A retraction? An apology? Well... not really.

Our handful of episodes on cryptocurrency created a false sense of security for some of you. I thought I could do better. So, at the end of last year, I decided to write an episode that was more of a cautionary tale.

This is that tale. In this episode, we'll explore why investing your money into cryptocurrencies and digital collectibles like NFTs are risky and reckless. We'll discuss the FTX collapse and the lack of regulatory backing or oversight for cryptocurrencies and their trading platforms.

Our goal with this episode is to make clear for any average investor all of the terrible risks that are currently part of the cryptocurrency markets

Caveat emptor!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Please visit the TechTalk Product Recommendation page for more up-to-date picks for best-in-class software, hardware, and services. These are the very same products and services that we own and use ourselves.

Transparency Statement

Please read the TechTalk Transparency Statement to learn about our newsletter’s strict policies on linking to products and services that we recommend to our readers.

The story of Bitcoin is fascinating and begins, as all good stories do, with a mystery.

Our story begins way back in 2008. This was the year that the original white paper describing how Bitcoin would work was written and then shared with the world by someone named Satoshi Nakamoto. Nakamoto had few correspondences and few Bitcoin transactions. So, despite creating a new currency and the entire underlying technology for how it would work, Nakamoto wasn’t very public.

Bitcoin’s creator left the project in 2010 without ever admitting to his identity and then… essentially disappeared. Folks got curious, and journalists and amateur sleuths began hunting for clues: theories emerged. Some thought Nakamoto was an actual individual; others suspected the name might be a cover for a group of people. Trying to discover Nakamoto’s true identity became increasingly popular.

But that’s not where our story begins.

No, friends, our story begins with Nakamoto’s most popular creation: the world’s most famous digital currency.

Episode #75: How Does Cryptocurrency Work?!?

Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies. Like traditional currencies, people can use them to pay each other for goods, services, or gifts. Unlike traditional currencies, there is no such thing as digital cash that someone can hand to you.

That’s because digital currency isn’t exchanged physically, it’s done electronically: people transfer funds to one another using applications on their mobile devices or computers. If you use PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo to make any of your purchases, then you understand this concept already.

See?! We’re halfway there! Kind of. We haven't yet talked about the $544 million pizzas, but give me a few: we'll work up to that, I promise...

How To Prevent Malicious Hackers from Using Security Flaws to Compromise your Data or Computer.

I shouldn’t even need to write or share about this, but I do: not enough people update their machines automatically. This article makes clear that 36 percent of all security/privacy professionals don’t do it and that 62 percent of regular folks don’t do it.

REALLY?! People, please! Not only is setting up automatic software updates crucial, but it’s also incredibly easy to do. So, please, I beg you: make the commitment to set this up NOW.

In today's episode, we’ll focus on patching two targets: operating systems and applications. 👍🏼 👌🏾

Product Recommendations:
Please visit the TechTalk Product Recommendation page for all of our latest picks for best-in-class software, hardware, and services. These are the very same products and services that we own and use ourselves.

Transparency Statement:
Please read the TechTalk Transparency Statement to learn about our newsletter’s strict policies on linking to products and services that we recommend to our readers.

In this episode — part one of this series — the creator of TechTalk, David Koff, will focus on the data we keep on our computers and mobile devices.

A few of us have access to restricted or classified materials, accessible only to people with the proper background checks or elevated security clearance.

A few of us have access to trade documents that, in the wrong hands, might be copied and brought to market by competitors.

Many of us with full-time jobs have access to any number of internal memos, documents, and other business-related files that aren’t meant for the general public.

Most of us have reams of personal data in the form of contacts, photos, videos, and other creative projects we’ve made.

All of us have communications - both digital and analog - that we consider private, including those in the privacy of our own homes or those we have with professionals concerning our medical, financial, and legal records.

And, lastly, all of us have our own address & phone numbers, social security or government numbers, and more.

My opinion is that ALL of these data need protecting. All of them.

Therefore, we not only need to understand how to protect the various kinds of data we possess but also the most affordable and efficient solutions for doing so.

I have clients, friends, and family who have been hacked or scammed and lost as much as tens of thousands of dollars and scores of hours of time to repair the damage done. This includes crap like calling vendors, banks, and law enforcement agencies and dealing with sleepless nights and lost data.

Therefore, I’d like to devote time here - and in future episodes - to help all of you understand the creative ways that malicious hackers use to part you with your money, time, belongings, and sanity.

I also get hit by attempts to bribe, confuse, or hack me. But unlike most people, I collect evidence and categorize them. Then, I can share them with you. That way, you can know what to look for and either avoid or stop the attempts cold.

Approach #1: Ransomware Threats

Ransomware, as its name implies, is the practice of demanding a financial ransom for a variety of real or imagined reasons:

* Getting back a company’s critical data

* Not publishing certain sensitive data including compromising photos

* Locking computers down, sometimes with an alarming graphic on-screen

While most corporations invest substantial funds to establish digital firewalls to prevent hacks, it’s usually not enough. Then, they’re sometimes forced to pay huge ransoms - sometimes $5 million or more - to get back control of their businesses.

The reason so many high-level hacks are successful is that they use something called “social engineering”, the act of tricking company employees with requests that look legitimate but are not. This recently happened to both Apple and Meta (hat-tip to Charles Yaker for this link).

If business leaders need to train their employees on how to prevent these kinds of hacks, the doubly same is true for us individuals. So let’s check out a few of the most common kinds of tricks that hackers like to use.

Email

Email is hugely popular with malicious hackers and it’s easy to see why: anyone can write a threatening email, it’s dirt cheap to purchase tens of thousands of email addresses, and it only takes a few people to fall for the scam in order for the financial payoff to be huge.

Although most email applications have decent spam filtering, it’s not enough. Therefore, follow these four rules when it comes to avoiding scams and hacks:

* Don’t open emails unless you know the individual or the company that sent them.

* Once you’ve confirmed an email is safe to open, don’t click any links unless you first confirm that it’s safe. Do that by using one of these, two great tools: ScanUrl or PhishTank.

* Never download any file or installer from any email. Yes, that’s strict, but it’s safe. The exception: if you know the senders, have confirmed their email addresses are correct and you’ve been expecting an attachment. If not, most email apps will offer a way to “quick view” an attachment without downloading it so you can view it online.

* When in doubt, delete it. There will come a time when an email looks legit and you’ll reaaaallllly want to open it… but your Spidey Sense will be tingling. Please: resist that temptation. Trust your Spidey Sense and delete the email.

As these emails are designed to scare the s**t out of you, don’t fall into your fear! Take a breath and then remember this: any reputable bank, government agency, or creditor will get in touch with you repeatedly. More importantly, they’ll usually start by sending you a letter via snail mail, not an email that asks you to act immediately.

