Samsung → iPhone: Need Your De-Google Tips
Note: I prefer Apple over Google and I’m not ready to go full privacy-hardened, I want to find a balance between convenience and privacy protection.
So I'm moving from Samsung to iPhone soon, mainly because I despise Google.
Want to cut Google out as much as possible while I'm at it.
What I'm planning so far:
- Mailbox.org instead of Gmail
- DuckDuckGo for search, would prefer something even better
- Safari with all the privacy stuff turned on
Where I'm stuck:
- What about YouTube? Just use the web version?
- Google Drive alternatives that actually work well?
- Best way to store photos that aren't big greedy corps?
Questions:
- Any must-have privacy apps once I get the iPhone?
- Settings I should change immediately out of the box?
- Services I'm forgetting that are probably feeding Google my data?
Tsunami waves hit Hawaii after massive earthquake strikes Russia
Millions return home as tsunami warnings lifted: Live updates
Tsunami warnings in Hawaii, parts of California and Japan downgradedAlisha Rahaman Sarkar (The Independent)
India and Israel meet to deepen military ties in sign of solidarity amid Gaza atrocities
India and Israel meet to deepen military ties in sign of solidarity amid Gaza atrocities
India and Israeli military officials have pledged to deepen and strengthen military ties even as images of Israel's engineered starvation of Palestinians continue to send shockwaves around the world.Azad Essa (Middle East Eye)
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Get it right. Indians are “pick mes”, not Uncle Toms. Uncle Tom is a special classification solely for traitors like Candace Owens and Clarence Thomas.
And as for the Israeli Jews, they literally cannot defend themselves now when the racists come out and say Jews are running everything and use that to attack them.
Bazzite or Suse?
I'm installing a second disk in my desktop, and I'm going to install Linux.
I've had dual boot on all my machines since forever. As in decades. I'm an old hand. Perfectly happy in a terminal.
I have Mint in (on?) my laptop because lazy.
I'm asking about QOL. The only "Gaming" I do are flight Sims, and although I haven't tried, I believe X-plane is Linux native. However, I do use some apps which are not Linux native, so I'd need some form of wine or performant VMs.
The PC is a Ryzen 9+64Gb, so it should handle a lot of things quite well.
I've been playing with both in VMs, but I can't get a feel for what my virtualization and wine use would be.
BTW, I might do an install of both, maybe side to side, without commitment to either, and then decide. It's going to be a blank slate install anyway.
From my trials, both seem comfortable enough.
I've heard good things about both.
Opinions?
Australia bans kids from signing up for YouTube accounts, angering Google
Australia bans kids from signing up for YouTube accounts, angering Google
: ‘We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are’ says MinisterSimon Sharwood (The Register)
British Jewish leaders call for rapid increase in Gaza aid
British Jewish leaders call for rapid increase in Gaza aid
UK’s largest Jewish body adds to pressure on Israel, saying recent move to allow in limited aid was ‘long overdue’Harriet Sherwood (The Guardian)
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Trump Admits Financial Penalties on Russia ‘May or May Not’ Work
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Can someone help me understand the appeal of piefed?
I was excited when I found out there was a link aggregator (read: I was obsessed with reddit-like forums) that divorced itself from the controversy or the alienating political idealogy of the lemmy developers.
However, other than that, I can't understand piefed.
1) The project seems unorganized. The first google result for "piefed" is the piefed.social instance and not about the project. I had to go to "About" then click on "PieFed" just to get to this link the project page. For lemmy? The first link about lemmy the project is about the project not an instance. Point to lemmy.
2) Lemmy uses rust which, like the main devs' political idealogy, may be polarizing (see Linus vs Rust Devs). Piefed uses, well, python. Yes, there is a learning curve to a new language, but rust is statically and strongly typed whereas python is duck typed. Also, it appears as though pip is one of the tools used in the installation which has been prone to supply chain attacks. Yes, more people know python. But that isn't necessarily a net positive and I wouldn't consider that if I were choosing the stack. Another point to lemmy (for me)
3) Piefed is on codeberg/forgejo. Lemmy is on github. Point to piefed.
4) Piefed doesn't have controversial devs (supposedly Lemmy does). Point to piefed.
So, as much as I want to like piefed, I'm having trouble really choosing it. Can someone add on why they use piefed over lemmy? I really want to like piefed.
I think I kind of like Python and the Flask framework. Sure it's duck typed. Other than that the Flask framework is very mature and battle tested. Minus a few quirks, it's laid out with some thought, is relatively nice and straightforward to use and once we leverage the advantages it should help us prevent some bugs from happening. And I think in practice, it serves us well. PieFed has a good track record compared to the average open-source project. It's nice to participate in the coding. Lots of things have been laid out in a very good way from early on. And it allowed us to move very fast.
(And I think in web development, a lot of potential bugs and security vulnerabilities aren't due to language, but complexity, frameworks and the lot of moving parts. I mean it's not the programming language that protects from an SQL injection. It's more convoluted/complex pieces of code that open up the entire server. I don't know the Rust web application frameworks, though. So I can't make any statement on how easy it is to write vulnerable code there.)
- PieFed was able to migrate the vast bulk of my Lemm.ee community's posts over here before that instance went down for good. It was quick, easy, painless, and has helped immensely in re-starting my community here.
- The scheduled post feature as mentioned is hugely useful, and something I plan to use more often when I get a little more organised.
- As mentioned, the instance here seems blazingly fast, perhaps due to the project being relatively small-ish at the moment.
- When our site-runner / dev has talked about what it's like running the place, it's sounded to me like it's been a remarkably low-fuss, non-stressful experience. Compare that to what the poor Lemm.ee site-runner went through, and it sounds like night & day.
- There's still a couple minor issues I'm hoping to see improved, such as: 1) as a community founder, I'd like the ability to be able to edit posts, especially my own that were earlier migrated over; 2) my old co-mod who's on another instance now is waiting to be able to be added as mod, here.
My instance posts are accessible from other instances but comments from other instances aren't accessible from my instance
Here's the link to the original instance : blog.kaki87.net/c/kaki_blog?da…
Here's an example comment from another instance : 0d.gs/comment/5903730
Here's the same comment on yet another instance : jlai.lu/post/21115531/15881483
But from the original instance, the comment doesn't show up.
What to do ?
Thanks
To double check, you are accessing the Lemmy admin page through the official Lemmy UI, correct?
Also do you mind sharing (if there are any) error logs of the Lemmy backend?
Btw you might want to close the registrations. They are open right now.
you are accessing the Lemmy admin page through the official Lemmy UI, correct?
Correct.
do you mind sharing (if there are any) error logs of the Lemmy backend?
I've got no "error" lines, but outside of "trace", "debug" and "info", I have the following "warn" line :
WARN Error encountered while processing the incoming HTTP request: pan_builder: InboxTimeout: InboxTimeout
0: lemmy_server::root_span_builder::HTTP request
with http.method=POST http.scheme="https" http.host=blog.kaki87.net http.target=/inbox otel.kind="server" d432-40fa-a865-6690f61e11dc http.status_code=400 otel.status_code="OK"
at src/root_span_builder.rs:16Btw you might want to close the registrations. They are open right now.
Indeed, which is weird, because I'm sure I closed them when I first created the instance. Are settings lost during upgrades ?
Pop! os-really trying, but constant crash has me frustrated.
So I have been using mint on my other pics with little issue. Wanted to try something different. Got pop all setup, it does work pretty well and is fun (other than God awful pop shop) but I keep gettung an issue that seems to be totally unique to me.
No Nvidia.
Amd fx 8320 (yes. Its shit but was free)
12 gb ram
Radeon ellesmere xfx rx580
My issue. After varying times of usage. Either running vms, gaming. Browsing web, doesn't matter, ill get pink diagonal squares across the screen, full freeze up, kicked to the login screen, and then I am not able to log in at all until I hard shutdown.
I just put a bunch of stuff on this pc and would rather not have to switch back to mint. I am thinking it's maybe my graphics card driver but I am unsure how to see. I do have the correct popos for my hardware.
