Reconsidering My Hardware Stack
A huge change that has been beneficial is stepping away from Google. I have been using Startpage as my default search using the LibreWolf browser and things have been a lot better. I have looked into Kagi as well and I like the idea of a paid search. Going back to my goal of decentralizing my technology, I have created plans for my hardware. My previous post concerned software stacks, ignoring hardware.
Since the post, I have reassessed the media I use. I am someone who loves listening to music. Typically, I listen to music on my phone using Bluetooth headphones via a streaming service. Over the weekend, I tried using my student status to receive a discount on YouTube Premium. The experience was frustrating because despite uploading the requested documents showing current enrollment using my school’s letterhead, I was denied. It really had me rethinking my relationship with media. I have decided to purchase music and other media instead of using some kind of streaming service.
When I was without data and broke, just a few months ago, I was unable to stream music. I had 3 albums downloaded that I could listen to on repeat: Backstreet Boys Essentials, N*SYNC Greatest Hits, and Eminem's Infinite EP. That was it. This isn’t even the type of music I listen to regularly. I learned how to manage with such a limited library over time but it also made me realize that the data requirement for entertainment is a huge burn and that I don't really own anything if I need to be on the internet to use it. This is true with games I had, videos and podcasts I liked, and my reading materials.
There has been a significant shift in how I view digital content since looking into decentralization. I am more considerate of the creators of said content. With streaming, I am very disconnected from the artists and at the mercy of streaming platforms. By finding artists and paying them directly for their music, I am not being a leech, I am encouraging them to continue making music or writing books. I am actually supporting them and their work instead of just consuming it. If I buy the music, I can listen to it on any device I want to as well. I can save it on my PC, on my smartphone, an external drive, anything really. I will be doing that going forward.
I have been looking to digital audio players (DAPs) and there seem to be a few options available for about $100. The Hiby R1 and the TempoTec V1 both seem pretty cool. I like the TempoTec more because it has more use cases and physical buttons for the play/pause feature. I am not sure if there will be any real benefits to me using something like that over a phone in most cases, but I like the idea of it. There would be a higher quality sound option if I get better headphones, but for the day to day, there may not be that much benefit.
While there is nothing wrong with the smartphone itself, a smartphone centric life is something that is problematic. It shrinks the human experience into a 7 inch screen. By decentralizing my hardware, I can have high functioning, dedicated hardware for curated use cases. I have a Kindle which I purchased to read books. The problem is that I have not purchased books to read on the Kindle. I tried using PDF files or some kind of pirated book and it doesn't function well at all for that. I should be purchasing books and supporting the creators.
There has been a significant shift in how I view digital content since looking into decentralization. I am more considerate of the creators of said content. With streaming, I am very disconnected from the artists and at the mercy of streaming platforms. By finding artists and paying them directly for their music, I am not being a leech, I am encouraging them to continue making music or writing books. I am actually supporting them and their work instead of just consuming it.
If I think about it, a music streaming service seems to be closer to $20 per month now. The price is only going to go up. By purchasing the music, I am able to listen to songs whenever I want, as often as I want, for about $1 per song. Also, I tend to listen to the same songs or albums on repeat anyways. After one year, I would have paid for 240 songs if I spent $20 per month on music. That is a good amount of music I would get to keep. Plenty more than I probably listen to when considering how my mixes and playlists are often the same songs recycled within the genre.
I would also like to be more mobile. I was looking into tablets so I can write while traveling. I don't like using a laptop for writing because everything is so crammed together. I prefer having the detached keyboard like I am using right now as I type this on my smartphone at local coffee shop. Samsung's DeX was a great tool to use while I was traveling. I was able to basically do light PC work in any hotel room. The greatest feature was the monitor. Having the larger workspace was essential for the productivity and entertainment provided by DeX. The peripheral device usage on the phone directly, like I am doing right now, is fine in itself; the screen is just too small. The Galaxy Fold that I had until last year resolved a lot of that by having much more real estate, but it is cost prohibitive, burdensome for everyday usage, and delicate. Mine broke because dust got inside of the hinges when I was riding my bike. The phone wouldn’t open all the way and the inner screen started to bleed.
If am to get a dumb phone or something similar, such as the Light Phone, then I would need to look into getting a tablet of some kind. The added problem is going to be the ability to transport all of these devices and keep them updated. I would need to carry a bag with me most places, or plan far ahead about what my use cases are going to be. I am going to need to be intentional about my technology usage. This could be of great benefit to me. My decentralized technology could bring about less digital clutter for me. As of right now, I really have little need for the Android cellphone. It is useful as a small catch-all device, but I also find it annoying and cluttered. I get overwhelmed or sidetracked when using it. I consider all of the benefits and possibilities then get stun-locked. It hijacks my thinking. For example, I could want to read a specific article, then end up on social media or a shopping app. Some of this is a mental and/or discipline problem of my own making though some of it is by design. Developers have made their programs attractive to the human mind to keep users engaged.
There are no apps that I “need” to have for the time being. I can get by, and often have a better user experience, using a desktop version of a website. I don't use Uber or any rideshare apps. A physical card works better for riding the bus than the app. The bus schedules are available as downloadable or printable document. Also, there is an SMS feature for arrival times (the Transit app is inconsistent anyway). Outside of Google Maps there don’t seemed to be apps with easily accessible information on local businesses, such as hours of operation or contact. And, within Google Maps, there are too many unrelated, sponsored results in any given search. I can search for a grocery store and get recommended Staples or Home Depot. It is pretty dogshit. Even the apps I have for work are unnecessary. I can use the Toast Website. I guess 7 Shift is the only one I might "need" but I also don’t plan on staying with my current job for much longer. I think the owner is planning on shutting it down in a few months and I am going to be working on my own company full-time in the coming weeks.