It’s so easy to dismiss Trumpers and conservatives as bigoted, evil monsters. And don’t get me wrong, many of them are.
But I have many in my life that are loving, kind people who would give you the shirt off their back. Due to family influence, religion, or other factors, they have taken on some pretty repelling viewpoints on some issues. But they’re capable of change. Familiarization and a kind, guiding hand can go a long way.
This is great news!
For those unaware, Google is continuously enacting policies that are closing down the open environment of Android, and I fear this will significantly harm projects like GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, and others.
If you can spare a couple dollars, please consider throwing some money at PostmarketOS or any other mobile Linux project you like.
I am a huge fan of SimpleX and their removal of user IDs. I think it’s a brilliant solution, and wish that SimpleX was recommended more than Signal.
My method is much more manual and involved, but fits my needs:
I have my pictures, documents, and music folders synced automatically to a few computers via Syncthing. At the start op each month, I export my contacts, Obtainium apps, and other files to my documents. At this time, I also make backups to the cloud and make a couple copies to external hard drives. It may sound intensive, but it only takes 5 minutes a month.
I restart / update my phone very often for various tests and projects. Whenever I need to do so, I upload these files from my computer or hard drive. Using a guide that I’ve made myself, it takes maybe ten minutes to have my phone exactly the way it was before.
Same for trans kids, or gay kids, or anyone that doesn’t fit the norm.
I understand that social media can have detrimental effects on everyone, especially the youth. But let’s stop pretending like social media is akin to heroin, with no potential benefits. Social media is a great place for some people, teens and preteens included, to find a sense of community and belonging.
Participating has really helped. I’m still struggling to post, but I try to comment wherever I feel I can add value, however small.
Build the platform you want to be part of.
Stuff like PostmarketOS looks interesting. The new Furilabs phone doesn’t sound too bad either.
If you have the money, consider donating $5 to a couple Linux mobile projects. Small donations here and there can be the difference needed to make Linux mobile a viable option.
My shift was primarily ideologically driven. I was sick of privacy encroachment, enshittification, and feeling like my computer wasn’t truly mine. Linux changed all that.
I get a couple miles of range! There’s a decent number of nodes in my town though, and the terrain is flat, which helps significantly.
I’ve been experimenting with Meshtastic for about a year now, and I love it! It’s currently my backup comms plan for my wife, as well as a few friends and family.
Although, I am putting more of my hopes into the reticulum network, with the hopes that it grows in the future.
The device this user mentions is the Lilygo T-Deck, and it’s wonderful! It’s on the pricier side of meshtastic devices, but works quite well. It’s the device I’ve given to my friends and family in town, as it’s much less hassle than trying to teach them to use a device with the app.
c/pareidolia@sh.itjust.works
You can download from this site which comes from Proton directly, this Github repo, or this link which downloads the F-Droid build
After using Autotiling from the Cosmic desktop, I can’t go back to anything else. I’ve tried distro hopping to Gnome based desktops for a few reasons, but always wind back up on Cosmic.
Proton Pass can also be downloaded from Obtainium, if you’d rather go that route.
Coincards allows you to buy gift cards with crypto.
Congrats!
As a quality of life upgrade, I’d recommended downloading the COSMIC app store. It’s still made by the developers of Pop!, but is significantly better than the Pop Shop.
I do!
My use of a Faraday bag is more prepper oriented (i.e. solar flares) instead of geared towards privacy, but I keep a Pixel 8 with GrapheneOS, linux laptop, and eReader in a SLNT Faraday bag.
My tests have been far from perfect, but the phone’s Bluetooth and cell reception have all ceased working once put in the bag.
At the risk of parroting what has been already stated, the COSMIC alpha is currently meeting all my needs, and feels quite polished. Depending on your use case, it could likely meet your needs as well.
The only console I had exposure to as a young child was the Gameboy.
At a birthday sleepover with some friends, we all stayed up late into the night playing the original Nazi Zombies map from COD: WAW. Nothing has ever beat the sheer joy and fun I had with that initial playthrough.