The internet can be akin to a vast wasteland – full of waste. I kid, I kid. Seriously though, the internet is truly like a vast wilderness wasteland where one can easily get lost without proper navigation tools. This is especially true for those that are not technologically inclined. I consider myself pretty tech-savvy but I still find myself constant scratching my head whenever I encounter weird computer stuff from time to time.
But one pros of the advancement of technology is that it’s also become easier for experts to spread knowledge onto others. Just as the internet has saved my arse plenty of times with all the tips and tutorials available on YouTube, I want to pass this blessing along to others.
In this post and in future ones as this will probably become a series (because there are plenty of software that come to mind), I will list some of the tools that I personally use to help me navigate my way through the vast wasteland that is the World Wide Web. Some of these tools (mostly apps) were recommended by credible tech sites and YouTube channels I trust, while others I discovered by myself (note: some of these tools are for Desktop and laptop computers, some for mobile devices).
Windscribe (VPN)
I’m not going to explain in-depth what a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is. Go read about it here or watch Linus of Linus Tech Tips explain what a VPN is here.
A VPN essentially masks your IP address so that you appear to be somewhere else. This is useful if you’re using public WiFi, or if you want only anonymity, or want to protect yourself from snooping eyes (hackers?), or… and most importantly…. allows you to access online content that’s not available for your geographic location (i.e. Netflix U.S. shows that aren’t available because you live in France, among others).
VPN can also be used, in theory, for… unscrupulous activities such as piracy, allegedly, which I obviously do not condone. Nope, no sir. Who does that? Hmmm.
Now let me get this out of the way: paid VPN is the most ideal one to use since they offer more services. But there are plenty of good free VPN’s as well. Personally, I use Windscribe for the superficial reason that they’re based in Malaysia. Of course I’m supporting my Southeast Asian neighbors over those western companies.
And anyway, Windscribe provides very good service. They give you 2GB of data for the month, but if you create a free account with a valid e-mail address, they upgrade that data cap to 10GB a month. This is a pretty good deal for a free VPN. Windscribe also has a premium feature which gives you unlimited data cap, plus more server locations to choose from.
Windscribe is available for both Desktop/laptop computers and mobile devices. I have Windscribe installed on all my devices. Quick note, though: you have to make separate accounts for each device, so better start creating those alternate e-mail accounts!
Vivaldi (web browser)
When we think of Web browsers, the first one that comes to mind is Google Chrome. It is easily the most recognizable one as even non-tech savvy people know it by name. However, it is an infamous resource hog that drains your device of available RAM, which could (and usually will) make your device laggy, especially for people who like to open an ungodly amount of tabs.
‘(Of course all this is moot if you’re a Mac user because, come on, who uses Chrome over Safari lmao)
Enter the alternative:
Vivaldi is a browser created by by the co-founder of the Opera browser. Vivaldi’s main appeal is its customization features that allow you to pimp out your browser to your heart’s desire. From animated GIF backgrounds to interface modification options, Vivaldi allows gives you the ability the show off your personality.
On a more practical note, Vivaldi is not too aggressive when it comes to your RAM, plus it is Chromium-based: meaning Chrome extensions (such as AdBlock Plus, more on that later) can be installed.
I have Vivaldi installed on both Desktop and my phone.
BitWarden (Password Manager/Generator)
In a world where each of us has like 69 different online accounts, it can become confusing to keep track of login credentials. Does my Instagram use (insert e-mail address here) with this password or that password?
Also, coming up with passwords that are easy for us to remember but difficult for others to guess is… difficult. It is simply a hassle. That’s what password managers are for. They store (and encrypt) your credentials for you. Some of them have password generator features as well.
Sure, browsers and apps have built-in password managers, but really, do you trust those companies who can’t even keep hackers from breaching their servers (looking at you Google and Facebook, allegedly) with managing your passwords?
Personally I use BitWarden. I like Bitwarden. It uses end-to-end encryption, meaning only **YOU**, and only you can see your passwords (not even the Bitwarden employees maintaining their servers could see what you enter). Just create an account and enter all your credentials. After that, the only password you need to remember is the master password to log-in to Bitwarden itself. The app logs itself out after 30 minutes of inactivity to prevent any data leak should you accidentally leave the app open on your device for others to see.
Bitwarden also has a password generator that can generate passwords using alpha-numeric and special characters with varied degrees of difficulty (depending on the setting that you entered)
I have Bitwarden installed on all my devices.
DuckDuckGo (search engine, mobile phone web browser)
Like Google Chrome, Google Search has become the colloquial term for “search engine”. When you need to look stuff up on the internet, we often say “I’m gonna Google this first…” Admittedly, Google is hella convenient especially for people in a rush to search for something, Google (like many tech giant companies) isn’t exactly very scrupulous (allegedly, don’t sue me Google) with your personal data. Just Google something and I assure you, you will get a boatload of ads related to that thing afterwards. It can become annoying.
Enter DuckDuckGo. It’s data collecting practices are exactly the opposite of Google (and other tech companies). What this means is that your search results generally aren’t influenced by your previous searches and activities on other apps. This is ideal for people who value privacy and those who do not want to be bombarded by ads (of stuff you just searched for).
Public Service Announcement: there is a DuckDuckGo extension (available on the Chrome extension store) that grades the privacy practices of the website you’re visiting. They gave Google a D and Facebook a C+ lmao.
DuckDuckGo also has a Web browser for mobile devices. The best part is that it has a built-in ad blocker because we all know how annoying ads can be when visiting websites on a smaller screen. I have DuckDuckGo as my default search engine on Vivaldi, and I have a DuckDuckGo browser on my phone (to compliment Vivaldi).
And speaking of ad blockers…
AdBlock Plus (ad blocker)
Ads are the lifeblood of companies behind the websites they visit. Ad-revenue is how websites make money – we all know this. But ads can be annoying for the end-user like you and I. Whether they’re pop-up ads that appear when we accidentally click a link, or video ads that auto-start when we visit a site, the consensus is that they’re a hassle. That’s why the good internet people from the past invented ad blockers.
Ad blockers are browser extensions that you can install on your browser to stop ads from appearing. There are plenty of ad blockers but personally, I use AdBlock Plus simply because it works for me from the get-go. Yes, it blocks even YouTube ads. It’s been a while that I haven’t experienced the hassle of having to waste 5 seconds at the start of a viceo waiting for the “Skip ad” button to appear. Or that nonsense where ads appear in the middle of the video.
But like I said earlier, ads are the lifeblood of companies behind websites, which is why some would politely ask you (on the home page) that you disable your ad blocker so that they gain ad revenue during your visit to their site. Generally, I comply when I visit sites I truly like as my way of supporting them. In other instances, I just ignore their pleas because I know they’re giant multinational companies that wouldn’t get hurt if their ad-revenue dipped (looking at you, NBA.com).
Unfortunately, ad blockers are only available for Desktop and laptop computers. There are no ad blockers for mobile devices as far as I know. The aforementioned DuckDuckGo mobile browser is the closest thing to one.
Bonus: Install a pop-up blocker to pair with your ad blocker. These are also browser extensions that you can install on your browser. They pair up well with ad-blockers. As the name suggests, pop up blockers block pop ups, which are extremely common in the… shadier websites… that people visit for perfectly normal reasons.
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