Reviews on Shared Bits

Pro Launcher, An Awesome Android Launcher App

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Updated 2026-09-09

01 - Introduction

I installed the F-Droid Basic app store app a few months ago on my smartphone. Occasionally, I’d see launcher apps on the Latest page/tab of the app. A launcher is the user interface that controls the home screen and app drawer on an Android device. I looked at a few of them, but I wasn’t impressed by what the launcher apps offered compared to what I already had on my smartphone. In March 2026, I decided to investigate the offerings under the Launcher category on the Categories page/tab of the F-Droid app store app.

I Think I Have Found My Sleep Pillow for Life

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-02

01 - Introduction

I’ve used a number of pillows for sleeping over my lifetime. For years, I wasn’t very picky about the pillow I used for sleeping. However, I began to become picky about the pillows I used for sleeping when I began experiencing sporadic neck pain after a night of sleep.

The first pillow I purchased after becoming picky about pillows was a contour pillow that I purchased at a local Linens & Things store ( Linens & Things now only has an online presence). I used that pillow for years. The pillow was washable, but it took days to completely dry out. One thing I didn’t like about the pillow was that it wasn’t wide enough.

Haines 2-0 Solar Cooker First Use

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-02

I decided to purchase a solar cooker during the summer of 2020 for emergency preparedness and to enable me to bake some things during the warmer months. I don’t use the oven when the outside temperature is forecast to be 70 degrees fahrenheit or higher to prevent heating up the house.

I did a bit of research and based on weight, perceived ease of use, and cost I opted to purchase the Haines 2.0 solar cooker and a dutch oven. The dutch oven is basically a stainless steel pan with a black coated bottom and a vented tempered glass lid.

Fastmail Email Service Review

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-08-31

When I initially began using personal email years ago, I used the email service offered by my Internet service provider. As the years passed though, the spam I received was ridiculous. They supposedly had spam filtering, but it didn’t seem to work.

I then discovered the Spamex email service and I used that for 2-3 years. Eventually, my Spamex email addresses began getting spammed and my questions about the spam directed to Spamex went unanswered. So, I began searching for another email service provider and I discovered Fastmail .

Penclic, My Favorite Keyboard

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Updated 2026-09-09

In 2016, I experienced an episode of repetitive strain injury (RSI) . I have suffered sporadically from RSI for a number of years, although at that time I didn’t know what the condition was. After my RSI flareup in 2016, I performed a search on Amazon and discovered the book It’s Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!: RSI Theory and Therapy for Computer Professionals , written by Suparna Damany, MSPT and Jack Bellis. According to ergonomic guidance in the book, using a large computer keyboard can result in RSI issues because you have to reach further to access computer pointing devices. At the time, I was using the Logitech illuminated keyboard , which I loved because the keys were very easy to depress and they were also backlit.

Pure Water from the Megahome Water Distiller

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-11

I became concerned about the water I drank a few years ago after reading about some of the things that cannot or are not removed from tap water; e.g. excreted pharmaceutical medicines, hormone disrupting chemicals, etc. I had been buying and drinking bottled spring water, but I got to thinking that maybe even spring water might have contaminants in it. Therefore, I decided to start drinking distilled water .

I was familiar with distilled water since I have used it in the past for steam irons and ultrasonic humidifiers . Steam irons usually require distilled water because the minerals in tap water can result in mineral buildup in the steam vents. Using distilled water in ultrasonic humidifiers results in easier cleaning and lower operating costs since you don’t have to buy a filter that some models offer to remove the minerals and chlorine in tap water. I’ve also used distilled water for automotive applications such as topping off lead acid batteries and diluting anti-freeze for engine coolant.

TreePad: A Free-Form Database Program

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Updated on 2026-09-18

The TreePad database program is no longer available. I’m leaving this post up for informational purposes. Links have been changed to point to collected links on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine because www.treepad.com now points to a marijuana dispensary. Thank you to a reader named Chip who brought this to my attention.

Years ago, at the nudging of a former co-worker and friend, I decided to try working in the IT field as a Lotus Notes developer. About 2 years into my IT career, I determined that I needed a way to store code snippets and tips so that I could have a handy reference that allowed easy and quick retrieval of information for use on any project on which I was working.