When S**t Gets Creative

I mention fear because malicious hackers don’t actually need to infect your computer. Sometimes, they can infect your mind and do as much damage. Such was the case earlier this week when I got the following email:

The idiot went on to demand $1200 paid through Bitcoin to his digital wallet or else he’d blah, blah, blah, and then I’d suffer blah, blah, blah.

Now look: on its surface, this probably seems like a scary letter to some of you. I get that. However… you need to take a breath. Then use your tools. My Spidey Sense was telling me this was a scam. And so, after I took a few minutes to confirm my suspicions, I sent the following response:

Now, let me explain why I trusted my Spidey Sense:

First, the wording of this email was so general that it could have been sent to anyone. In fact, I KNOW that was the case because a few days later, I got the very same email sent to another email alias that I use! Sadly, I’m sure some of the targets paid the ransom out of fear, so here’s a tip: if the threatening email offers no specifics, report it, then delete it. For example, did the individual identify the make & model of your router? How about identifying which computers or smartphones you have? How about actually using your first and last name in the friggin’ email?!? See what I mean? None of that stuff was in this joker’s email.

Second, no one but me (and, perhaps, the FBI if this recent report from the Director of National Intelligence is correct) has access to any of my critical accounts. That’s because all of those are double-secured with two-factor authentication, or “2FA”. This technology is 100% free and something I recommend and covered in-depth back in Episode 36. I encourage you to start using 2FA immediately.

Third, both of my wireless routers are privacy & security-minded devices that I detailed and recommended to you back in Episode 40. Both are protected by user names and passwords which I change regularly. Both devices also keep logs which I checked to confirm that there was no unusual activity.

I’d like to share another tool that not only helped me confirm my Spidey Sense was accurate but also allowed me to eliminate any further communication from the idiots who tried to scam me. Take a look at the email I received. In particular, the top part:

I’ve used 33mail (affiliate link here) for years because it’s cheap and very effective at ending spam. I’ve actually recommended it multiple times: in Episode #3 and in Episode #23. The benefits are amazing:

* When I create and use 33mail aliases, all emails sent to those aliases are forwarded to my actual email address through the company’s servers. That means… strangers don’t know my real email address.

* When I reply to a forwarded email from 33mail, the company routes the reply through their servers. That way, my responses appear to come from my 33mail email aliases.

* As you can see: EVERY forwarded email from 33mail comes with a header at the top with a link to INSTANTLY block that alias… and anyone who might wish to contact me using it. 🙌🏼

In practice, here’s what it looks like when I use it. You’ll note that I use the NAME of the website or service in my 33mail email alias. That way, I know which websites are responsible for losing, sharing, or selling my contact information:

Approach #2: Sales Threats

Here’s another email I got recently. Hmm… it looks like I bought something from BestBuy/GeekSquad, so that’s exciting!

The bad news? I didn’t actually purchase anything from Best Buy, so this is most likely a scam. Still, maybe they intended the email for another David Koff. As my Spidey Sense is tingling, let’s investigate further:

* Check the return email address in the red rectangle. It’s not a Geek Squad or Best Buy email address. It’s a Gmail address. Strike one.

* I did a quick view on the attachment (no downloads, remember?) and saw the following. I confirmed the phone number shown isn’t the number on the Geek Squad webpage. Strike two.

* I called the number in question (from one of my Google Voice numbers, not from my cell), and a man with an Indian accent answered, not mentioning the name of the company. Strike three.

You’re out!

I have nothing against India, but every social security scam phone call I’ve received over the past five years features someone with that regional accent. I’m not imagining it either: in February of 2022, the U.S. Justice Department indicted bogus call centers in India.

Bonus Note: the link above to the U.S. Justice Department website also has excellent tools and tips for dealing with scam Social Security calls including these gems:

So remember: take a breath. Keep a level head. Hang up the phone if someone asks you act immediately. And never provide any critical data (bank account info, social security number, address, date of birth) to anyone who doesn’t first provide you with their information, their agency or company name, and the SPECIFICS about your problem.

Use the tools I’ve provided. Let me know how it goes. And as always… Surf safe.

And that’s a wrap for today’s episode, everyone. Thanks again to my free and paid subscribers for supporting independent technology journalism. I also thank you, in advance, for using the link below to share Tech Talk with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Popular Past Issues:

* Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

* How to remove your personal data from the web.

* My 2021 recommendations on the best VPN providers.

* My favorite, free tool to keep email addresses private.

* A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

Product Recommendations

These are the devices and services that I personally use. I pay for everything you see listed here. I made these choices after much research and recommendations from tech industry colleagues.

* The online backup software I use: iDrive (affiliate link)

* The VPN software that I use: Nord VPN (affiliate link)

* The email anonymizer that I use: 33Mail (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my office: Gryphon (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my home: Synology (affiliate link)

* The service I use to block spam calls/texts: Uncall (affiliate link)

Transparency Statement

Some of the products and services I recommend pay me a small commission if you decide to purchase them. Making purchases based on my recommendations never costs you extra. In fact, it can sometimes save you money because I get access to certain discounts which aren’t available to the general public.

It’s a win-win: you save money and help me earn an additional salary from my writing. Thank you, in advance, for that. It’s an easy way for anyone to support my work, research, and expertise. Affiliate links will be shown like this → (affiliate link) to make them easy to identify.

In case you’re curious:

* I’ve purchased, owned, tested, and/or deeply researched every single thing I recommend.

* I’m never paid to sell software or hardware to you.

* I retain 100% editorial control over everything I write.

* The companies, products, or services that I recommend don’t know that I’m going to mention them.

Fear Is the Mind Killer…

An unusual number of friends and readers have been reaching out to me privately over the past two weeks, all asking the same question: “What can I do to protect my computers from the Russians?”

I understand the fear. I’m also glad that current events are making so many people take their first - or tenth! - look at their digital privacy and security measures. Revisiting your tools, plans, and priorities is always a great idea.

But not because “The Russians are coming”.

Unless you happen to be a high-ranking diplomat, government official, or an aide to one of those people, it’s probably safe to assume that you will not personally be targeted by a Russian (or Chinese or North Korean) cyber attack. The better question to ask is this:

If Russia launches a cyberwar, what are the most likely targets in my country and how would a partially or fully successful attack impact me?

Let’s have a look. First at the digital stuff, then at the analog stuff.

Part I: The Important Question

Are you a target?

The best way to understand the answer to that question is to consider a shortlist of other questions:

* Are you someone who is or does something very important? Earlier, I used the example of a diplomat. Other examples might include being a local, state, or national political leader, being famous for your profession or being someone who has easy access to people in power.

* If your digital devices or records were hacked, would it put your life in physical danger? What about the lives of other people?

* Do you own or manage vast sums of money? This question is important for those who have amassed wealth and for the people they hire to manage their money for them.

* Do you work at or have virtual access to any kind of public infrastructure? For example, do you work at any of the large utility companies that provide electricity, gas, or energy to an entire city, region, state, or country?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then Part II of this episode will be important for you to read and act upon.

