This episode is for our paying subscribers only so - stop delaying the inevitable - and become a paid subscriber for the measly cost of

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I can’t stress this enough. The tool that allowed me to be able to make the heart of today’s episode is 33Mail.

Even though you always find a recommendation for them in my footers, please: use them. It’s the email anonymizer tool that I use when subscribing to anything. ONLY use email addresses you create via 33mail, not your own “normal” email, to help track, prevent, and then block SPAM.

Here’s how:

1. Sign up for 33Mail using my affiliate link (thanks for that, BTW)

2. Create a username/email suffix. For example: SeahawksWin

3. Your new user name will now appear in ANY new email address that you create using 33mail: @SeahawksWin.33mail.com

4. Now, whenever you sign up for a service - like NordVPN for example, another service I can’t live without - use a 33mail email address and add the alias “NordVPN” to the beginning. Thus your new email address will be: NordVPN@SeahawksWin.33mail.com

This is, obviously, a new way to think about email.

• Before, you RECEIVED one email address from companies like Google or Comcast or Yahoo. You then used that email for, well: everything.

• Now, YOU, not those companies create your own new email addresses whenever you need them. Create and use as many as you like.

➡️ My advice: add the name of the service to which you’re subscribing - NordVPN in our example - into the email address that you’ll create for yourself on 33mail.com

Then, if any spam should ever come to you from the email address NordVPN@SeahawksWin.33mail.com you’ve got two HUGE advantages:

1. You’ll instantly know which platform the spam came from, something that’s excellent for conclusively reporting back to that platform.

2. Stopping the spam only requires ONE CLICK to permanently stop it. Even better, that one click is right in the email itself, at the very top. Just click that and… ALL EMAILS from that provider is gone. Forever.

For a deeper dive on this most favorite platform of mine, head over to Episode #3:

Subscribe now

One legal caveat to start today’s episode:

Paywalls are erected on websites to protect digital media. Therefore, any methods for circumventing those paywalls violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The DMCA legislation prohibits circumventing an effective technological means of control that restricts access to a copyrighted work.

Please know that in advance before proceeding with the advice that I provide in today’s episode. My assumption here is that you’ll reserve using this technique to access media you’ve already paid to access when your browser throws up a block.

In my example, I’m using the Brave browser with all shields up, something I do to remove all trackers, ads, and fingerprinting. While this is great for my privacy, it’s sometimes not great for websites that need to load data.

If your browser, like mine, sometimes throws up a block and prevents you from accessing data, then this is a great solution.

OK? OK!

And that, friend, is a wrap for today’s episode. Thanks for being a FREE subscriber. For just $8/mo or $60/year, you can become a paid subscriber. That’s WAY less money than you spend on coffee in just one week and the high you’ll get, will last far longer…

Subscribe now

As always… surf safe! 👍🏼 👌🏾

Popular Past Issues:

• Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

• How to remove your personal data from the web.

• My recommendations on the best VPN providers.

• My favorite, free tool to keep email addresses private.

• A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

Our Current Recommendations

Below you’ll find links to the products and platforms that I personally use and own. These are all affiliate links. That means you’ll often save some money by using them and I’ll earn a small commission!

• Eleven Labs, my fave platform for text to voice and more

• iDrive, the online backup software my family and I all use

• DeleteMe, the service I use to delete my personal, private data from the web

• Nord VPN, the VPN software I use to hide my surfing from my ISP

• 33Mail, the email anonymizer that I use when subscribing to ANYTHING

• Synology WRX560, the top router made by the company I’ve used for years

Please visit the TechTalk Product Recommendation page for more up-to-date picks for best-in-class software, hardware, and services. These are the very same products and services that we own and use ourselves.

Please read the TechTalk Transparency Statement to learn more about our strict guidelines on linking to the products and services that we recommend to our readers.

The app I vibe coded: SoundQ - https://soundq.studio/

Google Gemini (free & paid plans): https://aistudio.google.com/

Anthropic’s Claude (free & paid plans): https://claude.ai/

Perplexity (free & paid plans): https://www.perplexity.ai/ - I got a one year FREE plan via PayPal, something they no longer offer, but… keep your eyes open for deals.

Replit for vibe-coding your own applications (free & paid plans): https://replit.com/refer/matzoballSoup - my referral link helps me earn a few bucks, so thank you!

Full transcript IS available for this episode.

And that, friend, is a wrap for today’s episode. Thanks for being a FREE subscriber. For just $8/mo or $60/year, you can become a paid subscriber. That’s WAY less money than you spend on coffee in just one week and the high you’ll get, will last far longer…

Subscribe now

As always… surf safe! 👍🏼 👌🏾

Popular Past Issues:

• Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

• How to remove your personal data from the web.

• My recommendations on the best VPN providers.

• My favorite, free tool to keep email addresses private.

• A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

Our Current Recommendations

Below you’ll find links to the products and platforms that I personally use and own. These are all affiliate links. That means you’ll often save some money by using them and I’ll earn a small commission!

