The good:

Their software, from what I have see so far, I awesome. Their keyboard is great, Immich is great. Grayjay is… Pretty good.

I’m on the same page. I really hate the “politics” of all this, but there’s enough good being done by their org, and the apps they put out, that I’m tolerant. Even though I have paid for a license for Futo keyboard, I’d be happy to support other projects that suit my needs.

Futo is trying to build a sustainable future for open-source, so I’m not surprised that there are disagreements with how they approach certain licensing models. My hope is that they can find the magic sauce that allows all open-source projects to remain viable in the long-term (while compensating developers in a way that doesn’t mirror the enshittifcation we see in commercial software).

Not while you’re on the clock!

And sleep at the office?

As much as I like this IN-KIND idea, we really need a society where no single person can hoard an obscene amount of wealth.

We can come to a consensus about what “enough” looks like, but it’s going to be far less than hundreds of millions, billions, or hundreds of billions of dollars.

Damn, they need to market themselves better.

That sucks!

I support a company out of Quebec that makes bike panniers. They ended up sending me free replacement parts to fix a SECOND HAND bag I purchased locally.

Some companies have certainly enshittified their warranty, but hopefully that’s not too common.

Very cool! To me, this is more of an enthusiast laptop compared to something like the Framework. But I love the idea! The batteries being replaceable cells (and not a proprietary pack) is killer!

The only thing that I’d worry about is whether the company has staying power.

I am suspicious that a lot of what is claimed as ‘BIFL’ has been enshittified

Sadly, I’m sure this happens a lot in the name of “marketing”.

There are a few things that I look at to help ensure the best chance of getting something that’s BIFL:

• Does the company or product have a good track record? I’d trust my Leatherman to be BIFL over whatever no-name clone you see on Aliexpress.

• Does the company offer a lifetime warranty (or one that’s 20+ years)? If so, has the company been around for decades?

• Is the item repairable and easy to maintain? Even if something isn’t marketed as BIFL, you can likely extend the product’s life by decades through simple maintenance and care.

• Does the item have any built-in planned obsolescence features? Proprietary built-in battery? Components that are glued in place? Sealed shut so you can’t open it without destroying the item? etc…

• Is the product simple or complex? The more complex, the more likely it will fail, but this isn’t always the case if you are able to maintain/repair components.

• Textiles can be tricky, but not impossible to keep going for decades if the quality is good enough.

Sadly, I do think that many companies aren’t interested in making BIFL products because PROFITS!!! I think the market for BIFL will be more with custom fabricators and small businesses.

I don’t think it has anything to do with privacy, and more to do with walling off any competitors.

Garmin, along with every other major fitness platform syncs with Strava, and the user gives these platforms permission to allow their data to be used to enhance their training, come up with schedules, etc… all things that Strava would be banning.

Funny, because Strava does the same thing with the same data set, even if it didn’t come from Strava to begin with! It’s not a coincidence that Strava announced their own “athlete intelligence”, which literally does what they are banning… as a new, paid product.

And the fact that they announced this without letting any third-party platforms know ahead of time (to prepare), is the biggest dick move they could have made.

As a user of these platforms, Strava is the last place I want my data, but since it serves as a hub to so many other platforms, it makes it easier for me to sync my data.

UNA automatically syncs your activities with Strava

Seeing that Strava will likely soon ban third party syncing, I hope these guys have a better plan.

Fitness trackers are really only useful if they integrate into services people use.

But I do love the idea of this watch!

i prefer the 27 gallon tough totes

Those look way more purpose built with tie down groves and shape. Thanks for mentioning them!

Not looking to tour or anything with the trailer, but if i had to do a major haul or XYZ, i was thinking a large enclosed container would be better than trying to hold everything together with cargo nets. LOL

Inexpensive is a bonus, but a $180 bike that’s easy to maintain, but still versatile and built like a tank would be an incredible investment.

For a low income family, this would be better than an ebike rebate.

And for everyone else, it offers a bike that you wouldn’t mind locking up in front of a store.

I’d get one.

The cost of one bike, from the extraction of its materials to delivery with its owner, is around £145 ($180). Though they can be purchased, those on the programme receive them for free.

Ok.

Where can I buy one? Today.

Also, at that price, why aren’t governments in North America not buying tens of thousands to provide free to residents?

Reduce traffic, give low-income families a way to get around, encourage active transportation, reduce the need for more car parking spots… $180 is the cheapest, highly-effective strategy here.

but I have a lot of old photographs to scan.

Ah, yes. I was in the same situation, and it would have been impractical for me to use my smartphone. I was lucky enough to have access to a high-end document scanner, which really made the process easy.

I wish I had something specific to offer you, but best of luck in your search!

How often do you plan to use it?

I basically replaced my flatbed scanner with my phone. A good document scanner app, and it couldn’t be easier or more convenient to scan vs. before.

Is that an option for you?

I would consider cables for IEMs to be consumable, because they are a high-wear item. That’s one reason why they make them to be replaceable, just like ear tips, or foam padding on larger headphones.

How long they last will depend entirely on how you use them, how many bends they take, temperature extremes, are they exposed to sunlight, how many times are they plugged in, do they ever get yanked, etc.

Not that I go through a ton of cables, but they can be recycled (through an electronics recycling place) since the wiring is metal that can be reclaimed. That might be worth keeping in mind.

Many brands offer IEMs that have detachable cables, so this is a non-issue. I’ve got a pair of fairly high-end Shure earbuds/IEMs that use options for USB-C, Bluetooth, 3.5mm and more… just be swapping the cable out directly from the back of the earbud.

Granted, I would STRONGLY suggest using bone conductive headphones if you want to listen to music while bike riding, but that’s another topic.

That’s exactly what I would expect from an intersection that prioritizes safety of more vulnerable users.

My guess is pressure-cooking, specifically with an instant pot (which is near BIFL).

From the article:

“Stora Enso and Voodin Blade Technology GmbH are working on making sustainably sourced wood turbine blades that can easily be reused at the end of their lifespans, and Canvus is repurposing wind turbine parts into furniture.”