First thing is that you need to understand what exactly a VPN is and what it protects you form. People hear VPN associate it with privacy and security and think it's a magic pill. It isn't. It has very specific uses, and it can protect you in some ways, but in many it doesn't.
I always compare it with a very long cable that you stick into another network. Imagine, you are at McDonalds, and you could have a very long cable to your home network. You could access your NAS at home, surf from the IP address at home, all through that cable. That is what a VPN is: it allows you to plug into a different network. So what does this protect you from? In my example, from McDonalds and the other patrons on the McDonalds network. They can try to see what you do, but all they will see is the "cable" (the encrypted traffic) to a certain IP address (your home connection). What happens on that cable is opaque to them.
However, if you surf the Internet over a VPN, it has an endpoint. In my example, that would be your home connection. So the sites, you visit see your home connections IP, your parents still could have filtering software on that home connection, etc... It would be as if you were physically at home and no different. The sites you visit can still track you.
So, VPNs are basically good for three things:
Hiding your geographical location
Hiding your activity from the people that run your Internet connection (your ISP, McDonalds, your parents, etc...) However, you trade it for visibility of your activity to the people that run the VPN (or if you build your own, the people where your rent your VPS/server/connection).
Accessing private resources on private networks. This is mostly in a business setting (granted, I do it too, but I'm a huge nerd)
So, now, with this information, you should be able to ask yourself: Is this the kind of functionality and protection I need? If no, you don't need a VPN. If yes, go ahead.
Do I understand this right that they want brute-force encryption? If so, somebody really should explain complexity analysis to them. These algorithms have been chosen in such a way that brute forcing is computationally hard.
How exactly... we don't know. Maybe someone has an RSA-cracking supercomputer up their sleeve they're keeping secret. Maybe someone's particularly good with a soldering iron and can read off keys from extracted flash memory chips.
If any member state has that capability, there is no way in hell they'll share it. That is of utmost importance to national security and is most likely top secret. That's not stuff you share, ever.
If the second part is the solution against encryption, I'm sorry, we have bigger problems. As a matter of fact, if they think that is the solution they really don't understand the problem.
"We don't know, but we should share". It's grasping at straws, really
They are totally useless in a multilingual setting any way. Even in a monolingual setting, they're not exactly that useful... but at least they can send texts for you.
If you can hijack DNS, you can point it to a host under your control and do the verification with LetEncrypt using the current system. The current system doesn't protect you at all from DNS hijacking.
Personally, I feel that LetEncrypt should only allow verification using TXT entries in the DNS. Apparently it can do that too, but it's not the default.
It is not preinstalled, but functionalities linked to Facebook are provided. I haven't had the Facebook application installed since the days the split Messenger to a separate application. I simply use a browser now with their mobile site. I should really dump Facebook altogether...
Nevertheless, so to "Settings" and start scrolling down... At a certain point you will find a cluster of settings for social media logins, and it includes Facebook. Only my iPhone, it's actually Twitter (I have the application), Facebook (I don't have the application), Flicker (I don't have the application) and Vimeo (I don't think I even have an account). Granted, this is to access services to post -for example- pictures directly from the Photos application, but still: it is there... It's non-functional, unless you actually enter your credentials, but it is there... built into the iPhone, with no way of removing it.
It absolutely is a lesser annoyance than just having it preinstalled and unremovable on Android... I agree with that.
ISDN is only 128kbps when you use both lines. Back in the day we had it, it was 64kbps, because the other 64kbps was to keep the phone working. Never mind that using both lines doubled the cost.
I have donated 2x DDR2 2GB SO-DIMM modules to someone running an older iMac. The sticks were originally used in my Fujitsu-Siemens Pa1510, bought in January 2007 with 2x512MB RAM and almost immediately upgraded to 2x2GB. A few years back 4GB was more than enough. The main problem with that configuration, was that -even if you had 64bit machines- only 3.5GB would be usable due to the chipsets.
Hell, even today, 4GB is good enough if your workloads are light. My Ultrabook, granted "already ancient" from 2013, has soldered on 4GB and does just fine. For whatever most people do on their machines 4GB will work. Most of my other machines (DDR3) are at 16GB and I rarely even come close to that usage. Sweet spot seems to be 8GB, which gives you a bit more breathing room than staying at 4GB.
However, base models (go look over at Dell for example) still sport 4GB RAM... Many tablets and surface-like machines are especially guilty, and just like with my Ultrabook, that's soldered on RAM.
I agree that more RAM is better (with diminishing returns), but context does matter. Around the switch from DDR2 to DDR3, 4GB was indeed plenty.
