Nate Bartram

https://mastodon.thenewoil.org/@nateb

🛜 Founder, editor, agent of chaos The New Oil (npub12w6…2axu).
🎥 Digital Content Producer Privacy Guides (npub1dm2…7754)
📣 Board member EFF-Austin (npub1k6c…0r72).
🎙️ Former cohost [@sr](https://social.lol/@sr )

❗All opinions are my own.
❌ Boosts =/= an endorsement of the person or their other posts.

#Privacy and #MentalHealth advocate. Casual #gamer. #Scifi nerd. #TrueCrime fan. Musician. Audio engineer. Qubes user. Praise Jibbers Crabst. #nobot

When elephants wage war, it is the grass that suffers.

The New Oil: https://thenewoil.org/
Privacy Guides: https://www.privacyguides.org/en/about/
Pronouns: He/Him

Public Key

npub176ahkfvjpen2gmger7ml35zjjarnd5q9n5tm9n7dll4qcklmd0mstpv4hv

NIP-05 Address

nateb_at_mastodon.thenewoil.org@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs0dwmmykfque4yd5v3ldlc6pffw3ek6qze69ajelxll6svt0akhacpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dswzypea

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub176ahkfvjpen2gmger7ml35zjjarnd5q9n5tm9n7dll4qcklmd0mstpv4hv

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Published at

2026-04-26T12:39:57Z

Kind type

0 Metadata

Event JSON

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Last Notes

2026-05-10 15:09:04 UTC

So @npub14vu…9wlz seems to think that Cape is interesting and worth checking out, therefore I am too. If you sign up with my referral, we both get $20 off, so please help a brother make the price more reasonable 😂
Use my code 6H6AVP1Q at checkout or https://cape.co/get-cape?referral=6H6AVP1Q.

2026-05-06 00:45:18 UTC

Earlier today my phone was overheating (not cause of TikTok, but it's all related) so I popped it in the fridge and I'm shocked as hell that worked. So I guess there's your LPT/TIL.
Now seems like a good time to remind everyone that I am not formally trained on tech, so like, your mileage may vary.

2026-05-03 01:29:03 UTC

Sometimes I criticize the tech community. Sometimes it delivers the laugh I need.
Thank you random GitHub stranger.
https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/tno-mastodon/media_attachments/files/116/508/046/834/527/983/original/000a91cd241b74f9.png

2026-04-29 14:13:25 UTC

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I don't know about how some of them end but for TV shows I hear The Boys is a tough watch at times, Handmaid's Tale is bleak af (and turning into a documentary by the day), Mr Robot has happy ending but some of the plot points are fucking depressing, early Black Mirror hits hard af.

2026-04-29 14:10:59 UTC

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If you don't mind EXTREMELY graphic torture porn, I hear the ending of Martyrs is rough. I'm still trying to decide if that one has enough artistic merit for me to watch it. Some people criticize it as pointless torture porn but others argue it has real artistic merit and I can't tell from the Wikipedia page alone.

2026-04-29 14:10:52 UTC

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Recs: Oldboy for sure. Not really scifi but it's also a gut punch. Don't spoil it. Just brace yourself.
I hear Bring Her Back is brutal. Hereditary and Midsommar. Se7en. Sinister. Shutter Island. Upgrade really stayed with me. I've heard amazing things about The Lightouse and The Witch (2015) but haven't seen either yet.

2026-04-29 14:10:42 UTC

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I will say even with the spoilers, it stuck with me for about a week. I def can't wait to ruin someone else's day with it though. "You haven't seen Aniara? Bruh. Unrelated question: are you the kind of person who likes to wallow in their depression or do you want bad news while you're feeling good to help dull the sting?"

2026-04-24 16:14:32 UTC

I don't really need a therapist right now but I definitely wouldn't mind someone who's job is just to listen to me vent about various frustrations. Like, I don't need you to fix anything - nor can you fix what's frustrating me - but just having someone where I can be like "can you believe the narcissistic stupidity of this fucking comment?" and they can be like "yeah fuck that guy. Alright see you next Thursday."

