#tech ownership

[diabolicallyfoggyzone]

My hard working little Dell XPS that I've had for 7 years has been showing signs of breaking. It's the battery and the harddrive and as Dell discontinued the XPS line a while back there isn't that many spare parts available and I was certainly not getting their new line with "dedicated Copilot" button or whatever integrated AI horror most of the major brands are doing now.

This really couldn't have come at a worse time too, the prices of RAM, GPUs and general hardware is skyrocketing because of the AI Sloppificaiton pushed by NVIDIA and others.

So I was hoping to do a gentle switch over to Linux on a new machine. But the new machine purchase had quickly become a now or never kinda thing.

So I got a Framework laptop, the DIY edition, and it was such a pleasant, if a little scary when there was a boot error to diagnose, experience in physically putting together a computer again! Cannot recommend it enough actually getting to see the parts and components that make up the machine you are using.

I'd not done a PC build in nearly 2 decades since I built my tower PC for going back to education with. And that might as well be century in the tech world. So Framework was a nice little hybrid way of getting used to the newer hardware without trying to do it completely from scratch.

My shock of the size of a 1TB SSD will always be stuck in my mind, the last time I upgraded a harddrive it was a HDD, with actual spinning disc, small fan and requirement to plug into the right port if the PSU. That and it was at the time the impressive size of 60GB, which was pricey back then but I was doing video editing and 3D modelling so space filled up quick.

Anyway I've put together in an afternoon, then installed Win11 as I'm not quite ready to have Linux as my main OS just yet. But a lot of debloat and some registry edits later it is as "clean" a Win11 install as I can get at least.

The best thing about it though, is the Framework laptop is designed to be upgradable, it's designed to have parts replaced and upgraded as needed. It also has swappable ports so I can also use my existing and old tech with it. No disc drive, but a swappable USB A port and my external disc drive connects super easily.

I'm excited to have a piece of tech that can actually be taken apart and upgraded though. That tower PC was kept going for years until the motherboard couldn't support the memory requirements of my work anymore. The thin, lightweight, but closed and sealed hardware we have these days maybe great for portability, but it's only really great for the manufacturer and their profit margin, not so much for the planet or the consumer.

So as an avid user of tech until it can't be repaired or reused to get the absolute most out of it Framework seemed like it would be well worth giving a go and so far I'm glad I did.

[productiveandfree]

The Overlooked Details That Make Technology Feel Reliable

The Little Tech Frictions We Accept Without Thinking

Most of us have adapted to minor tech annoyances without noticing. A cable that works only if it is positioned just right. A phone that slides off surfaces because the case has smoothened out. A battery that never quite lasts as long as it used to. None of these things feel serious enough to fix immediately. So, they linger. And slowly, those tiny frustrations stack up.

What makes this interesting is how often people blame the device itself when the issue is really about the supporting gear around it. The phone feels annoying, but the problem is usually external.

The Little Tech Frictions We Accept Without Thinking

Most of us have adapted to minor tech annoyances without noticing. A cable that works only if it is positioned just right. A phone that slides off surfaces because the case has smoothened out. A battery that never quite lasts as long as it used to. None of these things feel serious enough to fix immediately. So, they linger. And slowly, those tiny frustrations stack up.

What makes this interesting is how often people blame the device itself when the issue is really about the supporting gear around it. The phone feels annoying, but the problem is usually external.

Accessories Are Not Boring, They Are Functional

Accessories have a reputation for being dull or unnecessary. Something you buy once and forget about. In reality, they shape how technology fits into real life.

A sturdier case changes how confidently you use your phone. A better cable removes unpredictability. A dependable mount or stand affects posture, focus, and even safety. These are not luxuries. They are quiet improvements that make tech behave the way it is meant to. This is why people who stop to update the basics notice the difference quickly. Not because things become exciting, but because they stop being irritating.

Updating the Basics Changes More Than You Expect

There is a small moment of relief when everything works properly again. When your phone charges properly overnight. When it feels secure in your hand. When it survives being dropped without panic.

That relief often leads to a surprising shift. People hold onto their devices longer. The urge to upgrade fades. Instead of feeling stuck with outdated tech, they start feeling comfortable with what they have.

Having reliable options on hand, like those available through skyline mobile, makes it easier to maintain devices instead of replacing them. That alone changes how people think about tech ownership.

Slowing Down the Upgrade Mentality

We are surrounded by messages to replace, upgrade, and refresh. New release cycles are short and intentionally tempting. But there is something grounding about choosing to maintain instead. Extending the life of technology is practical. It saves money. It reduces waste. And it restores a sense of control. Instead of reacting to problems, you prevent them.

This approach is less flashy, but more sustainable. It turns tech back into a tool rather than a constant distraction.

Making Tech Feel Supportive Again

The goal is not perfection. Devices will still glitch. Screens will still get smudged. Life will still happen. But when the basics are handled well, technology slips back into its proper role. Supportive. Reliable. Present, but not demanding attention.

And that is usually the best kind of tech experience. One that quietly helps you get through the day without becoming part of the problem.

Share in the comments below: Questions go here

[diabolicallyfoggyzone]

So this week's tech rabbit hole, to add to my never ending digital and media to do list, is figuring out how to use my old Kindle device as a general eReader for purchases outside of Amazon's stranglehold on the market.

TL;DR this is not simple, but it is fairly easy from the looks of it. I am just starting the journey and intend to update on progress. It all started with this video, and I highly recommend looking into this, not only to remove Amazon's hold on the book market, but also to use what you may already have to avoid excess tech waste.

Full backstory and experience under the cut...

I never really got into eBooks, always preferring physical books that I either buy to keep, donate when done or borrow from the library. But I did get gifted a Kindle some years ago as I used to have a *long* work commute. But I didn't get that many books, as I had fallen more into audio books as my commute had more walking that sitting so I could listen to stuff. But that's another story.

However the books I did get were a combination of ones I owned physically and love to reread so we're bought again for convenience or some from sales, indie authors or general curiosity. I also had a library of eBooks from courses I did, but thanks to Kindles weird ways these sat unused on the hard drive recently as Kindle, natively, doesn't accept ePubs, PDFs etc.

So how do I sort out these device that I already own so I can use it for it's intended purpose, reading eBooks?

This is all dependent on the Kindle device version, it's current OS system and the latest mod release files. The process will differ wildly depending on the combination of these factors so the wiki is going to be invaluable here: https://kindlemodding.org

Also note that before I start this process I have already backed up all my eBook purchases to an external harddrive and now manage my collection via Calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com/

📚 So with that in mind I am going to start this journey as soon as I can and document my experience here (hopefully). This also may have been instigated by the video thumbnail as the idea of having Jiji on the cover of my Kindle device is very appealing. And you gotta get that serotonin (or is it dopamine?) hit where you can these days! 🐈‍⬛