Well, you never know. Compare the transition from DDR to DDR2 to DDR3. DDR2 was only current for a very very short time. This reflects in dumpster diving finds: many DDR machines, many DDR3 machines... very very few DDR2 machines. DDR and DDR3 were "current" a very long time, especially DDR3. Everytime a new RAM technology comes around, you never know how long it will last.
IrfanView is provided as freeware, but only for private, non-commercial use (that means at home).
Companies and most state organisations need user licenses.
The OP says he uses it in a professional setting. Be prepared to acquire licenses or at least talk with your legal department.
I happen to have a Chuwi Hi10 Plus which has both Windows 10 and RemixOS on it. I expected Windows 10 to work best on it, but as a matter of fact, it's horribly slow and the UI experience in touch on Windows 10 is pretty suboptimal. It works, but it's a pain. Granted, you don't expect much of an Atom x5-Z8300 and only 4GB RAM... but RemixOS works admirably on it. No slowdowns, snappy all the time, the interface is clearly made for touch and much less resource usage.
All in all, Android is a better experience than the Windows on this particular tablet. I'd put Linux on it, but from what I heard, Linux is pretty bad as touchscreen support. (Disclaimer: I haven't tried. I only *heard* it was sucky. If you have decent suggestions, I'm all ear. I usually only run Linux on laptops and Desktop. This machine is pretty much the exception)
So... You have turned off the "Diagnostics Tracking Service", right? All users obviously do that. In the last month, I reinstalled two Windows 7 machines (first one, with a recovery disk restoring to a Windows 7 without service pack, the other with an install DVD that went up all to SP1). Before updating, I set the Windows Update settings in such a way it would not install recommended updates (only important).
I still ended up with "Diagnostics Tracking Service" on both machines. Granted, it's easy to disable but it means it's marked as an "important update" and cannot be avoided.
Unless you disabled that service, you *are* being tracked... assuming it's the only one that does. We don't know for certain.
What company doesn't have "share holders"? Think about it. A publicly listed company, means you can buy a "share" (a part) of that company. So, publicly listed have by definition "share holders".
A private company, which means: wholly owned by someone (or a family... or...). Think about it: they own 100% of the company... Or in other words: they own all "shares" (parts of the company). Hence, private companies, have -by definition- also shareholders. They're just the owners.
Can you propose a system where companies do not have "share holders", aka "owners"? I mean, one that works, not one involving gulags and planned economy (and even then, technically, the state would own the company and would be the "share holder", since they too, own all parts).
True... I'm reinstalling my brothers laptop from 2010 right now. The disk was developing bad sectors, and we dumped a 500GB SSD in it. That's going to keep it rolling for another few years. It's got a quad core Sandy Bridge i7, 16GB RAM and now an SSD... Batteries can still be had for the laptop, so even that is covered.
I personally started just buying second hand machines. Lenovo X220? 159€ for a nice base configuration... Add in a small SSD and 16GB RAM and you have a really nifty portable machine for less than 400€. There simply is nothing that beats that kind of price/performance in the "new" market.
I've been saying for year we're at the "good enough" level... now, it's not only that, it's that several year old machines are "good enough".
Yes, I know, some of you do huge simulations, tons of virtualization, etc.... I'm talking for normal users, not you guys...
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Commercial VPN? Roll your own and that goes away.
First thing is that you need to understand what exactly a VPN is and what it protects you form. People hear VPN associate it with privacy and security and think it's a magic pill. It isn't. It has very specific uses, and it can protect you in some ways, but in many it doesn't.
I always compare it with a very long cable that you stick into another network. Imagine, you are at McDonalds, and you could have a very long cable to your home network. You could access your NAS at home, surf from the IP address at home, all through that cable. That is what a VPN is: it allows you to plug into a different network. So what does this protect you from? In my example, from McDonalds and the other patrons on the McDonalds network. They can try to see what you do, but all they will see is the "cable" (the encrypted traffic) to a certain IP address (your home connection). What happens on that cable is opaque to them.
However, if you surf the Internet over a VPN, it has an endpoint. In my example, that would be your home connection. So the sites, you visit see your home connections IP, your parents still could have filtering software on that home connection, etc... It would be as if you were physically at home and no different. The sites you visit can still track you.
So, VPNs are basically good for three things:
So, now, with this information, you should be able to ask yourself: Is this the kind of functionality and protection I need? If no, you don't need a VPN. If yes, go ahead.
If any member state has that capability, there is no way in hell they'll share it. That is of utmost importance to national security and is most likely top secret. That's not stuff you share, ever.
