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Broken

@ Broken @lemmy.ml

Posts
2
Comments
360
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • Best phone for the near future?

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  • As others have said, look into an alternate OS as your best option. I only have experience with GrapheneOS, but it's super simple to install and functions pretty well out of the box.

    Unfortunately your pixel 3 is too old and no longer supported. 6 is the oldest supported and they recommend 8 or newer because those have 7 year support cycles as opposed to 5 on earlier models.

    That aligns with your wants though, as a pixel 6 is 4 years into its support cycle so oud only get another year out of it. Maybe you'd be OK with a 7 and 2 years, but if you went 8 then you'd have 5 years remaining. So it depends on how future proof you want vs your budget. General recommendation would be to buy a phone second hand.

    Take a look at their FAQ for more info. It'll probably answer a lot of your questions. https://grapheneos.org/faq

    I'll also say that even if you run GOS in a non private manner, its still more private than a standard android phone. I know somebody who runs GOS with google services on (gasp!) but that is still more private because it runs sandboxed and not with full reign of the OS. GOS also has a lot of options like turning your mic on and off and disabling Bluetooth. Even simple things like that are good first steps in getting into a private phone.

  • Best phone for the near future?

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  • As others have said, look into an alternate OS as your best option. I only have experience with GrapheneOS, but it's super simple to install and functions pretty well out of the box.

    Unfortunately your pixel 3 is too old and no longer supported. 6 is the oldest supported and they recommend 8 or newer because those have 7 year support cycles as opposed to 5 on earlier models.

    That aligns with your wants though, as a pixel 6 is 4 years into its support cycle so oud only get another year out of it. Maybe you'd be OK with a 7 and 2 years, but if you went 8 then you'd have 5 years remaining. So it depends on how future proof you want vs your budget. General recommendation would be to buy a phone second hand.

    Take a look at their FAQ for more info. It'll probably answer a lot of your questions. https://grapheneos.org/faq

    I'll also say that even if you run GOS in a non private manner, its still more private than a standard android phone. I know somebody who runs GOS with google services on (gasp!) but that is still more private because it runs sandboxed and not with full reign of the OS. GOS also has a lot of options like turning your mic on and off and disabling Bluetooth. Even simple things like that are good first steps in getting into a private phone.

  • Is there a phone I can buy that out the box is rooted, private, and does not install bloat apps?

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  • I'm sure its in the link the other comment provided, but I'll call out that you not only can unlock your bootloader to install your OS but you can relock it so nothing can install anything afterwards.

    So if your phone is ever not in your possession you can be sure that nobody installed anything. Also keeps your phone safe from malware (at root level).

  • Microsoft announces it will automatically install the Copilot AI app alongside desktop versions of 365 products like Word, Excel and PowerPoint this October

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  • Oh definitely. Xlookup and sumifs are probably my most common formulas. But I also source and combine data sources on a regular basis which is the real hitch in my use.

  • Microsoft announces it will automatically install the Copilot AI app alongside desktop versions of 365 products like Word, Excel and PowerPoint this October

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  • LibreOffice is great, but one of the problems is its not a business product. So sure, most everyone can do basic stuff and its fine. But if you're a business, it really won't cut it. And if you're a power user of any of the app types, shifting away might not be possible.

    But yes, my goal is 100% shift from MS. I just can't shake excel until there's a better alternative (or I stop having the need).

  • Deleted

    Permanently Deleted

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  • No, they shut down Wordpad since it was the awkward step between simple notepad and full blown word processing. It didn't do anybody any harm, but it never really had a home.

  • Microsoft announces it will automatically install the Copilot AI app alongside desktop versions of 365 products like Word, Excel and PowerPoint this October

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  • To be fair, I use excel (2019, not 365) frequently and I'm never prompted for anything. I had to jerry rig the installation so only excel installed and not the full suite of products, but other than that it's been clean and perfect. Sure, I'm missing some features from 365, but one of those missing features is copilot. Everything else is perfect (and I need data sources and some other functions that aren't in Calc which is why I still use it)

  • When is it time to switch away from youtube?

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  • I agree, but the lack of solid alternate platforms is the main issue.

  • Where Are All My Firewall People?

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  • Opnsense with unbound DNS here. Running on an old PC that got converted to dedicated firewall (with added NIC card for ports). Nothing crazy, just enough to control what communicates out of my network.

  • Mods react as Reddit kicks some of them out again: “This will break the site”

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  • It could be viewed as reasonable if viewed alone. I think that its fine and could make a lot of sense for control over their platform.

    The history of reddit sheds a different context in my mind though. Mods are volunteers. Subreddits were established to moderate themselves, implementing nuanced rules for their specific topics that might differ from other subs that need completely different rules and approaches. Its part of what made reddit unique compared to alternate sites.

    Then they made moderating much more difficult by eliminating third party apps. Then they started implementing their plans to take the platform where they wanted it, which is fine because its their platform, but they wanted all their mods to do a bunch of work and in a certain manner to make it so. Very demanding on free labor.

    So there's mods still around and they want to restrict them more? Who knows, maybe that's a great idea but they made the mess they're in. This decision isn't a single on on its own, its part of a stack of them.

  • Proton Meet: Secure, end-to-end encrypted video conferencing

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  • Yeah, I respect that position. I can completely understand the feeling and I'm only a shade away from it. My take is that it's low priority, yours is that its zero interest. I hope I'm right, and that one day they can shift gears and get more done. Maybe I'm just optimistic.

  • Proton Meet: Secure, end-to-end encrypted video conferencing

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  • I think that conclusion is up for interpretation though. I mean, you could be right, but I wouldn't call anything proof.

