Here's why I do not want a car connected to the internet.

The irony of course is we're all willingly walking around with a super computer in our pocket that's illicitly collecting way more data about our day to day activities than anything a brief car ride can do and the settings we can use to tell it not to don't work very well. But make sure your car isn't internet connected, lol...

 

Exactly

 

Know of more than one emergency case .. Not me .. Where folks were lucky to be connected.

As stated, unless you are a Luddite, you are already bought and sold.

 

The big data aggregators have most of them too.

 

Just requested AMAZON reveal all data collected on myself -- just for the hoot of it -- they told me they will have it in a month.

 

The old 2012 GSM modules were designed for 3G networks, which have since been shut down.

That's what I often tell people that put tape over their computer and tablet cameras.

 

Are they all down now?

As I posted a couple months ago, while all the major providers had shut down their 3G years ago, but not all the minors had done so. One I'm familiar with just gave notice last September that it was finally going to be sunsetting its own 3G soon, phased by geography.

 

But not over their cell phone cameras that has GPS tracking and can be remotely toggled-on just as easy as a computer or tablet. Also tethered 24x7 to the web. Please explain?????????

 

If that is all you are using the phone for, you should look into Light phone.
The Light Phone

 

Landline phones don't move or track your search histories. An old receiver has a physical switch that disconnects it.
What's the difference between Apple (Chinese government, phones manufactured there) having all your information vs Toyota???
FWIW, it's tougher to remove rights from Apple apps vs google android apps. That's why Apple apps crashes less, they're more tightly integrated and almost all information is shared between apps. You deny access to an android app; it's likely to crash.
How do you think your getting GPS information. App needs to know where you are and where your going; and if your using Suri, it's always listening. Ditto with the google products - They are only suppose to be listening for the command sequence - but they are listening all the time - otherwise they wouldn't respond to you ??? Think about it......

Just my paranoid two cents......

 

You're probably a more interesting target if you TRY to remain anonymous.

@3G: Dead cat bounce. 3G is effectively no longer used - especially by the OEMs.

@ Land lines: I still fix them, semi-regularly. We stopped installing new land lines a while back. I anticipate that I will see the last of the POTS customers in my turf converted to VOIP or disconnected outright in the near future.
I was talking to one of my installers yesterday who is in his mid 40's, and only has 14 years of service - and he's already thinking about his next 'forever home.'

Now people happily pay for internet, which unlike POTS is effectively unregulated by dot.gov.

 

My point exactly, you pay for the hardware and monthly subscription so they can spy on you. Ante that a kick in the pants.......

 

My rant is NOW I have to have a cell phone if I want the possibility of having a phone during a power outage, which are somewhat frequent.

Have been switched to fiber optic. So before, when power was out landline still worked. Now, it works about 30 minutes before its battery dies. Cell phone service is spotty here.

I tried to refuse fiber optic, but it was "free" and I was going to get it no matter what I said.

 

Copper is regulated, expensive, prone to theft, and it conducts electricity!
Besides....the last couple of companies that use copper are in a race with criminals to yank the stuff off of the poles and out of the Peds and Underground.

Glass is better - but the best 'last mile' solution is still....air - and NOT from a tower that's susceptible to icing over, burning in a wild fire, vandalism, power loss, equipment failure, topography, etc...etc.

You may be a good candidate for a Starlink Roam plan's $5 standby plan.
I'm evaluating one for a future "Life at 500Kb/s" thread but these stinking winter storms are keeping me busy.

Good Luck!

 

we replaced our $80./mo. copper line with Comcast triple play, which includes the free phone.

so mrs. B tried to cut our cable bill while we're in Florida. she got it down from $300. to $250./mo. by going to basic cable.
but when we got the bill, it was $200. + $50. for NO PHONE

 

IMHO; that fiber optic line should run for more than 30 minutes. I'd check FCC regulations since that can be critical infrastructure.

My nearest cell tower had a bad backup battery backup system. Every-time the power went out, my cell phone would drop down to 1-2 bars; indicting that my closest tower shut-down. I called my provider on multiple occasions to fix that - no joy. I finally called the FCC and it was fixed within a month.

Hope this helps...

 

Will have to doublecheck on battery life, but what is the real diff? If power is out for a few days, which it often is, odds are I would be more likely to need help a day or two into a storm than a hour after power disappears.

FCC....hmmm .... maybe before Trump...















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