If the second part is the solution against encryption, I'm sorry, we have bigger problems. As a matter of fact, if they think that is the solution they really don't understand the problem.
"We don't know, but we should share". It's grasping at straws, really
They are totally useless in a multilingual setting any way. Even in a monolingual setting, they're not exactly that useful... but at least they can send texts for you.
I have a hard time understanding why you would even want this as a gamer. The odds are so much against you... Thank you for explaining.
Excuse my ignorance, but what is a "lootbox"?
You mean this. It's way more interesting than the version you presented.
If you can hijack DNS, you can point it to a host under your control and do the verification with LetEncrypt using the current system. The current system doesn't protect you at all from DNS hijacking.
Personally, I feel that LetEncrypt should only allow verification using TXT entries in the DNS. Apparently it can do that too, but it's not the default.
Nevertheless, so to "Settings" and start scrolling down... At a certain point you will find a cluster of settings for social media logins, and it includes Facebook. Only my iPhone, it's actually Twitter (I have the application), Facebook (I don't have the application), Flicker (I don't have the application) and Vimeo (I don't think I even have an account). Granted, this is to access services to post -for example- pictures directly from the Photos application, but still: it is there... It's non-functional, unless you actually enter your credentials, but it is there... built into the iPhone, with no way of removing it.
It absolutely is a lesser annoyance than just having it preinstalled and unremovable on Android... I agree with that.
Well, he gets a Raspberry Pi instead. That way he can use a real OS on a toy computer, instead of a toy OS on a real computer.
ISDN is only 128kbps when you use both lines. Back in the day we had it, it was 64kbps, because the other 64kbps was to keep the phone working. Never mind that using both lines doubled the cost.
[citation needed]
Should my kids ever get to this, I'll disown them.
Hell, even today, 4GB is good enough if your workloads are light. My Ultrabook, granted "already ancient" from 2013, has soldered on 4GB and does just fine. For whatever most people do on their machines 4GB will work. Most of my other machines (DDR3) are at 16GB and I rarely even come close to that usage. Sweet spot seems to be 8GB, which gives you a bit more breathing room than staying at 4GB.
However, base models (go look over at Dell for example) still sport 4GB RAM... Many tablets and surface-like machines are especially guilty, and just like with my Ultrabook, that's soldered on RAM.
I agree that more RAM is better (with diminishing returns), but context does matter. Around the switch from DDR2 to DDR3, 4GB was indeed plenty.
Well, you never know. Compare the transition from DDR to DDR2 to DDR3. DDR2 was only current for a very very short time. This reflects in dumpster diving finds: many DDR machines, many DDR3 machines... very very few DDR2 machines. DDR and DDR3 were "current" a very long time, especially DDR3. Everytime a new RAM technology comes around, you never know how long it will last.
I concur. Exactly what I did.
The OP says he uses it in a professional setting. Be prepared to acquire licenses or at least talk with your legal department.
All in all, Android is a better experience than the Windows on this particular tablet. I'd put Linux on it, but from what I heard, Linux is pretty bad as touchscreen support. (Disclaimer: I haven't tried. I only *heard* it was sucky. If you have decent suggestions, I'm all ear. I usually only run Linux on laptops and Desktop. This machine is pretty much the exception)
How is a 16-bit CPU going to address that amount of memory, even with segmentation to 20-bit... ;-)
There were no i7 CPUs, ten years ago. Close, but not yet 10 years ;-)
I still ended up with "Diagnostics Tracking Service" on both machines. Granted, it's easy to disable but it means it's marked as an "important update" and cannot be avoided.
Unless you disabled that service, you *are* being tracked... assuming it's the only one that does. We don't know for certain.
Three in the drawer. Someday, I swear... someday I'll finish those projects.
A private company, which means: wholly owned by someone (or a family... or...). Think about it: they own 100% of the company... Or in other words: they own all "shares" (parts of the company). Hence, private companies, have -by definition- also shareholders. They're just the owners.
Can you propose a system where companies do not have "share holders", aka "owners"? I mean, one that works, not one involving gulags and planned economy (and even then, technically, the state would own the company and would be the "share holder", since they too, own all parts).
I personally started just buying second hand machines. Lenovo X220? 159€ for a nice base configuration... Add in a small SSD and 16GB RAM and you have a really nifty portable machine for less than 400€. There simply is nothing that beats that kind of price/performance in the "new" market.
I've been saying for year we're at the "good enough" level... now, it's not only that, it's that several year old machines are "good enough".
Yes, I know, some of you do huge simulations, tons of virtualization, etc.... I'm talking for normal users, not you guys...