In this Techlore Talks episode, I sit down with Jose Briones to explore whether dumb phones really offer better privacy and how digital minimalism can transform your relationship with technology. Jose breaks down practical strategies for reducing screen time, the importance of device segmentation, and why mindset, not just hardware, matters most. Whether you're considering a dumb phone or looking to reclaim your focus, this conversation will challenge how you think about your devices.

Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources to protect your data and reclaim your digital identity.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:

• https://josebriones.org/

• https://www.dumbphones.org/

• https://www.youtube.com/c/josebriones

• Jose's interview of Henry: https://josebriones.substack.com/p/building-better-digital-habits

Timestamps:

00:00:00 INTRO

00:01:24 DUMBPHONES + PRIVACY & DIGITAL RIGHTS

00:03:56 WHY ARE DUMBPHONES BETTER FOR PRIVACY?

00:05:48 DUMBPHONES VS. MINIMAL SMARTPHONES

00:08:57 ADOPTING THE MINDSET

00:13:41 ADJUSTING FOR ONLINE WORK

00:18:21 HANDLING MISMATCHED EMOTIONS

00:22:40 ARE OFFLINE ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT?

00:26:12 FINDING A BALANCE WITH ONLINE WORK REQUIREMENTS

00:30:16 DIGITAL MINIMALISM + HARDWARE

00:35:21 DEVICES & WHERE TO START

00:39:42 ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION

00:44:19 WHEN OUR CHOICES IMPACT OTHERS

00:48:33 ARE WE ANTI-TECHNOLOGY?

00:51:36 HENRY'S IDEAL PHONE

00:54:41 CONTENT CREATION & CONSUMPTION

00:57:44 HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU?

00:59:29 OUTRO

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wessel Klein Snakenborg, founder of NovaCustom, joins me to discuss building privacy-focused laptops with CoreBoot firmware, Intel Management Engine disabling, and full Linux compatibility. We dive deep into their custom hardware approach, Qubes OS certification, supply chain security, and why they chose to compete directly with Big Tech on hardware quality while maintaining complete user control. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:

• https://novacustom.com/

• https://doc.qubes-os.org/en/latest/index.html

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction & What Nova Custom Does

01:00 Company Origins & The Meaning Behind "Nova Custom"

02:35 Extensive Hardware Customization Options

03:40 Operating System Choices & Linux Focus

04:40 CoreBoot Firmware & Security Features

06:15 Target Audience & Market Positioning

08:45 Security Features vs Other Linux Laptop Makers

10:00 Intel Management Engine: Privacy vs Security

12:00 Supply Chain Security & Anti-Tamper Solutions

15:45 Global Expansion & Shipping Worldwide

16:40 CoreBoot Benefits & Outsourcing Development

19:20 Operating System Installation & No-OS Options

21:45 Repairability & 7-Year Parts Guarantee

23:20 Hardware Business Challenges & Manufacturing

25:40 Future AMD Support & OpenSIL Framework

27:45 ARM vs Intel Performance Comparisons

33:00 Qubes OS Compatibility & Certification

37:00 Review Unit Discussion: 16-inch vs 14-inch

39:20 Desktop Environment Limitations in Qubes

41:45 Custom Hardware Features & Laser Engraving

47:20 BusKill Partnership & Security Accessories

48:20 Future Plans: New Firmware & Product Expansion

51:00 Favorite Privacy Tools & Secure Communication

54:20 Contact Information & Where to Find Nova Custom

57:00 Closing Thoughts & Support Information

—

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Frank Karlitschek, CEO and founder of Nextcloud, joins me to discuss the evolution from OwnCloud to Nextcloud, the challenges of building sustainable open-source businesses, and why digital sovereignty matters more than ever. We dive deep into Nextcloud Hub 10's new end-to-end encryption features, AI capabilities, and Frank's vision for competing with Big Tech while maintaining user privacy. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:

• https://nextcloud.com/team/

• https://x.com/fkarlitschek

• https://mastodon.social/@Karlitschek

Timestamps:

00:00 INTRODUCTION

00:51 - INTRO TO FRANK

01:08 - LIFE BEFORE NEXTCLOUD

03:15 - ORIGINS OF OWNCLOUD

05:51 - FROM OWNCLOUD TO NEXTCLOUD

08:45 - STATE OF OWNCLOUD

09:20 - STRUCTURE OF NEXTCLOUD

10:23 - OPEN SOURCE + PROFIT?

