Most of us in Lemmy know the importance of privacy and owning your devices in a big tech owned world (me included) but for once I thought to make the opposite question and ask if there are products by them that you actually use and enjoy them.
Important to say, I mean products you use even though there are alternatives, not monopolies like YouTube.
Steam or anything from Valve
Agreed, but the prices on Steam are fucking ridiculous nowadays so they can occasionally put things on “sale”
I just opened it and it was trying to sell me Half Life Alyx for sixty fuckin quid
Thats fair but steam is such a blessing imo:
- Its so convenient
- linux support is huge and better than windows with some games
- family sharing, etc…
Android. Sure the main branch is open source, but I use the Google version Ann’s don’t bother flashing a new version.
A tv with integrated Amazon Fire TV. I’d very much prefer some other smart tv operating system but apart from maybe Samsung (which is just way too expensive for me), most of them have a tiny selection of apps. I really love the LG WebOS on my other tv but last time I checked they still didn’t have a steam app and I’m really lucky that they have something for jellyfin.
I get that, I use my fire tv cube a lot. If I’m not watching media on it directly I’m probably casting to it using bubble upnp.
One downside is it’s pretty picky with audio types and very locked down when it comes to things like setting default apps.
I’ve got to say that I’ve enjoyed having Echo speakers around the house and the things that they can do. I know Amazon may be listening in on me, but they’re bored to tears if they are! But I enjoy having the Echo speakers turn lights on & off around the house, set the Nest thermostat without having to get up, play music, answer questions, etc.
Agreed, and they help family life so much - “announcing” when meals are ready, using “drop in” as an intercom rather than shouting around the home, not to mention the stuff you’ve already mentioned.
Google Maps is best-in-class IMO. Some other services come close but aren’t quite as good.
Maps is good but most of the time the algorythmically placed addresses are off. Then I moved to OpenStreetMap (Organic Maps on Android) and everything is exactly where it should be. But it relies on people adding all the things to it and some places are missing a lot of stuff, but it’s also easy to just add it yourself
Honestly I cannot think of any right now because I am so fed up with corporate proprietary crap.
Google Chrome cast dongle, I try to avoid Google products but this one for the kids has saved me on rain days countless times.
I pack one any time I travel
No one product, but more of a collection of technologies underlying the Apple ecosystem. For example, AirDrop or Continuity (drafting something on one device and continuing/finishing on another).
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I love my Google Home and how it’s connected to my Phillips Hue bulbs. I love being able to just yell “hey Google, nightlight” when I stumble home after a long night out, no need to fight with switches and too-bright lights after drinking
Bro, fucking yes!!
I have 3 Google nest mini speakers or whatever they’re called, and I bought these smart outlets at target.
Connected 2 of them in the master bedroom, to bedside lamps for wifey and i. Being able to use the Google home app from our phones to control, or as you said just “hey Google, turn on Daddy’s lamp” is fucking solid. I hate flicking on light switches. Never realized it until I set this up.
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Honestly… I might get some pushback for this but Chromecast audio. Being able to get full home audio streaming for a fraction of the cost of a normal system with a few of those and a few old hifis. Worth it for me
My boyfriend frequently complains that Google stopped making those…
Where I am, your ISP always provides a free TV streaming box with your router. They’ve been Android for years now so my Chromecasts have been stuck in a drawer gathering dust
Ah this isn’t the chromecast streaming devices I’m talking about. It’s the older pucks that plug into an aux cable that you can stream music from your phone to
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