Tech Tips

At My Tech Expert, we are big fans of password managers and highly recommend them to our clients!

There are a number of great free and paid password managers available. Our personal favourite is BitWarden, however, other quality products include 1Password, LastPass, Dashlane and Keeper, to name a few.

One highly useful feature of password managers is the ability to share passwords with selected people such as family or colleagues. A great example is sharing your WiFi codes or streaming services!

Password managers should be installed as an app on your smartphone as well as an extension to your browser. When you want to access a password protected website or app, the password manager will autocomplete your login credentials, saving a lot of time!

You can also use inbuilt password managers from 'big tech' companies like Google, Apple or Microsoft. However, we find their functionality is typically more limited and they can make it harder to get out of their ecosystem in future. Some of the better password managers also allow you to import or export your passwords, thus making it easier to switch products.

Its important to consolidate your passwords in one manager! We often see people store passwords in multiple locations, such as on their phone, their PC and on paper. This typically leads to confusion such as when a password is updated in only one location.

We also recommend using your smartphone's inbuilt biometric tools, such as face recognition and/or fingerprint readers to make accessing apps super fast, even your password app!

Please contact us if you require assistance to setup and use a password manager.

Posted 27 May 2022

Why pay for software when you can get quality products for free?

Below is a short list, by category, of some awesome free software that we use and recommend.

Productivity - Google Workspace including Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc

Design - Canva

Photography & imaging - Google Photos, Dark Table, Gimp

Video editing - DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut

Video recording & live streaming - OBS Studio

Media player & tools - VLC Player, Handbrake

Audio editing - Audacity

Painting & illustration - Krita

Note taking - OneNote

Operating systems - Linux (of course!)

Utilities - 7-Zip, Macrium Reflect, SyncBack, WinDirStat, TightVNC

Most of these products have quality online instructions and YouTube resources to get you up and running quickly.

Don't forget to also use the great inbuilt tools in your Windows, MacOS or Linux operating system!

What free software do you love? Send us an email at help@mytechexpert.com.au with your suggestions.

Posted 27 May 2022