Well said, I keep remembering how the light phone 2 progressed from literally calling and texting and nothing else to what it is now, so we are going to see lots of improvement over the next 3 years but its not going to be on everyones timeline, its too hard to please everyone, we will just have to hope we get some of our wishes for improvements, for me I badly want calendars that repeat events , I hate having to constantly input the same event lol
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Thatās what I tried to do but it logged out after some time. And as far as I see there is no simple workaround for thisā¦ How did you manage to keep it logged in on a computer without as smartphone?
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@rilakkuma Thank you for the feedback-
We totally understand the desire to keep things simple and streamlined. After all. itās a big part of what Mudita stands for. HOWEVER, at the same time, having the option to add apps you need, strikes the balance between having control over our tech and choosing not to let it control us.
Mudita Kompakt was absolutely designed to help create more intentional space between us and the noise of constant digital connection. At the same time, the ability to sideload apps is our nod to digital freedom, the idea that your device should serve your values, not the other way around. BUT itās important that can look different for each person.
For some, it means staying strictly offline. For others, it might mean adding a simple podcast player, an encrypted messaging app like Signal, or even a minimal browser. The key is that these additions are deliberate, and not there BY default. Theyāre chosen, not imposed.
At Mudita, we want you to connect on YOUR terms- whatever digital minimalism means to YOU.
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It use to just keep me on. I would use my boyfriends phone to get access to it on my Mac and then it worked for a long time but recently it kicks me off when it doesnāt want me on anymore so I either I have to keep logging in via bf phone or just not use it. I only really use telegram now on my laptop because I donāt get the boot and then SMS
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My flavor of digital minimalism is simply to have no web browser enabled and to remove all algorithmic infinite scrolling distractions.
So I still have additional apps for messaging, podcasts, streaming music*, authentication, and bike computer. I donāt feel like any of these detract from daily life like infinite scrolling apps do.
*as I transition over to files downloaded from bandcamp and form a personal collection, I plan to delete this
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What makes sidephone any different from the existing work profiles built into android?
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For me, a mindful phone app lineup means having the tools at hand that help me tend to my priorities without having distractions and without scrolling and wondering. In my case Iāve side loaded the following:
- ankidroid for flash cards
- pomodoro timer
- a calculator with more functions
- a grocery shopping list that syncs with my husbandās list on his phone, so we donāt wind up buying multiples
- an app I can use to control some of the lights in my home
- waze for gps navigation
- a music player with more organizing and playback options (I only store lofi and soundscapes that help me focus)
andā¦ controversially
- a podcast player
- firefox focus
The podcast player only pulls in the podcasts that I have explicitly subscribed to and each of those align with my priority interests. There is no mindless scrolling for new content - the thing I am trying to avoid. Itās a useful tool to learn about the things I would like to know more about, and the content is not unlimited. There is a new episode or two or there isnāt.
And finally, an internet browser. I thought long and hard about this one. Obviously, itās a potential vector for mindless scrolling, but the ability to look something up quickly while out and about is really valuable in some situations. I opted for a browser that does not support tabs and decided to see if I can train myself to use it more mindfully. I search for what I want to search for, then click the trash can to close the page. In theory, I could train myself to do this on my old regular smart phone, but this new form factor, different screen appearance and slightly inconvenient refresh rate has made re-establishing my relationship with the browser much easier. Now if I am doing any kind of browsing other than a very quick lookup, I do that browsing on my laptop and I donāt feel any urge to do that kind of browsing on my phone. If that changes, Iāll have to re-asses having a browser installed.
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If you donāt mind me asking, what sort of flashcards do you use? I have wanted to implement spaced repetition into my life, but I never know what to actually use the cards for.
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For a long time, I only used them for learning Arabic vocabulary. If there is any language you are interested in, you can find wonderful premade decks or make your own. Many of them include high quality recordings.
More recently, Iāve decided I want to be able to recall specific study details or historical events or stories from the podcasts, books and videos I ingest. After years of constantly being overloaded with information all day and remembering almost no specifics, Iāve narrowed my focus, reduced my sources and put more effort in remembering the parts I would like to be able to discuss with people in detail.
If there is anything you would like to be able to discuss in more detail or any information-based skill you have always wanted to learn, those are great places to start.
edit: to provide a more specific example, I am surrounded by people who donāt think political engagement or organizing are worthwhile. I am reading a book called āWhy Civil Resistance Worksā which is filled with wonderfully informative and interesting stories and stats that I hope to be able to recall with confidence while trying to amp up the jaded and tired people around me.
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Iām not sure if I got your question right. Sidephone is going to be a degoogled bar phone. The difference with any Android-based phone with those ready-to-go options is that you have to make efforts to get to addictive features (if possible) rather than all the way around.
Iām in the process of analyzing smartphone dumb-down possibilities for parents who want to let their kids have a smartphone but they want to make it less addictive and safer. My current stance is that you need a good MDM for a good brand like Samsung and get the phone into Kiosk mode, and/or root the phone to mingle with hosts and iptables. Thatās waaay more than just buying a bar phone, or MK, or something alike.
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Your example actually really resonates with me. This is something Iāll have to implement!
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Guess Iāve been digitally obsessed since the '80s, but not necessarily on a phone. I have multiple PCs, Macs and VPS Linux servers. My last iPhone died 4 years ago and I never replaced it. I purchased this Kompakt solely for Emergency communications when out and about hiking, ski touring or other travels. Service can be spotty (perhaps 120Āŗ angle of reception in our area), but climb to a ridge or peak and full cell service is usually there. This phone will work fine for me for primarily talk-n-text but also looking forward to some OS updates.
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This is my use case exactly. And I hate trying to look at a map on a shiny screen in the sunlight!
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SPeaking as someone who didnāt get it STRICTLY for the minimalist philosophy:
I got it for the e-ink screen, long battery life, small sizeā¦and the option to side load spotify and text based browser for GPT, Maps.
It keeps me off facebook and instagram and youtube reels, amazon as well.
Thatās about it.
Seems like there are more minimalist anarchists than there are digital nomads on here.
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Iāll tell you where the line is!
The media will shape the interaction.
Once you escape the e-ink medium carefully designed to save you from cognitive overload, youāre back in the jungle.
Stay in the discomfort of inconvenience for as long as possible and the line will shift. I sticked to a dumb phone for years after the āshorts everywhereā assault on our minds. Having a fully functionnal brain and mental energy is way more powerful and a better user experience.
Yes, you can sideload a QR code reader and a GPS app as these are situational tools. Pervasive tools will otherwise bend your mind. There is one world allowed, and itās the ebook world, as this device is a pocket ebook reader.
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^ What an excellent way to describe this type of app!
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Mochi flashcards!!! Works the best for spaced repetition and syncs with desktop!
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