Most people who are involved with government agencies are EXTREMELY ignorant about technology. (And most people in general, also.)
They don't realize that, if there is a back door, a key to decrypt, it will eventually be compromised. A government employee will give the key to someone who shouldn't have it. Or, hackers will eventually discover the key.
> No abuse by suppliers of the OS or the hardware. There are areas in which Google (Now
Alphabet, Inc.) is badly managed, in my opinion. No license provisions that give away important
rights. > No unwanted programs > $1,000 or more is too much to pay. So, this list is focused on Android, not Apple
phones. > Support both the modern GSM and the original CDMA system, all
bands. You never know which provider you will need to use; some may have poor coverage where you
happen to be. (In the U.S., only AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM.) That issue is complicated, as
mentioned in the link provided.
Which phones can I use on both software technologies, CDMA and GSM? > Dual SIM. When you travel, you may want to buy a pre-paid SIM card, so that you can
give a local phone number to people you meet. That is especially useful when traveling
internationally. > Replaceable battery. If the battery isn't replaceable, the manufacturer has arranged
eventual failure. > Good battery life, infrequent charging > Good antenna > Latest version of Android, always upgradeable (Now, Apr 2, 2018, version 8.0.) > MicroSD slot: Have more storage without having to pay huge prices. > Headphone jack: Sometimes you want it. For example, sometimes 2 people want to listen
to the same music. > Full resolution display, 1920 x 1080. > OLED display? > 5 GHz WiFi -- All WiFi bands > Waterproof > Fast charging > Camera:
1) Optical stabilization
2) Mechanical stabilization
3) Works well in dim light, strong LED flash. > Qualcomm Snapdragon or other latest processor > Screen protector: Gorilla glass screen? > Good sound quality:
1) Good sound quality through the speaker
2) Good call sound quality > USB type C ? > Able to transfer apps to the SD card. > Stays cool when running several programs. > User interface? (Huawei uses EMUI.) > Included case: Don't pay ridiculously high prices for small bits of plastic. >Near-field
communication (NFC) >Voice over Long-Term Evolution
(VoLTE) > Easily
Transfer phone numbers to and from the phone. >Android Auto?
The Color of Crime, 2016 Revised Edition Quote: "In 2013, a black was six times more likely than a non-black to commit murder, and 12 times more likely to murder someone of another race than to be murdered by someone of another race."
Another quote: "If New York City were all white, the murder rate would drop by 91 percent, the robbery rate by 81 percent, and the shootings rate by 97 percent."
Do black Americans commit more crime? Quote: "Blacks were disproportionately likely to commit homicide and to be the victims. In 2008 the offending rate for blacks was seven times higher than for whites and the victimization rate was six times higher."
However, that web site is a TV station in Belfast Ireland.
With normal driving, you stay constantly alert. You have fast reaction times.
With Autopilot driving, "you get bored watching the road for an hour with the car driving itself perfectly fine, leaving you nothing to do." That increases your reaction times.
... the driver, identified as Apple engineer Wei "Walter" Huang, had his hands off the steering wheel and was not responding to warnings to re-take control.
He apparently had plenty of money; he was driving a Tesla. He was an engineer, so he was educated.
Tesla said in a statement: "The driver had received several visual and one audible hands-on warning earlier in the drive and the driver's hands were not detected on the wheel for six seconds prior to the collision. The driver had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken.
It amazes me that often people don't recognize that driving a car is a potentially extremely dangerous activity. 100% attention is required at all times, particularly since other drivers often do things they shouldn't do.
"You can request the "Hazardous Material Data Sheet" from the manufacturer."
I think every online listing should be required to have a link to the Hazardous Material Data Sheet. Otherwise, it is too time-consuming to learn about the hazard.
"WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including one or more listed chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov"
Why isn't there some explanation of the poison???
It seems to me that California has been poorly managed since Grey Davis was governor. But, I moved away more than 30 years ago.
"As part of the reorganization, Rajesh Jha, the executive VP of Microsoft Office products, will be expanding his responsibilities to encompass Myerson's role..."
Apparently Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wants people who are as lacking in social, managerial, and technical ability as he is. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is NOT competent. The entire board of directors and top management of Microsoft should be replaced, in my opinion.
One area of extreme incompetence: Somehow, shockingly, managers at Microsoft decided that it is okay to spy on Windows OS computer users in the same way that Google spies on cell phone users using the Android operating system. (One of the many stories about Google spying: Google collects Android users' locations even when location services are disabled.)
Desktop computers users often have a HUGE need for COMPLETE privacy. Microsoft has damaged its already very poor reputation.
