Yes, I know this is substack. And I’m also wary of “left wing” conspiracy theories. But interesting. #USPol
open.substack.com/pub/thiswill…
She Won, Part III: The Devil Is In The Data
88 counties flipped red. None flipped blue. Trump swept every swing state—each just above the mandatory recount thresholds. What are the odds? About one in never.This Will Hold
Montage Is Said to Hire Banks for $1 Billion Hong Kong Listing
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-23/montage-is-said-to-hire-banks-for-1-billion-hong-kong-listing?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Bloomberg Asia @bloomberg-asia-bloomberg
The Australian Dream? 🏡 - Last week I was fortunate to get to attend the launch of the new exhibition The Australian Dream? (sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/aust…) at the State Library of NSW. It’s part of their Year of Architecture (sl.nsw.gov.au/about/about-libr…), and it focuses on Australia’s fixation with home ownership, property, and the mythical quarter-acre block. I invited my friends Hank and Megan to come along, and we felt very fancy rubbing elbows with architects, designers, and politicians from across the city.
Dr. Caroline Butler-Bowdon, the State Librarian, kicked things off by talking about how the exhibition came about, and thanking everyone who contributed to the project. We also heard from Dr Kirsten Orr, CEO of the NSW Architects Registration Board, who supported the exhibition.
Next we heard from curator Anna Dearnley, who focuses on developing and curating the Library’s architectural collection. (I was surprised to learn that right now, the State Library has pretty much the preeminent collection of architecture materials in NSW.) She told a couple stories of working with co-curator Tim Ross, including one where he joined a group of experts looking at a photo of new apartment construction in St. Peters. She said the experts were focused on the brutalism of the photo, with earthworks and diggers in front of a generic apartment building. “But that’s somebody’s home,” he said. “To them it’s probably perfect.” She said that his perspective was so helpful, and it inspired a project to document some of the new development in suburbs like Parramatta. Many of the people in the photos, she said, were actually there at the launch event.
And lastly, we got to hear from Tim himself. (Wikipedia’s disambiguation (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ross) is particularly good: “Australian comedian, design nerd and radio host.”) He told a couple stories about growing up in rural Victoria, like how there was once a copperhead in his childhood sandpit so his Dad whacked it with garden hoe. And because his Dad was a chemist, they put it in formaldehyde and for years he’d take it to school Show and Tell. He also talked about his mother, who had previously been a GP. He recalled her hanging nappies on the Hills Hoist and having an epiphany that her lift needed to be about more than this, and how it inspired her to go back to being a doctor. He talked about how notions of housing in Australia had changed over the years, with fun data points like the explosion in petrol lawn mower ownership. We talk a lot about property in Australia, Tim said, but we don’t talk enough about home.
With the formalities out of the way, the exhibition was finally open. It’s a fairly small space, and I plan to go back with Rodd so I only had a very quick look around. I especially liked this drawing of the Beachcomber House by Nino Sydney (beachcomber web-goddess.org/archive/79037
The Australian Dream? 🏡
Last week I was fortunate to get to attend the launch of the new exhibition The Australian Dream? at the State Library of NSW.web-goddess
#Monsterdon starts in 30 minutes!
Tonight, we're watching Starcrash (1979). I hope to see lots of cars crashing into celebrities.
Join us at 8pm Central (01:00 UTC). Follow the #Monsterdon hashtag and contribute your own commentary. Cheers!
