Apps I'm using in 2023

Nov 8, 2023

tech 100DaysToOffload

Reading time: 3 minutes

I saw a post from Dustin, who saw a post from someone else, who probably saw a post from someone else about writing up which apps and services you are currently using. So let’s jump on the hype train while it is rolling and see which apps I am using!

Remember when apps used to be called programs? And phones were used to talk to people? Anyway, here’s my list:

  • 💾 Operating System: Arch Linux (desktop), LineageOS (mobile)
  • 📨 Mail provider: Mailbox.org, as well as GMX.de and WEB.de for legacy email addresses (all are German providers)
  • 📬 Mail client: Thunderbird (desktop), K9 Mail (mobile)
  • 🗒 Notes: Obsidian
  • 📅 Calendar: Mailbox.org calendar, synced to Android and Thunderbird
  • 📰 RSS reader: sfeed and some python-fu around it to generate a website (like this)
  • 🌐 Browser: Firefox (desktop), DuckDuckGo (mobile)
  • 🔖 Bookmarks: I spread them everywhere and never find them again. Please help!
  • 💬 Chat (mobile): Signal, Threema, Whatsapp
  • 💬 Chat (desktop): Nchat for Whatsapp, HexChat for IRC
  • 📔 Reading: Tolino Shine 2hd
  • 🎧 Music: iPod Classic, Winamp (desktop), RadioDroid (mobile, for Radio), Vinyl and CDs
  • 🎙 Podcasts: AntennaPod
  • 🎥 Youtube: Invidious if possible
  • 🔐 Password Manager: Keepassxc
  • 💵 Personal Finance Tracking: Excel sheet I found somewhere online more than a decade ago, converted to odt
  • 📊 Word processing, Spreadsheet: Libre Office
  • 📝 Editor: Obsidian for .md, vim for system files and quick edits, VS Code OSS for coding
  • ☁️ Cloud: Syncthing

And I believe that’s it, that is most of the stuff I use on a regular basis.

I try to stick to open source software and privacy friendly services wherever possible (unfortunately, there is just no escaping WhatsApp…) as well as keeping my data and files mostly local. I might miss out on some integration features by not using the Google/Apple/Microsoft/Amazon digital prisons ecosystems, but that is okay. I have survived 41 years on this planet without them, and I’m sure I will do fine in the future, too.

The thorn in my side here is of course WhatApp, where I’m firmly locked in without much chance of escaping. I’m hoping for the Digital Markets Act of the EU enforcing some interoperability, maybe then Meta will be forced to open the service up at least a little.

But that’s a topic for another day.

Post 013/100 of the 100DaysToOffload-Challenge