Firefox: my favorite web browser.

Hard to to believe that Firefox became my go to web browser all they way back in 2008, with Firefox 3.0. Before that, I sued NeoPlanet, and Opera. I stopped using NeoPlanet when it was discontinued, and Opera never really felt all that good as my daily driver.

Though I've tries Google's Chrome over the the years, it just doesn't work as well for me as as Firefox does. Chrome is my second place web browser, but it is far behind Firefox.

Microsoft Edge is the only other web browser I use regularly, solely for work. Basically because I wanted to try a web browser than Chrome, and the other options available just aren't available on Linux Mint, or just didn't worked for me.

So far, Edge is working well enough that it can over take Chrome but not well enough to displace Firefox as my favorite web browser.

I might give Opera a chance in the near future, since some of the people I trust have recommended it saying that the new released have improved a lot. So, it might be a good time to give it another chance.

I'm an Android fan.

Since I got an Nothing Phone (1), a year ago now, the more I've become convinced that Android is quite the best mobile OS for me. NothingOS has only improved with each upgrade, that I've seen 3 in a space of a year.

Currently I'm on NothingOS 2.0.4, which is based on Android 13, and as whole the user experience I've had so far has been quite a good one for middle range Android smartphone. So much so, that feels a bit better than I expected it to be. It not perfect, but it's more than good enough.

So much so, that so far I'd only outside the latest Nothing Phone, I'd only consider replacing it with the Google Pixel Phone,  Samsung Galaxy S, or a Motorola razr device. While I consider the iPhone to be a great option, Android smartphones just work better for me.

With each new version of Android, the more I like it. Specially with smartphones that have the specs that best suit my needs. And what I like the most about the Android ecosystem, is that it gives me a wider selection of devices to choose from.

To be honest, I'm not against moving to the iPhone. It's more that I don't see the benefit of doing so, since most of the people I interact with professionally and in a personal level don't use an iPhone. Actually, the ones who use an iPhone are the odd ones.

Not only that, most of what the iPhone offers is not really relevant for me or Android offers an equal or better option for my needs.

For now, I'm just waiting for Nothing to release the NothingOS based on Android 14.

Linux Mint: my go to Linux distro and the one I recommend to most people.

I've been using Linux Mint continuously since 2017 not, and it has proven itself to be the best operating system for my needs. To be honest, I've being jumping between Linux Mint and Ubuntu since 2012, but since Ubuntu replaced Unity with the GNOME Shell with Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark) update Linux Mint became my go to Linux distro.

The Cinnamon, Linux Mint's desktop environment, had all the bugs that irked me ironed out at the time. As such, making the jump was only natural since I don't really like the GNOME Shell. And since the version that came with Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia, it only has gotten better.

And with each update, Linux Mint has proven to be the best choice for me. Besides, that Linux Mint is based on the LTS version of Ubuntu is something I've come to appreciate. It has made Linux Mint just an stable operating system, that just works for me. It might not ship with the bleeding edge of most software, but it supports the latest versions of the software I use on the regular basis like Firefox, Thunderbird, and Spotify.

Most importantly, it fully supports the hardware of the laptop I use as my daily driver for personal and professional use. And I've used 2 different laptops since 2017, and both worked like a charm with Linux Mint. So much so, that I've made the move to using Bluetooth headphones since they work for me and they just work.

And since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and Debian, all the software that works made for them can be used on Linux Mint. Even software served as Flatpak works well, giving users even more options.

Linux Mint is a distro that just works for casual users, and for users just want a Linux distro that works and who don't want spend time under the hood to make it work for them.

Nice addition to Spotify on Linux Mint with the last update.

Spotify just added the capability of being able to run on the background on Linux Mint at the last update, and with that it got the 100 score for me as a music streaming service. To be honest, I might be nip picking about it, but being able to close my music player, and it being able to stay open on the background while playing music, is something I expect.

I use Rhythmbox to play my music local music library, and it has continually supported playing music on the background when I closed the window, so Spotify not supporting the same behavior kind of baffle me for a while. But, now that the capability has being added to Linux Mint, it has improved my perception of it.

While not being able to do so wasn't a deal killer for me, since it is something nice to have but not vital for the user experience, being able to do so now is one of those thing that it's really nice to have.

To be honest, I was weary of media streaming services when they first came out. But, Spotify won me over when I tried it about it ten years ago. While it doesn't completely substitutes having my favorite music on my laptop, it's a great complement and my go to music and podcast platform on my smartphone. Specially since Movistar adds Spotify as one of the apps on which they give me unlimited usage with my GigaMove 6GB plan.

