NEW CELL PHONE NEEDED

[DMF13]

Currently on ATT but Verizon is strong in my area as well.

I don't have advice for iPhones, but for service I'd suggest checking out Visible.com. It is Verizon service, but there is no store, everything is done online. Unlimited talk, text, and data, for $40/month. There ate no different plans its just the standard Verizon service.

Everyone has separate billing, but if people.join your "party," or you join someone else's "party" everyone in the party gets a discount on service. $5 off for each person, down to $25/month. If someone leaves a "party" nothing changes as long as their are.still enough people to the max discount. If your party dips below 4 total people, then your bill starts to go back up, but still its $40 max even if you're solo.

The other members of your party don't get any info about you, so people.go on social media and find large parties to get the maximum discount.

My wife and I had Verizon for well over a decade. We switched to Visible a few months ago, and are saving a ton of money.

[Leroy Suggs]

I have been pleased with my Iphone 12 Mini and would reccomend it.

[RoyGBiv]

re: iPhone

I'm all for catching sex offenders.... but....

https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/16/ai_vision_apple/

That would be more comforting if Apple hadn't said days later how on-device analysis is going to be a key component in informing law enforcement agencies about things they disapprove of. Put the two together, and there's a whole new and much darker angle to the fact, sold as a major consumer benefit, that Apple has been cramming in as much AI as it can so it can look at pictures as you take and after you've stored them.

We've all been worried about how mobile phones are stuffed with sensors that can watch what we watch, hear what we hear, track where we go and note what we do. The evolving world of personal data privacy is based around these not being stored in the vast vaults of big data, keeping them from being grist to the mill of manipulating our digital personas.

But what happens if the phone itself grinds that corn? It may never share a single photograph without your permission, but what if it can look at that photograph and generate precise metadata about what, who, how, when, and where it depicts?

[El Cid]

re: iPhone

I'm all for catching sex offenders.... but....

https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/16/ai_vision_apple/

Agreed. Never thought I'd see the day Apple sold out on privacy but here we are.

Whatever happened with those Linux based phones that were supposed to provide more privacy? The Librem 5 and similar? Anyone have experience with them? Have they been out long enough to get an idea how well they work?

https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/

[HeavyDuty]

That would be more comforting if Apple hadn't said days later how on-device analysis is going to be a key component in informing law enforcement agencies about things they disapprove of. Put the two together, and there's a whole new and much darker angle to the fact, sold as a major consumer benefit, that Apple has been cramming in as much AI as it can so it can look at pictures as you take and after you've stored them.

We've all been worried about how mobile phones are stuffed with sensors that can watch what we watch, hear what we hear, track where we go and note what we do. The evolving world of personal data privacy is based around these not being stored in the vast vaults of big data, keeping them from being grist to the mill of manipulating our digital personas.

But what happens if the phone itself grinds that corn? It may never share a single photograph without your permission, but what if it can look at that photograph and generate precise metadata about what, who, how, when, and where it depicts?

I’m thinking about a close friend who likes taking special pictures of his 35 year old Thai wife who can pass for 12.

[Inkwell 41]

Agreed. Never thought I'd see the day Apple sold out on privacy but here we are.

Whatever happened with those Linux based phones that were supposed to provide more privacy? The Librem 5 and similar? Anyone have experience with them? Have they been out long enough to get an idea how well they work?

https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/

I’ve been following the Librem 5 development. Not ready for prime time seems to be where it’s at right now. The USA made version, US sourced parts, says “shipping now”. Asking price is just under 2K. Lot’s of chatter on the Purism forum with detractors and supporters arguing whether the company over sold how ready the phone is. The standard version is still forthcoming, probably due to the ongoing chip shortage. There is another Linux based phone call the Pine phone. Haven’t followed it, so no comments about it.

[Blades]

Might as well buy the new iPhone 13(5G). In a few months it will be old, and next year the iPhone 14's will be released. The 14 is going to have satellite call abilities -- that sounds cool to me. I may have to switch to an iPhone.

[Shoresy]

I’m thinking about a close friend who likes taking special pictures of his 35 year old Thai wife who can pass for 12.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not... that's not at all how Apple's system works.

[HeavyDuty]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not... that's not at all how Apple's system works.

I am, somewhat - but it was in reference to the quoted post of how Apple is allegedly starting to mine data from photos.

[DrkBlue]

Update your iOS ASAP… for reasons.