timeloop.cafe/@Taweret/1147277…
4 8 15 16 23 42 (@Taweret@timeloop.cafe)
#MonsterdonAlert Sunday, June 22, 2025, 8PM CT (1AM Monday UTC) TONIGHT IT'S #MONSTERDON we will be watching Starcrash (1979) "An outlaw smuggler and her alien companion are recruited by the Emperor of the Galaxy to rescue his son and destr…the Timeloop Café
‘I couldn’t watch people die in silence’ The story of Alexey Rozhkov
anarchistnews.org/content/i-co…
"‘I couldn’t watch people die in silence’ The story of Alexey Rozhkov
anon (not verified)
Sat, 06/21/2025 - 08:25"
Chinese Cobalt Prices and Stocks Spike After Congo Extends Ban
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-23/chinese-cobalt-prices-and-stocks-spike-after-congo-extends-ban?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Bloomberg @bloomberg-bloomberg
Inside Disney's plan to limit AI companies' use of its IP, which led Disney and Comcast to sue Midjourney; Disney is also in talks with companies like OpenAI (Lucas Shaw/Bloomberg)
bloomberg.com/news/newsletters…
techmeme.com/250622/p17#a25062…
Inside Disney's plan to limit AI companies' use of its IP, which led Disney and Comcast to sue Midjourney; Disney is also in talks with companies like OpenAI
By Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.Techmeme
anonymous communique from some anarchists in Bulbancha
anarchistnews.org/content/anon…
"anonymous communique from some anarchists in Bulbancha
thecollective
Sat, 06/21/2025 - 08:27"
The image displays a financial chart for Crude Oil Jul 25 (CL=F) on the NY Mercantile Exchange, with a USD value of 75.46, up by $1.62 (+2.19%) as of 10:21:40 PM EDT, indicating the market is open. The chart shows a green line representing the price trend over time, with a significant increase from June 25th to the current date. The background is dark, with the chart line in green and the price data in white and green text. The chart includes a "Key Events" toggle and options for viewing data over different time periods (1D, 5D, 1M, 6M, YTD, 1Y, 5Y, All). On the right side, there is a sidebar with a quote lookup search bar and a section titled "U.S. markets closed," displaying various financial indices and commodities, such as S&P Futures, Dow Futures, Nasdaq Futures, Russell 2000, Gold, and VIX, with their respective values and percentage changes.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Ovis2-8B
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Pacers fans gasp at Haliburton's Game 7 injury in NBA Finals before responding to Indiana's effort
https://apnews.com/article/pacers-fans-gainbridge-fieldhouse-tyrese-haliburton-injury-47e50a78f10026d843e57bbc941afdb8?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Sports @sports-AssociatedPress
Two houses from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair in Beverly Shores.
#indiana #photography #HoosierMast #nwindiana
twitter.com/SFGiants/status/19…
The image depicts a baseball stadium filled with spectators. In the foreground, a player is visible on the field, wearing a white uniform with a cap. The outfield wall is adorned with advertisements, including a prominent Visa logo and a Chevrolet logo. The scoreboard is visible, displaying player names and statistics. The stands are packed with fans, many wearing team colors, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
In the background, several flags are flying on tall poles, including the American flag and the California state flag. A Coors Light sign is visible on a brick building, and a NBC Sports Bay Area sign is also present. The sky is clear and blue, indicating a sunny day. The overall scene captures the excitement and energy of a live baseball game.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energy used: 0.175 Wh
like this
we are 800m from the NBN FW tower
using 5G mmwave, we get 350/24 speed.
#photography #Australia
Roseate Spoonbill couple tidy up their nest with a bit of plants. It was fun to watch one of them, I presume the male, grab this from one side of the enclosure and go back to their nest where the partner delightedly placed it to their liking in the nest.
#photography #photographie #fotografie #fotografía #nature #birds #mates #nest #green #animals #fujifilm #lightroom
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
*We should all grieve about the state of the world. It can be an integral part of activism.*
We should all grieve about the state of the world. It can be an integral part of activism
Activism comes in many forms. I hope, in some small way, my writing is part of itKelley Swain (The Guardian)
TGIF! Have a good Friday! – Rosé 🌹
#catsofinstagram #cats #beautifulcat #cat #photography #itsacatslife
🐈 Koko and Rose 🐈 #throwback
![TGIF! Have a good Friday! – Rosé 🌹
#catsofinstagram #cats #beautifulcat #cat #photography #itsacatslife
[https://memories.brush-and-tale.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/358085205_644713900927288_9100519851142196270_n_18001145209912635.webp]…](https://poliverso.org/photo/preview/640/50562509 "TGIF! Have a good Friday! – Rosé 🌹
#catsofinstagram #cats #beautifulcat #cat #photography #itsacatslife
[https://memories.brush-and-tale.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/358085205_644713900927288_9100519851142196270_n_18001145209912635.webp]…")
Apologies for all the posting tonight. That’s what happens when you forget to download a movie or two on a 4 hour flight.
