patrick.net

Big Brother is here.

I do all the time. I'm out and about and it's at home reporting that I'm at home. Tee hee hee.

We once were road-tripping overseas and managed to kill both our phones while walking on the beach (sneaker waves are real, folks). Our kids were literally in panic: "How are we going to find our way to the next hotel? What about the airport tomorrow, how are we going to find it and how to figure out if we're going to make it in time w/o GPS telling us the ETA?..."

This was fucking eye opening. They literally don't know the world before smartphone.

Yes, certainly I could live without my cellphone. My computer will work as a phone.

Second - you might want to consider this:

https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/

I just ordered one.

www.youtube.com/embed/lFELJ3E_-G4

Watch Snowden on netflix. They can video watch, audio listen, track location, check your emails, ....

My wife forgot her phone when we went to St. John. Maybe I'm the problem, but fuck privacy and fuck your wife leaving her phone at home on a vacation. Jesus Christ that was a rough fucking week. Kids in tow, so not a fucking week either with all my swearing.

I can’t live without my phone.
I love that it has so many capabilities, including a pretty good camera.
My service is interesting, it uses VOIP by default, so if there is WiFi, it works anywhere.
I have WhatsApp on it for foreigners to contact me.
I don’t care if someone wants to watch me, he will be bored quickly.

If a Linux phone worked with my provider, I would get one.
For a while there was an Ubuntu Linux phone.

Addendum: I use Republic Wireless, check it out.

I would love nothing more than to throw my phone in a river.

But I can’t compete professionally without it.

clambo says

If a Linux phone worked with my provider, I would get one.

I will try to report on it when I receive it.

There's many people that think "Oh LINUX - I can't use Linux - that's for technical people, I could never use that. It's far too complicated".

KDE is easier and more intuitive than MS Windows. It's my main interface to Linux, and a moron could use it, trust me, I'm essentially a moron savant.

I think that Android and iOS's days are numbered. They shove crapware onto your phone, they strip you of your privacy, and you have ZERO control over it. The first phone that doesn't pull this shit will win.

Here, do you just use your computer to browse the web and connect to websites? Consider this:

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-400/?resellerType=home

They give too many options. They allow you to add options like power supply, pre-installed OS, etc - those should be default options, you can remove. Basically, you want all the options but they are catering to nerds like me, that realize they can get the same identical options, for about $5 cheaper over all or we already have the parts they are selling. It's a keyboard computer meant to connect to a television or a monitor. It's low end, but adequate for most people.

With a teeny screen, no mouse, and horrible (onscreen) keyboard, there's really only one way that a smart phone is better than a desktop computer: I can put it in my pocket and take it anywhere. The only time I really find the phone useful is when on vacation, where I have no access to my desktop machine. Driving directions can be useful when on vacation, too.

As for the "phone" aspect of the smartphone ... I use it to talk to my parents every week (they seem to be living in the 1980s). After that, I barely use the phone feature — all calls not in the address book go silently to voicemail.

SunnyvaleCA says

With a teeny screen, no mouse, and horrible (onscreen) keyboard, there's really only one way that a smart phone is better than a desktop computer:

This is why I hate phones and tablets. I know you can attach a keyboard to either, but for the things I do for fun/work I need something bigger. I'd rather lug around a 15" laptop or be at my two 27" monitor iMac setup to get things done and have exponentially more processing power. And yes a mouse. I can't stand touch screens.

I try to put the phone away on vacation or just give mine to my wife because she forget hers.... One other positive with younger kids in the phone department is the photos you can take. I only have an iPhone X and the photos I've had taken and had printed are rather amazing for something out of my pocket. Doesn't compete with my Canon due to sensor size, but it's pretty damn good for something you are gonna have with you anyway and the ease of portability. With some of these phones being water proof or cases assisting with that, I find myself leaving the Canon at home on most trips. Too bulky.

Not anymore I can’t.

I have a good memory and remember the days before even pagers. I remember the Commodore 64 we got in the mid 80’s. I remember a family friend using a modem to first access remote sites. I remember my first pager and then first cell phone and finally in maybe 1999 or 2000 my first phone that could access eBay.

The truth is now I’m very dependent on my phone. For communication, for information, finances, a lot of stuff. I’ll be the perfect citizen in the brave new world if I can learn to shut up.

We went on a week vacation last month to Florida. I turned both my work phone and personal cell OFF, placed them in the kitchen drawer, and left for Florida.