• Eleven Labs, my fave platform for text to voice and more

• iDrive, the online backup software my family and I all use

• DeleteMe, the service I use to delete my personal, private data from the web

• Nord VPN, the VPN software I use to hide my surfing from my ISP

• 33Mail, the email anonymizer that I use when subscribing to ANYTHING

• Synology WRX560, the top router made by the company I’ve used for years

Please visit the TechTalk Product Recommendation page for more up-to-date picks for best-in-class software, hardware, and services. These are the very same products and services that we own and use ourselves.

Please read the TechTalk Transparency Statement to learn more about our strict guidelines on linking to the products and services that we recommend to our readers.

Some services flaunt the CAN-SPAM act - the law of the land here in the US - by not including a unsubscribe button on their emails or not giving recipients a “clear and conspicuous explanation” of how to unsubscribe.

In today’s video episode, I’ll share a hidden method on how to unsubscribe from these emails anyway.

Fun!

And that, friend, is a wrap for today’s episode. Thanks for being a FREE subscriber. For just $8/mo or $60/year, you can become a paid subscriber. That’s WAY less money than you spend on coffee in just one week and the high you’ll get, will last far longer…

Subscribe now

As always… surf safe! 👍🏼 👌🏾

Popular Past Issues:

• Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

• How to remove your personal data from the web.

• My recommendations on the best VPN providers.

• My favorite, free tool to keep email addresses private.

• A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

Our Current Recommendations

Below you’ll find links to the products and platforms that I personally use and own. These are all affiliate links. That means you’ll often save some money by using them and I’ll earn a small commission!

• Eleven Labs, my fave platform for text to voice and more

• iDrive, the online backup software my family and I all use

• DeleteMe, the service I use to delete my personal, private data from the web

• Nord VPN, the VPN software I use to hide my surfing from my ISP

• 33Mail, the email anonymizer that I use when subscribing to ANYTHING

• Synology WRX560, the top router made by the company I’ve used for years

Please visit the TechTalk Product Recommendation page for more up-to-date picks for best-in-class software, hardware, and services. These are the very same products and services that we own and use ourselves.

Please read the TechTalk Transparency Statement to learn more about our strict guidelines on linking to the products and services that we recommend to our readers.

The Most Popular Question I Get

Over my career in tech, one question almost always rises to the top of the pile:

Do you know of any good deals or tips to save me money?”

Although I usually share my fave links with clients, I’ve never shared everything I’ve learned with the general public. I think it’s time to change that.

Kind of.

Part One of This Guide is for all of my subscribers. Enjoy, learn, and go save some money on some of your next purchases.

Part Two — the more detailed Guide with links — is for my paid subscribers only. It’s my way of saying thank you.

For those of you who are not paid subscribers, I can’t make this more mathematically clear: since I’m about to save you over $1300, the $60 it costs to be a paid subscriber of Tech Talk will seem like it’s nothing.

Subscribe now

Part One: The General Approaches

Find the Sales

Many websites feature sales, both seasonally and yearly. Amazon has Prime Days; Black Friday & Cyber Monday are huge events; the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl is an incredible time to buy a new TV. There are others. Back-to-School sales are also popular. Familiarize yourselves with these opportunities and then plan purchases around these periods to save some dough 🍕.

Find the Coupons

Some websites offer a one-time coupon code if you are willing to share your email address. Take advantage! Some can be up to 15-20% off, which is a lot of savings when buying new tech.

Note: never use your personal email address for this. Use your free or paid 33Mail addresses (affiliate link), something I discussed back in Episode #3.

Buy Used

There are many websites (and stores) where you can find great deals on used phones, routers, computers, and mobile devices. This is a GREAT option for those of you with even a little bit of tech experience. Some places even offer warranties on what you buy, so look for those opportunities as well!

Caveat emptor! Erase and/or re-initialize anything that you buy used. That’s a non-negotiable. If you don’t know, then take 10min to learn online. Once complete, install/re-install operating systems and apps from scratch.

Buy “Yesterdays” Model

Do you want the new Apple 2025 models? How about Sony’s latest noise-cancelling, symphonic-resonating, creme-de-la-creme headset for audiophile level awesomeness? Of course you do! But can you save serious cash by purchasing the new (or used) 2024 or the 2023 models! Buy smart, not trendy.

Part Two: The Specific Approaches (and Links!)

Think of part two as a companion to to part one. Below, I’ll provide links of where to purchase discounted new & used hardware along with discounted new, used & even free software.

Let’s jump in…

Discounted New Hardware

It is amazing to me how much money I can save if I just spend even just 30min hunting. You can as well. Check out these sites and see if there aren’t some deals for the gear that you’re looking to purchase.

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I have spent MONTHS playing on as many AI platforms as I can. As the AI revolution is very clearly the future, I’ve been busy staying up to speed the best I can. Not only is it super fun to play with new toys but it’s also shocking and delightful to see what it’s possible to do WITH those toys.

