App(s) Discovery: Files (Community) and FilePilot, two Explorer Replacements or Complements

Recently, I came across two different Windows Explorer "replacements or complements". Let's face it, Windows Explorer can get a facelift, but the codebase is ancient. What if someone started from scratch? And here we have two different visions... 

Please note that Microsoft never gave us a way to completely replace Windows Explorer, so there are various "hacks" including registry changes, call intercepts, and so on, but they all have pros and cons. Just beware. 

Files / https://files.community/

Files is a slick looking manager that's completely free. They do suggest you "purchase" it from the Microsoft store to enable auto-patching and thus support them with a bit of revenue, but it is optional. 

The interesting thing about this explorer replacement just about EVERYTHING visual is configurable. Want a background? No problem. Zoom, unzoomed, specific percentage, specific alignment, etc. etc? Can do. Color themes? No problem. Want certain UI elements to appear in a different location? No problem. 

But by default, it looks a lot like Explorer... multiple tabs, etc. That is, until you find the "settings" button at the bottom left. Then everything changes. 

This is free, so just go download it and give it a try, eh? 

FilePilot / https://filepilot.tech/

FilePilot is extremely speedy and free during the beta period. In fact, the download is LESS THAN 2 MB. While the visuals are not as configurable as Files, the UI is extremely slick, with the mouse wheel picking many of the options, such as the different views of files, from large, middle, small icons, to file list, details, and so on. It also supports command palette. EVERYTHING is lightning fast... 

In fact, why don't you just go give it a try? They probably will stop the beta sometime later this year, but in the meanwhile, the beta should still work fine. And you *may* find it useful enough to pay for the full version... even in the current beta state. 

PC Hardware Discovery: One of the Best Mouse Bargains on Amazon -- Infinmind Mouse

Recently, I ended up buying two mice on Amazon. One I am okay with, but the other I am ecstatic with.

The latter is the Infinmind Mouse

NOTE: See long-term update later. 

It's a simple mouse, with 4 buttons (2 regular, 2 near the thumb), but it has a couple extra tricks. It is basically a clone or tribute of Logitech's Master Mouse. 

Instead of mouse wheel "tilting" (like Logitech) to scroll sideways, there's a separate mouse scroll roller next to the thumb. 

And the mouse wheel is METAL, and it's buttery smooth, yet has a distinctive step feedback if you scroll slowly. And it will let you spin on inertia alone so you will scroll a LONG way. It's hard to describe. 

The tracking is precise, as the built-in 4 different DPI setting, from 1000 to 3000 DPI, makes my scrolling on my triple-wide desktop (I use 3 x 24 inch monitors each at 1080p) very comfortably on a space that's barely twice as wide as my mouse. 

AND this mouse is both 2.4 Ghz wireless AND Bluetooth. In fact, it's 2 channel Bluetooth (can be paired to 2 different devices) AND available in both black and white. 

It even CAME with AA alkaline batteries, so it's ready to be used immediately. 

So what's the price of this amazing mouse? 

$18.99, and there's a 16% off coupon you can clip right now.  (As of 4/15/2025)

I daresay this is better than most Logitech mice I've used. We'll see how long it lasts. But in the meanwhile, this is one of the best mouse bargains on Amazon. 

LONG TERM UPDATE: It's now June 2025, and after 2 months of using it, it's... crap. It freezes up every few minutes, that I had to power cycle it to get it to work again. And that's USING the wireless dongle! I haven't tested Bluetooth mode yet. Will check later, but this is... not good. I had to power cycle the mouse multiple times a day. That's just... "no bueno".     

Broke a Tablet, replacing it wasn't that easy

 I have a pretty weird setup. 

My primary tablet was an Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017)

I should have 2 others (2016 and 2017) as backup, plus an old Fire HD 7 around here somewhere. But I can't find it at the moment (my room is very disorganized). 

I had Google Play Store installed, and Youtube Vanced installed too. 

So when I finally dropped it one too many times and destroyed the LCD, it's time to pull out the replacement. 

Except I seem to have no backup of it. F*** me.  And I can't find either of the backup tablets. 

So I go on Woot to order one. They only have a 2016 refurb. Okay, fine. Had to reboot 15 times for all the OS updates to go through. Argh. 

Then tried to put a case on... 

Turns out they moved the ports by a hair in the 2017 model, so the case would NOT fit on a 2016 model. Actually, it would fit, the but docking case's charging port won't go in correctly. WTF... Had to go to my backup magnetic charging tip instead. 

Then had to put on the backup case instead. 

Then it's time to re-add Google stuff to the Fire tablet, which is a PITA because Fire Toolbox, even updated to V15, did NOT work. I had to follow the Android Police website's instructions to get it working. 

Now I have to work out which books I have read and which ones I haven't...