davgreg

Mr. Pai came to the FCC from Verizon and has been on a mission to give the telecom/ISP lobby their wish list starting with net neutrality. He is not your friend regardless of your political viewpoint.

Simply stated, net neutrality is equal access for both those who provide content- like Apple Insider - and consumers who view it. By the way, both the providers and consumers already pay ISPs for internet access.

A free and open internet needs for there to be equal access to the whole internet both to serve for a fair commercial market and for an open exchange of ideas among the public. The huge companies we all know like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix and such were able to become what they are in part because of an online environment where your content and service was the determining factor in your success- not a rigged internet where their sites were not hobbled by a second or third tier online connection.

There is also a reasonable concern about a fair an open internet that allows for the free exchange of ideas. Despite the flame wars that get outsized attention, most online commenters are reasonable and not offensive.

Landline ISPs are a natural monopoly due to the expense and complexity of the build out and upkeep of the connections. Very few people have a choice regarding broadband landline internet connections. Wireless is not really a competition due to the low data caps imposed upon wireless networks and the common problems with congestion. As such, there is a compelling need fro some level of government oversight to make sure ISPs to not abuse their market position.

When a Doctor tells you that you have Pancreatic Cancer you do not waste time in prayer- not mentioned here, but widely reported, fad diets or fasting. It is amazing that smart people can be so stupid and gullible regarding faith and regarding unproven “alternative” Medicine.

I have worked in Medical Radiology for over 30 years and a significant part of that involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and tracking of Cancer. The specific kind of Pancreatic Cancer he suffered from was one that- if caught early enough - can be treated with the surgical procedure mentioned. It is not a simple procedure and has profound downstream consequences, but can give a patient a high probability of surviving Pancreatic Cancer. Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg was successfully treated for a similar form of Pancreatic Cancer and is still alive and kicking, primarily because she did not fritter away precious time with nonsense like prayer, fasting, fad diets and alternative medicine.

Steve Jobs, for all his money and connections, could not get back that precious time he foolishly wasted. That should be an object lesson for everyone. I cannot give you medical advice, but would admonish all to not play around with any Cancer diagnosis. With Cancer, time is the one thing you cannot spare.

I have seen so many people valiantly struggle with Cancer- some surviving and others not. My own Mother died in 2016 of Multiple Myeloma and watching her struggle with it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to witness. To think he had an early diagnosis and wasted it still makes me mad- most people do not get that gift.

The pervasive tracking for ads is a cancer on the internet and Facebook tracks even people who have never signed up for Facebook.

I have Windows 11 installed on my M1 Mac mini with Parallels and it runs very well as far as I have seen (not used it much).

The only issue I have seen is getting it activated. Windows 11 is free to owners of Windows 10 and I have a license for 10 Pro but it was not installed on my ARM Mac for obvious reasons. Have a message in to Microsoft and will see.

sdw2001 said:

I never use Apple news. But I can say the New York Times is an absolute disaster. The paper has always been biased, but they at least tried to offer a veneer of accountability and impartiality in the past. The opinion pages have now utterly infected the news room. They are 100% propaganda and fake news at this point.  Anyone who has researched it knows they played an integral part in the “spygate“ scandal.  

This decision is obviously about money. “Reader engagement” and “relationship with our readers “are just terms for “we weren’t making any money from it.”  

The NYT has seen a massive spike in digital subscribers during the Trump administration and is by all public accounts doing well. They experienced a near death financial crisis as they transitioned to a paywall as subscribers dropped and ad revenue went away.

The paper went through multiple rounds of buy outs and layoffs as they streamlined the staff and rationalized the editorial process. They also sold off other assets-like TV stations to get the cash needed to make the transition. That process has largely been completed.

I agree that there is a bias problem in the political coverage and on the opinion pages. It is neither Democratic or Republican, but rather a corporatist centrist viewpoint that manages to aggravate progressives and conservatives equally. They are just as hostile to Bernie Sanders as they are to Trump.

They are also heavy handed in comment moderation. Comments too negative to their viewpoint get posted, but often many hours to days later- preventing them from being seen by most readers. Comments that follow the company line get posted almost immediately. Supposedly moderation is now mostly automated, so that is suspicious.

The recent handling of the Tom Cotton op-Ed is also a problem. I disagree with my Senator on most things, but his voice as a Senator is important and worthy of the opinion page.

Spying on your customers is not good business or a way to honor a supposed commitment to privacy.

I have no tolerance or use for people who exploit children - or adults - and would have no problem with the death penalty for such conduct. 

But that does not justify such a practice as this. This is Apple’s attempt to cave to big brother government that wants your devices under constant surveillance. The potential for this technology to make false accusations and the resulting destruction of reputation is immense. Once your reputation is damaged by such an accusation it is simply beyond restoration - you will always be suspect.

The privacy of our digital devices has been litigated to death and the current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court wrote the opinion telling the Donut Patrol to get a warrant. He stated that our digital devices have essentially become extensions of our homes in regards to privacy and that should extend to the iCloud service. The cops want to sit back, surveil you 24/7/365 and that is not what our laws say our rights are. The cops need to get back to good old fashioned police work and stop trying to create Orwell’s Telescreen with our phones.

I work in Medical Radiology and have for over 30 years.
The Doctor says it will pass, but I would have doubts unless there is known experience with the AirPod. If the literature says the AirPod will remain intact and not leak as it passes through, then it should be OK.

The lithium battery is highly toxic as would a watch battery. If I were the parent I would prefer that a GI doctor scope it out as it looks to be along the greater curvature of the stomach.

If it was a coin or marble it is no big deal. Battery or cluster of magnets is a different issue.

Buying a Peloton is an IQ test. Buy one and you fail.
Overpaying for a exercise bike (ding) and subscribing to an overpriced service where someone yells at you from a remote studio (not a real coach) (ding, ding).

All because you do not want to go outside and ride a real bicycle. And with a real bike you can put them on a stand and ride them indoors if you must. All for less than a Peloton.

Or you can go down to a real gym and tackle a spin class. Cannot imagine why anyone would prefer that over riding a real bike outside.

georgie01 said:

If the private sector can buy the data then why is it news that the government is doing the same thing? No one should be allowed to buy the data, since it’s effectively obtained via deception and/or the ignorance of users.

And if people are breaking the law, and illegal immigrants are breaking the law, then the government should use whatever means they can to ensure the law is followed. Some may not like the consequences, but there are legal and respectful ways people in need can obtain access to the US. Sneaking in the country and getting access to jobs and benefits isn’t respectful when there are other ways to do it.

Those cameras sprouting up on roads everywhere are private company owned and they have created a nationwide dragnet for license plates. When that data is matched to cell phone location data and commonly sold transaction data, they can compile a highly detailed view of your activity without probable cause or a warrant.

The police should not be able to buy technology and agree to NDAs as to the existence of them. Same for the fake cell towers that spoof cell towers and suck up all the data in a geographic area. 
The public has a right to know what public money is being spent upon.