Deliverer of ideas for a living. Believer in internet autonomy, dignity. I upkeep instances of FOSS platforms like this for the masses. Previously on Twitter under the same handle. I do software things, but also I don’t.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 5th, 2023

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  • Thinkpads – a laptop with a rich history of Linux use – can be bought with an integrated 4090. The ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 can be configured with an i9, plenty of flexibility for drive space and RAM, and an RTX 4090. It’ll run you, even used, around $3k to $4k, which is the equivalent of a desktop replacement. But it’ll be pretty doggone compatible with any Linux distro you’d like.




  • Use the user profiles feature of grapheneos to make a “social” profile and only use that to access Instagram / facebook.

    You’ll want to consider isolating IG from your primary profile, to start. The above user’s suggestion hits the nail on the head.

    Once the profile ks created, and you’ve installed IG, you’ll want to deselect the option in your Manage Profiles settings on GrapheneOS to ‘Allow running in the backgroud.’ This way, you can ensure the app is entirely stopped until you want it open.

    Another consideration may be to turn off your Bluetooth when it’s not in use, as well: BT emits an ‘address’ of sorts that, if another IG user has enabled BT access on their IG app, may be able to detect your phone and track a conversation knowing you are in the other user’s vicinity.







  • TrailSense, an easy to use, comprehensive wilderness tool.

    The goals of the developer are fun to consider:

    Goals

    • Trail Sense must not use the Internet in any way, as I want the entire app usable when there is no Internet connection

    • Features must provide some benefits to people using the app while hiking, in a survival situation, etc.

    • Features should make use of the sensors on a phone rather than relying on stored information such as guides

    • Features must be based on peer-reviewed science or be verified against real world data

    Likewise, the features being developed under those goals are great for getting outside:

    Features

    • Designed for hiking, backpacking, camping, and geocaching
    • Place beacons and navigate to them
    • Follow paths
    • Retrace your steps with backtrack
    • Use a photo as a map
    • Plan what to pack
    • Be alerted before the sun sets
    • Predict the weather
    • Use your phone for astronomy
    • And more


  • Even though there’s a small monthly cost, the results have been consistent for Kagi. But consistency meets only half of my needs for search: I also want to make decisions quickly from what I find within the contents. If I were to to go to a link, wait for it to load, scroll the content, etc. – does that listed forum post have the answer I am looking for? Does this news article cover the nuances I have been tracking and would like to read more of? Kagi offers an AI-based summarize feature that helps. And that’s been meeting the other half of my needs, as well.

    EDIT, an opinion: Search services may well be eventually replaced by small, niche LLMs trained to perform summerization tasks, such as Consensus, which I have used for work research, and Perplexity.ai. The AI summarize feature of Kagi is why I see the service as more useful than straight indexes, even when self-hosted. Kagi is a stepping stone toward this for me, and why I recommend it.


  • This is what’s up. Buy a small Intel NUC, a USB-C combo Blueray & DVD player, and watch any service / play any content without the ridiculousness.

    Spectres are reasonable TVs. Screen tech hasn’t improved drastically for the last few years, and streaming quality hasn’t had any major facelifts outside the frameworks we know and love – don’t let anyone fool you otherwise. Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc., all stream comparably to one another.



  • I have looked around, myself, but not found a FOSS alternative. There are typically compliance issues like PCI DSS for certain banks that prevent trust and cooperation from those banks outside a larger entity like Google, Apple, etc.

    Aside smart phones, Flipper Zero can clone some cards sucessfully. But that’s an entirely different device, not an app for a phone. Best of luck!