<![CDATA[Say the new Googlebook is perfect.]]>Say the new Googlebook is perfect. It isn't, far from it, but stick with me for a moment.

Here's what goes through my head: my Chromecast / Google TV was, when I bought it, an excellent streaming device that did almost exactly what I wanted. Sure, I had to tweak my router's settings and run my own DNS stack to keep it from phoning home so often, but still.

But then the on-screen keyboard stopped working unless I gave it mic permissions, which I did not do. And now the search button is gone.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/13dce9f6-3498-456e-aa87-a0a49da63f4f/say-the-new-googlebook-is-perfect.RSS for NodeFri, 15 May 2026 10:24:40 GMTTue, 12 May 2026 22:45:45 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Wed, 13 May 2026 15:15:09 GMT]]>@xgranade @cthos @miss_rodent I caught my (LG) TV talking to 8.8.8.8 at one point, an address I hadn't told it about. So now all DNS leaving the network is DNATted to a Pi-hole instance I control. Not an option for most people, sadly.

DNSoHTTPS is going to be an utter bitch.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://splodge.fluff.org/users/dickon/statuses/116567920416827992https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://splodge.fluff.org/users/dickon/statuses/116567920416827992Wed, 13 May 2026 15:15:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Wed, 13 May 2026 14:25:48 GMT]]>@sotolf @joshsutphin @xgranade vim isn't a place to run to primarily because it's an entirely different kind of software. I am not looking for an editor. Emacs is a programmable hypertext environment that functions as my primary shell and application platform.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lhp/statuses/116567726415181683https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lhp/statuses/116567726415181683Wed, 13 May 2026 14:25:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Wed, 13 May 2026 14:20:21 GMT]]>@xgranade @cthos @miss_rodent thanks!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/116567704988408032https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/116567704988408032Wed, 13 May 2026 14:20:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:59:24 GMT]]>@joshsutphin @xgranade I find myself doing the same even for FOSS programs install, in case they turn to slop or other evils. It's pretty sad if you stop for a moment and think about it. I am seriously thinking about exit plans for emacs...

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lhp/statuses/116564319555226642https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/lhp/statuses/116564319555226642Tue, 12 May 2026 23:59:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:43:54 GMT]]>@xgranade @miss_rodent I love this bit:
"Maher knew The Simpsons well and the group decided on the 1993 episode "Cape Feare", based on the 1991 film Cape Fear, itself a remake of a 1962 film of the same name which is based on the 1957 novel The Executioners."

Because it reminds me of I Am Legend, which is a retelling of The Omega Man which is a retelling of I Am Legend which is based on the novel I Am Legend.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564258630300850https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564258630300850Tue, 12 May 2026 23:43:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:42:21 GMT]]>@xgranade @miss_rodent That is the opposite of what I had in mind, but that is *awesome* and ...imminently plausible.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564252509557368https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564252509557368Tue, 12 May 2026 23:42:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:36:28 GMT]]>@cthos @miss_rodent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Burns,_a_Post-Electric_Play

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564229395884841https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564229395884841Tue, 12 May 2026 23:36:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:35:53 GMT]]>@xgranade @miss_rodent I'm now imagining what would happen if you took someone who had only ever done / written stage plays and had them make a screenplay. I think there'd be some interesting artifacts from that.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564227071785277https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564227071785277Tue, 12 May 2026 23:35:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:32:40 GMT]]>@xgranade Yeah, I imagine it would be hard to do without being familiar with the general culture around it, lol. (Mostly added the 'not meant as judgey' because people often parse 'I don't have a TV' as a judgmental/superiority thing? I don't know why - it's actually kind of a pain in the ass to not have one or any access to the streaming sites in the world as it is? def created a bit of a cultural disconnect.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564214430537198https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564214430537198Tue, 12 May 2026 23:32:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:26:49 GMT]]>@miss_rodent I mean, I'm also learning to do screenwriting, which is... something that takes participation in movie and TV culture.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564191461537517https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564191461537517Tue, 12 May 2026 23:26:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:26:35 GMT]]>@xgranade Yup. For every piece of hardware, and every piece of software, I now find myself doing threat modeling and having an exit plan for when (not if) it inevitably transforms into user-hostile bullshit. This is energy I should not have to spend! I am tired all of the time!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/joshsutphin/statuses/116564190526217435https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/joshsutphin/statuses/116564190526217435Tue, 12 May 2026 23:26:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:25:46 GMT]]>@xgranade (I don't mean that as a judgey/superiority thing - my lifestyle choices are ... Not for everyone, and definitely lead to some complications.
A recurring minor bit of social friction is that a lot of my friends make references to various shows, animes, whatever, basically none of which I have seen or know anything about, often haven't even heard of, unless I watched it with one of them or a partner at some point.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564187288524832https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564187288524832Tue, 12 May 2026 23:25:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:19:38 GMT]]>@xgranade Fair, I haven't had a TV or similar since like 2009-ish?, (and even then only really used it for game consoles.) so just, completely out of the scope of things I consider... so much so I had to look up what a "ten foot UI" even means.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564163179350666https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564163179350666Tue, 12 May 2026 23:19:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:11:56 GMT]]>@miss_rodent I watch a fair bit of TV and movies, and enjoy doing so from a couch. There's some "ten foot" UIs for Linux, but they're all fairly far behind where the desktop / laptop UIs are at.