But, new AI platforms and their updates spring up every day. Just this week, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic all released new versions of their tools. Great! But I have limited time and limited funds. My strategy is this:

• Sign up as a free user and explore as many platforms as I can

• Become a paid member on the few that I truly love

• Be an evangelist for exactly one.

Today’s episode is about that one: Eleven Labs.

Editorial Note: I wasn’t paid by Eleven Labs to write or talk about their products and platform. They didn't pitch me to do so either, even for free. I don’t accept those offers. If I love a product or service enough to share it publicly, I sometimes earn a commission if you make a purchase. As always: I highlight those affiliate links clearly.

So let’s dig in.

Eleven Labs

I wrote about Eleven Labs back in Episode #106 when I was just a free subscriber to their platform. Back then, I was shocked by how incredible their Reader app sounded. I’d feed it a link from a website and it would read it to me in a voice that sounded light years ahead of Siri, Alexa, Google, and more.

I was also pretty amazed by the Voice Changer Tool.

Since that time, the company’s release a few new tools that have, as before, blown me away.

Voice Cloning

One of my favorite new tools - by far - is the ability to clone your own voice. Yes, the idea sounds a bit creepy, but it’s also remarkable. Once cloned, you can assign your voice to read ANYTHING you like: websites, PDFs, copied text, and more.

There are many practical uses for this, but here are two:

• Content creators can now use their CLONED voice instead or their real one. This is what AI Queen - my term, not hers - Sabrina Romonov does for all of the “headless” videos she posts on social media (these are videos where the creator shows something on screen while they narrate). Only, Sabrina doesn’t “narrate” any more: she just leverages her Eleven Labs voice clone.

• Another nifty option: writers can now offer voice overs, books on tape, podcasts and more. Why record yourself talking — as I always do for my TechTalk podcasts — when you can just copy and paste your text into Eleven Labs! Then, you can just have your voice clone do the reading for you! Bingo! It might even sound like this...

#Fun

And remember, if you hate the sound of your own voice, choose ANY of the other options that Eleven Labs provides. So, if you’ve ever wondered — and you shouldn’t have — what my newsletter might sound like if I were a seductive Indian woman with a British accent, now you’ll know:

Sound Effects

I have a sweet spot in my heart for old time radio, so I occasionally re-enact some old classics with friends. As the producer, I often have to find or create all of the sound effects (SFX) that these shows use. It take a lot of time.

But, perhaps, not for much longer. Eleven Labs’s new tool is exciting glimpse of the future but still needs development. If all you require is a simple sound, the platform is fantastic! Here’s my prompt for “an ominous clock ticking”:

Not bad, right? Well, let’s make the prompt more complex. Here’s what I got for “an ominous clock ticking as the wind blows”:

Meh.

For these reasons, if you’re looking for the best SFX options, I can’t recommend AI solutions just yet. Instead, head over the BBC’s massive sound effects library and get recordings of the real thing! They’ve got tens of thousands of SFX files available, ALL FOR FREE.

AI Generated Music

This week, Eleven Labs introduced AI music. I took a look, tried a few prompts and it's pretty impressive. At the prompt, I typed in the kind of vibe, style, and orchestration that I wanted and boom! The platform created me a 90sec clip based on that prompt. Here’s a 1min clip of the following prompt:

“A cinematic orchestral piece featuring yearning horns that begins with a melancholy mood and gradually builds into a hopeful and strong climax, capturing the spirit of American classical music with open harmonies and rhythmic vitality.”

The resulting song is here to see and listen. Click/tap the play button.

The beginning of the piece reminds me of something I’d hear in “The Lord of the Rings”, don’t you think? It’s definitely cinematic. That being said… could the horns sound more realistic? Sure. Could the transition from a yearning mood to an uplifting one not be so sudden? Yes. But still: it’s incredibly impressive to be able to type a few words and suddenly have a song. But…

If you want to explore - for free! - what I think is the best AI platform for creating music, then look no further than Suno. Here’s a similar prompt to the one I used on Eleven Labs. As you can hear, the resulting song is more clear, organized, and organic sounding. There’s also a lot fewer horns, and an odd ending. Still, Suno provides users with far longer clips to preview than the 60sec you’re given on Eleven Labs.

Still, Eleven Labs music offering is certainly good enough to use for podcasts or other kinds of intros and outros? Absolutely. I can see our son playing with tools like these and creating all kinds of fun videos, picture stories, and more.

It's all very impressive.

The Bottom Line

Eleven Labs offers a free tier and a paid tier. Once I started diving into the voice cloning, dubbing, and text to speech features, I became a paying member and haven’t looked back.

I've been paying $5/mo for a few months now to give the paid features a fair chance and have been impressed. That’s the month to month cost. If I sign up for a yearly plan, that drops to $4.17/mo although it’s all paid up front.

My affiliate link here will take you to the voice cloning page because I think that’s the most remarkable new feature on the platform. Once you sign up — for either a free or paid account — you’ll have access to ALL of the cool ElevenLabs tools.

