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I like to have a separate device for playing audio as well, especially one which is sturdy and waterproof and small enough to fit in one of those small pockets
by the_third_wave 4y ago
I like to have a separate device for playing audio as well, especially one which is sturdy and waterproof and small enough to fit in one of those small pockets on my sleeve when I'm out in the fields or woods swinging a tractor or an axe.
I also like for that device to be able to receive and make phone calls...
...so I just use an old Android device, to be more specific my old Motorola Defy from 2011. It runs Android (Cyanogenmod, the predecessor to LineageOS) 4.4, does the Wifi thing but also the phone call thing, runs DSub connected to my own Airsonic server. It also takes photos, runs Telegram and when in dire need even a browser although it takes patience to wait for it chewing through a Javascript-burdened "modern" site. I have a 32GB microSD card in the thing which is enough given its connectivity options. The battery, also from 2011, lasts for 2 to 3 days of intense use.
Small Android devices running Google-free AOSP-derived distributions are a good match for the role of "standalone" music players with the added benefit of allowing connectivity. Total costs for the latter are around €10/year with occasional use (Sweden, "pay as you go" SIM), total cost for the device is zero since I've used it for 12 years.
- chrischen 4y agoPlay music and make phone calls sounds like an SIM enabled Apple Watch.
- the_third_wave 4y agoNo, a SIM enabled Apple watch sounds like an expensive solution to an already solved problem in this case. Apart from being virtually free the Android-based solution also stands out for being open versus the closed nature of the Apple watch. I use (other instances of) the same device as remote-controlled media player (a Defy running MPD connected to a car stereo in a large-ish wooden rectangular box with beefy speakers, a battery and several power hookups and charging ports (including 20W of solar panels to keep the thing going when there's light to be had)) or a trailer camera (a screen-less Defy in a custom wood+aluminium enclosure mounted in the front of my wife's horse trailer, the thing creates its own "cloud" through its Wifi adapter so she can see her nags on the road, it powers up and down based on the trailer hookup being powered with the battery as backup) and other similar contraptions.
- chrischen 4y agoI guess if it’s waterproof and small then it works too. Though older Apple watches are actually extremely cheap.
- the_third_wave 4y agoThey're still running "iOS" (OK, trimmed down to "watchOS") and with that are far less amenable to running the type of software I want. It might work for those who are in the clutches of the Apple world but for those who live in freedom it is of not much use.
- chrischen 4y agoI guess I was basing my recommendation on a restricted device that was waterproof, plays music, and could make phone calls. If you expand your criteria back to general mobile computing device that can run many apps then sure you’ll just have to use Android or full iOS.
- 112233 4y agoStandalone devices like HiBy R2 / Shanling M0 / Fiio M5 make a lot of sense, because they allow to bridge almost anything to almost anything else audio-wise. airplay/usb/bluetooth/dlna in — airplay/usb/bluetooth/dlna out. Too bad they are marketed as a "hifi media player"
- maccard 4y agoAirpods/Earbuds (I use the galaxy buids pro) have filled that need for me. My uses are a little less extreme, granted, but I leave my phone in my bag and just use the buds. In practice the battery life is more than good enough for me to use every day, and it means I have less devices to manage.
- dangravell 4y agoShout-out for the Motorola Defy - I used to have one and it was a great form factor, almost an ideal size. Sadly mine bricked for reasons unknown.