13:21 - NEXTCLOUD FREE VS. PAID

16:43 - NEXTCLOUD COMPETITORS

18:20 - SELF-HOSTING CHALLENGES

22:54 - THIRD PARTY HOSTING

25:18 - END-TO-END ENCRYPTION

32:24 - NEXTCLOUD HUB 10

35:59 - AI PUSHBACK

42:51 - NEXTCLOUD AI MODELS

44:30 - RECOMMENDED LLM

45:13 - FEATURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

47:28 - NEXTCLOUD COMMUNITY

50:36 - #1 SELF-HOSTING MISTAKE

51:19 - FAVORITE FOSS PROJECT

52:27 - FAVORITE LINUX DISTRO & DE

53:49 - WHAT'S NEXT?

54:51 - MOST EXCITING TECH?

56:53 - MOST SCARED ABOUT?

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Viktor Vescei from IVPN gives us a brutally honest VPN interview. He admits you can't truly verify no-logs claims, explains why most audits are "snapshots in time," and reveals why IVPN shut down their affiliate program due to industry-wide misinformation. This is an insider's perspective on what's really broken in the VPN industry and how to actually evaluate providers. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:

• https://www.ivpn.net/

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:54 - Viktor's background & journey to IVPN

00:04:47 - IVPN's 15-year history

00:07:33 - VPN company ownership & acquisition attempts

00:11:24 - IVPN's brutally honest blog

00:12:56 - White labeling in the VPN industry

00:15:55 - VPN use cases beyond privacy

00:19:04 - Using a VPN for streaming?

00:20:17 - Compartmentalization techniques

00:21:32 - Normalizing VPN usage

00:22:27 - Privacy vs. streaming compatibility

00:25:32 - Websites blocking VPN users

00:29:04 - VPN technology deep dive

00:30:11 - Are VPN comparison charts useful?

00:34:29 - VPN jurisdiction & the "eyes" debate

00:42:09 - Multi-hop VPN connections

00:44:38 - Threat modeling for VPNs

00:45:30 - Picking a VPN server location

00:48:44 - Transparency reports & warrant canaries

00:52:04 - VPN logging: the uncomfortable truth

00:54:42 - Why VPN audits are "snapshots in time"

00:55:28 - Diskless servers explained

00:57:17 - System transparency project

01:00:09 - Being an open source VPN

01:01:54 - VPN payment methods (cash & Monero)

01:06:09 - Simultaneous device limits

01:09:58 - WireGuard history & privacy issues

01:14:34 - First-party vs. rented servers

01:19:35 - Sponsors & affiliate program problems

01:32:15 - VPN provider relationships behind the scenes

01:35:04 - Acquiring Safing (Portmaster)

01:37:08 - DNS filtering plans

01:38:39 - Firewalls (Safing Portmaster integration)

01:40:50 - Safing SPN network

01:42:05 - IVPN's 2025 roadmap

01:44:33 - Outro

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I sit down with Dan Saltman, CEO and founder of Redact.dev, to discuss their approach to data deletion. We dive deep into why people are increasingly concerned about their digital footprints, the technical challenges of building privacy software, why deleting data online is important, data removal services, and Dan's philosophy that "perfect is the enemy of good" when it comes to digital privacy. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.

Guest Information:

• https://redact.dev/

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-saltman/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the interview

01:00 Daniel Saltman Intro

03:35 Common Use-Cases of Data Deletion Services

06:20 Why Bother Deleting Data? Is it even deleted?

