Tidbits

Check out random thoughts on this page. For more useful info check out the Blog section. This is only for fun. Cheers!

Yes you can live without electronic gadgets. Seriously. Even better than now.

If somehow you still want to go down that rabbithole, some advice:

1. Get a home first. I assume you have a home already. 

2. Make sure your home is big enough so that you can have a bed, a chair and a desk.

3. Get a desktop PC, laptop, or any cheap (!) computer and install Linux on it.

4. Get a cheap (!) dumbphone to call and text your family and friends with it.

4a. For "smartphone", buy only future-proof ones (Linux installed, removable battery).

5. To communicate with strangers use email, install Delta Chat for a better UI.

5a. Archive your emails with Mailstore offline on your own PC.

6. Use only those browsers with adblockers preinstalled and maintained.

7. Learn to use the command line, your future self will thank you for it.

8. Do not jump on IT related bandwagons, they lead nowhere or to bad ends.

9. Be suspicious of any new ideas, usually those are better for those who propose them.

10. Avoid social media and "messengers", remember to call/text or email everyone.

Get the most utility for less, do not follow trends, do not burn bridges. Enjoy!

You should not read "the news". It is pointless, and even harmful for your mind.

However, if you cannot resist the stupid, addictive temptation, here is a list for you.

1. https://legiblenews.com/ as the name implies...

2. https://slowernews.com/ similarly, focused on trends

3. https://veryquiet.com/ (it's dead, alas, it was the best)

4. https://sumi.news/ general aggregator

5. https://news.ycombinator.com/ ("Hackernews", not only for hackers)

6. https://68k.news 

There are some paying news site, no matter what they promise you (being neutral, balanced, whatever), stay away from anything that needs your money. News should be free, but it is not, and those "journalists" are only making things worse, so avoid them altogether and instead read books, travel a lot, get to know people, get a life.

Some interesting products in no particular order:

1. https://paleblueearth.com/products/pale-blue-lithium-rechargeable-aa-batteries, as the URL describes, AA batteries that can be recharged via an existing USB-C charger. Neat. This is just one example, there are other brands making the same thing as well.

2. https://walkmancentral.com/products/ps-f9 the vertical LP player from Sony (1983).

3. more coming later

When watching online content, be aware that it can disappear anytime. So, if you cherish your own (online or offline) life and do not want it to be at the mercy of others, do download content you deem worthwhile for keeping. Do not rely on the address only: you can save a bookmark, but that page, that video, that content can disappear in the future. The best practice is to save (download) everything you like for offline use later. Stay away from any medium that does not let you download its contents.

Sure, the Internet Archive is supposed to do the same (good to know), but even them are not 100% reliable, they do not have the resources to keep everything from the past archived. Develop a habit to download everything you find interesting or useful to your own storage media for yourself, and do share them with others later if needed. Welcome to the original Internet idea as it was intended back in the beginning. Forget about the "cloud" and "ww3" and other silly concepts. Be brave and dare to be old-fashioned and traditional: your future self will thank you for it. Cheers! :)