2026-04-23 12:41:12 UTC

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I've never seen any porn on here. Am I sheltered or do you just live on the edge? 😂

2026-04-22 14:44:57 UTC

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maybe they thought it was the good kind of puppy.

2026-04-21 11:53:06 UTC

A little while back I was offered the chance to speak to WIRED and declined. Having read the piece, I'm glad I did. Seems the author had a narrative and they didn't feel like exploring any competing ones except for brief hand-waving mentions.
I'll be sure to take anything that author says in the future with a pile of salt.

2026-04-20 20:38:08 UTC

Just in time for my flight tomorrow. A little bit of light reading in the terminal.
https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/tno-mastodon/media_attachments/files/116/438/952/791/657/858/original/f50ab440349b9b19.jpg

2026-04-19 17:25:44 UTC

Just in case there was any remote doubt in your mind that maybe Palantir wasn't full-stop evil.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/19/palantir-posts-mini-manifesto-denouncing-regressive-and-harmful-cultures/

2026-04-19 14:17:37 UTC

I don't like how people suddenly seem to be taking Sam Altman's "World" project seriously. It's a shit idea that needs to die.

2026-04-19 00:00:58 UTC

When the automatic subtitles hear "fetaverse."
I would like to exist in a universe of cheese.

2026-04-18 19:05:41 UTC

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Of course, to my defense, people don't put fucking nicotine in like, every single thing you eat. So someone could conceivably quit cigarettes with a lot of hard work and discipline and then avoid it forever whereas I could quit sugar but it would still be SO easy to accidentally ingest some, or the temptation would be basically everywhere. Never accidentally smoked a cigarette or seen a pack for sale in a vending machine, ya know?

2026-04-18 19:04:24 UTC

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Tbh I forgot fructose was naturally occurring and just assumed they meant HFC.
I honestly already know processed sugar is like, the worst possible thing you could put in your body short of hard drugs. I'm the equivalent of that guy going "yeah I know cigarettes give me cancer but I've been smoking for 20 years and just given up. I know I'm addicted."

2026-04-18 18:31:38 UTC

I REALLY need to stop drinking sodas.
https://scienceblog.com/why-fructose-behaves-less-like-a-calorie-and-more-like-a-hormone/

2026-04-17 17:16:57 UTC

Republicans from Texas and Kentucky AND Lauren Boebert all voted against reauthorizing Section 702.
Holy shit that says something.
https://www.wired.com/story/republican-mutiny-sinks-trumps-push-to-extend-warrantless-surveillance/

2026-04-12 17:57:19 UTC

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I almost laughed the way she said "I like to win."
"What keeps you motivated?" "Well winning is pretty freakin sweet." Yeah, touche. Can't argue with that. 😂

2026-04-12 12:09:13 UTC

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it delivered. Found myself thinking about it in bed last night while trying to sleep 😭
Gonna watch something like Spongebob or Phineas & Verb today to wash it off

2026-04-12 03:28:20 UTC

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Yes.
Not familiar with Avenue 5 but yeah its def not a comedy.
Worth a watch if you like SciFi. Probably would've hit harder if I hadn't spoiled it but I had to brace myself cause everyone kept saying how bleak it is. Even with spoilers, the last 10 mins or so were a bit rough. Def not a date movie lol.

2026-04-12 01:45:19 UTC

I'm starting Aniaria. First watch. Because apparently I live to have my soul crushed.
Pray for me. See you in 2 hours.

2026-04-12 01:44:35 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.neat.computer/@privacyguides/116388967819549313
I'm so excited to share this with you all! It was such a great day and a highlight of my career as a privacy educator/advocate 😁
#note164t…hvc4

2026-04-08 14:17:58 UTC

I really appreciate that Microsoft is leading the effort to get people to switch to Mac & Linux.
https://www.404media.co/microsoft-abruptly-terminates-veracrypt-account-halting-windows-updates/

2026-03-27 02:09:10 UTC

I have the coolest job. Thank you to everyone who supports @npub1dm2…7754 and makes it possible.