I know there is logs but im unsure where.
Edit: ofc amd drivers should be native so that shouldn't be my issue.
Edit for anyone who may see in the future: I fixed the issue temporarily by throttling down the wattage allowance to my gpu, using LACT. I will need to get a higher power PSU in the future. Thanks all!
I didn’t even know there were still cases bundled with power supplies! But yes, in general, throughout the history of PC building, I’m pretty sure included power supplies in any brand tend to be very low wattage. The power supply probably isn’t even broken - I’m just guessing the PC’s was upgraded to an RX 580, and the RX 580 was more power hungry than the original graphics card and the power supply just wasn’t designed for it.
Just a tip - next time you build or upgrade a PC, use this tool to estimate what power supply you need; newegg.com/tools/power-supply-…
You can get a 700 watt PSU that should work in the $50-70 range, although honestly, it might be worth it to go a bit bigger so you can cannibalize it for a future build when the time comes - even the RX 580, which is newer than your CPU, is getting a bit old and I hope to replace it if I build a new PC in 2028.
Oh yeah, the cheap ones do, and this was just a second hand pc I got for 40 bucks to have for messing around with. The psu may not even be name brand as there's no labeling at all on it.
Right now, throttling the wattage allowable from the card has fixed it! I ended up using LACT for this, which works perfectly.
Yes im very behind in the pc world. My brain still thinks 4 gigs of ram is massive, ha. My main pc is another rx 580 with a little bit better fx proc and 16g ram, and it does an excellent job for everything I do. The proc is definitely a bottleneck though. Maybe ill go am5 next year
Luckily, I can probably live with using mine a few more years. Mine's an early AM4 system with a Ryzen 5 2600 in it. My CPU performance isn't a huge bottleneck (although I'd like a couple more cores for faster compilation).
Really, it's my graphics card. The 580's fine for some basic gaming, but it sort of got left in the dust with ROCm support - it's kind-of-sort-of supported, but not well enough for Blender to work with it.
I think the situation's improved with ROCm on consumer GPUs enough now that so long as I buy a newer card, I should be fine. Debian support's improved a lot as well - for many GPUs, it should just be a matter of sudo apt install hipcc now. However, Debian is still a few versions behind in experimental and doesn't support the latest AMD cards, but I suspect that getting it packaged was the hard part, and that once Trixie releases, Forky/Testing will catch up in a few months.
Unrelated thing - just found out something funny.
Apparently, Torvalds himself uses a 580.
phoronix.com/news/Radeon-RX-59…
Linus Torvalds Continues Using A Radeon RX 580 Graphics Card, Back On An Intel Laptop
The AMD Radeon RX 480 / RX 580 'Polaris' graphics cards remain very popular on the Steam Survey and among enthusiasts/desktop users at large even though they are nearly a decade oldwww.phoronix.com
Method to save your favorite Linux apps for reinstall
20+ years ago, Lindows had a great app store that let you create an "aisle" of your favorite apps so if/when you'd reinstall your OS, instead of searching and installing all your apps one-by-one, you'd just go to your aisle, click "install all" and boom.
Is there anything that exists like that today?
Assuming you are using an apt/dpkg distro:
Save the list of packages on your reference system:
dpkg --get-selections > packages.lstThen install packages based on that list on your target system, after updating the list of available packages:
dpkg --merge-avail <(apt-cache dumpavail)
dpkg --clear-selections
dpkg --set-selections < packages.lst
apt-get dselect-upgrade
In APK based systems (Alpine, Chimera, Adelie) there is /etc/apk/world
It is a list of all the packages you have explicitly installed. When you add and remove from this list (all apk does), the system solves for dependencies and makes sure you have the right packages installed.
You could bring up a new system by updating this file.
Alternative to Youtube music
Hello everyone! I have been de-googling my life for a few years. I don't have official YouTube clients anymore.
At this point I use PipePipe, a fork from New Pipe to watch videos.
But as a Spotify and YouTube Music replacement, I am currently using Outer Tune.
My problem is that with or without Proton VPN usage I get errors again and again. despite closing the app, switching off the VPN etc.
At this point it's impossible for me use Outer Tune any longer.
What are you using?
claryfication:
on the long run im looking to build a offline media vault. but for the moment. i want to use a Spotifiy alternative, where there are suggastions... for new music that i like.
i tried Rimusic a while ago can't say why i find't like it anymore.
i love making playlist offline with it and PipePipe is a dream but its not right for me for music
Modern-Day Robber Baron's Firm Hit From Gunman
Modern-Day Robber Baron: The Sins of Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman
Edited Title To More Accurately Reflect Incident.
Modern-Day Robber Baron: The Sins of Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman - Housing Is A Human Right
Blackstone CEO and billionaire Stephen Schwarzman has been a key player in the worsening global housing affordability crisis. Activists want to rein him in.Patrick Range McDonald (Housing Is A Human Right)
theguardian.com/us-news/2019/m…
pestakeholder.org/reports/helt…
fox5sandiego.com/news/local-ne…
prospect.org/education/2023-02…
archpaper.com/2025/01/blacksto…
While I don't support mass shootings in general, if someone is so far off the deep end that they're going to throw their life away in an act of random violence, I at least hope they choose targets like Blackstone instead of a random elementary school. At least they're smiting someone who deserves it, for once. The country would be a lot better off if we had several hundred corporate shootings and zero school shootings each year. No shooting period would be better. But if you're going to go on a rampage, at least go after evil people first.
University of California Under Fire for Blackstone Investment
The university has invested $4.5 billion with the real estate arm of the private equity giant.Luke Goldstein (The American Prospect)
They Are Birds, What Could Go Wrong?
Have You Seen This? Flock of 'devil birds' fills the sky over a California home
This is a species associated with myths and legends. In many European languages, the Nightjar is known as the ‘goatsucker,’ with the genus name Caprimulgus deriving from the Latin for ‘milker of goats’.
The Great Potoo: A Nocturnal Master of Camouflage
Humans and great potoos have had limited direct interaction due to the bird’s secretive and nocturnal nature. In some cultures, its eerie vocalizations have led to its association with death or bad luck. However, more recently, birdwatchers and ecotourists have become fascinated by the great potoo, appreciating its unique characteristics and mysterious behavior.
Great Potoo: The Mysterious Nocturnal Bird of the Tropics
Discover the great potoo, a cryptic bird known for its camouflage, unique behavior, and fascinating diet in the tropical forests of Central and South America.Dr. Erica Irish (animalgator.com)
Surgeon General Calls for Warning Labels on Social Media Sites
What are the best alternatives to youtube that have a community?
Im not sure if this goes here like a major amount of my posts. Im looking for a alternative to youtube for beginners who just want to be apart of the community in a old school youtube perspective but not too old that it feels outdated. I sadly created a movie recap just to see how hard it was, it took me almost 2 hours just to slice and remove parts of the movie only to get a copyright warning by youtube. I mostly just blame my newbie editing skills, but is there a alternative to youtube that allows me to post videos youtube dosent want me to?
If you want to see my horrible cliche recap here it is. Be warned its not great and it has one of those text to speech voiceovers and such. I feel like i worked hard but at the same time i may have made slop. (please dont steal)
If having a community is a requirement for OP, then I'd say Odysee kinda sucks because it's full of National Socialists. Though I primary go there for watching videos, so a few nose emoji spammers don't bother me.
I also dislike that it shows recommendations/related videos. That's an anti-feature of YouTube for me, so I don't want it on Odysee either. That can be fixed by using a desktop app without recommendations like github.com/trizen/lbry-viewer (not sure if that's the correct one, I haven't installed it yet on my current system.)
GitHub - trizen/lbry-viewer: Experimental Linux client for LBRY/Odysee.
Experimental Linux client for LBRY/Odysee. Contribute to trizen/lbry-viewer development by creating an account on GitHub.GitHub
Remember Kids, Electricity Is In Your Room As You Sleep, WAITING
Meet Reddy Kilowatt!
