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Showing posts from 2020

Newspapers over newsfeeds

T hree years ago, I kept running into a frustrating problem - one of those issues that people create start-ups over. The local newspaper delivery system was shady. They wouldn't give me a receipt for the monthly payment, all records were kept in a book they maintained, and cash-only payment frequently meant that they'd pocket the change, even though they pretended to write down details in their book; the details curiously missing the next time they showed up for cash. Were I more entrepreneurial, I might have created a start-up that let people buy and pay for newspapers subscriptions online and provide a professional service. I'd have failed, given my utter lack of people-skills and logistics being a nightmare to maintain. So, I did what my aversion to conflict prodded me towards. I cancelled my newspaper subscription; the first time I truly had been without a newspaper since childhood. I t was great for a while. I was able to focus more on news that I wanted to read, rathe...

Switching from Android to iPhone

The screen of my OnePlus 3 is coming off, the software updates stopped in 2019 and I need to get a new phone. Right on cue, Apple releases the iPhone SE. Those who know me wouldn't be mistaken in their assumption that I'm not going to consider an iPhone. This time, however, is different. TLDR; Security updates I'm one of those, who has always recommended Android over iPhone. My reasons were simple: Android is based on Linux and is Open Source. It has more features. One can easily sideload apps. One can easily customize it. Backup to a PC is easier. I would then go futher and say that one should go for Google Pixel, OnePlus and Samsung over other Android vendors because of Software updates. It is increasingly more important to keep the OS on our phones updated. So, let's look at the reasons for my recommendations over the years and see if they still hold true. 1. Android is based on Linux and is Open Source. Technically True, but practically False Let...