 iMac 5K screen showing OpenCore Legacy Patcher open next to Excel and a Word document with the Microsoft 365 fix article draft.
Microsoft wants me to buy a new Mac—here’s how I fixed it for free

There's life in the old Mac yet.

Laptop showing a personal budget in Excel.
6 Excel features I use in every spreadsheet I create

Many Excel tools are optional extras, but these six are essentials I rely on in every workbook.

MarkText, RustDesk, and Ghostty open on a Windows 11 system with an iPad doing remote desktop.
3 free, open-source apps to replace your defaults this weekend (July 10-12)

It's time to replace the apps you're only using out of habit with better free and open-source alternatives.

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A laptop with a blank Microsoft Excel workbook displayed on screen.
3 Excel projects you can finish in 15 minutes this weekend (July 10-12)

Create an in-cell dashboard, a password auditor, and a digital dice roller using surprisingly simple Excel formulas.

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