Back to regular scheduled posting.
#israel #gaza #war #politics
archive.md/8G98B
"My association with The Washington Post began in March 1954," Colbert I. King writes.
"But my life with The Post began in September 1990, when I signed on as an editorial writer under the tutelage of Editorial Page Editor Meg Greenfield." wapo.st/4e9neOQ
O que fizeram com Bolsonaro mostra por que as pessoas NÃO confiam na Justiça Eleitoral - Paulo Figueiredo
Eles prendem, censuram e ameaçam. Torne-se meu apoiador: – https://paulofigueiredoshow.com/apoie/ USE O CUPOM 20%: … sourcePaulo Figueiredo
Parlamento do Irã aprova fechamento do Estreito de Ormuz após bombardeios dos EUA a instalações nucleares -
O Parlamento do Irã aprovou neste domingo (22) uma medida para fechar o Estreito de Ormuz, uma das rotas marítimas mais estratégicas do mundo para oGazeta Brasil
Suicide Bomber Attacks Christian Church in Syria's Damascus
The terrorist exploded a bomb on Sunday in a church in the Dweila district of Damascus, some people died as a result of the explosion, eyewitnesses told Sputnik.Sputnik International
Europe needs action — and fewer high-stakes summits with Donald Trump
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-action-high-stakes-summits-donald-trump-nato-summit-g7-uk-us-eu-pete-hegseth-greenland-russia-vladimir-putin/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into POLITICO Europe @politico-europe-POLITICOEurope
Europe needs action — and fewer high-stakes summits with Donald Trump
It is increasingly hard for Europeans to find common ground with the Trump administration. But even saying it out loud carries the risk of worsening relations.Dalibor Rohac (POLITICO)
Please raise your hand if you've disabled PowerShell 2.0 on your Windows systems. What? Didn't know that was a thing you should do? PowerShell 2.0 does not have any of the modern logging and security features that newer versions like v5.1 or 7.x have. But if you don't remove or disable the old 2.0 version, it can be used and abused by malware, info stealers, ransomware operators, etc. Here's an article that provides you with several ways to remove it from you systems (while keeping the newer version in place) #cybersecurity
powershellcommands.com/disable…
How to Disable PowerShell 2.0 Effectively
Discover how to disable PowerShell 2.0 effortlessly. This succinct guide leads you through essential steps for securing your systems.Powershell Commands
reshared this
LIVE: Iran vows to retaliate over US attacks; Trump warns of regime change
Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks as US President Donald Trump hints at possible regime change in Tehran.Joseph Stepansky (Al Jazeera)
She’s all too willing to stand up and speak out 100% against her own best interests and judgement. To eat shit and argue the official stance with conviction regardless her personal stance.
It makes me wonder how much (if at all) she argues her personal stance.
How do you argue against someone who very well may agree with you but is willing to assert the opposite of their potential beliefs so strongly and purposefully?
In about half an hour (7 MST) we will inflict a #monsterdon on the fediverse.
Watch with us (see #MonsterdonAlert) or you have no chance to survive make your time. (You can make your time by muting the hashtag, Preferences -> Filters -> Add New Filter in the Mastodon web UI, for example.)
We are watchin a 70s movie about a ragtag band of rebels who are trying to take down some manner of evil galactic empire using the power of laser swords. It is DEFINITELY NOT STAR WARS (1977) we are watching a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT move that has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with Star Wars, you can tell because it is called Starcrash (1978 or 1979 I dunno I guess this movie is so epic that it took to years to come out), which is a very different name, look there is not even a space after the word "Star"
I am declaring, with permission from absolutely no one at all, that there will be an afterparty where we watch the deleted scenes, which I'm sure will reveal once and for all that Deckard really is a replicant. Deleted scenes are at: archive.org/details/starcrash_…
Starcrash 1979 Deleted Alternate Scenes : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Deleted scenes & alternate cuts & deleted scenes for the movie Starcrash 1979Internet Archive
« On est plus dans une volonté de Donald Trump de montrer sa puissance, sa virilité et de coller aux objectifs stratégiques israéliens », analyse Karim Bitar, chercheur associé à l’IRIS, spécialiste de politique étrangère des États-Unis, après les frappes américaines en #Iran.
