• Activity
  • Votes
  • Comments
  • New
  • All activity
    1. What did Google Reader offer back in the day?

      From time to time I see people on the internet who remember Google Reader fondly, and miss it. At the time, I didn't have much use for something like it, so I never used it. But a common theme in...

      From time to time I see people on the internet who remember Google Reader fondly, and miss it. At the time, I didn't have much use for something like it, so I never used it.
      But a common theme in these conversations about Google Reader is that no other feed reader ever offered everything Google Reader could, but I can't seem to find details.

      So what was it? Does anyone here remember Google Reader, or even still wishes it was available? Why did nothing come from the Open Source community that could replace it?

      16 votes
    2. New YouTube terms will allow Google to terminate accounts that it determines are not "commercially viable"

      Relevant part of YouTube TOS that'll come into effect on 2019-12-10: YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access to all or part of the Service if YouTube believes, in its...

      Relevant part of YouTube TOS that'll come into effect on 2019-12-10:

      YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access to all or part of the Service if YouTube believes, in its sole discretion, that provision of the Service to you is no longer commercially viable.

      However, it's not clear whether "Service" is YouTube or whole Google account. As we've seen in Markiplier affair, violating YouTube TOS meant that people lost access to their whole Google account - including gmail and gdrive.

      37 votes
    3. How do you turn a smart TV into a dumb TV?

      I've been lamenting the death of the dumb TV for years now, but I'm finally in the market for a new set and trying to plan my next purchase carefully. I've come to grips with the fact that any...

      I've been lamenting the death of the dumb TV for years now, but I'm finally in the market for a new set and trying to plan my next purchase carefully.

      I've come to grips with the fact that any late-model TV I buy is going to feature some or all of the following:

      • Internet connectivity
      • Slow, janky menu screens with awful UIs
      • Pre-installed apps (all of which I consider bloatware)
      • Ads incorporated into the built-in menus or overlaid on my content
      • Alexa / Google Home integration
      • Automatic content recognition and/or other data collection techniques
      • Microphones or cameras, purportedly for voice/gesture control

      My goal is to take a stock smart TV and completely neuter all of the above, resulting in an otherwise fully functional dumb TV. All of my content will be delivered over HDMI from external devices.

      As I understand it, basically all modern TVs are running one of five operating systems: Android TV, webOS, Tizen, Roku TV, or SmartCast. Not knowing anything about these platforms, where should I begin? Which are most susceptible to rooting? Are there any good custom ROMs I could install that would achieve what I'm looking for? Surely others have asked these same questions before me, but I can't find the answers online.

      Yes, this is a companion post to my other home theater question earlier today.

      37 votes
    4. How to find AV hardware for specific requirements?

      Apologies if this belongs in ~tech, that group is more on topic than ~talk but I think it’s for news and links more than open questions. (Edit: Looks like it's been moved to ~comp, I guess that...

      Apologies if this belongs in ~tech, that group is more on topic than ~talk but I think it’s for news and links more than open questions. (Edit: Looks like it's been moved to ~comp, I guess that works too.)

      I’m looking for an HDMI switch. It needs to support at least 4K resolution and have at least 10 input ports. It also needs to have Toslink audio out. Remote control support is a “nice to have” but physical buttons are fine too.

      I’m having trouble locating a product like this online. Not sure if I’m just using the wrong terms or if it doesn’t actually exist. Can any Tildes gearheads give me a pointer here?

      8 votes