Spotify has become my go to music streaming and podcast platform, and now being able it can keep playing on the background, it has made it even better for me.

Bluetooth headphones have become affordable.

A few years ago, when Bluetooth headphones where starting to be pushed to consumers on smartphones was starting to be pushed on consumers by omitting the 3.5mm jack connector on some models, my problem was pricing.

At time, finding a decent pair of Bluetooth headphone under $25 USD was almost impossible. Now, you can find some well under that price point easily, since the tech has become common place not only in smartphones, but also in other consumer electronic devices like smart TVs, most smartphones, and laptops. That has helped to bring down prices of devices with Bluetooth connection, and the price point of a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones will only come down with time.

While the audio quality of most Bluetooth headphones will not be what an audiophile wants, it will be more than good enough for casual use. I use wireless headphones on the go with my smartphone, and at work with my laptop when I need to focus, and they work quite nicely. So much so, that I won't go back to wired headphones on my smartphone, and have headphones that use the 3.5mm jack just in case the battery dies on my headphones.

As time goes by, and Bluetooth become more ubiquitous I only expect the tech to become more affordable and better for audio.

Its quite amazing that in my lifetime Bluetooth headphone have become something that only businessman would have, with a bad audio quality reputation, to something with a decent audio quality that more people could afford.

Missing remote work, since in made me better at my job.

After a few months of coming back to the office, after more than a year of working remotely, I've come to affirm how important is for me to be able to work remotely.

Working remotely make work a lot less stressful, cut down on transit time, and makes me a lot more effective. It also helps me to focus more on being more productive, since I don't face most of the interruptions I face on the office, like coworkers coming to ask about unrelated stuff of having to fix printer jams when they occur. Not only that, not having to face the transit times, means that I can use more of my time to actually focus on my job and not worrying if I'd be able to make on time to the office, or if I'd be able to do personal stuff when I go out.

Working remotely also saves me money, since I don't have to pay for transportation or meals if I can't prepare food at home. Most importantly, since I can better manage my work and personal time, I stress less about it making me more productive and focused on my job when I'm on the clock.

It also helps me to make less mistakes at work, since not being interrupted constantly, or have to worry about things outside work, helps me focus on the task at hand. Being able to completely focus on what I've to do at the moment, knowing I won't be interrupted, means less stress and feeling more satisfied about my work, and allows me to be able to see if there is anything wrong with what I've to do in order to correct any prior mistake, or propose improvements to the process if needed.

Most importantly, it made my more satisfied with my job. Since I had a better time management ability, I could focus better on my job, and, most importantly, stress levels were far more manageable. I wish to be able to go back to work remotely, and at least go to a hybrid work model.

Remmina: a great option for Windows remote desktops on Linux.

For about 4 years now, I've relied on a remote Windows desktop for work. At first I used a desktop using Windows 7 provided by employer, and it did a great job. To be honest, Windows 7 and Windows XP are the two best OSes released by Microsoft, but I prefer using Linux Mint as much as possible.

Then, the pandemic hit and forced us into home office to keep going. To be honest, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to work from home since at home I used Linux Mint on my laptop, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to connect remotely to the work server in order to keep my job.

After a few hours of research, I found Remmina. Since I know my way around computers, yet I'm my technical skills are no really all that advanced, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to configure it correctly. Yet, it was easy to set up the remote desktop quickly.

So far, I still use my laptop even after we have come back to the office. I prefer to use it, because since we use WhatsApp and our email isn't run on the remote desktop, having 2 monitors really helps me to keep on top of what I've to do at work.

Not only that, I've been somewhat of a beta user at work in order to make a case to make the jump to Linux Mint on the end user computers, while only using Windows on the server used for the main software at work. There are some kinks to work out, like being able to use the network printer, but so far the user case looks really good.

For me Linux Mint, is an Linux distro that stands true to its slogan: From freedom came elegance. And it has become my go to OS for my personal and professional computing needs.

The best operating system depends of what you are going to use it for.

Every time I hear that Windows, macOS, or Linux is the best operating system, I can't help to ask the best operating system for what? Each one has its strengthens and weaknesses, that make each the best solution for different set of use cases.

The best operating system for me is Linux, in particular Linux Mint. Linux Mint just works for me, but I'm sure that it isn't the best option for everyone. Some of the people I know are better served by Windows while for other macOS is the better option. At the end of the day, it comes down to what each person does with the computer they own and/or the apps they use to get things done.

For example, I LibreOffice does all what I need from an office productivity software, even at work. For others, Microsoft Office is a most have, so Linux wouldn't make sense for their use case. If a user used Final Cut Pro, then macOS is the only way to go, since it isn't available for Windows or Linux. Most of the most used CAD(computer-aide design) software used professionally only works on Windows.

As such, which is the best operating system depends on each user needs it for. Personally, I'd like more software to be available for Linux. Yet, I understand why sometime that isn't viable, or why developers don't want to make it available for other operating systems.

And while I know there are alternatives for almost all apps in other operating systems, making the jump to those alternatives isn't practical for money issues or you can't make customers or providers to make the jump with you. At the end of the day, it may just boil down to that making the jump is just to muck work to make it work on the long run.

While I prefer Linux Mint, and would love more people to use it as their main operating system, I do understand that it isn't practical for everyone to use it.

Mozilla Thunderbird 115: a leap forward.

After a month of reading good reviews of Mozilla Thunderbird 115, I decided to give it a try getting the Flatpak version.

I've using Thunderbird for about 7 years now, ever since I made my move to Linux as my go to OS on my personal daily driver. While I've tried to use other email clients, like GNOME Evolution and Claws Mail, I kept returning to Thunderbird since I just adapts better to my needs. I can set it up faster to my liking, and just works as I want my email client to do.

Yet, with Thunderbird's new user interface, called Supernova, it really got an upgrade. It doesn't just looks better, but its also easier to use from configuring your email accounts to just using it. The whole experience feels a lot more intuitive, and the fact that my emails are store locally is a big plus for me.

When Mozilla dropped the Thunderbird to focus on Firefox, I was saddened and worried that it would stop being supported in time. Since then, the decision was reversed and it became a long-term support app. Thunderbird becoming a long-term support email client is a good thing for me, since my email client doesn't need to come to the latest and shiny add-ons, it just has to be reliable and easy to use. And Thunderbird also happens to be easily customizable to my needs and to how I like my apps to look like.

At the end of the day, with this version 115 Thunderbird has cemented itself as my favorite and go-to email client.

Linux Mint 21.2: a great point realese upgrade.

After a week of upgrading to Linux Mint 21.2 Victoria, I must admit that while I notice some of the visual improvements, of the most part I'm glad that for the most part all has been the usual for my daily use.

Which, to be honest, is a great thing. Things just keep working great, nothing has broken and I can continue to use by laptop as I expect to be able to do on a daily basis. Which is something I want to be able to do as a user, I just want upgrades not to make my life harder.

Linux Mint is really an elegant OS that just works. Linux Mint has become a Linux distro that I can wholeheartedly recommend to new Linux users, and to experienced Linux users that want a distro that isn't that hands on and just works allowing them to focus on what they use they computer for.

In a way, Linux Mint slogan that from freedom came elegance is true. The whole user experience feels modern, and elegant. I can't talk for the MATE and Xfce versions of Linux Mint, since I use Cinnamon as my desktop environment of choice. Yet, Cinnamon is quite a great desktop environment for any computer with at least 4 GB of RAM.

I used to be an Ubuntu user, until they stop using the Unity user interface. Cinnamon was my second favorite desktop environment, but since Ubuntu moved to using GNOME 3, though is highly modified, it simple doesn't works as well for me as Cinnamon does. And since Cinnamon is a Linux Mint project, I decided to move to Linux Mint since it was always a Linux Mint that I worked for me.

Ubuntu will always be special for me, since it was the first Linux distro I used on a daily basis. Yet, Linux Mint has become the gold standard for what I expect from a Linux distro. The 21.2 Victoria point release make it easier to keep recommending it to users that can see a benefit from using a Linux distro that is easy to use and not that difficult to adapt to coming from Windows and for those user that prefer using Linux but expect their computer to work without much work from the user.

I admit that Linux Mint isn't perfect, but it is close to perfect as a Linux Mint can get.

New Mexican biometric passport.

I renewed my passport a couple of weeks ago, and got my first Mexican biometric passport since they got implemented in 2021. To be honest the whole process was quite simple, but since the only appointments available where on municipal liaison offices to the SRE, I had to wait a couple of weeks to actually get it.

To be honest, I don't mind the wait to pick the passport up. Yet, I'd like to have the option to have it sent to my office or home. Though the wait wasn't that long, it took no more than 20 minutes to be called to be handled my passport, it would be far better to have it delivered since it would mean I wouldn't have had to use a vacation day to go get it.

The passport itself isn't all that different than the one it replaces, which it isn't a big deal on itself. I think that's good, since I've always liked the design of the Mexican passport and the fact that passport one of those things that are an international standard.

Now, its time to get some international travels.