danielfgom

danielfgom , 1 month ago

Ad blockers are useful for more than just YouTube. So they are not going anywhere. However it will be a bummer if we can no longer block YouTube ads.

On android I have to endure the ads but on desktop I never see them.

danielfgom , 1 month ago

For some reason New Pipe just doesn’t work on my me device

danielfgom , 1 month ago

Thanks I’ll give it a shot

danielfgom , 2 months ago

I highly recommend 1Password. It’s cross platform, including Linux, and it’s not only a great and sort l super secure password manager, but it also does 2FA codes and if you use their auto fill tool, it will also paste the 2FA code to clipboard so you can paste it in seamlessly.

Everything is full encrypted and needs a really long, unique to you, key to decrypt. So no one will be hacking this anytime soon. Even 1Password cannot open your vault.

danielfgom , 2 months ago

It’s easy to install, it’s Ubuntu based which means stable and a wide variety of software and support. Cinnamon looks beautiful in Mint and works perfectly. Installing a deb is a breeze and using the App Store is way easier than using YAST. The cli commands are now easy to understand or remember compared to apt.

Fedora usb creation is a nightmare and can potentially f up your bios if something goes wrong. DNF is also but easy to understand or remember compared to apt.

Gnome is too barebones for a first time user whereas Cinnamon is feature rich and is themed very well. Plus great wallpapers are included. The lock screen wallpapers are easily changed and look great too.

As long as there is no shit Nvidia card the driver installation tends to work perfectly. Don’t use Nvidia people. They are a shit, unethical, don’t give a crap about Linux company. Use AMD.

And for Linux users who’ve been around longer, there’s Linux Mint Debian Edition which for us is even better because it’s not Ubuntu based but Debian based and stable.

I get the latest Firefox directly from Mozilla and any app I can’t find in Synaptics I can normally get in Flatpak. Works perfectly well for me. I highly recommend it.

danielfgom , 2 months ago

It does some weird formatting to the usb stick. You literally have to use their tool to unformat it again otherwise it’s screwed. That’s been my experience.

I had an issue on my MacBook bios safety installing Fedora. Wouldn’t boot and even if I tried installing Ubuntu over it, still would not boot.

Had to reinstall Mac OS and have it repair the bios. Only after that could I get Linux installed and booting again.

I don’t know how they screwed it up but they did.

danielfgom , 2 months ago

Mac OS doesn’t install like a traditional OS. It downloads an iso from the cloud, stores it locally and then installs itself. It lets you open a terminal and I put in some commands to clear and restore the bios before installing the OS.

Normally any formatting tool should work on the USB but Fedora does something to the USB that prevents that. It definitely ruined a usb 3 drive I had and no amount of formatting would get it to work properly until I used their Fedora usb tool.

They are doing something weird.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

I don’t like this Altman guy I’ve bit. He’s a punk. I think it was a mistake on Apple’s part to partner with him.

Let’s hope they can offer alternatives in the near future.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

So are we all ok with Microsoft now being in charge of systemd? The same company made famous by Blue Screens of Death?

When I consider this, it makes me think Linux has lost. Do you think Microsoft would let the Linux community be on charge of The Registry? Or any other part of the OS?

Mac may be the only decent option left…?

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Use LocalSend. It’s exactly like Apple Airdrop but works on ALL operating systems so no matter what device you have you can easily transfer files.

It’s local, secure and open source.

localsend.org

danielfgom , 3 months ago

You’re right. LocalSend does require WiFi connectivity. In terms of convenience it’s just like Airdrop, if you have that network.

Maybe one day they could add Bluetooth. Would be cool

danielfgom OP , 3 months ago

Tell me about it. An over 3 year old chip and still flogging it as if it’s new. Which means all the phones in that segment will still be only as powerful as 3 year old budget phones.

That is disgusting. Shame on them.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Linux Mint

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Not anymore. That was true for a few years but iOS has definitely overtaken Android. Plus when you include the entire Apple devices ecosystem, Arcade, TV+, Homepod, Continuity etc iOS FAR, FAR outstrips Android.

Android is a stand alone device but iPhone is one piece in a mosaic of devices and services.

This is why now, after the last 4 years on Android, I’m switching back to iPhone.

Plus the hardware and cameras on budget Android devices are shit and I’m tried of paying for shit.

The Snapdragon 695 came out 3+ years ago and yet Qualcomm just released this year the Snapdragon 6s gen 3, which is … the 695 with a slightly higher clock speed… 🤦

For €300 - €550 they keep selling us the same junk with a different name and colour and I’m done with that bs.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

That is the catch. I agree that there is lock in, I’ve experienced that, but in return you get unparalleled interconnectivity.

Plus you get 5+ years OS updates on iPhone and iPad Vs 2-3 years on Android, budget Android. And for the money, the cameras will be better than any budget Android and the CPU will be better for gaming. Plus there is a world of accessories you just don’t get with Android.