10:48 How does redact.dev function locally?

12:42 Why is redact.dev a desktop program?

13:30 Redact vs Jumbo

16:46 Privacy & Telemetry practices of Redact.dev?

20:30 Does Redact have a relationship with big tech companies?

22:16 Are their risks of getting banned for using redact?

23:55 Editing Reddit posts vs deleting Reddit posts

26:04 Mobile vs Desktop Redact experience

29:48 Why is Redact not open source?

37:17 Data broker removal services & Redact's approach

52:30 Dan's distrust of privacy services

56:35 Redact's subscription model & alternatives?

01:02:26 Daniel's history & background

01:07:08 Future plans and final words

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me for an in-depth conversation with benny Vasquez, Chair of the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, as we explore the fallout from Red Hat's controversial licensing changes and how AlmaLinux emerged as a community-driven solution. We discuss the technical differences between CentOS Stream, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and AlmaLinux, the importance of open source governance, and the challenges of maintaining a stable enterprise Linux distribution. Whether you're a system administrator affected by these changes or simply interested in the evolving open source landscape, this interview offers valuable insights into the future of enterprise Linux. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.

Guest Information:

• AlmaLinux: https://almalinux.org/

• benny LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennyvasquez/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to benny and AlmaLinux

02:48 Explaining What is AlmaLinux and Its Origins

06:05 The Evolution of Linux Distribution Flow (Fedora to CentOS)

10:00 Why Choose AlmaLinux Over Other Alternatives

14:00 Red Hat's License Changes and Their Impact

20:20 Exploring the Open Source Philosophy Challenges

24:40 Migrating from CentOS to AlmaLinux

29:40 Linux for Video Editing and Compatibility Issues

32:01 AlmaLinux Organization Structure

36:20 The Non-Profit Foundation Approach

41:35 benny's Journey with Alma Linux

46:40 Daily Driver OS Preferences and Linux Desktop Recommendations

48:45 Desktop Environment Recommendations for Linux Beginners

49:56 Long-Term Vision for AlmaLinux

50:28 Closing Remarks and How to Support Techlore

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This interview dives deep with Dallas, the owner of PrivacyPost.io, to explore the world of secure mail forwarding in the US. We'll unpack the complexities of CMRA vs. residential addresses, the growing importance of end-to-end encryption, and how PrivacyPost caters to digital nomads, RVers, and anyone seeking enhanced privacy with some clever South Dakota workflows!

Guest information:

PrivacyPost: https://privacypost.io

WorldPost: https://worldpost.io

—

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:42 Guest Introduction

3:05 What organisations do you run?

6:03 What service are you providing?

7:47 What separates PrivacyPost from other mail services?

11:10 What’s the intersection between the privacy community, digital nomad community, and RVers?

16:22 What’s the best solution for most people?

20:44 Why are residential addresses so important?

24:55 How does wealth affect your address privacy strategy?

27:51 Why is South Dakota special?

31:26 Are there benefits to PrivacyPost for non South Dakota residents?

33:55 Do you need to spend the majority of time in South Dakota to get a residential address there?

36:50 How does PrivacyPost work?

51:08 Does PrivacyPost manually send your mail E2EE?

57:09 Why do you run two services WorldPost & PrivacyPost?

1:00:40 Does PrivacyPost have access to your 1583 form and other personal info?

1:03:53 What’s the status of your warrant canary?

1:10:37 Please don’t use abuse Worldpost.io

1:16:45 How to get in contact with Dallas from PrivacyPost.io

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for an exclusive interview with Vishnu Mohandas, the visionary founder of Ente, a revolutionary photo app that prioritizes privacy. In this insightful conversation, we delve into the challenges and triumphs of building a privacy-first photo app, exploring topics like the birth of Ente, its unique approach to privacy, cutting-edge AI features, and the future of photo storage and sharing.

