My HTC One M8 has an Extreme Power Saving mode which replaces the Launcher, drops all network connections, and only allows a few basic functions to work. Not sure how long it will last, but easily over a week.

Or use a VM with snapshots or change logs, and when done, roll back all changes, so no matter how much the browser tries to stash, all gets eradicated.

It also works well to deal with compromised browsers, especially if the VM is run in its own NAT segment, so the compromised instance can't gain knowledge of network topology.

I actually paid for Netscape because it was a good browser at the time.

If the Mozilla Foundation needs cash, maybe a commercial browser may not be a bad idea, especially if it had enterprise level items like being able to be shipped as a .MSI, updated from an internal server like WSUS (not all internal machines have access to the Net in a lot of companies), offered GPO-like functionality to allow for insertion of internal keys, allowed for a recovery mechanism to the security key store, and so on.

This may not mean much to the average consumer, but a supported browser version that can be managed by IT quite well might be a good revenue source, especially with it being platform independent.

Similar with Thunderbird and SeaMonkey. Other than Outlook and mail.app, there are not many good MUAs out there these days. Eudora is dead, and the Bat and Lotus Notes are niche products. Having an alternative to Outlook might be a good thing for businesses, especially if enterprise level management/update functionality could be added in.

If it is sitting empty on Windows 8.1, it is being used for read/write cache by the OS. Same with Linux.

With RAM as relatively inexpensive as it is today, one shouldn't have less than 16-32 GB of RAM on a desktop, especially if one is using virtualization, sandboxing, or other type of container usage to keep their Web browser separate from their sensitive stuff [1].

[1]: In fact, it doesn't hurt to keep different things in separate VMs, and with SSD and a decent amount of RAM, the performance loss is negligable, while one gains a lot in security. Plus, it is easy to move to new hardware... just copy the VM's images to the new machine.

I like Android's customizability and the ability to replace things. For example, I toss the launcher and go with Nova's. The keyboard app gets replaced, and I use a custom texting app that supports encryption.

Plus, I have more privacy on Android with XPrivacy. For example, a lot of apps pull your ad info, IMEI, hardware serial number, and anything they can find for behavioral tracking. With XPrivacy, the app will happily get a number... but it will be a random one. I can also ad block on the IP level.

Newer phones respond to fstrim/blkdiscard, so one can use those tools to fire off TRIM commands, zeroing all data. For example, if one wants to ensure /data isn't available, one could do a blkdiscard of /data's device, or run fstrim on the mounted /data partition to have the SSD zero out all free pages. Similar with /system. Delete all extraneous data, mount it read-write, fstrim it.

The good news is that there are apps (which require root) which will modify SELinux so that the SD card is usable. Since most SD cards are using FAT32, there isn't any real way to enforce permissions, so for security reasons, the card wound up being locked from most apps completely.

Of course, it would be nice if the SD card could be formatted with ext4, so permissions could be enforced.

Another option, which was part of Linux, but pulled out a long time ago, was the UMSDOS filesystem. What this did was put Linux permissions and ACLs atop of FAT/FAT32. Yes, this was a kludge... but it worked without having any changes to the filesystem (other than the marker files) in place. This might be a way to go, since it would allow the phone to enforce app permissions on a filesystem that normally doesn't support it.

The Windows format command does this. If one uses it on a BitLocker encrypted volume, it will go and zero the parts on the volume that hold the BitLocker master key, so even if someone later has a recovery password, the data is still completely gone. Same with secure erase on a number of SSDs.

Since Android is sitting on a SSD, it might be wise to move to a smarter wiping system. One that would wipe the dm-crypt data, core places of the filesystem, and after that, TRIM the entire data partition before formatting and rebuilding it. The TRIM command helps ensure that the data present isn't recoverable at the drive level, and likely will get utterly destroyed when the drive erases the TRIMmed pages.

I read about some newer phones using a chip to store the encryption key for /data, similar to how iOS does it, but when hardware starts getting involved, it becomes harder to deal with a potential backdoor.

Maybe the ideal is a small bit of storage that is used, and if it is erased, the erasure is guarenteed (where there is no way to recover previously stored data.) Then, the master key is stored there. On initial bootup, the phone prompts the user for the PIN, decrypts the key stored on that small bit of storage for the master key to /data, and proceeds from there. On an erase, /data gets force unmounted, the small storage is erased, and a blkdiscard is issued for the /data's device. Not 100%, but it will pretty much ensure anything stashed in /data is gone.

