Highly recommend people leave Google services. Use Ente to store photos. Proton for email. DuckDuckGo or Ecosia for search. Organic Maps for directions. FreeTube or yewtu.be for videos. Venice AI as your advanced chatbot. Google needs to be broken up and regulated.
That was just one example. There are many more. Like Minstral’s Le Chat or Proton’s Lumo. It’s not about how it responds per se, more about it being more private than Gemini.
I'm slowly working on getting away from Google, but unfortunately, Organic Maps doesn't offer public transit directions/schedules in my region, and since I don't have a car, that's like 80% of what I use Google Maps for.
Check out the apps from your local public transit authority. In my region what Google offers in regard to public transit is utter trash and the "official" apps are having the correct shedule
Coming from someone also without a car - KDE Itinerary is the best thing I've used for that purpose yet, and it's free and open source too. Perhaps it'll fulfill your use case too?
Depends on what you mean by non-tech savvy. Also depends on what you mean by cloud.
So, the simplest way to get something close to the dropbox experience is to use syncthing. Install it like you would any other program, and set it up (lots of videos and tutorials out there if you get stuck) this will then copy the folders you specify to all your connected devices. The problem is if you don't regularly have all your devices powered on and connected to the network at the same time then your best option is to have one machine left in a closet powered on and connected at all times so everything syncs smoothly and seamlessly.
Doing that you get a cloud of sorts without having to deal with servers in a traditional sense. It also requires no knowledge other than fairly basic computer skills.
This is cool and all, but it's limited to file sharing, to get more advanced features you need to start learning servers.
However, there have been several projects in the last few years to make having a personal cloud easier. In no particular order: Zima OS, Open Media Vault, Hex OS, Synology OS, Casa OS, True Nas Scale, Unraid. These are all operating systems you need to install on a spare computer and leave it on all the time, but they create a website at their IP you can visit that has something like an app store where you can just add services. There are lots of videos and articles about these to help you get started.
P. S.
If you do start setting up a real server everything on it can be accessed at home without much issue, but to get it available when you aren't at home will require you to learn a bit about networking, and probably require you to get a domain name.
P.P.S.
This whole system is easy enough for beginners to get started but becomes a deep pool of gotchas pretty quickly, be ready to learn there isn't a good just plug and play solution currently, one problem at a time you'll get there eventually. I have been mulling ways to make this whole thing easier for some time, eventually I suspect either myself or someone else will probably create a more plug and play project for home servers, but it's still the perview of tinkerers for now, and likely will be for at least the next 5 years.
but to get it available when you aren't at home will require you to learn a bit about networking
And, importantly, to learn about network security.
As soon as you open a hole in your home's firewall and/or NAT there is the potential for a bad actor to enter through that hole, if you haven't properly fortified it.
i never had gmail or used google search. but i dont save my info on anyone else's server anymore. i use nextcloud hosted on my server, i use immich for my photos. calibre server for my books. everything is mine
Ugh. Even if I wanted this product, their track record on long term product support has erased my trust. They never fixed connectivity for the Chromecast and now they've discontinued it. Why am I gonna buy something that breaks down or gets an expensive subscription in a couple of years.
Plus, if I post a video their stakeholders don't like on YouTube I risk getting locked out of every Google service including Gemini, all by automated processes and with no way to even talk to a human to explain my case. They are judge, jury and executioner within their ecosystem.
Yeah - they've abandoned so many products that I really do not want another new Google product in my life that will be abandoned in the future. And their track record with banning accounts for no reason while providing no support at all doesn't help
Can if everyone else integrates it into their hardware (see Apple Siri integrating Gemini, and likely upcoming contracts with Samsung and LG to bake it into household appliances).
I’ve been finding it more and more difficult to find household electronics for sale that don’t have Alphabet products baked in.
Ah shit I forget about non-Google phones being infected. I've got Apple AI or whatever it's called turned off, I guess it's time to really think about the convenient-to-privacy ratio and decide where I stand.
I've been trying to correct myself every time I want to say "google it" to "look it up" or "search it", it's a bit of an uphill battle since I've been saying google it for years but I'll get there.
I think alot of folks have been going the other direction considering it doesn't work nearly as well as the old assistant. When they pushed the new shit to the Google home devices and everything stopped working we just stopped using it and have no desire to go back.
sounds like what MS is trying to do. they cant keep peddling AI forever, the dues will come eventually. right now they hype is done on 2 fronts, through conventions and through trying to push it into everything, and peddling it to gov't for the promise of SURVEILLANCE tech.
But it is so bad. I don’t understand how with all the data they have about everyone their Gemini integrations in their products suck so much. Can’t make a proper task from the email list. Can’t find docs related to meetings. It is all literally in their systems.