2026-03-20 18:38:40 UTC

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Putting the criminal liability on the parents *while simultaneously* doing nothing to the tech companies is disgustingly corrupt.
https://ghost.thenewoil.org/on-parenting-age-verification/
Feel free to scroll down to "Misplaced Blame" if you don't have 15 minutes.

2026-03-20 17:00:54 UTC

I can't decide which snarky comment I want to leave here.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/20/trumps-ai-framework-targets-state-laws-shifts-child-safety-burden-to-parents/

2026-03-17 16:19:48 UTC

"It's got a built-in privacy screen and an opt-in local-only AI. Let's advertise it as private!"
Still just polishing a turd.
https://arstechnica.com/reviews/2026/03/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-review-private-and-performant/

2026-03-12 13:13:48 UTC

The fact that @npub1ak3…t4td has tags on their blog (such as "news") and easily allows you to filter by tag, but won't offer specific RSS feeds for various tags is wild.
I'd like to follow their blog for updates - like new features and sales - but tbh I don't care at all about all the SaaS/devops/marketing shit.

2026-03-04 23:56:41 UTC

Every expert ever: "This is a really fucking bad idea for so many reasons."
Politicians: "This is the best idea we've ever had. This is gonna fix everything."
https://reason.com/2026/03/04/computer-scientists-caution-against-internet-age-verification-mandates/

2026-03-04 17:19:08 UTC

I'll be guesting on the Hide & Speak podcast this weekend, for those who want to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB3x3YkAjhY

2026-03-03 21:35:24 UTC

Is the UK okay?
https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/tno-mastodon/media_attachments/files/116/167/388/415/338/017/original/6b082f36d9c4eee0.png

2026-02-17 17:50:10 UTC

"Parents should just parent" as a response to ID verification laws is the privacy version of telling people to stop using plastic straws to fix the microplastics problem. It shifts blame away from the real culprits who are doing the overwhelming majority of the damage by a wide margin and instead vilifies the individuals who - while maybe not perfect - are generally trying their best and already overwhelmed, stretched thin on resources, and out of their league.

2026-02-06 16:05:15 UTC

ICYMI, our Smartphone Privacy/Security course has started releasing to the public. Level one is about settings you can change to easily make your phone more private without needing to do anything crazy. Perfect for beginners. And it's divided by OS (Android & iOS) so you don't have to sit through advice that doesn't apply to you.
Feel free to share with friends and family.
https://youtu.be/8GBbc8b39Zk

2026-02-05 17:56:06 UTC

I've uploaded my latest video explaining the TikTok changes to TikTok 3 times and it has a collective total of 2 views across all three uploads, hours apart.
Def no censorship going on here. The algorithmic timeline is going great.

2026-01-28 23:27:45 UTC

Friendly reminder that @npub1dm2…7754 has a Shorts channel so you can share the stories we talk about on the podcast easier. Content is ramping up :)
https://www.youtube.com/@privacyguidesshorts

2026-01-27 02:35:11 UTC

I have been saying that many of the complaints with AI are "technical problems." Someday we'll create AI that uses less energy, is more accurate, etc.
The fundamental problems we need to focus on fixing - if even possible - are the non-technical problems. Consensual data training, compensating creators, etc. These are are harder issues to tackle that will outlive the "technical problems" and really put inequality into hyperspace if left unresolved.
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-01-22/la-startup-says-its-using-rocket-science-to-cool-data-centers-in-way-that-saves-power-water

2026-01-27 00:06:33 UTC

.@npub1rk6…hv4q already created this without stealing someone else's data, draining an entire lake, or hallucinating answers.
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/01/26/2230202/gemini-in-google-calendar-now-helps-you-find-the-best-meeting-time-for-all-attendees

