- If you use any sort of technology at all, you have NO privacy (you can take steps to secure your privacy on tech devices but there is no such thing as 100% privacy where technology is concerned).
- I am NOT an Apple fan. Every few years I will buy an Apple product and experiment with it but in every case the item is returned (Android devices, IMHO are infinitely better).
- If you can get your software through a non-profit (via TechSoup) you will save A LOT of money.
- Always carry spare thumb drives and memory cards (generally micro SD cards).
- YouTube is a goldmine of tech info from reviews to tech EDC videos to news on all of the newest tech on the market.
- Limit your tech when traveling internationally (and leave all of your sensitive documents and files at home...you never know when border security will hijack your stuff which is legal for them to do).
- Speaking of international travel, leave your drones, HAM radios, and even your RTL-SDR dongles at home...this sort of stuff looks like spying equipment to many foreign governments.
- Advanced cell phones are great (Galaxy 9 and 10 stuff is amazing) but always buy these things at a discount (paying full price is ridiculous for technology).
- The leading edge advanced tech devices (like the new $2000 Galaxy Fold) is stuff you want to steer clear of until #1 the bugs are worked out, and #2 the price drops significantly.
- Power banks are a Godsend. Always carry a spare and put one in your EDC and BOB bags too.
- It's popular to store your documents/photos/videos/etc in the cloud now. I don't find these services very secure, YMMV.
- I keep a few digital back ups of my important documents, encrypted on thumb drives and memory cards, and hidden away in various locations.
- There are no digital assistant devices in my home, IMHO it is like welcoming a spy network open access to your home and everything/everyone in it.
- I am a huge fan of Dell XPS laptops, Samsung (high end) tablets, and Galaxy (S4-S10) cell phones.
- If you are concerned about having your tech stuff lost or stolen, enable the device so you can locate it or toss a Tile tag or similar device on it.
- I've tried several fitness trackers and I simply can't bring myself to use them, mostly because I never got into the running/walking metrics thing and also because they are a security risk in several ways.
- Social media is a shitshow. Be aware that what you post on social media can be traced back to you, that nothing you post is private even on SnapChat, and everything you say can be used against you in court.
- YOU are the product when it comes to using websites (everything from Amazon to Facebook to Twitter, etc). Your usage and data is meticulously tracked, ads are specifically targeted to you, and many of these apps and websites have miles-long user agreements in which you basically agree to let these "free" services do anything they want. See also #1 above.
- I trust newer tech even less than older tech. DNA testing, "cashless" stores, microchip implants...no thanks.
- The last video game I played was Asteroids somewhere back in the early 80s. Needless to say I know nothing of contemporary video gaming. I do, however, love the fact that I can download thousands and thousands of free e-books from our local library.
Bottom line, tech is ever-evolving and many things are hella cool but use what works for you with the full knowledge that literally EVERYTHING you do via technology can and will be linked to you for the rest of your natural life.
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