rodrigo's recent activity

  1. Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    iOS does that since version 18.

    On a related note, I’ve been waiting so long for Apple to add an option to “share only these contacts” with an app, in the same way they already have granular permissions for photos (share nothing/share selected/share everything) and location (nothing/general location/precise, and share just once/for an hour/forever)

    iOS does that since version 18.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    You're overly underestimating Meta's surveillance apparatus. They use WhatsApp data to feed your profile and “improve” friend suggestions and ads in Instagram and Facebook since 2016. Their words:

    You're overly underestimating Meta's surveillance apparatus. They use WhatsApp data to feed your profile and “improve” friend suggestions and ads in Instagram and Facebook since 2016. Their words:

    “[B]y coordinating more with Facebook, we’ll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp,” WhatsApp writes in a blog on the change today.

    “Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them. For example, you might see an ad from a company you already work with, rather than one from someone you’ve never heard of.”

    2 votes

  3. Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    Yes, it does! The link above (that started this conversation) is from a guy in Brazil (me! :)

    Yes, it does! The link above (that started this conversation) is from a guy in Brazil (me! :)

    1 vote

  4. Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    I fully agree.

    My biggest practical text groups are 6 people, beyond that I think it's untenable.

    I fully agree.

    2 votes

  5. Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    Well, you create a WhatsApp account, and that's enough for Meta to link your account there to its massive surveillance apparatus. (Not to mention WhatsApp is a resource hog.) Living in a place...

    Well, you create a WhatsApp account, and that's enough for Meta to link your account there to its massive surveillance apparatus. (Not to mention WhatsApp is a resource hog.)

    Living in a place where WhatsApp is almost mandatory, I wish we were tied to another app, even iMessage/RCS. (The dream would be Signal, but having to download yet another app is a major barrier.)

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Is it possible to live without WhatsApp? in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    WhatsApp isn't more private than Signal. Meta data, interactions with businesses using WhatsApp API and Meta AI aren't encrypted. Worse, Meta uses all this data trove to segment ads and to feed...

    WhatsApp isn't more private than Signal. Meta data, interactions with businesses using WhatsApp API and Meta AI aren't encrypted. Worse, Meta uses all this data trove to segment ads and to feed its spyware machine.

    Signal encrypts everything, is audited and their source code is open.

  8. Comment on Is it possible to live without WhatsApp? in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    Facebook bought WhatsApp because Zuck saw how hugely popular it was using a free VPN spyware they also bought called Onavo. When he acquired WhatsApp, it already had ~500 million users worldwide....

    Facebook bought WhatsApp because Zuck saw how hugely popular it was using a free VPN spyware they also bought called Onavo.

    When he acquired WhatsApp, it already had ~500 million users worldwide. Nowadays, it's around 3 billion people.

  9. Comment on Is it possible to live without WhatsApp? in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    At first, it was a one-week experiment. So, I didn't want to remove WhatsApp permanently. I didn't mention family and my partner because I was able to move them to Signal. It's been years since it...

    At first, it was a one-week experiment. So, I didn't want to remove WhatsApp permanently.

    I didn't mention family and my partner because I was able to move them to Signal. It's been years since it happened. So, unlikely, yes, but not impossible.

    3 votes

  10. Comment on Is it possible to live without WhatsApp? in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    Carriers' greed, basically. Even nowadays they charge or limit free SMS messages in some plans. Also, in early 2010's SMS was unreliable and to this day it lacks many features (a gap being filled...

    Carriers' greed, basically. Even nowadays they charge or limit free SMS messages in some plans. Also, in early 2010's SMS was unreliable and to this day it lacks many features (a gap being filled by RCS), like reading receipts and high-res photos. WhatsApp was simple, easy to use, and free. No wonder Zuck bought it after seeing its huge popularity through spying users' phones with Facebook owned Onavo VPN.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Doppi, the nicest player for your music files in ~tech

  13. Comment on Dell's Consumer Electronics Show 2026 chat was the most pleasingly un-AI briefing I've had in maybe five years in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    macOS's system wide translation, on context menu, is such a useful tool for people that write on more than one language. Its convenience is unbeatable, and one of the things I miss the most when...

    macOS's system wide translation, on context menu, is such a useful tool for people that write on more than one language. Its convenience is unbeatable, and one of the things I miss the most when using something else.

    1 vote

  15. Comment on Doppi, the nicest player for your music files in ~tech

  16. Comment on Doppi, the nicest player for your music files in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    foobar2000 is great. I have good memories from using it on Windows. The iOS app, while functional, is too ugly for my taste ☹️

    foobar2000 is great. I have good memories from using it on Windows. The iOS app, while functional, is too ugly for my taste ☹️

  17. Comment on Doppi, the nicest player for your music files in ~tech

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    It's me! I mean, I'm the author of the blogpost, not the app. I have a strict policy regarding ads in my blog. They are labeled as such, and I don't promote them in communal places like here. Just...

    It's me! I mean, I'm the author of the blogpost, not the app.

    I have a strict policy regarding ads in my blog. They are labeled as such, and I don't promote them in communal places like here. Just happy to found a great indie app and decided to share :)

    4 votes

  19. Comment on How I rebooted my social life in ~life

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    Not where I live, unfortunately ☹️

    Not where I live, unfortunately ☹️

    1 vote

  20. Comment on How I rebooted my social life in ~life

    rodrigo
    Link Parent
    How did you find out these activities/parties?

    How did you find out these activities/parties?

    5 votes