If you have an iCloud subscription, you might be aware of recent challenges regarding Apple’s private relay service. And, you may not know why you’re getting notifications or what they mean.
But first, a word from our sponsor… Ms. Redheaded Woodpecker would like to remind you to spend less time online and more time doing other activities. Bird watching is ok. 😉
Mr. Woodpecker agrees!
What is iCloud Private Relay and why should I consider using it?
iCloud Private Relay is part of an iCloud+ subscription ($.99 to $9.99) and helps protect your privacy when you browse the web in Safari. It’s already built in to your iPhone and iPad — and even your Mac desktop. Please note that it’s not the same as using a VPN, and it only works on the Safari browser.
iCloud Private Relay is designed to protect your privacy by ensuring that when you browse the web in Safari, no single party — not even Apple — can see both who you are and what sites you’re visiting. You can get all the details from Apple by clicking here.Instructions on how to turn it on or off is at the bottom of this post.
TIP #1: If you have an iCloud subscription, turn it on and use Safari to browse the Internet.
While iCloud’s Private Relay service has recently been experiencing down outages, Apple is working to correct the challenge and is typically very stable. Explained in simple terms, the services hides your IP address from websites you visit keeping them from having enough data to profile you. It also helps prevent ad-targeting and phishing attacks.
TIP #2: If you don’t have an Apple subscription and don’t want the expense of a VPN — or if you have a PC or Android phone, consider using Duck Duck Go.
DuckDuckGo offers a browser alternative that’s privacy-focused. It’s an American software company and their browser is free. You can also set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine — ensuring Google isn’t tracking you and compiling data about you. They also offer a PRO version that includes a private VPN and more for right at $100 bucks/year that you can use on all devices (5 at once).
Now you know: Although brothels are legal in much of Nevada, about 90% of the prostitution that occurs in the state is illegal.
To turn iCloud Private Relay on or off for a Wi-Fi network on a mac, you can do the following:
Go to the Apple menu
Select System Settings
Click Network in the sidebar
Click Wi-Fi on the right
Click Details next to the network name
Turn Limit IP address tracking on or off
You can also turn iCloud Private Relay on or off for each device you want to use it on:
UPDATE 7/19/24: All the heat Apple took from haters regarding “back door” access for law enforcement, and it was just released that the shooter was using a newer Samsung phone. So it was Android and not Apple OS after all. It was cracked by the FBI using unreleased software provided by Cellebrite Software, founded by an Israeli company. (More info here.)
Not gonna’ lie, I’ve been soaking in information like Sponge Bob since the assassination attempt on former President Trump. Drudge Report, X, Fox, and CNN for quick details — and then I mosey on to AP, Reuters, and BBC, because I prefer my news to be unbiased.
A non-political viewpoint of the assassination attempt.
You don’t get your world news from here and my opinion is only worth one vote… mine. I’m not going to point fingers in blame or get political here. What I will share is my opinion that many of today’s news outlets just can’t seem to tell the truth when it doesn’t align with their political agenda. In the rush to be first and gain attention, it doesn’t seem to matter if the reporting is accurate.
Sadly, in today’s world, you must fact check the fact checkers. For example, if you’re getting all your news from CNN, here’s just one instance showing why you should vary your outlets of info:
You can’t believe everything you read or hear (duh)…
Just like the “journalist” that created the headline in the photo above, (that should be out of a job by now), there are others wanting the spotlight that will take it a step further. From using AI to put smiles on the faces of secret service members — to crazy ridiculous conspiracy theories — some will do anything to get noticed or make the facts align with their own agendas.
I toss around all kinds of opinions here at home. You probably do the same. I think about what the assassination attempt would’ve looked like if it were Biden instead of Trump — and often share my thoughts with family and friends. Oh yah… I’m armchair quarterbacking… I’m just not blabbing it on social media. 😉
If you do want to share your opinions, please don’t blame the innocent.
