When I see a 70+ year old on the bus who is holding the latest top of the range Samsung phone, I’d like to think it’s because they’re really into technology and not because a salesman sold them on something they probably don’t need.
Spanish parents are rallying to ban cell phones for children under 16.
A series of incidents linked to schoolchildren's social media usage and parental efforts to curb unrestricted smartphone access have sparked a major national debate.
#Apple#iOS#Cellphones#MobilePhones#WalledGardens#GateKeeping#OpenWeb: "Mobile applications are shaping information sharing, cultural expression, and social engagement. Employing a walkthrough methodology, this study examines the handling of user requests to access Web content via hyperlinks within 27 mobile apps operating in the Apple iOS ecosystem. The research reveals notable distinctions: traditional news media apps like CNN and BBC facilitate users’ direct access to Web content through their preferred mobile browsers with a single click, whereas many social media platforms confine users to in-app browsers. Tech giants like Alphabet and Microsoft trigger banner advertisements for their browsers when users click on a hyperlink within their e-mail apps. This approach allows them to capitalize on their dominant positions in one market to drive the visibility and adoption of products in adjacent markets. Moreover, emerging social media apps like TikTok adopt a policy of rendering hyperlinks unclickable, indicating a broader trend toward tightened control over information dissemination. These gatekeeping choices have far-reaching implications for user privacy, the equitable distribution of value between content creators and app administrators, and the future of the open Web."
Ever worry about that day when you lose your cell phone? No access to 2-step verification (for gmail, banks, whatever), lose your contact list, all those apps, easy pay, can't read cafe QR menus... Pretty much everything we do these days requires a phone. You can't even really get away with not even own one. How do people manage?
#Cybersecurity#Cellphones#Surveillance#MobilePhones#3G#4G#5G#Privacy: "This report provides a high-level overview of the geolocation-related threats associated with contemporary networks that depend on the protocols used by 3G, 4G, and 5G network operators, followed by evidence of the proliferation of these threats. Part 1 provides the historical context of unauthorized location disclosures in mobile networks and the importance of the target identifiers used by surveillance actors. Part 2 explains how mobile networks are made vulnerable by signaling protocols used for international roaming, and how networks are made available to surveillance actors to carry out attacks. An overview of the mobile ecosystem lays the foundation for the technical details of domestic versus international network surveillance, while the vectors of active versus passive surveillance techniques with evidence of attacks shows how location information is presented to the actor. Part 3 provides details of a case study from a media report that shows evidence of widespread state-sponsored surveillance, followed by threat intelligence data revealing network sources attributed to attacks detected in 2023. These case studies underscore the significance and relevance of undertaking these kinds of surveillance operations.
Deficiencies in oversight and accountability of network security are discussed in Part 4. This includes outlining the incentives and enablers that are provided to surveillance actors from industry organizations and government regulatory agencies. Part 5 makes clear that the adoption of 5G technologies will not mitigate future surveillance risks unless policymakers quickly move to compel telecommunications providers to adopt the security features that are available in 5G standards and equipment. If policymakers do not move swiftly then surveillance actors may continue to prey upon mobile phone users by tracking their physical location."
#Apple says it'll issue a software update #for iPhone 12 users in #France after regulators there ordered the suspension of the phone's sale due to breaches of radiation exposure limits.
"We are exposed to low levels of non-ionizing radiation every day. Exposure to 👉 intense, direct amounts of non-ionizing radiation may result in damage to tissue due to heat. 👈 This is not common and mainly of concern in the workplace for those who work on large sources of non-ionizing radiation devices and instruments."*
India’s trade policy is working great — for Vietnam
Policymakers are convinced that their strategy is a masterstroke. The PLI program, which kicked in for mobile phones in October 2020, is being touted as a success. Andy Mukherjee writes.
Okay, friends. I need recommendations. It's about time for me to think about getting a new phone, but there are some things I love about my current phone that are hard to leave behind. For instance, I'm a bit of an audiophile, and my LG G8 has a built-in quad DAC, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a native EQ app, and it supports both aptX and AAC codecs for bluetooth. Ideally, I'd like to find something around or under $500 (the cheaper, the better lol) with a comparable audio setup, but a more powerful chipset. Besides audio, I use my phone for normal phone stuff, lots of emulation/gaming, and making videos.
I'd really like a headphone jack and an easy bootloader unlock process for custom ROMs, but neither of those things are necessarily deal-breakers. High refresh rate displays are also very welcome but not necessary.
I'm in the US and these are the bands I need for service: