Thoughts, opinions, wild speculation, and haphazard technical advice from Dom. I’m a hearing disabled irrigation contractor, B-movie aficionado, self-hoster, and hopeless Linux desktop romantic. Former co-host of Go With The Heat Miami Vice podcast. This site uses no tracking pixels, does not set cookies, and works without javascript. You may also want to checkout my blogroll and a running list of bookmarks I save while browsing. Last, if this is your first time here, check out my favorite posts.
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The Best Tech of 2020 – A New Mindset on Ownership
The Best Tech of 2020 – A New Mindset on Ownership
Dec. 28, 2020
Listen to this post. Narrated by me!
Something I both love and loathe are end of year tech lists. Since affiliate income has proliferated online, nearly all of these lists are filled with products the writer has never used or even seen in real life. The lists are filled with items that are either in the perfect range for quality affiliate payouts or that are already so popular they sell themselves.
…Giving Anbox Android emulator a shot
Giving Anbox Android emulator a shot
Dec. 28, 2020
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After seeing the news of a new Ubuntu-based distro using /e/ OS app store, my interest was piqued about running Android apps on my desktop. Having recently played around with screen mirroring on my Pop_OS desktop, running the apps directly seems like a much better experience.
…Replacing Smartphone Batteries – My Honor 7x Experience
Replacing Smartphone Batteries – My Honor 7x Experience
May 7, 2020
Last week I wrote up a guide for choosing and living with a budget Android device, especially for people who have lost access to their company provided flagship phone. In that piece I mention the importance of repairability when selecting a device, using XDA and iFixIt for reviews and info before buying. This week I urgently repaired one of my mobile devices because of a swollen battery. This process was a solid reminder for me on why all phones should be easy to replace the battery and should be mandated from the beginning.
…Wanted: Indie content curators, RSS a plus
Wanted: Indie content curators, RSS a plus
March 12, 2020
Earlier today, Flipboard announced a $3/month subscription (coming soon) to curate public video into a single feed. What I really want is a way to easily consolidate YouTube, feeds, newsletters, and podcasts into a single source. Unfortunately, this Flipboard subscription is a good idea, too lost in its own ego, justifying the “algorithm” over allowing indie curators and creators to build their own audiences.
…The Bliss of /e/ OS – The UnGoogled Android
The Bliss of /e/ OS – The UnGoogled Android
Sept. 19, 2019
Listen to this post. Narrated by me!
One of the biggest factors I take into consideration before purchasing an Android phone is if it is supported by 3rd. party ROM’s. Previously I’ve run devices without Google Apps after installing LineageOS, which had significant speed and battery performance in addition to privacy upgrades. Last week I installed /e/ OS on my Honor 5x after stumbling on it on Twitter. There’s a few aspects of this really unique OS that I feel merit a test for anyone who has a supported device.
…Living the Keyboard Dream
Living the Keyboard Dream
September 12, 2019
For some time, I’ve been fixated on finding the right mobile device for me. A device that’s curated just for my use case, not a black slab of glass that is just a notification vehicle. In my heart I thought this was a device with a physical keyboard. Thinking of this I fondly remember my days as a Blackberry Curve user and how much I loved that phone. But now, I’m not so sure if I wanted it for getting more work done, or if my rose-colored nostalgia for the early days of smartphones.
…Lite Apps on Android for the Masses
Lite Apps on Android for the Masses
Aug. 19, 2019
The fact that lite apps are not available in all markets is a major problem. This is true for mainline apps from Facebook or Google and then unfortunately for apps from surprising sources like Mozilla. As your Android device ages these apps are lifelines to keeping functionality of older devices that are still perfectly fine to use, but modern apps are so bloated they run terribly on anything but recent flagships.
…Going Pro with a Mid-Range Android Tablet
Going Pro with a Mid-Range Android Tablet
August 7, 2019
Being a tech enthusiast on a budget can be challenging. Not because there’s so many great things in the world and too little money to enjoy them, but the fear of wasting money on the wrong thing. This is really where other creators, YouTube and the like, can help cut through the noise and give an honest review of products. However that statement is full of crap. The biggest issue in this sphere (other than fake reviews that are actually ads, whole different conversation) is whether or not something is “pro”.
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