--- slug: gadgets-of-the-ages title: "Gadgets of the Ages" date: "2024-07-13T12:30:36-04:00" pics: gadgets: css: "image" tip: "Gadgets." sources: - src: "/files/posts/gadgets-of-the-ages/gadgets-20240713-1024.jpg" width: 1024 height: 771 --- Found while unpacking boxes last night: [{{< pe-figure "gadgets" >}}][gadgets] Shown above, top to bottom, left to right: - [Sony PSP-2000][]: [Handheld game console][]. Mostly used for playing emulated [SNES][] games. Covered unlocking and installing custom firmware in [this 2008 blog post][psp-custom-firmware]. Battery failed ~5 years ago. - [Nintendo 2DS XL][]: [Handheld game console][]. Also mostly used for emulated games. - [Anbernic RG350M][]: [Handheld game console][]. Only used for emulated games. I liked the build quality but the metal put strain on my wrists. - [Nokia N810][]: "internet tablet" (smartphone precursor). Used quite a bit before I got my first [Android][] phone. Battery failed at some point, but I only discovered the failed battery last night. - [Cowon iAUDIO X5 60GB][]: [Portable media player][] with a 60GB spinning rust (!?!) hard drive. Note: Physical disks in media players made sense at the time because [flash][]-based players had *extremely* limited capacity. Had [Rockbox][] installed. Covered in [this 2006 blog post][gadgetopia]. My patches for the [Rockbox][] [Game Boy][] emulator were covered in [this 2005 blog post][gnuboy-patches]. - [RIM Blackberry][] (model unknown): Old work phone that I never liked and rarely used. Covered in [this 2007 blog post][blackberry-links]. - [Apple iPod Classic 120GB][]: [Portable media player][]. I didn't like this thing, rarely used it, and can't remember how I got it. Maybe a gift or reward? - [Samsung Galaxy S II (SGH-T989)][]: Used [CyanogenMod][] to add features, ditch the awful Samsung Android skin, and extend the support by several years. - [Google Nexus One][]: My first smartphone without a keyboard. I liked it, but the screen was too small, the capacitive buttons were hard to press, and the trackball mostly just got in the way. - [OnePlus One][]: Good price/performance at the time. Ran [Cyanogen OS][] out of the box. Novel textured back. Awful camera. - [OnePlus 5T][]: Great phone at release. Still decent even now (for me, at least). I liked the rear fingerprint scanner and the slim bezels. Bad camera. I plan to install [LineageOS][] and continue using it for non-phone stuff (drone remote control, dubious apps, etc). Not shown (lost, [recycled][], or still buried in boxes): - [Samsung SGH-t809][]: My first cell phone. Bought in 2006. Battery failed ~10 years ago. Covered in [this 2006 blog post][gadgetopia]. - [Motorola Cliq][]: My first [Android][] smartphone. Not a very good device in retrospect. - [Barnes and Noble Nook Color][]: Immediately installed [CyanogenMod][] and used as a cheap [Android][] tablet. - [Google Nexus 7 (2012)][] and [Nexus 7 (2013)][]: I liked the form factor of these tablets. The original model was a bit slow so I upgraded to the 2013 model at release and used it daily until it stopped booting. Current gadgets: - [Google Pixel 8 Pro][]: Current smartphone and the first one I've owned that is waterproof. I'm very happy with it. Great camera. Screen is large enough to read [eBooks][]. Used to take the picture above. - [Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e (Wi-Fi)][]: Current tablet. Immediately installed [LineageOS][] because I prefer it to [One UI][]. I use it to read [eBooks][] and with the detachable keyboard as a second laptop. - [PowKiddy RGB10 Max][]: Current [handheld game console][]. Only used for playing emulated games. Lighter and has a larger screen than the [Anbernic RG350m][] shown in the picture above. Rarely used. - [Sony WF-1000XM4][]: Current [Bluetooth][] headphones. I use these daily for meetings and to listen to music and to watch TV shows past my bedtime. Great audio quality, battery life, and charging speed. My only complaint is the phone app tries to railroad you into an unnecessary Sony account during installation. [gadgets]: /files/posts/gadgets-of-the-ages/gadgets-20240713.jpg "Gadgets" [portable media player]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_media_player "Portable media player." [handheld game console]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handheld_game_console "Handheld game console." [sony psp-2000]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable#PSP-2000 "Sony PSP-2000" [psp-custom-firmware]: {{< relref "posts/2008-02-16-custom-firmware-on-the-psp" >}} "Custom Firmware on the PSP" [nintendo 2ds xl]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_2DS#New_Nintendo_2DS_XL "Nintendo 2DS XL" [anbernic rg350m]: https://anbernic.com/products/rg351m-anbernic-retro-game-rg350m-video-games-game-console-ps1-game-64bit-opendingux-3-5-inch-2500-games-rg351-emulator "Anbernic RG350M" [nokia n810]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N810 "Nokia N810" [samsung sgh-t809]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_SGH-D820 "Samsung SGH-T809" [motorola cliq]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Cliq "Motorola Cliq" [Cowon iAUDIO X5 60GB]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAUDIO#iAUDIO_X5 "Cowon iAUDIO X5 60GB" [gadgetopia]: {{< relref "posts/2006-12-27-gadgetopia" >}} "Gadgetopia" [snes]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System "Super Nintendo Entertainment System" [android]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system) "Android operating system" [flash]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory "Flash memory" [rockbox]: http://rockbox.org/ "Rockbox: custom firmware for media players" [game boy]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy "Game Boy handheld game console" [gnuboy-patches]: http://localhost:1313/2005/03/04/rockbox-on-my-iriver-h120/ "My patches to add a menu and load/save support to Rockboy." [Apple iPod Classic 120GB]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Classic "Apple iPod Classic 120GB" [rim blackberry]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry "RIM Blackberry" [blackberry-links]: {{< relref "2007-09-19-blackberry-links-and-a-rant-about-thieving-bastards" >}} "Blackberry Links and a Rant About Thieving Bastards" [Samsung Galaxy S II (SGH-T989)]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II "Samsung Galaxy S II (SGH-T989)" [cyanogenmod]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyanogenMod "Discontinued open-source fork of Android Open Source Project." [google nexus one]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_One "Google Nexus One" [oneplus one]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnePlus_One "OnePlus One" [cyanogen os]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyanogenMod#Cyanogen_OS "Cyanogen OS" [oneplus 5t]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnePlus_5T "OnePlus 5T" [lineageos]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LineageOS "Opens-source fork of Android." [Barnes and Noble Nook Color]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_Color "Barnes and Noble Nook (Wi-Fi)" [google nexus 7 (2012)]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_7_(2012) "Google Nexus 7 (2012)" [nexus 7 (2013)]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_7_(2013) "Google Nexus 7 (2013)" [google pixel 8 pro]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_8 "Google Pixel 8 Pro" [ebooks]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebook "eBook" [samsung galaxy tab s5e (wi-fi)]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_S5e "Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e (Wi-Fi)" [one ui]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_UI "One UI" [powkiddy rgb10 max]: https://powkiddy.com/products/powkiddy-rgb10-max-handheld-game-players "PowKiddy RGB10 Max" [Sony WF-1000XM4]: https://www.sony.com/lr/headphones/products/wf-1000xm4 "Sony WF-1000XM4" [bluetooth]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth "Bluetooth short-range wireless technology" [recycled]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste_recycling "Electronic waste recycling"