Those blaming Apple for not unlocking the shooter’s phone for law enforcement — and there are a bajillion people doing just that — are uniformed. The shooter used an iPhone that law enforcement desperately wants to access. Of course, it would be wonderful to get all that hidden info.
But if a device has a backdoor to let the ‘good guys’ gain access, it’s not encrypted — and Apple refuses to break their end-to-end encryption. They’ll turn over all data from the cloud servers, but they simply can’t decrypt a device without either the user’s passcode, FaceID, or fingerprint.
There’s more to come, for sure.
As more info is dribbled to the public, please don’t rush to judgement or believe everything you see and read on the Internet. And for goodness sakes… please don’t point blame at the innocent.
Now you know: In 2014, a man armed with a knife entered The White House by hopping a fence and running through an unlocked door despite the President being there just minutes before.
I’m no futurist, but I’ve been around a long time. I’m an online creator of sorts, and spend more time working with/reading about technological advances than the average person, but much less than a bajillion others.
Of course, everyone on that spectrum has an opinion on the future of the Internet because of AI, and I’m no different. While my viewpoint isn’t coming from an office in NYC, my thoughts on how AI will impact lives and businesses in the future might still be of interest to you.
Way back when… the Internet changed us.
If you’re reading this, it’s certainly changed you. Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. My non-expert prediction is that AI is going to produce the same drastic changes over time… totally upending everything. With Google’s AI answers rolled out, the shift has already begun.
Now you know: The internet began impacting society in the 1990s. By the year 2000, almost half of the population in the US was accessing information through the internet.
We are in an era of unprecedented connectivity and information access. With instantaneous global interactions through email, social media, and messaging apps, traditional forms of communication have been replaced.
All you need is an internet connection and you have access to a virtual marketplace open 24/7. You have access to a vast repository of knowledge at your fingertips. Even education has transcended physical boundaries — online courses are out there for anything you want to learn.
EVERYTHING IS THERE — except real, physical, human interaction and appreciation of one’s surroundings.
Oh, you can visit places around the world and that’s great… but not if you ignore the beauty that’s in your own backyard. Being able to instantly connect with others is great… but only if you remember how important it is to maintain and foster healthy physical interactions.
You must give up some of one to benefit from the other.
The average person spends almost 7 hours per day on screens connected to the Internet — that’s hours outside of work, y’all.
Isn’t it time for you to find a better balance? I know it’s time for me. Today, I need to find a pillow that the wind took away to unknown places. 🙂
Now you know: The average worker spends nearly 12% of their working hours using unproductive social media apps. Every year in the US, social media distractions at work cost businesses around $650 billion.
I’m writing this after 11:00 PM in a Word document because that doesn’t require Internet. Nearly EVERYTHING requires an Internet connection.
I was warned.
I received an email from my Internet provider, REMC, letting me know that the connection here would be intermittent for 8 hours starting after 10:00 PM for maintenance. Of course, I forgot about it until my connection to the world went dark.
Overnight shouldn’t be a big deal, right? ARG! I’d rather it be out during the day when there’s other things I could be doing. I could weed eat… or mow… or pull weeds from the flower beds. There’s LOTS of stuff to do during the day without a connection. Besides, that’s a great excuse for not doing work. 😉
I’m one of those people who turns the TV on when going to bed. Typically, I wake up around 3:00 or 4:00 AM and turn it off. (I normally don’t go to bed until 1:00 or 2:00 AM.) I watch TV to take my mind off of work and real-life BS. My son calls it murder porn – the channels are either ID or Oxygen. Nothing like a serial killer to lull one to sleep.
But no.
Tonight (which is last night for those of you playing along at home), there’s no TV because my services are all streaming. There’s no book to listen to because I forgot to grab a new one. My phone service in the barndo isn’t such that a hot spot is an option either. So here I sit, thinking about how addicted I am to high-speed Internet.
And finally… that deck that may or may not be done by Christmas…
Tim said he’d be finished today. I’d bet $100 that he’ll be here the next 3 days at least. His sole accomplishment yesterday was eating the bacon sandwich I fed him and getting a gate up.