Reddy Kilowatt is a cartoon character that served as a corporate spokesman for electricity generation in the United States and other countries for nearly one hundred years. Currently, the Reddy Kilowatt trademark is owned by Xcel Energy.
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Hands-On With the Minimal Phone: Week 1
cross-posted from: startrek.website/post/26640050
Got my Minimal Phone about a week ago. It's definitely a niche device, a cross between a e-reader and a smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard. I'll preface this whole "review" by stating that it's not for everyone. For me, though, it's almost perfect as I don't (nor want) to spend all day staring at my phone, doom scrolling, watching video after video, etc. I just need the basics, love e-ink displays and physical keyboards, and this has me covered.I put each section into spoilers as I didn't want to throw out a full-on wall of text. If I left anything out or if you have any questions about it, just ask.
Overall / TL;DR
It's a solid, well-built device for people who want to minimize distractions and get down to business. The e-ink display is naturally gorgeous, and the keyboard a joy to use. Other than the lackluster camera, most of my gripes can be solved in future software updates.Specs: minimalcompany.com/
I won't spend time going over the specs since they're readily available. Rather, I'll just give my experience with the major features.
:::spoiler Build Quality
Build Quality
Build feels solid but there definitely is a "fragile" feeling to it. It's a pretty thin device, made of plastic, and has corners that seem like they won't take a lot of abuse. That's not to say it feels "cheap" - it doesn't. But it does feel like you'll want to put it in a case (more on that below) and definitely avoid dropping it.
::::::spoiler Display
Display
Like any e-ink display, the screen is crisp and easy on the eyes. The refresh rate is also about what you'd expect from and see in other e-ink devices such as a Kindle or a Kobo. The technology is what it is.Minimal includes a "quick settings" app of their own design that will attempt to increase the refresh rate at the expense of image fidelity, but I've found it to be a bit buggy and leave it turned off.
What I believe it does, when set to either of the "fast" or "extra fast" settings, is only update every 2nd or 3rd line of pixels (not sure if "pixel" is the right word for e-ink, but it will have to suffice). This produces a very grainy image, but does, indeed, increase the apparent refresh rate. What I feel like it is supposed to do, and does at least part of the time, is do a full refresh after the contents on the screen stabilize in order to clear up the display. In practice, though, it doesn't seem to do that; even hitting the manual e-ink refresh button keeps the grainy image. The "fast" setting seems like it clears the image up more often, but not 100% of the time. The "extra fast" setting seems to always keep the grainy image.
So I do see what they're attempting to do here, but it just doesn't work quite right. Yet. This is something I feel they can and will eventually work the kinks out of.
That said, I just leave it on the "normal" refresh rate which keeps the display looking nice.
Other reviews have said they have to hit "refresh" repeatedly, but I've not had that issue. I've also tried to optimize things to reduce the number of things that change on the screen, so maybe that's a difference? It's not that I never have to hit the screen refresh button, but only occasionally.
Of note is that Minimal did so some tweaks to the base Android configuration to maximize performance of the e-ink display:
- Animations are disabled (confirmed in developer options)
- The color correction is set to grayscale
- Navigation mode is set to "3 Button" mode but the on-screen "soft" buttons are hidden (since it has capacative navigation buttons)
- Probably some other subtle config tweaks I may have missed.Additionally, you will need to say goodbye to dark mode. On an e-ink display, "light" mode isn't the eye-searing problem it is with other displays, so an unusable dark mode isn't much of a loss. While dark mode is perfectly legible, due to the nature of e-ink, it will have to refresh more pixels every time something moves/scrolls. This causes the screen to both update slower and leave more "ghosts" requiring a manual press of the refresh button.
Sadly one place this is unavoidable is in the notification area quick actions. Organizing those was an exercise in frustration since the colors and fill of those buttons are fixed, and dragging things up and down was hindered by the darkness and slow refresh. Granted, organizing the quick actions is always frustrating in Android, but it's even worse here.
::::::spoiler Keyboard
Keyboard
I love this keyboard. It took me a minute to get used to it, but that's true for most keyboards on any new gadget. The keys are responsive, have surprisingly decent travel, and a satisfying but quiet 'click' feeling.I've noticed other reviews calling out the space bar for being "mushy". I can see their point while also not being as harsh in my critique of it. While the spacebar is presented as a 4 key-width single button, it is actually two buttons with a wide keycap. You'll want to hit it on either side rather than in the middle. When you press it in the middle, you're straddling the two keys underneath and hitting neither one fully. Once you get used to that, I've had no issues with it.
Minimal includes a settings app to customize the keyboard. I haven't messed with it too much yet, but one thing I did do was enable the option to switch the alt mode of the voice input button. Normally, to type a period you would need to press Alt+Voice, but enabling that option makes period the default. I appreciated that greatly.
Some common characters, especially the forward slash, are not mapped to physical keys and require hitting the "symbol" button to bring up the on-screen character map. Not a deal-breaker at all, but takes some getting used to. The character map shows where the on-screen keyboard would be with other phones, so it doesn't feel awkward or intrusive, and you can close it with another press of the "Symbol" button.
My only actual gripe with the keyboard is the placment of the Alt and Shift keys. The Alt key is where you would expect Shift to be, and vice-versa. There seems to be a way to re-map those in the keyboard settings app, but I haven't messed with it too much. My first attempt didn't work quite right, and I reset them back to default while I was still playing around and getting it setup to my liking. I'll probably double-back on that later.
::::::spoiler Camera
Camera
While I've only taken a few test pictures, the camera on this seems like an afterthought. That, or it's just there to allow scanning QR codes. There are other reviews for the Minimal's camera (none of them particularly flattering), so I'll let those speak for me as well. The main problem is it's incredibly hard to tell if you got a good picture or not because of the e-ink display.So if you require an excellent camera, this probably isn't for you.
::::::spoiler Software
Software
Aside from using the Minimal Launcher as default (more on that later) and a few settings apps specific to the device, the phone runs vanilla Android 14 and has absolutely no bloatware other than what Google mandates (Keep, Meet, YouTube, YouTube Music, et al).By far, the software is where this phone needs the most work. That's not to say any of it is bad, just a little rough around the edges with room for improvement.
Minimal Launcher
I like the idea of the Minimal Launcher. It's a text-only list of apps with an optional clock and date display. Up to 8 (or maybe 7?) apps can be "pinned" with the rest available by swiping up. It's distraction-free and works very well with the e-ink display. But...that's about it.It will let you rename apps, but sometimes they'd revert to the original app name. Sometimes my pinned apps would disappear. Sometimes newly installed apps woudln't show up until after a reboot. The launcher's settings panel is supposed to be accessible by swiping left or right on the home screen, but it only registers 4 out of 10 times.
You can install other launchers if you want. At first, I used my old favorite FastDraw but eventually settled on NeatLauncher.
NeatLauncher is what the Minimal Launcher should be, and I kind of wish Minimal would just fund that developer and adopt that as the official one. It does everything Minimal's launcher does, plus more, and is more stable and intuitive. If you're like me and like the idea of the Minimal Launcher, then give NeatLauncher a try.
"Lock" Screen
This quirk caught me by surprise. You would think that when you lock the phone, the lock screen would remain visible on the e-ink display. Maybe it updates the clock every minute, maybe it doesn't, but you'd still think the lock screen would be what's displayed when the phone is in standby.Nope. It switches to whatever the screensaver is set to. By default, it's the Minimal logo with a white background. It also includes the same but with a dark background and another one with a Panda as alternatives. You can also use Google Photos's screensaver and show images you want.
Okay, so if I turn the screensaver off, it'll show the lock screen in standby, right?
Again, no. If you disable the screensaver, whatever was on your screen last will be what's displayed in standby.
I made a "Screensaver" galery in Photos and assigned that as the screensaver for a while, but when it's on charge, sometimes that causes the backlight to stay on. I also used a clock screensaver, but it doesn't update and shows the time as of when you put the phone to sleep. Not great if you want to just glance and check the time; it won't be right.
