The Current State of Smartphones Most people own a smartphone. They are extremely useful tools, but they are also a nightmare for security and privacy. This guide will attempt to help you improve your security and privacy while using a smartphone, without losing useful functionality. There are, mainly, three types of smartphone: Android Devices iOS Devices (the iPhone) Dumb phones / brick phones / feature phones (KaiOS or custom) Android Android by default is the most customizable of the bunch. Different brands usually have their own software, and also ship Google apps. The most important one being Google Play Services. This application connects to Google to allow the Play Store to function, logging in with Google, and power most Google Apps. It also shares a lot of user data with Google. ...

Why Am I Doing This (again)? I’ve been using Linux for many years, and recently tried FreeBSD on a spare laptop. I didn’t see many differences initially, but it got me wondering: What really are the differences between Linux and *BSDs? Which OS should I use? Of course, the short answer is always the same: It depends. So, I had to decide what is most important to me. Before continuing, I recommend that you do the same. ...

A Bit of Context What is a Display Server? If you use Linux or any BSD variant, you have likely heard of, and used, a display server. A display server is the component required to load any graphics or graphical user interfaces (GUIs - most browsers, games, …) and display any video content. The display server also handles input, manages the physical display, listens for requests to draw graphics, and supports hardware acceleration. ...

TL;DR Although I’ve heard of BSD before and have experience with Linux, I have never attempted to run a “true” BSD system (excluding macOS) as a daily driver. I likely made mistakes along the way, and not everything went as planned. If you are an experienced FreeBSD user, feel free to correct me or send some tips my way. I’ll read any emails I receive. I will definitely revisit FreeBSD in the future. This is a blog post, not a guide. ...

Why Run AI Locally? AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini can be very useful, however, they have a few issues: Price (Some tiers can be expensive and require a monthly subscription) Freedom (You may be limited by the moral beliefs of the company behind it) Internet Access Privacy (All your requests are sent to the company’s servers and can be seen and used by them for any purpose.) Ease of access (Sometimes you may encounter shortages or be unable to use AI efficiently with the tools you already have) Local AI solves most of these issues: Your requests never leave your computer, and so they are private and can be done offline. ...