10 privacy-friendly Big Tech alternatives

Amazon uses your Alexa voice commands to train its AI, Dropbox had a breach in April that exposed customers’ passwords, and apps like Facebook and Google make billions of dollars gathering and sharing every little detail about you. I could go on (and on).

Luckily for you, there are privacy-friendly alternatives. Here are some proven ones.

1. Instead of Dropbox …

Try Nextcloud. It does everything Dropbox does (including end-to-end file encryption) but gives you total control. You can even host your own server for free at home.

2. Instead of Google Docs or Microsoft 365 …

Try Joplin. It’s a document app that keeps your files encrypted and stored in open formats, so you can take them anywhere without anyone snooping.

3. Instead of Google Keep or Apple Notes … 

Try Notesnook. It’s end-to-end encrypted and lets you export to other apps. Unlike some companies, Notesnook won’t use your stuff to train an AI chatbot.

4. Instead of Google Photos or Apple Photos …

Try Ente, a free photo storage app that backs up your data in multiple locations and scrambles it with a password for maximum security. Ente doesn’t use your pics for AI machine learning, either, like Google Photos and Apple Photos both do.

5. Instead of Apple Home or Google Home …

Try Home Assistant. It’s an open-source smart home hub that works with just about every smart home device out there. The best part? You can manage everything from your browser or phone — no need for home apps that collect your data … and voice … and schedule … and shopping habits …

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Antivirus comparison: Which option is best for your PC or Mac?

If you browse the internet regularly, you can’t get around the fact that you need antivirus software. Viruses can pop up in unexpected places, and you want your device to be able to fight one off if it appears.

Dangerous malware making the rounds is what makes having antivirus software protecting you so critical. But what’s the best antivirus software for a Mac or Windows computer? Keep reading to see the best options.

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🖌️ Formatting tip: A neat shortcut in Microsoft Word, Google Docs and pretty much every major word-processing and other office software is the paintbrush icon. Find a place in your document that has the formatting you want — think font, sizing, spacing and color — then click the paintbrush. Highlight that area, then click and drag it over the part of your doc you want to change to match the source.

File taxes for free

Open/download audio

Ditch expensive tax software! The IRS lets millions file for free. Here’s how to set it all up. 

🚗 Wow, 300,000 recalled: Some Honda and Acura models have software issues that can cause you to stall out while driving. Select Subaru, Toyota and Lexus models have major faults, too. Don’t wait for a letter in the mail. Run your VIN through the NHTSA database. It takes just a sec to make sure your ride is safe.

Trivia

Around this date 41 years ago, Microsoft released its very first software application. Was it … A.) Flight Simulator, B.) Excel, C.) Notepad or D.) Word?

Find the answer here!

$50 per year

To use a $900 camera as a webcam. A photographer had the bright idea to use his fancy Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II digital camera for video meetings. When he plugged it in, nothing. Then, he found the reason on Canon’s site: It’s $5 per month or $50 per year for the software. Shutter up.

Sick of QuickBooks? There’s a better way!

Stop fighting with spreadsheets and trying to figure out what the heck you did with last year’s inventory list. I have the solution — my sponsor, NetSuite by Oracle.

You get visibility and control of your financials, inventory, HR, planning, budgeting, and more — all from one easy dashboard. Don’t just take my word for it — over 37,000 businesses already use NetSuite.

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Secrets to growing your business quickly

I’m proud to say that I built my multimillion-dollar enterprise with no debt and no investors. It’s rewarding for me to help the many small business owners who call and need a hand getting their company off the ground or breaking past a big hurdle. I’ve been there myself.

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😳 I pass gas: Auto software provider Cariad leaked the location data for 800,000 electric vehicles. We’re talking owners’ names and the movements of politicians, cops and business big-shots driving Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda EVs — all wide open for months. They say nothing was accessed before they patched it, but I’m not buying it.

Keep this in mind: The 2025 predictions from the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center aren’t pretty. The cybercrime job market is booming, with postings for “software testers” all over the Dark Web. Get this: 12% of identity theft victims who contacted the nonprofit for help in 2024 shared thoughts about ending their lives because the impacts of the theft were so devastating. If this is ever you, do me a favor and call 988 or go here.

Putting the “AI” in “encyclopedia”: Britannica isn’t a dusty bookmaker killed by Wikipedia. The billion-dollar company now creates AI-powered customer service tools and websites that get 7 billion views a year. They’re also developing AI-driven educational software. Other companies, take note: This is how you adapt.

Rental spikes, exposed: Landlords are using AI tools to drive up rent prices. Take RealPage: Its software lets them input lease info, pool it with data from other landlords and use an algorithm to recommend (usually higher) rent prices, even when the market trends downward. San Francisco has already banned AI rent-setting software, and more cities are drafting similar laws.

Battle of the betas: Be the first to try Motorola’s and Samsung’s AI features, now in beta. Motorola’s upgrades include notification summaries and meeting transcriptions; Samsung’s update includes call transcriptions, AI writing tools and a revamped camera interface. The betas are open for Razr, Edge and Galaxy S24 smartphones. Have fun! Just remember, beta software glitches out sometimes.

Reader question: 'What can I use instead of QuickBooks?'

If you’re a business owner, you don’t need us to tell you that running a business is tough. Don’t let QuickBooks and spreadsheets slow you down, making things more complicated than necessary. It’s time to upgrade to our sponsor NetSuite.

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Hardware nerds are snapping up old Redbox DVD machines: They’re figuring out how they work and trying to release the movies still inside. But there’s a weird issue — nobody can get the 1996 disaster flick “Twister” out. It’s a problem across all kiosks, with theories ranging from a licensing dispute to a software glitch. What in the hail?

This tool is 99% effective against malware

Too many cybercriminals are trying to worm their way into your system and steal from you. Even the most tech-savvy folks can be fooled. You don’t even need to click anything to download malware anymore.

That’s why you need powerful software to sniff out malicious files. I trust my sponsor, TotalAV. It’s simple to install and use, and it’s received the VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples for the last three years in a row. (Yeah, that’s a big deal.)

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🎤 AI’s got talent: A software architect posted a delightful duet with OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode (AVM). With it, the man and the chatbot performed The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” Usually, AVM won’t sing due to built-in copyright guidelines, but the guy found a loophole — he turned it into a game, strumming four pop chords and asking if the bot recognized the song. After a few rounds, the bot unexpectedly started singing along. The video is amazing.

💰 Google paid $2.7 billion to get back an employee: Software engineer Noam Shazeer quit in 2021 after Google refused to release a chatbot he developed (paywall link). He went on to found Character.AI, and now Google’s shelling out to license the tech. How’d you like to explain this to the Board of Directors?

Hackers are targeting VPN wireless routers: ASUS, TP-Link, Zyxel and Ruckus have already been hit. How it works: They break in, infect your router with malware, then use it to infect others. Warning signs you’re part of a botnet: Weird PC behavior, slow speeds when your internet is working fine, and strange emails and messages you didn’t send. Keep your router updated and run antivirus software.