It does show the lock screen and notifications as they arrive, so that does fit expectations. If you have the screensaver enabled, it'll return to that after a timeout period (similar to other phones turning the display back off), but if the screensaver is disabled, then the lock screen remains visible.
In the end, I just set it back to the Minimal logo with the white background.
Again, this is a quirk/annoyance that can and hopefully will be addressed in a later software update.
::::::spoiler USB-C Port
USB-C Port
The USB-C port is listed as full featured (including video), but I have not been able to get any kind of video output from it. I hooked it to my USB-C dock, and it happily recognized the flash drive, keyboard, mouse, SD card reader, and ethernet port. The phone powered the dock and connected devices just fine, and it properly started charging when I plugged a USB-C charger into the dock. But the HDMI output on the dock never displayed video. I tried also to hook the phone into my USB-C travel monitor. It powered the monitor just fine and detected the USB devices connected to the monitor's hub, but no video.I'm not sure if this is a software/firmware limitation or the specs on Minimal's website were incorrect about video output. I'm probably going to email support and ask for clarification.
This isn't a deal-breaker for me, but I was hoping to be able to dock it to my travel monitor for more intensive tasks and have it in something of a "Maximal Phone" mode lol.
::::::spoiler Call Quality, Data Speeds, and Cellular Performance
Call Quality
I've only done a few test calls with it, but they all came through loud and clear on both sides of the call.
Data Speeds
The radio is only 4G, so that's probably a bit limiting for some people. I knew that going in, but for the use-cases involved with this device, 4G is acceptable for me.Using speedtest.net in a web browser (which only tests download speeds), I got about 35 Mbps down with what I'm guessing is 3 bars of signal (not that Android's signal indicator is useful in any way).
Cellular Performance and Compatibility
When I installed my SIM card, I got an SMS from T-Mobile that the device wasn't supported and may experience reduced speeds, gaps in coverage, etc. I'm not sure if it's because the radio lacks some bands T-Mobile uses or if it's just because the device isn't in their database and the message was just a "CYA". Regardless, there were no impediments to using it, just that warning text message. It does seem to support all the bands in my area, though. One of my older phones would lose signal when I was downstairs in the basement, but this one switches to the lower 4G band seamlessly.
::::::spoiler Cases and Accessories
Cases & Accessories
Cases
Unless AliExpress has some options (I didn't look there), then cases are slim pickings. The official, first-party case is $30 and has the same "ships in batches" delivery as the devices themselves. I sadly opted out of ordering the case assuming I'd find one elsewhere.Thankfully, I do own a 3D printer and found this case on Printables: printables.com/model/1336645-m…
This was the first time I'd printed in TPU, so it took a few iterations to get something usable. The end result is far from perfect, but it's "good enough" until I get better at printing in TPU, some 3rd party cases pop up on Amazon, or I break down and order an official case.
The post photo shows my "best" 3D-printed case. If you think that one looks bad, you should see the reject pile 😂
Sceen Protectors
Amazon does have screen protectors for it, though they're not the tempered glass ones. Will probably pick up a pack of those soon to protect the screen from everyday wear-and-tear.
::::::spoiler Tips and Tricks
Tips & Tricks
Launcher
Replace the default Minimal Launcher with NeatLauncher. It's almost functionally identical but better in every way.
- Set Neat's color scheme to Achromic (black and white which looks great on the e-ink display)
- Set the background to transparent (any kind of background image is just "noise" when the screen has to refresh)
Screen Brightness
Note: E-ink displays are illuminated from the front, but saying "front light" sounds weird, so I will call it "backlight". Just in case anyone is feeling pedantic; I hear you, lol, but "backlight" sounds better.The screen brightness controls could use some help out of the box. While Android and the device do support adaptive brightness, it doesn't take into account that e-ink needs less backlight the brighter the ambient light is. So you'll probably want to leave that off. Hopefully a later software update addresses that.
Minimal's "Quick Settings" app is always accessible by long-pressing the "refresh" button for the display. It's got 3 presets with individual options for screen brightness, color temperature, and keyboard backlight brightness. You can also set custom values and save it to the "custom" slot.
Because I only want the backlight on when the ambient light is insufficient, I found that I was going into the quick settings too often which annoyed me. So I set the brightness to 0 and saved it to the "custom" profile and used KeyMapper to bind the brightness controls to the long-presses of the volume keys. Any brightness above 0 in Quick Settings would act as the minimum brightness when adjusting it with Keymapper. The volume keys also do not "repeat" (holding them down only increases/decreases the volume by one increment), so no functionality was lost by re-mapping them to brightness.
- Install KeyMapper
- Bind a long press of "Volume Up" to increase the display brightness
- Bind a long press of "Volume Down" to decrease the display brightness (will go down to 0)
In the end: Single-presses of the volume key adjust the volume. Long pressing the volume up will increase the brightness 20% (can't find a way to control the increments) while long-pressing volume down will decrease the brightness by 20% or turn the backlight off completely.
Termux
What good is a phone with a QWERTY keyboard without installing Termux, am I right? Out of the box, Termux isn't a great match for the e-ink display because it defaults to white on black. Download the Termux Styling add-on and set it to "black on white" theme and your experiece will be MUCH better.:::
Frequently Asked Questions
Why spend money on this rather than just uninstalling stuff from a regular smartphone?
I've tried that and failed. What ultimately worked for me was when I bought a semi-dumb phone (Cat S22 Flip) that could only really do my bare essentials effectively. Now that I've cut all but the necessary apps out of my life, I really don't want to go back to a regular smartphone. The S22 Flip is also getting a bit long in the tooth with its Android 11 and no manufacturer support. I've flashed newer GSI-based images onto a secondary S22 I bought, but those have their own quirks and issues that aren't present on a stock device and have proven unreliable as a daily driver. I need a successor to my beloved S22 Flip, and this was the primary contender.More than that, though, I am beyond tired of the "tall, skinny rectangle" form factor. Phones keep getting taller, skinnier (screen width), and thinner (thickness), and I've reached my limit. I miss my old OnePlus 3 with it's 16:9 screen that didn't feel cramped like the CVS-receipt screens on current gen phones.
This one has a portrait-oriented 4:3 display as well as a physical keyboard (something I miss greatly on phones).
Can it run Doom / play YouTube / etc ?
Yes. But you're not going to want to. The refresh rate is way too slow, and the images get all strobe-y.
What's the battery life like?
Honestly, I don't know yet. It's packing a 3,000 mAh battery which is tiny for a smartphone, but with the e-ink display sipping power, it evens out.This early on, where I'm still setting it up and just seeing what it can do, I'm probably using more battery than I would under normal usage.
That said, I've been trying to use it "correctly" and have seen pretty decent battery life. Using it as an e-reader, for example, it only draws power when I turn a page (minus any Android background tasks). With the backlight off, I've read 5 or 6 long chapters with the battery only going down a percent or two (which is comparable to my Kobo).
Bottom line is: The less the screen changes, the longer the battery will last. I don't know if it'l get days of battery life with actual usage, but I've never obsessed over that; as long as it gets me through the day with normal usage, and so far, that's what I'm seeing (plus some).
Is it your daily driver?
Not yet. I'm still putting it through its paces, getting to know it, customizing it, etc. Unless my primary device meets a catastrophic end, it usually takes me 1-2 weeks to "provision" a successor. For now, I have my second line SIM card in it, so it's something of a secondary device at present. I also really like the S22 Flip I have now, so parting with it is going to be difficult.
Is there anything you hate about it?
I've got a few gripes and have noticed some quirks with the Minimal-specific software, but nothing I truly hate. If I had to choose one thing, and this might just be an Android thing nowadays and not specific to this device, it's that you can no longer configure a long-press of the power button to turn on the flashlight. All my other phones had that, or something similar, but this one does not. The closest I've come is mapping a long-press of the "symbol" button to toggle the flashlight, but due to not being rooted, that only works if the screen is on.
Can the bootloader be unlocked / Can it be rooted?