ledauphine.com/defense-guerre-…
#KarimÉmileBitar #USpol #MoyenOrient #politiqueÉtrangèreAméricaine #Israël @iran @israel @palestine
Interview. Frappes américaines en Iran : « Donald Trump cherche à montrer qui est le nouveau shérif »
« On est plus dans une volonté de Donald Trump de montrer sa puissance, sa virilité et de coller aux objectifs stratégiques israéliens », analyse Karim Bitar, chercheur associé à l’IRIS, spécialiste de politique étrangère des États-Unis, après les fr…Propos recueillis par Nicolas Pradère (Le Dauphiné Libéré)
Wolfspeed, a NC-based chipmaker for EVs, says it made a deal with creditors to reduce its ~$6.5B debt in a bankruptcy package that nearly wipes out shareholders (Sujeet Indap/Financial Times)
ft.com/content/6a7f6d02-cead-4…
techmeme.com/250622/p16#a25062…
US semiconductor maker Wolfspeed to file for bankruptcy
Supplier to EV companies cites deal with creditors to reduce near $6.5bn debt by 70 per centSujeet Indap (Financial Times)
"Protests against the U.S. military involvement in Iran, including some in New York and outside the White House June 22, are expected to continue throughout the week in communities across the country."
usatoday.com/story/news/nation…
Protests erupt calling for Trump, U.S. to stay out of war in Middle East
People protested against U.S. military involvement in Iran this weekend and plan to continue demonstrations later this week., USA TODAY (USA TODAY)
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.youtube.com
China’s Rains Arrive at Critical Moment for Coal and Dam Sectors
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-23/china-s-rains-arrive-at-critical-moment-for-coal-and-dam-sectors?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Bloomberg @bloomberg-bloomberg
Is America Finally Improving Its Electric Car Chargers? - Slashdot
U.S. consumers "rank problems with public electric vehicle charging and the time it takes to recharge as their top two reasons for rejecting electric vehicles," writes the New York Times, citing figures from data analytics firm J.D. Power.news.slashdot.org
d.ly for the win.
Btw, if you count yourself as Cuomo Democrat, whatever the fuck that is, this is what you sound like.
Aunque existe un debate sobre sus efectos, investigadores a favor de la salud pública han comprobado su neurotoxicidad y su asociación con la obesidad.
f.mtr.cool/yujhkwuclk
(t.me/experienciainterdimension…)
🌎 Experiencia interdimensional
Los Takis Blue Heat contienen glutamato monosódico, un aditivo con efectos neurotóxicos comprobados. Aunque existe un debate sobre sus efectos, investigadores a favor de la salud pública han comprobado su neurotoxicidad y su asociación con la obesida…Telegram
La imagen muestra un tweet del usuario "Poder del Consumidor" ([@]elpoderdelc) que advierte sobre los Takis Blue Heat. El tweet menciona que estos snacks contienen glutamato monosódico, un aditivo con efectos neurotóxicos comprobados. Aunque existe un debate sobre sus efectos, investigadores a favor de la salud pública han comprobado su neurotoxicidad y su asociación con la obesidad. Se incluye un enlace para más información.
A continuación, se presenta una radiografía del producto "Takis Blue Heat de Barcel". La sección "Nuestra Valoración" recomienda evitar su consumo debido a las altas cantidades de calorías, sodio y aditivos dañinos. Se propone como alternativa los taquitos de deshebrada con tortilla de maíz azul.
La sección "Sellos de Advertencia" destaca el exceso de calorías y sodio, con 584 calorías y 1,562 mg de sodio por cada media bolsa de 120 g. Se menciona que el 51% de las calorías provienen de grasa.
En la sección "Publicidad", se señala que el producto se presenta como una botana "divertida e intensa", pero su consumo en exceso puede tener repercusiones negativas en el organismo.
La sección "Aditivos" detalla que el glutamato monosódico es neurotóxico, y se mencionan los colorantes amarillo 5 y azul 1, que son altamente alergénicos. Se señala que el amarillo 5 se asocia con déficit de atención e hiperactividad en niños.
