This is scary

[B and C]

It is just a fact of life these days if you want the modern conveniences. Why have a smartphone if you are crippling everything. Just get an old fashioned flip phone and turn the GPS off (if equipped) if you want to make calls and text.

I also get very few ads online unless I am on a website that has them. I have installed an ad blocker that lets a few ads through from the site but nothing from off their site. I really don't use the web browser on my phone. The screen is way too small. I do use a lot of apps though but not one for every bank and store.

 

[Malamute]

It is just a fact of life these days if you want the modern conveniences.  Why have a smartphone if you are crippling everything.  Just get an old fashioned flip phone and turn the GPS off (if equipped) if you want to make calls and text.

 Yes, exactly, thats what I mentioned earlier, I dont have one and have zero desire to. I talk and text on my phone, actually, I text far more than talk on it. It has a keypad that slides out sideways, its very handy for texting. People often laugh when they see it. I love it. Mine is older, but theres newer ones on the market that function the same way. I need to find one and order it before mine craters.

 When people see my phone and comment on how old it is, I tell them "Yes, theres a little door on the side where you put the coal in to power it"

The last 3 or 4 phones ive had were free, given to me by people that constantly upgrade. Correction, I bought a replacement for the slide-out keyboard phone, I liked it so much. It started getting glitchy, so i found a brand new unused one to replace it. I think it was $40 shipped. Technically, they have net capability but I have no data plan on my cell service.

 

[WanderingRose]

The TOS (terms of service) agreement you need to approve for any App you download allows access to everything on your device. If you don't agree then no access. This includes email and messaging accounts too.

Just my ol 2¢

I understand this, but the situation regarding my son appeared to be strictly through Siri, which recognized both our voices tho we weren’t speaking to her or giving commands.

I hadn’t done any searches for refurbished laptops, but ads started appearing on my IPad and for several days his picture appeared on my account and next to my name.

Turning Siri off on everything on my devices corrected it, and I have never turned her back on.

 

[Qxxx]

There are of course people with those smart TVs that you can talk to (ie, they are listening constantly), and I have a good friend who has Alexas all over the house, because his wife demands it. Modern convenience is just too homey.

So, even though I am a techno-whatjamacallit and work on the computer constantly, I turn off wifi on my devices when not using the internet, and as mentioned, I have covered over all the cameras and microphones with black electricians tape. Remember ... google watches every keystroke you make, not to mention amazon and facebook. The 3 Great Faces of Hades. (BG used to be the devil, now it's MZ).

 

[wayne49]

Recently I saw something about a microwave oven that Amazon's Alexa can connect to.

My immediate thought, great, someone can remotely set the microwave on high for two or three hours and burn the house down.

 

[B and C]

I have 5 alexa dots scattered with smart switches set on routines. The kids used to call me MrGadget because I was always messing with something. I don't turn wifi off on anything or cover my cameras. This minute there are 4 PC's on and two servers. I talk politics and other things around these devices and have never had targeted ads or backlash from doing so. I rarely give my email out as I don't want the spam from the grocery store or anywhere else. If a site insists on an email, I either give a dummy email or look for another site with the information I am after.

Wear your tin foil with pride

 

[RVTravel]

What may be even more scary is the interview today with the FBI director and him stating that of the about 5,000 counter intel cases they have, nearly half involve China suspected of stealing our personal info. The Tik Tok app is China made and is being scrutinized as a security risk to americans. If that is too political, let me know and delete.

 

[VanFan]

I have 5 alexa dots scattered with smart switches set on routines.  The kids used to call me MrGadget because I was always messing with something.  I don't turn wifi off on anything or cover my cameras.  This minute there are 4 PC's on and two servers.  I talk politics and other things around these devices and have never had targeted ads or backlash from doing so.

Sounds like informed choice to me!

 

[Stargazer]

Smart phone vs other phone...

I use my phone for anything internet related because it is all I have, by choice. No laptop or computer. I have, starting today, left the phone in the bedroom with the door closed.

Last evening, I made three test comments.

1. (To the dog) "I need to find a dog groomer to get you groomed." Have never done a search for that.

2. "I need to get a composting setup for my garden." Have never done a search for that either. I hate gardening and don't have one.

Last night an ad popped up for "Six best composting systems".

This evening, an ad for Petsmart grooming.

The third question has had no response It is very location specific. We shall see.

The phone is listening. These are not ads for items I have ever searched.

Twilight Zone.

 

[notsosure]

I think the screen is watching. My camera eye is blocked. If I look down to type it types backwards.

 

[BelgianPup]

Just wrap it in aluminum foil when you aren't using it?

 

[crofter]

 Do you mean you leave your computer on and connected to the net overnight?

Are you saying it's bad to fall asleep while texting?
-crofter

 

[wayne49]

Not as bad as Texting Under the Influence.