If you answered no to each of these four questions, then you’re most likely not a target for a coordinated cyberattack by the Russians or any other state-sponsored malicious hacking. Congratulations! Let’s take a nice, deep breath and relax.

Breathing feels nice, doesn’t it?

Now for the powerful reminder: even if you’re not being targeted by the Russians, you should still invest time and effort in your own cyber security. That’s because your savings and possessions — however large or small they may be — are of great value to you. Trust me when I tell you: even if the Russians aren’t interested in you personally, there are plenty of other malicious hackers, scammers, and con artists who are very skilled at helping you part with your hard-earned cash.

Two unfortunate examples:

* My relatives lost $50,000 to a digital scam. That amount isn’t enough to show up on the radar for any state-sponsored hackers, but it was more than enough for a smaller operation to run a successful phishing campaign to which my cousins fell prey.

* A college friend recently had her identity compromised. She fell for a different kind of scam that saw her giving her social security number, birth date, and bank account numbers over the phone to someone she thought represented a state institution. They did not.

S**t happens and it happens to many of us, including those who aren’t rich, famous, or powerful. So it pays to be digitally prepared.

Part II: How To Harden Your Cyber Security

There are concrete steps that ANYONE can take to help strengthen (or “harden”) their digital security measures. I’ll break down some of my top choices below, including the time commitment you might need.

Start Using Multi-Factor Authentication

* Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate

* Time to learn: 5-10min

* Time to set up: 5-10min per account

* Cost: free

I hate being a broken record, but it’s important at a time like this to beat the drum. Multi-Factor Authentication (also called “MFA”) is free, easy to use, and can make the difference between your accounts being easy to hack or nearly impossible to break.

MFA ensures that anyone - including you - who tries to access your protected account would require physical access to your cellphone to be able to gain entry. That means even if your username/password are somehow obtained, your MFA-protected accounts will remain safe.

It does this by providing a 6-digit password on your phone that changes every 30 seconds. An MFA-enabled account will ask for this 6-digit challenge code after you’ve logged in with your username and password.

I did a deep dive into MFA in Episode #36 and if you’ve got 5-10min, I recommend that you read to that episode. I think it’s an invaluable tool that I continue to use myself.

I still use the Authy app by Twilio to manage all of my MFA accounts and it’s stood the test of time. You should use it as well. Authy isn’t only just a great app (it is), but the Authy website is also an AWESOME resource on how to set up MFA on many of the world’s most popular platforms. Just use Authy’s easy-to-read guides.

My recommendation: lock every crucial account with MFA that you can. I use MFA to harden my email accounts, my social media accounts, my zoom account, and many of my online payment providers. This includes my bank. You should too.

Some of you may rightly ask: “Um, won’t my needing to produce a 6-digit number as a second challenge mean I’ll have to spend extra time logging into my crucial accounts?” Yes, that’s true. It will cost you another 5-10seconds on each login.

But those extra 5-10 seconds will absolutely help secure your accounts in a huge way. So it’s a huge payoff for the investment.

Please note: If your bank doesn’t provide MFA and you’re someone who really needs to protect themselves… I’d find another bank. I realize that’s a strong statement, but given how easy it is for any institution to set up MFA and given how much MORE secure it is than “security questions”, I don’t understand why it’s not law for all banks to provide this.

Start Using An Open-Source Password Manager

* Skill Level: Beginner

* Time to learn: 5-10min

* Time to set up: 5min to start, 30-60min if you’re migrating from another service

* Cost: free

My regular readers know that I use and highly recommend BitWarden as your password manager. Not only is it free but it’s 100% open-source, the gold standard for ANY piece of software. Does that make it better than, say, 1Password or LastPass?

Ummmm, YES. Yes, it does!

I’ve used both 1Password and LastPass: they’re really good and graphically pleasing. But I don’t want a company that will not share their software code with the world to ask me to “just trust” them. Sorry: that’s not how this works. Security and privacy are based on trust. There is no trust unless other people can see and vet your code. That’s what the term “open-source” means.

Also, BitWarden is FREE. LastPass is currently $36/year for a single user. 1Password is too. I’d rather save money and get a better product.

Switching from LastPass? BitWarden’s got a help page for that. Ditto for 1Password.

More importantly, having a password manager means you need to know how to use it. Most people - by a huge margin - use the same password (or passwords that are similar) for all of their crucial websites. You should never, never, never do that.

Never.

Instead, have BitWarden auto-generate a long, complex, and unique password for each and every website you visit. Here’s how:

After installing BitWarden and setting up a username and password, click the extension icon in your browser (pink box at top right), then on the “Generator” button (red box at bottom).

When the interface comes up, check the boxes for Capitalize and Include Number (blue box), and check the “Passphrase” radio button (yellow bow). I choose to use an exclamation mark “!” as my word separator (green box) as it’s considered a special character, and I default to at least 3 words as the number of words that will be used.

That part I forgot to put in a tidy, colorful box, but I’m sure you can still find it in the image above, yeh?

BitWarden automatically generates a new password for you with these criteria. In this case, my password is “Unviable1!Headsman!Unaware” which is a fabulous password because it’s both long and complex.

Now, you’ll just want to run this same process for EACH of your various, crucial websites. Should you do this with ALL of your websites. Well, yes. Is that a realistic goal right now? Well, maybe not. So…

Start by using BitWarden to create unique, long, and complex passwords for these kinds of accounts:

* email & communications

* all social media

* banking & financial

* any domain registrars that host your websites (GoDaddy, Network Solutions, BlueHost, etc.)

* Your password manager!

Set aside 60-90min to start this process and give yourself extra protection from malicious hackers who will most certainly use one of your passwords to open up and unlock other accounts that you keep.

Use a Secure Messaging Platform

* Skill Level: Beginner

* Time to learn: 10-15min

* Time to set up: 5min to start, 10min to add friends/family/colleagues

* Cost: free

For messages that require top security and privacy, use a trusted and open-source application that provides end-to-end encryption or E2EE. Currently, there are only two options to consider: Signal and Wire. I discussed both of these messaging services in Episode #39 here and it’s worth investing 10-15min of your time to give that a read.

I personally use Signal for anything I need to communicate that I consider important: sharing a password, discussing a private medical matter with a friend, or chatting with any of my family’s legal or financial team.

While Apple has claimed to be a champion of privacy, they’ve caved to demands from both Russia and China for those regimes to be able to access user data, so I can’t trust them in this department.

Facebook owns WhatsApp, so they, too, cannot be trusted.

Signal and Wire it is.

For email, the gold standard in secure messaging is ProtonMail. The company offers both free and paid tiers with different perks and benefits. I’ve used the free tier for many years without a problem. ProtonMail deserves the accolades and positive reviews they regularly receive.

