Technology

There is something that is so basic and common to using the Internet that I perhaps overlooked it in my earlier articles: the web browser. Google Chrome has been gaining market share at an alarming rate over the last few years. Whatever Google’s marketing is doing, it’s working, as even people who don’t know how to install a program have installed Google Chrome and are using it as their default browser. Yes, this is anecdotal evidence, but I know several people who aren’t really good around technology, who were using Internet Explorer before (!) and are now Chrome users. With no help from anyone. ...

After all my other posts and about a year of activity on the subject of ungoogling yourself, I have come to the point where I only depend on Google for two things: YouTube videos. Funny cat videos. Zefrank. Video game reviews and such. Translations, especially of phrases and sentences. The former hole can’t really be plugged. For video game reviews and other fun clips, I’ve subscribed to The Escapist’s publisher thingy. That way I get HTML5 video instead of Flash video, and they give me a higher quality as well. Eurogamer and Gamespot also have some video reviews. I only miss having the community reviews you find on YouTube. ...

Google’s Android rules the mobile phone market like some sort of ad-flinging gorilla, and it’s not easy to escape its grasp. On a default Android phone your mouth is firmly pressed against several of Google’s teats: Google Play, their app store, which requires a Google account. Gmail Contacts (integrated with Gmail) Google Calendars Google Maps Google+ Online photo galleries (integrated in Google+) Hangouts (replaces Google Talk) Currents (so they know what news you read) News and Weather There might even be more, but those are the worst offenders. To get rid of all of those in one shot, I moved away from Android to CyanogenMod. The transition was very smooth, I didn’t even lose the data on my (virtual) SD card. Since my phone has no physical card slots, I was a bit worried. Now that I have root, I can remove those Google apps. On a normal Google-flavored Android phone, those applications are protected and can’t be removed. ...

I recently started reading Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos. It’s a fantastic series of books. I had downloaded a cracked MOBI format version from somewhere – something that is legal in Switzerland. However, I also want the publisher and hopefully Dan Simmons himself to make some money, since I’m liking the books a lot and will probably read all four in the series. What I discovered is that even today, in 2013, it is impossible to legally buy an ebook in Switzerland without giving money to two companies known to be tax evaders and surrendering your personal information to at least one US entity. ...

This is just a short article to let you know that life without Google’s mapping and navigation systems is possible. For mapping, I now use OpenStreetMap on the PC and OsmAnd on Android. For navigation, I also use OsmAnd on Android and Yournavigation on PC. So far, everything worked really, really well. I just have to use my eyes a bit more often and actually read what’s written on the map instead of relying on some weird additional overlay to take care of that for me. ...

If you’re one of those people who only now discover GNU/Linux for gaming (with Steam and all), you might find this useful: http://www.ryochan7.com/projects/antimicro/ I’ve tried several tools that map controller input to keyboard keys, but AntiMicro is the most reliable and easiest to use in my opinion. Many GNU/Linux developers forget to implement native Linux joystick device support into their games, but often this is crucial for games like Stealth Bastard Deluxe or Super Meat Boy. If you encounter such a game, AntiMicro will let you play it just fine with any USB controller, ranging from cheap-ass $2 Chinese crap up to expensive Logitech controllers. ...

I was very surprised to see that Bumblebee (a way to use Nvidia’s Optimus technology on GNU/Linux) now works flawlessly on GNU/Linux. The Debian guys somehow managed to get all the fiddly components talking to each other, and this shit works flawlessly. You’ll need jessie (the current testing release). It’s as easy as: apt-get install bumblebee nvidia-kernel-dkms glx-alternative-nvidia nvidia-glx After that, I just had to do: update-alternatives --config glx To select my old Mesa GLX so that by default, it would use the built-in Intel graphics card even for 3D stuff. Finally there’s this handy hint from the GNU/Linux devs at Valve. ...

I’ve written about getting rid of Google before, and that was before the whole NSA/PRISM shitstorm. I’m sure people today find even more reasons to get Google out of their lives. I wasn’t just doing nothing all this time either. Since the last post, the following has happened: My contacts are synced with my own CardDAV server instead of to Google, so Google won’t get their hands on my friends’, colleagues’ and family’s personal data through me anymore. My calendar goes to my own CalDAV server, so Google no longer knows what I’m doing when, where and with whom. DuckDuckGo has improved so much as a search engine that I don’t feel like I’m missing something by not searching on Google anymore. One problem still remains: I use an Android device, so you never know what else Google might be collecting through there. I’m watching Jolla and Sailfish as well as Firefox OS to see if and when there is some way to get a truly independent mobile device. That is the only piece of the puzzle still missing, and Google Play is the only way Google still gets at my stuff. ...

I recently bought a book through Amazon because their price was ridiculously cheaper than the competition’s. Of course their crazy DRM prevented me from using the book on my open and friendly Boox reader, but then I found Alf the Apprentice’s tools on his blog. I used Calibre, Wine and the Windows version of Kindle’s reader software, and ten minutes of fiddling later I could actually read the book I bought. ...

Update: Just like XMPP is slowly dying, Swissjabber has also kicked the bucket. Rest in peace, my friend. If you’re Swiss and need to have a Google Talk alternative for your XMPP-based chat needs, consider Swissjabber. I’ve created an account there and discontinued my Google Talk one, so if you want to contact me via XMPP, add psy-q@swissjabber.org.