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FREE Apps We ACTUALLY Use | What's On Our (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows)
The Studio
Overview
This video explores a curated list of free applications across various platforms (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows) that the creators find valuable for productivity, entertainment, and daily life. The presenters share personal favorites, explaining why each app is useful and how it enhances their workflow or leisure. Categories include games, productivity tools, creative software, and unique utility apps, with a focus on practical applications and the benefits of using free, often open-source, software. The discussion highlights how these tools can be integrated into everyday routines, from managing tasks and notes to creative endeavors and even tracking personal habits.
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Chapters
- The video will showcase a variety of free apps across different categories.
- The presenters will share their personal favorite apps and explain their utility.
- The focus is on apps that are genuinely used and provide significant value.
Understanding what free tools others find useful can help you discover new ways to improve your own digital life and workflows without incurring costs.
The presenters mention that if you can drive, read, create, or poop, there's a free app for you, setting a broad scope for the recommendations.
- Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket is a collecting game where players open virtual card packs twice daily.
- Belly is an app for food lovers to list desired restaurants and explore curated top lists, also allowing users to rank places they've visited.
- Sonora Town is highlighted as an underrated restaurant in LA known for its tacos.
- Angry Birds is mentioned as a classic game that still holds appeal.
Discovering engaging free games and social/discovery apps can provide entertainment and help you explore new interests, like dining or collecting.
One presenter expresses dedication to Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, stating they'll play it 'forever until I die,' illustrating personal engagement.
- Focus Friend is an app designed to help users avoid phone distractions by locking the device, rewarding users with virtual items (like knitted goods) for sustained focus.
- Roads is an app similar to restaurant-sharing apps like Belly, but for sharing favorite driving routes.
- The local public library app (e.g., Brooklyn Public Library app) offers access to a vast collection of free digital resources, including books and audiobooks.
- Blip is a peer-to-peer file-sharing alternative to services like Dropbox or WeTransfer, designed for transferring large files between computers without cloud storage, and importantly, without allowing AI training on user data.
- Obsidian is a versatile, cross-platform note-taking app favored for its simplicity compared to more complex alternatives like Notion, useful for organizing personal and work information across devices.
These tools offer practical solutions for managing digital distractions, organizing information, and sharing files securely, which are crucial for both personal efficiency and professional work.
Blip is presented as a solution to privacy concerns with other file-sharing services, specifically mentioning the shift away from WeTransfer due to its updated terms of service allowing AI training on user data.
- Arc Search is a mobile browser noted for its simplicity and syncing capabilities with the desktop version, despite its uncertain future.
- Poopmap is a humorous app for users to record and share their bathroom experiences and ratings, with data analysis presented on their website.
- Bitwarden is an open-source password manager recommended for its cross-platform availability and security.
- Raycast is a powerful macOS spotlight alternative that enhances computer search and offers a vast ecosystem of free extensions for various tasks, from file conversion to window management.
- Cal.com provides a free, flexible scheduling tool that integrates with various calendars and services, offering a cost-effective alternative to paid calendar management apps.
- Google Opinion Rewards offers small monetary rewards for completing short surveys based on user data.
- Blackmagic Camera app provides advanced manual controls for mobile videography, including focus peaking and false color.
- Empetamine is a utility that prevents a computer from sleeping or shutting down, essential for long file transfers or renders.
- DaVinci Resolve is a professional-grade video editing software that is largely free, offering robust features for editing, visual effects, color grading, and audio work.
This diverse set of tools addresses specialized needs, from advanced creative work and secure password management to simple conveniences and even lighthearted utilities, demonstrating the breadth of valuable free software available.
Raycast's utility is demonstrated by its ability to convert video files, a task often needed in video production workflows, through its extensive library of free developer-created extensions.
- TouchDesigner is a visual programming language that allows for complex integration of various systems and protocols, used for interactive installations and productions.
- Affinity is presented as a superior, free alternative to Adobe for photo editing, with a past one-time payment model now replaced by a free offering.
- Color Snap is a personal project app that challenges users to photograph specific colors daily.
- Local AI models (e.g., Quen 3.6) offer users more control and privacy over their data compared to cloud-based AI services, running computations on personal hardware.
- Running AI models locally on personal hardware allows for greater transparency regarding power and water usage, aligning with environmental consciousness.
Exploring advanced tools like TouchDesigner and local AI models reveals the cutting edge of free software for creative professionals and developers, emphasizing control, privacy, and sustainability.
The presenter shows a messy TouchDesigner project, illustrating its node-based visual programming interface used for data processing and logic functions, even in its free version.
Key takeaways
- Many powerful and specialized software tools are available for free, significantly reducing the cost barrier for creative and productive work.
- Prioritizing open-source and privacy-focused applications, like Bitwarden and Blip, is crucial in an era of increasing data concerns.
- Cross-platform compatibility is a key feature to look for in productivity apps, ensuring seamless use across different devices and operating systems.
- Beyond typical productivity, there are unique free apps for niche interests like route sharing (Roads) or even humorous utilities (Poopmap).
- Advanced creative software like DaVinci Resolve and TouchDesigner offer professional-grade features for free, empowering users to create high-quality content.
- Utilizing tools that enhance focus, like Focus Friend, can significantly improve productivity by mitigating smartphone distractions.
- Running AI models locally provides greater control over data privacy and environmental impact compared to relying on cloud-based services.
Key terms
Cross-platformOpen-sourcePeer-to-peer file sharingProductivity appNote-taking appPassword managerVisual programmingAI modelsFile transferFocus app
Test your understanding
- What are the primary benefits of using open-source software like Bitwarden or Blip?
- How can apps like Focus Friend help users manage digital distractions and improve concentration?
- What makes DaVinci Resolve a compelling free alternative for video editing compared to paid software?
- Explain the concept of peer-to-peer file sharing as demonstrated by the app Blip and its advantages over cloud-based services.
- Why might a user choose to run AI models locally on their computer instead of using cloud-based AI services?