I've spent the last year or so slowly replacing the everything-machine in my pocket with devices that do one thing and do it well. A BOOX e-reader for books. Retro handheld consoles for games. An automatic watch that tells time and nothing else. So when I started looking for a
  • Em Adespoton@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    4 hours ago

    I use my phone as a media platform; I rarely stream any content on it unless it’s off my Jellyfin server.

    I also have a Sony Walkman I got in 1986, but as I don’t have any audiocassettes anymore, it mostly operates as an AM/FM radio (tell me again why our phones don’t have AM/FM when Japan and S Korea do?).

    One thing I HAVE been considering is a LoRA Meshtastic setup; plug in a router with an extender board at home, and carry a handheld unit or two with me. That would mean that I’d have a non-cellular connection to my home network within a 25km radius of my home, and mesh networking connection to the Internet in most densely populated areas outside that range, AND the two devices could link any phones or work as walkie talkies in areas where there’s no available WiFi or cellular signal.

    To me, that’s a step forward, where a dedicated digital audio player doesn’t really solve any legacy or current problem.

    But if you’ve already got one, why not use it? The batteries last a whole lot longer than a smartphone.