Then there is the external SD card. Unlike /data, there isn't a real standard to encrypt that storage partition. Usually it winds up being encrypted on a file by file basis with some EncFS offshot. The key for this is stored in /data, so if the phone is wiped, there isn't any way to retrieve the SD card's data. What might be an idea would be to offer the file based mechanism, but also offer the ability to format the SD card and encrypt the entire card on a device level, not just on a file by file basis.

Of course, something like phonebookfs could be used so that someone looking at the encrypted file stash on the SD card can't tell between real data and randomly generated chaff, but that may not be something for mainstream phones.

I use a Yubikey Neo mainly for 2FA with Google's services. The main security boost from it for me is that it is a physical object, and the main avenue of attack for my stuff is via remote. Same reason I use Google's Authenticator app as backup on my smartphone.

Since my Yubikey devices tend to be sessile resiliency isn't that important... but I am definitely not impressed with the durability. My eTokens [1] from SafeNet are far more durable, tamper resistant (once they started one piece epoxy manufacture), and can handle far more insertion cycles than the YubiKey can.

I wish Yubico could charge more, and put some money into a stronger USB keyfob. For me, the delicate construction is OK (because I use multiple keys that stay with my devices)... but for people like the parent who actually tote it around, the construction is pretty much unacceptable.

As for a key format for security, I wish the industry would have a special slot for that, as in some cases, NFC isn't acceptable. The best I've seen was the old Dallas Semiconductor "one wire" reader which worked even with high traffic. Since that is long gone, perhaps it is time to have something, even if it is just two small, durable conductive contacts on the side of a device for using a key, or using it for a key interchange.

[1]: I have multiple for PGP, and use the keys as ADKs (which were generated on the device and never leave.) Other than finding drivers for them, they have served me well. Plus, if one uses PGP Desktop (er, now SED), one can use the eTokens as keys, so an attacker would have to have the token, and the PIN (which can be set to lock for good after a certain amount of guesses) in order to boot the machine.

I recommend Deoxit for stuff like this. It not just de-gunks contacts, but leaves a coating of residue to help with further oxidation. I'd also find a way to cover the tip of it as well.

I've mentioned this before... but times have changed. For better or for worse, BitCoin is the currency that people have latched onto, similar to how Facebook is the social network of choice these days.

Even though there are details that the currency is fraught with, it is becoming stable and accepted by the mainstream, where it is becoming trusted enough for people to actually not just use it for a means of exchange (quickly changing from their preferred unit of stored value to BTC, then the seller quickly changing from BTC to their favorite unit), but as a means of holding wealth, since it is a deflationary currency.

Satoshi has dropped out of sight long enough that statute of limitations laws are going to come into play soon, especially once the seven year mark hits. The only two things that are able to be used in the US are murder or failing to file a tax return, and an anonymous entity has no requirement to file a tax return.

Even if taxes are involved, it would be similar to capital gains. Satoshi would not have to pay taxes until those coins are sold or exchanged. If kept "under the mattress", they can legally stay out of play indefinitely.

Solution: institute class based affirmative action. Affirmative action was instituted in an age after terrible racial discrimination. I disagree with it happening now, but it was a good idea then. How do you help the unfairly disadvantaged without race based policies? Base it on something that makes clear and profound differences in one's opportunities.

Though considering that universities like Harvard actually have legacy policies (aka affirmative action for the rich) I don't expect this anytime soon. Personally, I think there should be an academic boycott of any institute with such regressive policies.

This isn't about the US owning anything; it is about private ownership of something. If a company does make it into space, say to some asteroid or something, and you're telling them what they can and can't do while they're there (like claim mineral rights and mine it), who is trying to own the universe then? The way I see it, if someone can make space exploration profitable, that's great! If you're going to piss & moan about someone making property claims & making money while advancing humanity then I think you're the one with the problem. I don't care how we get to space, as long as it happens. Squabbling over money and ownership does not advance humanity; getting out there does. If this whole thing ever becomes an actual issue, then it means something wonderful is happening.

A local place (Solid Concepts) made a 1911 out of DMLS sintered Iconel. All parts including the barrel, sear, trigger mechanism... everything but the grips. It didn't blow up or have any issues after 1000 rounds ran through it.

Mitsubishi has a DMLS machine that does both the sintering and machining (both additive and subtractive), which not just would allow a 1911 to be made, but the parts coming out just needing final assembly.

Of course, there are other uses than firearms.