 

[Happy Camper]

Disable the "Google" app. Not every Google app, just the one named Google. It's set up by default to listen and and work as an assistant. Disabling it, or changing it's settings so it isn't always listening should fix your issue.

 

[jim solo]

This is an interesting thread. I’ve been into computers since the 1990’s, and cell phones since 2008, after my bypass surgery, just in case I fell down and could not get up.


We are all dependent on one type of device or another for are entertainment and/or our communications. If we read the (TOS) terms of service, and understood what we are giving up in our personal privacy. Some of us would go back to using two cans and sting, or hollering from the hill tops to communicate with friends.


Anything that has a silicone chip in it will some day have the ability to spy on everything you do, and that day is coming near faster than most would think. Even clothing will know if you changed your underwear recently. You don’t need to have a cell phone for those who want to know your location, all you need is a vehicle that has a computer with the right kind of silicone chip in it to connect to a cell tower, and send a ping out to find you.


I’ll be dead in a few years, because I’m old and worn out, and won’t have to worry about all this. I’m going to have as much fun as I can letting the powers that be chase me around everywhere.

 

[crofter]

Of course, as soon as you log onto the internet, your browser continually tracks the sites you're visiting in the "History" list. So all there needs to be is a hidden utility that sends this list to the watchers every few seconds, and they know exactly how to target ads. You can delete the History list "later", but it's probably already too late.

My android has a setting that does not save history. I went through and cleaned house today. The device was even archiving all those crap ads they sent me. Acts like a little hoarder hanging onto every last piece of trash. Now that I know, I can regularly check up on this little hoarder.

What kills my day is getting 100 emails per day, and being unable to access the essential stuff until I sift the junk. That is another area to rework. I tried prioritizing, but that eats up space too. 

Yes, from time to time my device says it is listening. Creeps me out.  I have the voice settings turned off but it listens anyway.  
-crofter

 

[Uncle Todo]

The ads do suck and are too much. While I've never had anything come up from conversations, fo sho things I just searched for popping up on their own.
Us watching ads is about the biggest commodity now as far as that goes.

As far as spying and big brother, well thank our elected officials for that, and being in these big companies pockets for their interests over their constituents.

Unfortunately it's all a byproduct of the day and age we're in.
The internet was awesome in the 90s, heck, I'd be willing to go back to dial up to have it back!

There's been a number of good documentaries I've seen on such, social dilemma, and saving capitalism were both pretty good.

 

[Treknik]

Let's talk about VPN's again.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is basically a piece of software you install on your computer. Every time you access the Internet your request is encrypted and routed through a shared computer server then routed to the site/sever you requested. The response is sent back to the VPN server then returned to you and decrypted and displayed in your browser. A similar thing happens when using your favorite email, game, music, video software, voice search etc.
So you are sort of anonymously browsing the Internet via a server shared by many people. It helps cut down on you being individually identified via your device's unique IP (Internet Protocol) address. Every device has an IP. There are billions of unique IP addresses. So the VPN is swapping out your IP with one one of theirs.

A big benefit however is the encryption part. Setting in a McDonalds and using their free WIFI? There is an increased chance someone is intercepting your business. Yes there is basic encryption when you access a site that starts with https:/ but not via http:/. You may not care but it is quite easy for a hacker to sit near you at McDonalds and read your posts going to http:/cheaperliving.com/forums.

There are some free VPN's but you get what you pay for. I like ExpressVPN (I'm just a customer). With a subscription they have an app to install on your computer, phone, kindle, xbox, whatever.

Cookies! These little good but potentially evil bits of data help your stateless interaction with a site be non-stateless (is their a real word for this?). They help the site remember you are logged in or what page you are on etc. They can also be used to track you accross the Internet. Go to one search site they record a database entry that you just searched for Viagra. They then drop a cookie that uniquely identifies you/device. Go to another site they pull this cookie look you up in the database and give you erectile disfuction ads (these are called Trackers).

It's a battle but their are other tools you can install to help if you care.
These two are browser extensions.
Ghostery (ghoster.com) - Blocks ads, stops trackers, perhaps speeds up searches.
uBlock Orgin (not just uBlock) - add blocker etc.

CCleaner (ccleaner.com) deletes tracking cookies, old browsing files, etc.

By the way many people think that one of the next big potential bubbles is online advertising. Maybe those ads you see just don't work very well. When was the last time you clicked on one? Ebay thought that for every dollar they spent on paid ads they were making $1.50. They did a study and found they were actually losing $0.60.

Be safe.

 

[Uncle Todo]

Anything that connects over other than 80/443 can be blocked by these free hotspots.
Many of them block ports for VPN, RDP etc

 

[RVTravel]

I wonder how many VPN companies are really Chinese companies. Maybe all of them..hmmm