No idea yet. The developer option to enable OEM unlocking is available, but that may not mean much. I have not (yet) tried to actully issue thefastboot oem unlockcommand to see if the bootloader is capable of being unlocked or if it requires a code from the manufacturer. AFAIK, all non-shady rooting methods these days rely on unlocking the bootloader first.Minimal has stated that they do not yet support 3rd party ROMs, but they do seem like they are open to it down the line (take that with a grain of salt, naturally).
I'm pretty conservative when it comes to modding my phones and never attempt anything without recovery tools and images on-hand. Right now, I do not have access to a stock image to restore if something should go wrong.
The Minimal Company | Live More, Scroll Less.
Explore the harmony of technology and simplicity with Minimal. Our innovative approach strips away the unnecessary, focusing on what truly matters in your digital experience.The Minimal Company
Israel committing genocide in Gaza, say Israel-based human rights groups
Oh dear
Making America great again?
Just highlights the point that these people get paid in a month what one of the overentitled twats will pay for a pair of jeans or a TACO golf shirt.
US tariffs: Lesotho factory that made Trump shirts hard hit by US tariffs
The uncertainty around the paused tariffs has led to massive layoffs in Lesotho's textile industry.Khanyisile Ngcobo & Shingai Nyoka (BBC News)
parallels
parallel inventions in the 15th and 20th century:
- books (printed through the printing press) spread knowledge just like the internet does, allowing a facilitated and drastically accelerated exchange of ideas
- new transport methods allow new lands to be reached and new worlds to be explored. i wonder whether it is an accident that "spaceships" are called after ships
Wanted: Introductory slides on the broad topic
Hello, I am looking for simple introductory information. In the direction of data protection, digital sovereignty, open source, data sovereignty, freedom of information, etc...
I would be very grateful for tips and recommendations! 😀
The new age verifying app for the EU will only accept Google Play integrity for Android, de-facto banning any aftermarket OS like GrapheneOS
cross-posted from: sh.itjust.works/post/42943610
Taken from the readme of the app on github:
The current release provides only basic functionality, with several key features to be introduced in future versions, including:App and device verification based on Google Play Integrity API and Apple App Attestation
Additional issuance methods beyond the currently implemented eID based method.
These planned features align with the requirements and methods described in the Age Verification Profile.
There is an issue opened to remove this as it's basically telling us that to verify our age in the EU an American corporation has the last word, making it not only a privacy nightmare but a de-facto monopoly on the phone market that will leave out of the verification checks even the fairphone (european) with /e/os.
The new age verifying app for the EU will only accept Google Play integrity for Android, de-facto banning any aftermarket OS like GrapheneOS
Taken from the readme of the app on github:The current release provides only basic functionality, with several key features to be introduced in future versions, including:App and device verification based on Google Play Integrity API and Apple App Attestation
Additional issuance methods beyond the currently implemented eID based method.
These planned features align with the requirements and methods described in the Age Verification Profile.
There is an issue opened to remove this as it's basically telling us that to verify our age in the EU an American corporation has the last word, making it not only a privacy nightmare but a de-facto monopoly on the phone market that will leave out of the verification checks even the fairphone (european) with /e/os.GitHub - eu-digital-identity-wallet/av-app-android-wallet-ui
Contribute to eu-digital-identity-wallet/av-app-android-wallet-ui development by creating an account on GitHub.GitHub
What are all the files/folders that will be in the filesystem after initrd?
like what directories are shared to the real filesystem after initrd, or what files. Or is everything just inaccessible in the real filesystem from the initrd phase.
man switch_root
switch_root moves already mounted /proc, /dev, /sys and /run to newroot and makes newroot the new
root filesystem and starts init process.WARNING: switch_root removes recursively all files and directories on the current root filesystem.
If you look at the source code, it uses mount(2) with the MS_MOVE flag to move the /proc, /dev, /sys, /run to the new root, then deletes all the files on the old root fs recursively, then MS_MOVE-mounts the new root over the old one. As the comment in the source code points out:
/* Don't try to unmount the old "/", there's no way to do it. */
This is presumably why it deletes the files on the initrd, because it is a ram disk and the files would be eating up memory if left there.
util-linux/sys-utils/switch_root.c at master · util-linux/util-linux
Contribute to util-linux/util-linux development by creating an account on GitHub.GitHub
Community to ask for community names, like a directory
I'm looking for somewhere where I can ask for a topic and have suggestions and be redirected to a fitting community if one exists
If there's a community for this, can someone share it? Thanks
Btw the topic I'm searching for is wireless (bluetooth) earbuds, thanks!
Some you might try 👍
!communitypromo@lemmy.ca
!helpmefind@lemmy.ml
!wowthislemmyexists@lemmy.ca
Whitelist community on blocked instance?
Hi, I have lemmy.world blocked for browsing purposes because you know, it's mostly trash.
However, I want to post a question in !summit@lemmy.world because I'm having an issue with the app where I can't seem to access the toggle to hide posts from bot accounts.
Is there a way to whitelist a niche community without unblocking the instance it's on?
Say Goodbye to the Internet as We Know It
Say Goodbye to the Internet as We Know It ━ The European Conservative
Intrusive age-verification checks under the UK’s Online Safety Act are the latest step towards total censorship of the web.Lauren Smith (The European Conservative)
like this
this community is dead, the day Canada, U.S. and Eu asks lemmy to "verify" our ages
or we're all on a vpn connected to a server in ??? Mongolia?
(Yet another) help me choose a distro post
First of all, I'd like to apologize for contributing to the constant stream/flow of posts in which the main theme/idea/motive is to find a suitable distro for the OPoster. I wish we'd have a dedicated community that's active/large to the extent we'd be able to delegate/contain these convos to their designated places, but alas...
With that out of the way, we can get to the actual meat. So, for two weeks, I've been reading a ton about different distros. And while I'm still primarily overwhelmed by the amount of choice, I think I've finally got somewhat of an idea.
Requirements:
- Software-wise, the only thing I'm worried about is Davinci Resolve. It should work, but it seems to be hit or miss. The distro I wish to use should handle this gracefully.
- I'm a huge snob for security and privacy. As I'm kinda worried that desktop Linux' security isn't on par with M$ or macOS, I wish to use as secure of a system as possible to (somewhat) compensate for that.
I like to follow 'authorities' whenever I'm overwhelmed. As I've known them since their PrivacyTools-days, it was easy for me to designate Privacy Guides as such. Hence, I've come to appreciate its recommendations. But, I believe the tailor-made consensus by this communities' experts is at least equally important.
That's where I'm coming from, let's head over to the questions:
- Are PrivacyGuides' recommendations actually good in the first place?
- From what I can tell, the subset of security-focused distros are (at least potentially) my end-game. But, from what I could gather, they're not sensible picks for a newb. Is this correct?
- As for what remains, I got the following assumptions (please correct me if I'm wrong*):
- The anonymity-focused distros don't seem well-suited for general use.
- Hardening Arch or NixOS to the extent we find within the offerings of Fedora or openSUSE isn't trivial.
- Fedora's Atomic Desktops offer something tangibly superior security-wise over what we find for traditional Fedora and openSUSE at the expense of convenience.
As such, am I correct to assume that Fedora Atomic Desktops are best for me? Would you happen to know if it plays nicely with Davinci Resolve?- Are there any other distros worth mentioning within the context? If so, which ones and why?
- Any gotchas or otherwise I should be aware of?
Thanks in advance for your input!
Desktop/PC - Privacy Guides
Linux distributions are commonly recommended for privacy protection and software freedom.Privacy Guides
I believe I heard that there was some scandal involving Ubuntu, but perhaps I'm wrong. Please feel free to correct me. Are there any (other) distros that I should be weary of for privacy-sake?
For security, I want to be well-protected against any and all untargeted attacks. So protection against malware is included.
Thank you for the general notes/recommendations/advice about safe practices on Linux! Regarding sudo (and the terminal in general), I've just accepted that it will be part of my workflow going forward, even if the amount of times I had used it on Windows can probably be counted on one hand. Regardless, beyond not sudoing random commands, are there like rigid guidelines (or something) one should adhere to for safe/secure computing?
