Just Fired Microsoft

[TexasGuy1988]

Actually, I hate having to use it. But it's what people use so... I have to.
If I didn't, I could carry my Ubuntu phone around instead of the Android Monster.

I mean, I could forcibly make all my friends and relations install Telegram... but it wouldn't be nice. ;·)
And I guess telling the girls who say "I'll whatsapp you the location later", "no, it has to be Telegram, I use Ubuntu Touch" will make them fall madly in love with me (he uses UT, what a guy)... but probably not, and it would be something I actively tend to avoid anyway... :·)

So, though I had no problems in firing Microsoft - I haven't used Windows or any MS product for years - I'm finding it more difficult to fire Google.

I have effectively done so. Feel free to reach out if you need help

[TexasGuy1988]

It isn't just texting, though, is it.
Even though I could text my son in Panama or my daughter in Bali for... whatever it is, it's still expensive, I can do it with whatsapp for free.
And I can text with my full computer keyboard via my browser.

Now, texts are expensive... especially if you have whole conversations with them.
Phone calls, to Panama or Bali, are not expensive. They're unacceptable.
And I have friends and family in Italy... and people here use whatsapp just to send me invoices and insurance estimates... it's the de facto standard.

Here, have a laugh. This is my son and I yesterday. Just plain chat with no images... still, good ole texting isn't what we do these days

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8548[/ATTACH]

(My son is a biologist. Gatt-caca... Gatto is cat, caca... you can guess :·)

Boy did you just take me back! I was stationed in Italy for 5 years and I loved it!

[GreyGeek]

I think they are too big for my pockets!
Besides, I carry TWO smartphones: the one I like (unlocked Redmi Note 7) and the one my phone service sold me (jailhouse GS10). The latter is, IMHO, a piece of junk.

[Don B. Cilly]

How about a toy treasure chest for some $10?

[GreyGeek]

You can put the phone into a metal box that will not just act as a Faraday cage and block transmission (which can be delayed) but deafen the mic too :·)

A Faraday Cage! Here, me, the physics prof, and I totally forgot about the cage. Just goes to show you what 78 years has done to my brain.

The metal box will probably have to be padded with foam to block the sides of the box transmitting sound via vibrations, especially if the sides are tin and not stiff steel.

[Don B. Cilly]

You can put the phone into a metal box that will not just act as a Faraday cage and block transmission (which can be delayed) but deafen the mic too :·)

[GreyGeek]

It looks like Google does sell the data they collect on me. I google a product - with Firefox - maybe actually buy it, maybe not, I log onto Fakebook, for which I use a dedicated browser - which I use for nothing else - and I'm flooded with ads (even though I use Adblock) for exactly the same product I previously googled.

Which is absolutely silly, but then, Fakebook is so bad in all respects... like they send me scam ads. Like a $3000 - if you're lucky - lathe/mill for $130. After a few times of that, I report it. They thank me for reporting the scam... result: I get that same ad by different scammers like three times per session.

I don't use it often, and certainly never have on my phone, but it's useful for some things...

Last August my son and daughter-in-law bought me an Amazon Echo Dot for my 78th birthday. I plugged it in, linked it to our smart TV's, and used the power socket to control a light. I could say "Hey Alexa, turn on YouTube on the bedroom TV". It would. Alexa is always listening. It has to if you want it to obey any voice command you might want to give it. One day my wife and I were discussing installing an emergency escape ladder on our 2nd floor patio but decided against it because at our age neither of us could support ourselves climbing over the rail and down the ladder. Within 3 days my browsing was flooded ads about escape ladders.

Here are some interesting examples of Alexa's intrusiveness:
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/wom...act/755507974/

https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/14/am...e-murder-case/

After that incident I immediately returned the Echo Dot to its box and set it on the shelf. Haven't told the kids yet what I did with it or why.

When you tell your Android phone "Hey Google", it will behave the same way Alexa does.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...ns/1702205001/

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/murder...otion-privacy/

The ACLU had this to say about the situation:
https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-te...es-amazon-echo

Neither my iPHone 6+ nor either of my Android 9 Pie phones (Redme Note 7 and GS10) allow me to remove the battery conveniently. That is the ONLY way you can shut the microphone off and/or block transmission of data to their data centers. Here are some smartphones with removable batteries:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=smartphon...on_certified_3

[Don B. Cilly]

It is indeed. I just tried it once. Got my shoes wet (the ads tripled)

[Snowhog]

IMO, reporting anything to FB is akin to pissing into the wind! I don't think FB's reporting "feature" does anything at all; certainly no one at FB sees or reads them.

[Don B. Cilly]

It looks like Google does sell the data they collect on me. I google a product - with Firefox - maybe actually buy it, maybe not, I log onto Fakebook, for which I use a dedicated browser - which I use for nothing else - and I'm flooded with ads (even though I use Adblock) for exactly the same product I previously googled.

Which is absolutely silly, but then, Fakebook is so bad in all respects... like they send me scam ads. Like a $3000 - if you're lucky - lathe/mill for $130. After a few times of that, I report it. They thank me for reporting the scam... result: I get that same ad by different scammers like three times per session.

I don't use it often, and certainly never have on my phone, but it's useful for some things...

[Don B. Cilly]

It's great that you like and use it...

Actually, I hate having to use it. But it's what people use so... I have to.
If I didn't, I could carry my Ubuntu phone around instead of the Android Monster.

I mean, I could forcibly make all my friends and relations install Telegram... but it wouldn't be nice. ;·)
And I guess telling the girls who say "I'll whatsapp you the location later", "no, it has to be Telegram, I use Ubuntu Touch" will make them fall madly in love with me (he uses UT, what a guy)... but probably not, and it would be something I actively tend to avoid anyway... :·)

So, though I had no problems in firing Microsoft - I haven't used Windows or any MS product for years - I'm finding it more difficult to fire Google.

[WWDERW]

Are phone calls also free there? They are with whatsapp...

Within the same network that dooesn't go against your minutes. If not in the same network then that's something else.

I think some providers have it to where you can have x amount of numbers to where it won't count against your minutes, all others it does. Don't know if that is still going on or not though.

Those types of applications just don't work for everyone. It's great that you like and use it, it's just more of a solution looking for a problem with me.

[Don B. Cilly]

Yea, it is just texting. Most of the people ... so texting is free in that regard.

Are phone calls also free there? They are with whatsapp...

[WWDERW]

It isn't just texting, though, is it.

Yea, it is just texting. Most of the people (if not all) of the ones that I txt are within the same network or have a high enough plan tier, so texting is free in that regard. As to international, not applicable in my case. I only know of 2 people that go international and I rarely get/send texts to them as it is. But the majority of my communication with them is via txt. Sad state of affairs that is, but that's how it goes sometimes.

I'm sure I'm an outlier, but it is what it is.

[Don B. Cilly]

It isn't just texting, though, is it.
Even though I could text my son in Panama or my daughter in Bali for... whatever it is, it's still expensive, I can do it with whatsapp for free.
And I can text with my full computer keyboard via my browser.

Now, texts are expensive... especially if you have whole conversations with them.
Phone calls, to Panama or Bali, are not expensive. They're unacceptable.
And I have friends and family in Italy... and people here use whatsapp just to send me invoices and insurance estimates... it's the de facto standard.

Here, have a laugh. This is my son and I yesterday. Just plain chat with no images... still, good ole texting isn't what we do these days



(My son is a biologist. Gatt-caca... Gatto is cat, caca... you can guess :·)