Stop Allowing Others To Track Your Whereabouts

* Skill Level: Beginner

* Time to learn: 0min

* Time to set up: 0min

* Cost: free (minus the cost of having a smartphone)

Some of you will read that section title and think I’m talking about posting your whereabouts on social media or giving others access to your whereabouts using Apple’s FindMe feature.

I’m not… (although you really should stop doing those two things).

I’m talking about your actual smartphone itself: the electrical transmitter and receiver that uses Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular data, and GPS coordinates to help identify where you are… and that you usually keep in your pocket.

Practically speaking, high-target individuals and their teams don’t really have a choice here: if you don’t want to be tracked by others, then you need to leave your phones at home when you travel.

“But David!” you scream, “It’s my phone! I need it!”

Do you? Do you REALLY need your phone every time you go out? Because there was a time not too long ago when none of us had smartphones and we all seemed to navigate through our lives just fine. If we needed to meet someone, we called them in advance and agreed on a time and place.

“But, David!” you scream again, “I can just put my smartphone in airplane mode, and then I can’t be tracked.”

Actually, no: your phone still tracks your location when it’s in airplane mode.

Wanna blow your mind? Open up your smartphone maps application. Put your phone into airplane mode. Now, get in a car or taxi and watch what happens on the map as you’re moving.

The map tracks your location. Still. While you’re in airplane mode. Here’s a video from my own phone that I shot yesterday.

If you believe you’re a high-visibility target for hacking and you must travel with your phone, please read Episode #8. There, I walk my readers through how to set up and then use a more secured mobile device.

Part III: What’s More Likely To Happen

If you want to know what the Russians might do, then you need to think like a dictator who wants to disrupt and then punish his adversaries into submission.

Russia has an established track record of seeking to compromise and inflict chaos on its enemies, even before a single shot is fired. In the US (and in other countries) that’s been accomplished both via relentless social media disinformation campaigns and through notable and malicious hacks like the Solar Winds attack which, in 2020, breached servers throughout the US Government.

This is why I’d expect more of the same should the Russians start a more direct cyberwar with the US. In this scenario, targeting a handful of individuals won’t disrupt the enemy: to do that, you need to go for the jugular. For most developed nations, that’s public infrastructure, how we all get our electricity, water, and gas.

And, hot news flash: Russia’s already started that campaign. In case you’ve not been paying attention, they started YEARS ago.

In 2018, then-Secretary of Energy Rick Perry spoke to Congress and said that cyber attacks on American infrastructure were “literally happening hundreds of thousands of times a day.”

Last year, in 2021, a hacking collective known as “Dark Side” breached the Colonial Pipeline, an oil refinery that pumps 2.5 million barrels of oil a day here in the US. The group is thought to be Russian in origin.

The Best Solution: Prepare

When I lived in Los Angeles, we all learned to keep prepared for the eventuality of an earthquake. This meant stocking up some food, blankets, candles, pet supplies & and any crucial medications. Also, some hard-toe shoes to be able to walk over the glass that might have shattered. Then, when earthquakes struck - and I lived in LA during the Northridge quake of 1992 - many of us were far better prepared to live without everyday luxuries like electricity and/or gas for some periods of time.

This is no different.

If and when Russia strikes, I assume they’ll go after utility companies and find ways to shut down the flow of oil, gas, electricity, and water. Millions can be impacted. More chaos is possible. But not if people prepare.

So go analog, friends. Have a 5-10 day reserve of:

* food

* fuel

* drinking water

* warmth or cool depending on your environment

* light or back-up power, like a generator

* any supplies you need to care for your pets, elderly relatives, etc.

Being prepared is a proven technique. It not only works if you live in areas where there are natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados, but it also works when dealing with the prospect of war. More importantly, preparing feels good: it’s an insurance policy you’ll be so glad you’ve got should the day ever come when you need it.

And that’s a wrap for today’s episode, everyone. Thanks again to my free and paid subscribers for supporting independent technology journalism. I also thank you, in advance, for using the link below to share Tech Talk with your friends, family, and colleagues.

As always… Surf safe.

Popular Past Issues:

* Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

* How to remove your personal data from the web.

* My 2021 recommendations on the best VPN providers.

* My favorite, free tool to keep email addresses private.

* A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

Product Recommendations

These are the devices and services that I personally use. I pay for everything you see listed here. I made these choices after much research and recommendations from tech industry colleagues.

* The online backup software I use: iDrive (affiliate link)

* The VPN software that I use: Nord VPN (affiliate link)

* The email anonymizer that I use: 33Mail (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my office: Gryphon (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my home: Synology (affiliate link)

* The service I use to block spam calls/texts: Uncall (affiliate link)

Transparency Statement

Some of the products and services I recommend pay me a small commission if you decide to purchase them. Making purchases based on my recommendations never costs you extra. In fact, it can sometimes save you money because I get access to certain discounts which aren’t available to the general public.

It’s a win-win: you save money and help me earn an additional salary from my writing. Thank you, in advance, for that. It’s an easy way for anyone to support my work, research, and expertise. Affiliate links will be shown like this → (affiliate link) to make them easy to identify.

In case you’re curious:

* I’ve purchased, owned, tested, and/or deeply researched every single thing I recommend.

* I’m never paid to sell software or hardware to you.

* I retain 100% editorial control over everything I write.

* The companies, products, or services that I recommend don’t know that I’m going to mention them.

Paid subscribers got access to Episode #53, which was about Cloudflare’s free DNS which anyone can use to help better protect their personal data AND speed up their web browsing.

Free subscribers only receive access to a third of what I research and write; paid subscribers have access to every episode. They also get to comment and ask questions on every episode I publish.

Becoming a paid subscriber is the cost of one Starbucks Latte per month: $5/month which comes to $60/year. Yes, coffee is important… but so is learning about tech, privacy, & security.

Some folks might think that I’m a crummy, consumer-driven American for writing about the kind of big-screen TV that I have or how we use it in our home, but I’ll politely disagree with you. Enjoying quality entertainment on quality technology in quality ways isn’t about consumerism for me: it’s about enjoying my life.

Our family recently stayed at a home where they had a record player with about 200 albums. So we played whole albums. We touched our music. It was FABulous.

Entertainment like that is priceless and full of memories and emotion, so let’s begin with the assumption that ALL of us really like our entertainment.

As I’m a Generation X’er, I prefer to watch my primary entertainment — films & TV shows — on a large screen, and not on my smartphone. Not that I’m alone in this preference, of course. As it is written in Exodus 16:9…

“And it shall be an abomination in the eyes of the Lord to behold films by David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, or Kathryn Bigelow on tiny visioning devices.”

Like many other Gen X’ers, I grew up with a TV in the family living room and still like having one there now. But not just any TV… As long as I’ve purchased my own equipment, I’ve chosen TVs with larger screens. That way, I could be immersed in the action when viewing epic TV shows or movies.

There’s a small journey here, so stick with me as I time-travel for a bit.

