While you can deal with Windows bloatware in a variety of ways, one of the fastest, most straightforward methods to uninstall preinstalled apps you don't need is WinGet, a Windows package manager you can use from the command line. All it takes is typing or pasting a few commands, and your PC will be bloat-free in no time.

One of the best things about Waze is also one of the worst. The app lets users report hazards, which are then shared with every other Waze user on the same stretch of road. These alerts can be really useful, but they can quickly get incredibly annoying.

I have a lot of video files scattered between my Plex library and shared folders full of family videos. Some have subtitles, plenty don't, and I wanted an easy way to transcribe them without uploading personal footage to a third-party cloud service. While looking for something that could handle the job locally, I came across Whisperer on GitHub.

Android's default keyboard, Gboard, ships with clever predictions and slick design, but it also ships with a permanent connection to Google's servers. HeliBoard, a free and open-source alternative, actually makes a pretty good case for a replacement.

Linux has changed dramatically since the early days of the kernel. Desktops have gone from X11 environments with primitive window managers to polished graphical shells. Containers, cloud computing, virtualization, and immutable operating systems have transformed how people deploy Linux. Even the hardware running Linux today would have seemed extraordinary to many of its earliest users.

My current phone, a Pixel 10 Pro, is the first phone I've ever owned that packs 256GB of storage space. Almost six months into owning it, I've still got plenty of storage left, and I'm in no hurry to free up space. But when I recently looked up how much storage I could free up on it for a piece I was writing, I discovered that Spotify took up almost 15GB of space. This wasn't new, but I completely forgot about it after upgrading to the Pixel.

After years of complaints about how little you could customize the Windows Start menu, Microsoft is finally overhauling it in the 26H2 update. In reality, though, they are only catching up to something an open-source app figured out years ago. Meet Flow Launcher, a keyboard-first app launcher that is superior to the current Start menu from all directions.

Google Lens tends to get catalogued as a way to figure out how to identify plants or translate a menu while traveling. That's true, but it can do a lot more than that. You don't need to wonder about stuff or run vague Google searches to figure it out; Google Lens is basically Google search on your phone.

I've used PuTTY for years. It's a great program that has lasted this long because it does one thing really well. When I need to connect to another computer over SSH, PuTTY gets the job done without a lot of extra stuff getting in the way. I know how it works, I trust it, and I've never had much reason to replace it.

An operating system is only as good as the apps you can run on it, but some apps go beyond that and end up defining the operating system. You seek them out, usually on day one of setting up a new PC, because Windows just feels incomplete without them. Here are three such apps that are so good that they define their entire categories — earning them the title of “greatest of all time.”

Microsoft included a number of really helpful features and tools in past versions of Windows that many users came to love. While some of these utilities have survived the transition to Windows 11, others were left by the wayside. Some even made it to Windows 11, only to be retired in one of its subsequent updates. Here are some of my favorite classic Windows tools that are missing from Windows 11, with the latest version of Windows still lacking equivalent features.

Most of us put a lot of thought into the big applications we base our workflows around — the video editors, the note-taking apps, the image editors — and almost none into the system-facing apps we use every day. However, those applications make up a huge chunk of our day-to-day experience and deserve more thought than they get. This is especially true right now, as tons of high-quality free and open-source apps have emerged that easily offer a better experience than most of your system defaults. Here are three such FOSS apps to replace your Windows defaults.

Android's NFC reader does more than tap to pay. Held against the right tag or accessory, it can do a ton of stuff. Here are just some things you can do that will immediately improve your experience.

Unless you own a Google Pixel phone with the built-in Now Playing feature, you have to use Shazam to recognize songs playing around you, right? Well, actually, no. Many Android phones have access to Google's built-in Song Search feature, which is almost as good as Now Playing and Shazam.

Microsoft's PowerToys suite of Windows utilities, which you can download from GitHub or install through the Microsoft Store, has earned a reputation as a tool designed for — and used exclusively by — Windows power users. But the reality is more nuanced.

Our Samsung Galaxy phones get better with each update, but sometimes the best features are completely hidden or don't get talked about enough. A prime example is the powerful "Finder" app feature that apparently Samsung doesn't want you to know about. Better yet, you can now put it right on your home screen.

Conventional wisdom says that if something costs money, it's probably better than a free alternative. However, that logic completely falls apart when it comes to software — especially with free and open-source software (FOSS). The space has matured to the point where many free apps don't just compete with their paid counterparts — they beat them outright. Here are my top five picks for legendary open-source software that give their expensive paid alternatives a run for their money.

I've had problems with Android notifications arriving late for years. Usually, it's not a huge deal—if someone needs me urgently, they'll just call instead of texting me.

Google has a reputation for shutting down some of its most useful and well-loved apps. Over the years, countless users have watched services that became part of their daily routines suddenly get pushed aside. It’s a running joke at this point: just when a Google app or service finally gets some momentum, Google is ready to pull the plug.

It’s no secret that offline maps are one of the best features of Google Maps. That doesn’t mean it’s the best overall, though. OsmAnd Maps is an excellent open-source alternative with a lot more to offer when it comes to offline navigation.