    They have not said, we don't want to support Linux. Or we never intend to support Linux. What they have said is that they lack Linux developers to flesh out their products on that platform.

    They need more Linux devs, plain and simple. They don't have them and I will admit that is clearly not their priority.

    The crux of the matter is their focus isn't on Linux. But not focusing on Linux is not the same as not supporting it.

    Their clear focus is on Enterprise Business, quality privacy access for those that need it (be it journalists or oppressed countries), and general user privacy last.

    While Linux users tend to be more private in nature, 100% of us are still smaller than a fraction of their focus. It may seem counter intuitive for them being a privacy company to lack support in the most private platform, but it would also seem counter intuitive that using them to get away from Google products still requires the Play store and Gapps for notifications.

    So I take it all with a grain of salt.

    Again, you might be right. They might not have any interest in Linux in the long term. But I don't see the evidence that proves that without a doubt. Them not lining up with my opinion of how they should do things isn't proof of anything.

  • Flooring Pop

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  • Make sure to ask the contractors about the subfloor. If its flexing at all (you can step on the empty space and see if your weight shifts it) then no matter how good the fix it'll pop again.

  • Proton Meet: Secure, end-to-end encrypted video conferencing

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  • It's old because it shows ignorance of the situation, and vast misunderstanding of how companies are run and things are made.

    I'm waiting on a lot of things from Proton, mostly around them hiring more Linux Devs so they can flesh out that platform.

    But that being said, they haven't said they aren't doing it, it just isn't happening on the timeline I want. So I'm good. If I'm ever not good with that I can choose to not renew.

    Other products and features doesn't take away from my wish list. If they have 500 devs on staff and none of them are Linux experts, then them working on other projects doesn't take anything away from me, it only adds.

  • Flooring Pop

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  • I would lead with questions for both context and for you to determine your plan of action.

    Its "always been" squishy...how long have you lived here? 1 year? 10 years? It matters in the context of if it was a quick flip install to sell the place and you've only been living there a short time, the rest will probably be falling apart soon too. If its been a long time, it could point to just that spot being an issue and needing repair.

    There's also the question of your time and budget. There's a good chance the entire floor needs to be replaced, but if that's just out of the question then a patch job could keep it together a very long time if done right.

    What room is that? Bathroom? Mud room? There's tile on the wall too so I'm wondering if water is playing into the problem (either in the tile install or damage to the sub floor in that spot).

  • When is it time to switch away from youtube?

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  • I think one of the biggest challenges is alternate choices for creators. If everybody posted their content to YT plus another platform, things would naturally start shifting.

    If a channel I follow posts to Odysee then I watch it there. I follow multiple channels that also post to Nebula, so I try to watch it there.

    But there's no clear standard for what platforms are good for what. There's also a paywall issue with some (like aforementioned Nebula) that not everybody will be able to pay. I've also tried Curiosity Stream, and never watched it because there was no content I found worth it.

    Then there's the technical issues. I can't believe that I am paying for Nubula when their app sucks so badly. (I will probably cancel but haven't yet). Odysee is so much better than when it launched but it's still a pile of dung. PeerTube I never felt worked well at all, so much so that maybe I'm missing something. But while I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed if I can't figure it out then its a bad platform.

    So in all reality, there isn't a replacement for YT. I wish there was, but there isn't. There should be, but there isn't. Yes, we should try to post alternate links and such, but that's not going to make much of a difference in the end.

    And sorry, this all came out significantly negative sounding. I don't mean to be crapping on the post or the idea. I just mean to point out that the issue is much deeper than user interactions. There's an infrastructure problem first (we need a viable working alternative), then a content problem second (we need to convince creators to move there), and only last is there a user interaction issue (which this post is discussing).

  • What would stop you from switching to a flip phone (or dumbphone) in 2025?

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  • I wholeheartedly agree with this perspective.

    I started on a privacy journey because I didn't like that I'm being tracked (by basically everybody) and feel that the technology that I pay for should be service to me, not me as a service to it (and its related parties).

    Anyways, along the way I did a few things. Namely, I turned off mail notifications (this was an inadvertent feature since my mail service couldn't send notifications without google services that I removed). I also removed my sim and use data only via a hotspot, to which I don't always have on. These sound like crazy things, and admittedly they aren't for everyone, but the resulting mental shifts are exactly to this point.

    Just because I have a device that let's me be available to anybody in any place at any time, doesn't mean I should be, or even need to be, available unless I want to be.

    Now I protect my time, and the mental clarity that comes with it. I never was a doom scroller, but even now that concept is even more reduced. The phone is my tool, and I use when needed.

  • Hi, I want to install Linux along side Win 10.

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  • I would also recommend Mint with Windows as a VM over dual booting. I find the workflow is better to not leave Linux but rather load the VM for the windows needs. This is especially with nonaggressive apps like modifying PDFs. If you were going to produce music or edit videos dual boot might be a better option.

    I wouldn't recommend WinBoat for you yet. Its too new, and while I like what I've tested I want to see it in a year or two after it's fleshed out. At the end of the day you're running Windows in a VM anyways, so its pretty much the same thing.

  • Flipper Zero, Car Thieves, and a Brewing Security Crisis: What’s Really Going On?

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  • insurance companies need to be holding the car manufacturer's feet to the fire by not insuring cars

    I agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately that screws over the owners far more and for far longer before it even impacts the car manufacturers.

    Maybe a better attack (aside from government regulations) would be banks to not provide financing for loans to buy those cars. In the end, if the car is stolen they are at a loss so that makes sense.

    People can't get loans, so don't buy the risky vehicle. It hurts a little in the now to direct them towards cars that will not be a problem in the future. And the car companies feel the sting of lost sales right away.