I slept the best I'd ever slept in years.

My favorite OS was Ubuntu Linux with a minimalist desktop, it was called GNOME, an acronym.

There were just three words on the desktop: files, applications, settings. I thought it was slick.

The reason I have Mac OS is I need to do my taxes on software once every year.

I guess I could do them through a browser but I prefer no to.

I suspect if we were to shut down the internet, and all of the wireless technology. And people quit looking at digital devices.

The would return to 1950's style of polite social interaction.

Even domestic and wild animals are violent and on edge, more than they used to be.

richwicks says

https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/

I just ordered one.

@richwicks I'd be super-interested to hear how the Pinephone works for you.

I didn't have a cellphone for several years, and I work in tech. I have one now, only because of my wife, and because it's more private than a landline. The only apps I installed are Signal, my VPN, and an app to dim blue light. I've disabled or uninstalled everything else. I purchased it used off Ebay using an email and account that doesn't trace back to me. Used a gift card to purchase and pay for my plan, also untraceable. Oh, I also installed one more app for calling and texting people I don't want to have my real number, which is everyone but my family. And I've instructed my family not to save my number using my full or last name. I never take my phone anywhere unless I'm going to be gone for a while, and without my wife.

My ISP also does not know who I am.

Privacy isn't hard, and living without a cellphone is AWESOME!

I turned my iphone off last night.

Fucker turned itself on this morning. That's pretty creepy.

The only kind of cell phone I used is a T-Mobile that I add $25 for 250 minutes to once a year. I only use it if I go out of town, I think I used 15 minutes last year. I've got voicemail turned off, but a few months ago it turned itself back on. It was the most complicated thing when I called T-Mobile to get it turned back off, took nearly 30 minutes of false tries. Same thing with call waiting on my landline. The lady at Spectrum took 30 minutes while trying over and over to kill call waiting.

NuttBoxer says

Privacy isn't hard, and living without a cellphone is AWESOME!

I know we've gone back and forth before on this. If you have a photo ID to drive, you have no privacy. None. You can't put that in an LLC. If you have a utility account, those are especially bad with privacy, but you need them to keep the lights on. All corporations and LLC's are linked to an individual. Withholding data like you do is a good idea admittedly, but you're not as hidden as you think.

NDrLoR says

The only kind of cell phone I used is a T-Mobile that I add $25 for 250 minutes to once a year. I only use it if I go out of town, I think I used 15 minutes last year. I've got voicemail turned off, but a few months ago it turned itself back on. It was the most complicated thing when I called T-Mobile to get it turned back off, took nearly 30 minutes of false tries. Same thing with call waiting on my landline. The lady at Spectrum took 30 minutes while trying over and over to kill call waiting.

Is that unlimited text?

WookieMan says

If you have a utility account, those are especially bad with privacy, but you need them to keep the lights on.

Ha, tell me about it: we have a public-run water service where I live. When I called to start the service in my new house they asked for SSN. I thought this was weird because I have never had to provide it to the private water companies in all the places I lived before. Asked if there was a way to do it w/o the SSN and they flat out said "no SSN - no water".

WookieMan says

... two 27" monitor iMac setup to get things done and have exponentially more processing power. And yes a mouse. I can't stand touch screens. ... Doesn't compete with my Canon due to sensor size, but it's pretty damn good for something you are gonna have with you anyway and the ease of portability. With some of these phones being water proof or cases assisting with that, I find myself leaving the Canon at home on mo...

Yikes. I think you must be my doppelgänger. My 27-inch iMac setup is with only a 24-inch second monitor, but I make up for it with 2 Canon bodies (full frame for most tasks and a high-pixel-density cropper used with the telephoto). I once dragged a 1D II with 24-70 up Halfdome, but now I find myself leaving the heavy cameras home sometimes.

Also, if you have a rotary phone stashed in your attic ask your kids to figure out how to dial the number on it. 10 minutes of fun guaranteed. =))

SunnyvaleCA says

My 27-inch iMac setup is with only a 24-inch second monitor

Lol. I'm anal, I like the sizes matching for looks. I use pro studio monitors for speakers. Any video conferences are done with a Shure SM7B and compression for silky smooth audio. I'm the weird drummer/musician that got wayyyyyyyy into audio visual stuff. Throw in my drums and I'm sitting around $20k of equipment right now.