How It Started

It was 2004. I bought an old, no-name LCD flatscreen TV. It was 32 inches diagonally and weighed about 475lbs. I kid, but not by much. It was an early model LCD TV and it did its job pretty well. More importantly, it also fit on my narrow fireplace ledge, because it was slightly less than seven inches thick.

(Remember: back in 2004, the term “flat screen” didn’t mean “skinny”, it just mean that the screen wasn’t curved like older cathode ray tube - or “CRT” - TVs.)

Eight years later, when I got married, my wife and I enjoyed curling up together on the sofa. Only now, my trusty flat-screen TV seemed small. And old. There were dead pixels on various parts of the screen and the plastic casing had chipped or broken in multiple places. It was time for an upgrade, so I did what I do best:

Research!

I sold my old TV via Craigslist and used the cash to fund the new equipment that I’d researched and built us… a home theater! It. Was. Awesome. Everyone joined us for movie night. And when I say “everyone”, that includes our neighbors from across the street who could see the projected images on our living room wall from their dining room. #TrueStory

Because so many of our friends asked questions about how I’d done it, I decided to write a “short document” which I could give to folks. That way, they could better replicate what I’d done. I sat down to write it out.

EIGHTEEN MONTHS PASSED.

My “short document” became a 120+ page book. Oopsie! That being said, it’s a very funny and informative book, so I invite you to purchase it. While it’s about six years old now, it’s absolutely worth reading if you’re looking to cut the cord, set up a home theater, or save money by using technology. You’ll also really like it if you enjoy a bit of irreverent humor.

Click the cover art or button below to grab it:

The New Home Theater

Time passed, technology changed and we moved to a new townhome in 2014. Our new space wasn’t large enough for our previous home theater setup, so… I pivoted. After doing an absurd amount of research in the Fall of 2020, I purchased our first, new TV in over a decade.

It was a very good investment during the pandemic as we’d stopped going outside of the house for… well, just about everything, really.

What I Purchased

I chose the TCL 65-inch 5-Series 4K UHD TV for about $750. It’s an amazing and large-screen TV that features an ultra-high-definition (often called “4K” or “UHD”) screen and comes with a built-in Roku device, something I’ll explain in the next section.

If you’re looking for a new, amazing, and affordable TV, here’s my affiliate link for you to learn more and purchase this great piece of tech.

Worth Noting

The model I purchased back in 2020 was actually the wildly popular but older “65R635” model. It was close to being discontinued then and looks to be now. Not that you’d want it: the newer “65S535” model that I linked to above has a better screen and includes the ability to pair with any Amazon Alexa device, a nice bonus.

TCL is a Chinese company that’s known for making affordable, “prosumer” level TVs. They’ve earned a great reputation along with tens of thousands of positive reviews from users and experts alike. Their products are also very affordable when compared to similar models from companies like Sony, Samsung, Phillips, and LG. However…

The sound from the TCL is crap. That’s the case with nearly all modern TVs, so the assumption, now, is that you’ll have your own, far-better sound system to connect to your TV. So you should. In our case, we still had our affordable LG soundbar from our home theater setup. I’ve got that plugged into our TCL and it makes the listening experience far better. Here’s my affiliate link for you to purchase the same soundbar for your own home theater for about $110.

Wait: What’s a Roku?!?

What good is owning a large screen if you can’t use it in the exact ways that you like?! For example, some people connect their gaming consoles to their TCL TVs. Others, like me, connect their computers to it, in order to surf the web, check email, or watch movies and see photos stored on their computers.

Of course, connecting a computer to your TV also makes it possible to log into Netflix, HBO, Hulu, or Amazon to watch videos on those platforms. But that’s complicated because it requires another device, a wireless keyboard and mouse, and a whole lot of elbow grease if you’d like to do all of that from the comfort of your sofa from across the room.

What if there were an easier way to jump between live TV and any of the most popular video platforms to which you’ve subscribed? Well, there is: and it’s called Roku. Roku is a system of two devices that makes watching videos on your TV a breeze: the first device is the Roku streaming unit which lives inside of your TCL TV; the second device is the simple-to-use remote control.

Roku is an open platform, so it works with thousands of streaming platforms, including both free and paid content. Do you like watching free PBS, YouTube, or NBC programming online? No problem. How about paid content from Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime? Can do. Maybe you’re a sports buff who wants to stream games from any of the major sports leagues in the US, Europe, and beyond?

There’s a Roku “channel” for it. And, getting those channels is a simple process:

* Connect your TCL to your local network

* Create a free Roku account, connecting your TCL to Roku’s servers

* Use the remote control to navigate to the channel store and… download all the channels that you desire

Now, when you turn on your TCL, you’ll not only be presented with all of the devices that are connected to your TV (a cable box, antenna, gaming console, for example), but also with every channel to which you’ve subscribed. Just use your remote control to navigate to any of the devices or streaming platforms that you like. You’ll be asked to sign in to your account the first time you use any channel.

But never again.

The Revolutionary Stuff

My readers know that I don’t throw words like “revolutionary” around much, if at all. In this case, the word fits. What I’m about to share with you has 100% changed how my wife and I now watch all of our entertainment.

Bring The Awesome, Part I

Earlier, I mentioned that when you first set up your TCL and Roku, you’d download the channels you need and then sign in to each service one time. That wasn’t a lie. Unlike computers, tablets, and cellphones, your TCL’s Roku remains signed in to all of your streaming accounts, even after you’ve turned off your TCL.

That’s already a huge time saver, but there’s more…

Bring The Awesome, Part II

Wanna blow your mind? Press and hold the microphone button on your Roku remote control and then… TALK to your Roku device! Just ask for a general topic, a specific streaming platform, or even a specific show. Your Roku will search across EVERY channel you’ve loaded and then place the results on screen for you to select with your remote.

Amazing. And accurate! This, by the way, is how I’ve found some super cool trash truck videos for our three-year-old son to watch on YouTube.

Bring The Awesome, Part III

Now we get to the feature that I think is revolutionary. To make use of this feature, you’ll first need to download and install the Roku mobile app onto your smartphone or tablet. The setup is easy and takes 5min tops:

* Open the Roku app and sign in with the same Roku account credentials that you created when you set up your TCL

* Make sure your phone/tablet is on the same network as your TCL

* Find and add your Roku-equipped TCL from the list of devices that the app can see on your network

Now comes the fun. Once your TCL is connected to your Roku app, all kinds of magic can occur. For example, you can now use your Roku app INSTEAD of the physical remote control that came with your TCL. The app looks almost identical to your physical remote control, so you won’t need to learn anything new.

Although, you’ll want to!

The app features a built-in keyboard that you access by clicking an icon right on the app (in orange, in the pic below). You’ll need that keyboard occasionally, trust me. Use it. Enjoy it.

Best of all, there’s a “private listening” button on the app (in green, in the pic below). If your headphones are connected to your phone or tablet… you can now listen to what you’re watching in the privacy of your own ears.

