Recently, I was helping a Windows-using friend transition from her ten-year-old Windows 10 laptop to a new Windows 11 laptop. All of her important files had been backed up by Microsoft OneDrive, which was a great relief when we logged into the new computer. My friend is a Microsoft Publisher user, and you guessed it: … Read more
Protecting your data has never been more crucial. With the advent of hybrid work, cloud-native applications, and ransomware threats, reliable backup solutions are indispensable for individuals and organizations alike. Open-source tools have emerged as leaders in this domain, offering transparency, flexibility, and community-driven innovation. In this article, I will present a list of fifteen open-source … Read more
I first started using VirtualBox many years ago, and it quickly became my favorite virtualization platform. What drew me in initially was its open-source nature. The base package, which includes both the source code and binaries, is licensed under GPL version 3. VirtualBox is impressively versatile. It runs on Linux, macOS (both Intel and ARM … Read more
In 2025, WordPress continues to be the backbone of accessible, customizable web publishing—especially for community organizations, libraries, and small businesses. Built on a robust open-source database, WordPress empowers users to organize content intuitively through categories and tags. Categories help group broader topics like “Digital Literacy” or “Community Programming,” while tags such as #Python, #GoLang, or … Read more
Linux is everywhere—quietly powering the digital world. Whether you’re streaming, driving, learning, or exploring space, chances are Linux is helping make it happen. Space Tech and NASA Missions Linux powers some of the most advanced space technologies. NASA’s Pleiades supercomputer runs on Linux, and the International Space Station migrated from Windows to Linux-based systems. Even … Read more
In a quiet village nestled between the misty hills of the north, there lived a young girl named Lila, no older than fourteen. She had a small, weathered notebook tucked under her arm, filled with sketches of birds, flowers, and the gentle faces of the people she met on her daily walks. Lila had always … Read more
Recently a friend asked me if I could help him map his walk about the area where he lives. I use a pedometer to track my steps and in the past I have used several different map walking apps on my phone and smartwatch. I told my friend that I would do some additional research … Read more
Linux stands out as a consumer operating system thanks to its unique blend of freedom, performance, and community-driven innovation. Whether you’re on a budget laptop, building a media center, or seeking a secure daily driver, Linux delivers. Unlike macOS and Windows you have lots of choices that you can easily customize to your own particular … Read more
I regularly teach middle school age children coding skills with Python using the ‘turtle’ module. It’s a great way to introduce students to computer programming in a very enjoyable manner. The children love the turtle graphics that they can create and it also introduces them to mathematics topics like variability, recursion and logic. When I … Read more
Are you looking for a locally hosted open source GPT that protects your privacy while allowing to leverage the latest AI models? Then you need to download Jan. Jan is easy to install on Linux, macOS and Windows and has excellent documentation to guide that process. Jan is a ChatGPT alternative that runs 100% offline … Read more