One of the MANY articles about Microsoft's EXTREME ABUSE: 7 ways Windows 10 pushes ads at you... (You may be able to stop the ads until Microsoft finds other ways to control your computers.) The effect: Microsoft wants companies to pay for Microsoft distracting employees with ads.
Visit those links with Firefox. Visiting with the latest version of Pale Moon (27.8.2) shows an
error: """This add-on requires a newer version of Firefox (at least version 52.0). You are
using Firefox 27.9." Pale moon add-ons
Adblock LatitudeFor Pale Moon browser only. Blocks display of ads. "Adblock Latitude is a direct fork of
Adblock Plus made specifically for the Pale Moon browser."
BetterPrivacyRemoved by the author. Deletes Local Shared Objects, LSOs. LSOs are files placed on your
computer by the Adobe Systems Flash plug-in. Use of Adobe Flash allows web sites to track you,
permanently even though your browser is configured to delete the files known as "Cookies" after
each re-starting of your operating system.
CanvasBiocker
Prevents websites from using the Javascript <canvas> API to fingerprint them.
"This add-on will stop working when Firefox 57 arrives in November 2017."
"This add-on will stop working when Firefox 57 arrives in November 2017 and Mozilla drops support
for XUL / XPCOM / legacy add-ons. It should still work on Firefox 52 ESR until ESR moves to
Firefox 59 ESR in 2018 (~Q2)".
"There is no 'please port it' or 'please add support for it' this time, because the entire add-on
eco system changes and the technology behind this kind of add-on gets dropped without
replacement."
DisconnectUpdates to Pale Moon browser don't install.
Facebook
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buttons.
Firebug
"Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of development tools at your fingertips while
you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page..."
Firebug development page.
FlashStopper Stops
video autoplay and shows a preview thumbnail. On Sept. 9, 2017 does not work with YouTube because
it prevents reading comments; there is a working version in the development branch.
HTTPS
EverywhereDoesn't install in Pale Moon. Encrypts traffic by using HTTPS
encryption rather than HTTP wherever web sites accept HTTPS. See How to
Protect You
Anything that conducts electricity can be an antenna.
Anyone wanting to avoid electromagnetic energy would wrap himself in 2 layers of electrically conducting foil. The outer layer would be grounded so the energy would flow into the earth.
My joke didn't do well. Darn.
The underlying issue: Only a tiny amount of energy arrives on people from cell phone towers. There doesn't seem to be any law of Physics that would cause an interaction between that tiny amount of energy and Biochemical processes.
Today's joke: I know this deeply technical knowledge is unknown by most people. However, there is another source of electromagnetic radiation besides cell phone towers and TV and radio towers. That other source emits electromagnetic radiation in all frequencies. It's called the Sun. It may be difficult for some to believe, but the Sun emits far more radiation than cell phone towers.
So, stay inside during the day, and wrap yourself in aluminum foil. Go out only at night.
Short-term goal: Live underground in an abandoned coal mine.
Long-term goal: Try to find a planet that doesn't have one of those nasty Suns.
"Free for everyone.
Signal is made for you. As an Open Source project supported by grants and donations, Signal can put users first. There are no ads, no affiliate marketers, no creepy tracking. Just open technology for a fast, simple, and secure messaging experience. The way it should be."
Works with Android, iPhone, Linux, and Windows.
"Stay private.
Signal messages and calls are always end-to-end encrypted and painstakingly engineered to keep your communication safe. We can't read your messages or see your calls, and no one else can either."
Android does not usually allow updates. So, to get the latest version, it is necessary to buy a new cell phone. In my opinion, that's extremely abusive.
Another abuse: Cell phones with batteries that cannot be easily replaced.
Another abuse: Apple has been preventing 3rd party repairs. Stories:
A HREF= "http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35502030" TARGET="_blank" >iPhones 'disabled' if Apple detects third-party repairs (Feb 5, 2016)
Slashdot Mirror
"... between 10**88 and 10**241 years..."
I hope it's okay with you if I don't worry about this now.
Most people who are involved with government agencies are EXTREMELY ignorant about technology. (And most people in general, also.)
They don't realize that, if there is a back door, a key to decrypt, it will eventually be compromised. A government employee will give the key to someone who shouldn't have it. Or, hackers will eventually discover the key.
Cell phone requirements
(Slashdot doesn't allow easily readable formatting.)
> No abuse by suppliers of the OS or the hardware. There are areas in which Google (Now Alphabet, Inc.) is badly managed, in my opinion. No license provisions that give away important rights.
> No unwanted programs
> $1,000 or more is too much to pay. So, this list is focused on Android, not Apple phones.
> Support both the modern GSM and the original CDMA system, all bands. You never know which provider you will need to use; some may have poor coverage where you happen to be. (In the U.S., only AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM.) That issue is complicated, as mentioned in the link provided.
