As AI Mode testing continues, Google is trialing a new way to launch the generative experience from the Search bar on Android.
I just got tired of having to learn voice commands, Google Assistant is so dumb that it’s better to just flick a switch in any app.
I have moved on to Home Assistant and GrapheneOS. My last move will be my Chromecast, I still don’t know how to solve that.
There’s various builds for Raspberry Pi that make decent media centers.
Any worth checking out?
I’m partial to RetroPi or Batocera, so I end up with a retro game console and media player in one. This build works with anything compatible with Kodi. Excellent for home media, but paid and free streaming services are hit and miss.
There’s also builds of Android Open Source Protect for Raspberry Pi, which have much better support for streaming apps, since anything that works on an Android Phone works, as long as the streaming service developer hasn’t done anything stupid.
Edit: A warning though - Android on Raspberry Pi is still very new. Think Alpha/Beta test. I think that Android on ARM chips, in general, is new. It’ll get good, but your mileage may vary, for now.
Same here, I’m about 75-80% de-googled, but I made the mistake of giving my partner and sibling-in-law chromecasts and now they’re addicted and I can’t get rid of the devices. Thinking about isolating them on a guest network once I’ve fully degoogled myself and I’m going out of my way to send them stuff from alternatives like peertube, Mastadon, etc.
I purchased several Onn. Android TV boxes before their bootloader got locked and installed FCast + Jellyfin. Those boxes got an update recently that causes their bootloader to be locker though so unless you find a reseller I’m not sure what your options are hardware wise.