10 March 2020 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
I’ve been using dumbphones for awhile now, but I started to miss some smartphone features.
Then a friend of mine mentioned LineageOS again. I decided to take the plunge… And I’m glad I did!
It IS possible to have a relatively private smartphone without all the Googley madness – even in this day and age.
But it does take a bit of time, patience, and some technical know-how.
Note that I don’t walk through the entire installation process here since it’s particular to your specific phone…
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25 June 2019 | Computers, Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
Until now, apps were for smartphones and tablets. But that’s all about to change with PWAs: Progressive Web Apps!
PWAs are a new(ish) type of app that is web-based.
In other words, PWAs are literally web sites + JavaScript encapsulated in a window on whatever gizmo you want to install them on.
That means you can use the same app on your phone, tablet, desktop, or laptop – whether you use Windows, linux, or Mac.
Progressive Web Apps also work differently than normal apps, making them a bit more secure and privacy-oriented than traditional native apps.
So, what are these things and how do they work?
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19 February 2019 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
These days, everyone just uses their smartphone for GPS navigation.
GPS is also present in most cars.
In the olden days, we had dedicated GPS gizmos for navigating. You can still grab a GPS-only device these days – and for fewer bucks than you might think.
But is it worth it to have a dedicated GPS?
It turns that yes, it is… For quite a few reasons, actually, not the least of which is simple privacy.
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5 February 2019 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
We hear a lot these days about China and the E-vils of their techie toys.
Obviously, there is also a lot of political nonsense going on here given China’s economic rise on the world stage. But how bad are Chinese toys – really?
I mean, everything is Made in China anyway, right?
Join Cletus and I for a fascinating look behind the tech curtain! Iron curtain? Red curtain? Some kind of curtain!
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22 January 2019 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
Many people have asked me how to use ethernet instead of WiFi with their tablet or smartphone.
While the idea is simple enough, getting ethernet to actually work with your gizmo can be anything but easy…
Some devices simply won’t work with certain USB-Ethernet dongles, and other devices won’t work at all with any dongle – period.
So, the short answer is: it’s complicated!
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8 January 2019 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
Ever since I made my Stylish Smartphone Faraday Box videos, countless people have told me to just use a microwave oven, or just use an empty potato chip bag.
Well, no… And yes! It depends.
The truth is that Faraday cages don’t block signals – they attenuate (or weaken) them.
That means that depending on the situation – the phone itself, the signal strength, the microwave oven itself, and so on – it may or may not work.
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18 December 2018 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard CletusAir flight 353 with non-stop service to Mos Eisley.”
“Please return your seatbacks and tray tables to their upright position, fasten your seatbelts, turn off and stow all portable electronic devices, or put them in airplane mode for the duration of the flight.”
Eh… Why airplane mode?
Most of us think it’s to prevent interference with the airplane’s electronics.
It turns out that’s not quite correct…
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27 November 2018 | Gizmos |
As regular readers/viewers know, I’m not a terribly big fan of smartphones.
For more info, see my video Why I ditched my smartphone.
In response to my musings, many people have said that they don’t think people buried in their smartphones all the time is causing any real harm.
After all, they argue, people used to just bury their noses in newspapers – right?
Well, yes… But no.
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25 September 2018 | Gizmos, Networking, Video |
If you decide to ditch your smartphone, then you have to pick the right dumbphone.
“You must choose, but choose wisely.”
There are many factors that come into play, like where you live and what wireless provider you’re using.
But it gets way more complicated than that…
2G, 3G, or 4G? And then, will 2G be around much longer with the release of 5G? What about 3G networks? How long will 3G be sticking around?
And then we have 4G dumbphones: There aren’t very many (at all), and they aren’t as Google-free as we might hope. SIGH…
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27 March 2018 | Computers, Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
In the olden days, our gizmos had electro-mechanical power buttons. When the thing was turned off, no power was sent to it.
Nowadays, things have changed with the advent of electronically-controlled everything – including things like washing machines.
You can even look at the specs of most gizmos these days, and you’ll see two power ratings: Max power consumption, and “Sleep” power consumption.
Puters haven’t been off-off for a long time now. Smartphones are also never really off in many cases, and neither are smart TVs.
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I’ve been using dumbphones for awhile now, but I started to miss some smartphone features.
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