The Ubuntu thing was about them making it opt-out rather than opt-in (so turned on by default), but it's still nothing malicious and diesn't collect any personal data. At least that's how I remember it.
Also Linux doesn't really have anti-viruses like Windows does (there are a few options for edgecases though). That is because Linux isn't really targeted by malware developers as much and also Linux is actually designed to be secure.
As for general security tips, number 1 is probably using a password manager (I use a KeePassXC compatible client).
Also be careful with rm -rf. I almost deleted all the files in my home directory once. I have aliased rm to gio trash since.
Tired of Google Home not working? This new change will make you furious
Tired of Google Home not working? This new change will make you furious - Android Authority
Google recently added a tiny change to voices available to a small set of users currently testing Gemini-powered Assistant on Nest speakers.Tushar Mehta (Android Authority)
Report: Intel struggles with new 18A process as it cuts workers and cancels projects
cross-posted from: piefed.social/post/1117434
Intel says it’s still on track to launch its first 18A Core Ultra chips in 2025.
Big tech legal action
Rakudo Weekly News: 2025.31 Snappy Turtles
2025.31 Snappy Turtles
Anton’s Corner Anton Antonov has provided us with two more lovely posts this week. As ever his visuals and movies are a stunning insight into our world made with Raku. The snappily named Turt…Rakudo Weekly News
Solve it! Libro sul cubo di Rubik e i ciechi
Solve It, ovvero: “risolvilo”, è un libro scritto da un autore che abbiamo conosciuto nell’ambiente #WordPress e #scrittura creativa; è un manuale, disponibile in formato elettronico, che spiega come risolvere il cubo di Rubik senza la vista.
Siamo molto legati a questo gioco di logica pur avendo fallito entrambi nella sua risoluzione per cui ci sentiamo orgogliosi di parlarne, a partire da come il cubo ci ha accompagnato fin dall’infanzia.
Elettrona e Gifter: storia personale col cubo di Rubik
Gifter
Ho 50 anni compiuti e ormai è da quando il cubo di Rubik è nato, cioè dal 1980, che io e lui abbiamo una guerra personale in corso. I miei genitori l’hanno regalato a me e alla mia gemella quando eravamo alle elementari e il massimo che siamo riusciti a ottenere è una faccia completa delpuzzle classico 3x3x3.
Da adulto ci ho provato ancora ma senza alcun risultato, lo ammetto, ci vorrebbe il virus HIV senziente ad aiutarmi perché quello nel mio corpo dal 2013 non collabora. Dorme e basta.
Appena io ed Elettrona ci siamo conosciuti sono partito con gli stereotipi del cieco super intelligente e davo per scontato che lei avesse risolto brillantemente il puzzle in velocità, invece anche lei combatte le mie stesse guerre.
La mia presunzione si fondava sul fatto che il colore sia solo una convenzione, e in un oggetto tridimensionale non è difficile sostituire gli elementi visivi con quelli tattili; mi era persino venuta l’idea di sfidarla preparandole un cubo originale coi segni in rilievo creati con la stampa 3d poi incollati su ogni quadrato, ma ho scoperto che lei ha già il cubo di Rubik multisensoriale in due versioni.
Elettrona
La mia storia personale col cubo inizia in terza elementare quando me lo hanno comprato dal catalogo dell’unione italiana ciechi. Provavo a giocarci ma anche se era il mio passatempo preferito, mai una volta sono riuscita a ottenere lo stesso simbolo su una delle facce.
Quel povero cubo però ha fatto una brutta morte perché mia sorella durante una litigata tra bambine, l’ha sbattuto contro il muro e me l’ha irrimediabilmente spaccato. Ancora oggi litighiamo e ancora oggi non le lascio mai le mie cose a portata di mano…
Nel tempo l’interesse per il cubo di Rubik è rimasto ma non ne ho più avuto uno in mano, fino al 2010.
Anni più tardi ho trovato una persona con cui avevo stretto un buon legame su Internet, un ragazzo con sindrome di Asperger che aveva iniziato a darmi una mano per risolverlo, ma purtroppo il covid se l’è portato via e se mi sto dedicando al libro Solve It, è anche per ricordare lui. Ciao, Andrea.
Solve It! – The Only Speedcubing Guide for Blind Cubers
Risolvilo! L’unica guida di speedcubing per cuber ciechi
Abbiamo lasciato i termini in inglese perché anche nei siti e video italiani dove si tratta l’argomento, la risoluzione veloce (e anche competitiva) del rompicapo viene chiamata “speedcubing” e i giocatori sono “cuber”.”Cubista” invece è un termine usato per descrivere chi balla sul cubo in discoteca.
Chi ha scritto questo libro è Paul Martz. Cieco per la retinite pigmentosa, blogger di tecnologia e autore di fantascienza, ha iniziato a usare il cubo di Rubik a 17 anni nel 1980 quando ancora vedeva; adesso però ha voluto condividere la propria conoscenza da cuber cieco perché, in giro, ci sono pochissime risorse fruibili da chi è privo di vista e vorrebbe studiare i metodi per risolvere questo tipo di enigmi.
Paradossalmente se ti manca la vista è più facile acquistare (o creare) un cubo di Rubik tattile, rispetto a ottenere spiegazioni su come risolverlo!
Come rendere accessibile un cubo di Rubik?
Esistono siti specializzati negli ausili per ciechi, dove acquistare i cubi tattili ma personalizzarne uno partendo da quello originale non è affatto difficile. Basta incollare degli adesivi in rilievo su ciascuna faccia, eccetto quella bianca che di solito i produttori di cubi tattili lasciano senza niente – forse come indicazione di bianco=vuoto (metafora del foglio bianco).
Qui abbiamo tra le mani un cubo coi rilievi prestampati, e uno con gli adesivi: triangoli, cerchi, stelline, crocette, quadrati.
Quali materiali usare per il rilievo? Carta adesiva con ruvidità e consistenza diversa, oppure simboli stampati in 3D uniti al cubo con una colla sufficientemente forte, e soprattutto che non siano tanto grossi da impedire al meccanismo di girare.
Tactile Cuber
Paul Martz oltre al libro elettronico, acquistabile in inglese nei negozi digitali, mette a disposizione il sito Tactile Cuber dove raccoglie spiegazioni e risorse a proposito del cubo:
TactileCuber è unico nel suo genere: una risorsa accessibile per gli appassionati ciechi che risolvono Cubi di Rubik tattili e altri rompicapo simili solo toccando. Qui troverai algoritmi e istruzioni al 100% in testo semplice, tutti progettati per screen reader e display braille, senza pubblicità, video, diagrammi o interazioni fruibili solo tramite mouse.
Solve It: di cosa parla?
Questa è l’introduzione con cui Paul Martz presenta il libro:
Sei cieco. Interagisci con un mondo prevalentemente visivo, attraverso il tatto. Tutto ciò che fai richiede memoria, agilità e concentrazione. Nonostante le nuove sfide quotidiane, perseveri e hai successo. Sei un risolutore di problemi.Se ti riconosci in questa descrizione, allora possiedi già le abilità per risolvere il Cubo di Rubik™ tattile.
Solve It! è stato scritto per te, il “cuber” cieco, che risolve il cubo attraverso il tatto. Non contiene illustrazioni o diagrammi. Che tu lo legga con un software di screen reading o un display braille, Solve It! spiega ogni passo con un testo semplice e accessibile al 100%.
Se sei alle prime armi con il cubo, questo libro offre un metodo facile da imparare e padroneggiare. Ma Solve It! va oltre le informazioni di base. Include un metodo di “speedcubing” che ridurrà drasticamente il tuo tempo di risoluzione. Dopo aver letto questo libro, sarai pronto a competere, un’impresa a cui la maggior parte dei “cuber” ciechi nemmeno si avvicina.
Smetti di ignorare quel cubo tattile impolverato: preparati a risolverlo!