2026-01-01 16:50:25 UTC

New year, same mission.
@npub1dm2…7754 @npub1tk7…0m5c
https://nbg1.your-objectstorage.com/tno-mastodon/media_attachments/files/115/820/866/937/231/390/original/9c8d5fd679c634d4.jpg

2025-12-20 13:09:45 UTC

Inside me are two wolves.
One is constantly satisfied with how seamlessly @npub1rk6…hv4q does everything I need and works across every OS smoothly, perfectly fitting my workflow.
The other is screaming that their end-to-end encryption plugin is still bug-riddled ass and therefore it has no real, meaningful encryption.

2025-12-03 04:14:13 UTC

My entire adult life I learned to type with em-dashes and now I just realized that everything I write looks AI as fuck because of it 😭

2025-11-29 03:27:13 UTC

ICYMI, @npub1dm2…7754 now has a merch store.
There's some dope designs.
No AI. All humans.
https://shop.privacyguides.org/collections/drinkware

2025-09-22 19:00:23 UTC

Sometimes you meet your heroes and walk away disappointed. Other times, you become a super fan.
So anyways I went to Europe for the first time for real.

2025-08-21 02:43:17 UTC

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lol to each their own. Personally I love the way songs like that breathe. I'm rarely all in on one particular feel in a song from start to finish. I find it boring. I like when songs mix it up. That's why I never got into more extreme metals like speed, death, black, etc. Some of it I can do, but not most. It needs more variation than those have to offer me. Same with other genres. I don't listen to a lot of slow songs or ballads. Mix it up a bit.

2025-08-21 02:36:12 UTC

One thing I really appreciate about rap fans is that all the ones I've met don't give the remotest hot shit about genre. If they like something, they like it, regardless if it's rap or not. "Bro, this slaps. Who is this? Cattle Decapitation? Play this shit every day from now on."
In other news, today my coworker became a fan of The Amity Affliction.

2025-08-14 01:01:25 UTC

Apparently I will be in Seattle in the next two weeks and I haven't built an itinerary. What should I do? I've been once before, and back then I saw the Space Needle, Mount Saint Helens, the MoPOP (back then it was just the rock & roll and scifi museums), the underground city, Pike's Place, and maybe something else I'm forgetting. (cont)

2025-08-13 03:40:35 UTC

After many, many years, I've added a second wish to my list of things I'd like to happen when I die.
I want my tombstone to read
"Here lies Nate.
He hated Samsung. Like, a lot."
I'm not joking.

2025-08-11 00:54:12 UTC

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But you do mean the ability to play audio in any room in your house? Presumably the same source?
I guess "$100/room" might be a tall order in an easy "homepod mini" sort of fashion.

2025-08-10 19:03:36 UTC

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...Define "multi-room audio"? This might be my specialty.

2025-08-03 19:29:46 UTC

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According to the Science Vs podcast, the answer is "nothing." The cited studies that showed that Adderall does nothing unless you have ADHD, which means "normal" people who claim they used to take it to pull all nighters in college either a) have undiagnosed ADHD or b) experienced the placebo effect.

2025-08-02 19:31:54 UTC

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I mean, I could bug you more :P
Honestly the correlation tends to rely more on the documentation and GitHub issues. The better the documentation or GitHub replies, the less I need AI. But if there's little/no documentation or the docs/issues are SUPER technical and I don't understand them, then I need AI to help me parse what's happening and what the resources are saying.
For what it's worth, I don't blindly copy & paste. I try to make sure I know what the commands are doing.

2025-08-01 00:03:45 UTC

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I know it's basically completely dropped the source material at this point, but The Mule interests me.

2025-07-20 16:12:55 UTC

is there a version of that website "let me google that for you" but it's literally any other search engine? I'd even accept DDG.