En la parte inferior, se incluyen iconos que indican la cantidad de sodio (1,562 mg), calorías (584 kcal), y el aditivo glutamato monosódico. También se menciona la fecha de consulta: 25 de mayo de 2025.
Proporcionado por @altbot, generado de forma privada y local usando Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energía utilizada: 0.464 Wh
artist: Mathew Brady Studio, active 1844 - 1894
source: National Portrait Gallery
notes: The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection comprises more than five thousand […]
#Art #Design #Museum #Gallery #MastodonArt #MastoArt #Culture #Random
npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.81.M…
Mr. Pataphor, Dadaist Dad reshared this.
Trump Has Bombed Iran. What Happens Next Is His Fault.
Caitlin Johnstone- It will be Trump’s fault. It will be the fault of everyone whose decisions led up to bombs being dropped on Iranian energy infrastructure, and the fault of everyone who put those sothealtworld (TheAltWorld’s Newsletter)
reshared this
How AI is enabling a "botscaling" era in Silicon Valley, where companies achieve high revenue per employee with minimal headcount (Walter Frick/Bloomberg)
bloomberg.com/news/articles/20…
techmeme.com/250622/p15#a25062…
How AI is enabling a “botscaling” era in Silicon Valley, where companies achieve high revenue per employee with minimal headcount
By Walter Frick / Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.Techmeme
Kevin Boone: How de-Googled is Lineage OS?
kevinboone.me/lineageos-degoog…
In an earlier article I wrote about my attempts to remove all trace of Google from my life. Part of that process, which is still ongoing, was to install Lineage OS on all my Android cellphones and tablets, replacing the original, vendor firmware. Doing this removes the egregious Google Play Services although, of course, this severely limits my ability to run Android apps. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, although not without some regrets.
I’ve subsequently learned that hard-core de-Googlers eschew Lineage OS, because it remains too close to the stock configuration of the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP) on which it is based. There are certainly smartphone ROMs, like GrapheneOS, that are even more Google-free.
But I’ve grown to like Lineage. I don’t know what kind of future it has, but it works well for me, and it’s easy – as easy as can be expected – to install on all the devices I own. Installing and setting up Lineage is fiddly enough; I don’t want to make my life even more complicated, if I don’t have to.
Those of us who are divorcing Google worry most, I think, about Google’s intrusive data collection. Of course, Google is by no means the only business that engages in such practices – “surveillance capitalism” is big business. But Google presents a unique challenge because, not only does it collect a lot of data, it has a lot of clever ways to process it, and find connections between disparate data elements. Before my Google separation, it always amazed me how Google seemed to know where I was all the time, even with location services disabled on my smartphone. And Google’s advertisers seem to know what I’ve been shopping for, even when I’ve been doing my shopping in person at retail outlets. How Google does this, I don’t know; but I do want to reduce their opportunities to do so.
So I need to know what information my cellphone is sending to Google, even having removed all proprietary Google stuff.
I have to point out that I’m not talking about additional, 3rd-party apps that I might have installed on a Lineage OS device – all apps have the potential to create privacy problems, but I’m free not to use them. Here I’m just thinking about the platform itself.
Note
I run Lineage with no Google apps or services of any kind. If you do run Google services, you have to accept that absolutely everything you do with an Android device will be known to Google. There’s simply no point worrying about the trivial privacy breaches in this article – that would be like taking a cyanide pill and then worrying about your ingrown toenail.
In this article I’ll be describing various data leaks of which Lineage OS has frequently been accused, reporting which ones seem still to be present, and suggesting (well, guessing) how serious they might be.
The captive portal test
“Captive portals” are often found in hotels and entertainment venues. In a captive portal, all Internet traffic gets directed to the venue’s network filter, which ensures that the user has paid for a service or, at least, consented to some usage agreement.
Android performs a captive portal test every time the device enables a network connection. This test is a simple HTTP or HTTPS request on some publicly-accessible webserver. The request is expected to return a success (2XX) code if the server is reachable. In a captive portal, the service-providing organization will capture the HTTP(S) request, and return a redirection code to its own webserver. This server will provide a web page with further instructions.
By default Lineage OS uses Google’s webservers for the captive portal test. This means that Google knows every time a device raises a network connection.