La nostra sfida: traduzione in italiano
Abbiamo costruito da zero un rudimentale blog multilingua, può farci paura la traduzione di un libro? Dizionari, aiuto reciproco, anche l’AI quando ci blocchiamo ma faremo del nostro meglio per superare la sfida.
Servirà parecchio tempo e noi siamo disposti a impiegarci anche un anno, nel caso. L’importante è “agilità, memoria, concentrazione”! O no?
Ma cosa c’entra Rubik con l’HIV?
In realtà il rompicapo non ha a che fare col virus, eccetto qualche storia ancora da scrivere in cui HIV senziente suggerirà le mosse… Vedremo.
Ma la questione “ciechi e il cubo di Rubik” si lega a uno stigma fra i peggiori: chi, sui social network, crede di essere comico facendosi beffa delle persone con disabilità visiva tramite un meme idiota.
La vignetta mostra Andrea Bocelli con un cubo di Rubik le cui facce hanno tutti i colori mischiati, lui ha un bel sorriso di soddisfazione e la scritta: “finito!”
Di fatto nessuno di noi due condanna le battute sui ciechi ma costruirle su una foto, esclude gli interessati da qualsiasi partecipazione: ridere di noi, anziché ridere con noi. La differenza è sostanziale ed è quella che distingue satira da bullismo.
Allora noi rispondiamo in modo propositivo: consentendo ai ciechi in Italia, dove questo maledetto meme è nato, di approcciarsi a un mondo che la maggioranza delle persone ritiene impraticabile senza la vista.
PlusBrothers
Cerco di spiegare come ho fatto a ottenere su PlusBrothers un blog multilingua gratuito senza abbonamentielettrona (Elettrona and Gifter)
Il cambiamento positivo
Post personale di Alessandro che racconta la propria esperienza con #HIVDISCLAIMER: nel post c’è ironia ma anche tanto Drama Queen: lettori avvisati.
Il cambiamento POSITIVO
Ora non è “Gifter” a parlare ma Alessandro con un post dove condivido la mia esperienza di persona con HIV per smontare i pregiudizi di chi è scettico sulla mia partecipazione a questo blog satirico.Evento negativo? Sì. Notizia devastante? Di sicuro. Ma siccome quando il “cambiamento positivo” arriva te lo tieni, vale la pena prenderne atto e nel tempo imparare a conviverci più pacificamente possibile.
2013: Think twice!
Ascolto tutta la musica perché ne sono appassionato ma c’è un particolare brano che non riesco ad affrontare: “think twice” di Celine Dion; anche cercando il video per condividerlo sul blog, ho silenziato l’audio perché quella canzone mi è a dir poco indigesta.Una volta però adoravo questo brano perché era quello che aveva unito me e Alberto, grande amore ed errore allo stesso tempo.
A 32 anni avrei dovuto già essere adulto invece sono caduto fra le braccia di chi prometteva fedeltà ma era un traditore seriale e io ho continuato a perdonarlo malgrado, col senno di poi, i segnali di relazione malsana fossero palesi.
Alla fine però un giorno, trovando l’ennesimo calzino estraneo sotto il nostro letto, ho preso tutta la sua roba e gli ho lasciato la valigia fuori dalla porta.
Avessi trovato preservativi usati anziché i calzini sarebbe stato disgustoso ma alla fine avrei gestito solo le corna, invece così ho dovuto affrontare un “cambiamento positivo” di cui avrei fatto volentieri a meno.
Anche “Twink Twice” è riuscito a farmi odiare: per fortuna non è andato avanti molto con quella storia, ma le scenate di Alberto fuori casa o al telefono a supplicare “Alex, ti prego, perdonami” con la canzone in sottofondo, si sono ripetute da metà gennaio 2013 fino a marzo e tralascio il dettaglio sul San Valentino – più volte ha rischiato una mia denuncia per stalking.
Adesso quindi solo le prime note di quel brano mi fanno innervosire come quando un seccatore suona il campanello sperando di vendermi oggetti o divulgare religioni improbabili.
Con chi suona alla porta non mi sono mai permesso ma ad Alberto ho lanciato più di qualche secchiata d’acqua dalla finestra quando veniva a rompermi le palle, sì! E in pieno inverno non è il massimo pertanto qualora si fosse preso un bel raffreddore, se l’è cercato.
In compenso nello stesso maledetto periodo mi ero beccato io un’influenza potentissima anche senza prendere secchiate, o almeno io l’ho considerata come tale. Amore finito, stress, ma con una pillola e un po’ di riposo passa tutto.
Appena guarito, sono andato in discarica a buttare le ultime mutande che Alberto aveva lasciato nel mio cassetto forse per illudersi di chissà cosa; però il vecchio Gifter, anzi il vecchio Alex in questo contesto, se ha deciso di chiudere, chiude senza alcuna possibilità di ripensamento. Ancora ignoravo che, oggettivamente, non di tutti i regali lasciati dall’ex ci si può liberare.
2013: Rito di passaggio
Quando superi il momento clou dello stress da relazione finita cosa pensi? “I cimiteri sono pieni di persone insostituibili”, ci può essere qualcun altro da amare, e capisci che a 37 anni forse forse è il caso di “rimettersi sul mercato” per non diventare la vedova austera del diciannovesimo secolo.Allora, nell’idea di ricominciare a conoscere gente col classico “poi si vedrà”, ho preso una decisione importante: fare il test per le infezioni sessualmente trasmissibili HIV compreso in quanto mi sentivo in perfetta forma ma, sapendo che io ero monogamo e Alberto no, mi ritenevo una persona sufficientemente vulnerabile: nella peggiore delle ipotesi avrei quantomeno salvaguardato eventuali nuove relazioni a breve, medio o lungo termine.
Noi gay abbiamo maturato una certa consapevolezza in decenni di HIV o AIDS associati principalmente al nostro orientamento sessuale: i virus non guardano se sei monogamo o poligamo, è sufficiente una porta aperta a cui accedere e non gliene frega un accidenti se tu fai l’amore senza protezione perché “ti fidi” del tuo partner o se stai con una persona completamente anonima appena conosciuta della quale ti importa solo finché ti rivesti. I virus entrano in casa tua senza bussare né chiederti: “posso?”
A dire il vero è così anche per le persone etero, queste ultime però il più delle volte si sentono cullate nella “comfort zone” mediatica delle categorie a rischio e anche se il traditore seriale è la persona “della porta accanto” che si dedica a casa e lavoro, spesso e volentieri l’etero medio non considera l’eventualità infezioni sessuali, non si sottopone ai test, poi succedono le tragedie di marito o moglie in AIDS conclamato dopo anni di silenzio, o positività all’HIV scoperte durante una gravidanza.
Poco mi importa se sono brutale ma, siccome la vita non fa sconti, neanch’io li concedo quando mi esprimo su questi temi.
Coi test avevo previsto di chiudere definitivamente il capitolo Alberto e, nel merito, scherzavo anche assieme al mio migliore amico: “insomma dai, non sarò mica così sfigato da essere cornuto e sieropositivo? Posso reggere il tradimento ma l’HIV non so.”
Adriano però è parecchio più malizioso di me e ha lanciato il sasso: “io ti sto addosso come una ventosa perché l’influenza che hai avuto qualche tempo fa non mi è piaciuta affatto”.
E chi se la ricordava più, non certo io! Ma lui da brava “sanguisuga” come lo chiamo tutt’ora, non si perde ogni minima fragilità da parte mia e già allora diceva “noi due possiamo reggere il peso di qualunque sventura. Sono con te”.
Lui mi è vicino fin dall’adolescenza, il primo a cui ho confidato che “non mi piaceva la gnocca” (come parlavo male a suo tempo), quella è un’amicizia che dura da decenni. Ne abbiamo passate tante e ci sentiamo in una botte di ferro, neanche c’è il pericolo di rubarci i partner uno con l’altro perché è etero!