Sometimes it's even just things like HDMI-CEC support, or using a smaller remote instead of needing a full keyboard/mouse setup.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564132912362799https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564132912362799Tue, 12 May 2026 23:11:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:09:37 GMT]]>@xgranade Ah, fair. I... don't really see movies, (or own a TV, etc.) or watch videos or play games or anything like that when I'm away from an actual computer/laptop.
so a lot of that is not a major concern... my phone is mostly an IM device & ebook reader, for drm-free (one way or another) ebooks, lol.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564123804201691https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564123804201691Tue, 12 May 2026 23:09:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:06:18 GMT]]>@xgranade The one ray of hope I've had for corporate tech has been my Steam Deck. It's just been… some good hardware? And reliable software, with a genuine Linux desktop built into it? And the tech stack has been created by directly funding independent open source developers?

It feels like a doorway into a parallel dimension where Google and Doubleclick didn't merge.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116564110780913589https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116564110780913589Tue, 12 May 2026 23:06:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:05:43 GMT]]>@miss_rodent Mostly streaming mainstream movies and shows, or playing mainstream games (the Steam Deck has helped a lot with the latter, but it's not a complete solution). Hell, a lot of indie movies and shows are only on YouTube right now, much as I fucking hate it.

Piracy is an option, obviously, but one that I have some qualms with given where I'm coming from... not to mention I have limits to my storage space.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564108452057306https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564108452057306Tue, 12 May 2026 23:05:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:03:57 GMT]]>@krans That's my hope as well, it's been slowly turning into a piece of shit, and I hate that Google is doing that.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564101550415907https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564101550415907Tue, 12 May 2026 23:03:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:03:23 GMT]]>@xgranade I was very happy with our Chromecast, but it will be replaced as soon as I can get my hands on a Steam Machine.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116564099317400357https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116564099317400357Tue, 12 May 2026 23:03:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:03:12 GMT]]>@cthos @miss_rodent DNSholing Google devices only works if you also block outgoing 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1 at the router.

[edited to add: I know both of y'all know that, just saying for the folks following along at home, and as a gripe that I have to do the chore of blocking those outgoing routes]

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564098570740768https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564098570740768Tue, 12 May 2026 23:03:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:02:11 GMT]]>@miss_rodent @xgranade you can *occasionally* dnshole a given always online piece of tech (my boox tablet, for example) so it cannot update itself without explicit permission....

But that is hardly a solution for the average human

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564094581953114https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.cthos.dev/users/cthos/statuses/116564094581953114Tue, 12 May 2026 23:02:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 23:00:59 GMT]]>@xgranade Fair, I'm curious what things; I've definitely... structured my entire life in a "chronically pissed off queer anarchist that reads too much philosophy" sort of way, so, I have only a vague idea how most people actually engage with technology.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564089833373028https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564089833373028Tue, 12 May 2026 23:00:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 22:55:47 GMT]]>@miss_rodent Which is definitely smart. I'm pretty far along that path, but yeah, there's some things I can't quite do that way yet.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564069434785476https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://wandering.shop/users/xgranade/statuses/116564069434785476Tue, 12 May 2026 22:55:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Say the new Googlebook is perfect. on Tue, 12 May 2026 22:54:32 GMT]]>@xgranade Yeah, at this point I'm basically only considering devices if I can actually change the OS and such on them; even if it comes with an 'open source' default, if I can't *actually change it myself*, then I will just assume the device is garbage that is - or will become - some invasive parasitic force in my life.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564064532907839https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://girlcock.club/users/miss_rodent/statuses/116564064532907839Tue, 12 May 2026 22:54:32 GMT