r/TechImpact

Shorts can be entertaining, but they have also made YouTube feel more like TikTok than the YouTube we used to know.

For me, these two features are still non-negotiable. What are the 2 features you definitely need in a smartphone?

Be honest. How often do you actually restart your computer?

Every day, once a week, only after updates, or only when something stops working?

Gmail works well for most things, but I'm sure everyone has at least one complaint.

Maybe it's the amount of spam, confusing inbox, search, ads, or others.

What's the one thing about Gmail that annoys you the most?

I noticed an increase in CPU temp so decided to give the PC a quick clean and re-paste the CPU, I didn't realise how much dust builds up in the radiator, after a good clean I'm now getting around 10-15 degrees Celsius lower temps!

I'm moving away from Chrome and these are the two browsers I'm considering: Vivaldi and Brave. which one would you recommend and why?

What do you like or dislike about each?

What do you mainly watch on YouTube?

Tech videos, gaming, music, news, tutorials, documentaries, podcasts, comedy, travel, or movies?

Has your viewing changed over the years?

This is the app (called "LWP+"), and I've shown here the video that I've published there:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lb.lwp_plus

At first I was happy about what I created on the video, but then I thought that it looks more like a tutorial here, instead of maybe focusing on what's the most interesting. Surprisingly, ever since I've published the video, it actually got quite some views already (29 after 2 days), despite the fact it's a bit of a niche app. Still, I think maybe it can be improved.

I want to know what you guys think about the video (which has audio, BTW).

Here's about the app:

It's a live wallpaper app, that has these features:

1. Allows showing color/image/animation/video as content (users choose the file from the file system). No special effects so some users that complain about the dimming/zooming effects actually like using it. Users can also choose whether it should scroll or the type of automatic cropping.

2. Allows (some) control over the Material-You colors of the OS, as it lets users to choose the colors to report the OS about what's on the wallpaper. This means that like on Android 17, users can choose the colors they want (if the OS supports it) despite the content not matching it.

3. Setting of double-tap to lock the screen. Some launchers don't offer this, so I added it to the app too.

4. Some extra flags that (on some devices) should affect colors further, such as black/white text and/or black/white icons on status bar and/or lock screen and/or launcher.

The app is completely free, ad-based. Users can remove the ads including by just watching full screen ads. Originally it was created to offer dark-theme on devices as it wasn't a toggle on the OS settings, and was based on the colors of the wallpaper.

Proton has built quite a few privacy-focused services, including Mail, VPN, Drive, Pass, and Calendar.

Which one do you use the most?

Is there a Proton service you couldn't imagine replacing, or one you think deserves more attention?

I developed a 2-row, 16-key QWERTY keyboard for phones, based on the regular 3-row, 26-key layout.

The keys are bigger, so they’re easier to tap, and your thumbs don’t have to move up and down as much. Vowels have their own keys, while some less-used letters are typed with a double tap or by pressing two keys together.

Do you think this kind of keyboard could be useful? Or should I just drop the project?

Notion seems to be everywhere, but it's not for everyone.

Some people prefer Obsidian, OneNote, Anytype, Apple Notes, or simpler apps. If you stopped using Notion,

what did you switch to, and why?

I like the convenience of streaming, but movies and shows can disappear without warning, move between services, or require another subscription.

When you own a Blu-ray, DVD, or digital copy, it's yours to keep. Is streaming still the better option, or has owning media become more appealing?