Scar•dip•dap

noun: skills in many areas. a little of this and that.

PSA Newsletter 21: Privacy, Security, Automation!

An "I told you so" or two, and an iOS Shortcuts Resource...

Privacy

The Center for Digital Democracy published a report on Commercial Surveillance by Smart TV's. In part, it reiterates what readers of this newsletter should know and take to heart by now: Never connect your "Smart" TV to your home network, ever. The risks and long-term harm is simply not worth it, in my opinion. If you want to add streaming capability to your TV (or better yet, dumb projector without network connectivity), I recommend an Apple TV. Their privacy record isn't spotless, but it's nowhere near as bad as the competition. [1]

Security

As a general rule, be wary of anyone asking for a backdoor built into encrypted systems. Modern-day cryptography is a mathematical miracle and anyone looking to circumvent it will inevitably do irreparable harm, intentional or not. [2]

Automation

If you're looking for a great place to find novel iOS Shortcuts, look no further than the /r/shortcuts subreddit. Great resource for ideas and often, interesting new uses for Shortcuts. [3]

Sources:

I hope it's obvious, but in case it's not, please understand the following:

  1. All opinions expressed are solely my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer, my dog, or anyone else for that matter.
  2. If you buy something I suggest and it doesn't work, please reach out to the vendor for supoort first.
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