Hasty Briefsbeta

Bilingual

I'm Tired of Being on the Network

4 hours ago
  • People tired of the always-online life show it by distancing themselves from their phones, setting them down like a heavy backpack.
  • The author, once a smartphone enthusiast, now resents the device as a mandatory tax for modern life, requiring apps for school, travel, ID, and government messages.
  • The phone upgrade cycle has become soulless: no emotional attachment, just transferring data to a new slab of metal and glass.
  • Annoyances include forced app installs, ads everywhere, constant notifications, and streaming services that degrade the experience.
  • The author found solace in a MiSTer FPGA device that plays old video games offline, with no ads, no internet, and no distractions.
  • The MiSTer uses NFC cards (TapTo/Zaparoo) for physical game loading, mimicking the cartridge experience and reducing choice paralysis.
  • The device just works offline, asks nothing of the user, and reflects the simplicity of early computers that were tools, not toys.