I worked for "one" of these companies. You have no idea (and it is designed that way) how many of these systems exist or where they are located. Flock cameras are made to be easily seen. Others are designed to be hidden from public view. And they can track you 24/7 using a form of AI that can put the data points together to form a complete picture of your daily routine. They know where you work, what you purchase, where you get your meds, where you go to the doctor, what you're going to the doctor for, and if you are unlucky and doing something you shouldn't (like a side girl), you are screwed already.

Nothing more to say. These closed systems that force you to funnel your sales to be eaten up by the party that created the device are seriously stupid. Car manufacturers once tried that with tires. The government came in fast and stopped it. They should do the same here.

I find this kind of control of products creepy, but I understand this is probably a bluetooth proximity system that Apple put in the devices to curb theft. But I wish I could have been there to see these things go off!

Go watch the movie Gattaca.

My old left dog-chewed slipper is worth more than Meta.

Yep, this sounds about how these gangs always end.

That is impossible today. You can bet that the major social networks and databases out there have a file on you at the time of your birth. People who have never used the internet most likely have "ghost files" in these companies because they have been talked about by family and friends. How do you protect stuff like that? Even your new smart TV is logging what you are doing and sometimes what you are saying. Just mentioning your grandma is having a birthday next weekend and you are traveling to "destination" will give them her surname, birthdate, and location. You can just start searching to find all the other relevant information on her to create a very detailed file. If you don't know that "Company A" has a ghost file on you, how do you contact them and delete it? Yes, it is that scary.

Does this surprise anyone? We have NO privacy protections in the United States. Period. And anything that exists is a complete joke.

Google just played the epic Ace card by announcing that the new OS for their cell phone systems will allow for 3rd party payment processors and 3rd party App stores to compete with their own offerings. Apple will no longer have any excuse to use anti-competitive features on their devices while saying it "helps" consumers. Let the free market rule!

It could make me morning toast but it will dead on launch if Facebook requires a Facebook account to use it in the future. Thankfully there are rumors that FB may not be able to do this (at least in a few countries) that have laws on the books forbidding "bundling" services that are not directly related to each other.

I was there when Microsoft was sued by the US government for doing FAR LESS. Apple has gotten away with taxation of their customers AND app developers without any additional added benefit to either. Just look at what they did today: HERE. The removal of the earphone jack gives Apple the ability to charge anyone using a secondary device connected the the bluetooth system (and they do). Every new "feature" they add seems to be another way to lock in their customers to a walled garden. Hell, the Chinese government could probably take a page from their playbook.

Try to purchase something in game if you don't want to use Apple Pay and send them 30% of the funds. Try using any of the programs you WANT to use that are available on Android and not on Apple because the developers do not want to pay the "Apple Tax". Try changing the interface or replacing any of the built in Apple programs with competing programs that you like better. Try finding a charging cable when they only use the "Apple" proprietary cable. Try plugging in a 3 dollar earphone you bought at the airport when you forgot yours. Try anything on their brick products that Apple makes forbodden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

I want Google to have more competition, but my disgust for Apple's predatory nature makes me think this is a battle between Satan and Cthulhu. No one wins.

They just lost my future purchase. Not going to happen. I don't have an account with them now and will not in the future. Period.

Absolute bull$%^&. Nuff said.