Go for it. At the very least it’s worth a free account. And I’m guessing some of you will be delighted to explore some of the paid features as well.

Lemme know your thoughts!

And that, friend, is a wrap for today’s episode. Thanks for being a FREE subscriber. For just $8/mo or $60/year, you can become a paid subscriber. That’s WAY less money than you spend on coffee in just one week and the high you’ll get, will last far longer…

Subscribe now

As always… surf safe! 👍🏼 👌🏾

Popular Past Issues:

• Which secure routers to purchase and WHY.

• How to remove your personal data from the web.

• My recommendations on the best VPN providers.

• My favorite, free tool to keep email addresses private.

• A crash course on keeping your devices updated.

Our Current Recommendations

Below you’ll find links to the products and platforms that I personally use and own. These are all affiliate links. That means you’ll often save some money by using them and I’ll earn a small commission!

• Eleven Labs, my fave platform for text to voice and more

• iDrive, the online backup software my family and I all use

• DeleteMe, the service I use to delete my personal, private data from the web

• Nord VPN, the VPN software I use to hide my surfing from my ISP

• 33Mail, the email anonymizer that I use when subscribing to ANYTHING

• Synology WRX560, the top router made by the company I’ve used for years

Please visit the TechTalk Product Recommendation page for more up-to-date picks for best-in-class software, hardware, and services. These are the very same products and services that we own and use ourselves.

Please read the TechTalk Transparency Statement to learn more about our strict guidelines on linking to the products and services that we recommend to our readers.

The Big Insight

During my six months away from writing this newsletter and from technology in general, a curious thing happened. I began cooking a lot more. Although that doesn't seem like a major life event, stay with me here because all of that extra time in the kitchen led me to a powerful realization:

Even when I’m away from my laptop and mobile devic…

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This post is open to be read and commented on by all of my subscribers. Please weigh in.

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What I shared just last week in Episode #109 was probably very difficult to hear. Some of you probably even thought, “OK, he’s clearly lost it.”

I'm not surprised: if you’d as…

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Hi, friends.

It’s been a minute. I’ll be the first to say that. Between massive life changes for my family and I and the world *feeling* like it’s on fire, writing about tech hasn’t been a front-and-center concern of mine this year. Trying to be there for my family and friends has been.

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Friends,

You've heard me speak about and write about the private and secure messaging app called "Signal". I wrote about it, at length, back in Episode #39.

A recent alert from Google has shared that Russian “state-aligned threat actors” — also known as malicious hackers — are targeting the Signals platform and app to gain intelligence …

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Episode #12: The Best Free Tools for Online Security

Episode #36: Multi-Factor Authentication

Episode #42: Online Gaming & Safety

Episode #59: Locking Down Facebook

A.I. Notification: No part of this episode was written or edited by artificial intelligence. The image above was created using A.I., specifically the Flux Image platform.

Introduction

Over the course of my 2-plus decade career in tech, I’ve seen a lot of security threats, hacks, and phishing (or email) scams. But the past two weeks, I’ve gotten something …

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A.I. Notification: No part of this episode was written or edited by artificial intelligence. The image above WAS was created using the Dalle-3 AI platform.

The Background

Let me start by saying that I’m a voracious reader. I can read entire SciFi novels in 2-4 days (BTW, you need to check out this masterful trilogy that was the basis for the TV show “The Expanse”). Ditto for reading non-fiction, news, politics, sports, and tech.

So, yeh: I read a lot.

But…

I sometimes like to listen to my news and updates as well. That allows me to do other things at the same time: drive my car, exercise, cook a meal for my family, or do idle chores like laundry or vacuuming. And in those moments, I’m super grateful to live at a time when technology like podcasts, audiobooks, & radio all exist.

Radio - and the spoken word, in general - is still a very powerful form of communication. It’s something I’ll never under-value or not appreciate.

Perhaps this is why a variety of websites and platforms have embraced audio as a tool for their users. Two notable examples…

The Wall Street Journal has been offering tech to read articles to its users for years:

Platforms like Medium (where I continue to post occasionally) have also offered audio options to users for years:

But the tools I just mentioned here are ONLY available if you are a subscriber to those sites. Which, obviously, is a bummer. But…

What if there were a free tool, kept on our phones, that we could use to read ANYTHING from most ANY website or platform? What if we could also use this tool to read our own or other people’s documents? And what if we could also pick the kind of voice that we prefer to hear when this tool reads to us?

Pretty neat, I’d say.

Oh, and what if this fabulous, new tool was 100% free?

Well, friends, I found exactly this tool. I’ve been using it nearly every day for about two months now, fir one reason or another. Not only is it incredible at what it does, but it’s also what today’s Episode is all about.

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The (Extremely Attractive) Bait

I got an email earlier in this week that I 100% knew was a scam.

I followed it anyway. Safely, of course. I do this because sometimes, the scam is good enough for me to share as a teaching tool for my readers.

