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I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

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Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#361

Post by neobrain »

hamhock666 wrote: post #32
pdabbadabba wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cryptographically signed to you. That's a bit of an oversimplification that makes this sound more concerning than it is. Not that it's 100% un-concerning, but I suggest that anyone concerned about this read the linked docs. It really was designed to be quite privacy preserving, though it's obviously a difficult challenge in this context.

Isn’t this GPS data to see where Covid has spread? Even if your name is anonymous, a GPS point that every day goes to your work and then your home is surely you?

Where are you getting GPS from? Grandparent commenter talked about bluetooth beacons and parent suggested reading the docs.

The contact tracing APIs very deliberately avoided GPS for exactly the reason you mention.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#363

Post by felooboolooomba »

pdabbadabba wrote: post #19
felooboolooomba wrote: post #12

Not to mention that your android/ios device is still shipping a bunch of bluetooth tokens for "track and trace" system. Cryptographically signed to you. https://covid19.apple.com/contacttracing

> Cryptographically signed to you. That's a bit of an oversimplification that makes this sound more concerning than it is. Not that it's 100% un-concerning, but I suggest that anyone concerned about this read the linked docs. It really was designed to be quite privacy preserving, though it's obviously a difficult challenge in this context.

> Not that it's 100% un-concerning

The face alone that if you spend 10 minutes within someone's proximity will get flagged is 100% concerning. Of course they keys will only be handed to government health officials, but we all know what that means.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#365

Post by dbspin »

inigyou wrote: post #330
dev1ycan wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It always seemed insane to me that people accepted so easily to have everything locked behind "app stores", crazy garbage, even worse having SO MUCH PREINSTALLED BLOATWARE OUT OF THE BOX.

What do you mean by "accepted"? In a free market, buyers have to choose between the products that are available.

Yup, and a duopoly isn't a free market!

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#366

Post by prmoustache »

skeptic_ai wrote: post #134
prmoustache wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But do you need "these" banking apps with you 24/7? An old smartphone or tablet can do that job and stay in a drawer at home 99% of the time.

Yes. I need to pay someone. Get notified when my credit card is used. If any important banking communication happened. What do I do with a phone without: banking, uber, messenger like app, ? Same as holding a piece of a rock. Useless.

How did we do it before phones? Instant online payment is nice but rarely a requirement. Most times we split a bill with friends in a restaurant we agree on paying someone but although we technically could we don't all grab our phone at the exact moment, preferring enjoying the real social conversations we have. We tend to pay them later, and that later is more often than not at home and when I do a swift transfer to someone I'd rather have my complete laptop screen anyway to verify the banking data.

As for Uber and messaging, you are moving the goalpost.

uber still worked from the webpage last time I checked.

There are messaging apps available on linux.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#367

Post by dools »

inigyou wrote: post #364
dools wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is, that website? It’s pretty thorough. It’s not my website but the information is all accurate.

Have you verified all of the website contents?

Well I have spent a LOT of time working with these devices, and I took a look through the website, and I didn’t see anything that looked wrong.

But not exhaustively no, because why would I? it’s just the first google result for ”openstick”.

It’s a pretty cool project with a cult following. If you’re interested you could spend years working with the same devices and then verify the information yourself.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#368

Post by noisy_boy »

I have said it before: the only practical solution is two phones. Use a budget one for boring banking and government stuff. Use Linux phone for all that stuff that ad companies are actually interested in and totally cut them off from that data by virtue of actually having control. They can shove their security theatre up their ass.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#369

Post by fzeindl »

reorder9695 wrote: post #294

I've come to the conclusion that I actually really like Android as an operating system, the internals seem remarkably well thought out and ideal for the mobile use case (so long as you're running a userdebug build with the ability to adb root in when needed), most of people's issues aren't really with Android (although Google reducing the AOSP release schedule isn't a good sign). I think the real problem is Google Pl…

> I actually really like Android as an operating system, the internals seem remarkably well thought out and ideal for the mobile use case

Just no. I developed for android for a long time and I have seldomly seen a worse and more confusing SDK and code base. I can give you many examples but the core layouting algorithm having quadratic complexity with the number of widgets and the single base-view class having 60.000 lines of code are just the tip of the iceberg.

Re: I'm switching my phone from Android to Linux

#370

Post by fg137 »

pitkali wrote: post #346
reorder9695 wrote: post #294

I've come to the conclusion that I actually really like Android as an operating system, the internals seem remarkably well thought out and ideal for the mobile use case (so long as you're running a userdebug build with the ability to adb root in when needed), most of people's issues aren't really with Android (although Google reducing the AOSP release schedule isn't a good sign). I think the real problem is Google Pl…

> I think the real problem is Google Play Services. It's far, far too tightly integrated in a way that it just seems like Android was designed to be unusable without. Wasn't the point of Play services to enable keeping OS "updated" regardless of the manufacturer schedule? Which is to say: they are tightly integrated because they were designed to be part of an operating system that Google can keep updated through Play…

Somewhat, but only relevant when it comes to things like WebView but not other things. If there is a vulnerability elsewhere, your device on an older OS that the manufacturer has stopped supporting will not get any patches.

Google may think it's important to keep WebView always up to date with Play services. I couldn't care less. I still have to buy a new phone to get all updates.

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