2025-07-04 01:05:23 UTC

“To use the Net, you had to understand Unix, and the current users had no interest in making it easier. In fact, there was a definite element of not wanting to make it easier, of actually wanting to keep the riffraff out.”
Imagine if the gatekeepers got their way. Now look at the current comments about how we don't want normies on Mastodon or how Windows users deserve to be hacked.
Fuck gatekeepers.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/a-history-of-the-internet-part-2-the-high-tech-gold-rush-begins/

2025-07-03 23:26:04 UTC

Every passing day I become increasingly baffled what value Facebook could possibly be bringing to anyone's life at this point that outweighs all the garbage that comes with it.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/meta-has-found-another-way-to-keep-you-engaged-chatbots-that-message-you-first/

2025-05-15 02:48:27 UTC

Privacy tech has really spoiled me and my expectations for an online experience.

2025-04-26 16:25:05 UTC

I keep hearing decent reviews of the last couple seasons of #BlackMirror, but are they like "emotionally scar you for a week" good, or just like "entertaining and well-made" good? Cause honestly the "I called my mom crying" early episodes of Black Mirror are what I fell in love with, and if it ain't that, I'm not interested.

2025-04-23 02:21:40 UTC

If capitalism works because "whoever makes the best product wins," why do companies repeatedly have to resort to - at best - dishonest tactics to rig the game in their favor? Shouldn't everyone be seeking out these apps on their own because they're so great? Why would Google waste the money to force them on people who just can't wait to use them?
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/04/22/0953209/google-pays-samsung-enormous-sums-for-gemini-ai-app-installs

2025-04-12 15:38:09 UTC

Can we PLEASE bully more companies into being more ashamed of their fuckery?
https://petapixel.com/2025/04/10/adobe-deletes-bluesky-posts-after-furious-backlash/

2025-04-01 18:31:59 UTC

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I choose not to believe in objective facts and reality, so I agree that E2EE must be outlawed. After all, if something is illegal, everyone stops doing it. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

2025-03-17 03:51:11 UTC

There appears to be some sort of issue with my PeerTube instance (apertatube.net). I strongly suspect the issue is on my hosting provider's end (1984). I've contacted them and will do my best to have the situation resolved as quickly as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience.

2025-03-06 04:38:09 UTC

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Is it over over? I've heard good things, been meaning to check it out.

2025-03-04 19:34:49 UTC

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Thanks for the reply. I'm a little unclear on your first link. So, is E2EE file something different from the server-side encryption toggle in the admin settings? I also keep seeing the words "can be." Is it not enabled by default, and if so how do I enable it?

2025-03-02 16:55:00 UTC

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Yeah, here it is: https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/latest/admin_manual/configuration_files/encryption_configuration.html
It's not even remotely the same as E2EE. Being that I host on VPS's, I want something that protects my data from the provider where possible.

2025-03-02 16:50:07 UTC

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I'm fairly sure that checkbox was something different before. I remember what you're talking about, "server side encryption." It was essentially useless because the admin could disable it any time. It was basically only effective against malicious infrastructure, which is something but not really E2EE.

2025-03-02 16:42:19 UTC

@npub1rk6…hv4q Hey guys, quick question about your new E2EE for files. You say it's available "in the browser." Will this extend to the official apps as well?
https://nextcloud.com/blog/nextcloud-hub10/#End-to-end_encryption_in_browser

2025-02-16 01:24:28 UTC

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Hold the phone, why the fuck are you subsiding US?! We're so fucking adamant about our "independence" and shit, we refuse to hook up to a larger regional power grid, which is exactly why our grid collapsed in the first place (because we had nowhere to draw power from in the 2021 storm). What the actual hypocritical fuck?
I'm telling everyone I know about this. That's fucking bullshit. We need to reap what we sow.

2025-02-15 23:34:36 UTC

Finally had the time to sit down and tinker and can confirm that one of my studio monitors is fried. On the one hand, I'm incredibly annoyed at the shitty Texas power grid for frying it (yes, I had a surge protector in the chain). On the other hand, there are better brands, it had a good run, I got it on sale, I don't do a lot of music mixing these days, and I wouldn't mind downsizing to a physically smaller set.
RIP, good buddy.