Their product managers are so shortsighted. Jam half-assed stuff and pat themselves on the back.
I know people will probably disagree but I like the fact that Apple has stepped back on AI and slowed down. I suspect once they finally release something. It may actually be useful and probably opt-in/out. Whether the op-out is actually real is another debate.
Take Gemini out of it... Lets say you get spam in Gmail and you mark it "Block Sender".
It doesn't actually block them, it just routes it to the Spam folder. If you're super lucky, it routes it to Trash. At no point are they blocked from sending to you.
LOL also "All Mail" is NOT all mail. And their search function is and has been broken for as long as I can remember. How Google continues to fuck up such basic functions of their core products and yet people will shell out to use it, I will never understand.
They’re messing with Gmail, Google Sheets and Calendar a bit much for my comfort, my business relies on these to work with no change to any part of the product and perfectly. Adding non deterministic tools to these is them walking on a tight rope as I won’t be dealing with fallout from the mistakes and issues caused due to Google spiking unsolicited non opt out “features” to my business workflow.
Sometimes I wonder how much this is about a Top Down holistic strategy, or simply that every feature team in the org is adding "AI" stuff just to react to the pressure.
Definitely the latter. I unfortunately use a lot of Google services and they are pushing AI integration in everything and making it very hard to opt out or they keep pesting you to enable it.
I had to install an app on my TV for the first time in ages. There was no way to proceed without allowing Gemini. The main change seems to be other speakers in the house now make comments on my app choices.
76 Comments
Pat_Riot@lemmy.today · 123 pts · 65d
They gon get tired then.
kambusha@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 65d
EliteCloneMike@lemmy.zip · 65 pts · 65d
Highly recommend people leave Google services. Use Ente to store photos. Proton for email. DuckDuckGo or Ecosia for search. Organic Maps for directions. FreeTube or yewtu.be for videos. Venice AI as your advanced chatbot. Google needs to be broken up and regulated.
tuxiqae@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 47 pts · 65d
Never heard of Venice AI, asked it what it does different, one of the things it said was:
Fuck that shit
EliteCloneMike@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 64d
That was just one example. There are many more. Like Minstral’s Le Chat or Proton’s Lumo. It’s not about how it responds per se, more about it being more private than Gemini.
tuxiqae@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 64d
Yes, but sounds like it has a fascist bias, so it's a no go for me
QualifiedKitten@discuss.online · 14 pts · 65d
I'm slowly working on getting away from Google, but unfortunately, Organic Maps doesn't offer public transit directions/schedules in my region, and since I don't have a car, that's like 80% of what I use Google Maps for.
KatherinaReichelt@feddit.org · 8 pts · 64d
Check out the apps from your local public transit authority. In my region what Google offers in regard to public transit is utter trash and the "official" apps are having the correct shedule
nullify3112@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 64d
Check if CoMaps can work for you in your city. If you want a closed source app: Transit is amazing for bus and subway live arrival times
kent_eh@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 64d
It is based on data from the Open Street Map project.
If nobody in your area has added that information, it won't be there.
The good news is, anyone (including you) can add that information and provide a public service to the people of your area.
skaffi@infosec.pub · 1 pts · 64d
Coming from someone also without a car - KDE Itinerary is the best thing I've used for that purpose yet, and it's free and open source too. Perhaps it'll fulfill your use case too?
nullify3112@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 64d
Other options:
Z745812939054@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 64d
Ithral@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 64d
Depends on what you mean by non-tech savvy. Also depends on what you mean by cloud.
So, the simplest way to get something close to the dropbox experience is to use syncthing. Install it like you would any other program, and set it up (lots of videos and tutorials out there if you get stuck) this will then copy the folders you specify to all your connected devices. The problem is if you don't regularly have all your devices powered on and connected to the network at the same time then your best option is to have one machine left in a closet powered on and connected at all times so everything syncs smoothly and seamlessly.
Doing that you get a cloud of sorts without having to deal with servers in a traditional sense. It also requires no knowledge other than fairly basic computer skills.
This is cool and all, but it's limited to file sharing, to get more advanced features you need to start learning servers.
However, there have been several projects in the last few years to make having a personal cloud easier. In no particular order: Zima OS, Open Media Vault, Hex OS, Synology OS, Casa OS, True Nas Scale, Unraid. These are all operating systems you need to install on a spare computer and leave it on all the time, but they create a website at their IP you can visit that has something like an app store where you can just add services. There are lots of videos and articles about these to help you get started.
P. S. If you do start setting up a real server everything on it can be accessed at home without much issue, but to get it available when you aren't at home will require you to learn a bit about networking, and probably require you to get a domain name.