This we…

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The Background

As many of you already know, I have a… mixed relationship with artificial intelligence, also known as AI. O…

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Hiya, friends. As most of you know, I cringe at selling you on hardware and software that you do not need. However, once a year, Amazon holds a huge sales event that is totally worth sharing with my readers.

And so, since I’m always a fan of helping you save money, today’s episode will help you save 15%-42% off of the products …

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Before we jump in today, a quick announcement: if you’re listening to this via one of our podcast platforms, you’re going to want to visit this episode on our Substack page for all of the links that we’re going to provide you. There’s no way to provide that in our liner notes or via audio during our podcast in a way that will be logical and easy-to-follow.

Cool? Cool.

Prioritizing Emergencies

For those of us who live in an earthquake zone, we’re taught to prepare for earthquakes: shoes by bed so you don’t have to walk on shattered glass; gas line valve wrenches at the ready to turn off leaking pipes; food, water, and medications to last three days. Ditto, for safety preparedness if you live in an area prone to tornados. I’m looking at YOU, Oklahoma.

In fact, we humans consider and then plan for all KINDS of emergencies, so that we’ve got a plan in case disasters strike. We’re good like that. And yet…

Few if anyone talks about digital emergency preparedness. I’d like to correct this because - as far as I’m concerned - digital emergencies are just as important as other kinds of disasters. Let’s start by understanding what defines a digital emergency. Here’s a short list:

1. A family member has grown ill or died and the immediate family needs access to that person’s email, banking, legal, or medical records.

2. A family member has gone missing and close friends and relatives need to locate them.

3. An important financial/legal/medical/shopping account has been hacked which contains private or vulnerable information that shouldn’t be shared with the world.

4. A personal, social media account has been hacked/taken over and is creating severe reputational damage to you or to a family member.

5. A natural disaster damages or destroys the Internet and/or cellphone reception.

Any of these situations - some of which happen frequently - are challenging but not impossible to navigate. Advanced planning isn’t just important, it’s essential. Be prepared: insurance policies may cost time and money, but we’re always happy and relieved to have them when emergencies occur.

And, since emergencies do occur, let’s explore how to navigate them.

The Prevention Top 10

The best preparedness is prevention. Take reasonable precautions to prevent your digital world from get hijacked in the first place.

1. Use two-factor authentication (or 2FA). 2FA is the gold standard as it requires you to use a cellphone application to provide an always rotating 6-digit security pin when you log into an account. Do NOT confuse this with “two-step authentication” which texts you a one-time security code. Use 2FA on any account that allows it, but most certainly for your email, social media, banking, shopping, medical, and legal accounts. I discussed how to use 2FA in Episode #36 and Episode #12. I continue to use the 100% free “Authy” app for this purpose.

2. Use an open-source password manager. There is no better, or safer, password manager than BitWarden. It’s also 100% free. I discuss it in detail in Episode #26. So do me (and you) a favor: install BitWarden on your computers & smart devices, then migrate your passwords from your old password manager. Once you’ve confirmed your data has migrated successfully, cancel your previous LastPass, 1Password, or other password manager accounts. Then…

3. Use BitWarden properly. If you’re going to use a password manager - and you should - then you’ll need to use it properly. Start by ensuring that every, single password you use is long, complex, and unique. Here’s a link that explains why you should do that, in detail. Will this take you some time? Yes, of course it will. But is that investment worth your time? Absolutely.

4. Back. Up. Your. Data. Doesn’t matter how you do this, but do it. For years, my family has been using iDrive (affiliate link here) to securely backup all of our computers and phones. I wrote about this in Episode #69. It’s an easy-to-use application/service which backs up our data OVER THE INTERNET and into the company’s data centers. I chose this over a back-up drive in my office or home because now — if any of our backup devices are stolen or damaged — our data will remain safe because they’re being stored off site.

5. Avoid email & phone scams. Wanna avoid 95% of all email scams? Simple: just ignore ANY message that claims you’ve been victimized and must act immediately. You heard me: IGNORE IT! If your credit card company or bank actually suspects that you’re being legitimately defrauded, they’ll call you. Multiple times. If and when your bank or credit card company does call, they’ll NEVER - NEVER! - ask for your personal information because they already have it. If anyone claiming to be from your bank or credit card company asks for your address, social security number, or date of birth, inform the person that you’ll be reporting them. Then hang up. Then check the phone number that just called you at the RoboKiller, the SpyDialer, or CellRevealer websites to see if that number is associated with a known scam. If it is, it’ll look like one of these:

6. Trust your Spidey Sense™. When in doubt, do NOT act! Instead, ask someone you trust who is very digitally literate for a second opinion. This might be a child, grandchild, or spouse, but can also be a trusted friend or neighbor.

7. Guard your private personal information (or PII). Never give your cellphone number, primary email address, or residential address to anyone - and I mean ANYone - who does not absolutely or legally need it. Instead, get yourself a set of secondary information, something that is both legal and often free.

