Asklemmy

Windows: PowerToys. First thing I get approval to install on a work machine. PowerToys Run (Launchy on roids) saves me from the built in Windows search, a quick calculator, etc. PowerRename gets used more frequently than I care to admit. Video Conference mute is a second nature key combination. Can't remember the name of the window manager module but it is a key part of my workflow.

Android: As I've mentioned in a reply, Edge Gestures has been on my phone for years (first installed on a Pixel 3). Having 10+ apps accessible (especially 2FA, password vault, home assistant) from any screen, plus gestures for quick controls (flashlight, brightness slider) is incredibly handy. And unlike the notification shade, the edges of the phone can actually be reached with your thumb.

Linux: Docker. It's been an instrumental part of building out my home server which allowed me to kill my Microsoft 365 & Google One subscriptions. For me it has been the gateway drug in to learning more and more about self hosting - to Proxmox, LXCs & VMs, pihole and unbound, etc.

Firefox, emacs, restic backup, bitwarden, linux/bsd

I think vim (and other text editors with vim bindings). I've gotten so accustomed to the vim way of doing things that I can't go back

Newpipe

Joplin because I struggled for years with a consistent way to keep and refer to notes that I could find easily at a moment's notice and access from any device, anywhere.

(Please don't tell me about how you use a text editor and markdown in your home directory Like GH* INTENDED because I tried that FOR A DECADE and it didn't work for me. I'm old and cranky. Get off my lawn! :)

NAND gate

I've gotten very used to this little free app called Audio Switcher that makes it way easier to switch back and forth between speakers and my headphones.

At this point Everything Search is goated.

KDE. Been using it since v3, tried various other systems like Gnome, Enlightenment, XFCE etc. and I've always been coming back to it. KDE just feels very intuitive and easy to use.

Browser, I guess? Without one you'd be back to early 1990s home computing.

Irfanview. Quick easy very low fuss image viewer / low level editor

Advanced renamer.

Shove-it, an ancient Windows utility by Phord Software that shoves any half-offscreen windows back onto the monitor so that you can get to all the gadgets. Phenomenally useful. First thing I install on any new build.

Web browser

OpenSSH

My first thought is that my work requires office365 mail and my discovery that davmail exists has been a godsend. I'm not going to install outlook on my linux pc, so being able to check those emails using any client (claws in my case) is a massive convenience upgrade from relying on firefox to login.

Git

Twenty, even fifteen years ago I would've said Windows Notepad / vim. Now I rarely use basic text editors.

I don't think there's any technology that can never be superseded.

For my work, Bluebeam.

On my laptop/desktop, for now I'd say Strawberry Music Player because I like playing/listening to the audio files I've stored locally on them.

For my phone, it's currently Auxio for the same reason.

These are subject to change if I find something better.

Encryption.

Currently, Notesnook and Proton Pass.

Jellyfin, NZB360, HortusFox, HomeAssistant (soon), Docker?

Linux. Luckily we have such a great FLOSS kernel to free is from the Gates and the Jobs of this world.

Neutron Music Player for Android. Yes the UI is outdated, but the efficiency and feature set cannot be beat. It's so efficient on battery life compared to both streaming music services like Spotify, or any other local music player Android app. And the feature set is incredible. The full parametric equalizer, built in frequency response correction for almost any headphone model you can name, volume normalisation, EQ presets, direct USB access to USB DACs to bypass Android volume or format limitations, crossfeed for headphones, and that's just what I can think of now. I'm sure there are more features I haven't even used yet.

Gvim. I even write documents in it and then paste them into Word for final formatting.

Paint.NET

Ditto clipboard manager Xmbc Explorer patcher Moonlight sunshine Everything search Wiztree Altsnap Powertoys KiTTY

Nextcloud.

Does everything from GSuite that I need it to, but without looking through everything I upload, and analyzing it for advertising and other purposes that I wouldn't consent to.

PaintTool SAI 1 is my beloved, I don't care how old it is, I love it and it's just so comfy to me!

For those who may be wondering, PaintTool SAI is a lightweight drawing program developed by Systemax Software that was released in 2008. The "SAI" part of its name is unrelated to AI, and is an acronym for Systemax Advanced Illustrator. It was developed by one person, Koji Komatsu, and he runs Systemax all by himself. What a guy!