I own a pair of wireless earbuds and now - for the first time - I can suddenly hear EVERYTHING that the sound designers have inserted into the TV shows and films that I watch. Background ambient noises like crickets, rain, and wind? Check. Low-playing music to set an emotional tone? Check. Softly-spoken dialogue? Double-check.

Now, I’m IN whatever I’m watching, even if I close my eyes. It’s incredible and reminds me of what happened when we all started listening to music on our headphones in the 1980s.

And, just like listening to music on headphones, no one else can hear what you’re watching. Unless, of course…

You WANT others to join you in your audio awesomeness. Which, now, they can.

Bring The Awesome, Part IV

Everyone… in their own personal audio world in your living room or bedroom?! Yeh, that’s a thing now:

Roku supports up to four different mobile devices streaming the SAME programming on your TCL. All that’s required is for every mobile device to have the Roku app installed and connected to your TCL. Even better: like everything else on your smartphone, you get to set your own, individual volume. It’s an INSANE game-changer in our house and I’m certain it will be in yours.

* The complaining I get when my lovely wife hears me munching on food on the sofa next to her while we’re watching something? GONE.

* The polite arguments we have over volume? GONE.

* Worrying about if we’re going to wake up our toddler son when we watch an action film? GONE.

Now, we put in our Bluetooth earbuds, grab our iPhones, open the Roku app - choose our own individual volume! - and then start streaming away. A more peaceful evening on the sofa we’ve never had.

Now…. if there were only a way to be able to have this same kind of volume and programming control… over some of the people that I know. 🙌🏼

I kid. But, not really.

And that’s a wrap for today’s episode, everyone. Thanks again to my free and paid subscribers for supporting independent technology journalism. I also thank you, in advance, for using the link below to share Tech Talk with your friends, family, and colleagues.

As always… Surf safe.

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* The secure router I use at my office: Gryphon (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my home: Synology (affiliate link)

* The service I use to block spam calls/texts: Uncall (affiliate link)

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It’s a win-win: you save money and help me earn an additional salary from my writing. Thank you, in advance, for that. It’s an easy way for anyone to support my work, research, and expertise. Affiliate links will be shown like this → (affiliate link) to make them easy to identify.

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The Great Merge

It’s been a while. Thank you for your patience.

I’m usually introspective when the year ends and a new year begins. It’s a good time to take stock and examine where I am in regard to my relationships. We, humans, are both blessed and cursed in that ability… Trees and animals don’t compare themselves to other members of their species, but we do.

We’re unique in that way and it’s an essential part of what makes me human. So I embrace it. Especially at this time of the year, because my yearly review also includes my relationship with and - in some cases - dependency on technology.

Over the past 35 years, I’ve gone from being a technology novice to a hobbyist, to an enthusiast and evangelist, to a paid technology professional at a Fortune 100 company, to becoming an advocate for privacy & security, to now writing columns and newsletters about technology so that as many people as possible can educate themselves.

This past year, I finally made peace with the understanding that our species is determined and well on its way to merging our humanity with our technology.

That’s kind of a big statement, so let me unpack it a bit.

Same Goals, New Tools

Let me start by eliminating what is not a part of my newfound understanding:

* Life-like robots that can mimic our human emotions

* Self-driving cars and trucks. And self-driving planes. Or self-landing rockets. Or entire space launch systems.

* Augmented reality, also called “AR”

* Virtual reality, also called “VR”

* Digital human clones, or “deep fakes” (Although, if I did, this one here would be my absolute fave):

To me, these technologies are natural extensions of our species’ longstanding fascination with and adoption of technology over many thousands of years.

Don’t believe me? See for yourselves…

Worker Bees

Early in our evolution, we depended not only on each other but on help from the animals around us to get things done. Dogs helped guard us at night. Donkeys helped us drag plows to til our land and grow food. Horses provided transportation. Bees provided honey and valuable pollination to help secure our crops. The development of largescale farming led to our using tractors and, eventually, computers attached to those tractors. We now have all kinds of helpers in our lives, from robotic vacuums to automated coffee-makers, from voice-activated lighting systems to auto-sensing thermostats which can sense when we’re around and then keep our living environments comfortable. Robots that can stand, talk, emote, and eventually help us physically and emotionally are merely extensions of our original desire to find tools to help us to lead easier lives.

Capturing Reality

Before art, there was light and shadow. Early humans danced around the fire and took delight in their shadows from a central source of light. Painting and drawing emerged and became the original methods to record and capture the light and shadows that we saw in the world around us. Later, came light-sensitive film and still cameras to capture even more lifelike moments of people and locations. Then came motion picture cameras, which captured moment, flow, and helped create an even more immersive experience. Now, every one of you reading these words has a video camera in your pocket to use at a moment’s notice to record anything you like. AR and VR are merely extensions of our original desire to explore the world in newer and ever-more realistic and fantastical ways.

Transportation

Humans originally used other animals to help us move things from one place to another. Mules helped transport goods and belongings. Horses helped us to transport ourselves from one place to another. Suddenly our ability to roam expanded exponentially. The wheel was refined, placed on carriages, and then hitched to those horses. Now we could carry ourselves, our families, and some of our supplies with us over much longer distances. Next came trains and steam-powered locomotion. Once the internal combustion engine was created and refined, early cars were born and, with them, roads on which to drive. Self-driving cars and trucks are merely extensions of that original desire to travel as far as possible with as little energy expended as possible. Automated flights and space travel are no different.

Hopefully, you can see it now:

Our desire to use tools to help us live our lives hasn’t changed in millenium. However, the tools that we’ve used to accomplish that goal have.

The Machines Within

Starting in the late 1950s, we passed the intersection where the tools we used were located only on the outside of our human bodies. The humble pacemaker, placed inside its first patient, back in 1958, is now estimated to have saved millions of lives.

In 1982, the first artificial heart, called the Jarvik-7, was implanted in Dr. Barney Clark to help extend or save his life. He survived for another 112 days. With a machine. In his body. Pumping his blood for him.

Today, these technologies are far more commonplace. But what about the tech that’s just arriving…? Here are a few real world examples that, honestly, blow my mind:

* A dear friend with early-onset Parkinson’s Disease underwent surgery in November of 2021 and had a device embedded IN his brain. That device, called a deep brain implant or (DBI), includes a series of wires that provide electrical current directly to his brain to help with his tremors. The DBI connects to another surgically implanted device just under his clavicle which, in turn - #JawDrop - interacts with his phone via Bluetooth, allowing him to change the types, time cycles, and intensity of the electrical charge that the DBI’s wires provide to his brain.

* In 2017, researchers enbedded a computer chip at the end of a patient’s partially amputated arm. That chip connected to a particular region of patient’s brain using a series of wires. Now, the insane part: the patient - who hasn’t had hands in 25 years is now able to “feel” textures and surfaces in his brain as he moves his virtual reality hands on a computer screen over those kinds of virtual textures. I know. RiDONKulous. And humans made that happen.

