I never use my Pixel phone without these powerful open-source apps
Parth Shah May 30, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Parth, a seasoned tech writer, wields the keyboard (or pen) with finesse to unravel the intricacies of both Windows and Mac operating systems…
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I switched from VS Code's marketplace to Open VSX, and Microsoft's is the one falling behind
…require offline access or internal curation of extensions. OpenVSX is truly open source And has almost every extension you need, with a few exceptions Unlike Microsoft’s marketplace, Open VSX operates under…
I finally started using Capacities, and I should have sooner
Parth Shah Apr 29, 2026, 9:31 AM EDT Parth, a seasoned tech writer, wields the keyboard (or pen) with finesse to unravel the intricacies of both Windows and Mac operating systems…
Most smart home problems aren't automation problems, they're network problems in disguise
…When both routers operate on the same Wi-Fi channel, those smart devices retransmit, leading to packet loss. The router’s default “auto” setting is how every house around you uses channel…
Plex stopped being worth it, so I switched to this open-source alternative instead
…While it originated on a device with an Ethernet port, it was designed as offline-first and has remained so even today. It supports almost any digital media you can think of…
Trying to self-host LLMs made me realize local AI has a friction problem, not a quality problem
…For normal people who just want a good offline chatbot, even a basic question like "Will this run well on my system?" won't have a clean answer. You could end up…
I’ve used Plex for years and didn’t realize these 4 features existed
…DLNA operates entirely within the local network and does not require internet access for streaming content between devices. Plex Home and Managed Users You can create up to 15 managed users Plex…
I replaced five smart home hubs with a $30 Zigbee dongle and never looked back
…Despite the dongle being cheap enough, it's only the ears; the software is the real brain behind the operation. In order to get this off the ground, you will need to…
Gemini for Home sounds impressive until you realize Home Assistant already does it better
…Sign in to your XDA account In April 2026, Google moved Gemini from a mobile assistant to the operating system of the home . It's gone from being very difficult to use…
Ollama is still the easiest way to start local LLMs, but it's the worst way to keep running them
…C No data — inference runs entirely offline D Encrypted conversation logs stored for 30 days Exactly! Once a model is downloaded, Ollama operates entirely offline. Your prompts, responses, and conversation history never…