Is this a problem? Google doesn’t get to find out anything except the IP number of the device, some limited information about the type of device, and the time of day. I’ve looked at the source code, and I don’t see any information other than this being sent – the code just uses the standard Java HTTP support to make the request. It’s plausible that, with a wide-area connection, the carrier might add additional information to the request, and Google might be able to infer your location from the IP number.
If you consider this to be too much of a risk, you can change the captive portal connectivity checker. Lineage provides no simple interface for this, but you can do it at the command line (e.g., by running a terminal app, or adb shell). You don’t need to root the phone to do this.
$ settings put global captive_portal_http_url http://my_server
$ settings put global captive_portal_https_url https://my_server Unless you want to disable the captive portal check completely, you’ll need to identify a public webserver that can provide the appropriate response. There are many such servers; some Android replacements that focus more on de-Googling, like GrapheneOS, default to using one of these rather than Google. Even then, they usually have Google’s servers as a fall-back, because an outage of the conectivity check server could otherwise cause serious disruption.
On the whole, I regard this (captive portal check) a relatively harmless breach of privacy. It isn’t telling Google anything they’re not going to find out about in other ways.
DNS
Every time you use a hostname to identify a remote server, there’s going to be a DNS lookup. This lookup translates the hostname into a numeric ID for use with the TCP/IP protocol.
Internet service providers and mobile carriers operate DNS servers, but so does Google. DNS is potentially a privacy problem because the DNS server gets to learn every site you visit. It won’t see the actual URL of a web request – just the hostname. Still, that’s enough information to be concerned about. But it’s worth thinking about who the “you” is in “every site you visit”. To track you, personally, as an individual, the DNS server needs a way to relate your IP number to something that identifies you. There’s no definitive way for Google (or anybody) to do that; but there are statistical methods that can be very effective. They are particularly effective if you happen to use Google’s other services, because these will link a small number of personal Google accounts to an IP number.
Is this a problem for Lineage OS? While it might have been in the past, I don’t think Lineage now uses Google’s DNS, except perhaps as a fallback. Both WiFi and carrier Internet connections are initiated using protocols that can supply a DNS server. On my Lineage devices, I’m sure that these are the DNS servers that are being used. Still, there are references to Google’s DNS server – 8.8.8.8 – in the AOSP source code. So I can’t prove that Google’s DNS will never be used.
If you want, you can supply your own DNS server in the network configuration in the Settings app. But, unless you run your own DNS in the public Internet, you’ll be putting your trust in one mega-corporation or another. I suspect most are less worrying than Google, but perhaps not by much.
By the way – Lineage OS supports encrypted DNS. While that will prevent third-parties from snooping on your DNS traffic – including your mobile carrier or ISP – this won’t protect you from snooping at the DNS server itself. So encrypted DNS is no protection against Google, if you’re using Google’s DNS.
Assisted GPS
It takes a long time for a mobile device to get a robust fix on GPS satellites – a minute in good conditions, or several minutes in a weak signal area. Assisted GPS (A-GPS) primes the satellite fix using environmental data. This data might including a coarse location from a cellular network. With A-GPS, a satellite fix might take only a few seconds.
A-GPS data is processed by a remote server, that has the storage capacity to handle the large amounts of data involved. The main operator of such servers is, again, Google.
What can Google learn about a device using Assisted GPS? As in any Internet operation, it will find the device’s IP number, and it might find the coarse location. The Internet traffic associated with A-GPS can be encrypted but this, again, won’t protect it from Google. To determine the location of a specific individual, Google has to be able to relate the IP number to the individual. As discussed above, that can be done with a reasonable degree of confidence.
On recent Lineage versions, A-GPS is disabled by default. If enabled, it uses Google’s servers – so far as I know there are no widely-available alternatives. I just keep it disabled, and live with the disadvantage of longer GPS start-up times.
Time synchronization, NTP
At one time, Lineage OS used Googles’ time servers to set the time on the device. So far as I know, this is no longer the case – a general pool of NTP servers is used. Even if that were not the case, I can’t worry too much about leaking time synchronizing data.
WebView
I believe that WebView is the most troubling source of privacy concerns for Lineage OS, and the one whose ramifications are the least well-understood.