Which phones can I use on both software technologies, CDMA and GSM?
> Dual SIM. When you travel, you may want to buy a pre-paid SIM card, so that you can give a local phone number to people you meet. That is especially useful when traveling internationally.
> Replaceable battery. If the battery isn't replaceable, the manufacturer has arranged eventual failure.
> Good battery life, infrequent charging
> Good antenna
> Latest version of Android, always upgradeable (Now, Apr 2, 2018, version 8.0.)
> MicroSD slot: Have more storage without having to pay huge prices.
> Headphone jack: Sometimes you want it. For example, sometimes 2 people want to listen to the same music.
> Full resolution display, 1920 x 1080.
> OLED display?
> 5 GHz WiFi -- All WiFi bands
> Waterproof
> Fast charging
> Camera:
1) Optical stabilization
2) Mechanical stabilization
3) Works well in dim light, strong LED flash.
> Qualcomm Snapdragon or other latest processor
> Screen protector: Gorilla glass screen?
> Good sound quality:
1) Good sound quality through the speaker
2) Good call sound quality
> USB type C ?
> Able to transfer apps to the SD card.
> Stays cool when running several programs.
> User interface? (Huawei uses EMUI.)
> Included case: Don't pay ridiculously high prices for small bits of plastic.
> Near-field communication (NFC)
> Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE)
> Easily Transfer phone numbers to and from the phone.
> Android Auto?
The Color of Crime, 2016 Revised Edition
Quote: "In 2013, a black was six times more likely than a non-black to commit murder, and 12 times more likely to murder someone of another race than to be murdered by someone of another race."
Another quote: "If New York City were all white, the murder rate would drop by 91 percent, the robbery rate by 81 percent, and the shootings rate by 97 percent."
Do black Americans commit more crime?
Quote: "Blacks were disproportionately likely to commit homicide and to be the victims. In 2008 the offending rate for blacks was seven times higher than for whites and the victimization rate was six times higher."
However, that web site is a TV station in Belfast Ireland.
There Are No Successful Black Nations.
The author of that article, Chigozie Obioma, is a black Nigerian.
Detroit bullet proof glass
Average annual income Haiti
Health Information for Travelers to Haiti
Acrylamide and Cancer Risk
Good comment! Mod parent UP!!
2 of the most important ideas:
With normal driving, you stay constantly alert. You have fast reaction times.
With Autopilot driving, "you get bored watching the road for an hour with the car driving itself perfectly fine, leaving you nothing to do." That increases your reaction times.
Please don't make abusive replies. They waste everyone's time.
He apparently had plenty of money; he was driving a Tesla. He was an engineer, so he was educated.
It amazes me that often people don't recognize that driving a car is a potentially extremely dangerous activity. 100% attention is required at all times, particularly since other drivers often do things they shouldn't do.
Thanks for the explanation. I was mystified. Is that really the reason for the California state poison notice?
There is chromium and vanadium in the earth, also. Should there be big signs in California like this:
EARTH is a planet known to the state of California to cause cancer.
Or: Since sunlight can cause skin cancer, should California have big signs that say:
The UNIVERSE is known to the state of California to cause cancer.
That link does not seem valid.
Very funny parent comment, because very well written.
"You can request the "Hazardous Material Data Sheet" from the manufacturer."
I think every online listing should be required to have a link to the Hazardous Material Data Sheet. Otherwise, it is too time-consuming to learn about the hazard.
I agree! When I lived in the L.A. area, a newspaper article said that there were over 120 poisons in the air in the area where I lived.
Recently I was looking at an computer item on Newegg. There was a California notice that it was poisonous. How should I understand that???
Here is a example I just found: Combination Wrench, 5-7/8", 9mm,Chrome Vanadium Steel, Westward, 36A224 . How can a steel wrench be poisonous?
The California notice:
"WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including one or more listed chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov"
Why isn't there some explanation of the poison???
It seems to me that California has been poorly managed since Grey Davis was governor. But, I moved away more than 30 years ago.
The CEO is supposed to coordinate everything done by all groups in the company. That isn't happening.
Microsoft has suffered a HUGE LOSS OF RESPECT because of making Windows 10 into spyware.
One of the many, many articles: 17 Windows 10 problems - and how to fix them (Dec. 1, 2017). There have been MANY terrible problems since then. One example: Windows 10 bug: Microsoft fixes issue that broke USB, built-in cameras, keyboards (Mar. 6, 2018)
Do you see any competence in that?
"As part of the reorganization, Rajesh Jha, the executive VP of Microsoft Office products, will be expanding his responsibilities to encompass Myerson's role..."
Apparently Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wants people who are as lacking in social, managerial, and technical ability as he is. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is NOT competent. The entire board of directors and top management of Microsoft should be replaced, in my opinion.