As cool as it is to have split screen or an SD card on my phone, when I need to take a picture with friends/family and they always come out terribly because all Android’s under €750 have shit cameras, then none of that matters. An experience I recently had. We tried 3 android phones and in the end the friend with an iPhone got the best shot and that one was shared on the group.

Super embarrassing for Android that 3 different phones tried to get a decent semi low light photo and couldn’t but a year’s old iPhone got a great shot with 1 click.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Except the iPhone isn’t junk - best in class CPU, best in class cameras, best in class accessories, magsafe, best in class security(FaceID), best in class messaging with iMessage, best in class emoji/animoji/memoji, best in class OS updates, busy in class animations and app design, best in class post sales service, best in class devices ecosystem…

Huge difference.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Are you on weed? This is my opinion, it doesn’t need any article…🤦

danielfgom , 3 months ago

I can’t afford a new one so I’m looking at used IPhone’s to get. Because Apple tends to support them for 5+ years, I still should get at least 2 years OS updates with a used one.

I’m thinking iPhone 13 is a good one to get.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Exactly. You get it. At the end of the day they are all going to get many of the same features.

They both copy from webOS anyway, at the end of the day. That webOS from Palm was way ahead at the time but lacked the hardware and Carrier support needed to succeed.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Correct. It needs hardware and will only be on flagships, if the OEM includes it…

Another nice feature on the latest iPhone is the UWB chip egg even the older models have but now you can find another iPhone 15 user in a crowd if they share their location. The UWB chip will guide you right to them

I’ve wanted something like this for at least a decade for when my wife and I get separated in the Mall so that instead of calling her to see where she is (and she often doesn’t hear it ringing) I’d be able to just use the phone to lead me to her… Pretty useful in real life. And it also works for your misplaced tracker tile, air pods, iPad etc

danielfgom , 3 months ago

I doubt it. The Pixels may be doing some but with Google I’m sure it’s not much as they always prefer server side computing.

iPhone will definitely aim to do most of it on device and use the server as little as possible. Which imo is the way to go.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Exactly. Also memoji on Android would be nice as well as the better emoji content on iPhones…

The bedtime mode on iPhone is also very cool as well as the ability to set your contact photo which other iPhone users will see when they call you.

Plus I think Apple have done a better job with widgets because they look nicer and are stackable.

Imo as an android user, android has been neglected by Google for a while and apart from Samsung no other OEM’s are adding for software to rival Apple.

Which is one of many reasons why I’ll be switching back to iPhone. I see more and better user features being added to iOS.

The only thing Google has done with android lately is Material You, and it’s not as rich as apples customisation. And circle to search is a stupid feature which only benefits Google more than the user.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Nope. Apple only.

I’m switching to iPhone because Google has let Android languish for years now. Samsung does more for android than Google does for goodness sake.

Apple users get fun and cool updates which is why they love it. Plus best in class photos and videos so they can share photos with friends and family with confidence, as opposed to android which has shit cameras and even shittier video.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

It has it

danielfgom , 3 months ago

1. Pixel is good but outside the US is barely available
2. The only good Samsung cameras are on the Galaxy S line aka premium models. The rest of the phones, the ones most people buy, are crap.

For the price of a used iPhone there is NO phone that can take as good photos and videos

danielfgom , 3 months ago

I’m not saying that because I like iPhones.

You are in the US so pixels are widely available and cheap. As is the FE series.

Where I live, outside the US, the Pixel is not sold nor will Google let you buy it. So pixel is a no go.

The Fan Edition Samsung costs virtually the same as the regular edition where I live, if you can find an FE. It costs €700+…

99% of our population can only afford €250-300 phones. €700 is out of reach unless you’re single, hehe a great job and still live with mum and dad. Or you are the 1%.

So at that price ALL the android cameras are shit, shit, shit.

So, if I import from the UK a used iPhone 12 it will cost about €350. At that price NOTHING can touch it below €700.

Everything below €700 is Chinese cheapie and Samsung cheapie, also known as crap phones.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

😂. Good one! Touché

danielfgom , 3 months ago

I have a great pocket camera but it’s not practical to carry it wherever I go. Most photos are taken spontaneously and for that reason you want a great camera on your smartphone.

Also, most Android phones cannot capture RAW.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Cyprus. Also in the EU but no official sales or support. I’m sure it’s the same in most countries in South America, Africa, Asia and the Far East.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

100% correct.

At the moment there are tons of Ai companies all trying to be The One that everybody will use.

But Google has Gemini and it has Android. Android has 70% market share worldwide and is offering Gemini for free to every user. That’s MASSIVE exposure.

For openai to get on Android the user has to install it as an app. It’s VERY difficult to get your average user to know what openai is and why they should use it, never mind getting them to install the app.

So to be the default Ai on iPhone is a HUGE deal for openAi and gives them massive exposure over the competition.

Google pays Apple billions to Apple to be the default search engine so openAi not having to pay anything is actually very surprising to me.

I think the only reason Apple isn’t making them pay is because Apple plans to offer other Ai services in future.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Wait for the distro to officially release an upgrade path. Only do a fresh install if it doesn’t work.

