The Free Software Foundation Gift List

The end of the year festivities are approaching. And, as usual the Free Software Foundation publish your recommendation list of products that meet your specifications. If you were a good boy and did not use proprietary products, this is what you can find under the tree

This is the gift list

The list page begins with a recommendation:

When choosing a gift this year, we urge you to think carefully about the choice you are making. Is that smart assistant smart enough as if to respect rights of your friend or family member? Does that tablet really have in mind what is best for them? Or does that shiny device have a cost much higher than its price?

Then it reminds us:

When we allow than proprietary software created by Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google, and countless other companies take care of our tasks basic computer science, we put an enormous amount of power in your hands, power that they freely exploit. Only by using free software, and devices running free software, can we regain this power.

Smartphones

The first of the products will actually have to wait until next year. Its about Purism Liberm 5, that my colleagues talked a lot about on the blog.

This phone comes with a Linux-based operating system and physical switches for microphone, GPS, and Wi-Fi connections, In any case, it is clarified that the microprocessor in charge of telephone communications contains proprietary software. It is recommended to turn it off when not making calls or sending messages.

The second option that the gift list offers us in the smartphones section is a Galaxy S3 whose operating system has been changed. Instead of the official comes with a variant of Android called Replicant. As for the application store is F-Droid that includes only free software.

Anyway, it is noted that eThe processor in charge of communications includes proprietary software.

Computers

The first time I wrote about this list, I complained that it consisted of products made for Windows that had the operating system changed by restricting its capacity. From that time until now, the amount of hardware with Linux from the beginning has increased considerably.

The offer in terms of notebooks is the X200, a variable configuration team that uses Libreboot for booting, and the Linux distribution without proprietary Trisquel components.

In case you are looking for a desktop computer, you can take a look at the Vikings D8. It is described as a robust desktop computer that can be expand or reduce according to your needs, and that is capable of doing everythingfrom simple web browsing and video playback to more demanding tasks like code compilation.

The stores that sell it give you the possibility of choose different settingss and you can opt for the aforementioned Trisquel as the operating system or one of the other Linux distributions that do not include proprietary components.

Other devices

• NeuG USB True Random Number Generator: It is a microcomputer with a usb connector that generates random numbers. Its hardware design is completely free and its results have a higher entropy than software alternatives.
• Mini WiFi Adapter: It is an ideal mini Wi-Fi adapter to use in place of hardware components that require proprietary drivers.
• Long Range WiFi Adapter: It is more powerful than the previous one and can be made even more powerful by changing the antenna. In addition, the antenna can rotate in any direction
• vpn router: It is designed to be used with the router we already have. It provides us with a virtual private network that improves privacy and security and allows bypassing network controls. The description promises easy configuration The operating system is LibreCMC

Also, if you don't want to give away hardware, in page you will find many links to DRM-free books, videos and discs.