My Digital Toolkit: A Curated Software List • Bytecho Tech

0x0 Prologue#

Since my first encounter with computers back in middle school, my software preferences have shifted like the seasons.

I used to be a “tool chaser,” obsessed with hunting down every new “god-tier” app. Whether it solved a tiny niche problem or just had a stunning UI, I had to try it. Back then, my 50 Mbps connection felt painfully slow—waiting minutes for a download while my heart raced in anticipation…

But as time passed and the novelty faded, I realized that only a handful of tools actually stuck. These are the ones I open daily, the ones that feel like an extension of my hands, the ones ingrained in my muscle memory.

This isn’t a technical spec sheet or a feature-by-feature comparison. It’s a highly personal “Survivor’s List.” I don’t care if they are the trendiest or the newest; I only care if they “get” me. Here is my digital arsenal.

This is a living document that I update periodically. If you have any “hidden gems,” feel free to share them in the comments!

0x1 AI & The Second Brain#

Gemini Pro ↗: My current go-to LLM. In my experience, it outperforms ChatGPT in context retention. It actually remembers nuances from conversations a month or two ago—a feature that genuinely blew me away.
Obsidian ↗: More than just a Markdown editor; it’s the foundation of my knowledge base. Its greatest strength lies in its plugin ecosystem—if you can dream of a feature, there’s probably a plugin for it.
PDFgear ↗: A recent find. It’s a free PDF editor that allows direct text editing. It offers features for free that Foxit or Adobe charge a premium for.
Doubao ↗: A domestic AI model. While it might not match Gemini’s raw power, it’s incredibly convenient and versatile for quick tasks.
Cubox ↗: My “Read-it-Later” command center. It clips articles directly from the browser. The offline reading mode is a lifesaver for focused reading when the internet is out of reach.
Typora ↗: While Obsidian is powerful, I still turn to Typora for long-form writing. Its “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) interface is unmatched—zero distractions, just the smooth flow of words.

0x2 Dev & Build#

Antigravity ↗: Google’s AI-native IDE. It supports Gemini and Claude with seamless Git integration. It’s essentially a supercharged VS Code, and with a Gemini Pro quota, I never run out of “tokens.”
Antigravity Tool ↗: An open-source manager for Antigravity. It handles account management and proxies, which is essential for logging in if you’re behind a strict firewall.
Notepad4 ↗: A lightweight “upgrade” to Notepad2. It’s my default Windows Notepad replacement—fast, clean, and supports syntax highlighting for almost every language.

0x3 The Studio#

Google Photos ↗: Paired with a Pixel, I get unlimited original-quality backups. I use Sync to move photos from my iPhone (preserving dates and Live Photos). The recent Gemini-powered search makes finding specific memories effortless.
Sync (Resilio) ↗: A cross-platform file synchronization tool. It uses LAN-based incremental syncing, which solved my long-standing headache of messy metadata when moving photos between iPhone and Android.
Lightroom ↗: The gold standard for photo editing. From HDR processing to batch-pasting edits, it’s the tool that turned my photography hobby into something worth sharing.

0x4 System & Efficiency#

Snipaste ↗: I’ve used this for years. The “Pin to Screen” feature is addictive—once you start using it to reference info while working, you can never go back.
Uninstall Tool ↗: My preferred Windows uninstaller. It’s fast and searchable, but the real highlight is its ability to wipe registry leftovers after a program is gone. A must-have for the “digital minimalists.”
Twinkle Tray ↗: Controls monitor brightness via software. It supports DDC/CI, allowing me to adjust settings or even turn off my monitors with a simple mouse shortcut.
Shandianshuo (闪电说) ↗: An AI-powered voice input tool. It converts speech to text with incredible accuracy, making it significantly faster than manual typing for brainstorming or drafting.

0x5 Browser Power-ups#

Tampermonkey (Beta) ↗: The ultimate “cheat engine” for the web. It gives me total control over how websites behave—whether it’s bypassing copy restrictions or adding custom features to a clunky dashboard.
AutoVerify ↗: Automatically handles simple CAPTCHAs. It’s one of those “silent” tools that gives you a tiny hit of dopamine every time it saves you a few seconds.
ChatGPT Conversation Timeline ↗: Adds a timeline to the AI chat interface. No more endless scrolling; just hover to preview and click to jump.
Immersive Translate ↗: One-click bilingual translation for web pages and even YouTube subtitles. The dev is incredibly active and responsive.
AdBlock ↗: It’s been so long I’ve lost count of how many ads it has blocked. The best plugin is the one you forget is even there.

0x6 Entertainment & Gaming#

Steam ↗: Needs no introduction. The undisputed #1 platform for buying and managing games.
Epic Games: I’m mostly here for the weekly “freebies.” I’ve snagged everything from GTA V to the Batman Trilogy without spending a dime.

Software tools are like friends. I used to chase the flashy and the new, but now I value the “trusted allies” that understand how I work. Some we’ve known for years; others are new faces that I’m sure will become staples of my routine.

Ultimately, tools should serve the person. The “best” app is simply the one that works for you.

What are your “can’t-delete” treasures? Or perhaps a niche tool that solved a massive headache? I’d love to hear about your “trusted allies” in the comments—it might just be the next addition to my list!