WebView is a component of Android that renders web pages. Of course, a web browser will do this, but many Android apps and services have a need to render pages without actually being a browser. The ‘captive portal’ support I described above is an example: the device needs to render a page for user to log in or purchase Internet access, even if no web browser is installed.
Lineage OS uses the WebView implementation from the AOSP, which is based on Chromium. Chromium is Google Chrome without the proprietary Google stuff, and it’s undoubtedly less of a privacy concern than Chrome would be. But Chromium, even though it’s open-source, is still primarily a Google product.
There are many known instances where Chromium will provide some user data to Google servers. For example, we know that Chromium downloads lists of ‘unsafe’ websites to support its ‘safe browsing’ feature. This will happen however Chromium is used. When used as a regular web browser, Chromium might send data to Google for its ‘hot word’ detection, for example.
When Chromium is only used to provide a WebView implementation, I’m not convinced that these minor privacy breaches are significant. It’s worth bearing in mind that the Jelly browser that is shipped with Lineage OS is just a wrapper around the Chromium WebView – if you use this browser, you’ll have the same privacy concerns as if you use Chromium itself.
There are a number of Google-free WebView implementations, like Chromite. GrapheneOS uses a WebView implementation called Vanadium, which is essentially a de-Googled Chromium. Installing one of these implementations on Lineage OS is not straightforward, or so it seems to me.
I don’t use Jelly or Chromium itself as a web browser – I install a browser that is not based on Google code, like Firefox. This limits my exposure to Chromium to occasions where WebView is used other than as a browser. In my normal usage, I don’t think there are many of those occasions, so I’m not too worried about WebView.
Nevertheless, it remains a slight concern and, if I could replace it without a lot of effort, I would.
Are we in tinfoil hat territory now?
I don’t like Google knowing so much about me, but I don’t believe Google’s data collection is directly harmful to me. My disapproval of Google’s activities (and I know Google is not the only culprit) is mainly one of principle. I don’t want to be a source of revenue for Google, or to legitimize their behaviour by my own inaction. I don’t want Google to make the Internet more of a hellscape that it currently is.
But I’m not paranoid. I don’t think Google is out to get me, or is in league with people who are. My rejection of Google falls short of doing things that will make my life hugely more difficult.
I am aware, all the same, that I have one foot in tinfoil hat country.
I know a few people – some in my own family – who eschew smartphones because they create time-wasting distractions. I certainly know people who don’t give smartphones to their kids, because of the well-known risks that social media poses to their mental health. But almost nobody avoids Google because they believe, as I do, that the surveillance economy is detrimental to society in the long term. Even those few who do believe this are mostly not willing to take action, because they believe (or convince themselves) that the benefits of a connected world outweigh the costs of a total lack of privacy. For me that’s like understanding the risks of climate change, and yet choosing to run two or three gas-guzzling cars because it’s a half-mile walk to the shops.
The few people who do believe as I do, and are willing to act on their beliefs, tend to be people who also believe that they’re being monitored by the CIA, or that Covid vaccines are implanting mind-control receivers. That’s not a gang that I want to run with.
On the whole, I’m satisfied that Lineage OS, as I use it, is preventing nearly all of Google’s data collection. I don’t install or use any Google services, I don’t enable A-GPS, I don’t use Chromium or the built-in browser. I could eliminate more arcane aspects of data collection – like the Internet connectivity check – if I wanted to take the trouble.
I don’t think that taking reasonable precautions to avoid becoming part of Google’s data collection economy makes me a tinfoil-hatter. Nevertheless, I would probably use GrapheneOS instead, if I had devices that supported it. Ironically, if I wanted to use GrapheneOS, I’d have to buy Google-branded mobile devices, which is an irony that really stings.
like this
Lovely and well researched post... till I see the "tend to be people who also believe that they’re being monitored by the CIA, or that Covid vaccines are implanting mind-control receivers...".
I find it problematic that both are considered as the same type; there is an incredible abundant evidence that security apparatus of different countries (not necessarily just the CIA that ' technically' can only operate in non-Americans) are indeed scrutinizing phone's data to well beyond what we would consider "the regular suspects"... way beyond! The other, is just people that, while rightly so can be skeptical of government intentions with global mandates, they hide behind that paranoia for their lack of technical and intend knowledge. As the meme says... "we are not the same".