8. Remove your PII from the web. Back in Episode #87, I explained why it is important to scrub as much of our PII from the Internet as we can. Not only does doing so prevent certain hacks and scams from happening, but it also prevents unwanted mail, advertisements, and attention. I continue to use and really LIKE the DeleteMe service (affiliate link here). Use that link to save 20% off of any plan you purchase with them.

9. Establish a digital last will and testament. While you’re alive, you can ensure that those you love can have access to your files after you’ve died. Ensure that the password manager that you are using — which, again, should be BitWarden — has a sharing feature. Then use it to allow your trusted family, friend, or professional provider to have access. This way, they’ll have easy access to your communications, banking, medical/legal, and shopping websites when they need it. Fun fact: Google offers an “inactive account manager” to notify/transfer your email account to your next of kin.

10. Create an offline repository of knowledge. If shit goes south and there’s no access to the Internet, then researching how to purify water or treat a wound won’t be possible if you’re looking to get it from YouTube. Applications like those mentioned at this article from Wired magazine are worth installing on your mobile device. Even better? Download videos from YouTube - try the 100% free ClipGrab for that - so that you can view them later on your computer or tablet. I’ve got folders with videos that cover everything from first aid, to survival, to finding/creating drinkable water, hunting/gathering, etc. As long as you’ve got a way to charge a battery, you’re good to go. ClipGrab works for Macs, Windows, and Linux.

When Disaster Strikes

There’s a good reason why I began this Episode with my Top 10 list of preventing problems from happening. That reason? Because dealing with a problem once it’s happened is far, far worse on our mental (and sometimes financial) health. So I beg you again: please, please, please take the time to secure your online accounts as I described earlier in this Episode. Do it now.

If you did not, and you’re here because disaster has already struck, then here are the quickest ways to recover (or at least mitigate) your losses when terrible circumstances occur.

Financial Scams

If you’ve been scammed out of money over the phone or Internet, immediately report the fraud to the FTC here. Then do the same with your bank, credit card, gift card, or any other company involved. Sometimes, Apple, Amazon, WallMart, and others can help. Sometimes.

Then use the resources at this link on the FTC website and go down their to-do list as a reasonable path forward. Just know: in most but not all cases, it will be difficult - if not impossible - to get your money back. According to this link from the National Consumer Law Center (or NCLC) speed is of the essence:

Instead, a consumer’s best hope may be to file a complaint in as many places as possible, including with the bank or company involved with the payment system and with government authorities. The payment provider may be able to provide help, and an eventual government enforcement action (against the scammer or even against a complicit payment provider or other facilitator) could result in an eventual recovery for victims.

Speed is of the essence.

Your best bet to recover funds? Act quickly and make a lot of noise to as many involved parties as is possible. That NCLC link has a ton of other info, by the way. Read it all.

And then — for crying out loud — go back and re-read my Top 10 list at the top of this Episode so you can prevent this kind of shit from happening the next time, OK?

When Death Comes Knocking

If a loved one has died and you need access to their email, most companies can help. Here are links that point to specific help pages provided by Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Apple, and - why not - AOL. Other sites like Amazon provide this as well. Be prepared to provide a death certificate as well as your own government ID to prove your identity. Each company has different requirements, so… be patient and kind. It can take time but it works.

You Got Hacked

Congrats on joining a long and illustrious list of humans who’ve had their accounts hacked and then abused by hackers. Most notable on this list is Mat Honan, a reporter for Wired magazine whose life got turned upside down when he got badly hacked in 2012. Read the story if you haven’t: it’ll scare you into action. Which, frankly, it should.

Today, many years after Honan’s epic pwning, there are more options for consumers. Thankfully.

Social Media

If your social media accounts have been hacked, here are the links to get you *quickly* to the forms and contact pages that you’ll need from Facebook, Instagram, Shitter, SnapChat, LinkedIn, & WhatsApp. Fair warning: WhatsApp kinda sucks when it comes to helping users deal with hacked accounts. If you’re familiar with how Mark Zuckerberg operates, this shouldn’t surprise you.

Larger Media Providers

Here are links to get the help you need from Apple, Amazon (also here), Google, Netflix, Microsoft (here and here) and Walmart (here, then use chat interface at the bottom).

Investment Accounts

If you manage your financial investments online, then you’ll want these links to get quick help and attention from companies like Schwab, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, TIAA, UBS, and Edward Jones.

After you’ve made the initial attempts to address your hack, please — for crying out loud — go back and re-read my Top 10 list at the top of this Episode so you can prevent this kind of shit from happening the next time, OK?

Data Loss

This topic is probably the most painful because, well, we keep an increasing amount of our lives on our computers: files, photos, music, videos, memories, and more. If you do not currently have a back-up drive connected to your computer and you’ve not got any online backup solutions, here are a few things to check to recover at least some of your data:

1. File Sharing Services. If you use Dropbox, Box, Apple’s iCloud/iCloud+, Microsoft’s OneDrive, Google Workspace or ANY file sharing application like these, good news: some of your data are backed-up in the cloud. Log on to your platform’s website to confirm which folders/files you still have.

