Non Google service options, thanks to vpnMentor

A while back an individual associated with vpnMentor named Qusai Ehnedi brought an article to my attention about non Google services. While I have no malice whatsoever towards Google, I do like to keep an open mind, and I like the idea of having extra choices.

Google sells itself as a "all under one roof" internet services company. 

And it's hard to beat all the useful services they have.

The co founder of vpnMentor (and the author of the article) Ariel Hochstadt, has brought out some great services though that might just be what you have been looking for.

While I try not to do this, I am just going to dump a paste of the guts of the article here, because I don't think I could do any better with it. The article in question, is here: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/survive-online-without-google/

I end my bit here. I have tried nearly every service here at one point or another. While I will admit that I am a bit of a Google fanboy, I also love the fact that we have choices, options in solving our net needs.

-Denny

If you’re tired of the way Google tracks all of your moves, including your location and personal details, you may want to start using Google alternatives, like the ones below:

DuckDuckGo instead of Google Search

DuckDuckGo is a search engine that keeps your searches private. It comes with a complete set of features, including keyboard shortcuts and a simple interface that makes it super easy to use. Since it doesn’t collect any personal or identifiable information, your details will be safe, even if law enforcement agencies approach DuckDuckGo with a warrant. This search engine does not use cookies and clears the IP logs from its servers, so excuse us while we go bookmark this search engine.

ProtonMail instead of Gmail

Proton Mail is an encrypted and secure system that protects your privacy. With its simple inbox design, you’ll have no problem leaving Gmail and switching to ProtonMail for a lifetime. You can choose a free or paid version, but with both, you can be assured that your information is not at risk.

Vimeo instead of YouTube

If you want to create and upload videos, Vimeo is a popular alternative. YouTube tends to suggest a lot of fluff and irrelevant content, due to its large volume of videos. Vimeo, on the other hand, has less fluff, which means you’ll probably not find many 10-hour loop videos on Vimeo. And if you’re sick of YouTube’s ads, you’ll find that Vimeo is a refreshing option as it does not have 30-second unskippable ads.

Tizen instead of Android

iOS is the most popular alternative for Android, but it’s not free. If you want an open-source free operating system for your mobile device, consider Tizen, a Linux based operating system. It is compatible with several platforms and many applications can be adapted to run on it. Many users prefer Tizen for many Samsung devices.

Firefox instead of Google Chrome

Firefox is a simple and easy-to-use browser that is more customizable than Chrome. It has superior extensions and provides better privacy. Also, the password manager of Chrome is not secure, making Firefox a better choice for web surfing.

MapQuest instead of Google Maps

If you use Google Maps for directions, MapQuest is the best alternative. Not only does MapQuest give you driving directions, it also shows businesses on your way including hotels, gas, groceries, and pharmacies. It also allows satellite and standard views and lets you zoom in and out. And if you’re looking for points of interest, MapQuest will help you find them easily. You can even email or share the links to various positions on MapQuest.

WordPress instead of Blogger

When it comes to blogging, WordPress is far better than Blogger. It has a number of plugins and widgets, and the best part is that it is not run by Google. Since WordPress is open source, you can tweak the code to make changes to your blog. WordPress also offers better templates and other display options than Blogger.

DropBox instead of Google Drive

DropBox is really simple to use and lets you easily manage your files, folders, and sub-folders. It also allows you to share certain folders with others. Dropbox offers free storage of 2GB, which is enough for basic files. Should you need more, you can pay for extra storage.

Surviving without Google might seem difficult at first. However, with the help of alternative tools, it’s easy. And once you get used to the new software services, you won’t want to switch back to Google.

Peppermint OS - My favorite Linux

If you read this blog, you know I am a fan of lightweight Linux distributions.

I am also a big believer in function over form.

I would take something ugly but very functional over something that is beautiful and slow.

The funny thing is that peppermint manages what is normally the unattainable, lightning fast, fully functional, and yet quite beautiful for a lightweight Linux distro.

Years ago I checked out Peppermint, and it was not for me. At the time there were  a few buggy things yet that turned me off of it. But a fellow Linux enthusiast (yes, geek, he is a Linux geek) Peter showed it to me, and he at the time was interested in it himself.

Trying it on virtualbox sold me, this distro was running from an iso, on virtualbox, and was running faster than the native os was in some ways.

I decided to install it straight away, and as the native OS, it really, really flew.

I am a staunch Xubuntu supporter, but Peppermint in my opinion out performs Xubuntu while looking better than Xubuntu. (Sorry Xubuntu, you still rock!).

Here is my screenfetch:

And here is my desktop:

It's unique, in that they really aren't using just one desktop environment, but parts from several DE's.
They are using xfce-panel for menu and notifications, on top of lxde (which is powered by openbox).

This mish-mash of desktop environments gives you all the bells and whistles you would want with amazing speed.

I have changed chromium to google chrome, other than that I am running a nearly stock peppermint, with the apps I use installed.

If you install google-chrome, then you can use this script to turn all the chromium-browser software over to using regular chrome:

cp -vr ~/.local/share/applications ~/.local/share/applications-backup && cd ~/.local/share/applications && grep -rl 'chromium-browser --app' ./ | xargs sed -i 's/chromium-browser --app/google-chrome --app/g' && sudo apt remove chromium-browser

Here is what the people at Peppermint have to say about their lightning fast distro:

"Something a Little Different...
People have been trying to create an effective web-centric operating system for years now. This is especially true in Linux with projects like the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Google Chrome OS, and Moblin all coming to the forefront in recent years. On the downside of things, these systems, though great for surfing the web, lack a lot of the familiarity that people demand from something they use on a day to day basis. Here at Peppermint, we're committed to giving you a system that won't throw you for a loop while trying to get things settled in.

While conceptualizing Peppermint, we toyed around with a lot of ideas trying to determine how best to meet our goal of providing a fast, web-centric operating system that's easy to learn and effective when put in use. The end result was a decision to use an interface that stays out of your way and let's you go about your business. The default desktop environment for Peppermint is LXDE (literally, "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment") which has shown itself time and again to be user friendly, easy on the eyes, and wicked fast.

A New philosophy...
As long time Linux users and supporters we have seen certain levels of divide in the Linux community. We have also seen over the years the tendency to not kindly invite new users to Linux who are exploring and looking for an answer beyond the two seemingly defacto systems that dominate the market. The biggest breath of fresh air in the past few years have been Ubuntu and Linux Mint with their commitment to community and offering a welcome place for all to explore.

The notion that in order to use, enjoy and be proficient with Linux is that you will need uber-geek hacking skills is completely False. And, this is just the stigma surrounding Linux that needs to be erased once and for all with Peppermint. There hasn't been one person we have shown Peppermint OS to who hasn't understood how to operate it as a desktop environment by just putting it in front of them and turning it on...

Team Peppermint is committed to welcoming new Linux users, offering them a product that is fast, easy to understand, and offering them an arena to experiment with Linux and all the while offering avenues to educate them further. Empowering the planet with Linux is our goal. Will you join us in this journey? We certainly hope so...." -https://peppermintos.com/about/

If you want speed and reliability along with a beautiful desktop experience, check Peppermint OS out.
-Denny