As for GrapheneOS vs Lineage OS, I am torn. For the majority of people, as of today, LineageOS is just fine... I like that it brings diversity of hardware too since it discourages governments from having to intend to compromise different manufacturers (thing that GOS faults at). Now, more people in GrapheneOS will bring awareness too and more privacy conscious apps. So, for majority of people, do install LineageOS (or their variants), you will be taken good care of... However, for a minority of people, minority but not tiny! you know who you are, you will do better with grapheneOS (hope someone is scrutinizing both GOS and the Pixel hardware though).
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •MAJOR BRADBURY!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •“Scan it with our computer wave.”
I’m sorry. Your computer what?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Is that an air hockey table on the bridge?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •THE HOFF!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Annnd the opening credit theme was cut short, due to budget reasons.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •All police robots are bastards.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •I guess they had to release their “aft power stage” in order to avoid the neutron star gravity well?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •What the fuck is up with that helmet? It's like the helmet was designed for boobs by someone who doesn't know how women's anatomy works.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •I think we’re supposed to understand this guy is psychic.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Why is Lord Voldemort a cop in this film?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •I think Guardians of the Galaxy took a lot of inspiration from this film.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Why did she get a completely different slave outfit from the other slaves?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •I loved this guy in the Greatest American Hero.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •So, the cops who turned them in are the same ones who rescued them?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •The “unknown planet” has a name?!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Someone was like, “We want a nervous robot like C-3PO.” So, the writers, thought, “we need him to constantly say what makes him nervous so the audience will know he’s nervous.”
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Those poor horses got painted red for this scene.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Let’s talk about how bad the editing is.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Did they hire the team who did Clash of the Titans?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •She can’t run around the knife in the ground?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •We’re 30 minutes into this film, and I really don’t care about any of it.
And this theme sounds so familiar. What’s it from?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •“The temperature drops thousands of degrees.”
Someone needs to learn basic physics.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Almost half-way through the movie, and we’re just now learning there’s a ship computer that looks like a brain.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •The malfunction is a mutiny!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •“Lie down in the snow face up.”
WTF?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •“You’re the most faithful companion a woman ever had.”
“And I respect you, too, Stella.”
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Robot dude, if you knew anything, you would have known to dig into the snow and create a shelter.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Fifteen more minutes have passed, and I still feel nothing for any of these characters.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •So, Greatest American Hero is the real hero!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Bog was objectively better.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •“Time for a little robot chauvinism.”
It is never time for “a little” chauvinism, robot dude.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Finally, 50 minutes in, and we get to the real protagonists! The cavemen!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •This dude in the scary horror mask sounds relatively harmless.
“Aren’t you a little short for storm trooper.”
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Oooohhhh! It’s the HOFF!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •The Hoff is nearly as good as the Shatner at stage fighting.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •The Greatest American Hero has a LASER SWORD!!!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •They need to move the microphone away from the costumes.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •While Disney is busy suing AI, they should also sue Starcrash for laser sword infringement.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •“Fantastic! Pre-programmed computers. They could run forever!”
Kill me.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •I like the count’s eyes and the way his lips move.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •Did the Hoff call the robots “golems?”
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •So, the laser sword vaporizes you?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •I think there are two types of folks on #Monsterdon tonight:
- those who love elle, and
- those who hate elle
There is no in-between.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •This score doesn’t know what movie it’s playing to.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •I’m actually a little mad at this movie. It should have been better.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •Who the fuck was Akton? I don’t even understand Akton. What was Akton? Why was Akton?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •I’m gonna have to go back through the list of movies for this year, but right now, this has my vote for worst.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •Christopher Plummer, you made a bad movie, and you should feel bad!
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •“Stella.”
“Simon.”
“Ah, Stella.”
“Simon.”
That’s actual dialogue, folks.
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
Unknown parent • • •Have we fucked off into space yet?
#Monsterdon
Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿
in reply to Ben Ramsey 📼 🍿 • • •He just said “yee-haw,” didn’t he?
#Monsterdon