On Windows however whenever I would get a new pc in which I was prepping for staff(I worked in IT) the first thing I’d do after unboxing it is a wipe of the factory Windows install and do a clean install with the latest ISO from Microsoft.

No bloatware, network managers, anti virus etc nonsense. We had all of our own stuff for that which applied via Group Policy anyway.

danielfgom , 3 months ago

Too much fuss about nothing. Samsung just want to be sure that they aren’t getting ripped off on warranty repairs and that they have an accurate idea of the devices repair history. Especially with 4 - 7 years OS support on new models, that phone will likely belong to several owners over the years.

When I worked in Telecoms back in 2005 - 2008, Samsung had the very best repair centres. Out of all the OEM’s their repairs were the fastest and the best quality and if a phone went in for repair more than twice, they would replace it on the third repair with a brand new unit.

Could not say that about Nokia, HTC, Sony Ericsson or Motorola. (There was no iPhone yet in my country at that time)

danielfgom , 4 months ago

The article says “manufacturers” but then only mentions Samsung in the article…

Not exactly a surprise tbh because they have to compete with iPhone. And I bet it’s only for flagship devices. I can’t see the budget devices getting this.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

I agree, from a user point of view, however from Google’s point of view guys only job is to make money for the company, which he seems to be doing.

Android has been left to languish and especially the mid range and budget segment. Google had let OEM’s use the largest sales market to keep selling junk low spec phones year after year with the same specs and no meaningful improvements. If you wanna really great cameras or wireless charging, your only choice is to buy a premium device. That locks out billions of people from having a great Android experience.

Even the premium segment hasn’t seen that much improvement from Google. It’s basically only Samsung who are pushing things forward through OneUI and through hardware Innovations like folding phones and zoom cameras to make the experience better.

I for one am tired of it and have decided that my next phone is an iPhone. For the same price as an A55 I can get a brand new iPhone 12 or for less I can get a refurbished model and have far superior cameras than any Android below €750 as well as years of OS updates and enjoy all the great user features Apple has added to iOS recently.

The last iPhone I had was the 7 and it was ok but my S7 Edge was better. I’ve been on Android since then but now iPhone has finally made some great improvements in both hardware and software which I think should offer me a better experience than budget Android.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

Implement a wireless file transfer protocol that works with Apple’s Airdrop and Android’s Quick Share.

In other words Airdrop for Linux that works with both iOS and Android.

2. Create a software tool with UI that allows syncing of a phone with Linux to copy over photos, documents, music etc.

Must work with ios and android

danielfgom , 4 months ago

I must try that. Thanks

danielfgom , 4 months ago

I’ll take a look at that. Thanks

danielfgom , 4 months ago

The enshitification of Gnome continues until it be it’s own little isolated thing and previous gnome code will have to be forked to make progress that users actually want.

That will probably go for gnome apps eventually. The Mint guys might have to rewrite all the bloody apps to work with gnome 3…🤦

danielfgom , 4 months ago

No. It’s deliberately breaking backwards compatibility to force other projects that use that code to either look bland like Gnome or stop making their DE’s.

That’s bad for FLOSS and Linux users

danielfgom , 4 months ago

Gnome Foundation likes to think of themselves as the pioneer in DE’s and the default choice for Linux. Which was true for a long time. Cinnamon and Mate run Gnome, for example. I’m not sure about XFCE.

If you’re THE leading DE project at least try to accommodate those DE’s that depend on your code or meet with them to inform them well in advance and discuss the best options for those DE’s.

In other words, work together for the good of all users instead of doing your own little thing in the corner and leave the others to deal with the mess you made…

danielfgom , 4 months ago

Who said anything about a conspiracy? I’m just saying they may be acting selfishly and it couldn’t hurt to speak to other parties who they know use their code, to discuss how it will impact them.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

Thank you for that context. I was unaware of that.

I certainly get your point. If downstream won’t engage constructively then upstream is free to do what they feel is right.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

Indeed.

Someone else replied to me with fantastic context I want aware of.

Here’s their reply: lemmy.world/comment/9847230

It seems Gnome did try to work with downstream but the engagement wasn’t there.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

From what others have replied, this seems to be an old issue and it seems Gnome was actually in the right.

I wasn’t aware of that history. Here’s the reply that helped straighten it out: lemmy.world/comment/9847230

danielfgom , 4 months ago

It’s not a conspiracy. All I was saying is that by breaking backwards compatibility downstream either has to comply or find another way.

As another commentor has mentioned, gnome did actually inform downstream a good while back but downstream did not engage, so gnome obviously proceeded with their own project how they saw fit. Which is the right way of course.

Downstream should have tried to engage and perhaps found a good work around but sadly didn’t.

So they’ll have to work it out now by themselves.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

They’ve been dodgy since day 1.

danielfgom , 4 months ago

Purposely breaking backwards compatibility knowing full well that other FLOSS DE’s rely on it is enshitification of the worst kind.

We all lose in the end.