2013: La risposta
L’influenza, cosa vuoi che sia! Avevo già letto sull’Internet che il passaggio da HIV negativo a positivo potesse scatenare dei sintomi simil-influenzali però su questo non ho mai voluto condizionarmi e dopo Alberto, nella mia vita, a nessuno avevo permesso di affacciarsi finché non sarei stato certo di “essere sano” – così definivo la negatività all’HIV fino a quel momento. Quindi mi sono fatto prelevare il sangue senza troppi pensieri drammatici: tutto sommato, ero tranquillo: avevo “la coscienza a posto”, “mi ero comportato bene”, il test era uno scrupolo ma generalmente “l’AIDS prende solo chi non fa attenzione”. Anch’io vittima, in qualche modo, delle campagne mediatiche fatte coi piedi.Lo screening era per tutte le infezioni sessualmente trasmissibili, non ero andato in una di quelle strutture dove fanno anonimo il test solo per l’HIV e sono rimasto in attesa dei risultati.
Ero sereno fino a quando non mi è squillato il cellulare: il dottore voleva “vedermi per discutere degli esiti” e a quel punto ho anche aggredito la signorina addetta alle chiamate: “porca puttana, ragazzetta, non farmi giri di parole dimmi che sono sieropositivo e sparisci!” Lei formale ma gentile: “signore abbia pazienza, non sono tenuta a darle informazioni al telefono, le chiedo cortesemente di prendere appuntamento col medico!” Venerdì 3 maggio 2013, va bene.
Mi ha accompagnato Adriano quel giorno, unica persona di cui potessi fidarmi ed è rimasto lì fuori ad attendermi mentre io ero chiuso in stanza a parlare col dottore. “Tutto negativo, tranne l’HIV, mi spiace”. No, cazzo no! Io HIV positivo no! Alberto non poteva avermi fatto questo!
Ricevuta una simile notizia ti crolla ogni certezza, ma ognuno reagisce a suo modo: io in quel momento non avevo più un dottore di fronte, non era più l’ambulatorio ma mi sentivo come se fossi a casa mia a tavola davanti ad Alberto e ci sarebbe mancata solo Think Twice per farmi definitivamente sbroccare.
Santa pazienza aveva (e ha tutt’ora) quel medico. Solo quando mi sono calmato, mi ha spiegato tutto il percorso da fare; avevo troppa paura del “dopo” e ricordo ancora che dissi “dottore la prego se mi dà una medicina che non mi rende un fantasma con le gambe la accetto”.
Lui fece molto di più e mi diede l’opportunità di seguire un percorso di terapia sia antivirale sia psicologica grazie a cui adesso ho ritrovato il mio equilibrio e non ho problemi a parlarne apertamente.
Alberto? Ovviamente risultato anche lui positivo e ancora oggi sono convinto che non ne fosse a conoscenza: come prestava poca attenzione in auto così era nella sessualità e gli effetti si sono visti eppure, nel tempo, mi sono fatto passare il rancore nei suoi confronti perché l’odio non mi faceva stare bene.
La psicoterapia è durata un anno e mezzo di cui giudicavo i primi mesi come assolutamente inutili perché mi facevo talmente schifo da essermi chiuso in casa senza farmi la doccia per giorni; Adriano da parte sua veniva anche a trovarmi ma sempre più di rado.
“Non mi vuoi più come amico perché ho l’HIV, gli scrissi un giorno ma la sua risposta fu impietosa: “se non vengo volentieri da te è perché puzzi come una capra. Pensi di spaventare il virus così? Più facile che me ne vada io! Continua di questo passo e l’HIV rimarrà l’unico a starti vicino ma solo perché gli tocca e da te non può staccarsi sennò muore”.
Nessun professionista ti dirà mai una frase simile, un amico d’infanzia invece sì specialmente quando ti vede autodistruggerti e non sa cosa fare per aiutarti.
A questo si è aggiunta la terapia d’urto dello psicologo al quale confidai che avevo passato l’estate del 2013 studiando quale fosse il modo migliore per morire, prima che mi ammazzasse il virus.
Mi affrontò a muso duro: “quanti modi per morire stai descrivendo. Ma se passi i giorni a pensarci senza metterlo in pratica, intuisco che non vuoi ucciderti veramente. Che dici? Partiamo da qui: tu, morire, in realtà non vuoi”.
“E certo che non voglio morire”, era stata la mia risposta, “ma è l’HIV che mi costringe a pensarci! A 37 anni la data di scadenza! Non è giusto!”
Quel sant’uomo mi ha lasciato sparare cazzate a raffica e poi si è messo a dirmi le stesse parole che già avevo sentito dal medico: “adesso non è più una condanna a morte”, “segui regolarmente la terapia”, “abbi uno stile di vita più sano possibile”, c’è voluto molto tempo ma alla fine oltre ad aver fatto pace con l’HIV l’ho fatta con la mia autostima e ho debellato i sentimenti di stigma e omofobia interiorizzati che da anni tenevo dentro.
Capitolo chiuso anche l’odio per l’infezione: ormai sono emotivamente sereno, tanto che il virus fa parte della mia famiglia esattamente come il gatto e me ne prendo cura rimanendo fedele alle medicine e ai controlli medici.
Dovrei fare più esercizio fisico ma io e il mio HIV siamo così: quando uno vuole andare a fare una passeggiata, l’altro si mette d’accordo con Giove Pluvio e fa piovere. Tale umano tale virus! Serie tv, divano, attività in orizzontale! Almeno essendo in simbiosi non c’è rischio che mentre guardiamo lo sport l’HIV tifi per gli avversari.
Lo ammetto, dopo tutto quello che mi ha fatto penare per farsi accogliere, mi sono pure affezionato a questo virus. Lui che mi ha costretto a mettere in discussione troppe certezze fondate sul nulla ma che alla fine mi ha permesso di trovarne più salde comprese alcune amicizie e amori solidi che prima, forse, c’erano e non li vedevo.
Brutto da dire forse ma senza di lui probabilmente non avrei stretto amicizia con @talksina l’ideatrice di questo blog, che divide con me l’esperienza dal punto di vista opposto: quello di una persona senza HIV ed ex compagna di un uomo col virus.
Cosa potrei volere di più? Tornare col segno negativo? Al momento non ci penso perché non è possibile, salvo le persone con leucemia trapiantate di staminali su cui i media ogni tanto parlano.
Mi basterebbe mantenere HIV sulla soglia di Non Rilevabile Non Trasmissibile senza dover assumere farmaci, la ricerca si sta concentrando in questo senso perciò è questione solo di pazienza; per adesso il mio desiderio è vivere e godermela al massimo, ho già perso troppo tempo dietro alle cazzate!
In chiusura tranquillizzo i lettori sul fatto che non ho alcuna intenzione di scrivere libri e guadagnare sulla mia esperienza ma voglio solo raccontarla per aiutare a sconfiggere lo stigma.
Testo aggiornato rispetto alla pubblicazione iniziale (13 aprile 2023).
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White House Orders NASA to Destroy Important Satellite
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Dariusmiles2123
in reply to twikz • • •Apple is bad, but still probably better than Google when it comes to privacy.
twikz
in reply to Dariusmiles2123 • • •Regarding Apple, That's what I feel too, but I don't feel like going Pixel and GrapheneOS or fairphone etc.
But I still want to optimize my privacy and move to open source alternatives where I can without sacrificing too much
DominusOfMegadeus
in reply to twikz • • •twikz
in reply to DominusOfMegadeus • • •MrPrismarin
in reply to Dariusmiles2123 • • •The 8232 Project
in reply to twikz • • •I would consider GrapheneOS instead of iOS. GrapheneOS provides full compatibility with Android without Google, and you can optionally install Google Play Services. Apple is as bad as Google in some aspects.
As for your main questions, these are my suggestions:
Most of these are Android-only, because iOS is still privacy invasive by nature. More software can be found on my list of software.
Cheers!
GrapheneOS: the private and secure mobile OS
GrapheneOSunfinished | 🇵🇸
in reply to The 8232 Project • • •twikz
in reply to unfinished | 🇵🇸 • • •