2. Old Hard Drives. If you’ve used a physical hard drive in the past to backup your computer, go find that drive! Maybe it’s stored in a desk drawer or a closet somewhere. I sometimes find crucial data on old drives from previous years. Ditto, by the way, if you have an old computer laying around.

3. USB Drives. See above. Many of us still have a few (or more!) USB drives lying around in a desk drawer or in a computer bag. Find these, look on them, and you may get lucky.

4. Emails. Yes, this is really scraping the bottom of the barrel, I know, but for incredibly important documents and/or photos, it may be a life saver. You can search most email platforms by asking to search all of your emails that contain a document/attachment. Do this and you might recover one or more of your missing and important files.

Then, and I can’t possibly say this enough, after you’ve made some attempts to recover your files, please — for fuck’s sake — go back and re-read my Top 10 list at the top of this Episode so you can prevent this kind of shit from happening the next time, OK?

OK.

And that’s a wrap for today’s episode, everyone. Thanks for being a part of our community and, as always… surf safe! 👍🏼 👌🏾

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There are two reasons for that. The first is that my life has changed, somewhat substantially, in the past six months, with new priorities for my family and myself. But there’s another reason, and it’s equally, if not more important.

I no longer believe that it is possible for us to coexist with technology and maintain our personal privacy.

This is not a statement that I make lightly nor is it a conclusion that came quickly or without some deep consideration. I’ve been writing about privacy and security matters since about 2010. What I observed in the privacy world since then initially began as a gradual erosion of our individual and collective privacy. Those things could be mitigated.

But then the erosion of privacy snowballed into a massive decay and this, dear friends, I do NOT think can be mitigated. As a result, I cannot advise that any of us can safely and privately coexist with our technology.

Now, you may be thinking, “David, come on! You sound like a dystopian or an apocalyptic preacher. Please: you’re just being extreme.”

Maybe. But not because what I’m saying isn’t true.

Our Data is Being Shared or Stolen

What is certainly true is that, since 2010, the world of technology has merged with the world of interconnectivity, then the world of corporatization and profits, and then, again, with the world of social media.

As a result, whatever was left of our individual privacy has been just about destroyed. I can cite many examples of this.

Drivable Computers

Cars have now become “drivable computers” which — just like the computers on our desks — collect data about us. In this case, how and where we drive and, more ominously, who we are. Then they sell that data to other companies.

Tesla, not surprisingly, is the fucking worst. But Nissan is right behind Tesla with their claims to collect not just your sexual activity but your genetic information.

One lovely exception to this trend is Renault, although their cars are only available in Europe. Turning off these data collection mechanisms in US cars — it’s usually turned on by default — is complicated if not impossible. In fact, in some cases — hello, again, Tesla! — turning off data collection can prevent the car from functioning. #sigh

Pocket Computers

In today’s modern world, our cell phones are with us at ALL times. Many of us get nervous if we can’t find the devices. We bring them to bed, to our cars, to our work, and on our social outings. And although our pocket computers are a huge convenience, they are also a huge liability. That’s because they’re constantly transmitting, receiving, and collecting our data. Companies can elect to ignore these data or take advantage of them.

Google tracks and saves your locations, by default and has an awful reputation about how they sell that data to advertisers. Apple collects and stores our data as well, although its reputation is far better than Google’s when it comes to its users’ private personal data.

Companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and others, RELY on sharing our personal locations in order to keep customers happy. Yay! But Uber’s been hacked, exposing your info. Lyft’s been accused of customer data theft by its own employees. Caveat emptor.

AT&T has now rolled out information that allows 911 dispatchers to more precisely target our exact location to within 55 yards. And while this kind of precision is extremely useful in emergency situations, that ability is now ALWAYS there. But that’s not even the biggest issue.

AT&T — like all American companies — must comply with legal orders to provide law enforcement with your personal “private” information when requested to do so. They regularly provide transparency reports on these requests. Here is AT&T’s Feb 2024 report. Of the 129,329 total requests for your data they received from law enforcement, they provided your data 87,471 times, or about 68% of the time.

Lastly, it’s worth reminding the public that our cell phones are still transmitting and receiving certain data even when those devices are in airplane mode. GPS, for example, receives satellite information on your Android and iPhones even when they’re in airplane mode. We are constantly giving technology companies information about where we are by simply carrying our cell phones with us.

“Convenience” Trackers

Apple’s AirTags are being used to track people and stalk people, and they’ve even led to murder by less-than-savory individuals.

Google (and other companies) record and save your voice and then use the data for “marketing efforts”?! This includes, of course, audio of anyone’s voice in your home, including children.

And don’t get me started on the Ring Video Doorbell fiasco… when it was revealed that Amazon employees were spying on their customers’ video feeds. Amazon, a company worth 4.5 gaJILLION dollars was forced to pay a penalty of $5.8 million to teach them… “a lesson”, I guess.

Finally, we come to a cataclysmic event that just happened in January of this year, 2024. It was a data leak so massive and so unprecedented that it’s now been dubbed “The Mother of All Breaches” or MOAB. 26 billion accounts with your data were captured from websites such as LinkedIn, Adobe, Canva, Xwitter, Evite, TenCent, and many, many others.

