kevinctofel

kevinctofel, 5 months ago to linux

🆕 : Email in the terminal like it's 1993

My quest to greatly reduce the use of a mouse or trackpad on #Linux took a half-step forward this weekend. I don't recall which of the folks I follow on Mastodon mentioned it, but someone pointed out Mutt. That was later followed with a vote for Neomutt.

These are both terminal based email clients. In 2023!

https://myconscious.stream/blog/Email-in-the-terminal-like-it's-1993/

kevinctofel, 4 months ago to gaming

This #videogame #simulation is freely available in the #Steam store and I found out today there’s a web version. 👍🏻 Haven’t played it at all yet but will now after hearing about it on a #ecosocialism video I watched this morning.

“Try your hand as a global planner of a future society. Play with a wide range of technologies and policies spanning different fields and ideologies. Will you lead the world to ecological utopia or planetary ruin?”

https://play.half.earth/

kevinctofel, 6 months ago to music

Thanks to technology, the final new #Beatles track is due out this week, having started out with an in-progress song Lennon recorded to a cassette tape. Nice behind the scenes look at how it came to be. #Music
https://youtube.com/watch?v=APJAQoSCwuA&si=kmgaiD8DEjpAoyfS

kevinctofel, 4 months ago to random

It’s time to log out. I’ll be putting the About #Chromebooks blog on hiatus for a bit. Possibly for good. Here’s why and what’s next.
https://myconscious.stream/blog/Logging-out-of-Chromebooks-for-a-while/

kevinctofel, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago) to random

In fifth-place with 3 remaining matches left, do you think #LiverpoolFC finishes in the top-4 of the #premierleague? #LFC

kevinctofel, 10 months ago to vim

🆕 blog post -- How to browse on a Chromebook with just the keyboard

If you have a #Chromebook, chances are your primary usage is to browse the web. #ChromeOS uses the same keyboard shortcuts as the Chrome browser to hop around the internet without a mouse or keyboard. But I’m on a quest to keep my hands on the keyboard all the time. Enter #Vimium: A Chrome extension that lets you browse on a Chromebook with just a keyboard using #Vim shortcuts.

https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/news/how-to-browse-on-a-chromebook-with-just-the-keyboard/

kevinctofel, 9 months ago to HomeKit

🆕 blog post -- Why I’m switching to Home Assistant

After two-and-a-half years of primarily using #HomeKit, now called Apple Home, I think it’s time for a change in my smart home. Prior to settling on #Google Home for a while. And before that, I was a #Samsung SmartThings user. Moving forward, I think it’s time to transition to #HomeAssistant for several reasons.

https://staceyoniot.com/why-im-switching-to-home-assistant/

kevinctofel, 7 months ago to chrome

🆕 blog post -- Now more than ever, ChromeOS is Linux with Google's desktop environment

Between the new Material You design and move to break apart the #Chrome browser from #ChromeOS, now more than ever, ChromeOS is #Linux with Google’s desktop environment.

https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/news/now-more-than-ever-chromeos-is-linux-with-googles-desktop-environment/

kevinctofel, 6 months ago to TeslaMotors

“Study determines the astronomical true cost of electric vehicle ownership”

Said study is from “a conservative think tank that according to 2012 tax filings was funded predominantly by Exxon Mobil, Chevron and the Koch brothers.

Why am I not astronomically surprised? 🙄

#EV #ElectricVehicles https://www.thestreet.com/electric-vehicles/electric-vehicle-tesla-adoption-curve-cost

kevinctofel, 5 months ago to ethelcain

🆕 post -- Revenue retrospect: 5 years of indie blogging

As a full-time #indie #blogger, 2023 was a wake-up call. To explain, I'm sharing my site revenues over the past 5 full calendar years, along with the outside factors that made the most impact.

They tell a sad story but: I am grateful that I've been able to write for a living as long as I have.

https://myconscious.stream/blog/Revenue-retrospect-5-years-of-indie-blogging/

kevinctofel, 4 months ago to 11ty

Now that I've got some posts and configuration setup with my new #11ty blog, I decided to finally look at design.

Started coding some CSS but then I found the AWESOME eleventy-excellent starter built by @lene at https://eleventy-excellent.netlify.app/

Have some tweaks to make but loving the look!

kevinctofel, 4 months ago to firefox

🆕 post -- How to install Firefox on a Chromebook the easy way

Want to install #Firefox on a #Chromebook the easy way? Until this week, #Mozilla officially said there are two ways. Neither of them is ideal.