2025-02-01 22:54:29 UTC

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I was just thinking this the other day. I still need to finish Silo (I fell off about halfway through S2) but I've had NO issues keeping up with Severance. Silo is good, but the pacing DRAGS. Meanwhile Severance has kept me in anticipation every step of the way. ❤️

2025-01-20 13:31:16 UTC

Whatever the future brings, TNO will be here and ready to fight.

2025-01-19 17:38:03 UTC

I think I've asked this before but what's the best software to rip DVDs? Preferably on Windows. Willing to pay a one-time fee if it's reasonable.

2025-01-19 04:19:01 UTC

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I'm begging people: please, PLEASE don't go to Bluesky (or worse, back to Instagram. That's just handing Zuck the victory he wants). Stop repeating the cycle. Move to the Fediverse. Pick something that CAN'T be censored.

2025-01-19 04:12:24 UTC

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Now seems like a good time to mention that TNO is on Loops and hopes to be more active. It's not TikTok, but it's better than nothing.
https://loops.video/@thenewoil

2025-01-19 04:06:39 UTC

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Un. Fucking. Real.
This is using a German server on desktop via ProtonVPN.
https://mastodon.thenewoil.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/853/042/628/990/582/original/88bb8a2913c74e22.png

2025-01-19 03:49:36 UTC

The censorship officially begins.

2025-01-07 02:28:03 UTC

Courtesy of the [@sr](https://social.lol/@sr ) patron chat.
https://mastodon.thenewoil.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/784/705/429/559/783/original/3db6d7f86e91dac8.png

2024-12-07 16:59:24 UTC

Can anyone recommend a quality but inexpensive office chair? I'm thinking the $100 off-the-shelf guy at Staples is probably not gonna cut it long-term, but I'm also not looking to drop $1000 on the top-of-the-line. Something in the $200-300 range would be ideal.

2024-10-13 15:13:42 UTC

Do I know any graphic designers who can do shirt designs at a reasonable price?

2024-09-23 03:00:06 UTC

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Okay genuine question since you're obviously a bit of an expert: why should I get a dedicated firewall such as this or pfSense rather than just trust the one on my router?

2024-09-16 23:26:26 UTC

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I've literally had friends do this to me about privacy stuff. "Hey have you heard of GrapheneOS?" "...Nope. I'm not deeply entrenched in the privacy community and been running custom operating systems on my phone for the last two years. What's that?"

2024-09-16 20:47:42 UTC

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Next he'll ask if you've read The Last Question.

2024-09-05 07:12:32 UTC

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Side note: I suddenly have to replace my phone. If anyone wouldn't mind throwing a few bucks my way, it would help a lot. I'll probably just buy another Pixel a but that's still an unexpected, multi-hundred-dollar expense.
https://thenewoil.org/en/support/

2024-09-05 07:11:36 UTC

Tonight my Pixel 6a exploded. Thankfully my wife was awake when it happened next to her in the study so there was no damage, except to the phone which is catastrophically fucked. It is now smoldering safely on the balcony.
This is your reminder to check your phone's battery for damage and replace it if so. I didn't notice anything, but maybe I just wasn't looking.

2024-08-06 01:49:30 UTC

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This idea actually makes a lot of sense to me the more I think about it. Mozilla is a shit company who's pretty much only good at burning through money. Proton has proven themselves to be sustainable, pretty serious about privacy (without being overly hardcore), and listens to user feedback. Plus, for some reason, people keep asking them to make a browser. Taking over FF seems like an all-around win for pretty much everyone. Except the purists, but they're never happy so whatever.

2024-08-06 00:28:56 UTC

Genuine question that just dawned on me: is today's anti-monopoly verdict against Google the nail in the coffin for Firefox? I mean, Mozilla makes 80% of their revenue from Google in exchange for making it the default search engine, but now that arrangement is illegal.