Kyle Rankin @kyle@librem.one

My theory on why fraction math is so stressed in US schools is because of Imperial measurements. The only time I perform math on fractions as an adult is when dealing with inches or cups.

Ad tech companies find the ability to track individual people around the Internet incredibly valuable. That's why they won't stop intrusive data collection:

"Facebook promised to bid on at least 90 percent of auctions when it could identify the end user" https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/17/technology/google-facebook-ad-deal-antitrust.html

That old book smell...

Modern cloud platforms are essentially giant proprietary server OSes, so is Parler's difficulty in coming back online due to finding hosting, or is it due to using so many proprietary AWS features, switching providers is like porting server software from Solaris to Windows NT?

7. Day Three. Still looking for phantom notifications on my watch, but I'm catching and stopping myself more often than not. The tell is when you look away from your watch without knowing the time. It's nice not having to charge my watch every night.

6. I would use my smart watch timer app for my coffee, so I replaced it with a kitchen timer clipped to my French Press.

5. This first day with an analog watch has already revealed to me just how much a smart watch has created subconscious, compulsive habits. It's unnerving to see tech rewire your brain like that.

4. I find myself looking at my wrist in the dark, even though this watch doesn't have a backlight.

3. Despite looking at my watch, if you had asked me what time it was, I couldn't have told you.

2. While writing the previous post I literally checked my analog wristwatch to see if there was a response to my first post yet.

1. I have checked my wrist frequently, sometimes only minutes apart, for notifications that aren't there. I almost never check to see the actual time.

I've worn a smart watch for 4 yrs. At first I was on call and quick access to notifications was a huge bonus. Recently I've questioned its effect on me so today I switched back to a traditional watch as a test. This thread contains my observations.

The power went out for half my town a few minutes after midnight, which was a kind of creepy way to start the year.

Enough time has passed that I feel like I can share my (possibly controversial) perspective on software supply chain security without it seeming reactive or opportunistic: https://puri.sm/posts/the-future-of-software-supply-chain-security/

Have you ever noticed how many security experts speak out against encryption backdoors, but design systems that anchor all trust in their company's signing key?

Michigan police solved a murder with recordings of the suspect's voice stored on the victim's truck infotainment system. Michigan police pull data from cars "sometimes two to three times a week." #privacy https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/snitches-wheels-police-turn-car-data-destroy-suspects-alibis-n1251939

Imagine if your ISP kicked your laptop off the Internet because Microsoft stopped providing it security updates. Imagine having to buy a new laptop every 2-3 years just so you could get updates. Phones are just small computers, they shouldn't have special rules.

TMobile is kicking old Android phones off their network in January because vendors have abandoned the hardware and they no longer get security updates. Android's model of forcing you to buy new hardware every few years to get security updates is broken. https://www.tmonews.com/2020/12/t-mobile-will-no-longer-support-devices-january/

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I would like to download software
With a license that is freed

I just want code for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is GNU