Google offers some very convenient and highly advanced software—there's no doubt about that—but it comes at the cost of pervasive user tracking. Not everyone is comfortable with that, and some of those who have yet to ditch Google surely have a nagging sense of unease, knowing their private lives are logged, monitored, tracked, and profiled. You can do something about it, and learning about great alternatives is a start.

Passwords are a problem. Not only have they reached a point where a "strong" password is one no human can remember (much less remember dozens of them), but they simply aren't as secure as they need to be. Passkeys combine a public and private cryptographic key pair with local authentication such as a fingerprint or facial scan. The device can prove its identity beyond doubt, and the assumption is that only you can unlock it.

Are you looking for a private, alternative search engine? Google is king, but its rivals are quickly catching up. With the recent general shift toward privacy awareness, perhaps one of them is right for you.

Google just gave you a new account login option to help escape the maze of password resets and recovery contacts. The company has introduced a selfie video sign-in feature that can get you in even when you're locked out or using a different device.

Adobe Acrobat now lets WhatsApp Web and Windows users open and annotate PDFs inside a chat, removing the usual download-first routine while retaining password protection and end-to-end encryption.

There are hundreds of productivity apps out there, and I think that's part of the problem. A productivity app is just a system—a means to an end, not the end itself. If any of these apps actually delivered, we wouldn't need hundreds of them. The sheer number suggests something fundamental is missing, which is why people keep hopping between them, hoping the next one will finally be the answer. I was one of those people, and I'm happy to say I've finally figured it out—and it has nothing to do with apps or any digital product at all.