Digitally Downloaded

Users are being urged to regain control of their Android devices by changing where they download apps. The advice centres on switching from Google's Play Store to F-Droid, an app store offering only free and open-source software, free of trackers and advertising, and auditable by anyone. It is presented as a first, manageable step towards a more private smartphone rather than overhauling everything at once.

Hackaday reports on a homemade game console built to run games from optical disks, a format most modern consoles have abandoned in favor of digital downloads and cartridges. The project highlights renewed interest in physical media among hardware hobbyists, with readers debating the practicality and nostalgia value of disc-based gaming in a do-it-yourself build.