* Or how about a computer chip - placed IN the brain - that in December of 2021 allowed a paralyzed man to send a tweet using… his thoughts?!? No. I’m not kidding. THAT s**t just happened. How? This link explains a bunch of it. But I didn’t read it all, because I was too shocked by what they’d achieved and need to pick my jaw up off the floor instead.

* Computerized implants for your eyes to help the blind see? Done.

* Computerized implanted to help the deaf hear? Done.

* Implanted, subcutaneous microchips to help store critical info or interact with the physical world around us. You guessed it: done.

And this list is - pardon the pun - just scratching the surface. It doesn’t include technologies like lab-grown organs, bio-engineered skin, artificial limbs, and more. All of which is to say: not only is this trend of merging our bodies with our technology not going away, but it’s also accelerating.

Quickly.

More quickly, in fact, than you or I probably realize. Ray Kurzweil, the noted inventor, and futurist, insists that 2029 is the year in which computers will possess “human-level intelligence” and that 2045 is the year when we’ll permanently merge with the interconnected, computerized superintelligence that we’ve created. Whoa.

All of which begs a very important question…

Is This Good or Bad?!?

Good/Bad, Kind/Evil, On/Off… these are over-simplified, binary states of thinking. Reality, of course, is always far richer than just two states of being.

Like reality, tools are neither good nor bad: they’re just tools. In most cases, I’m of the belief that it’s how we use our tools that truly matters. We can use a hammer to build a house or hit someone’s hand. The salient point:

Merging our humanity with computers isn’t the issue; HOW we’re doing it and for what ultimate purposes is.

Personally, I’m excited about the possibility of having the entirety of the Internet, accessible immediately by our brains. Cool! There is a very good chance that having this kind of immediate access to vast troves of information about humanity will help us become a super-intelligent, collaborative species. Instead of only having personal experience, some education, and emotions to guide us, we’ll also have immediate access to thousands of years of accumulated and recorded data.

That combination of interconnectedness with one another and with all of recorded history will - I believe - transform society in powerfully positive ways. I think that a human mind connected to the Internet will, of course, choose what’s best for most sentient life because it deeply understands the interconnectedness of all things.

But that’s an assumption. That assumption might be massively flawed because of my privilege and standing in society.

So what if I’m wrong? What if early adopters - most of whom will surely be wealthy and powerful - use their newfound “singularity” to corrupt and control the world around them? It’s not that far-fetched: humanity has a very long track record of the wealthy and powerful doing whatever it took to stay wealthy and powerful.

I don’t have an answer to that question. Currently, I don’t know if anyone else does either. This is why we’ll need a deep examination of our cultural, national, and species-wide morals, ethics, and principles.

Then, we’ll need guidelines, oversight, and accountability.

Positive Futures Require Definite Roadmaps

Some of us might fondly recall the writings of the great Isaac Asimov and suggest that his Three Laws of Robotics might be a possible roadmap:

* First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

* Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

* Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?!? Well… some scientists and roboticists don’t believe that Asimov’s laws are enough to protect humans because today’s robots don’t function on laws. Therefore, they are promoting concepts like Empowerment and Adaptability. It’s a fascinating conversation, but it’s missing something critical:

By only focusing on the behavior of robots, both Asimov and the current crop of futurists are ignoring how to help govern the behavior of humans who will have technology embedded in or connected to them.

Having read all of Asimov’s Robot and Foundation novels, I cannot recall any characters that were partiallly human and partially robots. It was either robots OR humans, not both. Again, binary thinking. This is curious given that during Asimov’s life technology was and continues to be inserted into millions of human bodies.

We need a different, more varied approach.

Back in 2009, Peter Singer pointed out that “we need to start wrestling with the ethics of the people behind the machines”. He asked some powerful questions in his article:

* Where is the code of ethics in the robotics field for what gets built and what doesn’t?

* Who gets to use the sophisticated systems we build and who doesn’t?

* Are there technologies that should only be limited to the military?

Singer wasn’t discussing the possible or actual merging of humans and technology, but I think his questions are an important first step in the conversation. Still: other questions and deeper conversations are required.

I’ll humbly discussing the following questions as a community, nation, and species:

* What groups of people should be allowed to create the code of ethics in the robotics field? How will we ensure that these people represent enough cultures, languages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds to better serve all of humanity?

* What global and national oversight organizations will be established to assure that the code of ethics is being implemented, safeguarded, and improved over time? What power will they have to punish those who violate our code of ethics?

* What fail-safes should be built into any technology designed for implantation into a human body?

* What set of checks and balances must be established to ensure that any technology surgically inserted can be proven successful by the patient, not just the surgeon?

* What credentials, training, or certifications will be required for anyone who implants technology into a human body?

* What repair and update capabilities will be required in the technology which we place in our bodies?

* What kinds of security protocols must be in place to help ensure that no implant can be used to track, record, or otherwise violate the privacy of the human into which it is inserted. And what kinds of checks must be available for the patient to be certain of this?

* How will we share the cost of the technologies and the surgeries as a species to ensure that those without funds are not be left behind?

What Happens Now

Given our current trajectory, we will most certainly merging both our lives and our bodies with technology. Therefore, have a choice: do we start having the crucial conversations required for this huge leap now or wait for the technology to advance?

Some notable people have begun to ask questions and provide possible alternatives and solutions now. Tristan Harris is one of the respected thinkers in this space. If he looks or sounds familiar, it might be because you saw him in the documentary “The Social Dilemma”.

As a result of his working within the bowels of Big Tech, Mr. Harris made the decision to step away from the business side of technology and migrate t the human side of it. He founded The Center for Humane Technology, an organization focused on creating world where humans can interact with technology in safe and sane ways.

His organization has already begun asking good questions and proposing good initiatives. More are needed, of course, and not just from Mr. Harris: but from all of us as well.

And so, dear friends: now is the time for all good humans to come to the aid of their species. Yes, we’re all busier than ever. Yes, we’re more distracted than ever. Yes, we all seek to escape more than ever.

But we’d be wise to remember: the future doesn’t create itself; we create tomorrow by what we do today.

Happy New Year.

And that’s a wrap for today’s episode, everyone. Thanks again for subscribing and supporting independent technology journalism. Thank you, in advance, for using the link below to share Tech Talk with your friends, family, and colleagues.

As always… Surf safe.

Most Popular Past Issues:

* Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

* How to remove your personal data from the web.

* My 2021 recommendations on the best VPN providers.

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* A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

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Please know: I’ve personally purchased, tested, researched, or used everything I recommend. Additionally, I am never paid to sell software or hardware to you and I retain 100% editorial control over everything I write. The companies, products, or services I recommend never know in advance that I mention them.

