Interesting Tech Articles

[Definitions2]

I have a feeling Google is pushing camera a lot so it will take more memory and thus create a need for online storage subscriptions.

[HudZ]

This is pretty crazy, if it works well:

https://blog.google/products/pixel/google-pixel-9-ai-camera-features/#:~:text=4.%20Be%20in%20the,photo%2C%20photographers%20included.

Wow. That would be really cool!!

[Yehudaa]

I have a feeling Google is pushing camera a lot so it will take more memory and thus create a need for online storage subscriptions.

I feel the same about Apple’s live photos. It’s a useless gimmick that makes every pic into a 1.5 second video.

Truth is that we’re all at the mercy of the big guys for cloud storage. Local storage is a thing of the past (and rightfully so), so we’re probably all gonna pay Google, Microsoft, Apple, or a combination of those for personal storage for the foreseeable future.

/.02

[frenchfries]

I have a feeling Google is pushing camera a lot so it will take more memory and thus create a need for online storage subscriptions.

This is so on point, ouch. Can't unsee it now.

[Yo ssi]

Local storage is a thing of the past

-1

[Yehudaa]

-1

You definitely know more about tech than I do, so I'd ask you- why would you store something on a device and run the risk of losing it, damaging it, not having it when/where you need it, etc?

I have all my personal stuff in Google Drive, phone-related stuff in iCloud, and work stuff on OneDrive/SharePoint. I don't see myself going back to extensive local storage, but happy to hear if you think I should.

[Yo ssi]

Important items should be stored with 3 copies ideally one off site. Online backups can be good for one copy, but expensive. Hard drives are cheaper.

[Yehudaa]

Important items should be stored with 3 copies ideally one off site. Online backups can be good for one copy, but expensive. Hard drives are cheaper.

Makes sense. Thank you for the response.

Which brings me back to this question that I asked a few weeks ago. I'm way below the skill level to do what Alexsei is suggesting, and I'm concerned about the next suggestion there due to some of the problems listedv here, namely editing files on devices other than the one device that's syncing to both, and the issue of computer processing power. That also only helps for Drive, not Gmail, contacts, calendar, etc.

@Yo ssi , short of manual backups and/or manual Google Takeouts, do you have any ideas that one could implement on a personal account? Happy to pay for an automated backup service, but the ones that I found online seemed to be catering to business accounts.

(I'm asking mainly re Google. I'm not concerned about Microsoft, as we have an external/outsourced IT team at work who has some sort of automatic backup system set up for our stuff across OneDrive/SharePoint/Outlook, and I know it works as I've deleted files once or twice, and they were able to go back to previous backups and pull out the missing files.)

[Yo ssi]

Didn't look in depth but why backup from Google photos when you can backup to begin with somewhere else?

[Yehudaa]

Didn't look in depth but why backup from Google photos when you can backup to begin with somewhere else?

Yes, good point.

Photos aren't really my biggest concern as I can back up photos to both Google Photos and iCloud (that's what I've been doing since I switched to iPhone 2 years ago, but I should go back and copy everything from before that time to iCloud).

I'm more concerned about Drive and Gmail.

[Alexsei]

Perhaps there's some peer to peer software concept whereas I can you have an encrypted backup of my files on your drive space and in turn you can have the space on my drive, this way we're both protected in case of physical damage to the building housing our local backups...

Is that BitTorrent?

[Alexsei]

Btw @Yehudaa consumer grade NAS's are nothing more complicated then a regular PC

[Yehudaa]

Btw @Yehudaa consumer grade NAS's or nothing more complicated then a regular PC

Okay thanks, will have to look into it. When you posted a few weeks ago I did a bit of googling and it all seemed complicated, but I'll try again.

[mevinyavin]

Some people are just horrible human beings. I mean, if they thought they would get away with running up a $1500 electricity bill at an airbnb, which would seem to be their sole purpose for even renting the thing?
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cryptomining/cryptominers-made-100000-dollars-from-mining-at-an-airbnb-for-three-weeks

[mevinyavin]

According to Tech Advisor (UK version of PCWorld), these are the top ten "dumb" phones (not all qualify according to our definition, and I skipped those that are really truly smartphones):

1. Best overall - Nokia 2660 Flip
2. Best battery life - Nokia 8210 4G
3. Best build quality - Doro 6880
4. Most stylish (?) - Punkt MP02
5. Most unique - Light Phone 2
6. Ease fo use - Emporia Simplicity
9. Durability (what's the difference between that and build quality?)- Sonim XP3plus
10. Classic - Nokia 6310

[Yo ssi]

iPhones have great build quality but aren't very durable

[mevinyavin]

iPhones have great build quality but aren't very durable

So in other words... Build quality means what, and durability means what?

[Yo ssi]

So in other words... Build quality means what, and durability means what?

Durability the focus is on what it can withstand, vs quality can mean precise, good materials, good handiwork or machine precision etc.

[mevinyavin]

Durability the focus is on what it can withstand, vs quality can mean precise, good materials, good handiwork or machine precision etc.

Interesting. I always used durability as "long lasting" but I see the dictionary definition adds "by virtue of withstanding force or pressure."
Now that you mention it, many portable Apple products seem to have great build quality but not much durability.

[mevinyavin]

https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/13/1106837/ai-data-posioning-nightshade-glaze-art-university-of-chicago-exploitation/