Guest information:

Vishnu Mohandas: https://vishnu.tech/

Ente: https://ente.io

—

Timestamps:

00:00 Vishnu Intro

01:09 Did Google Photos inspire you?

03:04 Was privacy a concern for people when you worked at Google?

04:14 Did you start Ente by yourself?

06:11 What was the moment where you pivoted to a consumer product?

08:42 Where Does Ente beat Google Photos?

10:22 Does encryption make it harder to make a photos app?

12:55 When you’re optimizing the app do you rewrite from scratch?

14:53 What are your thoughts on Apple’s AI?

16:09 Will self hosted AI be possible with Ente?

17:01 Is it easy to move from Ente from Google Photos?

19:25 Does Ente plan to do tighter OS integrations in the future?

20:47 Discussion around Telegram and EU DMA rulings

26:27 What cryptography does Ente use?

28:01 Who is the core audience for Ente?

30:02 Is Ente VC funded?

33:04 What are the benefits of Ente of iCloud with ADP?

36:08 What packages does Ente come in on Linux?

37:07 Why did you create Ente Auth?

40:25 What is Ente Legacy?

43:50 What products aren’t you going to do at Ente?

45:32 Are there any plans for new products?

48:15 Final words from Vishnu

49:44 Where to find Vishnu and Ente

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owning (or renting!) privately is a challenge, and Jonathan Steele is a lawyer who will break it down for us. Is renting more private than owning a home? How do celebrities do it? From Trusts, LLCs, Nominee agreements, plausible deniability, the legality of privacy tools, and so much more to help non-legal experts understand the complex world of privacy in the legal system. Jonathan Steele is a practicing lawyer who answers many questions for us!

Steele Fortress: https://steelefortress.com/

His personal site: https://www.steelefamlaw.com/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Teaser

00:26 About Jonathan Steele and his privacy journey

03:34 What privacy advice is legally questionable?

09:34 What defines a 'residential address'?

11:00 What's the legal issue if you aren't breaking laws?

12:20 Are there any illegal privacy tools?

13:22 Plausible deniability explained

16:50 Options to purchase a home privately!

20:52 Privacy implications of renting vs owning?

21:46 Nominee Agreements Explained

24:06 Land Trusts Explained

29:40 LLCs Explained

31:42 LLCs vs Trusts for Privacy

35:38 An LLC that owns a trust? Why or why not?

36:56 Privacy implications of a mortgage?

39:46 Steps to purchasing your home privately!

41:24 Can you make your current home more private?

42:38 Mortgage vs Cash for privacy

43:54 Who shouldn't make their home private?

45:02 Is keeping your home private even realistic?

47:44 How do the rich, famous & celebrities stay private?

52:20 Why are court records public?

54:06 Final summaries, Steele Fortress, and more!

—

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcoming back for the second time...Abdullah Attah from Notesnook to discuss his open source note-taking solution, how they function behind-the-scenes, upcoming features, long-term sustainability, and more!

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 Video intro

00:01:00 Abdullah and Notesnook introduction

00:01:48 What's new for Notesnook since we last spoke?

00:03:34 Where is Notesnook based out of? Jurisdiction?

00:04:36 Where is user data stored?

00:05:22 New Privacy features in Notesnook v3

00:11:02 New features in Notesnook v3

00:15:58 What's their target demographic? Still the same?

00:21:36 Are they considering AI? Privacy?

00:24:22 Challenges of E2EE

00:26:36 Have syncing issues been fixed?

00:29:04 How has the journey of going open source been?

00:32:10 Skiff, Notesnook sustainability & longevity...?

00:39:32 Developing web apps vs native clients

00:51:44 Notesnook as a text editor? (programming)

00:53:14 What the community wants vs Notesnook's vision

00:58:56 Integrations and what's next for Notesnook?

01:01:18 Closing thoughts and goodbyes!

—

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