Every dealer everywhere pushes thousand dollar tire warranties for $800 worth of tires. It's just background noise when you're buying a car.

That's why approved phones exist to support them.

https://www.samsung.com/us/bus...

Traditional Land Nav is to teach O-1s humility when they get lost in the woods.

If you can't afford a phone for cash that's a hint to improve your financial management including not buying phones you can't afford.

I don't know about the non-us phone market but based on slashdot comments it seems like non-carrier locked, not carrier financed phones are maybe more common than here. Certainly in the US that option is only for eccentrics.

Klarna though seems no less but also not inherently more predatory to me than the very worst of the ultra high interest, tiny limit credit card issuers (Credit One, PREMIER, and similar).

  I don't know what to tell someone though who can't afford a phone or PC. I would have said in say 2015, get a used one they are dirt cheap and that 2010 PC will do everything you need to do. However the manufactures have sought to pretty much destroy the used market because lets be honest without really imaginary system 'requirements' a 2014 PC runs Windows 11 just fine... except that you are one upgrade or patch away from something breaking your unsupported platform, and if you are having trouble budgeting for a PC, you can't afford sudden emergencies like that.

Same situation applies to phones, the things one might truly *need* vs want, like banking and finance apps tend to follow N-2 platform support, and so that older phone while realistically perfectly adequate is a door stop because Apple does not want to give you at least ios-18 for it.

It sucks but a PC, Phone or both are one of those things you almost need to succeed, but like cars industry and politics alike seem to be conspiring to make sure there are no 'affordable options' like a robust used market that is the least bit accessible.

Just delete yourself, PDFile Trash Fred.

The reason Anthropic settled is to avoid setting a court precedent. That's the answer. "Pay some money, cost of doing business" while everyone's rights die.

And what's the endgame?

"How about a nice game of....chess?"

And just because you aren't paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you

Thank you Dr. Johnny Fever....and, watch out for the "phone cops"...those guys play hard ball!!!

Ok...I've just severely dated myself...

After I had to be on Facebook for my work,

This part of your post really caught my eye...

Did your employer actually state you had to have a FB account in order to perform your job??

If so, I've never heard of such a thing.

I've never had a FB or any other social media site account, and by my accounts...it's actually been beneficial to my lines of work over the years.

So, genuinely curious about this....what kind of job what kind of work if you don't mind me asking....

Thank you in advance...

Last mile hardware is far from being the whole network.

Storing your data on an economic competitors computers is fucking stupid, yet it takes a public scandal to make it a matter of real concern.

Chatbots whose ripply muscles and chiseled features ravish the conversation like a trashy romance novel.

You should buy nicer coffee beans - if your coffee tastes bad without milk or sugar and tastes terrible when cold, that is a sign you are buying trash coffee beans.

Ugh...I don't think so....I can't agree.

I have relatives and friends that are coffee snobs, and have explained in great lengths what makes the superior coffee...from bean to brewing style to even the freakin' temperature you steep it.

No matter the quality, it all basically tastes like bitter dark liquid....no flavors really that overpower the bitter.

The only way I generally like coffee, is to booze it up, lots of heavy cream and sweetener so that by the time I'm one with it...tastes like boozy hot chocolate....and they generally frown on one for drinking that on the job site, so I generally only partake at home on weekends.

And no, I don't waste my money on the "good stuff" when I drink it like that, so don't worry.

It's all just bitter to me and needs a ton of additives to make it pleasurable.....everyone has different taste buds you know.

Is that really up to some random superintendent to decide. In most countries it would have to be an act of parliament.

Well, the US is set up that way...MOST local power is reserved for the States and the localities within.

The Federal govt is set up to be weak, at least constitutionally it is only supposed to have the limited, enumerated powers and responsibilities listed in the US Constitution.

That has been bastardized greatly over the years, but it also still largely applies.

For the most part, the Feds can't order the states to so jack shit....they can coerce them by trying to withhold tax monies...etc....but that's largely it.

Oh, so you are just going to fly the confederate flag

Why?

Are you trying to start a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert or something....?