Covid Journal, August 19, 2020

A little more focus on tech than usual. I’m sick of Covid and I’m disgusted with the powers that be with Ontario’s education system. I’ll comment on all that’s happened in the last week or so when I have the stomach for it again.

Private Phones & Other Hardward

Pretty much every device we have in our lives is now reporting on all of our activity.

Mark Zuckerberg knows this and this is why he tapes over his camera and mic.

That’s going to change. Hardware manufacturers are (at least temporarily) promising to roll out new devices that have better controls on them.

Check out what Pine is offering. You can get a cell phone for $149 (US) or laptop for $199 (US).

The key detail with these devices is that they will come with ‘kill switches’ that the user can adjust that will control components like microphones, cameras, bluetooth, wifi and even the headphone so that people can’t listen to you.

Another company – Purism – makes it even easier to shift your needs ‘on the fly’ by having kill switches installed on the outside of the phone.

I’m sure all of the standard ‘trackers’ will be a part of the hardware.

Starlink Will Rule Them All

It looks like Elon Musk’s Starlink service will be available for Canadians soon. They’ve applied for a CRTC license and apparently, us Canucks are a priority.

That’s probably because the Canadian ISP industries is one of the most profitable in the world.

No information is available yet on the cost (rumour has it that it will be about $80 US per month), but I can’t wait until it is.

And then I’ll get out the popcorn when all the Bells, Rogers and Telus go whining to the CRTC that Musk isn’t playing fair.

If they want ‘fair’, cut your rates and stop pricing products like the monopolies you are. Stop charging Canadians one of the highest levies on internet / cell / TV access in the world.

Oh yeah … if you’re with a Canadian media company, get ready for even more competition when Amazon launches its Kuiper service.