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Stallman was right. I have some smart relays that somebody graciously reverse engineered in Python. I still need the spyware app to "bless" a relay, but then i

Stallman was right. I have some smart relays that somebody graciously reverse engineered in Python. I still need the spyware app to "bless" a relay, but then it works over TCP (JSON) afterward. Could also skip the app but it's much more complicated. I got an e-reader that you can drop epub files into (Kobo). Basically, "control" is almost more important to me than quality, where electronics are concerned. And I'm not a hardliner. It will only get worse.

m463 3y ago
I wanted to get a kobo, but you have to create an account before you can use it. I have a remarkable 2 without this nonsense and like it quite a bit, but I don't use it as much as I could because it has no backlight.
- gravescale 3y ago
  You can skip the account step. It's not ideal because you have to connect with USB and fiddle a setting in a file to get it into sideload mode, but it's not especially hard or even secret. And then you can install open-source reader apps. It is rather bad form IMO to not make it clear that the account is optional and promote the account-less operation into a first class option in the set up flow. But, aside from obvious data slurping motivations, also there's a balance where people who skip through it without reading the warnings about things that won't work without an account will end up returning their "broken" device and badmouthing it to their friends.
  - m463 3y ago
    this is the first place I've heard this is possible. I may have to give it another look.
    - MathMonkeyMan 3y ago
      I tried it but chickened out. It really just is a sqlite3 database in there, which is cool, but the layout was different from that described in the blog post I was following, and I didn't want to risk bricking a device I just paid hundreds of dollars for. Hm I could have just backed up the database... Anyway, I've bought some books with my account, so I don't mind the login.
- Novosell 3y ago
  I have a Boox Leaf 2. E-reader that runs proper android. Can sideload any app and doesn't require an account.

m463 3y ago

I wanted to get a kobo, but you have to create an account before you can use it. I have a remarkable 2 without this nonsense and like it quite a bit, but I don't use it as much as I could because it has no backlight.

gravescale 3y ago
You can skip the account step. It's not ideal because you have to connect with USB and fiddle a setting in a file to get it into sideload mode, but it's not especially hard or even secret. And then you can install open-source reader apps. It is rather bad form IMO to not make it clear that the account is optional and promote the account-less operation into a first class option in the set up flow. But, aside from obvious data slurping motivations, also there's a balance where people who skip through it without reading the warnings about things that won't work without an account will end up returning their "broken" device and badmouthing it to their friends.
- m463 3y ago
  this is the first place I've heard this is possible. I may have to give it another look.
  - MathMonkeyMan 3y ago
    I tried it but chickened out. It really just is a sqlite3 database in there, which is cool, but the layout was different from that described in the blog post I was following, and I didn't want to risk bricking a device I just paid hundreds of dollars for. Hm I could have just backed up the database... Anyway, I've bought some books with my account, so I don't mind the login.
Novosell 3y ago
I have a Boox Leaf 2. E-reader that runs proper android. Can sideload any app and doesn't require an account.