A Steaming Bag of S**t

Longtime readers of mine - both here in my Substack newsletter and on my Medium page - know that I’m a vocal critic of Facebook:

* I’ve written about their deceit in the Cambridge Analytica scandal

* I’ve authored an article on how to limit the data that you share with Facebook

* I’ve written about how - and WHY - to delete Facebook and all social media apps from your smartphone

* And I’ve repeatedly warned parents about the very real dangers of exposing their children to Facebook and social media

I’ve been consistent in my warnings about Facebook in particular because they aren’t an ethical, kind, or trustworthy corporation. Instead, they prey on users by using their data to compile accurate dossiers about who they are, and then… they use that data to surveil and market to them.

There are very good reasons why Facebook was fined $5 billion by the FTC: because the company regularly flaunts regulations, restrictions, laws, and - more importantly - our shared ethics and morals around concepts like truth, privacy, democracy, and security.

Not surprisingly, some time ago, I changed my social media behaviors radically:

* I deleted all social media apps from my smartphone

* I locked my Facebook account down using a fun tool called Jumbo

* I only surf to the Facebook website using browsers like Brave which can block all trackers, fingerprinting & cookies

* More importantly, I JUST reduced the amount of time I spend on all social media by about 85%.

My life is better as a result of making these changes. Give them a try yourself and I’m sure you’ll find that yours will be as well.

Additional Proof If You Need It (Which… You Don’t)

A few days ago - on October 4th, 2021 - Frances Haugen gave explosive testimony before the United States Senate. Haugen, a former algorithmic product manager at Facebook, revealed that not only is the company doing harm to children, politics, and democracy but that they are absolutely aware of these problems despite public claims to the contrary.

Earlier this year, Haugen secretly released thousands of pages of internal documentation from the company to the Wall Street Journal, revealing that the company knows full well that its products are “toxic” to teenage girls, that they give special treatment to VIPs who can flaunt platform rules that others cannot, and that since they cannot deal with the onslaught of viral and angry misinformation, they’ve chosen, instead, to embrace it.

This week, on the TV show 60 Minutes, Haugen came forward as the whistleblower who provided those documents to the WSJ. During that broadcast, she uttered the following gem:

“When you have a system that you know can be hacked with anger, it's easier to provoke people into anger. And publishers are saying, 'Oh, if I do more angry, polarizing, divisive content, I get more money.' Facebook has set up a system of incentives that is pulling people apart."

If you missed Ms. Haugen’s Congressial testimony yesterday, you should watch it at the link I just provided because pigs flew.

By that, I mean that Senators from both political parties agreed that Facebook must be held accountable. And folks: when Republican Senators like Marcia Blackburn, John Thune, and Ted Cruz find themselves agreeing in principle with Democratic Senators like Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, and Edward Markey, we’re standing on very rare ground, indeed.

Facebook’s “Response”

The Wall Street Journal’s expose on Facebook was published on Sept 13th, 2021. The company - including its CEO - remained silent. Then, it learned about Ms. Haugen coming forward as the whistleblower.

Well, as you might expect from a publically-traded company that masquerades as a steaming bag of s**t, Facebook immediately went into “PR Crisis” mode:

* October 2nd, 2021: The company’s VP of Policy and Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, sent a memo to all Facebook staff refuting Ms. Haugens claims… before she’d ever appeared before Congress or on 60 Minutes.

* October 3rd, 2021: Facebook CEO Marck Zuckerberg posts about sailing with his wife and friends prior to Ms. Haugen’s appearance later that evening on 60 Minutes, still silent on the matter of her claims.

* October 5th, 2021, 10:47am: After her Congressional testimony, Andy Stone - a company rep - tweeted a statement meant to undermine Ms. Haugen by saying that she “worked at the company for less than two years, had no direct reports, and never met with any C-level execs.”

* October 5th, 2021 at 12pm: Zuckerberg releases a public statement. It admits no guilt and, instead, tries to rally his staff by claiming that “it's frustrating to see the good work we do get mischaracterized”. Notably absent from the CEO’s post: any denials that the documentation Ms. Haugen provided was false, forged, manufactured, or otherwise untrue.

You can read more on the company’s disgusting and embarrassing efforts to defend themselves and attack Ms. Haugen here.

What Happens Now

Facebook will come under fire. Again. In the past, they’ve simply paid fines - some of them massive - and then watched as Washington DC failed to regulate the company in any meaningful way. But I believe this time will be different:

* Financial blowback will occur as their stock takes a hit.

* Charges of SEC violations and the fines and penalties they will carry will be imposed. The complaints filed to the SEC by Ms. Haugen demonstrate with proof how the company “violated U.S. securities laws by making material misrepresentations and omissions in statements to investors and prospective investors”.

* Legislation and/or regulation is now possible because both Republicans AND Democrats agree on something for a change.

* The massive number of verifiable documents provided by Ms. Haugen now provides a smoking gun. That helps parents and their children to leave Facebook-owned platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp and, more importantly, it helps Congress to know - for certain - that any regulation it passes is being done for right and provable reasons.

Would I hold my breath? No, but I am optimistic. At its core, I still believe in the power of social media to help bring people together in joy and shared experiences. But coming together online needs to better reflect how people operate offline.

In the real world - the offline world - people don’t get together to yell and scream at each other without mercy. We don’t constantly get triggered about politics and the supposed dangers of vaccinations. We also talk about school, sports, hobbies, family, and yes - sometimes - more hot-button issues as well.

Until social media can be better regulated or forced to protect the most vulnerable among us — and I count both the young and the ignorant in that group— then it shouldn’t be allowed to thrive or create a profit off our personal data.

And that’s a wrap for today’s episode, everyone. Thanks again for subscribing and supporting independent technology journalism. Thank you, in advance, for using the link below to share Tech Talk with your friends, family, and colleagues.

As always… Surf safe.

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Product Recommendations

These are the devices and services that I personally use. I pay for everything you see listed here. I made these choices after much research and recommendations from tech industry colleagues.

* The online backup software I use: iDrive (affiliate link)

* The VPN software that I use: Nord VPN (affiliate link)

* The email anonymizer that I use: 33Mail (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my office: Gryphon (affiliate link)

* The secure router I use at my home: Synology (affiliate link)

* The service I use to block spam calls/texts: Uncall (affiliate link)

Transparency Statement

Some of the products and services I recommend pay me a small commission if you decide to purchase them. Making purchases based on my recommendations never costs you extra. In fact, it can sometimes save you money because I get access to certain discounts which aren’t available to the general public.

It’s a win-win: you save money and help me earn an additional salary from my writing. Thank you, in advance, for that. It’s an easy way for anyone to support my work, research, and expertise. Affiliate links will be shown like this → (affiliate link) to make them easy to identify.

In case you’re curious:

* I’ve purchased, owned, tested, and/or deeply researched every single thing I recommend.

* I’m never paid to sell software or hardware to you.

* I retain 100% editorial control over everything I write.

* The companies, products, or services that I recommend don’t know that I’m going to mention them.