Favorites Of 2019 – Icon Packs, Wallpapers And More
Here are Zheano Blog’s favorite icon packs, launchers, and apps of 2019. List contains my most loved software products of the year. I’m a big fan of such articles, so I decided to give it a try since the end of the year is a perfect time to reflect on the past. I hope that you can find something interesting on this list and try it out. Make sure to let me know what your favorite item in the comments below was.
Please note that elements on this list are part of my personal opinion; you might agree or disagree with my picks. Don’t forget that you can also leave your recommendation in the comments below. We would love to hear what’s on your list.
Favorite Icon Pack – CandyCons Unwrapped
Vukasin introduced CandyCons Unwrapped at the beginning of 2019. CandyCons Unwrapped is my favorite icon pack, and I’ve been a big fan from the beginning. You can check my setup with the icons at the end of the post. I love how simple and clean they look. With weekly updates, they’re now better than ever, so if you haven’t buy them yet, now it’s a perfect time. I can easily say that CandyCons Unwrapped is my go-to icon pack. I’ve been a big fan of Vukasin’s work since we had met on Google Plus many years ago. You can check more than a year-old interview with him on Zheano Blog. I’m hoping to interview him again to talk a bit more about CandyCons Unwrapped.
Favorite Launcher – Lawnchair
I used to use Nova, but for the past year or so, Lawnchair is my launcher of choice. When I’m not using stock launcher, I’m almost always using Lawnchair. I think the team is doing a great job of keeping this launcher up to date and fresh with new features. If you’re looking for a new launcher, I’m sure you’ve heard of Lawnchair. You can now download it even from the Google Play Store. A while back, I wrote a quick tutorial on how to download and install Lawnchair alpha. I’m sure this tutorial is out of date, but some might still find it useful. You can check it here; however, you should download Lawnchair from the Google Play Store.
Favorite Search Engine – DuckDuck Go
I never thought I would ever change a search engine, but in 2019 I did. I now exclusively use DuckDuck Go as my primary search engine on all of my daily drivers. From time to time, I still use Google; however, I instead try StartPage, which shows the same results as Google. If DuckDuck Go doesn’t give me a result, I wanted I can use !Bangs, which is one the best feature of DuckDuckGo. After the search query, do !g for Google or !s for StartPage. It works like a charm, and I love it. I’ve already written about Firefox and DuckDuck Go on Zheano Blog. You can read it here.
I would also recommend a browser; however, I had a bit of a rough patch with Firefox. I loved it on my computer; however, I’ve also tried Firefox on my phone, and the experience wasn’t the best. I might write more about this topic another time.
Favorite Linux Distribution – Elementary OS
If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you know that I love elementary os. I’ve been using elementary os for over a year now, and it’s the best piece of software I’ve used in my life. I can’t recommend it enough, and if you’re looking to change things up in 2020, maybe you should start with elementary os. I’ve written more than a thousand words about elementary os 5.1 Hera here on Zheano Blog. It’s a great article to make you learn more about this great os. If you have any questions about elementary os, make sure to ask them in the comments below, I would love to answer them!
Favorite Wallpaper
Picking my favorite wallpaper is always hard. I don’t think I will ever find the perfect wallpaper. However some wallpapers on Unsplash are almost perfect. I’ve been using different pictures from Unsplash as my wallpapers, and I love them. I’ve been a big fan of this one, which you can download here in full resolution.
Again this is NOT my favorite wallpaper of the year. There are many that I also liked and enjoyed using. Would you be interested in Unsplash collection of my favorite wallpapers?
Favorite blog – jlelse’s blog
Jan-Lukas Else is the guy behind jlelse’s blog. I’ve been reading his blog for quite some time, and I love his posts where he talks about privacy and technology. One of my favorites must be “Google Alternatives for More Privacy and Less Monopoly,” where he talks about Google alternatives he uses. Jan has also been one of my internet friends for quite a while now. That’s probably another reason why I love reading his blog so much. I love to see that he is doing well, and I can’t wait for his articles about technology. Make sure to give his blog a read, its great. https://jlelse.blog/
Favorite Podcast – Random But Memorable
Random But Memorable is a podcast from 1Password, a password manager. I’ve used 1Password for around six months, but then I switched to Bitwarden because of the price. 1Password is an excellent service, and if you have the money, it’s worth paying for it. Their podcast is just as great, and I still love listening to it since they mostly talk about technology and privacy. I love a bit shorter format since they get straight to the point, hosts are also much fun. If you’re looking for a podcast about good password habits, privacy tips, and fun hosts look no further.
Q&A
I’ve tweeted, and here are some of the best questions I got. Don’t forget that you can also ask me something in the comments below.
HowToMen asked, “What was your favorite wallpaper of the decade that you made?”
That’s a great question. I’ve had a ton of fun with recreating Pixel 4 wallpapers; however, my favorite must be Suni. These wallpapers are pure; however, I capture something in them that I couldn’t recreate anymore. You can check them out for free here.
Dotimi asked, “Have you considered making a wallpaper app?”
I had considered making one, and I will once I’m ready to take on the task. Currently, making a wallpaper app isn’t on my priority list. Still, it’s something that could happen in the following years.
Shashank asked, “If you have to choose only one icon pack for the rest of your life… Which one would be it?”
That’s a great question, but it’s also a hard one. I can’t decide between CandyCons Unwrapped and Minty Icons by Patryk.
Eliazs asked, “What changes on the blog will take place with the new 2020 year?”
That’s also another great question that I currently don’t know how to answer. I haven’t had time to make a 2020 plan, but I will sure let you know when I do. I think the year 2020 will be a fantastic year to be a part of Zheano Family; however, I don’t have any details yet.
My Setup
I will do a whole write up of my setup on the last Zheano Letter of the year, which is coming in the following days. Make sure to subscribe today so you will receive some exclusive wallpapers and more before the end of the year.
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