Even with encryption and 2FA, if someone steals your logged-in laptop, you're compromised. Michael Altfield created Buskill - an open source USB "dead man switch" - to solve this analog attack vector. In this interview, you’ll hear about the real incidents that inspired it, the advocacy work that fueled it, and the collaborative engineering efforts that turned it into a practical tool for protecting sensitive data.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:

• https://tech.michaelaltfield.net/

• https://buskill.in/

• https://github.com/BusKill

Timestamps:

00:00:00 INTRO

00:01:43 WHAT GOT YOU INTO SECURITY?

00:02:32 WHEN DID YOU GET INTO SECURITY?

00:03:31 WHAT IS A DEAD MAN SWITCH?

00:04:33 WHY DID YOU DEVELOP BUSKILL?

00:06:25 WHEN DID YOU START MAKING BUSKILL CABLES?

00:06:42 HAS THE PRODUCT CHANGED SINCE THEN?

00:07:42 WHO ELSE IS BUSKILL FOR?

00:09:08 WHAT OPTIONS CAN BE TRIGGERED?

00:10:53 IS IT POSSIBLE TO TRIGGER A FALSE OR ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENT?

00:12:16 CAN YOU WIPE ON WINDOWS OR MACOS?

00:13:40 LINUX INSTALL OPTIONS

00:14:16 MACOS & WINDOWS INSTALL OPTIONS

00:14:25 CAN THIS BE DONE ON MOBILE?

00:16:39 REAL-WORLD BUSKILL EXAMPLES

00:18:13 BUSKILL COMMUNITY

00:19:17 BUSKILL + OPEN SOURCE

00:19:44 STL FILES + 3D PRINTING

00:20:38 IS IT GOOD TO CREATE IT YOURSELF?

00:20:50 INTERDICTION

00:21:42 EDWARD SNOWDEN ON INTERDICTION

00:23:24 OTHER ACQUISITION METHODS

00:25:13 NOVACUSTOM PARTNERSHIP

00:26:00 BUSKILL + NICHE LINUX DISTROS

00:26:57 QUBES DOM0

00:28:27 UBUNTU & TAILS

00:30:02 DOES BUSKILL SUPPORT CHROMEBOOKS?

00:31:19 GETTING INVOLVED IN PRIVACY + ADVOCACY

00:33:05 HOW PRIVACY IS VIEWED WORLDWIDE

00:36:55 PERSONAL CHALLENGES WITH PRIVACY

00:39:11 GO-TO PRIVACY & SECURITY TIPS

00:40:11 BUSKILL + SECURITY KEYS?

00:43:06 SECURITY THROUGH OBSCURITY

00:45:25 CLOUD-BASED PASSWORD MANAGERS

00:46:09 LIVING WITHOUT A PHONE

00:51:57 CAN IT GET WORSE?

00:53:18 PROPRIETARY BROADBAND

00:58:49 WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT NOVACUSTOM?

01:00:56 OUTRO

—

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

Ricardo Signes, Chief Engineer at Fastmail, explains why Gmail's email experience has become increasingly fragmented, and what it would take to actually fix the decades-old IMAP protocol that powers most of the internet. We dive deep into JMAP (the modern replacement Gmail won't adopt), privacy-by-design vs. encryption theater, and the hidden trade-offs between convenience and security that no one talks about. If you've noticed your email client feeling broken, this interview reveals why.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:

• Fastmail: https://fastmail.com

• Fastmail Values Statement: https://fastmail.com/about/values

• Cyrus IMAP/JMAP Server (open source): https://www.cyrusimap.org/

• JMAP Standard (RFC 8620): https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8620

• Web Push Standard (RFC 8030): https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8030

• Signal (for encrypted messaging): https://signal.org

• Fastmail Data Transparency Report: https://fastmail.com/about/transparency

Timestamps:

0:00:00 INTRO

00:01:36 WHAT DRAWS YOU TO FASTMAIL?

00:03:29 FASTMAIL VALUES & PHILOSOPHY

00:08:49 FASTMAIL TARGET USER

00:12:43 LACK OF NATIVE E2EE

00:16:16 WILL EMAIL EVER BE PRIVATE?

00:18:23 FASTMAIL E2EE OPTIONS

00:23:43 FASTMAIL CLIENT OPTIONS

00:26:18 FASTMAIL INTEGRATIONS

00:29:49 BEING GOOD INTERNET CITIZENS

00:33:13 BAD INTERNET CITIZENS

00:38:26 JMAP & OTHER EMAIL PROTOCOLS

00:48:15 REAL-WORLD BENEFITS OF JMAP

00:53:07 ISSUES WITH GMAIL ON IOS

00:56:06 LACK OF E2EE FOR EMAIL WITH ADP

00:57:29 DOES JMAP MAKE E2EE EASIER?

01:00:43 FASTMAIL + OPEN SOURCE

01:10:48 PROTECTIONS AGAINST BAD ACTORS

01:14:46 PHONE NUMBER REQUIREMENTS

01:22:55 AUSTRALIAN JURISDICTION

01:25:55 THE FASTMAIL TEAM

01:28:45 PRODUCTIVITY-FOCUSED EMAIL CLIENTS

01:34:27 FASTMAIL + IMAP

01:35:49 WHY THE NAME "FASTMAIL"?

01:38:27 IS JMAP WHY FASTMAIL IS SO FAST?

01:42:03 FASTMAIL'S IDEAL AVATAR + FUTURE PLANS

01:46:25 HOW TO FOLLOW RICARDO + FASTMAIL

01:48:03 OUTRO

—

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When you sign into Chrome, Google collects your entire browsing history to build behavioral profiles for targeted ads. In this interview, Firefox CTO Bobby Holley breaks down why Mozilla maintains Gecko as an independent engine, how Firefox approaches privacy differently from Google and Apple, and why the stakes for browser independence are higher than ever.

Timestamps:

00:00 INTRO

01:24 CTO DAY IN THE LIFE

03:34 STICKING WITH GECKO OVER CHROMIUM

06:33 COMPETING ON PRIVACY

09:06 PRIVACY IN FIREFOX

21:03 INSPIRATION FROM THE TOR PROJECT

22:57 WHAT USERS GAIN FROM FIREFOX

26:56 THE BEST FIREFOX CONFIGURATION

29:59 MANIFEST V2 VS. V3 + AD BLOCKING

30:53 MAINTAINING MANIFEST V2

32:26 UBLOCK ORIGIN BY DEFAULT?

33:46 FIREFOX'S APPROACH TO AI

39:14 GECKO ON IOS?

42:25 FEELINGS ABOUT THE DMA IN EUROPE

43:53 WINDOWS DEFAULT BROWSER BEHAVIOR

44:52 DMA ENGINE CHOICE PROVISIONS

45:13 BEING THE DEFAULT BROWSER ON LINUX

46:52 NEW THREATS TO PRIVACY

50:33 HOW TO FOLLOW BOBBY & FIREFOX

51:47 OUTRO

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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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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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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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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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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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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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