P.P.S. This whole system is easy enough for beginners to get started but becomes a deep pool of gotchas pretty quickly, be ready to learn there isn't a good just plug and play solution currently, one problem at a time you'll get there eventually. I have been mulling ways to make this whole thing easier for some time, eventually I suspect either myself or someone else will probably create a more plug and play project for home servers, but it's still the perview of tinkerers for now, and likely will be for at least the next 5 years.
kent_eh@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 64d
And, importantly, to learn about network security.
As soon as you open a hole in your home's firewall and/or NAT there is the potential for a bad actor to enter through that hole, if you haven't properly fortified it.
Z745812939054@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 64d
terabyterex@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 65d
i never had gmail or used google search. but i dont save my info on anyone else's server anymore. i use nextcloud hosted on my server, i use immich for my photos. calibre server for my books. everything is mine
Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 64d
Couple of recommended changes if you are self hosting:
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 64d
OsmAnd+ for mobile maps
luipaard0011@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 64d
never heard of Organic Maps. It’s better than CoMaps?
boonhet@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 64d
CoMaps is the less suspicious fork. Organic was made by two shady dudes from Russia and Belarus.
timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 65d
Youre not wrong at all but I've found people won't deal with the slightest inconvenience. Quite sad.
tias@discuss.tchncs.de · 41 pts · 64d
Ugh. Even if I wanted this product, their track record on long term product support has erased my trust. They never fixed connectivity for the Chromecast and now they've discontinued it. Why am I gonna buy something that breaks down or gets an expensive subscription in a couple of years.
Plus, if I post a video their stakeholders don't like on YouTube I risk getting locked out of every Google service including Gemini, all by automated processes and with no way to even talk to a human to explain my case. They are judge, jury and executioner within their ecosystem.
qevlarr@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 64d
Sure, you can say it's an honest mistake by the customer and by Google. But then Google wouldn't budge. This guy was left with zero options
KatherinaReichelt@feddit.org · 5 pts · 63d
Yeah - they've abandoned so many products that I really do not want another new Google product in my life that will be abandoned in the future. And their track record with banning accounts for no reason while providing no support at all doesn't help
realitista@lemmus.org · 33 pts · 65d
Anyone who didn't learn their lesson from the Nest debacle is a fool. I would never let another Google device into my home.
Prox@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 65d
What happened with Nest?
W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 29 pts · 65d
They killed off their first and second gen thermostats for no good reason.
They also sold off their smoke detector business.
Amongst all the other things they’ve killed.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 63d
will pixel be next, enshittified through gemini that nobody wants it anymore.
deliriousdreams@fedia.io · 14 pts · 65d
https://9to5google.com/2023/05/07/google-failing-nest/
https://talk.tidbits.com/t/google-kills-off-nest-security-ecosystem/26216
https://www.howtogeek.com/884735/google-is-shutting-down-some-old-nest-devices-and-services/
Seems like every year or so Google messes with it and fucks over customers in the process.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 63d
classic google.
Noja@sopuli.xyz · 8 pts · 65d
https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Google_Nest_thermostat_smart_features_disabled
brap@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 65d
Can't if I don't have any of your stupid hardware.
adespoton@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 65d
Can if everyone else integrates it into their hardware (see Apple Siri integrating Gemini, and likely upcoming contracts with Samsung and LG to bake it into household appliances).
I’ve been finding it more and more difficult to find household electronics for sale that don’t have Alphabet products baked in.
brap@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 65d
Ah shit I forget about non-Google phones being infected. I've got Apple AI or whatever it's called turned off, I guess it's time to really think about the convenient-to-privacy ratio and decide where I stand.
frongt@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 65d
Consider a Pixel and GrapheneOS. Or whatever ends up happening with GrapheneOS on Motorola phones.
lemmyng@piefed.ca · 27 pts · 65d
Just wait a year or two and Google will kill Gemini on their own.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 63d
Depends how fast MS does it first. thier AI VIDEO editor mustve been very expensive, since i havnt seen those videos anymore.
CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 64d
Can't wait for the next product: Inimeg
exussum@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 65d
They're going to kill their name brand of "googling" things
badgermurphy@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 65d
Polkira@piefed.ca · 4 pts · 64d
I've been trying to correct myself every time I want to say "google it" to "look it up" or "search it", it's a bit of an uphill battle since I've been saying google it for years but I'll get there.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 0 pts · 63d
replace it with "gemini-ed" cloning your data to sell and surveillance for the government.
HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 21 pts · 65d
I think alot of folks have been going the other direction considering it doesn't work nearly as well as the old assistant. When they pushed the new shit to the Google home devices and everything stopped working we just stopped using it and have no desire to go back.
jordanlund@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 65d
"Hey Co-Pilot, remove Gemini"
"Hey Gemini, remove Co-Pilot"
Let them fight it out. 😉
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 63d
will it work if you ask it to remove itself.
o1011o@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 65d
Let them be tired then.
Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 17 pts · 65d
The HomeAssistant ecosystem is a lot neater, it lets you do what you want without billionaires screwing with your life.
Frenchgeek@lemmy.ml · 17 pts · 64d
So, Google is desperately trying to find customers for its AI.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 63d
sounds like what MS is trying to do. they cant keep peddling AI forever, the dues will come eventually. right now they hype is done on 2 fronts, through conventions and through trying to push it into everything, and peddling it to gov't for the promise of SURVEILLANCE tech.
RoddyStiggs@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 16 pts · 64d
Gonna be a long fucking night then.
Grumpus_Maximus@thelemmy.club · 16 pts · 65d
I don't care how much Google pushes Gemini. I trust any chinese company more
the_riviera_kid@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 65d
May they never rest.
monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 65d
But it is so bad. I don’t understand how with all the data they have about everyone their Gemini integrations in their products suck so much. Can’t make a proper task from the email list. Can’t find docs related to meetings. It is all literally in their systems.
Their product managers are so shortsighted. Jam half-assed stuff and pat themselves on the back.
I know people will probably disagree but I like the fact that Apple has stepped back on AI and slowed down. I suspect once they finally release something. It may actually be useful and probably opt-in/out. Whether the op-out is actually real is another debate.
jordanlund@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 65d
Take Gemini out of it... Lets say you get spam in Gmail and you mark it "Block Sender".
It doesn't actually block them, it just routes it to the Spam folder. If you're super lucky, it routes it to Trash. At no point are they blocked from sending to you.
artyom@piefed.social · 3 pts · 65d
LOL also "All Mail" is NOT all mail. And their search function is and has been broken for as long as I can remember. How Google continues to fuck up such basic functions of their core products and yet people will shell out to use it, I will never understand.
orioler25@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 64d
I mean, not my home.
furzegulo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 13 pts · 65d
ain't no fucking google or gemini (except the gemini protocol, which is super cool) coming to my home
ksh@aussie.zone · 12 pts · 65d
They’re messing with Gmail, Google Sheets and Calendar a bit much for my comfort, my business relies on these to work with no change to any part of the product and perfectly. Adding non deterministic tools to these is them walking on a tight rope as I won’t be dealing with fallout from the mistakes and issues caused due to Google spiking unsolicited non opt out “features” to my business workflow.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 63d
KingKong33@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 63d
Bruh, that ship sailed YEARS ago.
ragas@lemmy.ml · 12 pts · 64d
Well I guess Google will have a hard time resting then because it is nowhere in my home.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 10 pts · 65d
to be fair amazon is the same with alexa+
LovableSidekick@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 65d
Looks like google has a lotta sleepless nights ahead.
heartSagan5@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 65d
Google is a company with datacenters. It never rested anyway.
Also, f- these “AI” (surveillance mics)
BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 65d
What's neat, is that I can't holler and turn off my lights anymore, but now I also need to watch what I say about our glorious leadership.
It's honestly been a little disruptive in the car, which is one of my favorite places to be disrupted.
lemmyng@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 65d
cocks gun
Get rested, bitch.
friend_of_satan@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 65d
As they say, "no rest for the wicked."
spaceracoon@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 64d
Sometimes I wonder how much this is about a Top Down holistic strategy, or simply that every feature team in the org is adding "AI" stuff just to react to the pressure.
Still not in my home 🤣
boonhet@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 64d
Probably the latter
coriza@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 63d
Definitely the latter. I unfortunately use a lot of Google services and they are pushing AI integration in everything and making it very hard to opt out or they keep pesting you to enable it.
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 8 pts · 63d
Google's gonna be sleep deprived.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 63d
google like MS feeling the pressure of the AI bursting, trying to stave off thier decline with pushing AI into everything like MS is trying to do.
maturelemontree@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 65d
I won't be having none of these fuckin' Googlers enterin' my home.
rosco385@lemmy.wtf · 5 pts · 65d
I had to install an app on my TV for the first time in ages. There was no way to proceed without allowing Gemini. The main change seems to be other speakers in the house now make comments on my app choices.
badgermurphy@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 65d
StrawberryPigtails@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 65d
No. Just no. I trusted Google in the past. Never again.
m3t00@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 64d
if it's asking to be there it's already there
KingKong33@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 63d
Sounds like Google will never rest then, because that shit will never be in my home.
RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 65d
Good luck with that goofle. I have no goofle account nor smart devices.
darkmogool@feddit.org · 1 pts · 65d
Aaah… a restless future Google whants…