Tech Satori

There are often times when someone cannot afford to or does not want to pay a premium for "industry standard" software. Then they find out about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) that people say is an alternative to the premium/proprietary software they need to use. In fact, I have even made lists of software that are great alternatives to such paid software, available at no cost. So, even I am guilty of misleading you (consumers) with FOSS. Let's begin with the cold, harsh truth about FOSS that most of its advocates won't tell you when recommending alternatives to paid software: "No FOSS software is a true alternative to any paid software." Now, I'm not accusing anyone of spreading misinformation. In fact, most FOSS software really are great alternatives to paid software, but (extra emphasis on the but), they aren't direct alternatives to paid software; they are alternatives to people's needs. Let me elaborate on this statement. When we nerd...

 A while ago I made a list of free PC apps that were worth checking out . But, as big of a PC nerd as I am, I can't deny the fact that most people spend more time on their smartphones than on PC. With the rise of efficient and free AI, almost anyone with basic programming knowledge can create apps for Android withing days. That's where the issue of free Android apps becomes obvious. Google play store is flooded with hundreds of apps that serve the same purpose. Now, one might ask, how is that an issue?  The issue isn't the number of similar apps, it's the quality of those apps. Like I said, almost anyone can create an app with the help of AI chatbots. So 90% of those apps are made by non professionals that are only creating them for the sole purpose of making money. The result: millions of frustrated users that are so fed up with ads that they'd rather pay for an premium app than deal with absurd amount of ads shown to them. And that's where this article comes i...

Last year, Hive Systems published research data about how long it would take hackers to crack your password . That data/table made me realize that the strong password I've been using everywhere for years, which is only 9 characters long, can now be cracked in hours with modern hardware. Realistically, it is highly unlikely that a highly skilled hacker would target me specifically, so technically the password is still good to use. But it is a bit concerning that any nerd with knowledge of cryptographic hashing algorithms can brute force my password with a modern computer within 6 hours. Now, you may ask, 'Isn't there some sort of security measures in place by websites themselves for brute force attacks?' Yes, there are. For example, if you repeatedly enter wrong passwords, most websites will send alerts to registered emails and recovery contacts regarding suspicious activity. Bank websites will disable online banking altogether if you enter the wrong password 3 times. Th...

 In 2020, I wrote about Best Free Softwares You Should Try Once . Whilst all the entrants of that list are still pretty solid, I felt like I should introduce few new contenders. So here we go: Note: I have personally tried all of the softwares and tools in this list, so this list is genuine and is a result of years of going back and forth between hundreds of apps. ImageGlass - Lightweight Image Viewer Although Windows provides a free photo viewer and manager, it may feel slow at times, specially on older systems without SSD. ImageGlass is the answer for such people. It is free and open source so no ads or hidden charges. It has been my default photo viewer for about a year now.  Honourable mention : IrfanView While ImageGlass is very responsive, it lacks editing and managing capabilities. Plus it is Windows only software. So other people may find IrfanView more useful. Sumatra PDF - Free and open source PDF viewer Not many people require a dedicated PDF viewer nowadays(specifi...

Most people, when they buy a new PC or smartphone, consider installing few essential softwares. An Antivirus software is often on top 10 of the list. So in this post, I'll try to simplify Viruses and Antivirus for you and give my opinion on who really needs an Antivirus software. What is Virus? Virus is a type of malware(any malicious software is called a malware) that can attach itself to any other software and can replicate itself to infect other files and softwares of the target system. Different kind of Virus can behave differently but most common attributes of a virus is to be able to destroy data, slow down the computer and even log keystrokes.  Why do only Windows users need antivirus? Are Linux and MacOS some kind of 'Super Operating System' that can't be affected by viruses? Usually when it comes to Viruses, only Windows users seems to be worried. It is not like that Mac and Linux users can't get a...

Linux Distros are getting more popular than ever, mainly because people are starting to realize that building your own PC is more economical than buying a pre-built ones. When people used to buy pre-built computers they never cared about cost of operating system because most of them came preloaded with an operating system. Windows 10 official license cost $100-200 depending on the license type. So people started to notice Linux distro, since majority of them are open-source, they cost nothing. You just need to download them, install and start using. On top of that, you don't have to worry about virus and malwares. But Linux ditros have their own ecosystem for softwares. So anyone with a foresight will ask the question, "Should I move to Linux?" Let me try to answer that question in this post. Linux Operating Systems - An Introduction   When we say Linux OS, we are not talking about any specific operating system. The word Linux is commonly used to represent the entire fami...

We're at the times when instead of forcing your kids to go outside and play, we're trying everything we can to keep them inside. Keeping them inside is not a problem but giving them something to pass the time is. If you want to give them something that is not only entertaining but educational as well then these are some softwares and games that you should introduce them to. GCompris Educational Suite This is a great collection of games and activities for kids aged 12 or below. I have personally tested this suite and even I found some activities to be fun. It offers activities for various training purposes, like keyboard and mouse training, arithmetic training, science concepts, memory and reasoning improvement games, etc. It is available for Windows, Linux and Android(tablet is recommended). Get GCompris here . Scratch It was designed for kid...

You got a new PC, got fresh Windows install and now you need some softwares. You may have noticed that all the best softwares are not free. I'm not saying that you're wasting your money on those softwares but some of us don't need all those features that come with the premium softwares. What if you need just few basic features of them? Then paying full premium of that software might seem a little extreme. And acquiring those softwares by "some alternative means" might pose a risk to your system as they could come with viruses and malwares. So if you don't require the full fledged premium software then these free and open source softwares might prove to be more economical option and at the same time, more secure. So here are some softwares that are worth trying  Libre Office It is the biggest competition to Ms-Office for a reason. It supports all the major features of many office suites. If you're not a Ms-Office wizard who does some work with Ms-Office exc...