Yeah, I try jumping around. Some are better than others, but none are great.

I probably need to switch VPNs. I currently use Surfshark and I experience 2 problems, and I want to see if it’s unique to that service.

1. Lots of sites block my traffic because they detect i’m coming from a VPN. And just not like… banks or streaming services, but stupid things like Autotrader.com. It’s silly.

2. The connection always seems to slow down over time, and I have to disconnect and reconnect to get it working at full speed again. I use it on Linux and on Android and the problem happens across devices.

Sounds like Mullvad has some good options.

I don’t even trust that. Google devices hard-code DNS and IPs and… I have no evidence or knowledge of it, but I assume that they have some Sidewalk-like ability to communicate directly to other Google devices to get outside the network you want them to be on.

I recently switched from Google Maps to Apple Maps in an effort to de-google, but this seems like an even better alternative.

Does it work with CarPlay?

EDIT: It looks like it does.

I got mad at my iPhone yesterday because I asked Siri to navigate home using Apple Maps, and it said that I hadn’t shared my location with Siri so that wasn’t possible. No… I shared my location with Apple Maps, open the app and have it navigate home. If you’re not going to allow me to use native iPhone features with Apple Maps, I’ll just use something else.

You are 100% correct.

Look at OPs meme and ask the obvious question: “Why is this moving to the right, and not to the left? Aren’t both options equally possible?”

The answer is that it moves to the side that wins elections.

“Why is the right winning elections” is the much much better question to ask. In the meantime, do everything you can to move the center in the other direction one step at a time, and that doesn’t come about by losing elections while standing on principle.

Why would anyone load an app from McDonalds? You want to give them elevated access to your most personal data for a few dollars of coupons?

What are they taking from you that’s worth more than the discounts they are giving you? Because they are definitely making a profit, or they wouldn’t be doing it.

I miss targeted advertisements. It’s important that my OS tracks what my interests are, so that I can be served more relevant advertising.

Advertising that doesn’t know my interests doesn’t hold my interest, and having no ads means that I have no idea what I’m supposed to purchase next. It’s crazy.