Pinetime, A $30 Open Source Smartwatch
I finally got my hands on Pine64’s smart watch. The PineTime costs $30 and has
accessable open source firmware. In this video I take a quick look at it.
Nat's Videos
Recent content on Nat's Videos
Latest posts
What is a VPN for?
Virtual Private Networks are a powerful tool for network configuration and
security. But they’re frequently misunderstood and misused. Does buying access
to a commercial VPN service protect your privacy? What are VPNs for? When do you
need one?
Avoid Ads on My Videos
My YouTube channel is now monetized. That means more ads. But there’s no reason
for you to see ads. Here’s how to avoid them.
PinePhone Keyboard Case
I just got the new keyboard case for the PinePhone. Let’s take a look.
Librem 5 Update Feb 2022
I finally got around to installing new version of PureOS (byzantium) on my
Librem 5. In this video, I take a quick look at how the software is doing on
this phone.
Degoogle With CalyxOS
In this article I cover the process for installing CalyxOS on an Android
phone.
Which ROM for Degoogled Android?
A degoogled Android phone is the best option today for a smartphone that
respects your digital privacy and autonomy. In this post I’ll discuss some
different options for Google-free Android ROMs.
Centralized? Federated? Decentralized?
Which is better: A centralized social network like Twitter, or a federated one
like ActivityPub as implemented in Mastodon or Pleroma? 
 Does federation solve all the problems of centralized services?
Dev Notes: PouchDB PWA
I recently got a chance to try out a couple of new programming things in a test
app I built: PouchDB/CouchDB and Progressive Web Applications. In this video,
I share some of my thoughts on those things.
MNT Reform Battery Problem
The MNT Reform has a serious issue with its battery system: no low voltage cutoff. That means it likes to kill battery cells.
Quick Look: Pinephone Manjaro Plasma Mobile
I installed Manjaro with Plasma Mobile on my PinePhone. In this video I take a
look at that setup.
Remember: Lavabit
The Snowden leaks demonstrated that major internet companies share user data
with law enforcement. What about smaller companies? Let’s look back and remember
what happened to Lavabit.
Recent History: Snowden Leaks
Back in 2013, Edward Snowden revealed the existence and workings of a global
apparatus for mass surveillance. What did he reveal? What does that mean for us
today?
Pinephone Unboxing
The PinePhone from Pine64 runs mainline Linux and costs only $150. In this
video, I unbox a PinePhone and talk a bit about what it is and how it compares
to other phone options.
Does Your Device have a Universal Backdoor?
Many pieces of modern software, including commonly used mobile phone operating
systems, include a mechanism that allows the software provider to remotely
access and control the device running the software. This “universal backdoor”
cannot be disabled without disrupting important functionality of the software. 
 What am I talking about? I explain below.
Unboxing Pinebook Pro
I got a new Pinebook Pro. Here’s a video where I do a quick unboxing and
talk a bit about why this kind of device is interesting.
Running Fiber to My Garage
We just finished moving, and I’m planning to set up a space in our new garage as
an office. Unfortunately, there’s no internet in the garage. Solving this
required 100 meters of fiber optic cable and drilling through 10 inches of
shotcrete.
Code Is Law; Software Choice is Politics
I’ve been posting videos about open hardware, FOSS software, and privacy. But
why bother with this stuff? Aren’t these just technical details that only matter
to nerds? 
 There is one important that people have been arguing about (and having wars
over) for all of recorded history: Who makes decisions? The king? Individuals?
Liberal democratic institutions? 
…
MNT Reform Unboxing and First Impressions
I got my MNT Reform Laptop. This is one of the most interesting open source,
user serviceable laptops available today. 
 In this video I unbox it and boot it up.
Librem 5 Convergence
In this quick video I demonstrate the basic mechanic of convergence on the
Librem 5, where the phone can operate as a handheld mobile device and can dock
and operate as a desktop computer. This is especially neat because it uses the
same apps in both modes - desktop Linux apps.
Librem 5 Unboxing
The Purism Librem 5 is a really interesting smartphone. It’s not running Android or iOS; instead, it runs a traditional style Linux distribution.
I’ve had one for a while, but I had to send it in for warranty service due to a WiFi issue and they sent me a new one.
Paper Address Book - Privacy?
I found a paper address book. This is how my parents would have kept track of
who they knew and how to contact them before mobile phones. 
 This seems like a good excuse to talk about privacy. Did we lose anything of
value when our address books went digital?
Braxmobile Phone Unboxing
Smartphones are a nightmare for privacy and personal data security. 
 One of the best options for a safe phone is an Android phone with a custom ROM
that doesn’t include the standard apps and libraries from Google.
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