I can find my way around cameras, but everything is self taught, so no expert on that front. You can do so much cool shit with prosumer gear. The wife hates it when I'm packing for a trip, but it's a hobby. Expensive one... lol. But I have some pretty impressive prints from photos and drone shots on trips we've been on. Have the FAA license for the drone, but have been too lazy to do anything with it. I'd like to do something with it, but feel like I'm too late to the game to establish anything that's worth the time. Seems like prices for services are dropping all the time now.

Can you live with your cellphone?

https://tdefender.substack.com/p/high-certainty-cellphone-radiation-cancer-animals-who-study

‘High Certainty’ Cellphone Radiation Linked to Cancer in Animals, WHO Study Finds

A systematic review commissioned by the World Health Organization concluded there is “high certainty” evidence that cellphone radiation exposure causes two types of cancer in animals.

I'm luddite and use my phone mostly for books and music, calls once in a while, but I do need it for critical calls. It is off most of the time (unless it's 'on' without my knowledge for the guv sniffers).

Without it, we would have to re-install the standard land lines, which were so mobbed with fakes, frauds, constant ringing that they became torture devices and no public entity resolved that issue. I think they actually allowed the old fashioned phones to become torture devices to force people into the cell phone paradigm.

I use a wired headphone with mine and always hold it away from me either with headphones or speaker on. I saw all of those vids of Chinese more or less instantly killed through their cell phones held to their ears from scalar waves. Don't know if it helps to keep it away from the head that much, but it couldn't hurt.

https://tdefender.substack.com/p/cellphone-radiation-abnormal-blood-cells-rouleaux-formation

Cellphone Radiation Causes Abnormal Blood Clumping in Just 5 Minutes, Study Finds

A healthy woman’s blood cells formed abnormal clumps after just five minutes of having an idle cellphone placed on her leg.

Patrick says

https://tdefender.substack.com/p/cellphone-radiation-abnormal-blood-cells-rouleaux-formation

Cellphone Radiation Causes Abnormal Blood Clumping in Just 5 Minutes, Study Finds

A healthy woman’s blood cells formed abnormal clumps after just five minutes of having an idle cellphone placed on her leg.

Nobody mentioned how many times she was vaxxed

komputodo says

Nobody mentioned how many times she was vaxxed

Good point. Nano-fuckyou's along with the mRNA.

Although the million or so killed by the CCP with scalar 5G to kick of the Covid Fraud hysteria hadn't been vaccinated yet. The vaccines could just be another accelerant.

Probably good idea not to do prolonged direct skin contact, since energy drops off exponentially with distance. Probably the pocket and jeans fabric already alleviates a lot. Take it out of your pockets frequently for a while and keep it at a few feet distance at night. Other than that move and exercise a lot, sitting idle in general for a prolonged time likely promotes clotting much more. Hopefully we'll see the follow up studies with n much larger than 1, otherwise these studies are statistically insignificant. Remain skeptical.

Back to the OP, not sure I addressed it in my comments above, short answer is no, but I need it around. Caveat with that though. Only take calls from numbers I know. Turn off all tracking (that I'm aware of and yes I will contradict myself in a second here). Don't scroll through stuff unless it's bedtime. I'll respond to texts but keep it on silent.

Maps is probably my most used app hour wise since for kids stuff I'm going to places where routes change every time. That's mounted on my wind shield. I know where I'm going, but it routes me the fastest way and I get an extremely solid ETA as I hate being late and don't speed. I literally have this morning planned down to the minute. It's a game for me. I'm driving 5 blocks in a rural town... I know how long it takes, but I don't want my son to be that kid that's late. Jazz Band practice.

Wife and in laws are late to everything. Pissed my sister off enough that she started lying about when events start by 30 minutes.

I need and want my phone for mission critical stuff is the point. I can't stand messing around on apps or if we're out to eat. Kids aren't allowed to use their phones at a breakfast, lunch or dinner table. Breaking bread so to speak is a chance for my wife and I to connect with our kids. They goof off outside of that time, but they're generally more outdoor kids when it's warm out riding bikes around like I did as a kid. Winter sucks here and we've gotten no snow over 2-3 years or way below average. Global warming in action. I'm digging it.

As I said above I'm a computer guy. I even have a bluetooth keyboard for typing on my phone, mainly for texting. Don't get why Apple and Samsung can't play nice with a basic feature. 90% of my texting is on the computer except for groups with Samsung or other weird phone in it. I don't know who to blame but beside that, calls and mapping I really wouldn't need a phone.