But there’s a third way now that Mozilla is offering Firefox packages for #Debian and Ubuntu Linux. Since #Linux on #Chromebooks uses #Debian, you can directly download Firefox and quickly install it.

https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/how-to/how-to-install-firefox-on-a-chromebook-the-easy-way/

kevinctofel, 6 days ago to VideoGames

Having grown up as #VideoGames became a “thing”, I splurged on one of the many #retrogaming handhelds for me and my son. He’s an avid gamer of the #GameBoy generation.

Impressed by this little device, the Miyoo Mini+, which can be had for $60 to $80. Emulators for a bunch of handhelds and consoles. There are more powerful / larger options and plenty of software mods you can do.

Now my son wants us to start a YT channel and “review” old games as if they just launched. 🙄

A handheld gaming device displaying a list of Game Boy Advance games, including "Crash Bandicoot" and "Donkey Kong Country." The device has a D-pad, buttons, and shows a user's legs and feet in the background.
A person holding a handheld gaming console playing a retro-style video game.
A person is holding a retro handheld gaming device displaying a boxing game with characters "Little Mac" and "Glass Joe" on the screen.

kevinctofel, 1 year ago to random

Another Friday, another #minimalism video!

This week, I explain a simple approach for a minimalist wallet strategy that guarantees simplicity and functionality. I show the wallet I use, although any wallet that fits what you need will work. More importantly is my approach to minimizing what I carry, a strategy anyone can easily use.

https://youtu.be/w4tedj5ydFE

kevinctofel, 3 months ago to minimalism

🆕 post — Monthly minimalism activity for January 2024

In order to hold myself a little more accountable, I kept track of my #minimalism efforts this month. I’m sharing what I bought and/or added to the home and what was removed.

https://myconscious.stream/blog/Minimalism-activity-check-for-January/

kevinctofel, 3 months ago (edited 3 months ago) to Wawa

🆕 blog post — Working at Wawa

I made a conscious effort to lay low this month. After putting my #Chromebooks site on pause, I wanted to hit my personal “reset” button. So I did until now.

That offline time gave me a chance to think through some personal challenges. And one of them, a reduced income, is now sorted out. At least to a point. Earlier this month, I got a part-time position at my local #Wawa, less than one mile from my house.

https://myconscious.stream/blog/Working-at-Wawa/

kevinctofel, 3 months ago to Cats

#SilentSunday #cats #CatsOfMastodon

kevinctofel, 2 months ago to animals

#SilentSunday #DogsOfMastodon #Dogs

kevinctofel, 2 months ago to minimalism

🆕 post: Minimalism activity check for February

A recap of what I added and removed from our #minimalism lifestyle in February. (Spoiler alert: I blew it.)

https://myconscious.stream/blog/Minimalism-activity-check-for-February/

kevinctofel, 23 days ago to ai

I had been meaning to look at using #Ollama for local #AI & today I caught this excellent video how-to. Still not sold on the current hype of AI but it would be foolish to overlook its place in our future.

Honestly, this little project was the most fun I’ve had in a while: installing/using different AI models, using AI in the #terminal, then in a #browser, even creating a persona for the prompts. And it’s all running locally (no internet needed!), so it’s #private. 🤓

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wjrdr0NU4Sk&si=x5I0kG2iwZGefc7d

kevinctofel, 2 months ago to random

“I don’t think it’s safe to assume that the software developer job market will rebound. I’m hoping it will stabilise at a sustainable level, but even that isn’t guaranteed. The tech industry has “innovated” itself into a crisis, but because the executives aren’t the ones out looking for jobs, they see the innovations as a success.”

From: @baldur
https://toot.cafe/@baldur/112134185328712030

kevinctofel, 19 days ago to til

🆕 blog post: May 10, 2024 - #TIL

Personalizing my local #AI, replacing paper towels, and the world's longest (unofficial) ski jump of 291 meters.
#Obsidian #Ollama #LLM

https://myconscious.stream/blog/May-10-2024-TIL

kevinctofel, 2 days ago to retrogaming

I’m having way too much #RetroGaming fun with this Miyoo Mini+. Installed #OnionOS this morning which adds so many useful features. Nice theme switcher where I found a fave, which you can see in the video.

Also got hooked up with RetroAchievements, a website that creates and tracks achievements in these old #videogames. This was $70 well spent and I’m just getting started! (Literally… with the original Legend of Zelda)

A custom Star Wars menu theme on the Miyoo Mini+ retro handheld

kevinctofel, 1 day ago to random

1. No
2. It
3. Isn’t

3 reasons the Snapdragon Dev Kit is the Mac Mini killer we've been waiting for https://www.xda-developers.com/3-reasons-snapdragon-dev-kit-mac-mini-killer/