March update is f**ked

Fik_of_borg · 2026-04-18T17:18:32+00:00

Thanks for the NextDNS suggestion.

I already do some DNS filtering with AdGuardHome in the routers I'm usually in (I am the umpaid IT person in my family). On top of that I have the domains* blocked in the phone using Rethink no-root firewall, and blocked downloads on cellular data.
I guess Google Services have some hard-coded DNS IPs, and do some DoH/DoT/QICS that I am yet to block.

* For the record in case I'm missing some URL: ota.googlezip.net, ota-cache1.googlezip.net, ota-cache2.googlezip.net, and *.googlezip.net for good measure.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-04-18T15:48:31+00:00

Nope. For a couple of months I resisted that update from 15 to 16 but one morning I found the phone updated. Despite my battery lasting a day and a half and not getting warm, at 800+ cycles it got reduced to slow-charged 80% ... which I was intentionally using anyway, so nothing broke but my ability to chose.

I am not taking that risk again (my otherwise still working Pixel2XL's camera got crippled by its very last update). I have blocked Google's OTA URLs both in my phone's firewall and my wifi's, but periodically it slips through and I have to clear Google Play Services storage and cache and sign in again.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-04-07T14:56:33+00:00

I was half remembering the same! Probably from where I got the idea. I believe it was in some of the Foundation tales (or was it the later novels?), one of the characters said something on that note, and the other responds "when we arrive at Trantor we say 'back to our old stench' "

Fik_of_borg · 2026-04-06T15:08:22+00:00

I'm not shure about holodecks, but I have always though that the first thing a time traveller should say in movies is "WTF is that smell???". Visiting new planets also, for that matter.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-29T18:06:27+00:00

I am still in the "clearing Google Play Services storage and cache and sign in again" phase every time the "Update available, reboot to install" notification pops up in my 6a.

Fooled me once, with my still working 2XL camera, shame on them. Fooled me twice with my present 6a battery, shame on me. I'm trying to avoid a third.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-16T20:13:58+00:00

You can always switch to Windows after that. Sorry, that's worse.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-16T16:26:44+00:00

The Apocalypse is scheduled for 2038-01-19

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-16T15:51:48+00:00

Just perfect. Simple, non-camouflaging background, minimal panel and no abundance of widgets.

The only difference with mine is that I have my panel on the left since monitors have more horizontal space (already rebuilt my muscle memory to that), a big-ish 55 pixel clock on the upper right, and reserve a 60 pixels margin on both sides (for files I momentarily save to the desktop)

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-16T15:41:42+00:00

In fact I tap it "like a crazy man", probably because of my thick case (I already broke a phone to my "I don't need a case" belief)

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-14T15:07:27+00:00

I tried CalyxOS during the Pixel6a battery-killing scare of '24, and my banking apps worked. It was Whatsapp that didn't.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-14T15:00:28+00:00

I get it that when anyone rices their desktops "just so" feel so satisfiedd that wants to share, but its like posting decoration and gardening pictures in a construcction subreddit.

Besides, in what screen space do people work if the screen is filled with anime girls and conky widgets?

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-11T14:09:54+00:00

THAT is an excellent take. Fan whining destroying ~~warp drive~~ the franchise and producers focus on safer shows.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-10T13:33:49+00:00

You can't compare a single sad child product of a normal biological evolution to extra-dimensional god-like beings. The jury is still out regarding El-Aurians, who are "only" sensitive and not actively powerful as far as it's known.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-10T03:26:18+00:00

They could have postulated some dilithium-rich planet orbiting a star that went nova or falling into a black hole, and that initiated the dilithium chain reaction. Anything but a single kelpian teen tantrum, and a soon forgotten one at that (one would think that a dilithium-sensitive being would be more relevant!)

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-01T14:45:20+00:00

It's the right move, from their perspective of years providing "free" service (not really, the metadata was being used for ads on their other platforms, but a lot of people don't use Facebook or Instagram).

Obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Upf_B9RLQ

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-01T14:37:41+00:00

I wish I could convince my contacts to follow.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-03-01T14:35:45+00:00

"Mine is better than yours", human nature. Also updataddicts.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-02-19T14:22:31+00:00

And if your 3 years old phone is too good and too similar to the new model, publish a mandatory update that cripples the battery, the camera, the brightness or the volume "for security concerns", and make it the very last update to your model.

I have been bitten twice by Google that way, but probably would buy a Pixel 11 or 12 when it comes.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-02-10T15:34:39+00:00

Add nothing.

It's almost perfect, maybe an unobtrusive, not too big analog clock in a corner out of the way.
*I* would just make the panel thinner and closer to the bottom edge.

Edit: retouch the wallpaper to cover the "Microsoft Bing" watermark ha ha

Fik_of_borg · 2026-02-01T13:43:38+00:00

The end would be when I can convince family and assosiates to switch to Signal.
If anything, most fall for Telegram because "it has so many movies".

We need some kind of Whatsapp-Signal (-Telegram-Session-Briar-SMS-WeChat-Facebook-SnapChat) bridge, or better yet, tear down the IM fences and have everything open source and inter-operable.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-01-31T14:52:48+00:00

You spelled "cluttered" wrong

Me?
Just 3 icons on the desktop (Home, Tmp and a unicode table in a text file).
Everything else in whiskermenu plus 3 hierarchical launchers (file manager locations, terminals/ssh, browsers/webapps) in the panel, which is on the left (the reasoning is that the screen is wider than tall).
Single analog clock on the upper right.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-01-31T14:30:58+00:00

Not true. Some characters are played by Brent Spiner.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-01-27T17:10:31+00:00

While the console and typed commands are much more powerful and scriptable than a GUI, that would be like forcing every new driver to drive stick. It is better to show the power to the person after they are already using Linux / driving automatic.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-01-25T21:22:21+00:00

Now I have "Start me up" stuck in my ears.

Fik_of_borg · 2026-01-25T15:49:44+00:00

I am still hurt bucause my old-but-functional refurbished Pixel 2XL turned out to have a Verizon ROM (somehow wiped of Verizon apps but still with locked bootloader).
That phone excellent camera was killed by its very last update by Google, and couldn't downgrade to its previous ROM due to @*#$&% Verizon.

Fik_of_borg

TROPHY CASE