Twenty. Six. Billion.

With a “B”.

I highly recommend that you use this tool to check if any of your associated email accounts are included in the data that were captured in the hack. Mine were. so it’s a safe bet that yours were as well.

Sadly, there are too many examples of large-scale theft of our personal data to mention in just one article, so here’s a link to a Wikipedia page that lists data breaches from all over the world. There you’ll see how many millions or billions of people have been impacted by each of those breachers.

Bring a stiff drink with you.

Social Media is Dangerous

I’m tired of people who claim that social media is “fine” and that there are healthy ways to use it. There aren’t and the data are clear: going online can inflict damage on young and impressionable minds. When used addictively — which it is designed to be — technology can cause all kinds of emotional, social, and physical problems.

Worse, by simply using social media platforms — even if we believe, falsely, that we are doing so in a healthy way — we are voluntarily giving away our personal data to companies like Facebook who then misuse it in incredibly damaging and often illegal ways.

Older Methods Are Dying

Earlier this year, our neighborhood lost power during two, awful winter storms. As a result, we lost our cell phone service for three days. Twice. I, therefore, researched if we could grab an old-fashioned landline so that my family and I could communicate even if the power went out. We have the lines already IN our homes. I just wanted the service connected.

That option wasn’t available.

In fact, if you still have a landline: you won’t for much longer. Companies are scrapping that technology.

We’ve Lost Most Recourses

Are there ways to mitigate privacy and security problems? Yes. There are. But how much inconvenience is the average person willing to accept to do so?

• Can you get rid of your cell phone and still lead a productive life in today’s world? Can your child?

• Can you only buy and use older cars? You know: the ones that don’t track, collect, and sell all of your personal data?

• Can you rid your home of all smart lights, smart switches, and smart home devices?

• Can you purge and then delete all of your social media accounts?

• Can you stop using ride-share services and simply use taxis?

• Can you do the same for your Google, Microsoft, and Adobe accounts?

• Can you remove all computers and routers from inside your home?

• Can you make the decision to only surf the web — either at work or at a local coffee shop — and then only while using Tor or a VPN to maximize your privacy?

CAN anyone make all of these changes? Of course! But WILL anyone do so?

Probably not because it’s complicated, very time-intensive, and would render our lives far less convenient. I understand the resistance, of course. And, to be honest, despite being a security and privacy advocate and researcher, my family and I still use some of these services ourselves.

Our One, Last Option

Without any binding laws or oversight from the US government, we’ve allowed corporations to create a culture of wantonly exploiting humans for their data.

The EU has done a far better job of protecting citizens in this category with laws like GDPR and other legislation and bold anti-trust efforts against companies like Apple.

The US and the rest of the world now need to follow suit and create laws that deeply protect customers and their personal data. I’m not a legislator, but if I were, I’d include the following provisions in any law that I’d propose to regulate any company that collects user data of any kind.

No collecting of customer data without…

1. Their express consent.

2. Full transparency about which data are being collected.

3. Clearly stating how long customer data will be kept.

4. Explicitly stating how those data will be used and with whom.

5. An easy-to-find, one-button opt-out, so their data can be purged from the company that collected it at any time and for any reason from both the original company that collected it AND any corporate partners with whom they’ve shared those data.

6. Penalties — based on a percentage of the net profits of the company — that increase over time from an initial violation to any subsequent violations of the legislation.

7. Banning the worst, repeated offender corporations from collecting any data of any kind.

8. Revoking the licenses of those companies who refuse to comply, losing their ability to operate or do business.

So, What Now?

Does technology still thrill me excite me and help my creative process? 100%, yes. Do I find cool software applications that change my workflow and make me more productive? Yup.

But do I think I can keep writing about personal and professional security and privacy in today’s age…?

For the first five months of 2024, I wasn’t sure, so I just sat with the question and let it become something of a meditation. During that time, I continued to follow the tech world’s best and newest offerings.

But now it’s June. For the past few weeks, a terrible fear has sprung up in me that I’ve avoided confronting or writing about: I’ve resisted making peace with the fact that maybe, just maybe, my writing about privacy and security has run its course and served its purpose.

At this time, I do not believe that we can coexist with the technologies that we love and enjoy ANY expectation of privacy.

Therefore, how can I continue to write articles which help my readers increase their privacy when doing so is, mostly, just an illusion at this point? I don’t think that I can, but I want to hear from you.

Are my articles helping you? Are the 100+ that I’ve written here worthwhile? Are there topics that I should cover that, perhaps, achieve other goals?

For example, maybe you like how I simplify certain technologies so that you can better understand them and you find that useful. OK, great! Please let me know that here so that others can also see your thoughts.

For now… I am at a crossroads. But I thank you for being subscribers, both free & paid. You’ve made it an amazing adventure.

I’m not sure if I’m signing off, but I’m not sure if I’m signing on, either.