One area of extreme incompetence: Somehow, shockingly, managers at Microsoft decided that it is okay to spy on Windows OS computer users in the same way that Google spies on cell phone users using the Android operating system. (One of the many stories about Google spying: Google collects Android users' locations even when location services are disabled.)
Microsoft and Windows cannot be trusted. Windows 10 is possibly the worst spyware ever made.
Desktop computers users often have a HUGE need for COMPLETE privacy. Microsoft has damaged its already very poor reputation.
One of the MANY articles about Microsoft's EXTREME ABUSE: 7 ways Windows 10 pushes ads at you... (You may be able to stop the ads until Microsoft finds other ways to control your computers.) The effect: Microsoft wants companies to pay for Microsoft distracting employees with ads.
ShareMeNot has been replaced by the EFF add-on Privacy Badger. I'm trying it now.
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Visit those links with Firefox. Visiting with the latest version of Pale Moon (27.8.2) shows an error: """This add-on requires a newer version of Firefox (at least version 52.0). You are using Firefox 27.9."
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"There is no 'please port it' or 'please add support for it' this time, because the entire add-on eco system changes and the technology behind this kind of add-on gets dropped without replacement."
Cookies Manager+
Disconnect Updates to Pale Moon browser don't install.
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FlashStopper Stops video autoplay and shows a preview thumbnail. On Sept. 9, 2017 does not work with YouTube because it prevents reading comments; there is a working version in the development branch.
Ghostery I don't know if Ghostery still sells data: Ghostery sells data it collects. (Business Insider, Jun 18, 2013) Ghostery web site. See the article, Ghostery is Acquired by Cliqz! (Feb 15, 2017)
HTTPS Everywhere Doesn't install in Pale Moon. Encrypts traffic by using HTTPS encryption rather than HTTP wherever web sites accept HTTPS. See How to Protect You
"It would actually have to be tin foil."
Anything that conducts electricity can be an antenna.
Anyone wanting to avoid electromagnetic energy would wrap himself in 2 layers of electrically conducting foil. The outer layer would be grounded so the energy would flow into the earth.
My joke didn't do well. Darn.
The underlying issue: Only a tiny amount of energy arrives on people from cell phone towers. There doesn't seem to be any law of Physics that would cause an interaction between that tiny amount of energy and Biochemical processes.
No, cell towers don't emit ultraviolet radiation. It is UV that causes cancer.
Cell towers???
Today's joke: I know this deeply technical knowledge is unknown by most people. However, there is another source of electromagnetic radiation besides cell phone towers and TV and radio towers. That other source emits electromagnetic radiation in all frequencies. It's called the Sun. It may be difficult for some to believe, but the Sun emits far more radiation than cell phone towers.
So, stay inside during the day, and wrap yourself in aluminum foil. Go out only at night.
Short-term goal: Live underground in an abandoned coal mine.
Long-term goal: Try to find a planet that doesn't have one of those nasty Suns.
Keybase does not seem as well organized or supported, in my opinion.
There is not much explanation about how they support themselves.
From the Wikipedia entry for Signal servers: "By default, Signal's voice and video calls are peer-to-peer."
Yes, Signal is open source:
"Free for everyone. Signal is made for you. As an Open Source project supported by grants and donations, Signal can put users first. There are no ads, no affiliate marketers, no creepy tracking. Just open technology for a fast, simple, and secure messaging experience. The way it should be."
Works with Android, iPhone, Linux, and Windows.
"Stay private. Signal messages and calls are always end-to-end encrypted and painstakingly engineered to keep your communication safe. We can't read your messages or see your calls, and no one else can either."
"Technically, that's not an android problem. It's a problem with crappy manufacturers."
Google should have arranged that manufacturers allow updates. Now that abuse is associated with the Google (Alphabet) name.
Android does not usually allow updates. So, to get the latest version, it is necessary to buy a new cell phone. In my opinion, that's extremely abusive.
Another abuse: Cell phones with batteries that cannot be easily replaced.
Another abuse: Apple has been preventing 3rd party repairs. Stories:
A HREF= "http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35502030" TARGET="_blank" >iPhones 'disabled' if Apple detects third-party repairs (Feb 5, 2016)
Apple Shouldn't [be allowed] to Brick Your iPhone Because You Fixed It Yourself. (Feb 18, 2016)
Apple fighting new âright to repairâ(TM) legislation after successfully lobbying against it in the past. (Feb 15, 2017)
Latest iOS Update Shows Apple Can Use Software to Break Phones Repaired by Independent Shops (Oct 13, 2017)
'Right to repair' legislation gaining steam amid Apple's iPhone battery replacement program (Jan 18, 2018)