Techlore Talks

In this Techlore Talks episode, we 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.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS

• 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.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
• 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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Session CTO Kee Jefferys to discusses their decentralized messenger that uses private routing by default, requires no phone number, and runs on a network of thousands community-operated nodes. We dive deep into the technical decisions behind Session, including why they chose decentralization over perfect forward secrecy and how they're building a trustless messaging platform.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
• https://getsession.org/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kee-j-090502157/

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 INTRO
00:02:21 WHY SESSION WAS STARTED
00:04:12 THE TEAM BEHIND SESSION
00:05:30 SESSION USER THREAT MODELS
00:09:20 REGISTRATION & USER ID
00:13:07 IS KEY VERIFICATION UNNECESSARY?
00:14:58 ONION ROUTING
00:16:53 USING THE OFFICIAL TOR NETWORK?
00:17:57 WHY NOT TOR?
00:19:15 HOW DECENTRALIZED IS SESSION?
00:21:07 ARE NODES TRUSTLESS?
00:24:53 HOW SESSION HANDLES METADATA
00:27:28 WHAT CAN SESSION HAND OVER?
00:29:20 SESSION + BLOCKCHAIN
00:31:24 IS ENCRYPTED DATA STORED?
00:33:58 REASON FOR THE SWARM
00:34:55 WHY 7?
00:36:26 SESSION LOGIN & ACCOUNT RECOVERY
00:39:17 BACKUP & RESTORE
00:40:57 PFS (PERFECT FORWARD SECRECY)
00:46:56 IS SESSION A SIGNAL FORK?
00:48:10 USABILITY PROGRESS
00:52:58 DEVICE LINKING
00:54:25 CUSTOM NOTIFICATIONS/UNIFIED PUSH
00:59:25 ANDROID NOTIFICATIONS + BATTERY
01:02:34 SESSION'S BUSINESS MODEL
01:05:48 ENCOUNTER WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT
01:12:55 ARE THERE APP STORE PROTECTIONS?
01:16:58 WHAT'S NEXT FOR SESSION?
01:19:41 FAVORITE PRIVACY PROJECT?
01:22:41 OUTRO

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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. Please note: Due to Jitsi connection issues during recording, Frank's video quality is compromised in the first half but normalizes as the interview progresses. 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. 

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
• 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.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
• 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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In this interview, Dan Saltman, CEO and founder of Redact.dev, discusses 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.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO
• 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 us 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.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:
• AlmaLinux: https://almalinux.org/
• benny's 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!

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO
• 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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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.

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO
• Ente: https://ente.io
• Vishnu Mohandas: https://vishnu.tech/

⏱️ 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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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!

📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO
• Steele Fortress: https://steelefortress.com/
• Law Site: https://www.steelefamlaw.com/

⏱️ 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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